cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phenotype risk scores identify patients with unrecognized Mendelian disease patterns

Genetic association studies often examine features independently, potentially missing subpopulations with multiple phenotypes that share a single cause. We describe an approach that aggregates phenotypes on the basis of patterns described by Mendelian diseases. We mapped the clinical features of 1204 Mendelian diseases into phenotypes captured from the electronic health record (EHR) and summarized this evidence as phenotype risk scores (PheRSs). In an initial validation, PheRS distinguished cases and controls of five Mendelian diseases. Applying PheRS to 21,701 genotyped individuals uncovered 18 associations between rare variants and phenotypes consistent with Mendelian diseases. In 16 patients, the rare genetic variants were associated with severe outcomes such as organ transplants. PheRS can augment rare-variant interpretation and may identify subsets of patients with distinct genetic causes for common diseases.
A pragmatic approach to the possibility of de-extinction

A number of influential biologists are currently pursuing efforts to restore previously extinct species. But for decades, philosophers of biology have regarded “de-extinction” as conceptually incoherent. Once a species is gone, it is gone forever. We argue that a range of metaphysical, biological, and ethical grounds for opposing de-extinction are at best inconclusive and that a pragmatic stance that allows for its possibility is more appealing.
Pathology-optimized open-top light-sheet microscopy

We present the design of a pathology-optimized open-top light-sheet microscope for imaging fluorescently-labeled tissues. Initial imaging results from a variety of tissue types will be presented.
An effect of exercise with Nintendo Wii game on pulmonary function in healthy women

Background: Regularly physical activities and exercises enhance pulmonary function. Nintendo Wii game is the one of the aerobic exercise games that can effect on cardiopulmonary function.Objective: To evaluate an effect of exercise with Nintendo Wii game on pulmonary function in healthy women.Materials and methods: Forty healthy women subjects with 18-30 years were equally categorized into two groups; composed of the control group (n=20) and exercise group with Nintendo Wii game (n=20). The duration of exercise with Nintendo Wii game was 40 minutes and intensity with 60-75% maximal heart rate. After six weeks of exercise three times per week, pulmonary function was evaluated comparing to before exercise.Results: There was no any difference of all data between groups before exercise. After exercise, the results illustrated that %FEV1, F%VC, F%EV1/FVC, %PEF, and %FEF25-75%, were significantly increased in exercise group with Nintendo Wii game (p<0.05). Moreover, weight and body mass index (BMI) were also significantly de­creased (p<0.05).Conclusions: Exercise with Nintendo Wii game for six weeks can increase pulmonary function in healthy women.
The Effect of Carbon Overcoat Thickness on the Zdol Boundary Lubricant Film

Formation of a tribologically reliable interface between the read-write head and the computer disk in hard-disk drives is accomplished by the use of a thin, wear-resistant carbon overcoat in conjunction with a molecularly-thin perfluoropolyether (PFPE) lubricant film. The intermolecular interactions that develop between the PFPE lubricant and the carbon overcoat govern the adhesion, coverage, and physical properties of the lubricant, e.g. the lubricant structure and mobility. Consequently, the molecular interactions at the lubricant-carbon interface will contribute to the overall tribological performance of the disk-drive. Due to the ever-increasing demands for storage capacity, pressure exists to reduce the separation distance between the read-write head and disk surface. One means of reducing this separation distance is to use thinner protective overcoats on both the head and disk surfaces. In this study the interactions between Fomblin Zdol and both amorphous hydrogenated (CHx) and nitrogenated (CNx) carbon overcoats were investigated as a function of overcoat thickness from 0 to 100A. The Zdol film structure was probed by titrating the magnetic alloy, the CHx and CNx surfaces with Zdol. The molecular weight dependence of the maximum bonded Zdol thickness on these surfaces is used to deduce structural information on the adsorbed Zdol film. In progressing from CHx to CNx to the magnetic alloy, we find the Zdol boundary layer film to be characterized by an increase in average distance between the PFPE backbone and the surface, or equivalently an increase in the average Zdol monolayer thickness. On the CHx overcoat, Zdol preferentially lies more parallel to the surface, whereas on the magnetic layer, Zdol is oriented more perpendicular to the surface. When these experiments were conducted as a function of carbon overcoat thickness, we found that interaction of Zdol with the field of the underlying magnetic film becomes important at carbon film thicknesses ≤ 30A. The dependence of the Zdol adhesion on carbon overcoat thickness was quantified by determining the Zdol film thickness dependence of both the dispersive and polar components of the Helmholtz free energy. The Zdol bonding kinetics were also studied as a function of carbon thickness.
The Patient With Medically Complicated Obesity

