cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gene Regulation during Hypoxia in Excitable Oxygen-Sensing Cells: Depolarization-Transcription Coupling

Oxygen-sensing cells detect changes in oxygen tension and transduce this signal into various cellular responses including gene expression, protein synthesis and secretion. The mechanisms involved in regulation of these important responses may vary from tissue-to-tissue, and depending upon whether or not the oxygen-sensing cell is excitable, i.e. whether or not it depolarizes during hypoxia. Oxygen-sensing cells in the carotid body, pulmonary vasculature, and pulmonary neuroepithelial bodies depolarize during exposure to hypoxia (Lopez-Barneo, et al., 1988; Peers, 1990; Weir and Archer, 1995). We have shown that the oxygen-sensing pheochromocytoma (PC 12) cell line also depolarizes during hypoxia, and that this depolarization occurs as the result of inhibition of a hypoxiasensitive potassium (K) channel (Zhu et al., 1996). We also found that hypoxia regulates expression of the gene for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate-limiting enzyme for dopamine biosynthesis, in both carotid body type I cells and in PC12 cells (Czyzyk-Krzeska et al. 1992; Czyzyk-Krzeska et al., 1994) (Figure 1). These observations lead to the question is membrane depolarization coupled to gene regulation in excitable oxygen sensing cells? Here we shall describe work from our laboratory, which shows that this is indeed the case. Our experiments are performed mostly on PC 12 cells, which we have established as a model cell line for investigations of the biophysical and molecular aspects of oxygen-sensing and gene regulation.
Monitoring Adverse Reactions To Veterinary Drugs: Pharmacovigilance

Food and Drug Administration Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) monitors reports of adverse drug experiences (ADE) for animal drug products, medicated feeds, and veterinary devices. The term most frequently applied to this monitoring activity is pharmacovigilance. An ADE is either an undesired effect or the lack of a desired effect. During 1997, the CVM received over 4,000 reports. Every report is evaluated by a veterinarian using an algorithm and entered into a computer database. In instances where public or animal health is judged to be at risk, the initial review leads to follow-up activity. The final result can be a product safety communication, change in labeling, or in rare circumstances, removal of the product from the market or even withdrawal of FDA approval to market the product. The purpose of this article is to provide a brief description of the pharmacovigilance program for animal drugs in food-producing animals, and answer some of the more commonly received questions about adverse experience reporting.
Design Of Oversized Twts With Photonic Band-Gap Structures

The challenge in manufacturing Traveling Wave Tubes (TWTs) at high frequencies is that the sizes of the structures scale with, and are much smaller than, the wavelength. This requires advanced nano-machining techniques or sheet-beam devices and puts strict limits on the peak output power that can be safely handled by the devices. Furthermore, the diameter of the electron-beam tunnel limits the amount of beam current, requires high magnetic fields for beam compression and creates difficulties in alignment.
‘Nobody wants the parents involved’: Social norms in parent and adolescent responses to cyberbullying

Parent involvement is considered essential to preventing cyberbullying, yet little is known about how parents respond to cyberbullying when it occurs. With this in mind, this study uses data from f...
Health Insurance Coverage of Individuals Ages 55-64, 1994-2002

Employee Benefit Research Institute estimates from the March 2003 Current Population Survey reveal that children and adults ages 55-64 were the most likely age groups to have health insurance coverage in 2002. The likelihood of individuals ages 55-64 being uninsured (12.9 percent) in that year was no greater than it was in 1994. However, future retired adults in this age group may be more likely to be uninsured if employer cutbacks to retiree health benefits affect them and they have no other means of obtaining health insurance. The PDF for the above title, published in the March 2004 issue of EBRI Notes, also contains the fulltext of another March 2004 EBRI Notes article abstracted on SSRN: "National Health Spending Rose 9.3 Percent in 2002; Sixth Consecutive Year of Faster Growth."
Frailty, Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators, and Mortality: a Systematic Review.

Evidence for the benefit of implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICD) in preventing sudden cardiac death (SCD) in older adults is mixed; age alone may not predict benefit. Frailty may help identify patients in whom an ICD does not improve overall mortality risk. Structured search of PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials on 1/31/2019, without language restriction, with terms for ICD, frailty, and mortality. Frailty was defined broadly using any validated single component (e.g., walking speed, weight loss) or multi-component tool (e.g., cumulative deficit index). Each study was assessed for quality and risk of bias. We identified and screened 2649 titles, reviewed 280 abstracts, and extracted 71 articles. Nine articles, including two RCTs, one prospective cohort, and six retrospective cohort studies met all criteria. The most common reason for exclusion was a lack of frailty definition. Frailty definitions were heterogeneous, including cumulative deficit models, low weight, and walking speed. Follow-up time for mortality differed: from days to > 6 years. All studies indicated that mortality was higher amongst individuals identified as frail, regardless of definition. In one RCT, slow walkers did not benefit from ICD therapy after 3 years. A cohort of 83,792 Medicare beneficiaries in an ICD registry reported higher 1-year mortality following ICD in those with frailty or dementia. Four studies reported an association between being underweight and increased mortality following ICD placement. Existing literature suggests that individuals with frailty may not benefit from ICD placement for primary prevention of SCD.
Relationships between motivational support and game features in a game-based virtual reality learning environment for teaching introductory archaeology

