cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improving Q estimates from seismic reflection data using well-log-based localized spectral correction

Most methods for deriving Q from surface-seismic data depend on the spectral content of the reflection. The spectrum of the reflected wave may be affected by the presence of thin beds in the formation, which makes Q estimates less reliable. We incorporate a method for correcting the reflected spectrum to remove local thin-bed effects into the Q-versus-offset (QVO) method for determining attenuation from seismic-reflection data. By dividing the observed spectrum by the local spectrum of the known reflectivity sequence from a nearby well log, we obtain a spectrum more closely resembling that which would be produced by a single primary reflector. This operation, equivalent to deconvolution in the time domain, is demonstrated to be successful using synthetic data. As a test case, we also apply the correction method to QVO with a real seismic line over a south Florida site containing many thin sandstone and carbonate beds. When corrected spectra are used, there is significantly less variance in the estimated Q values, and fewer unphysical negative Q values are obtained. Based on this method, it appears that sediments at the Florida site have a Q near 33 that is roughly constant from 170- to 600-m depth over the length of the line.
Future role of large neutral amino acids in transport of phenylalanine into the brain.

Objective. The treatment of phenylketo- nuria (PKU) in children and adults has been difficult because of erosion of dietary adherence, leading to poor school performance, impairment of executive function- ing, loss of IQ, and deterioration of white matter in the brain. Mutant PKU mice produced by exposure to N- ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) were used to examine the effect of large neutral amino acid (LNAA) supplementa- tion on brain and blood phenylalanine (Phe). Methods. Mice with PKU, genotype ENU 2/2 with features of classical PKU, were supplemented with LNAA while on a normal diet. Two dosages of LNAA were given 0.5 g/kg and 1.0 g/kg by gavage. Blood Phe was determined in the experimental, control, and sham- treated mice. Brain Phe was determined by magnetic resonance spectroscopy after perchloric acid extraction. Branched-chain amino acid transferase (BCAT) was de- termined in brain as a marker for energy metabolism. Results. Blood Phe was reduced in the LNAA-treated mice by an average of 15% (0.5 g/kg) and 50% (1.0 g/kg) in 48 hours. There was a sustained decrease in the blood Phe levels over a 6-week trial. The untreated mice and sham-treated mice maintained high blood Phe through- out the experiments. Brain Phe level determined by mag- netic resonance spectroscopy showed a decline of 46% after the LNAA treatment. BCAT levels were lower (33%) in the ENU 2/2 mice compared with wild-type. The BCAT normalized in mice with PKU that were treated with LNAA. Conclusion. The results suggest that giving LNAA lowered brain and blood Phe levels in mice with PKU. Energy metabolism generated from BCAT also improved in mice with PKU after treatment with LNAA. Data from the mice suggest that LNAA should be considered among the strategies to treat PKU in humans. Pediatrics 2003; 112:1570 -1574; phenylketonuria, PKU, large neutral amino acids, LNAA, blood-brain barrier.
Influence of Agricultural Upland Habitat Type on Larval Anuran Assemblages in Seasonally Inundated Wetlands

Conservation initiatives in agricultural landscapes play an increasingly important role in ensuring the long-term persistence of amphibian biodiversity because native habitats continue to be lost to urban and commercial development. We examined larval anuran structure within seasonally inundated wetlands in four upland habitat types of southcentral Florida differing in degree of upland habitat modification for cattle ranching: native prairie at the Kissimmee Prairie Sanctuary (KPS); and improved pasture, rangeland (semi-native prairie), and woodland habitats at the MacArthur Agro-Ecology Research Center (MAERC). We sampled 24 wetlands monthly for tadpoles using throw-traps and dipnets during the 1999 wet season (June–October), recording 10,126 tadpoles of 10 species. Species richness, mean total abundance, and species abundances differed among upland habitat types. The most heavily modified habitat (pasture) had both species-poor assemblages and low tadpole abundances. Species richness in woodland, rangeland, and native prairie wetlands were similar, but woodland wetlands had higher tadpole abundances. Wetlands in the four habitats differed in the amount of nearby woodland and wetland habitats, length of hydroperiod, and percent cover of aquatic vegetation, which likely contributed to the observed amphibian richness and abundance patterns. Cattle ranches in Florida that retain a large proportion of woodland, rangeland, and temporary wetlands in the landscape are likely to contribute significantly to amphibian conservation initiatives on protected native lands.
Soil water content and temperature as independent or confounded factors controlling soil respiration in a temperate mixed hardwood forest