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic as evidenced by the number of overweight and obese individuals and the magnitude of their obesity (1). At the end of the last millennium, nearly one-third of all adults in the United States were classified as obese (2). The prevalence of severe obesity (body mass index [BMI] >40 kg/m2), which is associated with the highest health risk, doubled between 1990 and 2000 (3). Given the prevalence of overweight among children and teens aged 6–19 yr tripled between 1980 and 2000 (4) and that overweight children often become overweight adults (5) the problem is likely to persist for some time (6). Obesity in adults is associated with excess morbidity most notably excess risk of coronary heart disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, gallbladder disease, certain cancers, and osteoarthritis (7,8). Beyond morbidity, strong evidence links obesity to increased mortality. For example, young men and women with severe obesity may lose as much as 13 and 8 yr of life, respectively, as compared to peers of a healthy weight (9).
Treatment-Related Sexual Dysfunction in Male Nonprostate Pelvic Malignancies

Treatment of testicular, penile, and bladder cancer with surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy may result in significant sexual morbidity. The pathophysiology of erectile dysfunction is reviewed. The incidence of posttreatment erectile dysfunction, infertility, loss of libido, retrograde ejaculation, loss of orgasm, and sexual dissatisfaction is estimated from the published literature. Morbidity resulting from different treatment options are compared and innovative approaches which hold promise for reducing sexual dysfunction in this patient population are highlighted.
Effects of Combined Treatment of MG132 and Scriptaid on Early and Term Development of Porcine Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer Embryos

Abstract Although improving, the efficiency of producing offspring by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is still low (<1.5%). Our laboratory has demonstrated that histone deacetylase inhibitor (Scriptaid) treatment of reconstructed embryos enhances blastocyst formation and cloning efficiency in pigs. It has also been shown that proteasomal inhibitor MG132 treatment for 2 h after activation of oocytes increases blastocyst rate and pregnancy rate. The current experiment was carried out to determine the effects of combined MG132 and Scriptaid treatment on early embryo development in vitro and on term development in vivo. Immediately after electrofusion and activation, SCNT oocytes were treated with 0, 1, or 10 μM MG132 for 2 h in the presence of 500 nM Scriptaid, washed and treated with Scriptaid for an additional 14 to 15 h, then cultured in porcine zygote medium 3 (PZM3) until day 6. There was no difference in percent cleavage (58.1±7.2%, 62.7±7.2%, and 62.5±7.2%) on day 2, or total cell number (23.1±2....
CENTRAL AND PERIPHERAL CCK RECEPTORS

Publisher Summary Cholecystokinin (CCK) is one of a growing number of peptides that are present in the brain and gut. In the nervous system, these peptides may function as neurotransmitters or in less well-understood and more vaguely defined ways as neuromodulators or neuroregulator. CCK is widely distributed throughout the central nervous system. Since the discovery of CCK in nervous tissue in 1975, most of the criteria for identifying CCK as a classical neurotransmitter have been fulfilled. These criteria include CCK's presence in nervous tissue, neuronal localization, a mechanism for synthesis, release on presynaptic depolarization, receptor identification, potent electrophysiologic effects, and central nervous system actions. This chapter discusses one of these criteria: the identification of a specific, high-affinity receptor for CCK. As more is known about the hormonal actions of CCK mediated by peripheral receptors, several investigators have studied in parallel the central and peripheral CCK receptors. The chapter reviews the techniques used to study these two receptors and summarizes the results, which have so far been discovered.
Blockchain and the related issues: a review of current research topics

The blockchain represents emerging technologies and future trends. For the traditional social organization and mode of operation, the development of the blockchain is a revolution. As a decentraliz...
Adolescent and emerging adults' evaluation of a Facebook site providing sexual health education.

Objective To explore participants' evaluation of an online sexual health intervention posted on Facebook and identify appealing and effective ways to present sexual health content to adolescents and emerging adults (AEAs). Design and measures A qualitative approach using peer moderated focus groups was used to elicit reflections on the Facebook site's content, appeal, and ease of navigation. Focus group discussions were transcribed, coded, and analyzed for themes using conventional content analysis. Demographic data were analyzed with SPSS. Sample Participants (n = 63) were recruited from a Midwestern university and both an urban and rural high school. Eight focus groups were conducted. Results Participants reported significant concerns with the stigma associated with having sexual health conversations with parents, peers or providers. Participants thought the Facebook site provided reliable sexual health information, was not condescending, and was more visually appealing than other sites frequented by technology-proficient AEA. AEAs suggested developing an independent sexual health education website. Conclusion Findings demonstrate the importance for having accurate and reliable sexual health information available on the internet. The use of visually appealing social media to communicate sexual health content that is interactive, informative, and user-friendly and meets the educational needs of AEA in the Midwest is recommended.
Thermodynamics of Diffusion

So as to describe the interactions of bodies composed of identifiable constituents, we set up the mathematical theory ofmixtures. The theory aims to represent the phenomena of diffusion, dissociation, combination, and chemical reaction in the broadest sense. It finds long antecedence in the special theories of diffusions used by chemists and physicists and in the theories of homogeneous chemical reactions, not to mention special static and kinetic theories of heterogeneous media, but a general framework for all such theories seems first to have been laid down in a note of mine1, published in 1957. It has been extended by KELLY 2 to include electromagnetic effects, couple stresses, and singular surfaces, but today I shall need only its simplest mechanical and thermodynamic aspects.
Characterization of a Tilted-beam Piezoresistive MEMS Sensor with Current-drive Readout Circuit