Virtual reality (VR) and game-based learning strategies have rarely been investigated together with a keen focus on motivational processing. This lack of understanding on motivational support of VR...
Did the Great Recession Affect Fertility? Examining the Impact of Job Displacements on the Timing of Births in the United States

We examine the impact of job losses during the Great Recession on fertility in the United States. We find that for married/cohabiting couples, job losses of males during the recession decreased the likelihood of birth. In contrast, job losses of married/cohabiting females had no impact, on average, on fertility because of opposing age‐specific effects. Although younger women were reducing fertility after job losses to cope with the loss of income, older women, aged 40 and above, were more likely to have a child following their job loss. Moreover, we find that job losses of single/noncohabiting females decreased the likelihood of birth, particularly for women below the age of 25. This negative effect on fertility persisted in the medium‐term, up to three years following the job losses. Overall, these results suggest that job losses during the recession may be partly responsible for the recent decline in the U.S. birth rates.
Measurement and descriptive statistics.

According to Stevens (1951), "In its broadest sense measurement is the assignment of numerals to objects or events according to rules" (p, 1). The process of research begins with a problem about the relationship between 2 or more variables. Measurement is introduced when these variables are translated into labels (categories) or numbers. Stevens went on to describe 4 scales or levels of measurement that he labeled nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio. Kraemer (personal communication, March 16, 1999) states that more useful for statistical purposes, however, is a division into dichotomous (a variable having only 2 values or levels), nominal/categorical (a variable with 3 or more values that are not ordered), ordinal (a variable with 3 or more values that are ordered), and normally distributed (an ordered variable with a distr ibution that is approximately normal [bell-shaped] in the population sampled). Dichotomous Variables. Dichotomou s variables are in many ways similar to nom inal, and in many cases the same statistics are recommended for both. However, we contend that dichotomous variables are a special case. For example, the mean would be meaningless for a 3 or more category nom inal variable (e.g., ethnic group). However, it does have meaning when there are only 2 categories. For example, if the average gender was 1.55 (with males = 1 and females = 2), then 55% of the part icipants were females. Furthermore, for multiple regression, dichotomous variables, called dummy variables, can be used as independ ent variables along with normally distribu ted variables. Nominal/Categorical Variables. If numerals are assigned to each category, they stand only for the nameof the category, but have no implied order. For example, behavioral therapy might
Visual Diagnosis: Anal Mass in a 3-year-old Boy.

1. S. Amara Ogbonnaya, MD* 2. Shweta S. Namjoshi, MD, MPH, CNSC† 1. *Department of Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 2. †Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA A 3-year-old boy is seen in the clinic for a “frightening red mass” protruding from his anus. The patient complains of “something sticking out of his bottom” while trying to have a bowel movement. His mother saw a red mass protruding from the anus. She brought the patient to the emergency department for evaluation. His mother reports that the patient refused to sit in his car seat. He toilet trained at age 2 years without complications and had not been constipated until starting preschool. There is no family history of medical problems. He is not taking any medications or supplements. The patient has not traveled. On examination his weight is the 48th percentile for age and height is 50th percentile for age. There is no recent change in percentiles for growth. His temperature is 98.5°F (36.9°C), blood pressure is 106/78 mm Hg, heart rate is 99 beats/min, and respirations are 16 breaths/min. He does not appear to be in any distress on presentation. His lungs are clear to auscultation. The cardiovascular examination reveals a normal heart rate, rhythm, S1, S2, and no murmurs. The abdomen is soft, nontender, and nondistended, with no palpable masses, ascites, or organomegaly. The anal examination and digital rectal examination are normal. Stool is palpable in the rectum, and there is no sudden exodus of stool during examination. There are no rashes present. No additional laboratory evaluation is performed at the time. The patient …
The P in Ph.D. Stands for Persistence: Navigating the System During the Dissertation Process