Variation in soil temperature can account for most of the seasonal and diel variation in soil CO2 efflux, but the temperature effect is not always consistent, and other factors such as soil water content are known to influence soil respiration. The objectives of this research were to study the spatial and temporal variation in soil respiration in a temperate forested landscape and to evaluate temperature and soil water functions as predictors of soil respiration. Soil CO2 fluxes were measured with chambers throughout an annual cycle in six study areas at the Harvard Forest in central Massachusetts that include soil drainage classes from well drained to very poorly drained. The mean annual estimate of soil CO2 efflux was 7.2 Mg ha–1, but ranged from 5.3 in the swamp site to 8.5 in a well-drained site, indicating that landscape heterogeneity is related to soil drainage class. An exponential function relating CO2 fluxes to soil temperature accounted for 80% of the seasonal variation in fluxes across all sites (Q10 = 3.9), but the Q10 ranged from 3.4 to 5.6 for the individual study sites. A significant drought in 1995 caused rapid declines in soil respiration rates in August and September in five of the six sites (a swamp site was the exception). This decline in CO2 fluxes correlated exponentially with decreasing soil matric potential, indicating a mechanistic effect of drought stress. At moderate to high water contents, however, soil water content was negatively correlated with soil temperature, which precluded distinguishing between the effects of these two confounded factors on CO2 flux. Occurrence of high Q10 values and variation in Q10 values among sites may be related to: (i) confounding effects of high soil water content; (ii) seasonal and diel patterns in root respiration and turnover of fine roots that are linked to above ground phenology and metabolism; and (iii) variation in the depth where CO2 is produced. The Q10 function can yield reasonably good predictions of annual fluxes of CO2, but it is a simplification that masks responses of root and microbial processes to variation in temperature and water content throughout the soil.
Transforming Growth Factor-β Signal Transduction

The TGF-β superfamily of cytokines comprises an array of more than two dozen secreted peptides that have been implicated as multifunctional regulators of cell growth, differentiation, and function.1 2 Members of this family are pivotal for normal development in a variety of species, providing diffusible signals that influence pattern formation, body axes, cell fate, and other aspects of morphogenesis. In the embryonic heart, developmental functions for TGF-β inferred from the genes’ program of expression and from model systems for cardiac organogenesis include the specification of cardiogenic precursor cells in lateral mesoderm as well as epithelial-mesenchymal transitions involved in valve formation.2 In postnatal myocardium, TGF-β controls the mixed histocompatibility genes, whose deregulation may explain the myocarditis found in mice lacking TGF-β1. In isolated cardiac muscle cells, TGF-β counters the suppression of myocyte contraction by interleukin-1β, at least in part through a block to induction of nitric oxide synthase. Conversely, TGF-β evokes a “fetal” program of myocardial gene expression, which, together with the upregulation of TGF-β by mechanical load and other trophic signals, suggests the operation of an autocrine or paracrine loop in certain forms of cardiac hypertrophy.2 The TGF-β superfamily consists of at least 25 different peptides, classified into three subgroups based on sequence similarities: (1) TGF-βs themselves, of which three isoforms are found in mammals, (2) activins, and (3) a complex third subfamily of proteins (BMPs, nodal, Xenopus Vg-1, Drosophila dpp, and screw) with prominent effects on mesoderm induction and formation of axial structures.1 2 All known members of the superfamily are produced as large precursor molecules that are cleaved at a conserved RXXR motif into the mature C-terminal dimer and the N-terminal proregion; binding of the ligand by the N-terminal remnant results in a biologically inactive latent complex. This requirement for activation of …
Testing of a Failure Accommodation System on a Highly Flexible Grid

This paper presents a scheme for on-line failure detection in systems with appreciable structural dynamics. The design is suboptimal because of extensive computational requirements of optimal schemes. To accomplish failure detection, the innovations sequence of a finite order Kalman filter is examined. Because of the heavy dependence of the system on the zero-mean character of the innovations sequence of the filter much attention has been given to the design and evaluation of the Kalman filters used. The filter designs are based on modal models of the structural dynamics. Two modal models were considered, one based on an analytic finite element model and the other based on empirically derived frequency and damping. Experiments using a grid structure are presented which illustrate operation and performance of the filter designs based on these models. The general character of the results presented is that appreciable errors exist in the filter design based on the finite element model. Substantial improvement results if the design model is modified to include empirically derived frequency and damping.
Role of organic acids in enhancing the desorption and uptake of weathered p,p'-DDE by Cucurbita pepo.

Experiments were conducted to assess the effect of seven organic acids [succinic, tartaric, malic, malonic, oxalic, citric, ethylenediaminetetraacetic (EDTA)] over a concentration range of two orders of magnitude (0.001–0.10 M) on the abiotic desorption of weathered p,p 0 -DDE and the extraction of polyvalent inorganic ions from soil. At 0.05 M all organic acids significantly increased contaminant desorption by 19–80%. Organic acids also increased the aqueous concentration of eight inorganic constituents extracted from soil, with at least a six-fold increase in the release of Al, Fe, Mn, and P at 0.001 M. Zucchini seedlings grown for 28 d in soil containing weathered p,p 0 -DDE (300 ng/g, dry weight) were periodically amended with distilled water, citric or oxalic acids (0.01 M). Plants receiving water removed 1.7% of the p,p 0 -DDE from the soil. Seedlings amended with citric or oxalic acids removed 2.1 and 1.9% of the contaminant, respectively, and contained up to 66% more contaminant in the shoot system than unamended vegetation. A second crop of untreated (distilled water) zucchini in the same soil removed more contaminant than the first crop (2.5%), although the addition of organic acids did not further enhance contaminant uptake. The data indicate that the addition of low molecular weight organic acids causes the partial dissolution of the soil structure through the chelation of inorganic structural ions, potentially enhancing bioavailability and having implications for the phytoremediation of persistent organic pollutants in soil. # 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Elimination of slip lines in capless rapid thermal annealing of GaAs

