cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Irradiation Effects on Perpendicular Anisotropy Spin–Orbit Torque Magnetic Tunnel Junctions

We study the impact of irradiation on magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and spin–orbit torque (SOT) switching using magneto-optical Kerr effect and transmission electron microscopy. Our results show that the thin-film stack is robust to gamma ionizing dose up to 1 Mrad(Si) and Ta1+ ion irradiation fluences up to 1012 ions/cm2, showing SOT PMA MTJs are radiation-hard. But, at very high Ta1+ ion irradiation between 1012 and 1014 ions/cm2, reduced coercivity and eventually greatly reduced PMA are observed, corresponding with an increase in intermixing of the CoFeB–MgO layers, particularly at the lower CoFeB–MgO interface. These results agree with displacement damage modeling that predicts higher damage in the layers closer to the bottom heavy metal and substrate. Compared to spin transfer torque and in-plane anisotropy MTJs, needing a top-pinned stack, a thicker heavy metal layer, and perpendicular anisotropy that is pinned out of plane by interfaces, all could make SOT PMA MTJs more susceptible to damage at high doses.
Metabolomic profiling for second primary lung cancer: A pilot case-control study

Abstract Objectives Lung cancer survivors have a high risk of developing a second primary lung cancer (SPLC). While national screening guidelines have been established for initial primary lung cancer (IPLC), no consensus guidelines exist for SPLC. Furthermore, the factors that contribute to SPLC risk have not been established. This study examines the potential for using serum metabolomics to identify metabolite biomarkers that differ between SPLC cases and IPLC controls. Material and methods In this pilot case-control study, we applied an untargeted metabolomics approach based on ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy (UPLC-MS/MS) to serum samples of 82 SPLC cases and 82 frequency matched IPLC controls enrolled in the Boston Lung Cancer Study. Random forest and unconditional logistic regression models identified metabolites associated with SPLC. Candidate metabolites were integrated into a SPLC risk prediction model and the model performance was evaluated through a risk stratification approach. Results The untargeted analysis detected 1008 named and 316 unnamed metabolites among all study participants. Metabolites that were significantly associated with SPLC (False Discovery Rate q-value Conclusion SPLC cases may have distinct metabolomic profiles compared to those in IPLC patients without SPLC. A risk stratification approach integrating metabolomics may be useful for distinguishing patients based on SPLC risk. Prospective validation studies are needed to further evaluate the potential for leveraging metabolomics in SPLC surveillance and screening.
Teaching a Hands-On Mobile and Wireless Cybersecurity Course

The combination of theory-based and practical hands-on learning represents a powerful approach for cybersecurity education. Placing the student in the adversarial mindset strengthens this approach and is commonly exercised in network penetration testing, reverse engineering, and binary exploitation coursework. In this paper, we present an undergraduate mobile and wireless security course design that balances theoretical learning with a hands-on and adversarial thinking approach. Our course consists of inter-woven lectures and lab sessions. Labs consist of contemporary attacks against radio-frequency (RF) enabled hardware, Internet of Things (IoT) firmware, and wireless protocols. In the culmination exercise, the students attack a flawed RF protocol implemented on GnuRadio to allow students to demonstrate their knowledge synthesis. We believe that sharing this experience will prove valuable for instructors who wish to introduce adversarial thinking into mobile and wireless security courses while overcoming the challenge of remote students.
Object-space optimization of tomographic reconstructions for additive manufacturing

Abstract Volumetric 3D printing motivated by computed axial lithography enables rapid printing of homogeneous parts but requires a high dimensionality gradient-descent optimization to calculate image sets. Here we introduce a new, simpler approach to image-computation that algebraically optimizes a model of the printed object, significantly improving print accuracy of complex parts under imperfect material and optical precision by improving optical dose contrast between the target and surrounding regions. Quality metrics for volumetric printing are defined and shown to be significantly improved by the new algorithm. The approach is extended beyond binary printing to grayscale control of conversion to enable functionally graded materials. The flexibility of the technique is digitally demonstrated with realistic projector point spread functions, printing around occluding structures, printing with restricted angular range, and incorporation of materials chemistry such as inhibition. Finally, simulations show that the method facilitates new printing modalities such as printing into flat, rather than cylindrical packages to extend the applications of volumetric printing.
Scattering angle dependence of temperature susceptivity of electron scattering in scanning transmission electron microscopy.

Abstract The sensitivity of electron scattering to sample temperature (T) as a function of the scattering angle in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) is investigated. Thermal vibration of atoms in crystal lattice results in attenuated Bragg reflections and a diffuse background in electron diffraction patterns, which have direct implications on STEM images. The scattering intensities at higher angle are known to be dominated by thermal diffuse scattering (TDS) and the column intensity is expected to have a negative correlation with increasing T because of the disrupted channeling, but the T susceptivity of the scattering intensity at smaller angles is less known. Our experiment shows that the T dependency of annular averaged diffraction intensity inverts its sign two times outside the direct beam, and the T sensitivity varies significantly as a function of scattering angle. The intensity shows a positive correlation with increasing T at the low to intermediate angular ranges before it returns to the negative correlation at the higher angle range. A reasonable agreement is found between the experimental data and multislice simulation data. Absorptive model is used to provide theoretical insights into the observed trends. Similar inversions of T dependency of column intensities are also observed in experimental and simulated atomic-resolution STEM images. The findings provide an important implication to the precise quantification of local T at high spatial resolution by optimizing the collection angles in STEM.
Caspase-6 promotes activation of the caspase-11-NLRP3 inflammasome during gram-negative bacterial infections.