The sensing properties of a microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based displacement sensor with a constant-current (CC) readout circuit are explored. The sensor comprises a pair of tilted clamped-guided silicon beams whose bulk piezoresistivity are employed for displacement sensing. To investigate the effect of driving the sensor with constant current, a readout circuit is designed and implemented. The characteristics of the sensor with the CC circuit are compared with the results obtained from a previously implemented Wheatstone half-bridge. To ensure a fair comparison, two test scenarios are considered. In the first approach, parameters of CC circuit are tuned such that the same power is delivered to the sensing beams. In the second case, these parameters are chosen so that both circuits achieve equal gains. A thorough characterization of the sensor is preformed in terms of linearity, resolution, bandwidth and noise. The results reveal that the piezoresistive sensor with the CC readout circuit provides a superior linearity compared to the Wheatstone bridge. However, using this circuit comes with challenges including a poor noise performance which are also discussed here.
Doomed to a vile lot: new taxa, notes, and an updated generic key for the Old World corsairs (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Peiratinae).

Herein are erected several new taxa and taxonomic changes based on a study of the Old World genera of Peiratinae: Sphodrembas gen. nov. is erected for a single new species, Sphodrembas fumipennis sp. nov. from Kenya and Tanzania. Ectomocoris caccabatus sp. nov. is newly described and represents the first record of the genus from the Korean Peninsula. Chaulioleistes gen. nov. is erected for Peirates singularis Stal, 1874, resulting in Chaulioleistes singularis (Stal, 1874) comb. nov. Isdegardes Distant, 1909, described in Acanthaspidinae (=Reduviinae), is considered a junior synonym of the peiratine genus Phalantus Stal, 1863 syn. nov., resulting in Phalantus melanocephalus (Distant, 1909) comb. nov. for the type species of Isdegardes. Lestomerus wroughtoni Bergroth, 1915 is transferred to Brachysandalus Stal, 1866, resulting in Brachysandalus wroughtoni (Bergroth, 1915) comb. nov. The previously proposed synonymy of Polychitonocoris formosus Miller, 1940 with Calistocoris caesareus Reuter, 1881 is corroborated. All of the above taxonomic acts are supplemented with a key to the species of Calistocoris, a key to the species of Pachysandalus, and a key to the peiratine genera of the Old World. Also reported are thirteen new country records for eleven other species: Brachysandalus bicolor (Villiers, 1948) (Kenya, Tanzania); Ectomocoris bimaculatus Schouteden, 1909 (Ghana); Ectomocoris fenestratus (Klug, 1830) (Ghana); Ectomocoris maculicrus (Fairmaire, 1858) (Uganda, Zimbabwe); Lestomerus affinis (Audinet-Serville, 1831) (Malaysia); Lestomerus basilewskyi Villiers, 1962 (Kenya); Lestomerus bicolor (Villiers, 1948) (Kenya); Lestomerus dubius Villiers, 1948 (Cameroon); Pachysandalus schoutedeni Villiers, 1962 (Sudan); Peirates collarti Schouteden, 1931 (Cameroon); Peirates quadrinotatus (Fabricius, 1798) (Malaysia); and Phalantus africanus Stal, 1874 (Ghana).
Vibrio cholerae OmpR Contributes to Virulence Repression and Fitness at Alkaline pH.

ABSTRACT Vibrio cholerae is a Gram-negative human pathogen and the causative agent of the life-threatening disease cholera. V. cholerae is a natural inhabitant of marine environments and enters humans through the consumption of contaminated food or water. The ability to transition between aquatic ecosystems and the human host is paramount to the pathogenic success of V. cholerae. The transition between these two disparate environments requires the expression of adaptive responses, and such responses are most often regulated by two-component regulatory systems such as the EnvZ/OmpR system, which responds to osmolarity and acidic pH in many Gram-negative bacteria. Previous work in our laboratory indicated that V. cholerae OmpR functioned as a virulence regulator through repression of the LysR-family transcriptional regulator aphB; however, the role of OmpR in V. cholerae biology outside virulence regulation remained unknown. In this work, we sought to further investigate the function of OmpR in V. cholerae biology by defining the OmpR regulon through RNA sequencing. This led to the discovery that V. choleraeompR was induced at alkaline pH to repress genes involved in acid tolerance and virulence factor production. In addition, OmpR was required for V. cholerae fitness during growth under alkaline conditions. These findings indicate that V. cholerae OmpR has evolved the ability to respond to novel signals during pathogenesis, which may play a role in the regulation of adaptive responses to aid in the transition between the human gastrointestinal tract and the marine ecosystem.
ATP Mediates Yeast Cell-Cell Communication