A new rapid thermal annealing (RTA) procedure has been developed that eliminates the problem of crystallographic slip in 2 in, ion-implanted GaAs wafers. This annealing arrangement is easy to implement and is reliable. A precision machined graphite support structure and guard ring are used to insure uniform cooling across the entire wafer, thus eliminating slip line production. Characteristics of silicon ion implants have been determined using van der Pauw Hall, Polaron C–V profiling, and eddy current resistivity measurements. Characterization showed excellent dopant activation and uniformity can be achieved using this new technique. Low-temperature photoluminescence measurements were performed on samples annealed with and without graphite in the system, and no detectable difference in surface carbon contamination was found.
Cellular immune responses to orthopaedic implant materials following cemented total joint replacement.

In vitro cellular immune responses to metallic and polymeric implant materials in particulate form were measured preoperatively in 185 patients. The patients were candidates for either primary total joint replacement (n = 65) or revision arthroplasty (n = 120). Proliferative cellular responses to polymethylmethacrylate- particles in patients with osteoarthritis at revision surgery for aseptic loosening were significantly higher than the responses of patients with osteoarthritis at either primary surgery or surgical revision for mechanical failure of the prosthesis or, sepsis. The responses to particles of cobalt-chromium alloy at revision surgery were also higher than the responses at primary surgery. The responses were reevaluated in 32 patients after a minimum of 10 months following surgery to correlate individual changes in the biological responses with clinical progress. Reevaluation at early follow-up of patients who had undergone primary surgery revealed significantly elevated proliferative responses and in vitro cytokine production in response to poly-methylmethacrylate and cobalt-chromium alloy particles compared with their preoperative responses. In contrast, the response at follow-up to polymethylmethacrylate was significantly reduced in patients who had undergone revision surgery, and this reduction corresponded with a marked improvement in pain, joint motion, and function following revision surgery. These data suggest that specific cellular responses to polymethylmethacrylate or cobalt-chromium alloy particles, or both, may be associated with loose or painful prostheses.
Olfactory mate recognition in a sympatric species pair of three-spined sticklebacks

Mate recognition is critical to the maintenance of reproductive isolation, and animals use an array of sensory modalities to identify conspecific mates. In particular, olfactory information can be an important component of mate recognition systems. We investigated whether odor is involved in mate recognition in a sympatric benthic and limnetic species pair of three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus spp.), for which visual cues and signals are known to play a role in premating isolation. We allowed gravid females of each species to choose between water scented by a heterospecific male and water scented by a conspecific male. Benthic females preferred the conspecific male stimulus water significantly more often than the heterospecific male stimulus water, whereas limnetic females showed no preference. These species thus differ in their odor and may also differ in their use of olfaction to recognize conspecific mates. These differences are likely a consequence of adaptation to disparate environments. Differences in diet, foraging mode, habitat, and parasite exposure may explain our finding that odor might be an asymmetric isolating mechanism in these sympatric stickleback species. Key words: Gasterosteus aculeatus, mate recognition, odor, olfaction, reproductive isolation, three-spined sticklebacks. [Behav Ecol]
Intracellular Calcium Release Channels Mediate Their Own Countercurrent: The Ryanodine Receptor Case Study

Abstract Intracellular calcium release channels like ryanodine receptors (RyRs) and inositol trisphosphate receptors (IP 3 Rs) mediate large Ca 2+ release events from Ca 2+ storage organelles lasting >5ms. To have such long-lasting Ca 2+ efflux, a countercurrent of other ions is necessary to prevent the membrane potential from becoming the Ca 2+ Nernst potential in 2+ -driving force. This RyR autocountercurrent is possible because of the poor Ca 2+ selectivity and high conductance for both monovalent and divalent cations of these channels. The model shows that, under physiological conditions, the autocountercurrent clamps the membrane potential near 0mV within ∼150 μ s. Consistent with experiments, the model shows how RyR unit Ca 2+ current is defined by luminal [Ca 2+ ], permeable ion composition and concentration, and pore selectivity and conductance. This very likely is true of the highly homologous pore of the IP 3 R channel.
Bringing the median voter back in: The relationship between government debt, median voter preferences, and welfare state spending

Welfare state spending cuts are effective fiscal consolidation tools, but some policymakers use other fiscal policy tools to address high levels of government debt. I argue that the economic incentive to cut welfare spending when government debt is high is undermined by the political incentive to stay in power when the median voter opposes retrenchment. Using survey data to measure the policy position of the median voter as well as hard figures on government debt and government social spending from 18 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, I estimate a series of regressions that show that government debt has a negative effect on social spending, but only when the median voter does not oppose retrenchment. This holds true for broad measures of social spending as well as for unemployment spending and old-age pension spending.
The Impact of Avian Influenza Viruses on Public Health

