cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
RNA ligase-like domain in activating signal cointegrator 1 complex subunit 1 (ASCC1) regulates ASCC complex function during alkylation damage.

Multiple DNA damage response (DDR) pathways have evolved to sense the presence of damage and recruit the proper repair factors. We recently reported a signaling pathway induced upon alkylation damage to recruit the AlkB homolog 3, α-ketoglutarate–dependent dioxygenase (ALKBH3)–activating signal cointegrator 1 complex subunit 3 (ASCC3) dealkylase–helicase repair complex. As in other DDR pathways, the recruitment of these repair factors is mediated through a ubiquitin-dependent mechanism. However, the machinery that coordinates the proper assembly of this repair complex and controls its recruitment is still poorly defined. Here, we demonstrate that the ASCC1 accessory subunit is important for the regulation of ASCC complex function. ASCC1 interacts with the ASCC complex through the ASCC3 helicase subunit. We find that ASCC1 is present at nuclear speckle foci prior to damage, but leaves the foci in response to alkylation. Strikingly, ASCC1 loss significantly increases ASCC3 foci formation during alkylation damage, yet most of these foci lack ASCC2. These results suggest that ASCC1 coordinates the proper recruitment of the ASCC complex during alkylation, a function that appears to depend on a putative RNA-binding motif near the ASCC1 C terminus. Consistent with its role in alkylation damage signaling and repair, ASCC1 knockout through a CRISPR/Cas9 approach results in alkylation damage sensitivity in a manner epistatic with ASCC3. Together, our results identify a critical regulator of the ALKBH3–ASCC alkylation damage signaling pathway and suggest a potential role for RNA-interacting domains in the alkylation damage response.
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in pediatric type 2 diabetes: Metabolic and histologic characteristics in 38 subjects.

BACKGROUND Obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2D) is risk factors for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). In children with T2D and liver biopsies, we investigated correlations between NAFLD/NASH and transaminase activity, A1c, lipids, and histologic changes in repeat biopsies. METHODS Liver histology of children with T2D was evaluated using the NASH CRN scoring system and NAFLD Activity Score (NAS). We included results ≤6 months from biopsy and A1c nearest biopsy. RESULTS Thirty-eight subjects (21 females, 17 males, 63.2% Hispanic, 15.8% Caucasian) had T2D diagnosed at 13.4 ± 2.7 years, 78.9% using metformin and 50% on insulin. Histological diagnosis of NAFLD occurred at mean age 14.3 ± 2.3 years, notable for NASH in 61%. Steatosis grade was higher in children with NASH than those without (mean 2.6 ± 0.7 vs 2.1 ± 0.5 (P < 0.001). Stage 3 fibrosis was noted only in subjects with NASH (26%). ALT was higher in NASH vs those without (112 ± 56 vs 85 ± 112, P = 0.016). NAS correlated with A1c (r = 0.51, P < 0.01) and triglycerides (r = 0.5, P < 0.01), and inversely with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) (r = -0.42, P = 0.04). Males had lower HDL and higher triglycerides (P < 0.04). In eight subjects with repeat biopsies, NAS was equal (37.5%) or improved (62.5%), and steatosis decreased (68.1% to 32.8%, P = 0.027). CONCLUSIONS In children with T2D and NAFLD, NASH is common. Having advanced fibrosis in 26% of NASH cases at this age is concerning. Better control of lipids, weight, and diabetes may help avoid worsening in NAS.
Marketing College Sports Teams – A Portfolio Approach

The case involves an athletic director at a fictitious mid-sized university (Northwestern Midwest College) who is thinking about how to enhance the productivity of the investments in the various sports programs on his campus. Using concepts from marketing, this athletic director develops a series of ideas, which could be used to reshape the allocation of resources within the athletic division at his university. Faced with the need to effectively manage enrollments, endowments and the branding of their institutions, colleges and universities are looking to successful sports programs as one way to further differentiate their institution in the marketplace. For smaller and some medium-sized institutions, it is becoming increasingly difficult to field a cadre of successful sports programs which both generate both positive revenues and national exposure for the institution. As a result, some of these schools are beginning to think more critically about the portfolio of sports teams which represent the institution, in an effort to increase the efficacy of those institutional investments.
Trajectories of Parent Participation in Early Intervention/Prevention Services: The Case for Flexible Paraprofessional-led Services.

