cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical and Microbiological Features of Persistent or Recurrent Nongonococcal Urethritis in Men

Nongonococcal urethritis, the most common sexually transmitted disease among heterosexual men in the United States, affects at least two million men each year [1, 2]. Chlamydia trachomatis causes ^40^0 of these cases, and Ureaplasma urealyticum is implicated in another 15^020(7o, but the cause of remaining cases is obscure [3]. The response to antibiotics by these men is greatly affected by whether a causative organism can be isolated. Ninety percent and 70^0 of cases of nongonococcal urethritis associated with C trachomatis and U. urealyticum, respectively, respond to antibiotic therapy [4], whereas when neither organism is isolated, ^OVo of cases persist or relapse within six weeks of treatment [4, 5]. Overall, 30(7o of patients treated for nongonococcal urethritis will have persistent or recurrent symptoms. Thus, we estimate that some 600 000 men develop the syndrome of persistent or recurrent urethritis annually in the United States. These men are subjected to repeated diagnostic evaluations, and although an infectious etiology has not been established, they often are treated with multiple courses of antibiotics. We initiated this study to better define the clinical, epidemiological, and microbiological features of persistent or recurrent nongonococcal urethritis in men.
Reticulocytopenic, Coombs' positive anemia induced by procainamide

A case of Coombs' positive anemia in a man who had procainamide-induced lupus erythematosus syndrome is reported. The patient had a hemoglobin of 4.3 gm/dl and reticulocytopenia (3.1% corrected). Serum lactate dehydrogenase and haptoglobin levels were normal, and total bilirubin was only slightly elevated. Two other reported cases of procainamide-induced hemolytic anemia have demonstrated similar findings. Apparently, procainamide occasionally may induce a reversible, reticulocytopenic, Coombs' positive anemia that is not associated with laboratory evidence of acute hemolysis.
[A respondent-driven sampling survey on HIV and risk factors among men who have sex with men in Chongqing].

Objective To examine HIV prevalence and related risk factors among men who have sex with men(MSM) in Chongqing, and to explore the feasibility of using respondent-driven sampling (RDS) in the survey. Methods Based on results from formative research, a RDS survey was designed and conducted to collect demographic, behavioral and serologic data. RDSAT was used to calculate point estimation and confidence intervals. SPSS was used for bi-variate analysis using RDSAT exported weighed data. NETDRAW was used to draw network diagram. Results Among 617 subjects recruited, the adjusted HIV and syphilis prevalence rates were 16.8% and 10.9%, respectively. 73.0% of the subjects were 20 to 29 years old and 72.9% were officially registered residents of Chongqing. 83.4% were single, with the proportion of students the highest, accounting for 24.6%. During the last six months, 83.4% of them reported ever having anal sex, and 54.0% reported having unprotected anal sex. Conclusion This survey confirmed that Chongqing had a higher reported HIV prevalence among MSM than from other Chinese cities. Comprehensive intervention services were required to address this alarmingly high prevalence, with focus on intervention through internet and those having syphilis infection. RDS seemed one of the effective ways of recruiting hidden MSM populations in Chongqing which had a large population of active MSM who did not frequently visit MSM venues as compared with snowball method. Key words: Human immunodeficiency virus; Men who have sex with men; Respondent driven sampling
Effects of Chemical versus Electrochemical Delithiation on the Oxygen Evolution Reaction Activity of Nickel-Rich Layered LiMO2

Nickel-rich layered LiMO2 (M = transition metal) oxides doped with iron exhibit high oxygen evolution reaction (OER) activity in alkaline electrolytes. The LiMO2 oxides offer the possibility of investigating the influence of the number of d electrons on OER by tuning the oxidation state of M via chemical or electrochemical delithiation. Accordingly, we investigate here the electrocatalytic behavior of LiNi0.7Co0.3O2 and LiNi0.7Co0.2Fe0.1O2 before and after chemical delithiation. In addition to varying the oxidation state of the transition-metal ions, we find that chemical delithiation also affects the local chemical environment and morphology. The electrochemical response differs depending on whether the delithiation occurred ex situ chemically or in situ during the electrocatalysis. The results point to the important role of in situ transformation in LiMO2 in alkaline electrolytes during electrocatalytic cycling.
Solitons in Optical Fibers: First- and Second-Order Perturbations

A review of solitons in optical fibers is given, along with a discussion of various small effects which can be treated as perturbations. We also estimate the second-order long-range phase-indepenedent soltion-soliton interaction and find it to be too small to account for recent experimental results.
Ion-momentum imaging of dissociative-electron-attachment dynamics in CO2, N2O, HCCH and CF4

We present experimental results for dissociative electron attachment to CO2, N2O, HCCH and CF4 from an ion-momentum imaging technique. From our measured ion-momentum results we extract fragment kinetic energies and angular distributions. We directly observe the dissociation dynamics associated with the formation of transitory negative ions. We compare the experimental results with ab initio electronic structure and fixed-nuclei scattering calculations and obtain good agreement.
Abstract 2101: Ormeloxifene suppresses the growth of prostate tumorviainhibition of β-catenin induced AR signaling

