cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Performance Improvement of MapReduce Process by Promoting Deep Data Locality

MapReduce has been widely used in many data science applications. It has been observed that an excessive data transfer has a negative impact on its performance. To reduce the amount of data transfer, MapReduce utilizes data locality. However, even though the majority of the processing cost occurs in the later stages, data locality has been utilized only in the early stages, which we call Shallow Data Locality (SDL). As a result, the benefit of data locality has not been fully realized. We have explored a new concept called Deep Data Locality (DDL) where the data is pre-arranged to maximize the locality in the later stages. Toward achieving stronger DDL, we introduce a new block placement paradigm called Limited Node Block Placement Policy (LNBPP). Under the conventional default block placement policy (DBPP), data blocks are randomly placed on any available slave nodes, requiring a copy of RLM (Rack-Local Map) blocks. On the other hand, LNBPP places the blocks in a way to avoid RLMs, reducing the block copying time. The containers without RLM have a more consistent execution time, and when assigned to individual cores on a multicore node, they finish a job faster collectively than the containers under DBPP. LNBPP also rearranges the blocks into a smaller number of nodes (hence Limited Node) and reduces the data transfer time between nodes. These strategies bring a significant performance improvement in Map and Shuffle. Our test result shows that the execution times of Map and Shuffle have been improved by up to 33% and 44% respectively. In this paper, we describe the MapReduce workflow in Hadoop with a simple computational model and introduce the current research directions in each step. We analyze the block placement status and RLM locations in DBPP with the customer review data from TripAdvisor and measure the performances by executing the Terasort Benchmark with various sizes of data. We then compare the performances of LNBPP with DBPP.
Hemodynamic Models in Vascular Grafting

The functional life of a vascular graft is usually limited by the development of intimal hyperplasia (IH) which leads to stenosis and/or thrombosis. The role of hemodynamic stresses in the development and the localization of vascular graft lesions, as well as their influences in the healing process, have been discussed by many investigators.
Abstract 131: Alphavbeta3 Integrins Mediate Shear Stress-Induced Inflammation and Early Atherogenesis

Rational The frictional shear stress generated by blood flow activates integrins on the endothelial cell surface, and signaling downstream of newly activated integrins regulates several flow-induced responses including inflammation and permeability. Signaling through transitional matrix binding integrins (α5β1, αvβ3 and αvβ5) drives shear stress-induced NF-κB activation and proinflammatory gene expression; however the specific contribution of each of these integrins remains unclear. Objective To address which transitional matrix-binding integrin mediates shear stress-induced endothelial cell. Methods and Results We now show that the small molecule αv integrin inhibitor S247, but not the α5 inhibitor ATN-161, abolished flow-induced proinflammatory signaling (PAK, NF-κB). Blocking αv expression using siRNA similarly prevents flow-induced activation of PAK and NF-κB, whereas siRNA-mediated knock-down of α5 did not. Furthermore, αv and β3 knockdown but not α5 and β5 knockdown inhibited flow-induced ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression (both mRNA and protein) following either short term (5 hr) laminar and long term oscillatory (24 hr) shear stress, indicating αvβ3 is the mediator for flow induced endothelial cell inflammation. In contrast, αv knockdown did not affect TNFα-induced ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 expression, suggesting the anti-inflammatory effect of αv inhibition is specific to shear stress. Integrin inhibition did not affect all shear stress responses, as neither α5 nor αv siRNA affected shear stress-induced extracellular-signal regulated kinase (ERK1/2) activation. Lastly, inhibiting αv integrins using the small molecule inhibitor S247 reduces atherosclerotic plaque formation in ApoE knockout mice. Conclusion Taken together, these studies suggest that αvβ3 integrins mediate shear stress-induced proinflammatory responses associated with the transitional matrix in vitro and early atherosclerotic plaque formation in vivo .
Dilemmas in Youth Work and Youth Development Practice

This book's attempts to advance the understandings of youth work while offering practical applications for youth workers in the identification and resolution of dilemmas in youth work. The authors ...
Primary immunodeficiency disorders: a glimpse into autoimmunity

Primary immunodeficiency disorders (PID) are genetic diseases that primarily manifest as susceptibility to infections. Paradoxically, however, PIDs have been associated with autoimmunity as well. An understanding of the underlying mechanisms of immunity that are disrupted in PIDs actually offers windows of opportunities into understanding how autoimmunity develops, and offers potential targets for curative treatment.
Early Outcomes for Valve-in-valve Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Degenerative Freestyle Bioprostheses