The innate immune system acts as the first line of defense against infection. One key component of the innate immune response to gram-negative bacterial infections is inflammasome activation. The caspase-11 (CASP11)-nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome is activated by cytosolic lipopolysaccharide, a gram-negative bacterial cell wall component, to trigger pyroptosis and host defense during infection. Although several cellular signaling pathways have been shown to regulate CASP11-NLRP3 inflammasome activation in response to lipopolysaccharide, the upstream molecules regulating CASP11 activation during infection with live pathogens remain unclear. Here, we report that the understudied caspase-6 (CASP6) contributes to the activation of the CASP11-NLRP3 inflammasome in response to infections with gram-negative bacteria. Using in vitro cellular systems with bone marrow-derived macrophages and 293T cells, we found that CASP6 can directly process CASP11 by cleaving at Asp59 and Asp285, the CASP11 auto-cleavage sites, which could contribute to the activation of CASP11 during gram-negative bacterial infection. Thus, the loss of CASP6 led to impaired CASP11-NLRP3 inflammasome activation in response to gram-negative bacteria. These results demonstrate that CASP6 potentiates activation of the CASP11-NLRP3 inflammasome to produce inflammatory cytokines during gram-negative bacterial infections.
Geriatric patients' preferences for treatment of urinary incontinence: a study of hospitalized, cognitively competent adults aged 80 and older.

OBJECTIVES: To elicit preferences for different urinary incontinence (UI) treatments of geriatric patients, to contrast these answers with answers from potential health proxies and providers, and to understand how select demographic factors might explain differences in patients' preferences. DESIGN: Cross-sectional, descriptive. SETTING: German geriatric hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Medical inpatients aged 80 and older in a geriatric hospital, their physicians and nurses, and their family members. MEASURES: Six forced-choice paired comparisons of four UI treatments were measured on an 11-point visual analog scale, with verbal anchors. RESULTS: One hundred seventeen patients (mean age 84.6; 43% with UI), 72 staff members, and 71 family members participated. Although some preferred even "unpopular" management strategies, most respondents preferred diapers (79%), medications (78%), and scheduled toileting (79%) to urinary catheters; 64% preferred scheduled toileting to diapers. When choosing between diapers and medication, equal proportions preferred each option. In regression models, sex, activity of daily living score, and past treatment experience were significantly associated with expressed preferences. Proxies expressed greater preference for scheduled toileting than for diapers than patients did (P<.001). Intraclass correlation coefficients indicated at most only slight to fair agreement between patients and most other groups; spouses showed moderate to almost perfect agreement with patients. CONCLUSION: Preferences of cognitively competent geriatric patients for treatment of UI differed from those of their potential proxies (other than spouses), which emphasizes the need for focused communication to properly elicit patient preferences to achieve appropriate treatment decisions.
Cytosolic calcium after carbon tetrachloride, 1,1-dichloroethylene, and phenylephrine exposure: Studies in rat hepatocytes with phosphorylase a and quin2☆☆☆

Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and 1,1-dichloroethylene (DCE), both hepatotoxins, inhibit sequestration of Ca2+ by rat liver endoplasmic reticulum (ER) both in vivo and in vitro. It is possible that, as a result, cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations rise in liver cells. In experiments presented here, isolated hepatocytes were exposed to CCl4, DCE, and phenylephrine (PE), a non-hepatotoxic alpha 1-adrenergic agent that mobilizes Ca2+. Cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentrations were evaluated by two methods: indirectly by assaying the activity of glycogen phosphorylase a, and directly by monitoring the fluorescence of quin2. In primary hepatocyte cultures, CCl4, DCE, and PE exposure increased the activity of phosphorylase a at 5 min from 39 +/- 2 to 130 +/- 12, 80 +/- 13, and 97 +/- 10 nmoles PO4(3-)/mg protein/min respectively. In rat hepatocyte suspensions loaded with quin2 and exposed to CCl4, DCE, or PE, cytosolic Ca2+ concentrations were elevated within 20 sec to 0.83 +/- 0.13, 0.59 +/- 0.06 and 0.99 +/- 0.14 microM Ca2+ respectively. Basal Ca2+ levels in these cells averaged 0.25 +/- 0.03 microM. Thus, CCl4 and PE apparently increased cytosolic Ca2+ levels to approximately the same extent, whereas DCE was somewhat less effective. The durations of the effects of CCl4 and PE were examined further by determining their time courses of elevated phosphorylase a activity. In hepatocyte cultures, increased phosphorylase a activity persisted through at least 60 min following CCl4 exposure. In contrast, phosphorylase a activity returned to basal levels by 20 min after PE. Increases in cytoplasmic Ca2+ levels that are sustained rather than transient may distinguish these hepatotoxic chlorinated aliphatic hydrocarbons from non-toxic hormonal agents.
Changes in histamine blood levels followingd-tubocurarine administration