Completing a doctoral degree is a well-known challenge. It has been estimated that nearly 50% of all doctoral students who start a doctoral degree, never complete it (Cassuto, 2013; Sowell, Allum, & Okahana, 2015). This statistic has often been associated with students’ frustration with the dissertation writing process. However, one challenge during the dissertation process that is often unknown to future and current doctoral students, especially doctoral students of color, is the challenge of navigating the academic system and college administration. This chapter will explore the national trends associated with doctoral students of color starting and completing doctoral degrees, the challenges they face in the process of completing their degrees, and the story of two Black female Holmes Scholars who discovered that the navigating college administration was a hidden challenge to completing their doctoral dissertations and the supports they found to overcome those challenges.
Pleural Effusions After Congenital Cardiac Surgery Requiring Readmission: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) are surviving longer thanks to improved surgical techniques and increasing knowledge of natural history. Pleural effusions continue to be a complication that affect many surgical patients and are associated with increased morbidity, many times requiring readmission and additional invasive procedures. The risks for development of pleural effusion after hospital discharge are ill-defined, which leads to uncertainty related to strategies for prevention. Our primary objective was to determine, in patients with CHD requiring cardiopulmonary bypass, the prevalence of post-surgical pleural effusions leading to readmission. The secondary objective was to identify risk factors associated with post-surgical pleural effusions requiring readmission. We identified 4417 citations; 10 full-text articles were included in the final review. Of the included studies, eight focused on single-ventricle palliation, one looked at Tetralogy of Fallot patients, and another on pleural effusion in the setting of post-pericardiotomy syndrome. Using a random-effect model, the overall prevalence of pleural effusion requiring readmission was 10.2% (95% CI 4.6; 17.6). Heterogeneity was high (I2 = 91%). In a subpopulation of patients after single-ventricle palliation, the prevalence was 13.0% (95% CI 6.0;21.0), whereas it was 3.0% (95% CI 0.4;6.75) in patients mostly with biventricular physiology. We were unable to accurately assess risk factors. A better understanding of this complication with a focus on single-ventricle physiology will allow for improved risk stratification, family counseling, and earlier recognition of pleural effusion in this patient population.
Assessment of extended urine protein monitoring frequency in patients receiving bevacizumab

PurposeProteinuria monitoring is required for patients receiving bevacizumab. Nonetheless, the frequency of monitoring is not specified in the package insert. A 2014 quality improvement study perfo...
Developing and Implementing a Maritime Cybersecurity Risk Assessment Model

In 2018, Congress tasked the U.S. Coast Guard with developing a Risk Assessment Model for Maritime Cybersecurity. The Act requires the Coast Guard to consult with the National Maritime Security Advisory Committee in developing the Model. This paper collects relevant background information on the nature and extent of cybersecurity risk to vessels and port facilities and applicable international and national rules before surveying applicable risk management frameworks and rules.
Activity of epigenetic inhibitors against Babesia divergens

Babesiosis in a tick-borne parasitic disease of humans and livestock, that has dramatically increased in frequency and geographical range over the past few decades. Infection of cattle often causes large economic losses, and human infection can be fatal in immunocompromised patients. Unlike for malaria, another disease caused by hemoprotozoan parasites, limited treatment options exist for Babesia infections. As epigenetic regulation is a promising target for new anti-parasitic drugs, we screened 324 epigenetic inhibitors against Babesia divergens blood stages and identified 75 (23%) and 17 (5%) compounds that displayed greater than 90% inhibition at concentrations of 10 and 1 micromolar, respectively, including over a dozen compounds with activity in the low nanomolar range. We observed differential activity of some inhibitor classes against Babesia divergens and Plasmodium falciparum parasites and identified pairs of compounds with a high difference in activity, despite a high similarity in chemical structure, highlighting new insights into the development of epigenetic inhibitors as anti-parasitic drugs.
Luteinized thecomatosis and other conditions associated with sclerosing peritonitis: a problem in causation, management, and nomenclature.

In this Editorial, the author discusses the historical background of the syndrome, luteinized thecomatosis associated with sclerosing peritonitis, and the pathological evidence that the ovarian les...
State Medicaid Financing and Access to Large Assisted Living Settings for Medicare-Medicaid Dual-Eligibles.

Assisted living has become more widely used by dual-eligible Medicare beneficiaries as states try to rebalance their long-term services and supports away from institutional (nursing home) care. In ...
Vps34 and TOR Kinases Coordinate HAC1 mRNA Translation in the Presence or Absence of Ire1-Dependent Splicing.

In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae an mRNA, called HAC1, exists in a translationally repressed form in the cytoplasm. Under conditions of cellular stress, such as when unfolded proteins accumulate inside the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), an RNase Ire1 removes an intervening sequence (intron) from the HAC1 mRNA by non-conventional cytosolic splicing. Removal of the intron results in translational de-repression of HAC1 mRNA and production of a transcription factor that activates expressions of many enzymes and chaperones to increase the protein-folding capacity of the cell. Here, we show that Ire1-mediated RNA cleavage requires Watson-Crick base pairs in two RNA hairpins, which are located at the HAC1 mRNA exon-intron junctions. Then, we show that the translational de-repression of HAC1 mRNA can occur independent of cytosolic splicing. These results are obtained from HAC1 variants that translated an active Hac1 protein from the un-spliced mRNA. Additionally, we show that the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase Vps34 and the nutrient-sensing kinases TOR and GCN2 are key regulators of HAC1 mRNA translation and consequently the ER stress responses. Collectively, our data suggest that the cytosolic splicing and the translational de-repression of HAC1 mRNA are coordinated by unique and parallel networks of signaling pathways.
Induction and maintenance immunosuppression in pediatric kidney transplantation-Advances and controversies

