cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cigarette Smoking in Persons Living with Hepatitis C: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 1999-2014.

Abstract Background Cigarette smoking is common in persons living with hepatitis C (hepatitis C+), but national statistics on this harmful practice are lacking. A better understanding of smoking behaviors in hepatitis C+ individuals may help in the development of targeted treatment strategies. Methods We extracted data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) between 1999 and 2014. Hepatitis C+ were compared with hepatitis C− adults in the entire sample and in the subset of current smokers. Measures included demographics, current smoking, cigarettes/day, nicotine dependence, other tobacco use, substance use, and medical and psychiatric comorbidities. Results Complete smoking and hepatitis C virus (HCV) data were available for 39,472 (90.1%) of 43,793 adult participants in NHANES during the study years. Hepatitis C+ smoked at almost triple the rate of hepatitis C− adults (62.4% vs 22.9%), with no significant difference between hepatitis C+ men and women (64.5% vs 58.2%). Hepatitis C+ smokers were more likely to smoke daily than hepatitis C− smokers (87.5% vs 80.0%), but had similar levels of nicotine dependence. Hepatitis C+ smokers were more likely to be older (mean age: 47.1 vs 41.5 years), male (69.4% vs 54.4%), Black (21.2% vs 12.1%), less educated (any college: 31.8% vs 42.9%), poor (mean family monthly poverty index: 1.80 vs 2.47), uninsured (43.9% vs 30.4%), use drugs (cocaine: 11.1% vs 3.2%; heroin: 4.0% vs 0.6%), and be depressed (33.2% vs 13.5%). Multivariate analyses revealed significant associations of both hepatitis C infection and cigarette smoking with current depression and hypertension. Conclusions There is a cigarette smoking epidemic embedded within the hepatitis C epidemic in the United States. The sociodemographic profile of hepatitis C+ smokers suggests that the implementation of effective tobacco treatment will be challenging. Thoughtful treatment strategies that are mindful of the unique characteristics of this group are needed.
Locomotor sensitization to cocaine in adolescent and adult female Wistar rats

Abstract Adolescent stress exposure is a risk factor for drug abuse, and sex differences contribute to psychostimulant responses. Although many studies have utilized the Wistar rat strain in adolescent stress paradigms, the impact of adolescent stress exposure on addiction-like outcomes has not been rigorously tested in female Wistar rats. In this study, locomotor sensitization was assessed in adolescent and adult female Wistar rats following either chronic stress during adolescence (CAS) or no stress (NS). Adolescent, but not adult, female Wistar rats developed locomotor sensitization to 15 mg/kg cocaine over 5 days of treatment, regardless of stress history. CAS reduced the initial locomotor response to novelty in both adolescent and adult rats compared to NS controls but had no effect on locomotor sensitization to cocaine in adolescents or adult female rats. These studies expand our understanding of age and adolescent stress on cocaine-induced behavioral plasticity in female Wistar rats.
Cost Containment and Justice

For some years concern about the health sector has been expressed in terms of two major problems confronting the sector: unequal access to health services and rapidly rising costs. More recently, the lion’s share of attention has been directed to costs, and the catchword of policy makers, planners, and administrators has become ‘cost containment’. It is not that problems relating to access have been solved. To the contrary, despite improvement in the access of the nation’s low income and minority families to health services, problems, including numerous inequities, of access persist. Nevertheless, the priority of cost concerns is clear. The purpose of this essay is to explore the meaning of cost containment and its implication for health services delivery with particular reference to the impact on justice within the health care system.
The Pre-Phanerozoic Fossil Record

The pre-Phanerozoic fossil record is dominated by stromatolites and microfossils. The most ancient traces of life that are now confidently recognized are the stromatolites and filamentous microfossils from the ~3500 Ma-old Warrawoona rocks in Western Australia. Younger Archean (up to 2500 Ma-old) stromatolites, though rare, indicate that the benthic microbial ecosystem was well established. It is not known whether the Archean microbes that built the stromatolites or may have inhabited the water column were oxygen-releasing photoautotrophs. The fossil record becomes conspicuous during the Proterozoic (2500 to 570 Ma ago). Stromatolites, some with well preserved cyanobacterial-like microfossils are plentiful, and the variety of microfossils found in rocks from different sedimentary environments suggest a considerable diversity of microbial ecosystems. Phytoplankton represented by acritarchs apparently underwent a major radiation ~1400 Ma ago. Microfossils that have been interpreted as eukaryotes have been reported from a few Proterozoic sequences and are the subject of great debate. Centimeter-sized algal (eukaryote) remains have been found in rocks ~1300 Ma-old.
A Novel System-in-Package using High-Density Fan-out Technology for Heterogeneous Integration

A new Wafer Level System-in-Package (WLSiP) has been designed and developed where Application Processor (AP), Low Power Double Data Rate 4 (LPDDR4) memory, and Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) semiconductor technologies as well as passive components are integrated using High-Density Fan-Out (HDFO) packaging technology. Compared to current laminate substrate based packaging technology, this solution shows 87% reduction in substrate thickness, 6.7°C lower temperature on the AP chip and 10% enhancement of the electrical performance.
Two Decades of Terahertz Transient Photoconductivity Spectroscopy: Where do We Stand and Where are We Going?