The blood level of histamine was measured in six control patients scheduled for elective surgery. In eleven patients the histamine blood level was measured before and five minutes after the rapid intravenous injection of 0.44 mg. per kg. body weight ofd-tubocurarine. There was no change in the histamine blood level of four patients, a rise in the histamine blood level of four patients, and a decrease in the histamine blood levels of three patients. The last group of patients all showed evidence of systolic hypotension, increased airway resistance, and skin erythema.
Studies on the reconstitution of bovine erythrocyte superoxide dismutase : V. Preparation and properties of derivatives in which both zinc and copper sites contain copper

1. 1. We have developed a procedure for preparing derivatives of bovine superoxide dismutase in which primarily the Cu binding sites are occupied by Cu2+ (2 Cu2+-) and in which both the Zn and Cu binding sites are occupied by Cu2+ (4 Cu2+-). 2. 2. The 2 Cu2+ protein shows approximately one-half the superoxide dismutase activity of an equivalent amount of native protein. A two-fold enhancement of the activity of 2 Cu2+-dismutase was observed upon occupation of the Zn sites either with Zn2+ or Cu2+. 3. 3. The electron paramagnetic resonance spectrum of 4 Cu2+ protein was recorded over the temperature range 5–100 °K and the results suggest an antiferromagnetic interaction between Cu2+ in the Zn site and Cu2+ in the Cu site having a coupling constant of approx. 52 cm−1. 4. 4. The binuclear Cu2+ complex was found to accept only one electron from ferrocyanide. 5. 5. One-half the total Cu+ of dithionite reduced 4 Cu+ protein was found to react rapidly with bathocupreine sulfonate whereas the other half reacted slowly. Reduced native protein did not react with bathocupreine sulfonate below 70 °C.
Cutting Edge: Effector Memory CD8+ T Cells Play a Prominent Role in Recall Responses to Secondary Viral Infection in the Lung

The relative contributions of CD62Lhigh (central) memory and CD62Llow (effector) memory T cell populations to recall responses are poorly understood, especially in the respiratory tract. In this study, we took advantage of a dual-adoptive transfer system in the mouse to simultaneously follow the recall response of effector and central memory subpopulations to intranasal parainfluenza virus infection. Using MHC class I and class II multimers, we tracked the responses of Ag-specific CD8+ and CD4+ memory T cells in the same animals. The data show that effector memory T cells mounted recall responses that were equal to, or greater than, those mounted by central memory T cells. Moreover, effector memory T cells were more efficient at subsequently establishing a second generation of memory T cells. These data contrast with other studies indicating that central memory CD8+ T cells are the prominent contributors to systemic virus infections.
Regulation at the Phosphoenolpyruvate Branchpoint in Azotobacter vinelandii: Phosphoenolpyruvate Carboxylase

Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (EC 4.1.1.31) from Azotobacter vinelandii, like the corresponding enzyme from other organisms, is activated by acetyl coenzyme A and inhibited by l-aspartate. Both modifiers affect primarily the affinity of the enzyme for phosphoenolpyruvate. This is the first enzyme with a strictly anaplerotic (intermediate-replacing) function to be tested for response to the adenylate energy charge; it is entirely insensitive to variation in charge. The results suggest that carboxylation of phosphoenolpyruvate in this organism is controlled by negative feedback from aspartate and by the stimulatory effect of acetyl coenzyme A. The adenylate energy charge may be expected to affect the rate of this reaction indirectly through its effects on the concentrations of acetyl coenzyme A and l-aspartate.
Efficient Arithmetic in Finite Field Extensions with Application in Elliptic Curve Cryptography

This contribution focuses on a class of Galois field used to achieve fast finite field arithmetic which we call an Optimal Extension Field (OEF), first introduced in [3]. We extend this work by presenting an adaptation of Itoh and Tsujii's algorithm for finite field inversion applied to OEFs. In particular, we use the facts that the action of the Frobenius map in GF (pm) can be computed with only m-1 subfield multiplications and that inverses in GF (p) may be computed cheaply using known techniques. As a result, we show that one extension field inversion can be computed with a logarithmic number of extension field multiplications. In addition, we provide new extension field multiplication formulas which give a performance increase. Further, we provide an OEF construction algorithm together with tables of Type I and Type II OEFs along with statistics on the number of pseudo-Mersenne primes and OEFs. We apply this new work to provide implementation results using these methods to construct elliptic curve cryptosystems on both DEC Alpha workstations and Pentium-class PCs. These results show that OEFs when used with our new inversion and multiplication algorithms provide a substantial performance increase over other reported methods.
RoboCupJunior 2002: The State of the League