In the late 1990s, H5N1 and H9N2 avian influenza viruses caused respiratory infections in humans in Hong Kong. Exposure to domestic poultry in live-bird markets was significantly associated with human H5N1 disease. Seroepidemiologic studies conducted among contacts of H5N1-infected persons determined that human-to-human transmission of the avian H5N1 viruses occurred but was rare. The relatively high rates of H5 and H9 antibody seroprevalence among Hong Kong poultry workers in 1997 highlight the potential for avian viruses to transmit to humans, particularly those with occupational exposure. Such transmission increases the likelihood of reassortment between a currently circulating human virus and an avian virus and thus the creation of a strain with pandemic potential.
PowerRanger: Assessing circuit vulnerability to power attacks using SAT-based static analysis

Cryptographic cores, though algorithmically secure, can leak information about their operation during execution. By monitoring the power dissipation of a core, an attacker can extract secret keys used for encryption. To guard against this, designers must minimize the variation of power dissipation of their circuits over time. Unfortunately, power dissipation is a complex function of several different factors, and an exhaustive search for its maximum range is computationally infeasible. In this paper, we propose PowerRanger, a technique based on Boolean satisfiability to produce tight upper and lower bounds on both maximum and minimum power dissipation. In addition, we incorporate min-cut partitioning in our solution to improve its scalability for large designs. We evaluated the quality and performance of PowerRanger on a number of ISCAS benchmarks, as well as two cryptographic cores, showing that our technique significantly outperforms previously known solutions.
Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis Involving the Thymus

Abstract Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) is a neoplastic proliferation of Langerhans cells that occurs in a range of nodal and extranodal sites. Scattered reports of LCH within the thymus exist...
Dual-Fitting Approximation Algorithms for Network Connectivity Problems.

We consider the NP-complete network connectivity problem of Dual Power Assignment (DPA). This models an ad hoc networks where each node can either operate at high or low power. The goal is to produce a minimum power strongly connected network. We give a Dual-Fitting algorithm to DPA with a 3/2-approximation ratio, improving the previous best know approximation of $11/7\approx 1.57$. Another standard network design problem is Minimum Strongly Connected Spanning Subgraph (MSCS). We propose a new problem generalizing MSCS and DPA called Star Strong Connectivity (SSC). Then we show that our Dual-Fitting approach achieves a 1.6-approximation ratio to SSC. This Dual-Fitting approach may have applications to other connectivity programs with cut-based linear programming relaxations. As a result of our approximations, we prove new upper bounds on the integrality gaps of these problems. For completeness, we present a family of instances of MSCS (and thus SSC) with integrality gap approaching 4/3.
Relationships among multiple task asymmetries. I. A critical review.

Previous multiple-task experiments examining relationships among lateral difference measures have been interpreted as supporting (a) both global and local relationships or (b) local relationships only. The evidence from principle components, correlational, and factor analytic approaches is reviewed with the aim of reconciling the literature. Although a principle component has been reported to which all asymmetries correlate positively, it may not reflect existing null and negative correlations between pairs of measures. All three literatures make clear that such correlations exist, calling into question the reality of a global relationship. In contrast, all three approaches find evidence supporting the reality of local relationships. Factor analytic approaches most fully develop local relationships and permit interpretation in terms of hemispheric processes, but they need to (a) use larger sample sizes, (b) prescreen measures for reliability, and (c) make publicly available the underlying correlational matrices.
Fixing the Civil Rights Commission

Should the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights be recreated as a "U.S. Commission on Civil and Human Rights?" Dozens of organizations have lined up behind a proposal to do just that. There are some attractive reasons for doing so. On further reflection, however, the idea may be less enticing than it seems. This article analyzes the pending proposals, their strengths and weaknesses.
Making (Some) Sense of the Health Care Reform Debate: Social Science, Social Insurance, Social-'Ism,' and So On

It has been bemusing to behold how ill-informed, mis-informed, and even dis-informed much of the current debate over health care reform has been these past several months. Some of the trouble surely has stemmed from bad faith on the part of some protagonists. Another part of the trouble has stemmed from ineffective communication on the part of other protagonists. Much of our trouble, however, might stem from less than full clarity on all of our parts about two facts. The first is that in talking about “health care reform” as a public policy issue, we are actually talking about social insurance reform. The second is that in talking about social insurance reform, we implicate a well developed discipline familiar both to the social sciences and to the financial services industry – the theory and practice of insurance. Careful attention paid the basic structural features of insurance – how it works, the kinds of market failure to which it is prone, and the ways in which health insurance in particular both implicates and intensifies those vulnerabilities – will render clearer what is at stake in the current debate, and enable us better to assess the competing proposals before us.
Topological limit of ultrathin quasi-free-standing Bi2Te3films grown on Si(111)

A fundamental issue for ultrathin topological films is the thickness limit below which the topological surface states become impacted by interfacial interaction. We show that for Bi${}_{2}$Te${}_{3}$ grown on Si(111) this limit is four quintuple layers based on angle-resolved photoemission measurements, using optimized photon energies and polarizations, of the Dirac cone warping and interaction-induced gap as a function of film thickness. The results are close to theoretical predictions for free-standing films. Evidence is presented to show why the substrate-film interaction is actually weak.
Status of of Rubella virus infection among pregnant women

