cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CE feature facilitating change for problem drinkers: taking a broader view

Conceptualizing alcohol abuse as a disease may not be the most effective approach for the majority of clients experiencing problems with alcohol. Alcohol abuse is a heterogeneous problem for which brief interventions may be a more appropriate treatment modality for those with mild to moderate difficulties. Twelve-step and Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) approaches may be more suitable for those experiencing substantial to severe problems. Utilizing Prochaska and DiClemente's stages of change (Pro-choska, DiClemente, Norcross, 1992) can assist in assessing the client's readiness for certain types of treatment programs and optimize opportunities to intervene effectively.
Monitoring of Livestock Grazing Effects on Bureau of Land Management Land

Public land management agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), are charged with managing rangelands throughout the western United States for multiple uses, such as livestock grazing and conservation of sensitive species and their habitats. Monitoring of condition and trends of these rangelands, particularly with respect to effects of livestock grazing, provides critical information for effective management of these multiuse landscapes. We therefore investigated the availability of livestock grazing-related quantitative monitoring data and qualitative region-specific Land Health Standards (LHS) data across BLM grazing allotments in the western United States. We then queried university and federal rangeland science experts about how best to prioritize rangeland monitoring activities. We found that the most commonly available monitoring data were permittee-reported livestock numbers and season-of-use data (71% of allotments) followed by repeat photo points (58%), estimates of forage utilization (52%), and, finally, quantitative vegetation measurements (37%). Of the 57% of allotments in which LHS had been evaluated as of 2007, the BLM indicated 15% had failed to meet LHS due to livestock grazing. A full complement of all types of monitoring data, however, existed for only 27% of those 15%. Our data inspections, as well as conversations with rangeland experts, indicated a need for greater emphasis on collection of grazing-related monitoring data, particularly ground cover. Prioritization of where monitoring activities should be focused, along with creation of regional monitoring teams, may help improve monitoring. Overall, increased emphasis on monitoring of BLM rangelands will require commitment at multiple institutional levels.
Relationship Between Carbon Dioxide Permeability and Bacterial Penetration in Chicken Egg Shell Models

Abstract EGG shell porosity and its relation to bacterial penetration has been the concern of several investigators (Kraft et al., 1958 a, b; Haines and Moran, 1940; Walden et al., 1956; Fromm and Monroe, 1960). Marshall and Cruichshank (1938) defined porosity as that property of the shell which permits the exchange of water vapor and gases between the contents of the egg and the outer atmosphere. Egg shell porosity has been evaluated by several methods. Almquist and Holst (1931) dipped egg shells into alcoholic methylene blue and counted the pores. Bryant and Sharp (1934) immersed eggs in water, created a vacuum and counted the sources of bubbles arising from the egg. Romanoff (1940) measured the flow of various gases through a half section of dried shell while Mueller (1958) measured carbon dioxide loss from intact eggs by absorbing it in potassium hydroxide. Fromm (1959) evaluated porosity by measuring the amount of …
Impaired hepatitis C virus-specific T cell responses and recurrent hepatitis C virus in HIV coinfection.

Background Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific T cell responses are critical for spontaneous resolution of HCV viremia. Here we examined the effect of a lymphotropic virus, HIV-1, on the ability of coinfected patients to maintain spontaneous control of HCV infection. Methods and Findings We measured T cell responsiveness by lymphoproliferation and interferon-γ ELISPOT in a large cohort of HCV-infected individuals with and without HIV infection. Among 47 HCV/HIV-1-coinfected individuals, spontaneous control of HCV was associated with more frequent HCV-specific lymphoproliferative (LP) responses (35%) compared to coinfected persons who exhibited chronic HCV viremia (7%, p = 0.016), but less frequent compared to HCV controllers who were not HIV infected (86%, p = 0.003). Preservation of HCV-specific LP responses in coinfected individuals was associated with a higher nadir CD4 count (r2 = 0.45, p < 0.001) and the presence and magnitude of the HCV-specific CD8+ T cell interferon-γ response (p = 0.0014). During long-term follow-up, recurrence of HCV viremia occurred in six of 25 coinfected individuals with prior control of HCV, but in 0 of 16 HIV-1-negative HCV controllers (p = 0.03, log rank test). In these six individuals with recurrent HCV viremia, the magnitude of HCV viremia following recurrence inversely correlated with the CD4 count at time of breakthrough (r = −0.94, p = 0.017). Conclusions These results indicate that HIV infection impairs the immune response to HCV—including in persons who have cleared HCV infection—and that HIV-1-infected individuals with spontaneous control of HCV remain at significant risk for a second episode of HCV viremia. These findings highlight the need for repeat viral RNA testing of apparent controllers of HCV infection in the setting of HIV-1 coinfection and provide a possible explanation for the higher rate of HCV persistence observed in this population.
The Ups and Downs of Neurotransmitter Transporters