Background: Prostate cancer (PrCa) first manifests as an androgen-dependent disease and can be treated with androgen-deprivation therapy. Despite the initial success of androgen ablation therapy, resistance to anti-androgen therapy displays by progression to hormone refractory (androgen-independent) advanced stage PrCa which is primary cause of patient’s death. Main underlying cause for the onset of hormone refractory cancer is ligand independent activation of AR signaling in PrCa cells. It has been shown that β-catenin acts as a non-androgen activator of AR which enhances AR transactivation in PrCa cells. Thus, identification of agents with excellent pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics parameters that can inhibit ligand independent activation of AR signaling might be highly useful for the treatment of advanced stage PrCa. Herein, we identified a synthetic molecule, ormeloxifene (ORM), which efficiently represses β-catenin mediated ligand independent activation of AR signaling, thus, inhibits growth and metastatic features of PrCa cells. Methods: Androgen-refractory but AR positive PrCa cell (C4-2) was used as an in vitro and in vivo model systems. Effect of ORM on AR and PSA protein levels was determined by Western blot analysis. Effect of ORM treatment was analyzed on AR and PSA luciferase activities by transiently transfecting the C4-2 cells by AR and PSA luciferase plasmids. Renilla construct was used as an internal control. C4-2 cells nuclear and cytoplasmic lysates were prepared using Active Motif kit. Immunoprecipitation analysis was performed to determine if ORM inhibits physical interaction of β-catenin with AR. Therapeutic efficacy of ORM was evaluated in cell lines and PrCa xenograft mouse models. Results: ORM dose-dependently (10, 15 and 20 µM) inhibited the protein levels of AR and its downstream target protein PSA. ORM (10 and 20μM) treatment also inhibited AR transactivation as determined by decreased promoter activities of AR and its target gene PSA. ORM (10 and 20μM) treatment inhibited protein levels of nuclear β-catenin and physical interaction of β-catenin with AR in PrCa cells. ORM administration dose- dependently (intra-peritoneal; 100 and/or 500µg/mouse; thrice/week) significantly (P Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that ORM is a potent inhibitor of β-catenin-mediated activation of AR signaling. Based on its safety profile, ORM might be an ideal candidate for repurposing to treat advanced stage PrCa alone or in combination with other therapies. Citation Format: Aditya Ganju, Bilal Bin Hafeez, Mohammed Sikander, Vivek Kumar Kashyap, Murali Mohan Yallapu, Subhash C. Chauhan, Meena Jaggi. Ormeloxifene suppresses the growth of prostate tumor via inhibition of β-catenin induced AR signaling [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2101. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-2101
Abstract #4705: Activation of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) and induction of cytotoxic effect in human lung cancer cells by the small compound oncrasin-60 (NSC-743380)

Oncrasin-60 (NSC-743380) is an analogue of oncrasin-1 which we recently identified to be able to induce synthetic lethality with oncogenic K-Ras. Testing on the panel of NCI-60 cancer cell lines derived from various tissues and organs by National Cancer Institute (NCI) Developmental Therapeutics Program showed that oncrasin-60 is highly active against a number of cell lines derived from lung, colon, breast, ovary, and kidney cancers. For a number of sensitive cells, the median 50% growth-inhibitory concentration (GI50) was about 10 nM. To characterize the mechanisms of action, we used reverse-phase protein microarray assay (RPPA) to determine molecular signaling changes induced by oncrasin-60. The sensitive lung cancer cell line H460 was treated with oncrasin-60, harvested overtime, and tested for molecular changes of 77 protein biomarkers by RPPA. The results showed that mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK), P38 MAPK, JNK and ERK, were all persistently activated by oncrasin-60 in oncrasin-sensitive cancer cell lines but not in resistant cells. For example, JNK activation in sensitive cells was observed in 30 min after treatment and persisted for at least 15 h. Subsequent study showed that the JNK-specific inhibitor SP600125 effectively blocked the cell killing effect or apoptosis induced by oncrasin-60, whereas inhibitors of P38 MAPK or ERK had not obvious effect. Pretreatment with SP600125 markedly blocked oncrasin-60-induced phosphorylation of JNK and c-JUN. Oncrasin-60 induced cleavages of poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) and caspase-8 were also attenuated in the presence of SP600125. The oncrasin-60-induced apoptosis was also diminished by transfecting sensitive cells with a dominant negative JNK-1. These results demonstrate that sustained JNK activation is critical in oncrasin-60-induced cell death. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr 4705.
Posttransplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder in a Patient with Worsening Ascites after Liver Transplantation

Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a spectrum of diseases that involves abnormal lymphoid and/or plasmacytic proliferation in patients with solid organ or hematopoietic cell transplantation. It is a condition with a low incidence of 3.5–4.3% in liver transplant (LT) recipients. This case involves a 63-year-old male with history of LT for chronic HCV induced cirrhosis who presented with abdominal distension related to worsening ascites. Cytological ascitic fluid analysis revealed EBV (
In Vitro Morphogenesis of Woody Plants Using Thidiazuron