Abstract Yeast secrete ATP in response to glucose, a property with previously unknown functional consequence. In this report, we show that extracellular ATP is a signal for growth of surrounding cells. The ATP signaling behavior was uncovered by finding reduced toxicity of an inducible, dominant-lethal form of alpha tubulin (tub1-828) in cells grown at high, compared to low cell density. Reduced cell death at high cell density resulted because the rate of chromosome loss/cell division was lower (18-fold) in a cultures inoculated with a high density (350,000) compared to a low density (5,000) of cells. The sparing effect of growth at high cell density could be replicated by growing together 3440 cells that express tub1-828, with 2.3 E6 cells that do not express the mutant protein. Toxicity was reduced at high cell density apparently because a secreted signal induces growth, so that the mutant protein is rapidly diluted by synthesis of wild-type α-tubulin. Further, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis after DNA staining showed that the rate of the G1-G2 transition was faster with cells at high density. ATP replaced the need for high cell density for resistance to tub1-828, and stimulated the transition from G1 to G2 in cells at low density. Cells lacking the enzyme nucleoside diphosphate kinase did not respond to nucleotide stimulation of growth during expression of mutant tubulin, suggesting that NDP kinase has a regulatory role in growth stimulation. This newly discovered quorum sensing response in yeast, mediated by ATP, indicates that yeast decision-making is not entirely autonomous.
Prediction of water main failures with the spatial clustering of breaks

Abstract Due to limited budgets and an aging system, infrastructure managers have increasingly sought cost-effective means to evaluate asset condition. This is a particular challenge for water distribution systems due to the vast amount of buried and unseen pipelines. A spatial clustering of pipe breaks fits well into a wider asset management framework with the aim of identifying regions with abnormally high failure rates. The information about spatial clusters identified using historical breaks, if and where they exist, can potentially improve predictions on the location of future breaks. In this research, we present three algorithms (poisson based, density based, and locally weighted density based) for scanning and clustering pipe break data and demonstrate their application on a real pipeline network. We also explore whether the use of spatial clusters as an explanatory variable can improve the accuracy of pipe break machine learning models. Empirical findings show that the locally weighted density scan provides the greatest precision for finding high breakage zones. The application of these clusters generally improves the performance of predictive models by helping them prioritize high risk pipes with greater accuracy.
Telemedicine in the COVID-19 era: A chance to make a better tomorrow

Telemedicine use is increasing globally and in Pakistan. However, Pakistan faces unique challenges related to socioeconomic, geographic and perhaps political challenges. This is the time for Pakistan to create policies and protocols for ethical and efficient use of telemedicine. The goal of this manuscript is to start a discussion, by encouraging questions, and identifying challenges for healthcare providers.
A test of interaction effects between alcohol protective behavioral strategies and antecedents of alcohol-related consequences.

Abstract The purpose of the present study was to examine interaction effects between alcohol protective behavioral strategies (PBS) and a variety of risk and protective factors for experiencing negative alcohol-related consequences using data from a large, multi-site sample of college students. We recruited 5090 college students (71.2% female; 77.4% White; Mean Age = 20.89, SD = 4.44) who reported any alcohol use in the past month from psychology department participant pools at 10 universities across the U.S. to complete an online survey. Alcohol PBS use was a statistically significant negative predictor of alcohol-related problems while controlling for each antecedent variable individually. In terms of moderation effects, 26 out of 35 interactions (74.3%) were statistically significant in the models controlling only for sex. When controlling for frequency and quantity of alcohol use, 24 of 33 interactions (72.7%) were statistically significant. The nature of these interaction effects was largely the same: more frequent alcohol PBS use reduced the positive associations between risk factors and alcohol-related problems. The lack of specificity of these interaction effects calls into question the limited contributions of tests of interaction effects between alcohol PBS and individual antecedent variables. Comprehensive tests of interaction effects between alcohol PBS and antecedent variables with large samples are needed to move the field forward, especially replication attempts of interactions effects reported in single studies.
Response by Inghilleri to “Representing experiential knowledge”

In a recent essay entitled “Fascinated to Presume: In Defense of Fiction”, the British novelist Zadie Smith considers a number of issues related to those raised by Sebnem Susam-Saraeva in her provo...
Generalizability of a deep learning airway segmentation algorithm to a blinded low-dose CT dataset

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common inflammatory disease characterized by restricted lung airflow affecting over 300 million people worldwide. Quantitative computed tomography (CT) has become a benchmark for large multi-center pulmonary research studies for assessment of airway and parenchymal physiology and function towards understanding the occurrence and progression of the disease. Airway tree segmentation is a precursor for such approaches; but current industry-standard methods require manual post-segmentation correction to remove leakages and add missing airway branches. Recently, deep learning (DL) methods have gained popularity in medical image segmentation and outperformed traditional image processing methods due to their data-driven optimization schemes of multi-layered and multi-scale features. Generalizability of DL methods is a lingering concern and essential in multi-site CT-based pulmonary studies due to varying CT imaging settings at different sites. In this paper, we examine the generalizability of a recently developed fully automated DL-based airway segmentation method using low-dose chest CT images from the NELSON lung cancer screening study. The DL method was trained using high-dose chest CT scans from the Iowa cohort of COPDGene study at baseline visits and applied on blinded low-dose images. Results show the recent DL-based method is generalizable to blinded low-dose chest CT imaging, and it achieves branch-level accuracies of 100, 99.6, and 96.0% at segmental, sub-segmental, and sub-sub-segmental branches along the five clinically significant bronchial paths (RB1, RB4, RB10, LB1, and LB10).
On the diffusive Nicholson’s blowflies equation with distributed delay