Objective: This study examined parents’ participation in a school-and home-based prevention and early intervention service model designed to promote positive parenting and parent involvement in sch...
Diurnal and Seasonal Activity Patterns of Drosophilid Species (Diptera: Drosophilidae) Present in Blackberry Agroecosystems With a Focus on Spotted-Wing Drosophila

Drosophilid species with different life histories have been shown to exhibit similar behavioral patterns related to locating and utilizing resources such as hosts, mates, and food sources. Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) is an invasive species that differs from other frugivorous drosophilids in that females lay eggs in ripe and ripening fruits instead of overripe or rotten fruits. We hypothesized that there may be diurnal and/or seasonal patterns associated with the movement of drosophilid species into and out of crop fields and their attraction to fermentation-odor-based monitoring traps, and that D. suzukii would conform to similar patterns. To test these hypotheses, we deployed passive, 2-headed Malaise traps between crop fields and wooded edges to simultaneously catch flies moving into and out of crop fields. We also deployed monitoring traps with a fermentation-based bait between crop fields and wooded edges and within crop rows. Traps were deployed weekly in June-August in 2014 and 2015 at two commercial blackberry farm in Cleveland County, NC, and were checked hourly for 24 h, except during darkness. Both D. suzukii and other drosophilid species moved between crop fields and wooded edges and were attracted to monitoring traps primarily during the morning and evening hours. Whereas other drosophilids were captured in traps throughout the season, few D. suzukii were caught in traps until early to mid-July in both years and increased as the season progressed. Understanding D. suzukii movement and activity patterns is essential for the development of effective management strategies.
Epigenetic toxicity of PFOA and GenX in HepG2 cells and their role in lipid metabolism.

Abstract Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), an extremely persistent perfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS), and 2,3,3,3-Tetrafluoro-2-(heptafluoropropoxy) propanoic acid (GenX), its shorter chain alternative, have been implicated in hepatocellular damage with unusual fat deposit and liver enlargement. In this study we explored the underlying mechanisms of PFOA and GenX induced hepatocellular damage. Liver hepatocellular carcinoma cell line HepG2 was used as a model to study induced liver inflammation in vitro at the cellular, genetic, and epigenetic levels. HepG2 cells were exposed to PFOA or GenX for 48 h and the DNA and RNA were extracted and analyzed. mRNA expression analysis of PFOA exposed cells showed that cell cycle homeostasis genes were affected significantly, as well as the ten-eleven translocation methylcytosine dioxygenases (TETs) and the essential lipid metabolism genes. GenX did not have as significant an effect. Global methylation levels of HepG2 cells were found to be inversely proportional to PFOA exposure levels. With GenX, the global methylation level decreased and then increased. Our work points to the fact that PFOA may contribute to higher overall epigenetic toxicity than GenX, and its induced epigenetic changes may play a major role in lipid metabolism gene regulation and fat deposits.
Abstract A04: Effects of aspirin intervention on health and disease-associated oral bacterial taxa

Background: Several bacterial taxa that are consistently enriched in the gut microbiome of CRC cases are also found in the oral cavity. They exhibit phenotypic traits such as adherence to host epithelial cells, mucus degradation, and biofilm formation, which promote bacterial survival in the colon and may play a role in both oral disease and colorectal carcinogenesis by stimulating an inflammatory response. We evaluated the effect of a 6-week aspirin intervention on the relative abundance of oral bacterial taxa in a randomized placebo-controlled trial. Methods: Fifty healthy subjects, 50-75 years old, were randomized to receive either aspirin (N=30) or placebo (N=20) for 6 weeks. Oral samples were collected at baseline and after treatment (6 weeks) and amplicon sequencing of the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was done using Illumina MiSeq technology. The data were analyzed using the standard DADA2 workflow. We used linear regression analysis, PERMANOVA, and negative binomial regressions (DESeq2 package) to assess the association between intervention assignment (aspirin vs. placebo) and α-diversity, β-diversity, and fold change in specific taxa, after adjustment for age, gender, and BMI at baseline and postintervention. Intervention assignment was hypothesized to influence the following bacterial taxa a priori: Fusobacterium, Porphyromonas, Prevotella, Gemella, Neisseria, Streptococcus, Haemophilus, Campylobacter, Veillonella, Actinomyces based on previous studies. We estimated the association between aspirin use and the changes in the relative abundance of the specified taxa from pre- to post-treatment (baseline to week 6) using a mixed-effect regression model (lme4 package) with a binomial distribution in which the log of odds ratio (β estimate) for the interaction term compared aspirin to placebo intervention for post- versus pretreatment. Results: Aspirin treatment was not associated with α- or β- diversity at baseline or postintervention. However, the change in relative abundance of 8 out of the 10 prespecified taxa over time differed between the aspirin and placebo groups. In the aspirin group, there were greater increases in the relative abundances of Neisseria, Streptococcus, Actinomyces, and greater decreases in the relative abundance of Prevotella, Veillonella, Fusobacterium, and Porphyromonas. Conclusions: These preliminary findings suggest that aspirin may change the relative abundance of oral taxa associated with oral dysbiosis or CRC. Further studies are needed to understand the impact that the duration and dosage of the aspirin intervention may have on the oral microbiome. Citation Format: Guillaume C. Chinedu, Christopher M. Staley, Ryan T. Demmer, Shaukat Aasma, Tim R. Church, Anna E. Prizment. Effects of aspirin intervention on health and disease-associated oral bacterial taxa [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Microbiome, Viruses, and Cancer; 2020 Feb 21-24; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(8 Suppl):Abstract nr A04.
Ellic’s Exercise Class: promoting physical activities during exergaming with immersive virtual reality