Advances in immunosuppression have improved graft survival in pediatric kidney transplant recipients; however, treatment-related toxicities need to be balanced against the possibility of graft rejection. Several immunosuppressive agents are available for use in transplant recipients; however, the optimal combinations of agents remain unclear, resulting in variations in institutional protocols. Lymphocyte-depleting antibodies, specifically ATG, are the most common induction agent used for pediatric kidney transplantation in the US. Basiliximab may be used for induction in immunologically low-risk children; however, pediatric data are scarce. CNIs and antiproliferative agents (mostly Tac and mycophenolate in recent years) constitute the backbone of maintenance immunosuppression. Steroid-avoidance maintenance regimens remain controversial. Belatacept and mTOR inhibitors are used in children under specific circumstances such as non-adherence or CNI toxicity. This article reviews the indications, mechanism of action, efficacy, dosing, and side effect profiles of various immunosuppressive agents available for pediatric kidney transplantation.
Delivery of Primary Frequency Response over Weak Electrical Paths

Replacement of rotating machine generation sources with inverter based resources can change the trajectory of the primary frequency response. As generation sources interconnect to weak areas of the network and move farther away from loads, the time taken for a source to respond to a disturbance can get longer and the effective magnitude of the response that will be received may be smaller resulting in a frequency response that can have larger rates of change and lower nadirs/peaks. Thus, for future bulk power systems, it becomes imperative to consider the magnitude of frequency response as well as the time it would take for frequency response to actually provide the necessary beneficial impact. In addition, the locations across the system from where it would be most beneficial must be considered. Using two test networks, this critical aspect of frequency response along with possible solutions and mitigation schemes are illustrated in this paper.
Judicial Bias, The Insurance Industry and Consumer Protection: An Empirical Analysis of State Supreme Courts’ Bad-Faith, Breach-of-Contract, Breach-of-Covenant-of-Good-Faith and Excess-Judgment Decisions, 1900–1991

Consumers are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the services and products that the American insurance industry provides. Correspondingly, they are filing an ever-increasing number of lawsuits against insurers in state courts. While courts have ruled equally in favor of insurers and policyholders, advocates for both consumers and the insurance industry strongly believe “judicial bias” or “judicial hostility” permeates state supreme courts.Some United States Supreme Court Justices have argued that state supreme courts are hostile towards insurance carriers. Commentators have also viciously criticized state supreme courts for being biased against insurance carriers. The contrary view that state supreme courts are anti-consumer is also widespread. Are either of these accusations true? Are state supreme courts biased against the insurance industry? Or are certain regional state supreme courts more likely to issue anti-consumer opinions?A certain kind of judicial bias, termed disparate-impact discrimination, occurs when extralegal factors—those having little to do with the merits of the case—regularly and systematically influence a state supreme court’s decisions in favor of either the insurer or the policyholder. An empirical analysis of state supreme court cases decided between 1900-91 reveals that state supreme courts are unwittingly discriminating against litigants. Specifically, these supreme tribunals allow extralegal factors to influence the disposition of insurance-related cases. Based on the findings of this empirical analysis, policyholders and insurance companies are encouraged to settle their disputes in a state administrative forum, and to avoid trial by judge or jury.
Robust optimization for integrated scheduling of sequential batch processes with dynamics

In this work, an integrated scheduling and dynamic optimization problem for sequential batch processes is proposed. We then address the issue of uncertainty in sequential batch processes using a robust counterpart approach. When uncertainty occurs, which is inevitable in industrial processes, the robust solution guarantees feasibility while the deterministic solution may lead to significant drop in the profit or even infeasibility. A robust optimization approach is applied to deal with the uncertain coefficients. This robust formulation has almost the same size as the deterministic problem. Moreover, it maintains the linearity and is able to control the degree of the conservatism for the solution. The results show that when uncertainty occurs, the robust process strategy results in better profit than the deterministic process strategy and the robust approach has almost the same computational performance as the deterministic approach.
Towards a universal data type for scientific computing

Modern scientific computing uses an abundance of data types. Besides floating point numbers, we routinely use intervals, univariate Taylor series, Taylor series with interval coefficients, and more recently multivariate Taylor series. Newer are Taylor models, which allow verified calculations like intervals, but largely avoid many of their limitations, including the cancellation effect, dimensionality curse, and low-order scaling of resulting width to domain width. Another more recent structure is the Levi-Civita numbers, which allow viewing many aspects of scientific computation as an application of arithmetic and analysis with infinitely small numbers, and which are useful for a variety of purposes including the assessment of differentiability at branch points. We propose new methods based on partially ordered Levi-Civita algebras that allow for a unification of all these various approaches into one single data type.
Mispair-, Site-, and Strand-specific Error Rates during Simian Virus 40 Origin-dependent Replication in Vitro with Excess Deoxythymidine Triphosphate*