Abstract We study the global attractivity of the positive steady state of the diffusive Nicholson’s equation with distributed delay. For such a problem, the monotone case has been solved while the non-monotone one remains open, which is the consideration of this paper.
Index of Suspicion in the NurseryCase 1: Lactic Acidosis and Respiratory Distress in a 10-Day-Old Infant

A previously healthy male infant born at 39 weeks’ gestation to a 33-year-old, gravida 1 para 1 mother presents to an outside hospital with respiratory distress at age 10 days. The infant was delivered via cesarean delivery for failure to progress, with Apgar scores of 8 and 9 at 1 minute and 5 minutes, respectively. His nursery stay was uneventful, and he was discharged home on day 2 after birth. During the next several days, he developed feeding difficulty and increased work of breathing. At the outside hospital emergency department, rectal temperature is 98.8°F (37.1°C), heart rate is 170 beats per minute, blood pressure is 105/74 mm Hg, respiratory rate is 78 breaths per minute, and oxygen saturation is 84% on room air. Reported physical examination findings are otherwise unremarkable. Continuous positive airway pressure with pressure support breaths is initiated. Electrocardiography reveals sinus tachycardia. Initial laboratory evaluation reveals the following: pH 6.8; bicarbonate, 7 mEq/L (7 mmol/L); base deficit, −27 mEq/L (−27 mmol/L); lactate, 153 mg/dL (17 mmol/L); anion gap, 29 mEq/L (29 mmol/L); white blood cell count, 27,000/μL (27.0 × 109/L), with normal differential; hematocrit, 57% (0.57); C-reactive protein, 1.0 mg/L (9.5 nmol/L); and glucose, 39 mg/dL (2.2 mmol/L). The patient is intubated. Chest radiography is performed (Fig 1). Dextrose, normal saline, bicarbonate, and broad-spectrum antibiotics are given for presumed sepsis, and the patient transfers to our neonatal intensive care unit for further evaluation and management. Figure 1. Chest radiograph of the …
Development of Ethnic Identity in Young Adults from Immigrant Families: “I Want to Hold Onto My Roots, but I Also Want to Experience New Routes”

This article explores ethnic identity development among young adults from immigrant families from diverse countries of origin. Based on in-depth interviews with young women and men, the authors examined the formation of ethnic identity through childhood, adolescence, and into young adulthood. Analysis of the participants’ narratives revealed that, compared with fluent bilinguals, limited bilinguals reported weaker connections to their heritage culture. Most participants progressed through the model of ethnic identity formation, which was influenced by their family socialization and community context, and reported integrated or bicultural ethnic identities. Practitioners may use the experiences shared by our participants to inform their work with second-generation immigrant youth in varying stages of ethnic identity development.
Merits of solid-state portable gamma cameras in a pediatric imaging evironment

2653 Objectives In the past, nuclear medicine departments had portable cameras in addition to conventional gamma cameras to perform bedside exams when needed. Over time manufacturers ceased to improve and produce such new cameras despite the growing need to image patients that are unable to be transported to the imaging suite due to their unstable condition. We found the availability of newer portable nuclear medicine camera surprisingly limited. Methods The availability of portable gamma cameras in the imaging market is extremely limited. The majority of available portable cameras for purchase are yesteryear’s refurbished cameras and their dated technology. Some major demerits are: their limited reference data, unavailable service history, limited service agreements, large size, difficulty to maneuver, limited parts availability. The newer solid state portable cameras have large field of view and ergonomic designs that offer great flexibility with its use. Results After using one such new portable system ( Digirad Ergo™), we found the following characteristics: favorable service contract and availability of parts, small foot print, light weight and easily maneuverability. This also allows imaging of patients deemed unstable to be moved to the nuclear medicine department which in turn improves patient safety and eliminate the need to transport critically ill patients and their entourage of care givers off their unit and away from vital support systems. They also have good energy resolution, great detector sensitivity and spatial resolution, and flexibility of use. Other important application is its use in intraoperative imaging in the surgical suite. With a full range of available collimators for these devices, they can be used for low and medium energy planar imaging along with pinhole imaging. Conclusions The newer solid-state gamma cameras offer great functionality especially versatile in pediatric nuclear medicine imaging environment. Its small footprint and ease of movement allows for multiple applications that the large traditional cameras do not.
A molecular understanding of complementary chromatic adaptation

Photosynthetic activity and the composition of the photosynthetic apparatus are strongly regulated by environmental conditions. Some visually dramatic changes in pigmentation of cyanobacterial cells that occur during changing nutrient and light conditions reflect marked alterations in components of the major light-harvesting complex in these organisms, the phycobilisome. As noted well over 100 years ago, the pigment composition of some cyanobacteria is very sensitive to ambient wavelengths of light; this sensitivity reflects molecular changes in polypeptide constituents of the phycobilisome. The levels of different pigmented polypeptides or phycobiliproteins that become associated with the phycobilisome are adjusted to optimize absorption of excitation energy present in the environment. This process, called complementary chromatic adaptation, is controlled by a bilin-binding photoreceptor related to phytochrome of vascular plants; however, many other regulatory elements also play a role in chromatic adaptation. My perspectives and biases on the history and significance of this process are presented in this essay.
Do Parents Favor their Biological Offspring over Adopted Orphans? Theory and Evidence from Tanzania