The RoboCupJunior division of RoboCup has just completed its third year of international participation and is growing rapidly in size and popularity. This paper describes the state of the league and looks closely at three components: participants, challenge events and educational value. We discuss the technical and educational progress of the league, identify problems and outline plans for future directions.
All optical histology of brain tissue: serial ablation and multiphoton imaging with femtosecond laser pulses

We demonstrate the first use of femtosecond laser pulses for serial histology. Successive iterations of multiphoton imaging and ablation provide diffraction-limited volumetric data that is used to reconstruct the architectonics of labeled cells or microvasculature.
Highly Excited Hydrogen Atoms in Strong Microwaves

Consider an atom that is highly excited to a state with principal quantum number n near 60. Such an atom’s electron binding energy is a few meV. External electric fields of modest field strength, in the range 10–100 V/cm, can have such a strong influence on such atoms that they can be rapidly ionized, even within a few classical electron orbit periods. For microwave fields at near-ionizing strengths, many quantum states are coupled and the problem of energy absorption by the atom from the external field can be addressed as a nonlinear dynamics problem. As both quantum numbers and numbers of photon absorption/emission events can be large, a semiclassical picture based upon an underlying classical electron dynamics is expected to be useful. The problem when viewed classically is in the class of externally-driven nonlinear oscillators. This class of problems has much in common with the class of two coupled nonlinear oscillators, as one of the two is just replaced by an external oscillator of fixed amplitude an frequency. An excited hydrogen atom in a sufficiently strong static magnetic field exhibits electron motion involving a strong competition between Larmor precession in the plane perpendicular to the field and Coulombic motion along the field. This is two coupled nonlinear motions, as in two coupled nonlinear oscillators.
Geographical Proximity and Mutual Funds' Proxy Voting Behavior

This paper examines the influence of geographical proximity on mutual fund proxy voting decisions. Using mutual fund proxy voting data for the sample period July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004, we find that fund managers vote more in favor of management of locally headquartered firms. The results are strong for proposals related to executive compensation, anti-takeover provisions, social and political issues. We provide evidence to show that bias in proxy voting is not being driven by informational advantage; voting bias is prevalent in small as well as large size companies. Additionally, the voting pattern suggests that geographical proximity does not facilitate in better corporate monitoring as revealed in their voting decisions. We find that local fund managers vote more favorably in those proposals which do not increase shareholders' wealth and rights. Our results suggest that familiarity and social interaction between fund managers and firm executives located in the same geographic area might explain the local bias in mutual fund proxy voting behavior. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Africa and Africans in the making of the Atlantic world, 1400–1800: Africans in the eighteenth-century Atlantic world

From 1680 to 1800, the Atlantic slave trade grew immensely. From about 36,000 persons per year at the beginning of the century, the trade had more than doubled by the 1760s, and it reached a high point of nearly 80,000 per year in the last two decades of the century. Of the six trading regions identified by David Richardson in his study of the volume of the slave trade (Senegambia, Sierra Leone, Gold Coast, Bight of Benin, Bight of Biafra, and West Central Africa), West Central Africa had consistently the largest volume of exports, running between 30 and 45 percent of the overall trade. The Bight of Benin, mainly from the ports around the Kingdom of Dahomey, was the second most important, with nearly 40 percent of all exports in 1700, which declined to just over 10 percent by century's end. The Bight of Biafra, whose export trade grew rapidly during this time, supplying only 6 percent at the start of the period but peaking at nearly 30 percent in the 1780s, was close behind it. Among them, these three regions supplied nearly three-quarters of all the Africans transported across the Atlantic during the eighteenth century to labor in the Americas. Of the remaining areas, Sierra Leone provided more than one-fifth of the exports for a brief period between 1760 and 1780, at other times less than 10 percent; the Gold Coast never supplied more than 15 percent of the exports; and the exports from Senegal exceeded 10 percent only in the 1720s.
Strategy dependent mortality in life history games

In games such as the war of attrition and parental care games the length of time spent in a realisation of the game is dependent on the strategy used. Hence, there is a trade off between the mean reward obtained per realisation of the game and the mean number of games played per unit time. Such a game should not be modelled using the standard two-player form, but should be defined as a game against the field (a large population game). In parental care games, such an approach also enables us to define a more consistent model, which takes into account, for example, the obvious fact that each individual has one parent of both sexes and that the ease with which a male deserter can find a new partner depends on the strategy profile used in the population. If the mortality rate is independent of strategy, then each individual should simply maximise the rate of producing offspring. However, if mortality rates depend on strategy, then at equilibrium an individual should maximise the number of offspring produced during their lifetime. This paper considers pure equilibria in a parental care game, in which the mortality rate depends on an individual's strategy.
Myositis ossificans traumatica of masticatory musculature: A case report and literature review

Myositis ossificans traumatica (MOT) is known mostly in the orthopedic literature as non-neoplastic, heterotopic bone formation within muscle or fascia, presumably due to acute trauma, burns, surgical manipulation, or repeated injury. It is not common in the head and neck literature; only 29 cases involving the muscles of mastication have been reported,1-20 mostly involving the masseter muscle. This case is the first documented presentation of bilateral MOT involvement of the lateral pterygoid muscles.
Physical Activity Interventions in Adult Populations With Disabilities: A Review

The purpose of this paper was to review the literature of physical activity interventions among adults with disabilities, focusing on interventions designed to increase physical activity. Keyword s...
1,1,1-Trichloroethane-bound cytochrome P450cam dynamics. Does active site water make a difference?