Thidiazuron (TDZ) has been in use for in vitro shoot regeneration, in particular, recalcitrant woody perennials. Owing to its superiority over natural cytokinins in plant regeneration, TDZ has been the plant growth regulator (PGR) of choice for mature tissues. In majority of the tree species, TDZ has induced regeneration via axillary shoot proliferation, adventitious shoot organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis. Interestingly, TDZ has evoked different regeneration routes from the same explant at different concentrations. In addition, various other factors like pretreatment, explant type, maturity, orientation, TDZ concentration, combination with other PGRs and organic additives interact synergistically to promote shoot regeneration. Despite being potent PGR, supra-optimal level of TDZ produces shoot abnormalities like vitrification/hyperhydricity (stunted shoots) or fasciation (fused shoots). In shoot organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis, prolonged exposure to TDZ resulted in callus necrosis or reversal of shoot buds or somatic embryos to callus. Therefore, this review paper is intended to bring out the effectiveness of TDZ in woody plant tissue culture. The authors also emphasize on various interacting factors to minimize the negative consequences of TDZ treatment.
Downregulation of CXCR4 by E1A

5656 The adenovirus type 5 E1A proteins have multiple antitumor effects on tumor cells, including reversion of transformation, induction of apoptosis and inhibition of metastasis, which have been used in the clinical trial since 1995. Although the functionality of E1A as a tumor suppressor has been extensively studied, its role in inhibition of tumor progression is still not being completely understood, especially its role in inhibition of metastasis. Recently, it was suggested that CXCR4 is involved in the targeted metastasis of breast cancer to lung, of prostate cancer to the bone marrow and of colon cancer to the liver. Here we show that E1A can inhibit the CXCR4 expression by FACS analysis and immunofluorescent staining. Further more E1A inhibits invasive activity induced by CXCR4 in vitro. Finally we found that E1A can suppress CXCR4 transcriptional activity by inhibiting HIF regulation element on the CXCR4 promoter. These results provide the possible mechanism that E1A can function as a tumor suppressor by repressing CXCR4 mediated metastasis.
Race, Poverty and SAT Scores: Modeling the Influences of Family Income on Black and White High School Students' SAT Performance

BackgroundEducational policy makers and test critics often assert that standardized test scores are strongly influenced by factors beyond individual differences in academic achievement such as fami...
RV dyssynchrony in PAH as evidenced by slice to slice minimum volume timing

Background Pulmonary hypertension has been associated with right ventricular (RV) dyssynchrony. In patients with left side heart failure, treating left ventricular dyssynchrony has been shown to improve patient outcome. Previous studies have demonstrated that RV dyssynchrony was associated with RV dilation, interventricular septum diastolic flatterning and eccentric hypertrophy. We propose simple parameters from cine MRI that can potentially help quantify the complex movements without using special sequences or algorithms.
Numerical simulation of circulation in a Caribbean-type backreef lagoon

A numerical model based on the vertically intergrated equations of motion and continuity was used to simulate circulation in a shallow, well-mixed, Caribbean-type backreef lagoon. As the focus of previous research, Great Pond Bay, St. Croix, provided a suitable study site. Tides, wind, and the effect of waves impinging on the reef were incorporated within the model. Direction of simulated flow under various wind and wave regimes agrees well with patterns found during current meter and drogue tracking experiments. When momentum transfer over the reef due to wave breaking and set-up is added, the magnitude of flow within the lagoon, ranging 5–30 cm/s, also compares favorably to in situ measurements. Model results indicate a relatively rapid and realistic flushing period of less than one day. Results of this study indicate that numerical modeling techniques potentially offer an accurate and cost-effective means to predict the pattern of water movement within coral-reef lagoons.
A novel and effective scan pattern for velocimetric OCT angiography (Conference Presentation)

In this study, we demonstrate a novel scanning pattern for improving flow quantification in optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) with a high scanning efficiency. A bidirectional interleaved scan pattern was introduced to adjust the adjacent inter-scan time in order to achieve OCTA sensitivity to different flow speeds. This bidirectional scanning protocol uses a triangular function on the fast scanning direction, meaning that it takes the same time in completing B-scans at adjacent lateral positions, acquired in opposite directions. By applying this scheme, the duty cycle is increased to almost 100%. To improve the linear velocity range represented by OCTA signals, different inter-B-scan intervals (at least two) are required to visualize flow at different speeds. In our scanning protocol, the time between the first and second repetition is different than the time between second and third repetition, allowing a total of 3 different inter-scan times (1-2, 2-3 and 1-3) to be computed to improve flow quantification. A retinal OCTA of a healthy subject was acquired using our 400-kHz swept source OCT system. The volumetric scan was acquired in less than two seconds, potentially minimizing the prevalence of motion artifacts, which are more predominant in the scanning intervals most sensitive to slow speed flow. By averaging the three different images generated by 3 different inter-scan times, flow with large linear range (up to 5.2 mm/sec according to our prior calibration) is apparent on en face OCTA.
Knowing the Great Plains Weather: Field Life and Lay Participation on the American Frontier during the Railroad Era

On the US Great Plains frontier in the late nineteenth century, perhaps no area of scientific knowledge was more contested than the weather, which connected with debates around the long-term climat...
3.1 angstrom structure of yeast RNA polymerase II elongation complex stalled at a cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer lesion solved using streptavidin affinity grids.