This work presents the design and evaluation of a set of three mini exercise games (exergames), called “Ellic’s Exercise Class,” which allows people to play in virtual reality (VR) using a head-mounted display (HMD) with the intention to promote physical activities. The exergames require the player to move hands, arms, and body to interact with sporting gameplay events. The game design methodology considers both display advantages and physical limitations in VR technologies. The games are evaluated in a usability study with the goal to understand participants’ performance, gaming experience, effectiveness in motivating them to move, and their exercise intensity levels. In the study, we compare play of games in a VR environment simulated through an HMD with the play in front of a standard large flat-screen display (LFD), while ensuring the difficulty level of gameplay to be same in both. The participants’ moving distances and their answers in questionnaires show that they become more active and engaged when playing exergames with HMD, but according to heart rate data, there is not significant evidence that playing with HMD would be better than that with LFD in terms of increasing the energy expenditure. We discuss the findings in accordance with the relationship and independence between engagement and exertion in exergaming.
Southwest Harvest for Health: Adapting a mentored vegetable gardening intervention for cancer survivors in the southwest

Few diet and physical activity evidence-based interventions have been routinely used in community settings to achieve population health outcomes. Adapting interventions to fit the implementation context is important to achieve the desired results. Harvest for Health is a home-based vegetable gardening intervention that pairs cancer survivors with certified Master Gardeners from the Cooperative Extension Service with the ultimate goal of increasing vegetable consumption and physical activity, and improving physical functioning and health-related quality-of-life. Harvest for Health has potential for widespread dissemination since Master Gardener Programs exist throughout the United States. However, state- and population-specific adaptations may be needed to improve intervention adoption by other Master Gardener Programs. Our primary objective was to adapt this evidence-informed intervention that was initially incepted in Alabama, for the drastically different climate and growing conditions of New Mexico using a recommended adaptation framework. Our secondary objective was to develop a study protocol to support a pilot test of the adapted intervention, Southwest Harvest for Health. The adaptation phase is a critical first step towards widespread dissemination, implementation, and scale-out of an evidence-based intervention. This paper describes the adaptation process and outcomes, and the resulting protocol for the ongoing pilot study that is currently following 30 cancer survivors and their paired Extension Master Gardener mentors.
Ethical Issues in Functional Assessment

There is strong evidence supporting the use of functional behavioral assessment (FBA) to identify effective treatments to address a wide variety of challenging behaviors. Behavior analysts and psychologists conducting FBAs are engaging in assessment behavior that is explicitly addressed in the ethical codes of the American Psychological Association (APA), Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB), and National Association of School Psychologists (NASP). Professionals engaging in FBA must keep in mind a number of considerations to ensure that their assessment practice is aligned with the ethical guidelines of professional organizations. This chapter discusses issues related to informed consent, professional competence, the principle of do no harm, and client right to effective treatment in the context of FBA. In addition, the chapter presents alternatives to traditional functional analysis (FA) that may address ethical concerns. Finally, the chapter presents ethical considerations for use of FBA in schools.
SPEARS: A Database-Invariant Spectral Modeling API

Abstract The Spectral Physics Environment for Advanced Remote Sensing (SPEARS) application programming interface (API) is a Python-based, line-by-line, local thermal equilibrium (LTE) spectral modeling code which is optimized for simultaneously synthesizing optical spectra from any combination of fundamental spectroscopic databases. In this article, we contribute two novel spectral modeling techniques to the scientific literature. First we describe how SPEARS integrates a physics-based collisional model for calculating pressure broadening in the absence of available broadening coefficients. With this collisional model implementation, a generalized approach to fundamental spectroscopic databases can be achieved across multiple databases. We also detail our adaptive grid mesh algorithm developed to make the code scalable for simulating large spectral bandwidths at high spectral fidelity using intuitive grid parameters. We present comparisons to other modeling tools, experiments, and provide a discussion on the SPEARS user interface.
Probabilistic Models of Proxemics for Spatially Situated Communication in HRI

To enable socially situated human-robot interaction, a robot must both understand and control proxemics—the social use of space—in order to employ communication mechanisms analogous to those used by humans. In this work, we focus on social speech and gesture production and recognition during both human-human and human-robot interactions. We conducted a data collection to model these factors as a function of the relative distance and orientation between sociable agents. The resulting models were used to implement a spatially situated autonomous proxemic robot controller. The controller utilizes a samplingbased approach, wherein each sample represents interagent distance and orientation, as well as agent speech and gesture production and recognition estimates; a particle filter (with resampling) uses these estimates to maximize the performance of both the robot and the human during the interaction. This functional approach yields pose, speech, and gesture estimates consistent with related work in human-human and human-robot interactions. This work contributes to the understanding of the underlying pre-cultural processes that govern proxemic behavior, and has implications for the development of robust proxemic controllers for robots situated in complex interactions (e.g., with more than two agents, or with individuals with hearing or visual impairments) and environments (e.g., with loud noises, low light, or visual occlusions).
The Stably Stratified Boundary Layer over the Great Plains