Plasma membrane neurotransmitter transporters are a family of integral membrane proteins, found on both neurons and glia, that have the capacity to influence neuronal signaling through a number of mechanisms including transmitter reuptake and ionic flux. Clinically, these proteins are of interest because their dysfunction is associated with several neurological and psychiatric disorders, and because they are the targets of many drugs of abuse and therapy. In this review, the authors focus on one of the more recent, fascinating discoveries about neurotransmitter transporters; namely, that transporter function is regulated by altering the number of transporters on the cell surface. These data suggest that transporter expression is in continual flux and that transporters respond to their environment in an effort to maintain baseline transmitter levels in the brain. The authors examine the mechanisms underlying changes in transporter number, discuss clinical disorders that are correlated with transporter expr...
A graceful degradation method for congestion control in wireless personal communication networks

This paper presents an overload control method for the radio part of PCN to temporarily reduce the source rate requirements to a sustainable level, in order to avoid a sudden degradation in QoS. The control is activated when the aggregate rate crosses a predefined threshold that identifies congestion. To ensure fairness, the selection of the sources whose rate will be reduced is performed in co-operation with a priority-based scheduling technique. The performance of the system under the proposed method is analyzed and system parameter values are optimized. It is shown that the method attains considerable improvement in the loss probability performance.
Extending the classification of nodes in social networks

Because of computational concerns, social network analysis generally uses only directly connected nodes to perform classification tasks. However, recent research indicates that this method of classification may not consider that nodes in the graph could have different influence over other nodes near them in the graph. It is possible that well-selected nodes may have a stronger importance in a social graph. Here, we analyze methods by which these important nodes may be identified and used to improve the classification of nodes within the social graph. We also show the effect of incorporating these important nodes in social network classification.
Locally adaptive denoising of Monte Carlo dose distributions via hybrid median filtering

A fundamental prerequisite of computer aided radiotherapy treatment is the accurate estimation of the dose distributions so as to deliver a high homogeneous dose volume to the tumor without causing unnecessary side effects for the patient. The Monte Carlo (MC) method is considered as the most effective dose distribution computational technique. However, it is too slow and contaminated with noisy degradations that could affect the dose contour visibility and the estimates of dosimetric parameters. In this work, we propose a feature-adaptive median hybrid filter for the denoising of MC dose distributions. Median filtering has been shown to outperform the moving average (mean) in removal of impulsive noise (outliers) and preservation of edges, but it fails to provide the same degree of smoothness in homogeneous regions. We combine linear filters with the median operation to produce hybrid median filters. The filter output can be obtained as a weighted sum of the linear filter and the median operation depending on the properties of the local neighborhood. We evaluated the technique on different datasets, a challenging 2-D synthetic dataset of different geometric shapes at different scales with added noise and blurring, and 2-D/3-D water phantoms. The proposed filter, judged by mean square error, performed well in comparison with currently existing techniques. Denoising of full 3-D real treatment plan datasets has shown similar promise.
Triiodothyronine-induced hyperthyroidism and reproduction in female rats.

The effect of L-triiodothyronine (L-T3)-induced hyperthyroidism on reproduction in female rats was studied. Treatment groups used were normal control, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 micrograms L-T3/100 g body weight (b.w.)/day. Subcutaneous injections of L-T3 began the first day of estrus until day 1 or day 19 of lactation. All rats given 1, 2, or 4 micrograms L-T3 had regular estrous cycles and normal number of pregnancies. Levels of L-T3 at 8 or 16 micrograms results in abnormal estrous cycles. Only one pregnancy occurred in the 8 micrograms group and no rats became pregnant in the 16 micrograms group. While groups on 1 or 2 micrograms L-T3 had normal parturition, groups on 4 micrograms or more showed signs of dystocia. Only the 1 microgram L-T3 group lactated to day 20, but at 67% of normal control. All levels above 1 micrograms showed loss of pups by day 2 of lactation due to lack of milk production, loss of maternal behavior, and cannibalism. Mammary gland wet and dried fat-free tissue (DFFT) weights were decreased in all treated groups except 1 microgram L-T3. The wet and DFFT weights of thyroids and uteri on days 2 or 20 of lactation were not altered by L-T3 treatment, but levels above 1 microgram increased both wet and DFFT weights of adrenal glands and ovaries. The data indicate that the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of L-T3 for female rat reproduction would be below 1 microgram/100 g b.w./day. L-T3 treatment at 1 microgram/100 b.w./day or above is detrimental. These effects may be mediated through a hormonal imbalance due to the accelerated metabolic rate in reproductive tissues associated with hyperthyroidism.
Block Copolymer Assisted Fabrication of Graphene/Carbon Nanotube Hybrid Architectures and Their Application in Supercapacitors

Sustainable energy is currently limited by the ability of materials to store energy and deliver it on demand. Allotropes of carbon are attractive for their potential for use in energy storage due to low weight, high chemical stability and low production cost. Carbon nanotubes and graphene can be combined to provide an effective three-dimensional material with high conductivity and high surface area. We demonstrate the use of block copolymers to obtain patterned arrays of iron nanoparticles which give rise to ordered carbon nanotubes with good size distribution. A one-step chemical vapor deposition process for large-area fabrication of the graphene and carbon nanotube hybrid structure is described. Following chemical vapor deposition the hybrid material is demonstrated in a supercapacitor device. The fabricated supercapacitor exhibits high electrical conductivity, and has potential for extremely high energy storage capability.
Solving the worldwide emergency department crowding problem – what can we learn from an Israeli ED?