Abstract Despite significant advances in all aspects of single particle cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), specimen preparation still remains a challenge. During sample preparation, macromolecules interact with the air-water interface, which often leads to detrimental effects such as denaturation or adoption of preferred orientations, ultimately hindering structure determination. Randomly biotinylating the protein of interest (for example, at its primary amines) and then tethering it to a cryo-EM grid coated with two-dimensional crystals of streptavidin (acting as an affinity surface) can prevent the protein from interacting with the air-water interface. Recently, this approach was successfully used to solve a high-resolution structure of a test sample, a bacterial ribosome. However, whether this method can be used for samples where interaction with the air-water interface has been shown to be problematic remains to be determined. Here we report a 3.1 A structure of an RNA polymerase II elongation complex stalled at a cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer lesion (Pol II EC(CPD)) solved using streptavidin grids. Our previous attempt to solve this structure using conventional sample preparation methods resulted in a poor quality cryo-EM map due to Pol II EC(CPD)’s adopting a strong preferred orientation. Imaging the same sample on streptavidin grids improved the angular distribution of its view, resulting in a high-resolution structure. This work shows that streptavidin affinity grids can be used to address known challenges posed by the interaction with the air-water interface.
Optimizing 3D Co-culture Models to Enhance Synergy Between Adipose-Derived Stem Cells and Chondrocytes for Cartilage Tissue Regeneration

Donor cell scarcity is a key barrier for clinical translation of chondrocytes for regenerating cartilage. To overcome this challenge, recent studies have utilized mixed populations of chondrocytes and adult stem cells to show synergistic interactions during 3D co-culture using hydrogels or pellets. Yet, how different co-culture models impact the synergy and resulting cartilage formation remains unknown. To determine the optimal delivery method of a mixed population of stem cells and chondrocytes for cartilage regeneration, here we compared hydrogel and pellet co-culture on the interactions between adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) and neonatal chondrocytes (NChons). While both co-culture models supported synergy, hydrogel co-culture led to over a 5-fold increase in synergistic index in cell proliferation, and over 11 and 15-fold increases in synergistic indices for production of cartilage matrix (collagen and sGAG respectively). Interaction index analyses of gene expressions showed hydrogel co-culture significantly reduced hypertrophic phenotype of both ADSCs and NChons. In hydrogel co-culture, NChons contributed to the neocartilage deposition while ADSCs resided outside the newly formed cartilage nodule, serving as supporting cells through paracrine signaling. In contrast, during pellet co-culture, both NChons and ADSCs contributed to the newly formed cartilage. Using the same number of cells, hydrogel co-culture supported higher synergy and produced neocartilage tissues approximately 5 times the size of pellet co-culture. In contrast, pellet co-culture resulted in denser cartilage matrix suitable only for small defects. The outcomes of this study suggest hydrogel delivery as a more advantageous co-culture method for regenerating cartilage using mixed cell populations. Donor cell scarcity is a key barrier for clinical translation of cell-based therapies for cartilage regeneration. To overcome this challenge, here we harnessed abundantly available fat-derived stem cells and mixed them with juvenile chondrocytes, a cell type from native cartilage that can produce robust cartilage. We compared two different co-culture methods, hydrogel versus cell pellet, to grow the mixed cell populations for cartilage regeneration. We demonstrate that 3D hydrogels induced higher synergy using mixed cell populations, allowing cartilage repair with a reduced number of chondrocytes and defect filling of larger volumes than pellets. Future work will validate the potential of using hydrogels to deliver mixed population of fat-derived stem cells and juvenile chondrocytes for cartilage regeneration in vivo using relevant animal models.
A Survey of Collegiate String Musicians' Use of Drone Accompaniment to Improve Intonation.

The purpose of this study was to survey collegiate string musicians on their use of drone accompaniments to improve intonation. A questionnaire was developed and distributed to collegiate string mu...
The Strategic Management of Execution

“Tell me David, is it better to have a great strategy poorly executed, or a so-so strategy really well executed?” The age-old question suggests there is a fundamental tradeoff between strategy and execution. The tone in which it is asked typically flags that the questioner already knows the answer - the superiority of execution over strategy. But is this really true? Does, to borrow a phrase, execution eat strategy for lunch?
Machine Learning on the Move: Teaching ML Kit for Firebase in a Mobile Apps Course

This workshop will teach instructors how to incorporate Machine Learning into their mobile course using ML Kit for Firebase. ML Kit provides powerful machine learning functionality to your app running either iOS or Android and is for both experienced and novice machine learning developers. With just a few lines of code, you can use these powerful and easy to use machine learning packages. This workshop will focus on using machine learning in mobile applications to solve real-world problems. In this workshop, we will explore some of the functionality ML Kit provides. Topics include text recognition, facial detection, recognizing points of interest, image characterization, and labeling. We will integrate a few of these features into fully functional apps running on iOS or Android. Additionally, we will explore tradeoffs between executing ML Kit in the cloud and on a device. This workshop is targeted for instructors teaching a web development or mobile application course looking to incorporate cloud and native ML functionality. It is also suited for anyone wanting to deploy ML applications quickly using a feature-rich API. A laptop running Android Studio or Xcode is required. Prior to the workshop participants will be given instructions for software installation.
Cannabinoids and pain medicine: what could possibly go wrong?