Abstract Cytochrome P450cam is capable of reductively dehalogenating several chlorinated alkanes at slow, but measurable, rates. To gain insight into the dynamic properties of the enzyme having an influence over its reactivity, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed on the complex of wild-type P450cam and 1,1,1-trichloroethane (TCA), a long-lived pollutant. Previous simulations on this complex indicated that, unlike the enzyme complexed with camphor and camphor analogs, the behavior of TCA is sensitive to electrostatic interactions with the heme-Fe cofactor. Using recently developed partial charges for the heme, we conducted two 300 ps MD simulations on TCA-bound P450cam. Since water bound in the enzyme active site is thought to be an important mediator of catalysis, in one simulation three additional water molecules are docked into space left void when the native substrate, camphor, is replaced with TCA. For the majority of configurations sampled, TCA in close proximity to the heme-Fe, suggesting that, if a high degree of spin conversion were achieved, degradation of TCA might proceed at a measurable rate. In the simulation without active site water, TCA samples an alternate binding pocket that opens due to rearrangement of active site residues, leaving room for water to presumably coordinate Fe. This result is consistent with the experimental observation that TCA causes only a minor degree of heme spin conversion. The presence of active site water inhibits these significant dynamic fluctuations in the active site, indicating that including extra water molecules in this binding pocket does not provide information crucial to understanding dynamic properties of the enzymes that influence the behavior of TCA.
Comments on "Picosecond optical sampling"

An optical sampler recently reported by Vogel et al. is revealed to have been invented six and one-half years previously by Macomber.
Wind Errors Using the Worldwide Loran Network

Abstract It has been known that the Loran (Long Range Navigation) system can accurately provide a finescale structure of winds. However, this capability could not be widely adopted because of the limited coverage of this system in the continental United States and other parts of the world. Recently there has been a remarkable expansion of Loran chains throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In addition, the cross-chain navigation concept has virtually eliminated the gap through the midcontinent of the United States. The CLASS (cross-chain Loran atmospheric sounding system) developed at the National Center for Atmospheric Research has demonstrated the capability of measuring the finescale winds so necessary for mesoscale research. This paper provides the expected accuracy of the winds derived using the existing and planned worldwide Loran network. Appendices include derivation of the basic equations used to determine winds from CLASS and study the impact on noise of averaging winds beyond 30 seconds.
Competitive Chemisorption between Pairs of Cinchona Alkaloids and Related Compounds from Solution onto Platinum Surfaces

Quinoline-derived compounds exhibit the following relative chemisorption strengths from CCl4 solutions onto platinum surfaces, as determined by in-situ infrared spectroscopy: quinine, quinidine > cinchonidine > cinchonine > 6-methoxyquinoline > lepidine > quinoline. This sequence explains nonlinear enantioselectivity effects with cinchona chiral modifiers in hydrogenation catalysis.
Long-term tillage and cropping effects on microbiological properties associated with aggregation in a semi-arid soil

Little is known about the long-term tillage and cropping management effects on the microbiologically derived factors that influence macroaggregates in semi-arid soil. We tested the hypothesis that differences in macro-aggregation are due to changes in soil structure related to management treatment-induced microbiological changes. In an experiment, microbiological factors consisting of aggregate stability, glomalin, russuloid basidiomycete fungi, uronic acids, total organic C (TOC), and total N (TN) were quantified in macroaggregate-size classes ranging from 4.75 to 0.25 mm, collected at 0–5 cm depth for the following treatments: (1) 12th year of fallow phase after 11 years of conventional- and no-tilled spring wheat-fallow (CTF and NTF), (2) 12th year of lentil phase after 11 years of conventional- and no-tilled spring wheat-lentil (CTL and NTL), (3) 12 years no-tilled continuous spring wheat (NTCW), and (4) 16 years uncultivated pasture (P) used as a baseline treatment. Immunoreactive easily extractable glomalin concentration was five to six times greater under P, NTCW, or NTL in the 2.00–1.00- and 1.00–0.50-mm macroaggregate-size classes than the other treatments and these results corroborated well with the results from aggregate stability assays. Russuloid basidiomycetes were highest in all NTCW macroaggregate-size classes, suggesting that annual input of lignin-containing wheat residues may influence the growth and survival of these fungi. Uronic acid amounts were highest in P but did not differ among the other treatments. In all macroaggregate-size classes, TOC content was greater in NTCW compared to CTF, and TN was about three times higher in NTL than NTF or CTF. In conclusion, 12 years of NTCW management in semi-arid soil has resulted in higher macroaggregate stability, glomalin concentration, russuloid basidiomycete populations, and TOC in macroaggregates compared to alternate-year fallow. Lentil can be used to replace fallow in dryland wheat rotation under no-till to enhance TN content and improve soil macro-aggregation.
Role of CYP3A in ethanol-mediated increases in acetaminophen hepatotoxicity