We have measured the fidelity of leading and lagging strand DNA replication in HeLa cell extracts. Providing an excess of one dNTP in reactions induces replication errors consistent with misincorporation of that dNTP. With excess dTTP, both substitutions and single-nucleotide frameshifts are induced. Error distribution is nonrandom; reproducible hot spots for a substitution and a frameshift error are observed. Measurements with two vectors having the origin of replication on opposite sides of the mutational target demonstrate that error rates for G.dTTP and C.dTTP mispairs depend on whether the strand is replicated as the leading or lagging strand. Also, the two hot spots are only observed in one origin-target orientation. Replication reactions reconstituted from two fractions derived from extracts are 3-fold less accurate, but the error specificity with excess dTTP is similar to that with extracts. This suggests that the processes responsible for the nonrandom error rates are not lost as a result of fractionation. Furthermore, the reconstituted system is devoid of mismatch repair activity. Thus, mismatch repair is not responsible for the mispair-, site-, and strand-specific differences observed.
Photobiology of Vitamin D

The major function of vitamin D (either vitamin D2 or D3) is to maintain healthy bone. Most humans obtain their vitamin D requirement through casual exposure of the skin to solar ultraviolet B and from dietary intake. The cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D is a function of 7-dehydrocholesterol concentration in epidermis, melanin pigmentation, and the solar zenith angle which depends on latitude, season, and time of day. Our recent study also indicates that altitude may influence the production of previtamin D3. One area which has shown more progress during the past decade is the use of simulated sunlamp to improve vitamin D production in patients with intestinal malabsorption and elderly who were infirmed or living in northern latitude. Vitamin D deficiency is common in infants, children, and adults worldwide. The major cause of vitamin D deficiency globally is an underappreciation of the crucial role of sunlight in providing humans with their vitamin D requirement. The association between vitamin D deficiency and the increased risk of cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and cardiovascular disease indicates the importance of sunlight, vitamin D, and overall health and well-being of the general population.
Evaluating the near-term infant for early onset sepsis: progress and challenges to consider with 16S rDNA polymerase chain reaction testing.

Although the rate of early onset sepsis in the near-term neonate is low (one to eight of 1000 cases), the rate of mortality and morbidity is high. As a result, infants receive multiple, broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy, many for up to 7 days despite blood cultures showing no growth. Maternal intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis and small blood volume collections from infants are cited as reasons for the lack of confidence in negative culture results. Incorporating an additional, more rapid test could facilitate a more timely diagnosis in these infants. To this end, a 16S rDNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was compared to blood culturing for use as a tool in evaluating early onset sepsis. Of 1751 neonatal intensive care unit admissions that were screened, 1233 near-term infants met inclusion criteria. Compared to culture, PCR demonstrated excellent analytical specificity (1186 of 1216, 97.5%) and negative predictive value (1186 of 1196, 99.2%); however, PCR failed to detect a significant number of culture-proven cases. These findings underscore the cautionary stance that should be taken at this time when considering the use of a molecular amplification test for diagnosing neonatal sepsis. The experience gained from this study illustrates the need for changes in sample collection and preparation techniques so as to improve analytical sensitivity of the assay.
Chapter 5 Freeze-Substitution

Publisher Summary Rapid freezing, or cryofixation, is considered to be the best method for immobilizing biological specimens in their natural state as it can physically stabilize cellular components in a few milliseconds. Good cryofixation of a specimen is a prerequisite for successful results with freeze-substitution. Freeze-substitution is a technique that combines the advantages of cryofixation with those of sectioning at room temperature. In this procedure, the ice in the frozen specimen is substituted with an organic solvent at low temperatures (–80 to –9OOC) to prevent secondary ice-crystal growth. Depending on the kind of information needed from the cryofixed specimen, the organic solvent to be used may or may not contain chemical fixatives. Acetone and methanol are the most commonly used solvents for substitution. Methanol can substitute specimens even in the presence of relatively large amounts of water and substitutes more rapidly at lower temperatures than acetone. The most commonly used fixative/substitution fluid for ultrastructural studies is 2% osmium tetroxide in acetone.
Psychoeducational Outcomes of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome

The deleterious effects of intrauterine exposure to alcohol include cognitive deficits, academic difficulties, and psychosocial behavioral problems persisting into adulthood. This article relates c...
Computational design of co-assembling protein–DNA nanowires