ED crowding is a prevalent and important issue facing hospitals in Israel and around the world, including North and South America, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa. ED crowding is associated with poorer quality of care and poorer health outcomes, along with extended waits for care. Crowding is caused by a periodic mismatch between the supply of ED and hospital resources and the demand for patient care. In a recent article in the Israel Journal of Health Policy Research, Bashkin et al. present an Ishikawa diagram describing several factors related to longer length of stay (LOS), and higher levels of ED crowding, including management, process, environmental, human factors, and resource issues. Several solutions exist to reduce ED crowding, which involve addressing several of the issues identified by Bashkin et al. This includes reducing the demand for and variation in care, and better matching the supply of resources to demands in care in real time. However, what is needed to reduce crowding is an institutional imperative from senior leadership, implemented by engaged ED and hospital leadership with multi-disciplinary cross-unit collaboration, sufficient resources to implement effective interventions, access to data, and a sustained commitment over time. This may move the culture of a hospital to facilitate improved flow within and across units and ultimately improve quality and safety over the long-term.
Unit Pricing for Fresh Eggs at Retail

Abstract Unit pricing at retail can be recommended when the unit price is more informative to the consumer than the traditional price. Using data from twelve cities over four years, per dozen retail egg prices in Grade A large and medium sizes were compared to the equivalent per ounce unit price. The results show that the per ounce unit price would not present the consumer with more informative price information than was presented by traditional methods of pricing.
Multi-scale modeling and analysis of an industrial HVOF thermal spray process

A hybrid (deterministic/stochastic) fundamental model is proposed for the major physico-chemical processes involved in an industrial HVOF thermal spray process (Diamond Jet hybrid gun, Sulzer Metco, Westbury, NY, USA). The model includes continuum type differential equations that describe the evolution of gas and particle temperature and velocity, and a rule-based stochastic simulator that predicts the evolution of the coating microstructure. Regarding gas/particle dynamics, the Reynolds- and Favre-averaged Navier–Stokes equations and the energy balance equations are solved with the renormalization group (RNG) k– turbulence model, and the particle trajectories, temperature histories and melting degrees are determined using the fourth-order Runge–Kutta method. On the microscopic particle deposition process, the formation of coating microstructure is captured by the Madejski deformation model and several rules that govern splat formation, solidification and coating growth. Based on the proposed model, a detailed comprehensive parametric analysis is carried out to study the relationship between the key process parameters and the particle in-flight behavior as well as the resulting coating properties. 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Versatile Approach to Access the Low Temperature Thermodynamics of Lattice Polymers and Proteins

We show that Wang-Landau sampling, combined with suitable Monte Carlo trial moves, provides a powerful method for both the ground state search and the determination of the density of states for the hydrophobic-polar (HP) protein model and the interacting self-avoiding walk (ISAW) model for homopolymers. We obtain accurate estimates of thermodynamic quantities for HP sequences with >100 monomers and for ISAWs up to >500 monomers. Our procedure possesses an intrinsic simplicity and overcomes the limitations inherent in more tailored approaches making it interesting for a broad range of protein and polymer models.
Archaeological excavations at Mankhamba, Malawi: An early settlement site of the Maravi

Archaeological excavations at the site of Mankhamba, Malawi, have yielded information related to the subsistence strategies, technology, and long distance or international trade practised by the Maravi. This information has helped clarify, and in some cases confirm, historical evidence regarding the Maravi as presented in the oral traditions of their descendents, the Chewa, and in the written records left by early Portuguese explorers and traders. Some of the results clarify chronological issues related to their arrival at Mankhamba and their abandonment of the site, the level of complexity that they achieved as a society, and the role they played in long distance trade. The evidence shows that the Maravi at Mankhamba eventually evolved into a self-sufficient trade-based complex society that became very prosperous in the seventeenth century. That prosperity helped them establish the Maravi state with Mankhamba as its political and commercial capital.
Modulation of Transmission during Trains at a Cerebellar Synapse