CYP2E is considered the only form of cytochrome P450 responsible for ethanol-mediated increases in acetaminophen hepatotoxicity. However, in experimental systems used for investigating ethanol-mediated increases in acetaminophen hepatotoxicity, animals are withdrawn from ethanol for 16 to 24 hr before the administration of acetaminophen to ensure the clearance of ethanol from the circulation. In rats, CYP2E has been shown to decrease to control levels after this time period of withdrawal from ethanol. We have previously shown in cultured human and rat hepatocytes, and in intact rats, that ethanol induces CYP3A in addition to CYP2E. To determine if there might be a role for CYP3A in ethanol-mediated APAP hepatotoxicity in addition to the recognized role for CYP2E, we investigated the effect of triacetyloleandomycin (TAO) on acetaminophen hepatotoxicity in ethanol-pretreated rats, as well as the effect of 11 hr withdrawal from ethanol on hepatic levels of CYP3A and CYP2E. TAO was dissolved in saline instead of dimethylsulfoxide, the solvent most usually employed, since dimethylsulfoxide inhibits CYP2E. Rats were administered 6.3% ethanol as part of the Lieber-DeCarli diet for 7 days, followed by replacement of the liquid diet with water for 11 hr. This 11-hr withdrawal from ethanol resulted in a decrease in hepatic levels of ethanol-induced CYP2E; however, considerable induction was still evident. There was no significant decrease in CYP3A. TAO completely prevented the histologically observed liver damage from acetaminophen in ethanol-pretreated rats, but did not prevent the increase in serum levels of AST. In ethanol-pretreated rats, exposure to APAP in the absence of TAO was associated with a 75% decrease in CYP3A, compared to animals exposed to APAP in the presence of TAO. These results suggest that CYP3A may have been suicidally inactivated by acetaminophen in the absence of TAO. Our findings suggest that CYP3A has a major role in ethanol-mediated increases in acetaminophen hepatotoxicity.
Partitioning of β-glucosidase from Trichoderma reesei in poly(ethylene glycol) and potassium phosphate aqueous two-phase systems: Influence of pH and temperature

Abstract This study evaluates the influence of pH and temperature on the partition coefficient of β-glucosidase and total protein in order to determine the best conditions for the purification of the enzyme in poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) 4000 (8%, w/w) and potassium phosphate salt (13%, w/w) aqueous two-phase systems. The partition coefficient increased with pH and temperature for the ranges investigated (i.e., pH: 6.0–7.5; temperature: 25–55 °C). Yield and selectivity were key criteria for the selection of the optimum separation condition for enzyme purification. The highest selectivity was achieved at a pH of 6.5 and a temperature of 25 °C. A β-glucosidase yield greater than 92% was obtained in the bottom phase for pH values less than 7.0 and temperatures below 35 °C.
Prognostic Significance of Presentation-to-Diagnosis Interval in Patients With Oropharyngeal Carcinoma

Objective To evaluate the prognostic impact of presentation-to-diagnosis interval (PDI) and its association with other clinical factors in patients with oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OpSCC). Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Otolaryngology clinic of an academic medical center. Patients Eighty-seven patients with OpSCC referred to the otolaryngology service at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions from March 1994 to August 2001 were included in the study. Selection criteria included confirmed pathological diagnosis of OpSCC, availability of referral record for PDI determination, and no past history of oropharyngeal cancer. Main outcome measures The PDI is defined as the time between the patient's first presentation to a medical professional for tumor-related symptoms and the time when the diagnosis of OpSCC was made. The prognostic impact of PDI and its association with other clinical factors were assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results Forty percent of patients (35/87) had a PDI of 3 months or longer. Referred otalgia, active smoking status at the time of diagnosis, stage IV disease, and advanced T stage were associated with a poor prognosis. Prolonged PDI itself was not associated with a significant decrease in survival in univariate analysis (hazard ratio, 1.27; P =.52). Furthermore, no significant correlation was found between PDI and N stage, T stage, young age at presentation ( Conclusions Difficulty in making the diagnosis of OpSCC is evident by the high proportion of patients with PDI of 3 months or longer. The PDI does not appear to have an impact on survival. Referred otalgia, widely recognized as a strong indicator of invasive head and neck cancer, portends a poor prognosis.
Diversity Management in Substance Abuse Organizations: Improving the Relationship Between the Organization and its Workforce

Diversity management focuses upon an organization's success in understanding and attending to the needs of its workforce—a workforce that in recent years has become diverse not only in age and gender but also in race, culture, and ethnicity. The interdisciplinary nature of the treatment teams in substance abuse treatment programs lends itself to exploration of diversity management practices to improve the organization's relationship with its workers. The purpose of this paper is to explore diversity management within the therapeutic community offering organizational meta-cultural competency as skill sets needed for the social work manager.
Isometachromin, a new cytotoxic sesquiterpenoid from a deep water sponge of the family Spongiidae.