Biomolecular self-assemblies are of great interest to nanotechnologists because of their functional versatility and their biocompatibility. Over the past decade, sophisticated single-component nanostructures composed exclusively of nucleic acids, peptides and proteins have been reported, and these nanostructures have been used in a wide range of applications, from drug delivery to molecular computing. Despite these successes, the development of hybrid co-assemblies of nucleic acids and proteins has remained elusive. Here we use computational protein design to create a protein-DNA co-assembling nanomaterial whose assembly is driven via non-covalent interactions. To achieve this, a homodimerization interface is engineered onto the Drosophila Engrailed homeodomain (ENH), allowing the dimerized protein complex to bind to two double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) molecules. By varying the arrangement of protein-binding sites on the dsDNA, an irregular bulk nanoparticle or a nanowire with single-molecule width can be spontaneously formed by mixing the protein and dsDNA building blocks. We characterize the protein-DNA nanowire using fluorescence microscopy, atomic force microscopy and X-ray crystallography, confirming that the nanowire is formed via the proposed mechanism. This work lays the foundation for the development of new classes of protein-DNA hybrid materials. Further applications can be explored by incorporating DNA origami, DNA aptamers and/or peptide epitopes into the protein-DNA framework presented here.
The Epistemology of Twombly and Iqbal

Although the commentary on Twombly and Iqbal has been fountainous, we still lack a satisfying account of plausibility’s conceptual mechanics. Returning to the epistemic foundations of Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, I argue that plausibility analysis is best understood as an exercise in “abduction,” a process of hypothesis-formation based on preexisting worldly knowledge. I develop this argument by working through two accounts of plausibility that have come to dominate scholarly discourse — the “conclusoriness” view and the “factual specificity” view — and showing why neither provides a fully satisfactory theory. Once the epistemic texture of plausibility is laid bare, it becomes apparent that Iqbal and Twombly are far from the bedfellow pair that commentators (and courts) have imagined. Where the Twombly Court used economic theory to assess the business decisions of large firms, the Iqbal Court drew conclusions about the behavior of high-ranking officials based on naked intuition. The former, I argue, is a model of how plausibility analysis should work; the latter, an example of how the same can be abused. The piece concludes on a normative note. In my view, if scholars wish to make plausibility analysis work better for plaintiffs, we would do well to cease with ideal theory and focus, instead, on developing setting-specific evidentiary standards as to what counts as “plausible.”
Raman spectrum of crystalline MoF5

Abstract The Raman spectrum of crystalline MoF5 was measured at 28°C. Assignment of the observed bands was based on a double correlation diagram scheme. Splittings nondegenerate MoF5 fundamentals in the solid state was attributed to a two site effect in the crystal lattice.
Optimal network flows for containerized imports to the United States

This paper analyzes the intermodal transportation network of containerized imports to the United States. An optimization model is developed that integrates international and North America inland transport networks. The results indicate optimal ship size, route, port, and interior shipping corridor and are highly reflective of observed shipments. Sensitivity analyzes were performed to evaluate impacts of congestion on capacity constraints as well as the prospective impacts of the alternative routes that are emerging. Results indicate that Prince Rupert is highly competitive for shipments to some markets, but the expansion of the Panama Canal would have lesser impacts on container flows.
Ductal Carcinoma In Situ of the Breast: Current Concepts and Future Directions

Context.—In situ carcinomas of the breast constitute 15% to 30% of all newly diagnosed breast cancer cases; 80% of these in situ lesions belong to the ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) category. Similar to invasive breast carcinomas, DCIS is not a single disease but rather many distinct diseases with different histopathologic and molecular characteristics, a propensity to progress to invasive disease, and differential response to treatment. Objective.—To review the classic pathologic parameters of clinical significance and the differential diagnosis of the DCIS lesions, present our new understanding of the importance of biomarkers, and discuss innovative approaches for targeted therapy in DCIS. Data Sources.—Extensive review of the relevant peer-reviewed literature. Conclusions.—In DCIS, improved understanding of the underlying biologic pathways of tumor progression is expected to lead to more accurate classification and innovative targeted treatment approaches for the management of these lesions.
Alternative splicing controls G protein-dependent inhibition of N-type calcium channels in nociceptors.

Neurotransmitter release from mammalian sensory neurons is controlled by CaV2.2 N-type calcium channels. N-type channels are a major target of neurotransmitters and drugs that inhibit calcium entry, transmitter release and nociception through their specific G protein–coupled receptors. G protein–coupled receptor inhibition of these channels is typically voltage-dependent and mediated by Gβγ, whereas N-type channels in sensory neurons are sensitive to a second G protein–coupled receptor pathway that inhibits the channel independent of voltage. Here we show that preferential inclusion in nociceptors of exon 37a in rat Cacna1b (encoding CaV2.2) creates, de novo, a C-terminal module that mediates voltage-independent inhibition. This inhibitory pathway requires tyrosine kinase activation but not Gβγ. A tyrosine encoded within exon 37a constitutes a critical part of a molecular switch controlling N-type current density and G protein–mediated voltage-independent inhibition. Our data define the molecular origins of voltage-independent inhibition of N-type channels in the pain pathway.
Are You Getting Enough Culture? Moving from Social to Cultural History in Eighteenth-Century Britain