Developments in transient photoconductivity in semiconductors as probed by terahertz (THz) spectroscopy are described. First, previous work is discussed, which is then followed by a few thoughts regarding future directions.
Factors affecting performance of the micro-layered fast-neutron detector

Abstract The Micro-Layered Fast-Neutron Detector (MLFD) is a proton-recoil scintillation detector constituting microscale alternating layers of hydrogenous medium and ZnS:Ag. The device employs a peripheral photon detection for maximizing light collection while minimizing gamma-ray background. The layered configuration offers several novel advantages inherently by design, e.g., it overcomes the light-opacity limitation of polycrystalline ZnS, recoil protons have a high probability of reacting with the scintillation grains in their forward-directional path, the design and photomultiplier orientation eliminates the need for extraneous light guides, and minimizes Ĉerenkov generation and collection. The most striking ability of the MLFD is that its efficiency can be scaled higher by simply adding layers and increasing the length, up to 20 cm. Presently, a 40-mm MLFD has an intrinsic detection efficiency of 9.2% for bare 252Cf. Described is a comparison between experimental results and a theoretical model, the respective performances of which differ in high energy regions. The differences in the two models suggest that epoxy in the MLFD contributes to an increased count rate in higher channels.
Historical and Future Needs for Geospatial Iodide Occurrence in Surface and Groundwaters of the United States of America

While iodide (I–) is critical for biological systems, it can serve as a precursor to organic iodinated disinfection byproducts (I-DBPs) of human health concern during water treatment. Thus, understanding potential I– occurrence in fresh waters is critical. Although I– occurrence data are sparse in surface water (SW) or groundwater (GW) used for drinking water supplies, data exist for other locations. We analyzed historical I– occurrence for ∼9200 SW and GW sampling locations in the United States to understand potential I– sources and also spatial and temporal variability. I– ranged from below detection limits (<1 μg/L) to 95th percentile concentrations of 320 and 1300 μg/L (median = 12 and 13 μg/L), respectively, in SW and GW. I– appears to be influenced by halite basins, organic-rich shale/oil formations, saltwater intrusion, and rainfall, with median Br–/I– mass ratios of 10 and 17 μg/μg in SW and GW, respectively. Our results demonstrated considerable variability in iodine sources and speciation, which...
Intersectionality and Power Imbalances Clinicians of Color Face When Patients Request White Clinicians.

The authors of “Intersectionality in Clinical Medicine” argue that using the concept of intersectionality in a clinical context gives us the potential to examine how the ways in which we are social...
Is Loop Ileostomy in Patients with Cecal Bascule a Viable Option

Background. Cecal bascule, initially described in 1899 by Treves, is the rarest form of cecal volvulus and represents a phenomenon when a redundant and distended cecum folds anteriorly over the ascending colon causing an intestinal obstruction. Patients with cerebral palsy are at increased risk for this condition. Case Presentation. We present a 28-year-old male with cerebral palsy, functionally dependent in all activities of daily living, who had undergone a loop ileostomy for cecal bascule. He then presented to our emergency department with a large loop ileostomy prolapse, which was the result of an inverted prolapsed cecum through the efferent ileostomy limb. He underwent a right hemicolectomy with end ileostomy and transverse mucous fistula creation through the previous ostomy site. He progressed well appropriately postoperatively and was discharged home. Conclusions. While cecal bascule is a rare form of bowel obstruction, patients with cerebral palsy are at an increased risk for this condition. The treatment options are numerous and are primarily surgical. Diverting loop ileostomy alone is not a recommended treatment. A high index of suspicion is warranted in all cases of large bowel obstruction to minimize risk of recurrence, morbidity, and mortality for patients afflicted by this condition.
Microscopic examination of a fan blade supporting system premature fractured

Abstract A local company generates electricity via combined cycle power plant using natural gas. After the steam turbine, the in-line working fluid needs to be liquefied by a condenser. A water cooling system which is comprised of a fan cooling tower is used. The tower is consisted of series of cooling fans. The fans are comprised of blades which are supported onto a hub by “U” shaped holders. These pieces frequently brake down disturbing the normal operation of the unit. The paper refers to the microscopic examination of the failed parts. Historical data was collected, the pieces were macroscopic examined, hardness measurements were carried out and chemical analysis was performed. The study involved a detailed examination of the microstructures and fracture morphologies of the specimens derived from the failed parts. Conclusions are presented related to the fracture mechanism and the type of fractures respectively. All of the blade holders on this analysis were totally break by low cycle fatigue. Usages of impropriate material, as well as design deficiency of the holders, are considered to be the main causes for the failure.
Poly(terphenylene) anion exchange membranes with high conductivity and low vanadium permeability for vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs)