Airplane measurements of the stably stratified boundary layer obtained during the Severe Environmental Storms and Mesoscale Experiment (SESAME) over rolling terrain in south-central Oklahoma indicate that considerable horizontal variability exists in the flow on scales of several kilometers. Much of this wave-like structure appears to be tied to the terrain. The criteria for existence of stationary gravity waves indicate that these waves can exist under the observed conditions. The spectrum of terrain variations also supports the existence of these waves. Observed spectra of the vertical velocity have two peaks: one at wavelengths of several kilometers, which is due to waves and the other at wavelengths of about 100 m, which is due to turbulence. The variance at several kilometers wavelength increases somewhat with height at least up to about 800 m, but the variance contributed by turbulence decreases rapidly with height.
L-type Ca2+ channel current is controlled by ROS regulated by glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I (698.2)

H2O2 moderately inhibits L-type Ca2+ channel current (ICa,L) and dithiothreitol (DTT), a reducing agent, reverses ICa,L inhibition in rat aorta-derived A7r5 cells. This suggests that oxidation of thiol on Cav1.2 protein by H2O2, at least partly, contributes to the inhibition of ICa,L. Furthermore, the whole-cell ICa,L recorded with 10 mM-Ba2+ as a charge carrier and evoked by a depolarization step repetitively at 1/20 s are completely suppressed by ebselen (3 μM). This suggests that S-glutathionylation of CaV1.2 might also be potentially involved in the H2O2-induced inhibition. 6-Aminonicotinamide (6-AN; 1 mM), an inhibitor of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) that blocks reduction of NADP+ to NADPH and GSSG to GSH and O2- production from NADPH-oxidase, inhibited ICa,L by 18% in 5 min. Rotenone (Rot), an inhibitor of mitochondrial complex I that reduces O2- in a tissue specific manner, rapidly but transiently augmented ICa,L amplitude in a dose-dependent manner (10 nM-10 μM), and increased ICa,L up...
THE CEREBROSPINAL FLUID OF LEUKEMIC CHILDREN WITHOUT CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM MANIFESTATIONS

Fifty lumbar punctures were performed on each of three groups of leukemic children. The three categories studied were (1) those with central nervous system manifestations, (2) those free of symptoms following effective treatment, and (3) those not yet having developed central nervous system symptoms. The patients in Group I all had abnormal cerebrospinal fluid. Those examined before or between episodes referable to the central nervous system had normal findings, with rare exceptions. Positive results in the patients without symptoms almost always indicated the early recurrence of central nervous system symptoms.
Slow Strain Rate Testing of Alloy 22 in Simulated Concentrated Ground Waters

The proposed engineering barriers for the high-level nuclear waste repository in Yucca Mountain include a double walled container and a detached drip shield. The candidate material for the external wall of the container is Alloy 22 (N06022). One of the anticipated degradation modes for the containers could be environmentally assisted cracking (EAC). The objective of the current research was to characterize the effect of applied potential and temperature on the susceptibility of Alloy 22 to EAC in simulated concentrated water (SCW) and other environments using the slow strain rate technique (SSRT). Results show that the temperature and applied potential have a strong influence on the susceptibility of Alloy 22 to suffer EAC in SCW solution. Limited results show that sodium fluoride solution is more detrimental than sodium chloride solution.
Postmidnight depletion of the high-energy tail of the quiet plasmasphere

The Van Allen Probes Helium Oxygen Proton Electron (HOPE) instrument measures the high-energy tail of the thermal plasmasphere allowing study of topside ionosphere and inner magnetosphere coupling. We statistically analyze a 22 month period of HOPE data, looking at quiet times with a Kp index of less than 3. We investigate the high-energy range of the plasmasphere, which consists of ions at energies between 1 and 10 eV and contains approximately 5% of total plasmaspheric density. Both the fluxes and partial plasma densities over this energy range show H+ is depleted the most in the postmidnight sector (1–4 magnetic local time), followed by O+ and then He+. The relative depletion of each species across the postmidnight sector is not ordered by mass, which reveals ionospheric influence. We compare our results with keV energy electron data from HOPE and the Van Allen Probes Electric Fields and Waves instrument spacecraft potential to rule out spacecraft charging. Our conclusion is that the postmidnight ion disappearance is due to diurnal ionospheric temperature variation and charge exchange processes.
The Climate Change Debate: A Greater and More Varied Voice from the Social Sciences

As the debate on climate change in North America and Europe has heated up, the full voice of the social sciences, for the most part, has not been heard. Indeed, the relatively small representation of academic scholarship in this debate has come predominately from the physical sciences in defining the problem, and from one narrow branch of social science – neo-classical economics – in generating solutions. Both disciplines focus heavily on the quantitative and “rational” treatments of the climate change issue, rather than on its more qualitative and less rational dimensions. In this paper, we will provide a brief overview of the ways in which a broader array of social sciences can inform the debate over the problem of climate change, and, more importantly help refine solutions. We then summarize these benefits by offering a modified model of problem and solution assessment in risk and science communication; one that moves beyond their present focus on the “rational weigher” or “irrational weigher” models for describing social responses to scientific information. We expand upon the “cultural evaluator” model in which individuals do not engage in expected-utility “weighing” of information; but rather use affective and related faculties of perception to discern the nature of the problem and what stance they should adopt toward a particular risk. Affective features, in turn, depend directly on cultural outlooks and commitments. This cultural evaluator model offers several adjustments to current approaches to climate change problem definition and solutions, particularly around the array of communication strategies to be used.
Influence of subcellular fractions of mammalian testes on the mutagenic activity of nitrofurans toward Escherichia coli; presence of a co-mutagen-like factor.