Activity-dependent processes dynamically regulate synapses on the time scale of milliseconds to seconds. Here, we examine the factors governing synaptic strength during repetitive stimulation, both in control conditions and during presynaptic inhibition. Field recordings of presynaptic volleys, optical measurements of presynaptic calcium, and voltage-clamp recordings of postsynaptic currents were used to examine parallel fiber to Purkinje cell synapses in cerebellar brain slices at 34°C. In control conditions, regular stimulus trains (1–50 Hz) evoked up to a 250% peak synaptic enhancement, whereas during irregular stimulation, a threefold variability in EPSC amplitude was observed. When initial EPSC amplitudes were reduced by 50%, either by lowering external calcium or by activating adenosine A1 or GABAB receptors, the peak enhancement during regular trains was 500%, and synaptic variability during irregular trains was nearly sixfold. By contrast, changes in fiber excitability and calcium influx per pulse were small during trains. Presynaptic calcium measurements indicated that by pulse 10, stimulus-evoked calcium influx had increased by ∼15%, which on the basis of the measured relationship between calcium influx and release corresponds to an EPSC enhancement of 50%. This enhancement was the same in all experimental conditions, even in the presence of N 6-cyclopentyladenosine or baclofen, suggesting that repetitive stimulation does not relieve the G-protein inhibition of calcium channels by these modulators. Therefore, for our experimental conditions, changes in synaptic strength during trains are primarily attributable to residual calcium (Cares)-dependent short-term plasticities, and the actions of neuromodulators during repetitive stimulation result from their inhibition of initial calcium influx and the resulting effects on Cares and calcium-driven processes.
Using Modification Indexes to Detect Turning Points in Longitudinal Data: A Monte Carlo Study

Some nonlinear developmental phenomena can be represented by using a simple piecewise procedure in which 2 linear growth models are joined at a single knot. The major problem of using this piecewise approach is that researchers have to optimally locate the knot (or turning point) where the change in the growth rate occurs. A relatively simple way to detect the location of the knot or turning point is to freely estimate the time-specific factor loadings using the linear latent growth model framework. The major goal of this simulation study was to examine the effectiveness of using modification indexes (MIs) to detect potential turning points in longitudinal data. The results showed that when using a restricted search strategy with an adequate number of both observations (210) and measurement waves (8), MIs performed well in detecting a medium change in the growth rate between two linear models at the turning point. Implications of the findings and limitations are discussed.
Predicting Scab, Vomitoxin, and Ergosterol in Single Wheat Kernels Using Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

ABSTRACT Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was used to detect scab damage and estimate deoxynivalenol (DON) and ergosterol levels in single wheat kernels. Results showed that all scab-damaged kernels identified by official inspectors were correctly identified by NIRS. In addition, this system identified more kernels with DON than did a visual inspection. DON and ergosterol were predicted with standard errors of ≈40 and 100 ppm, respectively. All samples with visible scab had single kernels with DON levels >120 ppm, and some kernels contained >700 ppm of DON. This technology may provide a means of rapidly screening samples for potential food safety and quality problems related to scab damage.
Optimal Power/Performance Pipeline Depth for SMT in Scaled Technologies

Performance and power act as opposing constraints for the optimal pipeline depth of a processor. Although increasing the pipeline depth may enable performance improvement, the higher clock speed associated with a deeper pipeline also increases the power dissipation. Previous papers have shown that the optimal pipeline depth for superscalars considering both power and performance is 18 to 20 fan-out-of-four (FO4) inverter delays. As simultaneous multithreading (SMT) becomes increasingly important for modern high-end processors, there is a need to quantify the optimal power-performance pipeline depth for SMT. Although previous work has shown that SMT retains the performance-optimal pipeline depth in near-future technologies, this result does not take power into account. The intricate interplay between the relative impacts of changing pipeline depth on power and performance makes it difficult to predict the scaling trends for optimal SMT pipeline depths considering both power and performance. Using simulations, we quantify the optimal SMT pipeline depths based on the well-known power-performance metric PD3. Our analysis is novel and provides the following key results about the scaling trends for SMT pipelines considering both power and performance: 1) SMT has a deeper PD3-optimal pipeline as compared to superscalar. 2) The PD3-optimal SMT pipeline depth increases with an increase in the number of programs. 3) The PD3-optimal SMT pipeline becomes shallower with technology for a given number of programs. Based on these results, we provide the following insights into SMT designs for future technologies: 1) To retain the PD3-optimal pipeline depth across technology generations while being energy-efficient, the number of programs running on an SMT must increase. 2) To maintain a constant power dissipation across technology generations, SMT pipelines must become shallower.
Foods of American badgers in west-central Minnesota and southeastern North Dakota during the duck nesting season

Abstract Although the American badger (Taxidea taxus) is common in grasslands and preys on a wide diversity of foods including birds, little is known about badger diet in areas where nesting ducks are common. Small mammals, primarily Muridae and Geomyidae, were the most common food items in the diet of badgers collected from west-central Minnesota and southeastern North Dakota during April–July 1987 through 1990, based on analysis of gastrointestinal tracts of 47 adult (≥1-y-old) and 5 juvenile (<6-mo-old) badgers. Remains of mammals occurred in 98% of samples from adult badgers. Small quantities of insects were found in 40% of adult samples. Bird remains were in 32% of adult samples, most birds identified as Anatidae; ducks or ducklings occurred in 27% and duck eggs in 60% of those samples. Remains of reptiles, amphibians and mollusks were present, but were less common than other foods. Insects and bird eggs were more common during spring (April–May) than summer (June–July). Birds were more frequent in d...
Role of leukocytes and tissue-derived oxidants in short-term skeletal muscle ischemia-reperfusion injury.