Isometachromin (1), a new sesquiterpene-quinone that is related structurally to metachromin C (2), and the known compounds ilimaquinone (3) and and 5-epi-ilimaquinone (4), were isolated from a deep water sponge in the family Spongiidae; the structure of isometachromin was elucidated by spectral methods. Isometachromin exhibits in vitro cytotoxicity against the human lung cancer cell line A 549 (IC50=2.6 μg/ml), but not against P 388 murine leukemia (IC50≥10 μg/ml) and also exhibits antimicrobial activity.
Assessing uncarbonized seeds from open-air sites in mesic environments: An example from Southern Illinois

Abstract Research was conducted to assess the significance of uncarbonized seeds in subploughzone archaeological deposits at a prehistoric site in southern Illinois. Discussions include modern vegetation studies, seed anatomical observations, comparisons of uncarbonized and carbonized seeds, seed germination experimentation, and descriptions of deposits, excavation procedures, and flotation methods with respect to the possibility of modern seed contamination. Whereas some uncarbonized seeds may represent ancient deposition, their antiquity is difficult to prove. However, various lines of research imply that many, if not all, uncarbonized seeds from open-air sites in mesic regions represent more recent, nonculturally deposited contaminants.
What do we really teach in introductory sociology textbooks? three underlying messages and their instructional implications

In considering mainstream introductory-sociology textbooks published between 1975–1989, three underlying messages and their instructional implications/remedies are identified and treated. First, society was portrayed as overstructured, organized, and impersonal. The need, therefore, is to stress instructionally its more individual/interactional, unorganized, and personal/emotional aspects. Second, society was overinterpreted primarily in ideologically liberal ways and also in a more radical fashion. The resulting instructional need introduces more conservative analyses. Third, sociological knowledge was overpresented as the most authoritative “highest knowledge” about society. Thus, the teaching imperative is to show the inadequacies and weaknesses of sociological knowledge thereby encouraging more student discussion and expression of contrary views.
Prediction of solid–fluid equilibria in supercritical carbon dioxide using linear solvation energy relationships

Abstract Solid–fluid equilibria are important for supercritical fluid processing design. Few data are available, and predictions require a model for the solute–solvent interactions. An activity coefficient model for solids in supercritical CO2, based on linear solvation energy relationships, is developed. The model fits solubility data at liquid-like densities to an average error of 65%. Extrapolations to gas-like densities are shown.
A Fuzzy Discrete Event System Approach to Determining Optimal HIV/AIDS Treatment Regimens

Treatment decision-making is complex and involves many factors. A systematic decision-making and optimization technology capable of handling variations and uncertainties of patient characteristics and physician's subjectivity is currently unavailable. We recently developed a novel general-purpose fuzzy discrete event systems theory for optimal decision-making. We now apply it to develop an innovative system for medical treatment, specifically for the first round of highly active antiretroviral therapy of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) patients involving three historically widely used regimens. The objective is to develop such a system whose regimen choice for any given patient will exactly match expert AIDS physician's selection to produce the (anticipated) optimal treatment outcome. Our regimen selection system consists of a treatment objectives classifier, fuzzy finite state machine models for treatment regimens, and a genetic-algorithm-based optimizer. The optimizer enables the system to either emulate an individual doctor's decision-making or generate a regimen that simultaneously satisfies diverse treatment preferences of multiple physicians to the maximum extent. We used the optimizer to automatically learn the values of 26 parameters of the models. The learning was based on the consensus of AIDS specialists A and B on this project, whose exact agreement was only 35%. The performance of the resulting models was first assessed. We then carried out a retrospective study of the entire system using all the qualifying patients treated in our institution's AIDS Clinical Center in 2001. A total of 35 patients were treated by 13 specialists using the regimens (four and eight patients were treated by specialists A and B, respectively). We compared the actually prescribed regimens with those selected by the system using the same available information. The overall exact agreement was 82.9% (29 out of 35), with the exact agreement with specialists A and B both at 100%. The exact agreement for the remaining 11 physicians not involved in the system training was 73.9% (17 out of 23), an impressive result given the fact that expert opinion can be quite divergent for treatment decisions of such complexity. Our specialists also carefully examined the six mismatched cases and deemed that the system actually chose a more appropriate regimen for four of them. In the other two cases, either would be reasonable choices. Our approach has the capabilities of generalizing, learning, and representing knowledge even in the face of weak consensus, and being readily upgradeable to new medical knowledge. These are practically important features to medical applications in general, and HIV/AIDS treatment in particular, as national HIV/AIDS treatment guidelines are modified several times per year
Spinal cord conduction pathway for cerebellar evoked potentials from C-fibers

Abstract Evoked responses from saphenous nerve C fiber stimulation were identified on the ipsilateral intermediate cerebellar cortex. This late potential has a latency between 180 and 250 msec, duration 50–70 msec, and an amplitude 10–20 μV. The potential is conducted in the ipsilateral dorsal quadrant as determined by differential section of the spinal cord. The probable pathway is assigned to the dorsal spinocerebellar tract.
Drilling dynamics measurements at the drill bit to address today's challenges