Abstract The activation of nitrofurans to mutagenic intermediates by testicular tissue was investigated. AF-2 and nitrofurazone were tested in a microsomal suspension assay with strain E. coli K-12 343/113 as indicator and subcellular fractions from rabbit testes. Different mutation patterns were observed in the presence or absence of testicular homogenate, indicating the presence of different mutagenic intermediates. The frequency of arg + reversion increased proportionally to the homogenate concentration suggesting that the nitrofurans were activated by testicular components to intermediates that induced base-pair substitutions. Other experiments showed that a component of low molecular weight, present in the soluble fraction of homogenates of testes from rabbits, rats and monkeys, was responsible for the increased mutation frequency. It is concluded that this “co-mutagen-like” factor either alters the metabolism of nitrofurans in E. coli and/or promotes the formation of base-pair substitution-type mutations. This direct interaction between a non-enzymic component of mammalian testes and the mutation induction/expression process in E. coli suggests the role of co-mutagen-like factors in the sensitivity of testes to nitrofurans.
Relationship between physical and higher layer errors in HFC communication network

We studied the impact of the channel noise, especially additive white Gaussian noise (AWGN) over the broadband HFC access network. The modulation scheme of this digital communication channel is QPSK. We have derived a network system error model for the HFC communication channel, which yields a relationship between bit error rate and signal to noise ratio (SNR) in a noisy communication channel. We measured in the laboratory packet loss as a function of SNR for this HFC communication network, and derived an empirical relationship between the physical layer bit error rate (BER) and the higher layer packet loss. The results of this study would be beneficial in network management of broadband HFC access network.
Fusing Eye Gaze with Speech Recognition Hypotheses to Resolve Exophoric References in Situated Dialogue

In situated dialogue humans often utter linguistic expressions that refer to extralinguistic entities in the environment. Correctly resolving these references is critical yet challenging for artificial agents partly due to their limited speech recognition and language understanding capabilities. Motivated by psycholinguistic studies demonstrating a tight link between language production and human eye gaze, we have developed approaches that integrate naturally occurring human eye gaze with speech recognition hypotheses to resolve exophoric references in situated dialogue in a virtual world. In addition to incorporating eye gaze with the best recognized spoken hypothesis, we developed an algorithm to also handle multiple hypotheses modeled as word confusion networks. Our empirical results demonstrate that incorporating eye gaze with recognition hypotheses consistently outperforms the results obtained from processing recognition hypotheses alone. Incorporating eye gaze with word confusion networks further improves performance.
Limit Equilibrium and Limit Analysis: Comparison of Benchmark Slope Stability Problems

AbstractConventional stability analyses use various limit equilibrium (LE) methods to determine the minimum, critical factor of safety and its associated failure mechanism. These methods generally assume that collapse will follow predefined geometric constraints that are dependent on certain input criteria—an effective approach for simple geotechnical problems, but challenging in consideration of complex problems. An effective solution lies in the use of upper bound limit analysis (LA) in conjunction with a discretization procedure known as discontinuity layout optimization (DLO). Use of DLO-LA can be an effective tool for establishing a critical failure mechanism and its stability without the constraints or assumptions required in LE analyses. This study compares the use of LE (Spencer method with dynamic programming optimization, Morgenstern-Price, Spencer) and LA for several examples that focus on complex geotechnical scenarios to illustrate agreement and differences between the analyses, as well as si...
Electrocatalysis of dioxygen reduction in aqueous acid and base by multimolecular layer films of electropolymerized cobalt tetra(o-aminophenyl)porphyrin