The global use of cannabinoids for both recreational and medicinal purposes is accelerating at a remarkable pace. By 2026, the cannabinoid market capitalization is predicted to be approximately US$97 billion, which will far surpass that of the largest pharmaceutical company in the world.[1][1]
Evaluation of Davis et al.: Exploring Sequence of Determinants of Transcriptional Regulation-The Case of c-AMP Response Element.

One snapshot of the peer review process for "Dissection of c-AMP Response Element Architecture by Using Genomic and Episomal Massively Parallel Reporter Assays" (Davis et al., 2020).
Development of a Survivorship Care Plan (SCP) Program for Rural Latina Breast Cancer Patients: Proyecto Mariposa- Application of Intervention Mapping

Latina breast cancer survivors are less likely to receive a comprehensive Survivorship Care Plan (SCP) than non-Latina Whites. Evidence-based and theory driven interventions are needed to promote a culturally and linguistically responsive SCP. This paper describes the application of Intervention Mapping (IM) in the development of Proyecto Mariposa, a comprehensive SCP program targeting Latina breast cancer survivors living in a rural U.S.-Mexico border region. We conducted a needs assessment using focus groups (n = 40) and individual interviews (n = 4) with stakeholders to elicit their needs and preferences relating to SCPs and SCP aid (Step1). Content analysis of transcripts was conducted using Atlas.ti. The findings informed the development of a matrix of change objectives where we selected specific behavioral theories to ground the practical application of the SCP program (Step 2). We identified behavioral theories and the practical application of behavioral change (Step 3) and designed and developed a comprehensive SCP program which consisted of a culturally-and linguistically-adapted SCP document and animated video as an SCP aid (Step 4). The systematic application of the IM framework resulted in the development of a comprehensive and culturally tailored SCP intervention. Stakeholder active involvement in the cultural tailoring of the program was imperative and strengthens the SCP intervention.
A few brief notes on the equivalence of two expressions for statistical significance in point source detections

The problem of point source detection in Poisson-limited count maps has been addressed by two recent papers [M. Lampton, ApJ 436, 784 (1994); D. E. Alexandreas, et al., Nucl. Instr. Meth. Phys. Res. A 328, 570 (1993)]. Both papers consider the problem of determining whether there are significantly more counts in a source region than would be expected given the number of counts observed in a background region. The arguments in the two papers are quite different (one takes a Bayesian point of view and the other does not), and the suggested formulas for computing p-values appear to be different as well. It is shown here that the expressions provided by the authors of these two articles are in fact equivalent.
Vaccination: a means for preserving poultry genetic resources?

rhe genetic diversity of poultry worldwide is under threat. About 30% of reported poultry breeds were at risk of extinction before the crisis of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Precise national statistics on the numbers of poultry producers, stocks, volume of production and the relative contributions of commercial and local stocks to production in developing countries are lacking. Although HPAI outbreaks have been occurring in East and South-East Asia for a number of years, many countries are still not sufficiently prepared to control outbreaks, and no contingency plans or information on spatial production include data on poultry genetic diversity. Comprehensive programmes for preventing HPAI disease should take into account the conservation of genetic diversity, which may include isolation or targeted protection of valuable stocks, through, for instance, vaccination and precautionary cryo-conservation of genetic material or other measures to ensure that genetic material can be spared from generalized culling measures in an outbreak. First, it will be necessary to characterize poultry genetic resources, and then to build inventories, including spatial information on breeds and valuable breeding stocks. Countries with low capacity to conduct vaccination campaigns often also have limited capacity to characterize or make inventories of genetic resources. Therefore, capacity- and institution-building are required in the animal production and health sector to ensure effective genetic stock assessment and successful vaccination programmes to preserve poultry genetic diversity in the event of disease introduction.
Polyurethane coatings cured via azide-alkyne cycloaddition using reduced-viscosity poly(alkynyl carbamate) prepolymers

Abstract Alternative crosslinking polyurethanes (ACPUs) were created by reacting a commercial allophanate-modified polyisocyanate with propargyl alcohol to yield a poly(alkynyl carbamate); a polyazide co-reactant was created from an acrylic polyol. Conversion of the polyisocyanate into the corresponding poly(propargyl carbamate) resulted in a dramatic viscosity increase. Poly(alkynyl carbamate) prepolymers with lower viscosities were designed by replacing various fractions of the propargyl alcohol with commercial glycol ether plasticizers, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether (EGMEE), diethylene glycol monomethyl ether (DEGMEE), and diethyleneglycol monobutyl ether (DEGBE). Triethylene glycol monopropargyl ether was also studied to provide plasticization with no sacrifice of alkyne functionality. For each commercial glycol ether plasticizer, viscosity was unaffected or increased at a loading level of 10 mol%. At 25 mol%, average viscosity reduction was 36 %, with DEGBE yielding the greatest reduction at 55 %. At 33 mol%, no further decreases were observed. Triethylene glycol monopropargyl ether yielded a 76 % reduction in viscosity at 33 mol%; 100 mol% substitution yielded no further reduction. Coatings produced from the modified poly(alkynyl carbamate)s were softer and displayed lower glass transition temperatures compared to a polyisocyanate/polyol control and a 100 % propargylated poly(alkynyl carbamate)/polyazide control. Solvent resistance of the modified coatings was the same as the controls except for those created from DEGBE and from DEGMEE at 33 mol%.
A time to build and a time to burn: glucose metabolism for every season.