Abstract In this study, we demonstrate a new class of poly(terphenylene) based anion exchange membranes (AEMs) with improved chemical stability and anion conductivity in vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs). A series of terphenyl- and biphenyl-based polymers with pendant quaternary ammonium alkyl groups were synthesized and characterized for VRFB applications. When the arrangement of the polymer backbone and cation-tethered alkyl chains was varied, the prepared AEM membranes exhibited extremely low vanadium permeance while maintaining high conductivity. These properties further provided a high coulombic efficiency close to 100% at all current densities as well as high voltage efficiency. The single cell VRFB performance with the poly(terphenylene) based AEMs showed 2–5% higher coulombic efficiency than those of commercial AEMs and similar voltage efficiency to those of commercial PEMs (Nafion® 212). The highest EE value of 93.64% was achieved at the current density of 20 mA/cm2 (vs. 72% EE for Nafion212). In addition, poly(terphenylene) based AEMs showed superior cycle stability and high capacity retention, thus demonstrating their high performance as promising IEMs for VRFB application.
Desflurane animal and human pharmacology: aspects of kinetics, safety, and MAC.

Substitution of fluorine for the single chlorine atom in isoflurane produces the new anesthetic, desflurane. This seemingly small change produces several pharmacologic changes. The potency of desflurane (MAC equals 6.0% in middle-aged patients) is one-fifth that of isoflurane (1.15%), with MAC for each agent decreased by aging, hypothermia, or the addition of depressants such as midazolam, fentanyl, or nitrous oxide. Some properties are similar: desflurane and isoflurane both depress respiration and neuromuscular contractility, and higher concentrations (e.g., 6%-8% desflurane) of both agents have a pungency that can provoke breath holding, laryngospasm, and salivation, particularly in infants and children. Of great importance, the substitution of fluorine for chlorine markedly decreases blood (desflurane blood-gas partition coefficient 0.42) and tissue solubility (e.g., brain-blood partition coefficient 1.3) relative to isoflurane (values 1.4 and 1.6, respectively). As a result, desflurane alveolar concentrations may be adjusted more rapidly and precisely; desflurane enters and leaves the lungs and tissues more rapidly; and recovery is quicker both for the short (first 10-20 min) and long (0.5-1.5 h) term. This greater precision of control and more rapid recovery are consistent with trends for new drug development in anesthesiology.
Enumeration of relativistic states for superheavy and transactinide dimers in the periodic table

We have employed combinatorial techniques based on multinomial symmetric function (S-function) techniques for exhaustive enumeration and generation of relativistic (ω–ω states) states originating from relativistic 2-component molecular spinors for the seventh row superheavy dimers (Nh2-Ts2), transactinide dimers (Rf2-Rg2) and Ac2. The multinomial generators are so powerful that the complete set of relativistic states of all seventh row superheavy dimers or transactinide dimers are enumerated and constructed in a single generating function. We have computed and constructed the enumeration tables for all valence ω–ω states for the 7p-block and 6d-block dimers (Nh2-Ts2, Rf2-Rg2). Our results show that there are 6455 S-function terms giving rise to 102,830 valence ω–ω states- all arising only from the 6d shells of Bh2. Extension of the developed techniques to relativistic 4-component and 4-spinors arising from fermionic spin-3/2 particles are also suggested with potential applications NMR spectroscopy.
Rethinking Work and Retirement

Many grandparents juggle care work and employment. In Grandmothers at Work, Harrington Meyer (2014) interviewed 48 grandmothers who are working and caring for grandchildren. Though some did not alter their work schedules to provide care, many did. Several reported that they change hours, reduce hours, change jobs, or use paid vacation and sick days to care for grandchildren. Our findings for Grandparenting Children with Disabilities are much the same. We found grandparents repeatedly rethinking their work and retirement plans so that they could provide care for their grandchildren with disabilities. Just over one-fourth of our respondents either stop working or reduce work hours to care for their grandchildren with disabilities. Among those who are still working, many change their schedules frequently, going in late, leaving early, and using paid vacation and sick days to care for their grandchildren with disabilities. There are a few exceptions. Some are clinging to their jobs as a strategy to reduce grandchild care. Some are clinging to their jobs because they need the income to help pay for necessities for the younger generations or to recover losses they experienced due to the Great Recession. Others have already retired, thus when they find that they have grandchildren with disabilities they seamlessly begin care work. Several retire early and move to new homes to provide care. Now they are all providing care for grandchildren with disabilities, and neither their employment nor retirements are unfolding as they had planned. Whether they are reducing hours, changing jobs or homes, retiring early, or delaying retirement, they are reconfiguring their plans. Again and again.
Molecular Cobalt Catalysts for O2 Reduction to H2O2: Benchmarking Catalyst Performance via Rate–Overpotential Correlations

Homogeneous ORR catalyzed by cobalt macrocycles typically leads to selective 2e/2H+ reduction of O2 to H2O2; however, variations in the reaction conditions make it difficult to compare the performa...
Professional Competence and the Law