This paper looks at the consequences children face when they lose a parent(s). After modeling the representative household’s bargaining process between their biological and orphaned children, the empirical section of this paper looks at the types of activities that children engage in, and the differences in educational outlays of host households between those children who have lost their parents and those who have not. The results indicate that orphanhood is of critical importance to human capital formation as the probability of engaging in child labor and being idle increases relative to school attendance, following the loss of both parents. This has the same distortionary effect as a tax on children as a result of orphanhood. Even though these children do not have markedly lower abilities to read, write or perform written calculation before the death of their parents, they are outperformed in all three categories once they join the new household following the loss of both parents. It concludes that for policymakers, in-kind subsidies provided at the school level will have a bigger impact than those provided at the household level.
Partial regularity of solutions to a class of degenerate systems

We consider the system a U =-ua (u) IVpW2, div ( (u) VWp) = a-t O in QT -Q x (0, TI coupled with suitable initial-boundary conditions, where Q is a bounded domain in RN with smooth boundary and a' (u) is a continuous and positive function of u. Our main result is that under some conditions on a' there exists a relatively open subset QO Of QT such that u is locally H6lder continuous on Qo, the interior Of QT\QO is empty, and u is essentially bounded on QT\QO.
Systems Patterns and Possibilities

Six guiding intuitions and values have informed my life and work: the conviction that truth lies “in the between;” the importance of integrating polarities; the centrality of pattern and multiple facets; epistemological and ontological concerns for wholeness and coherence; the role of metaphor, models, and symbols; and dynamic organicity and congruence in living what we know. These resonances have contributed to my work in systems theory, specifically in teaching, theory-construction, philosophy of science, integrative models of personality, faculty development and higher education, and religion–science dialogue. Possibilities and perplexities for future systems theory are outlined for education; the study of consciousness; the challenge of changing stuck patterns; transpersonal/systems models of self; positive roles for boundaries; the relevance of emotion; and ontological issues.
Query-By-Keywords (QBK): Query Formulation Using Semantics and Feedback

The staples of information retrieval have been querying and search , respectively, for structured and unstructured repositories. Processing queries over known, structured repositories (e.g., Databases) has been well-understood, and search has become ubiquitous when it comes to unstructured repositories (e.g., Web). Furthermore, searching structured repositories has been explored to a limited extent. However, there is not much work in querying unstructured sources. We argue that querying unstructured sources is the next step in performing focused retrievals. This paper proposed a new approach to generate queries from search-like inputs for unstructured repositories. Instead of burdening the user with schema details, we believe that pre-discovered semantic information in the form of taxonomies, relationship of keywords based on context, and attribute & operator compatibility can be used to generate query skeletons. Furthermore, progressive feedback from users can be used to improve the accuracy of query skeletons generated.
Temporal signatures of resistivity in bending of indium tin oxide‐coated flexible transparent conductive films for flexible electronics: Influence of coating thickness and bending radius

The study is focused on the fundamental understanding of behaviors of polymer films coated with indium tin oxide (ITO) of varying thicknesses and thus various conductivities/transparencies in repeated bending by tracking the electrical resistivity real-time using a specially designed multi-purpose flexing system. The results show that temporal increases of resistance provide important clues as to the initiation and progress of failure. In tension, the resistance typically remains flat unless a critical minimum radius of curvature is breached that leads to progressive cracking of ITO coating bringing rapid rise of resistance. This critical minimum radius of curvature increases with the increase of ITO coating thickness making the higher conductivity films more susceptible to damage. In compression mode, similar temporal signature can be found when bent to a curvature below a critical minimum radius. When cracks form in both modes, the resistance signature changes to one of oscillation and the high and low values observed at each cycle progressively increase with more cycles leading ultimately to catastrophic failure.
Involvement of TatD nuclease during programmed cell death in the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei

Summary In this report, we describe the involvement of TatD nuclease during programmed cell death (PCD) in the human protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei. T. brucei TatD nuclease showed intrinsic DNase activity, was localized in the cytoplasm and translocated to the nucleus when cells were treated with inducers previously demonstrated to cause PCD in T. brucei. Overexpression of TatD nuclease resulted in elevated PCD and conversely, loss of TatD expression by RNAi conferred significant resistance to the induction of PCD in T. brucei. Co-immunoprecipitation studies revealed that TatD nuclease interacts with endonucleaseG suggesting that these two nucleases could form a DNA degradation complex in the nucleus. Together, biochemical activity, RNAi and subcellular localization results demonstrate the role of TatD nuclease activity in DNA degradation during PCD in these evolutionarily ancient eukaryotic organisms. Further, in conjunction with endonucleaseG, TatD may represent a critical nuclease in a caspase-independent PCD pathway in trypanosomatid parasites since caspases have not been identified in these organisms.
Statistical mechanics of soliton creation and annihilation in a driven nonlinear Schrödinger equation

Abstract We report numerical and theoretical results for the statistical mechanics of annihilation and creation processes of soliton- like pulses in a dissipative nonlinear Schrodinger equation driven strongly by an external sinusoidal force. It is shown by analyzing statistical mechanical quantities and a phenomenological stochastic theory that the soliton annihilation/creation process has sub-Poissonian character and is dominated by two-“solitons” and large amplitude radiation.
Bis-(2,5-diphenylphospholanes) with sp2 carbon linkers: synthesis and application in asymmetric hydrogenation.