Luengo et al. (2020) demonstrate that pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) overactivation blunts NAD+ regeneration by overcharging the mitochondrial membrane potential and driving ATP synthesis beyond demand. Under these conditions, some cells prioritize aerobic glycolysis to meet the need for oxidized cofactors in biosynthetic metabolism.
CM Modeling of Trajectory

Information about the waypoints of a moving object, e.g., an airliner in an air traffic control (ATC) problem, should be considered in trajectory modeling and prediction. Due to the ATC regulations, trajectory design criteria, and restricted motion capability of airliners there are long-range dependencies in trajectories of airliners. Waypoint information can be used for modeling such dependencies in trajectories. This paper proposes a conditionally Markov (CM) sequence for modeling trajectories passing by waypoints. A dynamic model governing the proposed sequence is obtained. Filtering and trajectory prediction formulations are presented. The use of the proposed sequence for modeling trajectories with waypoints is justified.
Consideration of pelvic tilt at the time of preoperative planning improves standing acetabular position after robotic-arm assisted total hip arthroplasty.

Introduction:Approximately half of dislocating total hip arthroplasties (THAs) demonstrate acetabular component position within traditional safe zones. It is unclear if postoperative functional ace...
A “Fluid” Diagnosis

A “Fluid” Diagnosis A 61-year-old woman hospitalized in Michigan for treatment of newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia had a fever on hospital day 10. She had no localizing symptoms.
Proline metabolism in Escherichia coli: IV. Preparation of proline-2- and proline-5-3H and location of 3H in proline☆

Abstract The location and quantitation of tritium in proline were achieved by successive oxidation of proline to γ-aminobutyric acid and thence to β-cyanopropionic acid. Although tritium kinetic isotope effects, whose magnitudes were estimated, attend the oxidations, the method can give unbiased results. Syntheses of proline-2- 3 H and proline-5- 3 H are described and, parenthetically, a new approach to the preparation of Δ 1 -pyrroline-5-carboxylate.
Quasi-e-locally cyclic torsion-free abelian groups

For a torsion-free abelian group A, we investigate the problem of determining when End(A) is maximal as a ring in the near-ring of all 0-preserving functions on A. We introduce the concept of quasi-End(A)-locally cyclic groups and determine several properties of these abelian groups.
Developmental variation of glycosylphosphatidylinositol membrane anchors in Trypanosoma brucei. In vitro biosynthesis of intermediates in the construction of the GPI anchor of the major procyclic surface glycoprotein.

The African trypanosome, Trypanosoma brucei, expresses two abundant stage-specific glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored glycoproteins, the procyclic acidic repetitive protein (PARP or procyclin) in the procyclic form, and the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) in the mammalian bloodstream form. The GPI anchor of VSG can be readily cleaved by phosphatidylinositol (PI)-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC), whereas that of PARP cannot, due to the presence of a fatty acid esterified to the inositol. In the bloodstream form trypanosome, a number of GPIs which are structurally related to the VSG GPI anchor have been identified. In addition, several structurally homologous GPIs have been described, both in vivo and in vitro, that contain acyl-inositol. In vivo the procyclic stage trypanosome synthesizes a GPI that is structurally homologous to the PARP GPI anchor, i.e. contains acyl-inositol. No PI-PLC-sensitive GPIs have been detected in the procyclic form. Using a membrane preparation from procyclic trypanosomes which is capable of synthesizing GPI lipids upon the addition of nucleotide sugars we find that intermediate glycolipids are predominantly of the acyl-inositol type, and the mature ethanolamine-phosphate-containing precursors are exclusively acylated. We suggest that the differences between the bloodstream and procyclic form GPI biosynthetic intermediates can be accounted for by the developmental regulation of an inositol acylhydrolase, which is active only in the bloodstream form, and a glyceride fatty acid remodeling system, which is only partially functional in the procyclic form.
Solid Waste Disposal in Rural Areas: Economic Implications *

Solid waste disposal is a significant problem. It has been estimated that almost a ton of solid waste is collected per year per capita in the United States. Solid waste disposal, especially in rural areas, is frequently done in an unsanitary, potentially dangerous and often unslightly manner. To cope with these solid waste problems, both state legislatures and the Environmental Protection Agency are now in the process of requiring communities which presently utilize unsanitary disposal practices to upgrade their facilities and management practices. A sanitary landfill operation1 is usually the least-cost method of accomplishing these requirements, especially in rural areas.2 Quality facilities and management practices are not costless, however. It is estimated that the U.S. spends more than $4.5 billion each year on solid waste management, and more than 80 percent of this amount is for collection.
A study of criminal defendants referred for multiple psychiatric examinations regarding their competency to stand trial.