The relative contribution of xanthine oxidase (XO) and leukocytes to tissue injury after short-term ischemia is unknown. In this study, we subjected three groups of rat spinotrapezius muscles to 30...
Phishing, Personality Traits and Facebook

Phishing attacks have become an increasing threat to online users. Recent research has begun to focus on the factors that cause people to respond to them. Our study examines the correlation between the Big Five personality traits and email phishing response. We also examine how these factors affect users behavior on Facebook, including posting personal information and choosing Facebook privacy settings. Our research shows that when using a prize phishing email, we find a strong correlation between gender and the response to the phishing email. In addition, we find that the neuroticism is the factor most correlated to responding to this email. Our study also found that people who score high on the openness factor tend to both post more information on Facebook as well as have less strict privacy settings, which may cause them to be susceptible to privacy attacks. In addition, our work detected no correlation between the participants estimate of being vulnerable to phishing attacks and actually being phished, which suggests susceptibility to phishing is not due to lack of awareness of the phishing risks and that realtime response to phishing is hard to predict in advance by online users. We believe that better understanding of the traits which contribute to online vulnerability can help develop methods for increasing users privacy and security in the future.
Near-infrared Spectroscopy of GRB Host Galaxies at z >~ 1.5: Insights into Host Galaxy Dynamics and Interpretations of Afterglow Absorption Spectra

This paper presents near-infrared echellette spectra of faint galaxies in the fields around GRB 050820A at redshift z=2.613 and GRB 060418 at z=1.490. The spectroscopic data show that both GRBs originate in a dynamic environment of interacting galaxies separated by < 15 h^{-1} kpc in projected distance and |dv| <~ 60 km/s in line-of-sight velocity. The optical afterglows revealed in early-epoch Hubble Space Telescope images are at least 2.5 h^{-1} kpc (or 0.4") away from the high surface brightness regions of the interacting members, indicating that the GRB events occurred either in the outskirts of a compact star-forming galaxy or in a low surface brightness satellite. Comparisons of the systemic redshifts of the host galaxies and the velocity distribution of absorbing clouds revealed in early-time afterglow spectra further show that the majority of the absorbing clouds are redshifted from these compact star-forming galaxies. These include the gas producing fine-structure absorption lines at physical distances d ~ a few x 100 pc from the GRB afterglow. The lack of blueshifted absorbing clouds and the spatial offset of the GRB event from the star-forming regions make it difficult to attribute the observed large velocity spread (~ 200-400 km/s) of absorbing gas in the GRB host to galactic-scale outflows. We consider a scenario in which the GRB event occurred in a dwarf satellite of the interacting group and interpret the broad absorption signatures in the afterglow spectra as a collective effect of the turbulent halo gas and the host star-forming ISM. We briefly discuss the implications for the absorption properties observed in the afterglow spectra.
Theories of justice

This chapter is a description of some of the major theories of justice, along with the implications of these theories for problems of resource allocation in medicine. The role of physicians in these decisions will also be discussed.
Surgical removal of the pineal gland in 3-5-day-old chicks.

SummaryA quick, reliable procedure for the surgical removal of the pineal gland from 3 to 5-day-old chicks is presented. This procedure for pinealectomy was satisfactory as judged by low mortality and high success of the operation as verified at autopsy. The entire procedure requires approximately 5 min/chick. Nembutal, Equi-Thesin, and ether were evaluated as anesthetic agents for use in pinealectomy. Ether was the most suitable drug because of its ease of administration, rapid induction, short recovery period, and low mortality experienced with its use.
Proquazone (Sandoz 43-715), an unusually potent inhibitor of the platelet release reaction and malondialdehyde formation.

SummaryAlthough proquazone is not an acid, its action on platelets is similar to that of a typical acidic NSAID: It inhibits the release reaction and associated production of MDA without affecting primary aggregation caused by ADP or epinephrine, and it fails to inhibit the collagen-induced release which remains after maximal inhibition by aspirin. It is unusually active; it may have an effect in vitro at 11 nM, and is at least 50 times more active than indometha-cin (4) in preventing collagen-induced release from human platelets.Thanks are due to Kathy Slavin and Sook-Ja Kim for their able technical assistance, and to Robert A. Grant, M.S., for his helpful comments.
Building Unions in Asian Pacific Communities

(1992). Building Unions in Asian Pacific Communities. Amerasia Journal: Vol. 18, No. 1, pp. 149-154.
Cytogenetics of spontaneous abortion

Chromosome studies were conducted on 68 successfully cultured deciduoid tissue obtained. from spontaneous abortions. Nine specimens were found to be chromosomally abnormal. There is a high incidence of ehromosmally abnormal fetal specimens among the chromosomally abnormal maternal specimens. Possible etiology of fetal abnormalities in relation to the maternal abnormalities are presented.
The Members’ Intergenerational Withdrawal of Regimental Farms and National Security

BINGTUAN is the core of Xijiang’ stability,and its development is concerning national security and territorial in-tegrity.Integration of government administration with enterprises has been a big problem in the reform and development of BINGTUAN,which makes Regimental Farms have formed intergenerational withdrawal mechanism.It affects severely the mis-sion of garrisoning frontiers of BINGTUAN.So it is necessary to reform its system.
Kinetic Resolution of Charge Recombination and Electric Fields at the Sensitized TiO2 Interface