Over the past couple of decades, cultural studies have made a considerable impact on 18th-century British history. To some extent, this has been at the expense of an older social history that was focused on the experiences of the laboring classes. Gradually, the concept of an 18th-century ‘consumer society’ has become dominant. Studies of middle and upper class manners, tastes, and fashions have proliferated. The ‘consumer society’ model has in turn inspired further examinations of gender, national, and racial identities, in which the movement away from social history has become more pronounced. This article calls for a reintegration of historical approaches in ways that will take account of both the transforming effects and the limits of cultural history.
Activation Volume for Vacancy Motion in Calcium Fluoride

The audio frequency complex dielectric constant for sodium doped calcium fluoride is measured at pressures up to 0.4 GPa over the temperature range 240 to 270 K and at zero pressure over the temperature range 5.5 to 400 K. Consequently, the reorientation of a nearest-neighbor vacancy around a substitutional sodium ion is studied. The activation volume for the motion is found to be (1.73 ± 0.1) cm3/mol. It is argued that this value should be similar to the migration volume for “free” vacancies. The compressibility of the activation volume is found to be forty times the compressibility of the host lattice. Finally, a large negative thermal expansion coefficient is found for the activation volume for vacancy motion. On a determine la constante dielectrique complexe a frequences auditives pour les crystaux de fluorure de calcium dopes au sodium, sous hautes pressions a 0,4 GPa a l'intervalle de temperature 240 a 270 K et a l'intervalle de 5,5 a 400 K a pression atmospherique. Par consequent, on a etudie la reorientation des lacunes voisines prochǎines autours des ions de sodium substituants. On a trouve que le volume d'activation pour saute des lacunes est Vm = (1,73 ± 0,1) cm3/mol. On raisone que cette valeur doit etre semblable de celui pour les lacunes “libres”. On a constate que la compressibilite de ce volume d'activation etait quarant fois plus grand que la compressibilite du hote crystal. Enfin, nous avons constate une grande valeur negative pour la coefficient de dilation pour le volume d'activation de saute des lacunes.
Approaching cultural psychiatry from opposite ends

Chunn, Jay C., Patricia J. Dunston, and Fariyal Ross‐Sheriff, eds. Mental Health and People of Color. Washington, D.C.: Howard University Press, 1983. xxi + 472 pp. including list of contributors and index. $24.95 cloth. Spielberger, Charles D., and Rogelio Diaz‐Guerrero, eds. Cross‐Cultural Anxiety. Volume II. New York: Hemisphere Publishing Corporation, 1983. xi + 218 pp. including list of contributors and index. $34.58 cloth. Favezza, Armando R., and Ahmed D. Faheem, eds. Themes in Cultural Psychiatry: An Annotated Bibliography, 1975–1980. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1982. 194 pp. $30.00 cloth.
Validation of Vibration-Based Onboard Asphalt Density Measuring System

The nuclear density gauge served the industry well for almost forty years as project owners performed quality control on the asphalt paving and compaction process. Recently, however, the responsibility for quality control of these processes has largely been given to the contractor. This shift in responsibility comes at a particularly unfavorable time for the average paving contractor. The construction industry is faced with the worst labor shortage in history, limiting the number of qualified quality control technicians and equipment operators. In addition, this is the dawn of the age of Superpave, a family of hot-mix asphalt mixes designed to combat pavement rutting by increasing the quantity of large aggregate in the mixes. Understandably, these are more difficult to compact. The Onboard Density Measuring System, a model patented by Penn State University, offers density measurements in real time at a rate of one per second during the compaction process, thereby affording the constructor the opportunity to recognize and correct compaction problems immediately while maintaining a permanent record of the entire compaction process.
High contrast in vitro and in vivo photoluminescence bioimaging using near infrared to near infrared up-conversion in Tm3+ and Yb3+ doped fluoride nanophosphors.

A new approach for photoluminescence imaging in vitro and in vivo has been shown utilizing near infrared to near infrared (NIR-to-NIR) up-conversion in nanophosphors. This NIR-to-NIR up-conversion process provides deeper light penetration into biological specimen and results in high contrast optical imaging due to absence of an autofluorescence background and decreased light scattering. Aqueous dispersible fluoride (NaYF4) nanocrystals (20−30 nm size) co-doped with the rare earth ions, Tm3+ and Yb3+, were synthesized and characterized by TEM, XRD, and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. In vitro cellular uptake was shown by the PL microscopy visualizing the characteristic emission of Tm3+ at ∼800 nm excited with 975 nm. No apparent cytotoxicity was observed. Subsequent animal imaging studies were performed using Balb-c mice injected intravenously with up-converting nanophosphors, demonstrating the high contrast PL imaging in vivo.
Comparison of fifth and third harmonic conversion in helium