I have been asked to speak about “Professional Competence and the law—What’s at Stake: The Educator’s Perspective.” In the interest of truth in advertising and full disclosure, I must make a few things clear at the outset. Much of my knowledge about the topic comes from a study of 106 lawyers in Wisconsin. I am aware that a study of American lawyers does not necessarily tell us anything about the bar in Canada. However, you are invited to take my remarks as reflecting the quaint native customs of a colorful but primitive people which might be suggestive to a Canadian audience. Moreover, while I am paid to meet classes at a law school, I could hardly claim to be representative of American law professors. This talk will be “an” educator’s perspective rather than “the” view of all of my colleagues.
The politics of cycling infrastructure. Spaces and (In)Equality: edited by T. Koglin and R. Cox, Bristol, UK, Policy Press, 2020, 260 pages, 60£, ISBN 9781447345152

The Politics of Cycling Infrastructure is a welcome and long-overdue addition to the literature on bicycling. During the last decades, many cities and countries have successfully promoted bicycling...
Admittance Control of a Teleoperated Motorized Functional Electrical Stimulation Rehabilitation Cycle

Abstract A bilateral teleoperated rehabilitation cycling system is developed for people with movement impairments due to various neurological disorders. A master hand-cycling device is used by the operator to set the desired position and cadence of a lower-body functional electrical stimulation (FES) controlled and motor assisted recumbent cycle. The master device also uses kinematic haptic feedback to reflect the lower-body cycle’s dynamic response to the operator. To accommodate for the unknown nonlinear dynamics inherent to physical human machine interaction (pHMI), admittance controllers were developed to indirectly track desired interaction torques for both the haptic feedback device and the lower-body cycle. A robust position and cadence controller, which is only active within the regions of the crank cycle where FES produces sufficient torque values, was used to determine the FES intensity. A Lyapunov analysis is used to prove the robust FES controller yields global exponential tracking to the desired position and cadence set by the master device within FES stimulation regions. Outside of the FES regions, the admittance controllers at the hands and legs work in conjunction to produce desired performance. Both admittance controllers were analyzed for the entire crank cycle, and found to be input/output strictly passive and globally exponentially stable in the absence of human effort, despite the uncertain nonlinear dynamics.
The Criminality of Nuclear Deterrence Today: International Law as Anchoring Ground

Today the world is at a precipice of another world war. The United States government has committed acts of aggression against Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Somalia, Yemen, and has authorized, armed, equipped, and supplied Israel to commit acts of aggression, crimes against humanity, and outright genocide against Lebanon and Palestine. Today the United States government is threatening to attack Iran under the completely bogus pretext that they might have a nuclear weapon, which the International Atomic Energy has said is simply not true. If they attack Iran with the Israelis, a British think-tank has predicted they could exterminate 2.8 million Iranians! They are fully prepared — the Americans and the Israelis — to use tactical nuclear weapons. The simple idea of the criminality of nuclear weapons and deterrence can be used to pierce through the ideology of nuclearism, to which so many citizens in the nuclear weapon states and around the world have succumbed — by means of propaganda techniques, propagated by the governments, going back to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Minimally invasive hysterectomy for stage IA cervical carcinoma: a survival analysis of the National Cancer database

Objectives: Evaluate the short-term and oncologic outcomes of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for patients with stage IA cervical carcinoma undergoing simple or radical hysterectomy. Methods: Patients diagnosed between 2010 and 2015 with pathological stage IA squamous, adenocarcinoma, adenosquamous carcinoma of the cervix, who had no history of another tumor, underwent radical or simple hysterectomy with known mode of surgery, and had at least one month of follow-up were identified in the National Cancer Database. Comparisons of demographic and clinico-pathological characteristics were made with the chi-square test. The impact of MIS (robotic-assisted or traditional laparoscopy) on overall survival (OS) was assessed with the log-rank test following generation of Kaplan-Meier curves. A multivariate Cox model was constructed to control for confounders. Results: A total of 1930 patients who met the inclusion criteria were identified; the majority (73.3%, 1414 patients) had stage IA1 disease, while 458 (23.7%) patients had stage IA2 and 58 (3%) patients had stage IA not otherwise specified. A total of 1238 (64.1%) patients had simple hysterectomy, while 692 (35.9%) patients had radical hysterectomy. Rate of radical hysterectomy was higher among patients with stage IA2 disease compared to IA1 disease (53.3% vs 30.4%, p 0.05. Patients who had MIS had shorter hospital stay (median 1 vs 3 days, p Conclusions: In a large cohort of patients with pathological stage IA cervical carcinoma, performance of minimally-invasive hysterectomy was not associated with a detrimental effect on overall survival.
A unique sulfotransferase-involving strigolactone biosynthetic route in Sorghum