Objective To investigate the level of Rubella virus(RV)Ig M and Ig G antibodies in pregnant women and toprovide a references for the prevention of RV infection and congenital rubella syndrome(CRS)among pregnan women.Methods ELISA was used to measure the concentrations of RV- Ig M and RV- Ig G antibody in RV infected pregnantwomen and the results in pregnant women of different age and pregnancy group were analyzed. Results The positive rate ofRV- Ig M antibody among pregnant women was 1.11%,the positive rate of RV- Ig G antibody and geometric meanconcentration(GMC)were 72.98% and 24.52 IU/m L; RV- Ig G antibody levels in pregnant women revealed a downtrend asthe growth of the age,RV susceptible rate in pregnant women increased significantly along with increase of age; rubella Ig Gantibody positive rate and GMC inpregnant women over 35 age group significantly were lower than that under 35 years of age;RV susceptible rate of early pregnancy(33.33%)was significantly higher than middle and late pregnancy. Conclusion Surveillance of rubella and CRS should be strengthened,especially the monitoring and intensified immunization of rubellavaccine among the fertile women over age of 35 years to provide scientific basis for carrying out eugenics and improving thequality of the population.
GeneFAS: GeneFAS: A Tool for the Prediction of Gene function Using Multiple Sources of Data

Characterizing gene function is one of the major challenging tasks in the postgenomic era. To address this challenge, we developed GeneFAS (gene function annotation system), a computer system with a graphical user interface for cellular function prediction by integrating information from protein-protein interactions, protein complexes, microarray gene expression profiles, and annotations of known proteins. GeneFAS can provide biologists a workspace for their organism of interest, to integrate different types of experimental data and annotation information, and facilitate biological discovery and hypothesis generation using all the information. It also provides testing and training capabilities for users to utilize and integrate their data more efficiently. GeneFAS is freely available for download at http://digbio.missouri.edu/genefas .
Promoting Neuronal Tolerance of Diabetic Stress: Modulating Molecular Chaperones

Abstract The etiology of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) involves an interrelated series of metabolic and vascular insults that ultimately contribute to sensory neuron degeneration. In the quest to pharmacologically manage DPN, small-molecule inhibitors have targeted proteins and pathways regarded as “diabetes specific” as well as others whose activity are altered in numerous disease states. These efforts have not yielded any significant therapies, due in part to the complicating issue that the biochemical contribution of these targets/pathways to the progression of DPN does not occur with temporal and/or biochemical uniformity between individuals. In a complex, chronic neurodegenerative disease such as DPN, it is increasingly appreciated that effective disease management may not necessarily require targeting a pathway or protein considered to contribute to disease progression. Alternatively, it may prove sufficiently beneficial to pharmacologically enhance the activity of endogenous cytoprotective pathways to aid neuronal tolerance to and recovery from glucotoxic stress. In pursuing this paradigm shift, we have shown that modulating the activity and expression of molecular chaperones such as heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) may provide translational potential for the effective medical management of insensate DPN. Considerable evidence supports that modulating Hsp70 has beneficial effects in improving inflammation, oxidative stress, and glucose sensitivity. Given the emerging potential of modulating Hsp70 to manage DPN, the current review discusses efforts to characterize the cytoprotective effects of this protein and the benefits and limitations that may arise in drug development efforts that exploit its cytoprotective activity.
Heart-Derived Stem Cells in Miniature Swine with Coronary Microembolization: Novel Ischemic Cardiomyopathy Model to Assess the Efficacy of Cell-Based Therapy

A major problem in translating stem cell therapeutics is the difficulty of producing stable, long-term severe left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in a large animal model. For that purpose, extensive infarction was created in sinclair miniswine by injecting microspheres (1.5 × 106 microspheres, 45 μm diameter) in LAD. At 2 months after embolization, animals ( ) were randomized to receive allogeneic cardiosphere-derived cells derived from atrium (CDCs: 20 × 106, ) or saline (untreated, ). Four weeks after therapy myocardial function, myocyte proliferation (Ki67), mitosis (phosphor-Histone H3; pHH3), apoptosis, infarct size (TTC), myocyte nuclear density, and cell size were evaluated. CDCs injected into infarcted and remodeled remote myocardium (global infusion) increased regional function and global function contrasting no change in untreated animals. CDCs reduced infarct volume and stimulated Ki67 and pHH3 positive myocytes in infarct and remote regions. As a result, myocyte number (nuclear density) increased and myocyte cell diameter decreased in both infarct and remote regions. Coronary microembolization produces stable long-term ischemic cardiomyopathy. Global infusion of CDCs stimulates myocyte regeneration and improves left ventricular ejection fraction. Thus, global infusion of CDCs could become a new therapy to reverse LV dysfunction in patients with asymptomatic heart failure.
Manipulating task implementation variables with incipient Spanish language learners: A classroom-based study:

A growing body of research has shown a positive role of task-supported instruction in second language (L2) learning (Ellis, 2003a; Loewen, 2015; Van Den Branden, 2006). From a pedagogical perspecti...
Skeletal Muscle Insulin Resistance as a Precursor to Diabetes: Beyond Glucoregulation.

Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) has reached pandemic levels in Western societies. T2DM begins with the development of peripheral insulin resistance which prior research suggests may commonly originate within skeletal muscle. A number of mechanisms have been proposed for the development of muscle insulin resistance including those of classical glucose handling, but also other cellular derangements observed in this disease which include mitochondrial degeneration, alterations in muscle protein turnover and early evidences for dysregulation of microRNAs. The purpose of the current review is to examine current findings on these latter aspects of mitochondrial maintenance, protein turnover and microRNA dysregulation along with the potential implications for these derangements in the development of insulin resistance and hence T2DM. We summarize multiple evidences for the degeneration of mitochondria and known elements of the processes regulating mitochondrial quality. Subsequently, we examine current findings of alterations in muscle protein synthesis and autophagic protein degradation in T2DM and potential feedback of these systems onto canonical insulin signaling. Finally, evidences are emerging for the dysregulation of microRNAs in muscle insulin resistance. Of note early data point to several microRNAs altered by the insulin resistant state which exhibit relations to classic insulin signaling and the other processes discussed here. Considering that T2DM may be initiated with muscle insulin resistance, improved understanding of the dysregulation of these metabolic parameters of skeletal muscle in the pathogenesis of T2DM may be key to develop efficacious therapeutic modalities to prevent and treat this condition.
Dissociation of Sarin on a Cement Analogue Surface: Effects of Humidity and Confined Geometry

First-principles molecular dynamics simulations were used to investigate the dissociation of sarin (GB) on the calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) mineral tobermorite (TBM), a surrogate for cement. CSH minerals (including TBM) and amorphous materials of similar composition are the major components of Portland cement, the binding agent of concrete. Metadynamics simulations were used to investigate the effect of the TBM surface and confinement in a microscale pore on the mechanism and free energy of dissociation of GB. Our results indicate that both the adsorption site and the humidity of the local environment significantly affect the sarin dissociation energy. In particular, sarin dissociation in a low-water environment occurs via a dealkylation mechanism, which is consistent with previous experimental studies.
Long-Term Follow-Up of Patients with T-Large Granular Lymphocyte Leukemia (T-LGL); Experience in a Single Institution.

Abstract T-LGL is a clonal indolent lymphoid leukemia characterized by accumulation of large granular T-cells and cytopenias. We have identified 21 patients with T-LGL who were seen at the MD Anderson Cancer Center between 1997 and 2005. The median age at diagnosis was 53.5 years (range 34 to 72) without a male or female predilection. Fourteen patients (67%) were asymptomatic at diagnosis. Five patients (24%) presented with fatigue secondary to anemia; 1 (5%) had symptomatic splenomegaly and 1 presented with a diverticular abscess. Eighty percent of the patients presented with anemia with median hemoglobin of 9.9g/dl (range 7.4 to12.9 g/dl), 47% with neutropenia with a median absolute neutrophil count of 975/ul (range 110 to 5600/ul), and 38% had thrombocytopenia with a median platelets count of 61.5 x 109/l (range18 to 135 x 109/l). Six patients (29%) had splenomegaly, 3 (14.2%) had hepatomegaly and 1 had retroperitoneal lymph node enlargement on CT. During the course of follow-up (median 19 months, range 2–78 months), 11 patient (52%) developed constitutional symptoms. Six patients had recurrent infections including upper respiratory infections, pneumonia, and folliculitis unrelated to initiation of treatment. Associated autoimmune conditions included rheumatoid arthritis in 3 patients (14%) and hemolytic anemia in one patient. Only two patients had cytogenetic abnormalities, both including abnormalities involving chromosome 6. Monoclonal T cell receptor gamma chain gene rearrangements were detected by PCR analysis in 17 of 18 evaluable patients. Immunophenotypic studies revealed 16 patients to be CD4−/CD8+, 3 CD4−/CD8−, 1 CD4+/CD8+, and 1 CD4+/CD8−. CD56 was positive in 1 patient and none expressed CD26. Five patients (24%) have required no therapy, and remain asymptomatic with a median follow up of 67 months (range 5 to 78). Three patients received erythropoietin or G-CSF with some improvement. Nine patients (43%) were treated with cyclosporine, 2 achieving a response, 2 with stable disease, 3 with progression, and 2 were lost follow up. One of the 3 patients with disease progression had splenectomy and 1 was treated with infliximab; both responded. Combination of pentostatin and alemtuzumab was used in 2 patients with no improvement in the cytopenias; therapy was discontinued in both due to worsening of cytopenias and infections. Other treatment modalities included alemtuzumab alone in 1 patient with no improvement, fludarabine in 1 with minor response, combination of fludarabine and cyclophosphamide in 1 with minor response, methotrexate in 2 with no response and splenectomy in 3 with response and no requirements for further intervention. We conclude that T-LGL generally has an indolent course with no need for active therapy; patients with progressive cytopenias or refractory disease may benefit from splenectomy. New treatment modalities are needed.
Evidence from Lagos on Discrimination across Ethnic and Class Identities in Informal Trade