The sensitizer [Ru(dtb)2(dcb)]2+, where dtb is 4,4′-di-tert-butyl-2,2′-bipyridine and dcb is 4,4′-dicarboxylic acid-2,2′-bipyridine, was anchored to mesoporous TiO2 thin films and characterized by visible spectroscopy in 0.1 M Na+, Li+, Mg2+, and Ca2+ perchlorate acetonitrile solutions on nanosecond and longer time scales. Relative to neat acetonitrile, the presence of these electrolyte cations induced a red shift in the metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) absorption of Ru(dtb)2(dcb)/TiO2. The magnitude of the shift increased with increasing valence of the metal cation. Pulsed 532 nm light excitation of Ru(dtb)2(dcb)/TiO2 resulted in the appearance of a long-lived bleach that returned to pre-excitation values on an approximately millisecond time scale under all conditions studied. Global analysis, spectral modeling, and single wavelength kinetic analysis revealed that two dynamic processes were operative: (1) charge recombination, RuIII(dtb)2(dcb)/TiO2(e–) → RuII(dtb)2(dcb)/TiO2, and (2) an electric fi...
Using a Participant Pool to Gather Data in a Teacher Education Program: The Course of One School's Efforts.

One university’s teacher education department created a Participant Data Pool (PDP) to collect and manage certain types of data on teacher education students. The PDP requires teacher education students to participate in research activities or complete alternative activities. A decade since the inception of the PDP, this paper examines the success of implementation and describes the measures and procedures employed by the university. Lessons learned from the university’s experience with the PDP are discussed.
Prediction of Unusual Postoperative Results by Urodynamic Testing in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

AbstractA survey of preoperative and postoperative urine flow rates, urodynamic data and symptoms in patients undergoing transurethral prostatectomy for benign prostatic hyperplasia indicates that there are certain findings that can help predict early and late postoperative symptoms. Long-term bladder outlet obstruction often is associated with detrusor hyperreflexia. In our series, although all patients had relief of the obstruction when postoperative urine flow rates were measured (p less than 0.005), 28 per cent of the patients who had a hyperreflexic detrusor response had an exacerbation of the symptoms of obstruction 4 weeks postoperatively, while none of the patients with a normal detrusor response noted any increase in symptoms. At 3 months postoperatively all patients still complaining of symptoms demonstrated detrusor hyperreflexia. Patients with detrusor hyperreflexia preoperatively tended to revert to a normal detrusor response after the relief of bladder obstruction. It is concluded that the p...
Abstract IA03: Role of MYC in germinal-center development and in lymphomagenesis

Germinal centers (GCs) are transient structures that form in second¬ary lymphoid organs where B cells are selected on the basis of their ability to produce high-affinity antibodies. B cells in the GCs are also the cells of origin for most B cell lymphomas, including Burkitt Lymphoma carrying chromosomal translocations involving c-Myc. After antigenic challenge, B cells enter the dark zone (DZ) of germinal centers (GCs) to proliferate and hypermutate their immunoglobulin genes. Mutants with greater affinity for the antigen are positively selected in the light zone (LZ) to either differentiate into plasma and memory cells or reenter the DZ. We have shown that the GC reaction requires a biphasic regulation of expression of c-Myc that involves: 1) its transient induction during early GC commitment; 2) its repression by Bcl-6 in highly proliferating DZ B cells; 3) its re-induction in B cells selected for reentry into the DZ. Elimination of c-MYC expression during GC formation results in GC absence, while its inhibition in formed GCs leads to GC collapse. Thus c-Myc has essential roles in early induction of GCs and in their maintenance, by eliminating the LZ-to DZ recirculation. These results suggest an unusual, independent of cell proliferation role of c-Myc in GC development and has implications for the role of c-Myc in lymphomagenesis. By overriding the physiological control of c-Myc expression at critical checkpoints in the GC reaction (entry into the GC and reentry into the DZ), translocations involving immunoglobu¬lin loci and c-MYC may allow B cells to bypass affinity-based selection signals and impose a continuous reentry phenotype that, by perturb¬ing normal GC dynamics, may contribute to lymphomagenesis. Note: This abstract was not presented at the conference. Citation Format: Riccardo Dalla-Favera. Role of MYC in germinal-center development and in lymphomagenesis. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Myc: From Biology to Therapy; Jan 7-10, 2015; La Jolla, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2015;13(10 Suppl):Abstract nr IA03.
Electrokinetic Transport of Methanol and Lithium Ions Through a 2.25-nm-Diameter Carbon Nanotube Nanopore