Abstract Films of cobalt(III) tetra(o-aminophenyl)porphyrin, poly-CoToAPP, electrooxidatively polymerized from acetonitriel solutions onto glassy carbon electrodes, exhibit two stable Co(III/II) cyclic voltammetric waves in 0.5 M H2SO4 and 1 M NaOH solutions. The more positive of the two waves predominates at low film coverages (a few monolayer equivalents); the more negative wave grows at high coverages (10–100 monolayers), especially in basic solutions. The two waves are ascribed to monomeric and to dimeric (or higher aggregate) poly-CoToAPP species, respectively, that are distributed unevenly within the film. Both waves exert pronounced catalysis of O2 reduction, but differently; rotated ring-disk voltammetry shows that H2O2 production at potentials of the first (“monomeric”) wave is much greater than that at the second. Electrocatalytic O2 reduction in 1 M NaOH with low coverage films produces considerable H2O2, but high coverage films produce no detectable H2O2 and are stable for a minimum of 104 turnovers of the film sites. The “dimer” poly-CoToAPP in the outer part of high coverage films may serve an efficient dismutase-like action on H2O2 escaping from the principal O2 reduction pathway in the inner, “monomer” part of the film. The rate constant of the O2 reduction on low coverage films is ca. 1×105 M−1 s−1, in acid and in base. Results for acid solutions of Co(III)ToAPP(Cl) are also reported, for comparison to the polymer film results.
Pregnant with cystic fibrosis.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a genetic disease that affects some 30,000 children and adults in the U.S. What has changed about CF in the last 30 years is life expectancies: In 1970, individuals with CF had a life expectancy of eight years. Today their survival age is approximately 30 years. This means that with increased life expectancies, women with CF are now reaching childbearing age and may choose to become pregnant. Providing care to these patients is a relatively new challenge facing health care providers. Here's what every nurse needs to know when providing care for a pregnant woman with CF.
Optimization of Wind Turbine Placement in Offshore Wind Farms

In this paper, a Genetic Algorithm is used to find optimized spatial configurations of wind turbines in offshore or flat terrain wind farms. The optimization is made by obtaining maximizing power output per unit cost. A wake model which permits the calculation of single wakes, multiple wakes and wake interactions is employed to estimate wind speeds at each turbine for a given external wind distribution function and a given spatial configuration. The optimization is applied to cases of unidirectional wind, variable direction winds and variable wind speed. The placement of a turbine can be set at any location following the approach of Mittal et al. Results are obtained for different spacing limits between turbines and wind farms of different sizes. The results for some patterns of optimized placements of wind turbines are discussed in the context of the wind distributions and the wake model employed.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Acoustoelectric measurements of minority and majority carrier mobilities in semiconductors including Hg1−x Cd x Te

Acoustoelectric voltages versus absorbed surface acoustic wave (SAW) power measurements are used to nondestructively determine carrier mobilities in bulk silicon, GaAs and epitaxial Hg1−x Cd x Te employing a separate medium convolver structure. The longitudinal component of the acoustoelectric signals (LAV) has been used in the past to determine the carrier mobilities in semiconductor films. In the present work, it is shown that the transverse component of the acoustoelectric signals (TAV) can also be used to measure the carrier mobilities. TAV and LAV measurements yield mobilities in perpendicular directions. Hence, these measurements can be used to study the electron mobilities of a two-dimensional electron system in superlattices. A new delay line structure is introduced to invert the semiconductor surface through the field effect to measure the minority carrier mobilities. Carrier mobilities in graded epitaxial Hg1−x Cd x Te are measured after subsequent etching of the surface to obtain the mobility values versus depth. The findings of the above measurements and Hall measurements are in satisfactory agreement.
Coupon use in ethnic markets: implications from a retail perspective

Reports on problems with coupon use experienced within ethnic subcultures by presenting the results and implications of a study of retailers in the Philadelphia/Southern New Jersey area. Argues that marketers are challenged to understand the intricacies of ethnic markets as they grow in number and size in the USA. Suggests that marketing strategies that are successful in mass markets, such as couponing, are likely to operate differently in ethnic subcultures, such as Hispanic and Chinese markets. Recommends a retail perspective that uncovers potential problem areas encountered by retailers, consumers, and manufacturers alike.
Influence of retinoids on bladder cancer growth as detected by primary tissue culture.

Summary— The ability of the retinoid compounds, all-trans and 13-cis, to inhibit the growth of bladder tumour cells was investigated in primary tissue culture. A significant decrease in tumour growth was evident in 9 human bladder cancer patients. Since retinoid compounds are able to delay the progression or induction of tumours in primary tissue culture, their trial use as intravesical agents may be warranted.
Bit-per-joule performance of power saving ad hoc networks with a mobile backbone

Energy efficient MAC protocols have been developed for wireless sensor and mobile ad hoc networks so that inactive nodes can transition into sleep state to conserve energy. It has been recognized that maintaining a continuously awake connected dominating set (CDS) serves to reduce the route setup latency. Under the mobile backbone network (MBN) architecture introduced by Rubin et al., a mobile backbone (Bnet) is dynamically constructed to provide a topological covering of the network. The MBN employs a hybrid routing algorithm under which flows that travel a distance longer than a threshold are directed along routes across the Bnet. In turn, a limited span network-wide global route discovery process is applied for routing shorter distance flows. In this paper, we introduce and analyze an MBN based power saving protocol (MBN-PS) that employs this hybrid routing scheme. Under the MBN-PS scheme, dynamically elected backbone nodes are kept awake, while inactive non-backbone nodes can reside in sleep state. We analytically show that, when the number of network flows is above a minimal level, the throughput per watt efficiency attained in an ad hoc network under complete backbone coverage is better than that achieved by a corresponding network that does not form a backbone. We present a model for the calculation of the bit-per-joule performance of the network as a function of the distance threshold. We confirm the validity of our analytical approach through simulations. Using our method, a network designer is able to choose the optimal distance threshold to be used by this scheme, based on traffic loading conditions.
The Influence of Ocean Thermocline Temperatures on the Earth’s Surface Climate