Abstract Fifth and third harmonic conversion in helium are compared experimentally and theoretically. Conversion to the fifth harmonic is observed to exceed conversion to the third by about an order of magnitude, in good agreement with theoretical expectations. A comparison of the saturation behavior of each harmonic at high pump powers is made and implications concerning the physical processes responsible for the observed saturation of the fifth harmonic are described.
The ultraviolet flux distribution of Alpha-2 Canum Venaticorum

Intermediate- and narrow-band UV spectrophotometry from Copernicus, OAO 2, the S2-68 experiment on TD 1, and a sounding-rocket experiment are combined with ground-based observations to define the absolute flux distribution of the bright magnetic Ap star Alpha-2 CVn over the wavelength range from 1030 to 7580 A. Two flux distributions are presented which coincide more or less with the rare-earth maximum and minimum in the star's cycle. The results are compared with those for two normal stars, the UV variability of Alpha-2 CVn is characterized as a function of wavelength, and non-LTE effects on the UV continua of C I and Si I are analyzed. Some physical properties of Alpha-2 CVn are estimated, and the evolutionary age of the star is estimated to be between 220 million and 300 million years. It is concluded that Alpha-2 CVn is old enough to have been magnetically braked to its current rotational velocity by either the centrifugal-wind or the accretion mechanism and to have developed its chemical peculiarities by either mechanism.
Many-body optical-edge singularity in absorption spectra of GaAs/AlxGa1-xAs modulation-doped quantum wells.

The optical-absorption spectra of GaAs/${\mathrm{Al}}_{\mathrm{x}}$${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{x}}$As modulation-doped quantum wells are calculated by extending the many-body theory of two-dimensional electron gases into quasi-two-dimensional situations. The calculated Fermi-edge singularity depends strongly on the quantum-well parameters such as finite well thickness and potential-barrier heights. These more realistic considerations bring the theory into a much better agreement with recent experiments.
Family Resources, Gender, and Immigration: Changing Sources of Hong Kong Educational Inequality, 1971–2001†

Objective. This study gauged the impact of government-led educational expansion on Hong Kong's social stratification over a 30-year period. The historically close state control over school supply in Hong Kong allows us to test the effectiveness of public policy in changing the transmission of advantages across generations. Methods. I analyzed household-level census data from 1971, 1981, 1991, and 2001. Interviews and documents were also used to illuminate reasons for trends during this period. Results. There was a diminishing role of family resources and gender on access to all levels of schooling until 1991. From 1991 through 2001, however, there was a reversal of this trend at the postsecondary level, as access to university education became more dependent on family resources. In addition, new immigrants from mainland China were at an increased disadvantage. Conclusions. Hong Kong's current plan to create a second tier of self-supporting postsecondary institutions will exacerbate the tendency toward unequal university access, and is also likely to segregate new arrivals from mainland China.
CN-02MYELOPATHY FOLLOWING INTRATHECAL CHEMOTHERAPY: A CASE SERIES IN ADULTS.

Intrathecal (IT) chemotherapy in combination with systemic chemotherapy is an effective treatment modality used in the prophylaxis and treatment of CNS disease in hematological malignancies. IT agents commonly used in various chemotherapeutic regimens include methotrexate and cytarabine arabinoside (Ara-C).Side effects from IT chemotherapies described in the literature vary from mild asymptomatic forms of arachnoiditis diagnosed on MRI to leukoencephalopathy and myelopathy. These complications have been reported more frequently in the pediatric literature than in adults. We here describe 7 adult patients treated at a single institution for hematological malignancies that developed myelopathy following intrathecal chemotherapy. 5 out of our 7 patients demonstrated longitudinal hyperintenities involving mostly the dorsal columns and to varying degrees the lateral corticospinal tracts; a picture suggesting methotrexate induced toxicity. In the 2 cases where myelobasic protein was checked in the CSF, it was significantly elevated supporting the role of a potential CSF biomarker to diagnose cord injury and distinguish the pathology from leukemic infiltration. Median survival was 3.1 months from the time of myelopathy diagnosis despite various treatment strategies employed. We did not find any correlation between number of IT methotrexate doses given and development of myelopathy indicating a potential individual sensitivity to methotrexate. Based on what is known, immediate discontinuation of intrathecal methotrexate treatment would be recommended once a diagnosis of IT induced melopathy is made with consideration of methionine or S-adenosylmethionine supplementation for patients who received IT methotrexate.
Investigation of the Hypotheses of Khuti's Theorem on Regge-Polf Asymptotes

The hypotheses of Khuri's theorem, which imply that asymptotes of Regge trajectories cannot be infinite, are studied. We show that the residue function $\ensuremath{\beta}(s)$ is expected to have an essential singularity at infinity and that $\ensuremath{\alpha}(s)$ may well have complex branchpoints, making Khuri's theorem consistent with infinite asymptotes.