LOW GERMINATION STIMULANT 1 (LGS1) plays an important role in strigolactones (SLs) biosynthesis and Striga resistance in sorghum but the catalytic function remains unclear. Using the recently developed SL-producing microbial consortia, we examined the activities of sorghum MAX1 analogs and LGS1. Surprisingly, SbMAX1d (accession # XP_002458367) synthesized 18-hydroxy-carlactonoic acid (18-hydroxy-CLA) directly from carlactone (CL) through four-step oxidations, and addition of LGS1 led to the synthesis of both 5-deoxystrigol (5DS) and 4-deoxyorobanchol (4DO). Further biochemical characterization found that LGS1 functions after SbMAX1d by converting 18-hydroxy-CLA to 18-sulphate-CLA to provide an easier leaving group to afford a spontaneous formation of 5DS and 4DO. The unique functions of SbMAX1 and LGS1 imply a previously unknown synthetic route towards strigolactones. O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=81 SRC="FIGDIR/small/459372v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (12K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@2252eeorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@172a0f8org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@a630e4org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@d3e2b6_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG
Biochemical evidence for the presence of an amiloride binding protein in adult alveolar type II pneumocytes.

Abstract An amiloride binding protein in adult rat and rabbit alveolar type II (ATII) cells was characterized using three different antibodies against epithelial Na+ channel proteins. We found that 1) polyclonal antibodies raised against epithelial Na+ channel proteins from bovine kidney cross-react with a 135-kDa protein in ATII membrane vesicles on Western blots; 2) using the photoreactive amiloride analog, 2'-methoxy-5'-nitrobenzamil (NMBA), in combination with anti-amiloride antibodies, we found that NMBA specifically labeled the same M(r) protein; and 3) monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies directed against anti-amiloride antibodies also recognized this same M(r) protein on Western blots. We also demonstrated a low benzamil affinity binding site (apparent Kd = 370 nM) in rabbit ATII cell membranes and both high and low benzamil affinity binding sites (apparent Kd = 6 nM and 230 nM) in bovine kidney membranes using [3H]Br-benzamil as a ligand. Pharmacological inhibitory profiles for displacing bound [3H]Br-benzamil were also different between ATII cells and bovine kidneys. These observations indicate that adult ATII pneumocytes express a population of epithelial Na+ channels having a low affinity to benzamil and amiloride and a pharmacological inhibitory profile different from that in bovine kidney.
An investigation of dual-band Fabry-Pérot resonant cavity antennas

A dual-band version of the Fabry-Perot resonant cavity antenna that uses an FSS layer above a ground plane to replace the single metal ground plane of its conventional counterpart is proposed. A design procedure for the dual-band design is given, and results are shown.
Training Initiatives for Classification Society Personnel

Abstract : The Ship Classification Society is an institution unique to the commercial maritime industry. For a single vessel the classification society may act on behalf of a number of client organizations: owner, shipyard, underwriters, furnishers of capital, flag state, port state, etc. The interests of these various groups require a professional staff familiar with the practices of the industry, codes and laws of vessels trading nationally and internationally, flag and port state regulations and, of course, the engineering disciplines and practical skills associated with the design, construction, maintenance and operation of vessels. This paper will discuss some of the problems encountered in delivering training for a multi-national, multi-cultural and multi-lingual organization, and the initiatives being undertaken to provide the necessary skills and to ensure reasonable and consistent interaction and application of codes and standards and professional execution of assigned tasks.
Effects due to the local fields and the phonons in atomic Bose-Einstein condensates: polariton approach

Summary form only given. The observation of atomic Bose-Einstein condensates (BECs) in magnetic and optical traps has stimulated theoretical investigation of the optical properties of these systems. Many of the current theories are based on the Heisenberg equations of motion for the radiation field and matter. These equations are nonlinear in the field operators and lead to an infinite hierarchy of equations for the atomic correlation functions. The hierarchy can be decoupled using an approximation. In an alternative development, the Heisenberg equations of motion have been simplified using an adiabatic approximation to eliminate the excited-state field operator. While some previous studies of BECs have employed the polariton approach, in these treatments neither the local field effects nor the polariton-phonon coupling are taken into account. Local field effects play an important role in a dense Bose gas (/spl rho//sup I/3//spl lambda//spl Lt/1) where, due to the resonance dipole-dipole interaction,the atoms respond to the electromagnetic field in a collective manner.In this contribution we examine the effects of both the local field and phonons using the polariton approach. The analysis is based on the quasiparticle concept.
2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin-Induced Activation of a Protein Tyrosine Kinase, pp60src, in Murine Hepatic Cytosol Using a Cell-Free System