The flow enhancement and molecular selectivity of carbon nanotubes make them unique nanopore conduits. In this study, we examine separately the transport of Li+ and methanol through a 2.25 nm-diameter, 200-μm long single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT). Threshold voltages of 200 mV and 700 mV were found for Li+ and methanol, respectively, to exhibit pore blocking. As the applied electric field was increased, the pore-blocking currents for Li+ and for methanol were both found to generally increase in the range of 1 to 6 pA. A simple volumetric model for methanol and hydrated Li+ is consistent with these observations. For applied voltages between 200 and 1000 mV, the dwell times for Li+ transport varied from 200 to 1200 ms and scaled linearly with inverse electric field. These results indicate an electrophoretic mobility of 1.6 × 10–7 m2 V–1 s–1, in agreement with previous measurements of alkali metal ions in SWNTs. Conversely, for applied voltages between 700 and 1000 mV, the dwell times for methanol remaine...
Parallel iterative methods for solving systems of generalized mixed equilibrium problems in reflexive Banach spaces

The purpose of this paper is to introduce three parallel iterative methods which use techniques of Bregman distances, Bregman projections, Bregman strongly nonexpansive operators and hybrid or shrinking projection methods to solve systems of generalized mixed equilibrium problems in a real reflexive Banach space.
Postmastectomy Radiation Therapy Is Associated With Improved Survival in Node-Positive Male Breast Cancer: A Population Analysis.

Purpose Because of its rarity, there are no randomized trials investigating postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) in male breast cancer. This study retrospectively examines the impact of PMRT in male breast cancer patients in the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Methods and Materials The SEER database 8.3.2 was queried for men ages 20+ with a diagnosis of localized or regional nonmetastatic invasive ductal/lobular carcinoma from 1998 to 2013. Included patients were treated by modified radical mastectomy (MRM), with or without adjuvant external beam radiation. Univariate and multivariate analyses evaluated predictors for PMRT use after MRM. Kaplan-Meier overall survival (OS) curves of the entire cohort and a case-matched cohort were calculated and compared by the log-rank test. Cox regression was used for multivariate survival analyses. Results A total of 1933 patients were included in the unmatched cohort. There was no difference in 5-year OS between those who received PMRT and those who did not (78% vs 77%, respectively, P =.371); however, in the case-matched analysis, PMRT was associated with improved OS at 5 years (83% vs 54%, P P =.05) and those with 4+ positive nodes (5-year OS 73% vs 53% P Conclusions There may be a survival benefit with the addition of PMRT for male breast cancer with node-positive disease.
Synthesis and Characterization of Mixed Fluorinated Phenylthio‐ Subphthalocyanines

Subphthalocyanines (SPcs), a platform of tripyrrolic macrocycles, offer a combination of optical and physical properties that make them highly applicable in a variety of fields. Incorporation of low-symmetry elements allows for fine tuning of these properties by synthetic design. Herein, we report the synthesis of mixed fluorinated phenylthio- SPcs of the forms SPc(AnB3-n) and SPc(AnC3-n) where ‘A’ is tetrafluorobenzo-, ‘B’ is 1,4-bis(phenylthio)benzo-, and ‘C’ is 1,4-bis(phenylthio)naphtho-, and n is an integer 1–2. Appended thioethers have a deshielding effect on 19F NMR spectra and prompt a bathochromic shift of electronic absorption and emission. Combined with increased aromaticity in the ‘AC’ series, phenylthio- groups shift SPc emission to the edge of the near infrared region (λf=680 nm), highlighting the potential of these molecules for optical imaging.
Chronic Cytauxzoon felis infections in wild-caught bobcats (Lynx rufus)

Cytauxzoon felis, and the resulting disease, cytauxzoonosis, is an emerging threat to domestic cats in the Midwest and Southeastern United States. Domestic cats that survive cytauxzoonosis (or are subclinically infected) are chronically infected with C. felis, yet to date, there is no information relative to chronic infections in bobcats, the natural reservoir. Over a period of 3.5 years (2014-2017), we captured and re-captured 5 bobcats in southern Illinois. One bobcat was captured each year of trapping, 1 was caught in the first and third year and 3 were recaptured approximately 1 year apart. We screened bobcats for the presence of C. felis using a nested PCR that amplified the nuclear small subunit (SSU) 18S rRNA. In addition, we amplified and sequenced the internal transcribed spacers 1 and 2 (ITS1 and ITS2) to detect if the strains of C. felis in each bobcat were consistent over time. All bobcats were positive for C. felis at the initial and subsequent capture(s). Bobcats that were PCR-positive for C. felis had blood smears screened for the presence of C. felis; all PCR-positive bobcats had detectable parasites in blood smears. The strains of C. felis present were consistent each year in 4 of 5 bobcats indicating these bobcats remained infected during this period. One bobcat appeared to be infected with a different strain based on a polymorphism at a nucleotide in ITS1. Our study provides important details of the epizootiology of C. felis: bobcats are chronically infected and are not immune to reinfection with new strains of C. felis.
Yes Virginia, There Is a Gender Disparity Problem—and It Goes Beyond STEM

Miner et al. (2018) do an excellent job of bringing the issue of gender disparity within STEM to the forefront of I-O psychology. However, we believe the focus on STEM is woefully inadequate and urge I-O psychologists to think bigger, better, and broader. There are clear problems with the way women are viewed and treated within the workforce, within the United States, and globally. In narrowing the discussion of the problem to target only STEM, we dramatically limit our understanding of and potential impact on the multifaceted and complex gender disparity problem in the world of work. Furthermore, we assert there are additional legitimizing myths that must be addressed in order to yield a more complete picture of the dilemma and allow us to move forward to make an impact.
Herbal and Complementary Medicines Used for Women’s Health