One of the mainstays of forensic psychiatry has been the determination of a defendant's competency to stand trial. Competency to stand trial is based on the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that a defendant must have sufficient ability to understand court proceedings. Regardless of whether or not the defendant was mentally ill at the time a crime was committed or when the charged, the court can try someone only if that person has the capacity to understand proceedings in order to defend himself. When there is any question as to the competency of the defendant, he is referred for psychiatric evaluation of competency. Very little research has been undertaken in the past to examine this clinically interesting group of subjects. A study was conducted to explore the characteristics of 137 defendants who had been charged and referred for evaluation at least twice to the Court Clinic of the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center Department of Psychiatry. It was expected that these would reflect the consequence of deinstitutionalization in New York State. Data were collected for each evaluation with regard to demographic characteristics, criminal history, and psychiatric history. Results are presented and discussed in light of the issue of deinstitutionalization. Note is made of the fact that only very small percentage of these patients have received outpatient psychiatric care. Suggestions for future research are offered.
Cloud base and top heights in the Hawaiian region determined with satellite and ground‐based measurements

[1] We present a multi-year climatology of cloud-base-height (CBH), cloud-top-height (CTH), and trade wind inversion base height (TWIBH) for the Hawaiian region (18°N–22.5°N, 153.7°W–160.7°W). The new climatology is based on data from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite (CALIPSO), the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC), ceilometer observations and radiosondes. The climatology reported here is well suited to evaluate climate model simulations and can serve as a reference state for studies of the impact of climate change on Hawaiian ecosystems. The averaged CBH from CALIPSO in the Hawaiian Region is 890 m. The mean CTH from CALIPSO is 2110 m, which is close to the mean TWIBH from COSMIC. For non-precipitating cases, the mean TWIBH at both Lihue and Hilo is close to 2000 m. For precipitating cases, the mean TWIBH is 2450 m and 2280 m at Hilo and Lihue, respectively. The potential cloud thickness (PCT) is defined as the difference between TWIBH and CBH and the mean PCT is several hundred meters thicker for precipitating than for the non-precipitating cases at both stations. We find that the PCT is more strongly correlated to the TWIBH than the CBH and that precipitation is unlikely to occur if the TWIBH is below 1500 m. The observed rainfall intensity is correlated to the PCT, i.e., thicker clouds are more likely to produce heavy rain.
Aggressive reactions to abusive supervision: The role of interactional justice and narcissism

Burton, J. P. & Hoobler, J. M. (2011). Aggressive reactions to abusive supervision: The role of interactional justice and narcissism. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 52, 389–398. In this study, we explore personality and situational conditions in which negative leadership – specifically, abusive supervision – is associated with aggressive behavior in subordinates. That is, we examine the role that interactional justice and narcissism play in an employee’s decision to respond aggressively to an abusive supervisor. We demonstrate that interactional justice mediates the relationship between perceptions of abusive supervision and subsequent employee aggression. In addition, we demonstrate that narcissism interacts with interactional justice perceptions to predict workplace aggression. We find that individuals with high levels of narcissism are the employees who are most likely to respond aggressively when they interpret their leader’s behavior as abusive.
Effect of dietary lutein and zeaxanthin on plasma carotenoids and their transport in lipoproteins in age-related macular degeneration

Background:Lowdietaryintakesandlowplasmaconcentrationsof lutein and zeaxanthin are associated with an increased risk of agerelated macular degeneration (AMD). No studies have challenged AMD patients with a diet high in lutein and zeaxanthin. Objective: The objective was to examine the effect of diets low or high in lutein and zeaxanthin on plasma carotenoids and their transport in AMD patients. Design: Seven AMD patients and 5 control subjects were fed a low-lutein, low-zeaxanthin diet (1.1 mg/d) for 2 wk, which was followedbyahigh-lutein,high-zeaxanthindiet(11mg/d)for4wk. Ten subjects continued the diet for 8 wk. Plasma and lipoprotein carotenoids were measured by HPLC. Results: The high-lutein, high-zeaxanthin diet resulted in 2- to 3-fold increases in plasma concentrations of lutein and zeaxanthin andothercarotenoids,exceptlycopene,intheAMDpatientsandthe control subjects. With this diet, 52% of the lutein and 44% of the zeaxanthin were transported by HDL; 22% of lutein and zeaxanthin was transported by LDL. Only 20–25% of -carotene, -carotene, and lycopene was transported by HDL; 50–57% was transported by LDL. Conclusions: The AMD patients and control subjects responded similarly to a diet high in lutein and zeaxanthin; plasma carotenoid concentrationsincreasedgreatlyinbothgroups,andthetransportof carotenoids by lipoproteins was not significantly different between the groups. This finding suggests that abnormalities in the metabolism of lutein and zeaxanthin in AMD may reside in the uptake of lutein and zeaxanthin from the plasma and transport into the retina. Am J Clin Nutr 2007;85:762–9.
TRIO: Burst Buffer Based I/O Orchestration