Four chiral diphosphine ligands consisting of bis(2,5-diphenylphospholan-1-yl) groups connected by the sp2 carbon linkers 2,3-quinoxaline ((S,S)-Ph-Quinox), 2,3-pyrazine ((S,S)-Ph-Pyrazine), maleic anhydride ((S,S)-Ph-MalPhos), and 1,1‘-ferrocene ((S,S)-Ph-5-Fc) were synthesized, and their cationic [rhodium(I)(COD)] complexes were prepared. These complexes were tested in asymmetric hydrogenation of functionalized olefins. [((S,S)-Ph-Quinox)Rh(COD)]BF4 showed high activity and selectivity against itaconate and dehydroamino acid substrates. The corresponding (S,S)-Ph-Pyrazine and (S,S)-Ph-MalPhos complexes exhibited lower activities and selectivities. [((S,S)-Ph-5-Fc)Rh(COD)]BF4 showed high activity with low selectivity for these substrates, but high activity and selectivity against 2-C-substituted cinnamate salts, whereas rhodium complexes of (S,S)-Ph-Quinox and (R,R)-Ph-BPE showed low activity and selectivity against 2-C-substituted cinnamate salts.
Cryopreservation of Sperm of the Endangered Razorback Sucker

Abstract The endangered razorback sucker Xyrauchen texanus is endemic to the Colorado River system in western North America and is threatened with extinction because of limited recruitment. To assist in management and recovery efforts, we developed methods for the cryopreservation of sperm, evaluated the influence of various factors on motility of thawed sperm, and examined the effect on fertilization of cooling rate and the addition of caffeine. Sperm samples cryopreserved with 10% methanol (MeOH) had significantly higher postthaw motility than did samples preserved with 5% or 20% MeOH or with 5% or 10% dimethyl sulfoxide, N, N-dimethylacetamide, glycerol, propylene glycol, or ethylene glycol. Sperm samples cryopreserved in 0.5-mL and 2.5-mL straws had significantly higher postthaw motility than did samples cryopreserved in 0.25-mL straws. Exposure to 10% MeOH for up to 30 min did not significantly influence sperm motility before freezing or after thawing. Cooling rate (−21°C/min or −91°C/min) did not si...
On the current state of transport layer protocols in mobile ad hoc networks

In this paper, we examine the current state of transport layer protocols for mobile ad hoc networks. TCP for wired networks offers poor performance in wireless settings because of its inability to distinguish packet loss due to congestion from packet loss due to bit errors or path change. To remedy this problem, many suggestions have been made for improvements to TCP as well as completely new transport layer protocols designed specifically for use in ad hoc environments. The use of a thin layer between the transport and network layers is also considered. This paper provides an objective look at many of these improvements and offers feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of each.
The bulk of Ca2+ released to the myoplasm is free in the sarcoplasmic reticulum and does not unbind from calsequestrin

Abstract Calsequestrin (CS) is the major Ca 2+ binding protein contained in the lumen of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Ca 2+ binding properties and tissue concentration of CS of frog skeletal muscle were measured. At equilibrium, maximal Ca 2+ binding capacity of purified CS was about 1.2 μmol Ca 2+ /mg protein. Apparent K a s for Ca 2+ were around 50 μM in the absence of salts, around 0.9 mM in the presence of 100 mM KCl, and around 1.1 mM under ‘physiological’ conditions. Quantitation of CS in homogenates was accomplished by three methods (Stains-all staining, immunobiolting and 45 Ca ligand overlay). Frog muscle contained about 0.5 mg of CS/g wet weight, that is 6.1 mM CS inside the SR. At rest the in situ free [Ca 2+ ] of SR was calculated to be 3.6 mM, and, thus, CS is largely saturated with Ca 2+ . Moreover, computer simulations of Ca 2+ release indicated that about 75% of Ca 2+ released during a twitch is free in the SR and does not unbind from CS.
Sex differences in the cognitive effects of tobacco abstinence: A pilot study.