Recent data suggest that the global herbal medicines market continues to increase, with estimates of annual sales as high as $160 B USD. In the United States alone, almost 30 % of U.S. adults use herbal medicines, and of the $11.5 billion spent annually on dietary supplements in the U.S., over half a billion dollars are spent on herbal products. Women continue to be the primary users of herbal supplements, and the use of these products to treat or prevent a wide array of ailments including the menopause, common cold, depression, and other non-life threatening medical conditions is on the rise. In terms of herbal medicines used by women, black cohosh, cranberry, dang gui, green tea, and ginseng are the most common worldwide. While the clinical data for efficacy are often equivocal for most herbal products with the exception of St. John’s wort, there are contraindications, drug interactions and some serious adverse events associated with the use of these products. Where no clinical efficacy has been proven but serious adverse events have been reported, the safety risk in negative (no benefit and potential safety risk), and thus such products should not be recommended.
The Third Shift: Gender and Care Work Outside the Home

Caregiving remains women's work far more than men's. Although women and men often attribute this difference to “nature,” this paper argues for the importance of structure, especially in employment. At least to some extent, women's employment—especially in jobs similar to men's—reduces the care work they do for kin, if not for friends. Examining the different amount and meanings that women and men—like Euro-Americans and African Americans—ascribe to care work, I suggest we view such care work as a survival strategy as well as a demanding labor of love. In this context, recent social policies should be seen as not only privatizing care but also producing growing inequality as well as a vacuum of care.
“Failed” and “Failing” States: Is Quality of Life Possible?

Failed and failing states are sovereign political entities that are unable to provide for the basic security, geographic integrity, social justice, and material needs of their populations, for example, Afghanistan, Burkina-Faso, Burma/Myanmar, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Mexico, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda. State-directed violence tends to be high in such states as does the number of internally and externally displaced persons. Depending on their level of social deterioration, failed and failing states may or may not be recognized as competent political entities by the world community which, often, is called upon to provide increasingly higher levels of military assistance and humanitarian aid to enable countries on the brink of social implosion to perform as least some of their most critical political, legal, and social welfare functions. In 2010, Foreign Policy magazine and the Fund for Peace identified 37 countries worldwide as either “failed” or “failing” states on the brink of social implosion. This chapter explores the extent and conditions under which at least some of the world’s most socially vulnerable states are able to secure at least a minimum level of quality of life for a portion of its population. The analysis draws on both the Fund for Peace’s Failed States Index and the author’s fully established Weighted Index of Social Progress. A working agenda for helping failed states regain some semblance of political integrity and progressively higher levels of quality of life is suggested.
Resolving the overall pattern of marattialean fern phylogeny.

PREMISE OF THE STUDY Recent clarification of the distribution of Marattiales through time provides the impetus for "total evidence" phylogenetic analyses of a major fern clade with a rich fossil record. These analyses serve as empirical tests for results from systematic analyses of living species and also of the belief that relationships among living species accurately reflect the overall pattern of phylogeny for clades with an extensive fossil record and a large percentage of extinction. METHODS Species of living and fossil Marattiaceae are analyzed employing a "total evidence approach" via maximum parsimony. Analyses were conducted using TNT implemented through WinClada. KEY RESULTS Systematic analyses of living species and of living + extinct species provide roughly concordant topologies for living taxa. However, living species of Marattiales are only one component of a much larger clade with two major subclades. One consists of Psaroniaceae and extends through time to at least the Early Cretaceous. The other consists of Marattiaceae and includes all living species. Various analyses support the generic-level clades of living species from earlier analyses, but the arrangement of such clades varies from analysis to analysis. CONCLUSIONS Marattiales is a monophyletic group that is extremely common in late Paleozoic and early Mesozoic deposits, with a stem group Psaroniaceae and a crown group Marattiaceae. Because Marattiaceae represents only a small component of overall marattialean diversity, living species alone neither account for evolutionary changes within the clade over time, nor accurately reflect the overall pattern of marattialean fern phylogeny.
Mechanisms and Concepts in RNA Virus Population Dynamics and Evolution

RNA viruses are unique in their evolutionary capacity, exhibiting high mutation rates and frequent recombination. They rapidly adapt to environmental changes, such as shifts in immune pressure or pharmacological challenge. The evolution of RNA viruses has been brought into new focus with the recent developments of genetic and experimental tools to explore and manipulate the evolutionary dynamics of viral populations. These studies have uncovered new mechanisms that enable viruses to overcome evolutionary challenges in the environment and have emphasized the intimate relationship of viral populations with evolution. Here, we review some of the emerging viral and host mechanisms that underlie the evolution of RNA viruses. We also discuss new studies that demonstrate that the relationship between evolutionary dynamics and virus biology spans many spatial and temporal scales, affecting transmission dynamics within and between hosts as well as pathogenesis.