The growing computing power on leadership HPC systems is often accompanied by ever-escalating failure rates. Checkpointing is a common defensive mechanism used by scientific applications for failure recovery. However, directly writing the large and bursty checkpointing dataset to parallel file systems can incur significant I/O contention on storage servers. Such contention in turn degrades bandwidth utilization of storage servers and prolongs the average job I/O time of concurrent applications. Recently burst buffers have been proposed as an intermediate layer to absorb the bursty I/O traffic from compute nodes to storage backend. But an I/O orchestration mechanism is still desirable to efficiently move checkpointing data from burst buffers to storage backend. In this paper, we propose a burst buffer based I/O orchestration framework, named TRIO, to intercept and reshape the bursty writes for better sequential write traffic to storage servers. Meanwhile, TRIO coordinates the flushing orders among concurrent burst buffers to alleviate the contention on storage server. Our experimental results demonstrated that TRIO could efficiently utilize storage bandwidth and reduce the average job I/O time by 37% on average for data-intensive applications in typical checkpointing scenarios.
The energy stored in polycrystalline copper deformed at room temperature

Abstract The results of the calorimetric determination of the stored energy for polycrystalline copper deformed in tension at room temperature are reported. They are found to be in good agreement with those of Williams obtained for similar specimens and test conditions. Differences between the new stored energy data and those of other authors can be rationalized in terms of calorimetric technique.
Glyoxalase I Is Critical for Human Retinal Capillary Pericyte Survival under Hyperglycemic Conditions

Abstract Retinal capillary pericytes undergo premature death, possibly by apoptosis, during the early stages of diabetic retinopathy. The α-oxoaldehyde, methylglyoxal (MGO), has been implicated as a cause of cell damage in diabetes. We have investigated the role of MGO and its metabolizing enzyme, glyoxalase I, in high glucose-induced apoptosis (annexin V binding) of human retinal pericyte (HRP). HRP incubated with high glucose (30 mm d-glucose) for 7 days did not undergo apoptosis despite accumulation of MGO. However, treatment with a combination of high glucose and S-p-bromobenzylglutathione cyclopentyl diester, a competitive inhibitor of glyoxalase I, resulted in apoptosis along with a dramatic increase in MGO. Overexpression of glyoxalase I in HRP protected against S-p-bromobenzylglutathione cyclopentyl diester-induced apoptosis under high glucose conditions. Incubation of HRP with high concentrations of MGO resulted in an increase of apoptosis relative to untreated controls. We found an elevation of nitric oxide (NO·) in HRP that was incubated with high glucose when compared with those incubated with either the l-glucose or untreated controls. When HRP were incubated with an NO· donor, DETANONOATE ((Z)-1-[2-(2-aminoethyl)-N-(2-ammonioethyl)amino]diazen-1-ium-1,2-diolate), we observed both decreased glyoxalase I expression and activity relative to untreated control cells. Further studies showed that HRP underwent apoptosis when incubated with DETANONOATE and that apoptosis increased further on co-incubation with high glucose. Our findings indicate that glyoxalase I is critical for pericyte survival under hyperglycemic conditions, and its inactivation and/or down-regulation by NO· may contribute to pericyte death by apoptosis during the early stages of diabetic retinopathy.
The generalized Markov-Polya probability model for ascertainment of groups of individuals in social processes☆

Abstract The generalized Markov-Polya distribution is proposed as a probability model in the ascertainment of a group of individuals through its members who have committed criminal acts. This distribution provides excellent alternatives to the familiar binomial distribution in such studies and includes several distributions as special cases, such as the binomial, quasibinomial, and quasinegative hypergeometric models. This new probability model incorporates the intrinsic effect and an artificial effect for the next member in a group to commit a criminal act. Several results are proved to illustrate the use of this model in segregation analysis. A numerical example illustrates the procedure developed in the present paper and proves the superiority of the model over the Markov-Polya and the binomial probability models.
USE OF EPISODIC CONTROLS TO REDUCE FREQUENCY AND SEVERITY OF AIR POLLUTION EVENTS

Most common urban air pollution episodes occur during readily identifiable meteorological conditions that contribute to the problem. In contrast, most air pollution controls concentrate on permanent curtailments of emissions. The argument is put forth that episodic emission control strategies can be an effective supplement to traditional measures, at a fraction of the cost. Questions regarding the legality of episodic controls have been the main barrier to their implementation. These legal issues are discussed. In addition, the forecasting and modeling implications of episodic controls are considered. Several areas have implemented episodic air pollution controls or used accurate short-term forecasts to warn the public through health advisories of pending air pollution events. Some of these success stories are highlighted. A scheme for assisting the prediction of emissions reductions based on the degree to which episodic measures are voluntary or mandatory is proposed. This method may help resolve emission reduction credit and enforcement issues, making approval of episodic measures for state implementation plans and conformity more likely. The transportation sector has the potential to make episodic measures successful. Furthermore, some of these measures are eligible for federal transportation dollars. The potential for funding transportation-related episodic controls is explored. While episodic controls cannot replace traditional controls, they can be an incremental or short-term solution that may evolve into, or be used in conjunction with, other plans. Transportation professionals are incited to develop creative short-term solutions to the pervasive, yet short-term, problem of urban air pollution.