Abstract A coupled mixed layer–atmospheric general circulation model has been used to evaluate the impact of ocean thermocline temperatures (and by proxy those of the deep ocean) on the surface climate of the earth. Particular attention has been devoted to temperature regimes both warmer and cooler than at present. The mixed layer ocean model (MLOM) simulates vertical dynamics and thermodynamics in the upper ocean, including wind mixing and buoyancy effects, and has been coupled to the NCAR Community Climate Model (CCM3). Simulations were made with globally uniform thermocline warmings of +2°, +5°, and +10°C, as well as a globally uniform cooling of −5°C. A simulation was made with latitudinally varying changes in thermocline temperature such that the warming at mid- and high latitudes is much larger than at low latitudes. In all simulations, the response of surface temperature over both land and ocean was larger than that expected just as a result of the imposed thermocline temperature change, largely be...
Talking about concerns

The aspects community has developed a rich set of language-based mechanisms for addressing issues of scattering and tangling of concerns. In this talk, I sketch an alternative approach, where automatically collected data are analyzed to create models of concerns, which in turn are used by tools in the development environment. Data includes not only traditional repository data such as version and change logs, but also text data such as communication, meeting minutes, documentation, and even spoken conversation. I will describe some preliminary work my colleagues and I have done to explore this direction.
Optical and multilayer design for the first Kirkpatrick-Baez optics for x-ray diagnostic at NIF

At the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) we are designing, developing and testing multiple Kirkpatrick-Baez (KB) optics to be added to the suite of x-ray diagnostic instruments for the National Ignition Facility (NIF). Each optic consists of four KB channels made of spherically super-polished x-ray substrates. These substrates are multilayer-coated to allow steep grazing angle geometry and wavelength filtering. These optics are customized for different experiments and will provide NIF with an alternative x-ray imaging technique to pinholes, improving both resolution and photon throughput. With this manuscript we describe KB optic requirements, specifications, optical and multilayer designs.
Anisakis simplex and Terranova sp.: Inhibition by larval excretory-secretory products of mitogen-induced rodent lymphoblast proliferation

Abstract Execretory-secretory products were collected from supernatants of in vitro cultures of larval nematodes, Anisakis simplex (type I) and Terranova sp. (Hawaii type A). These materials were found to be more potent inhibitors of rodent lymphocyte blast transformation induced by concanavalin A and bacterial lipopolysaccaride than whole worm extracts of the same parasites. Inhibition of blast transformation was a result of cytostatic rather than toxic effects on proliferating lymphoid cells. The material(s) responsible for suppression are greater than 10,000 MW and are heat labile.
H+/ATP stoichiometry for the gastric (K+ + H+)-ATPase.

The initial rate of ATP-dependent proton uptake by hog gastric vesicles was measured at pH's between 6.1 and 6.9 by measuring the loss of protons from the external space with a glass electrode. The apparent rates of proton loss were corrected for scalar proton production due to ATP hydrolysis. For vesicles in 150 mM KCl and pH 6.1, corrected rates of proton uptake and ATP hydrolysis were 639 +/- 84 and 619 +/- 65 nmol/min x mg protein, respectively, giving an H+/ATP ratio of 1.03 +/- .07. Furthermore, at all pH's tested the ratio of the rate of proton uptake to the rate of ATP hydrolysis was not significantly different than 1.0. No proton uptake (less than 10 nmol/min x mg protein) was exhibited by vesicles in 159 mM NaCl at pH 6.1 despite ATP hydrolysis of 187 +/- 46 nmol/min x mg (nonproductive hydrolysis). Comparison of the rates of proton transport and ATP hydrolysis in various mixture of KCl and NaCl showed that the H+/ATP stoichiometries were not significantly different than 1.0 at all concentrations of K+ greater than 10 mM. This fact suggests that the nonproductive rate is vanishingly small at these concentrations, implying that the measured H+/ATP stoichiometry is equal to the enzymatic stoichiometry. This result shows that the isolated gastric (K+ + H+)-ATPase is thermodynamically capable of forming the observed proton gradient of the stomach.
Judgmental Rules and Stages of the Familiarity Curve: Promotional Implications

Abstract This paper suggests how the consumer's usage of various composition rules is likely to vary as his product and brand familiarity increase over time. The relationships suggested are based upon empirical findings and theories of information processing. A particular emphasis is placed upon the promotional implications of the suggested relatonships.
Studies with mustards. I. Ion-exchange chromatography of reaction mixtures of purines and pyrimidines with nitrogen mustard.