2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) was found to activate protein kinases under cell- and nucleus-free conditions in isolated C57 mouse liver cytosol (100,000 × gsupernatant). This action of TCDD was found to be aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) dependent, concentration dependent, and inhibited by genistein, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. The lowest concentration of TCDD to produce a statistically significant increase in protein phosphorylation was 10 pm. We also investigated the possibility that a protein kinase is physically associated with the cytosolic AHR complex. Kinase renaturation tests designed to detect reactivated protein kinases after electrophoresis in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels revealed the presence of a 60-kDa kinase in the washed immunoprecipitate obtained from liver cytosol using anti-AHR antibody (IgG) and protein A/G/agarose beads but not when a nonspecific IgG was used instead of anti-AHR antibody. The same 60-kDa band was present in an immunoprecipitate prepared in a similar manner from the same cytosol but with anti-heat shock protein 90 antibody (IgM). This 60-kDa kinase was found to be activated by TCDD treatment of whole cytosol from untreated mice. Moreover, pp60srcimmunoprecipitated from cytosol that had been previously treated with TCDD under cell-free conditions exhibited 2-fold more kinase activity than the equivalent preparation treated with a solvent control. Again, such an effect of TCDD could not be detected when a nonspecific IgG was used in place of an anti-pp60src antibody. Increased protein phosphorylation was observed after direct TCDD treatment of immunoprecipitates obtained using antibodies to AHR and pp60src, respectively, but not when a nonspecific IgG was used for immunoprecipitation in either case. This observation is consistent with the idea that in cytosol, the AHR and pp60src coexist as part of a multimeric protein complex that can be specifically coimmunoprecipitated. These results provide evidence that (i) TCDD activates protein kinases in murine hepatic cytosol, (ii) a 60-kDa protein kinase is associated with the cytosolic form of the AHR complex, (iii) ligand binding directly activates this kinase because TCDD treatment of immunoprecipitated AHR complex results in increased protein kinase activity, and (iv) the AHR-associated protein kinase seems to be pp60src kinase. The current findings provide a clue to a potentially important mechanism by which TCDD can exert rapid, pleiotropic effects through the AHR-associated kinase to alter functions of many proteins through a cascade of protein phosphorylations.
MINRES-QLP Pack and Reliable Reproducible Research via Supportable Scientific Software

The MINRES-QLP Pack is a suite of standard and extended Krylov subspace methods for solving large linear systems and linear least-squares problems in which the coefficient matrices are potentially singular or ill-conditioned and possibly have special symmetries. Our purpose is to develop robust open-source MATLAB implementations of these algorithms that are faithful to the theory, following the philosophy of reproducible research (RR), and practicing development principles of what we call supportable scientific software (SSS) that promote reliable reproducible research (RRR). In this paper, we review key features in the ongoing theoretical and software development of our algorithms in the MINRES-QLP Pack. We highlight the most effective software engineering tools known to us that are potentially useful to other scientific research areas. We support open calls to create more incentives for practitioners of robust and reliable scientific software such as citations and grants for quality software. We encourage introducing principles of RRR via SSS to computational science students in advanced courses of scientific computing and to computational scientists through seminars, workshops, or conferences. To these ends, we started an experimental seminar course, “Reliable Mathematical Software” (IIT MATH-573) in our institution, and organized multiple sessions on “Reliable Computational Science” in the SIAM Annual Meeting 2014. We share our research practice and pedagogic experiences in this article.
Transient opto-electric response in hydrogenated amorphous silicon and implications for high speed sensor devices

This paper analyzes the transient photocurrent of amorphous silicon photosensors, with emphasis on new device applications. The results show that response speeds in the GHz range can be achieved in amorphous silicon photodetectors with proper device structures and proper detection schemes.
Childhood trauma and thought action fusion: A multi-method examination

Abstract Cognitive biases, such as Thought Action Fusion, play a crucial role in the cognitive-behavioral model of anxiety disorders and have been shown to prospectively increase the risk of developing future psychopathology. However, little research has examined the developmental factors that contribute to this theoretically important construct. Therefore, the current study examined how childhood trauma predicts TAF using a multi-method approach. Using both a self-report (N=407) and in vivo measure (N=107), results indicated that emotional abuse and physical neglect predicted the likelihood bias of TAF, whereas physical abuse predicted the moral bias. Our findings are conceptualized within a developmental psychopathology framework and cognitive intervention strategies for survivors of childhood trauma are suggested. Limitations and future directions are discussed.
Molecular determinants responsible for differential cellular distribution of G protein-gated inwardly rectifying K+ channels.

Activation of the heteromeric G protein-gated inwardly rectifying K+ channel (GIRK) GIRK1 and GIRK4 subunits gives rise to IKACh, which controls excitability in atrial tissue. Although homomeric GIRK4 channels localize to the plasma membrane and display moderate function, GIRK1 channels fail to localize to the cell surface and do not exhibit significant function as homomers. Using oocytes to express GFP-tagged GIRK1 and GIRK4 and chimeras between these two proteins, we have identified two regions, one in the proximal C terminus and another in the distal N terminus that are critical for their subcellular localization. Replacement of both of these regions in GIRK1 with corresponding regions from GIRK4 was required for efficient expression of GIRK1 on the plasma membrane. Replacement of either region by itself was ineffective. The distal N terminus and proximal C terminus have been previously suggested to play important roles in ER-export and subunit co-assembly respectively in this family of channels. Our data indicate for the first time that both of these regions need to work in concert to mediate efficient targeting of these channels to the plasma membrane.
Time-accurate incompressible flow computations with quadrilateral velocity-pressure elements