Abstract This paper investigates the determinants of price discrimination in the rice market in one neighborhood of Lagos, Nigeria. There has been little empirical study of how ethnicity and class shape economic outcomes in informal market interactions. We conduct an audit experiment—one of the first audit experiments in Africa—seeking to address this gap. We experimentally manipulate class, with confederates presenting as different classes; this may be the first audit study to take this approach. This is also one of the first in-person audits to have multiple transactions for each buyer and seller, thus allowing for the use of buyer and seller fixed effects. We find little evidence that, all else equal, sharing an ethnicity on its own influences market treatment. Class, however, does have substantial effects, at least for non-coethnics. High-class non-coethnics receive higher prices per unit than low-class non-coethnics. Our findings suggest that the boundaries of group identity appear to be at least partially defined by class in the informal economy.
Modifiable risk factors predicted the development of diabetic nephropathy

Source Citation Gall MA, Hougaard P, Borch-Johnsen K, Parving HH. Risk factors for development of incipient and overt diabetic nephropathy in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus: ...
Development of a Tailored HIV Prevention Intervention for Single Young Men Who Have Sex With Men Who Meet Partners Online: Protocol for the myDEx Project

Background: New cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) among young men who have sex with men (YMSM), aged 18 to 24, underscore the importance of developmentally-informed HIV programs for YMSM. We developed an online intervention focused on risk reduction strategies across different sexual partner types. Intervention activities focus on assisting YMSM reflect on their partner-seeking behaviors, develop sexual decision-making rules to reduce their HIV risks, and consider the adoption of HIV prevention behaviors. Objective: This pilot, randomized controlled trial (RCT) aims to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a tailored, Web-based HIV prevention intervention for single YMSM. Methods: We designed a prospective RCT of online-recruited cis-gender men (N=180) who reported recent unprotected anal intercourse, self-report as HIV negative or are unaware of their HIV status, and meet sexual partners through online dating apps. Individuals in the control arm receive an attention-control condition that includes HIV/sexually transmitted infection (STI) information currently available on sex education websites. Individuals in the intervention arm receive a 6-session Web-based program tailored on their demographic information, partner-seeking behaviors and relationship desires, and prior sexual attitudes and behaviors. This tailored content will match HIV prevention messages and safer sex skills with YMSM’s outcome expectancies when meeting new partners and thereby help them consider how to integrate safer sex practices into different partner types. Study assessments are taken at baseline, 30-, 60-, and 90-day follow-ups. Intervention acceptability and preliminary efficacy will be explored in sexual risk behaviors and HIV/STI testing. Results: The RCT launched in November 2016 and is ongoing. To date, 180 eligible individuals have been enrolled, consented, and randomized. Of the 120 individuals in the intervention arm, 51.7% (62/120) identify as non-Hispanic white and half of the control arm identifies as non-Hispanic white. There were no differences observed by arm for race and/or ethnicity, age, or sexual orientation. Conclusions: Although there are in-person evidence-based interventions with proven efficacy for YMSM, few HIV/STI prevention interventions delivered online exist. Online interventions may ease access to comprehensive HIV/STI education among YMSM and allow personalized content to be delivered. The online intervention that we developed, myDEx, aims to alleviate the gaps within HIV prevention for YMSM by utilizing tailored, Web-based content with the goal of developing skills for same-sex dating and relationship building, while reducing their risks for HIV/STI. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02842060; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02842060 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6rcJdxF9v) [JMIR Res Protoc 2017;6(7):e141]
Two (Weak) Cheers for Markets in Votes

This paper offers the first moral defense of markets in votes in a democratic electoral system based on majority rule where there are no moral restrictions on how votes can be cast. In Part 1 I outline the type of vote buying that I defend in this paper, and defend my methodological assumption. In Part 2 I criticize Freiman’s arguments for legalizing vote buying (arguments that do not address its morality). In Part 3 I outline and reply to some responses that could be made to my criticisms of Freiman’s arguments. In Part 4 I draw from the flaws in Freiman’s arguments to argue that vote buying is morally permissible and defend these arguments against objections.
Effects of Land-Applied Ammonia Scrubber Solutions on Yield, Nitrogen Uptake, Soil Test Phosphorus, and Phosphorus Runoff