Abstract The data presented in this report indicate that nitrogen mustard can react in vitro with adenine, guanine, thymine, and uracil, and that isolable products are formed. It has been shown that ion-exchange chromatography resolved, at least to a certain extent, reaction mixtures of these bases with HN2 into the components.
Mapping carbon storage in urban trees with multi-source remote sensing data: Relationships between biomass, land use, and demographics in Boston neighborhoods

Abstract High resolution maps of urban vegetation and biomass are powerful tools for policy-makers and community groups seeking to reduce rates of urban runoff, moderate urban heat island effects, and mitigate the effects of greenhouse gas emissions. We developed a very high resolution map of urban tree biomass, assessed the scale sensitivities in biomass estimation, compared our results with lower resolution estimates, and explored the demographic relationships in biomass distribution across the City of Boston. We integrated remote sensing data (including LiDAR-based tree height estimates) and field-based observations to map canopy cover and aboveground tree carbon storage at ~ 1 m spatial scale. Mean tree canopy cover was estimated to be 25.5 ± 1.5% and carbon storage was 355 Gg (28.8 Mg C ha− 1) for the City of Boston. Tree biomass was highest in forest patches (110.7 Mg C ha− 1), but residential (32.8 Mg C ha− 1) and developed open (23.5 Mg C ha− 1) land uses also contained relatively high carbon stocks. In contrast with previous studies, we did not find significant correlations between tree biomass and the demographic characteristics of Boston neighborhoods, including income, education, race, or population density. The proportion of households that rent was negatively correlated with urban tree biomass (R2 = 0.26, p = 0.04) and correlated with Priority Planting Index values (R2 = 0.55, p = 0.001), potentially reflecting differences in land management among rented and owner-occupied residential properties. We compared our very high resolution biomass map to lower resolution biomass products from other sources and found that those products consistently underestimated biomass within urban areas. This underestimation became more severe as spatial resolution decreased. This research demonstrates that 1) urban areas contain considerable tree carbon stocks; 2) canopy cover and biomass may not be related to the demographic characteristics of Boston neighborhoods; and 3) that recent advances in high resolution remote sensing have the potential to improve the characterization and management of urban vegetation.
The isotope effect on the Raman spectrum of molecular C60

Abstract High-resolution Raman spectra of solutions of C60 in CS2 reveal the presence of 13C isotopes in the C60 molecules. The observed frequency shifts for the high-energy Ag(2) totally symmetric mode can be explained in terms of first-order non-degenerate perturbation theory. Information on the frequencies of modes close to Ag(2) is obtained by studying the conditions under which a non-degenerate perturbation expansion is valid. This is done with the help of non-perturbative calculations based on first-principles and empirical vibrational models.
Exact solution of a lattice model of flux lines in superconductors

Abstract We consider a statistical mechanical model describing flux lines in type II superconductors by embedding the flux lines on a lattice wound on torus. The lines are nonintersecting and each loop of lines is associated with a fugacity z = −1. It is shown that the exact solution of this model leads to a second-order transition between the Meissner and the superconducting states as well as a first-order transition between the superconducting and the normal states.
Phenotypic Plasticity in Common Crackles (Quiscalus quiscula) in Response to Repeated Brood Parasitism

ABSTRACT. Many North American bird species either accept or reject all Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater) eggs, but the Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula) is unusual in that it rejects a small proportion of experimentally introduced cowbird eggs. We tested whether individual Common Grackles and eight typical rejecter species were consistent in their responses by parasitizing nests a second time after initial cowbird eggs were ejected. We also assessed intraclutch variation in egg appearance in Common Grackles to determine whether it may influence phenotypic plasticity in rejection frequency. Rejections were recorded at 11.9% of 337 experimentally parasitized Common Grackle nests. Only 6 (33.3%) of 18 Common Grackles that ejected initial cowbird eggs also ejected a second experimentally added cowbird egg, however, which suggests that individuals that possess rejection behavior express it only 33.3% of the time. By contrast, the other eight rejecter species rejected between 91% and 100% of initial cowbi...
Use of dexmedetomidine for the treatment of alcohol withdrawal syndrome in critically ill patients: a retrospective case series

Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) continues to be a challenge to manage in the ICU setting, and the ideal pharmacological treatment continues to evolve. Dexmedetomidine is a newer agent approved for short-term sedation in the ICU, but its use in the treatment of AWS has been limited. We report a retrospective case series of ten patients who were identified as receiving dexmedetomidine for AWS as designated by electronic pharmacy records. All subjects were male, with a mean age of 53.6 years, and a mean ICU length of stay of 9.3 days. They were all diagnosed with AWS by DSM-IV criteria. All the study patients received dexmedetomidine during their hospital course as a treatment for AWS. Studied variables included demographic data, dose and duration of dexmedetomidine, other pharmaceutical agents, and hemodynamics. Dexmedetomidine was safe to use in all patients, although mechanical ventilation was still required in three patients. With dexmedetomidine, the autonomic hyperactivity was blunted, with a mean 12.8 % reduction in rate pressure product observed. Consideration should be given to the combined use of dexmedetomidine with benzodiazepines in the treatment of AWS.