Quadrilateral velocity-pressure elements with constant and linear pressure interpolations are examined in the context of time-accurate finite element computation of unsteady incompressible flows. These elements involve streamline-upwind/Petrov-Galerkin stabilization and are implemented in conjunction with the one-step and multi-step temporal integration of the Navier-Stokes equations. The two test cases chosen for the performance evaluation of the formulations are the standing vortex problem and flow past a circular cylinder at Reynolds number 100.
Systolic Time Intervals in Atrial Fibrillation

Forty patients with atrial fibrillation and 20 patients with congestive heart failure and sinus rhythm were studied. Patients were divided into two groups. Group A consisted of 20 patients with atrial fibrillation in whom systolic time intervals were measured. Twenty to 50 beats were analyzed. Five of the patients had high-fidelity measurements of left ventricular pressure simultaneous with determination of systolic time intervals. Analysis of the systolic time intervals for the entire group showed that the preejection period lengthened at faster heart rates and that the left ventricular ejection time was relatively constant at slower heart rates. This resulted in a progressive increase in the ratio of preejection period over left ventricular ejection time (PEP/LVET) as the heart rate increased. The rate of increase in PEP/LVET was minimal below a heart rate of 75 beats per minute. The increase in preejection period at faster heart rates is due to greater isovolumic developed pressure without a corresponding increase in left ventricular dp/dt Group B consisted of 40 additional patients (20 with atrial fibrillation and 20 with sinus rhythm). In group B, the total electromechanical systole corrected for heart rate (QS 2 I) and the levels of digoxin in the blood were compared. The QS 2 I was significantly shorter in atrial fibrillation (497 ± 5 msec vs 528 ± 4 msec; P
Image Fusion Method for Strip Steel Surface Detect Based on Bandelet-PCNN

To solve the problem of the pseudo-Gibbs phenomena around singularities when we implement image fusion with images of strip surface detects obtained from different angles, a novel image fusion method based on Bandelet-PCNN(Pulse coupled neural networks) is proposed. Low-pass sub-band coefficient of source image by Bandelet is inputted into PCNN. And the coefficient is selected by ignition frequency by the neuron iteration. At last the fused image can be got through inverse Bandelet using the coefficient and Geometric flow parameters. Experimental results demonstrate that for the scrip surface detects of scratches, abrasions and pit, fused image effectively combines defect information of multiple image sources. Contrast to the classical wavelet transform and Bandelet transform the method reserves more detailed and comprehensive detect information. Consequently the method proposed in this paper is more effective.
Background perspectives on John F. Kennedy's inaugural address

Abstract This article is an examination of the background contexts that influenced the development of John F. Kennedy's Inaugural Address. Drawing upon the extant manuscripts, correspondence, oral transcripts, interviews, and key background works of the period, the author examines Kennedy's political and life experiences, the speech composition process, and the political‐linguistic choices Kennedy made about the manuscript. Also examined are the effects of the Inaugural Address, which heighten its significance in the twentieth century and offer a perspective of the speech within the American tradition of progress and perfectibility.
The Mini-Cog: receiver operating characteristics with expert and naïve raters.

Background As elderly populations grow, dementia detection in the community is increasingly needed. Existing screens are largely unused because of time and training requirements. We developed the Mini-Cog, a brief dementia screen with high sensitivity, specificity, and acceptability. Here we describe the development of its scoring algorithm, its receiver operating characteristics (ROC), and the generalizability of its clock drawing scoring system. Sample and methods A total of 249 multi-lingual older adults were examined. Scores on the three-item recall task and the clock drawing task (CDT-CERAD version) were combined to create an optimal algorithm. Receiver operating characteristics for seven alternatives were compared with those of the MMSE and the CASI using expert raters. To assess the CDT scoring generalizability, 20 naive raters, without explicit instructions or prior CDT exposure, scored 80 randomly selected clocks as ‘normal’ or ‘abnormal’ (20 from each of four CERAD categories). Results An algorithm maximizing sensitivity and correct diagnosis was defined. Its ROC compared favorably with those of the MMSE and CASI. CDT concordance between naive and trained raters was >98% for normal, moderately and severely impaired clocks, but lower (60%) for mildly impaired clocks. Recalculation of the Mini-Cog's performance, assuming that naive raters would score all mildly impaired CDTs in the full sample as normal, retained high sensitivity (97%) and specificity (95%). Conclusion The Mini-Cog algorithm performs well with simple clock scoring techniques. The results suggest that the Mini-Cog may be used successfully by relatively untrained raters as a first-stage dementia screen. Further research is needed to characterize the Mini-Cog's utility when population dementia prevalences are low. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On material balance models and maintenance coefficients in CSTRs with various extents of biomass recycle

Abstract This work considers the consumption of substrate as needed to maintain cell populations in systems that are closed or partially closed with respect to biomass. The maintenance coefficient is divided between mass and energy maintenance terms. Analysis of data on anaerobic degradation of glucose to lactic acid and ethanol shows the mass maintenance term to be negligibly small. The energy maintenance term is large and variable. It is speculated that the energy is consumed in a futile cycle and is not directly related to cell viability.
Long-Range Electron Tunneling