In today's operations for oil and gas exploration and production the drilling systems are commonly subjected to dynamic dysfunctions that can compromise the quality of the wellbore, increase the time spent on the job, and result in downhole tool failures. Measurement of downhole dynamics is traditionally performed using tools located in the drillstring above the drill bit. Until recently, obtaining accurate measurement of individual vibration components at the bit remained a challenge, especially in applications requiring that bottomhole assembly configuration and hydraulic horsepower at the bit be minimally disturbed. In this paper, laboratory and field measurements gathered with an in-bit measuring device that meets these requirements are presented. The paper demonstrates that accurate measurements of downhole dysfunctions and angular velocity can be obtained at the bit. It also presents field case studies that show how the information extracted can be used to optimize drilling performance.
Drug and nutrition interactions: not just food for thought.

SummaryWhat is known and objective The management of drug-drug interactions – from recognition of the interaction potential, to addressing the negative consequences – are well-recognized and avoided, or rapidly addressed when identified clinically. Drug-nutrition interactions are no less important than drug-drug interactions in patient care. Unfortunately, beyond those caused by food, these interactions are less commonly recognized or identified and managed. This article will re-introduce the topic of drug-nutrition interactions to clinicians. Comment Although many clinicians are acutely aware of and vigilant for potential drug-drug interactions, most are less aware of the possibility of drug-nutrition interactions beyond classic food-drug interactions. Interaction can occur between a drug and a nutrient, multiple nutrients, food in general, specific foods or components, or nutrition status. An interaction is considered clinically significant if it alters therapeutic drug response and/or compromises nutrition status. Mechanistically the interactions may be physicochemical reactions, actions at membrane transporters or metabolizing enzymes, or an influence on physiologic function. Appreciating the many types of drug-nutrition interactions will aid the clinician and have the potential to influence patient outcome. What is new and conclusion Ongoing advances in knowledge about drug and nutrition interactions have potential to improve patient care. Drug-nutrition interactions need to be better recognized, understood on a mechanistic basis, predicted, and managed as necessary.
Triple-Negative Breast Cancer is Not Associated with Increased Likelihood of Nodal Metastases

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive subtype of breast cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine if patients with TNBC have a higher risk of lymph node (LN) metastases. A prospective database review identified 3,289 patients treated with a mastectomy or with breast-conserving surgery between January 2000 and May 2012. The final analysis included those patients who underwent sentinel node biopsy (SNB) and/or axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), and the following information: age at diagnosis, tumor size, grade, stage, histologic subtype, presence of lymphovascular invasion (LVI), and the status of estrogen, progesterone, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). A total of 2,967 patients met the inclusion criteria. SNB was performed in 1,094 patients, ALND in 756, and both SNB and ALND in 1,117 patients. LN metastases were detected in 1,050 (35 %) patients. On univariate analysis, the LN positivity varied across subtypes with 33 % in luminal A, 42 % in luminal B, 39 % in TNBC, and 45 % in HER-2 (p = 0.0007). However, on multivariable analysis, there was no difference in LN positivity among subtypes. Age <50, grade 2 or 3 tumors, size ≥2 cm, and presence of LVI were significant predictors of LN positivity. Four or more involved nodes were observed most commonly in the HER2 (19.4 %) and luminal B (13.7 %) subtypes, but only 9.4 % in TNBC (p < 0.0001). Predictors of LN metastases include younger age, higher grade, larger tumor size, and presence of LVI. Patients with TNBC are not more likely to have involved nodes than those with non-TNBC.
High resolution studies of heterogeneous processes with the scanning electrochemical microscope

The focus of this review is on applications of scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) to studies of heterogeneous chemical processes and high resolution characterization of the solid/liquid and liquid/liquid interfaces. Recent advances in SECM imaging of surface topography and chemical reactivity are also surveyed.
The Gecko visual pigment: the dark exchange reaction and the effects of anions

A dark reaction is known to occur in retinal extracts of the gecko (Gekko gekko), in which the natural 11-cis-chromophore of the 521-pigment is apparently replaced by adding 9-cis-retinal to form the 9-cis-photopigment. With chloride-deficient extracts the reaction involves some 70% of the 521-pigment. Anions like nitrate, azide, thiocyanate and cyanate that shift the spectrum toward the blue do not affect this 70% exchange. Anions like fluoride, iodide and sulfate likewise do not alter this magnitude of reaction. In contrast, chloride and bromide that induce a bathochromic spectral shift lead to a decrease in this dark replacement of the 11-cis chromophore. This protection is similar to the action of these two anions in antagonizing the pigment loss by NH2OH and by temperature, both occurring in the dark. Apparently, chloride and bromide alter the opsin conformation so as to stabilize and/or protect the Schiffs base linkage but nitrate, azide, thiocyanate and cyanate act at a different opsin site or by a different mechanism.