Ammonia (NH) scrubbers reduce amounts of NH and dust released from animal rearing facilities while generating nitrogen (N)-rich solutions, which may be used as fertilizers. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of various NH scrubber solutions on forage yields, N uptake, soil-test phosphorus (P), and P runoff. A small plot study was conducted using six treatments: (i) an unfertilized control, (ii) potassium bisulfate (KHSO) scrubber solution, (iii) aluminum sulfate [Al(SO) ⋅14HO, alum] scrubber solution, (iv) sodium bisulfate (NaHSO) scrubber solution, (v) sulfuric acid (HSO) scrubber solution, and (vi) ammonium nitrate (NHNO) fertilizer. The scrubber solutions were obtained from ARS Air Scrubbers attached to commercial broiler houses. All N sources were applied at a rate of 112 kg N ha. Plots were harvested approximately every 4 wk and soil-test P measurements were made, then a rainfall simulation study was conducted. Cumulative forage yields were greater ( < 0.05) for KHSO (7.6 Mg ha) and NaHSO (7.5 Mg ha) scrubber solutions than for alum (6.7 Mg ha) or HSO (6.5 Mg ha) scrubber solutions or for NHNO (6.9 Mg ha). All N sources resulted in higher yields than the control (5.1 Mg ha). The additional potassium in the KHSO treatment likely resulted in higher yields. Although Mehlich-III-extractable P was not affected, water-extractable P in soil was lowered by the alum-based scrubber solution, which also resulted in lower P runoff. This study demonstrates that N captured using NH scrubbers is a viable N fertilizer.
Does Accurate Positioning of the Temporomandibular Joint Titanium Condylar Prosthesis Prevent Complications

Purpose Reconstruction of the temporomandibular joint defect is challenging. The purposes of this study were to identify factors associated with the accuracy of positioning of a titanium condylar prosthesis and to measure the association between the accuracy of the condylar prosthesis position and postoperative complications. Materials and Methods We designed a retrospective cohort study and enrolled a sample of patients whose condyle was reconstructed with an alloplastic condylar prosthesis. The primary predictor variable was the accurate positioning of the prosthesis in the fossa in comparison with the native condyle. The primary outcome variable was the development of postoperative complications related to the inaccurate positioning of the condylar prosthesis. Other variables were included and discussed in detail in the article. In addition, the postoperative pain level was assessed with a visual analog scale score. Because of the small sample size, we elected to use a descriptive data analysis for the research. Results The final sample was composed of 40 patients, with a mean age of 38 years. A postoperative complication developed in 6 patients (15%), including cutaneous plate exposure after radiation therapy, erosion through the tympanic plate of the condylar fossa, and erosion into the temporal bone. The average displacement of the condylar prosthesis in the patients in whom complications developed was 5.04 mm in the vertical and 1.5 mm in the lateral dimension, which was less than the average of all other patients in the study. Seven patients reported higher levels of pain represented by the visual analog scale score, and this was associated with increased deviation of the condylar prosthesis position by 4.4% and 16.6% in the vertical and lateral dimensions, respectively. Conclusions This retrospective study showed that the amount of displacement of the temporomandibular joint prosthesis did not correlate with the incidence of complications or postoperative pain.
Revision endoscopic sinus surgery rates by chronic rhinosinusitis subtype.

Background Revision surgery rates following endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) range between 7% and 50% and are influenced by many factors. This study investigates ESS outcomes for chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) subtypes. Methods Retrospective review of adult CRS patients undergoing ESS with a single surgeon (2010-2015) was conducted. Outcomes were analyzed by CRS subtypes. Results ESS was performed in 424 CRS patients (CRS with nasal polyps [CRSwNP], n = 170; CRS without polyps [CRSsNP], n = 254). Most patients (309; 72.9%) could not be specifically subtyped; 115 (27.1%) were subtyped as follows: aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD), n = 47 (11.1%); allergic fungal sinusitis (AFS), n = 39 (9.2%); immunodeficiency, n = 21 (5.0%); granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA), n = 5 (1.2%); and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), n = 3 (0.7%). All subgroups experienced clinically meaningful reduction in postoperative 22-item Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22) scores. At median follow-up of 28 months (interquartile range [IQR], 10-47 months), 19 patients (4%) underwent revision ESS (CRSwNP, n = 6; CRSsNP, n = 13). Revision ESS rates were 3.5% and 5.1% for CRSwNP and CRSsNP, respectively. Revision ESS rate for subtypes were: AERD 2%; AFS 2%; immunodeficiency 14%; GPA 40%; EGPA 0%; and "all other CRS" 4% at median follow-up duration of 36, 28, 41, 37, 44, and 26 months, respectively. Conclusion All CRS subtypes demonstrated clinically meaningful improvement in postoperative SNOT-22 scores following ESS. Our overall revision ESS rate was 4% (3.5% in CRSwNP). AFS, AERD, and EGPA groups demonstrated low revision rates, while immunodeficiency and GPA patients required more revision surgery. A contemporary understanding of CRSwNP subtypes facilitated surgical and medical strategies in improving outcomes for AERD, AFS, and EGPA patients. CRSsNP subtypes with immunodeficiency and GPA merit further investigation to optimize outcomes.
Stress Analysis of Laminated Composites by Hybrid Finite Elements

Hybrid stress elements for laminated plate analysis are developed based on a mixed form of Hellinger-Reissner principle which is a function of three displacement components and three transverse stresses. Such elements are computationally much more efficient than the conventional hybrid stress elements. Also, the use of conventional hybrid stress elements and a postprocessing smoothing scheme for maintaining the continuity of stress and strain along the laminar interface is not as effective as the use of the present mixed form element.