Electrons have so little mass that in less than a second they can tunnel through potential energy barriers that are several electron-volts high and several nanometers wide. Electron tunneling is a critical functional element in a broad spectrum of applications, ranging from semiconductor diodes to the photosynthetic and respiratory charge transport chains. Prior to the 1970s, chemists generally believed that reactants had to collide in order to effect a transformation. Experimental demonstrations that electrons can transfer between reactants separated by several nanometers led to a revision of the chemical reaction paradigm. Experimental investigations of electron exchange between redox partners separated by molecular bridges have elucidated many fundamental properties of these reactions, particularly the variation of rate constants with distance. Theoretical work has provided critical insights into the superexchange mechanism of electronic coupling between distant redox centers. Kinetics measurements have shown that electrons can tunnel about 2.5 nm through proteins on biologically relevant time scales. Longer-distance biological charge flow requires multiple electron tunneling steps through chains of redox cofactors. The range of phenomena that depends on long-range electron tunneling continues to expand, providing new challenges for both theory and experiment.
Aggregation of Synthetic Chrysotile Nanotubes In the Bulk and In Solution Probed By Nitrogen Adsorption and Viscosity Measurements

Chrysotile nanotubes (ChNTs) were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. The shape and size of individual ChNTs were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Specific surface area (SSA) of nanotubes surface treated with a silane coupling agent and of pristine nanotubes in the bulk was determined by BET analysis of N2 adsorption at 77 K. The theoretical SSA of a single nanotube and of nanotubes organized in a bundle was calculated as a function of nanotube geometrical parameters and the bundle size, that is, number of nanotubes in the bundle. A comparison of experimental and theoretically calculated SSA values indicated that nanotubes form bundles in the bulk. The characteristic bundle size in the bulk was estimated. The tendency of ChNTs to form bundles was also investigated in polar (ethanol) and nonpolar (xylene) solvents by measuring the complex viscosity behavior of the corresponding colloidal solutions. Viscosity measurements showed that nanotubes form bundles and that they are larger,...
On the mechanism of ovonic threshold switching

Abstract By means of a ‘rare double pulse technique’, it is shown that the mechanism of threshold switching in thin chalcogenide glass systems is essentially non-thermal in character. The switches were prepared by evaporating layers of approximately 1μ thickness on to polished graphite electrodes, using Te 40 As 35 Ge 7 Si 18 as starting material. Polarization effects and polarization reversals on switching have been observed which are in qualitative harmony with a space charge theory of threshold switching previously advanced, at any rate in the low-temperature range (−78°C to +20°C). A non-polar electronic process is evidently operative above room temperature. The magnitude of the perturbation caused by heat dissipation in these systems is also assessed.
The Causality Effects of the Federal Reserve's Monetary Policy on U.S. and Eurodollar Interest Rates

Previous studies argue that U.S. interest rates will become more sensitive to changes in eurodollar rates as international financial-market integration increases. However, the empirical results of these studies are suspect because they select their subperiods in an ad hoc manner and ignore the different trading hours of the U.S. and London markets. This study adjusts for the markets' different trading hours and uses Goldfeld and Quandt's switching regression technique to show that the causal relation between U.S. CD rates and eurodollar rates is impacted by the Federal Reserve's monetary policy. Because the latest subperiod exhibits uni-directional causality (i.e., U.S. interest rates cause changes in eurodollar rates), the results cast doubt on the implicit assumption made in the literature that interest-rate causality is only affected by increasing levels of financial-market integration.
An open source software culture in the undergraduate computer science curriculum

Open source software has made inroads into mainstream computing where it was once the territory of software altruists, and the open source culture of technological collegiality and accountability may benefit education as well as industry. This paper describes the Recourse project, which seeks to transform the computer science undergraduate curriculum through teaching methods based on open source principles, values, ethics, and tools. Recourse differs from similar projects by bringing the open source culture into the curriculum comprehensively, systematically, and institutionally. The current state of the project is described, and initial results from a pilot exercise are presented.(1)
Monobloc and facial bipartition osteotomies.

Ramon L. Ruiz, DMD, MD*, Timothy A. Turvey, DDS, Paul S. Tiwana, DDS, MD Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Brauer Hall, CB# 7450, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7450, USA Department of Pediatrics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA Children’s Hospital of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA University of North Carolina Craniofacial Center, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
Minimal Graded Betti Numbers and Stable Ideals

Abstract Let k be a field, and let R = k[x 1, x 2, x 3]. Given a Hilbert function H for a cyclic module over R, we give an algorithm to produce a stable ideal I such that R/I has Hilbert function H and uniquely minimal graded Betti numbers among all R/J with the same Hilbert function, where J is another stable ideal in R. We also show that such an algorithm is impossible in more variables and disprove a related conjecture made by Deery (Deery, T. (1995). Rev-Lex segment ideals and minimal Betti numbers. Queen's Papers Pure Appl. Math. 102:193–219).