Despite significant research demonstrating the deleterious effects of tobacco abstinence on memory, and research showing substantial sex differences in nicotine withdrawal and memory processes, there has been scant work on how males and females might differ in the effects of tobacco abstinence on memory and cognition. Using a standard recognition memory task, we conducted a pilot study to examine how 24 hours of tobacco abstinence in moderate to heavy smokers would affect memory in males and females. Twenty-five moderate to heavy smokers were tested following a period of smoking normally and following 24 hours of tobacco abstinence. At each session, participants completed a recognition memory task in which items were studied under full- and divided-attention conditions (a standard manipulation of memory encoding) as well as tests of passive short-term and working memory (forward and backward digit span). Tobacco abstinence significantly reduced memory performance under full attention conditions for males but not for females. A significant main effect of smoking status in which abstinence significantly reduced performance, as well as a main effect of encoding condition (divided attention < full attention), were found. Our results demonstrate that there may be substantial sex differences in the cognitive effects of tobacco abstinence. While preliminary, the data suggest the need for further, more extensive study of how males and females differ during tobacco abstinence. Such information will inform the best strategies for tobacco cessation efforts.
ATTITUDES OF FACULTY TOWARD UNIONIZATION

Summary.-A scale to measure attimdes of university faculty toward collective bargaining was developed by selecting items along a continuum of favorability toward unions. 262 faculty (49%) at a public midwestern university where collective bargaining has been in effect responded to the scale. The scale readily discriminated between union members and nonmembers and between faculty who did or did not sign a petition to decertify che union. Faculty in fine arts, education, and the library had significantly more favorable attimdes toward unionization. Exploratory factor analysis of the items in the scale produced three interpretable factors: perceived union benefits to faculty, faculty dissonance over the issue of unionization vs professionalism, and faculty perception of union abuse of power. The scale can be used in the study of faculty attitudes toward collective bargaining in he Ladd & Lipset, 1973) while others find that associate and full professors are more supportive of unions (Kazlow & Giacquinta, 1979). Some investigators find social scientists more prounion than business college faculties (Ladd & Lipset, 1973) while others do not find dissatisfaction among professors in business fields compared to faculty in the liberal arts (Gomez, 1984) in a system with collective bargaining. This study developed and attempted to vahdate an attitude toward unionization scale for faculty. The study was conducted at a midwestern 4yr. public university with an enrollment of 10,000; it is one of five colleges in the system engaged in bargaining with a faculty union. The university's current exclusive collective bargaining agent is an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the lllinois Federation of Teachers (IFT). During the course of this research four events occurred that focused campus attention on collective bargaining. First, because the legislature appropriated only the same amount of funds for education as the previous year, there were no salary increases at the beginning of the school year. Second, a petition to decertify the current union was filed with the state 'This article is based on a Master's thesis completed at Eastern Illinois University in the sprin of 1988. The senior author is currently a doctoral candidate majorin in industrid organizational psycholo at Baruch College, City University of New ~orf. Requests for re~rints and codes oythe scale should be addressed to Tohn 1. Rearden. Psvcholoev
Percutaneous venovenous bypass in orthotopic liver transplantation

Since January 1994, we have used percutaneous placement of both the subclavian and femoral cannulae to establish access for venovenous bypass during orthotopic liver transplantation. Percutaneous subclavian and femoral cannulae were used in 36 patients of which 5 had portal decompression by placement of a cannula in inferior mesenteric vein percutaneously through the abdominal wall. Intraoperative placement of the subclavian cannula is facilitated by placing a subclavian central venous line before the abdominal incision. One patient underwent exploration for femoral vein bleeding early in our experience. Another patient sustained hypotension as a result of a kinked subclavian cannula. In 4 patients, early in this experience, we had difficulty placing the subclavian cannula and resorted to axillary vein cut-down. There were no episodes of deep venous thrombosis detected by routine postoperative duplex ultrasonography. Minimum and maximum flow rates were significantly better (P < 0.01), with percutaneously placed cannulae in comparison to a control group of patients who underwent transplantation in whom we used the standard venous cut-down approach with a #7 Gott shunt (2.14 and 3.17 L/min v 1.65 and 2.41 L/min, respectively). Percutaneous placement of cannulae for venovenous bypass during liver transplantation is quick, safe, and effective. We would advocate this technique as an alternative approach for patients in whom bypass is deemed necessary.
In situ measurements of particle settling velocity on the northern California continental shelf

Abstract As part of the Sediment TRansport Events on Shelves and Slopes (STRESS) program, a remote optical settling ☐ was deployed on the northern California continental shelf. The device operates by isolating a volume of sediment-laden fluid from the environment and then monitoring its sedimentation behavior with a transmissometer. Results show a bimodal distribution of suspended sediment during low-energy periods on the shelf that reflects the size distribution of bottom sediments. The coarse mode sinks at 0.026 cm s −1 (22 m day −1 ) and the fine mode settles at 0.0025 cm s −1 (2 m day −1 ). Between one-quarter and two-thirds of the total mass resides in the coarse mode. Roughly one-quarter is in the fine mode. The remainder sinks too slowly ( −1 or −1 ) to be resolved during the 18-h measurement cycles. Greatest uncertainty in assigning mass to the various settling velocity classes comes from sensitivity to ill-constrained particle geometry of the conversion from light attenuation to mass. The device failed during higher energy periods, probably due to penetration of fluid into the ☐. Complete isolation of the fluid from the environment would improve the performance of settling ☐es in energetic settings.