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is used increasingly to treat bioprosthetic valve failure. A paucity of data exists regarding valve-in-valve (ViV) TAVR in degenerated Freestyle stentless bioprostheses (FSBs). This study sought to evaluate the feasibility and short-term outcomes of ViV TAVR in previously placed FSB. From October 2014 to September 2016, 22 patients at a single institution underwent ViV TAVR with a self-expanding transcatheter valve for a failing FSB. Patient baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes data were collected retrospectively and entered into a dedicated database. The mean patient age was 74 ± 9 years, and the mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons' Risk score was 9.0 ± 7.4%. Ten patients presented with acute heart failure requiring urgent intervention. The most common mode of failure of the FSB was regurgitation caused by a flail or malcoapting leaflet. Seventeen (77%) patients had a modified subcoronary implantation, 3 (14%) had a full root replacement, and 2 (9%) had a root inclusion. Device success using a self-expanding transcatheter valve was 95%, all via transfemoral approach. The mean implant depth was 7 ± 3 mm. Thirty-day survival was 100%. No patient had more than mild paravalvular regurgitation at 30 days, and the permanent pacemaker rate was 9%. The mean hospital stay after intervention was 5 ± 2 days. ViV TAVR using a self-expanding transcatheter valve is safe, feasible, and can be used successfully to treat a failed FSB. Procedural challenges suggest referral to valve centers of excellence.
Integrative Genomic Analysis Predicts Causative Cis-Regulatory Mechanisms of the Breast Cancer-Associated Genetic Variant rs4415084.

Previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified several common genetic variants that may significantly modulate cancer susceptibility. However, the precise molecular mechanisms behind these associations remain largely unknown; it is often not clear whether discovered variants are themselves functional or merely genetically linked to other functional variants. Here we provide an integrated method for identifying functional regulatory variants associated with cancer and their target genes by combining analyses of expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL), a modified version of allele-specific expression (ASE) that systematically utilizes haplotype information, transcription factor (TF) binding preference, and epigenetic information. Application of our method to a breast cancer susceptibility region in 5p12 demonstrates that the risk allele rs4415084-T correlates with higher expression levels of the protein-coding gene mitochondrial ribosomal protein S30 (MRPS30) and lncRNA RP11-53O19.1. We propose an intergenic SNP rs4321755, in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with the GWAS SNP rs4415084 (r2=0.988), to be the predicted functional SNP. The risk allele rs4321755-T, in phase with the GWAS rs4415084-T, created a GATA3 binding motif within an enhancer, resulting in differential GATA3 binding and chromatin accessibility, thereby promoting transcription of MRPS30 and RP11-53O19.1. MRPS30 encodes a member of the mitochondrial ribosomal proteins, implicating the role of risk SNP in modulating mitochondrial activities in breast cancer. Our computational framework provides an effective means to integrate GWAS results with high-throughput genomic and epigenomic data and can be extended to facilitate rapid functional characterization of other genetic variants modulating cancer susceptibility.
The design of decisions: Matching clinical decision support recommendations to Nielsen's design heuristics.

Abstract Objective While general design heuristics exist for graphic user interfaces, it remains a challenge to facilitate the implementation of these heuristics for the design of clinical decision support. Our goals were to map a set of recommendations for clinical decision support design found in current literature to Jakob Nielsen’s traditional usability heuristics and to suggest usability areas that need more investigation. Materials and methods Using a modified nominal group process, the research team discussed, classified, and mapped recommendations, organized as interface, information, and interaction, to design heuristics. A previous narrative review identified 42 recommendations from the literature to define the design and functional characteristics that impact the performance of CDS in terms of provider preference, process of care, and patient outcomes. Main findings We matched 20 out of 42 recommendations to heuristics. The mapping reveals gaps in both heuristics and recommendations, identifying a set of Nielsen’s heuristics that are underrepresented in the literature and subsets of recommendations important to design not covered in Nielsen’s heuristics. We attributed this, in part, to the evolution of technology since the inception of Nielsen’s heuristics. The team created a new interaction heuristic: Integration into real-time workflow to consider the needs of the end-user in the clinical space. Discussion Clinical decision support has enabled clinicians to better address arising information needs; however there remains a lack of evidence-based guidelines in terms of functional and design requirements. Conclusion Results from this review suggest that interaction design principles were not fully satisfied by the current literature of clinical decision support.
The Electrochemistry of Nonbenzenoid Hydrocarbons

The electrochemical behavior of benzenoid hydrocarbons (naphthalene, anthracene, etc.) has been the subject of a very large number of investigations.1,2 This is quite understandable and appropriate, inasmuch as studies on such compounds have, in general, provided a variety of insights into the electrochemistry of unsaturated organic compounds, and, in particular, have permitted development of generalizations which are untainted by mechanistic complications arising from the presence of heteroatoms.
Lung Cancer Markers as Detected by Monoclonal Antibodies

Over 120,000 new cases of lung cancer occur annually in the United States and the incidence is increasing (Silverberg, 1982). Ninety percent of those individuals with lung cancer die from their disease, making lung cancer the single most lethal malignancy, accounting for 25% of all cancer fatalities (Silverberg, 1982). Other than surgical resection of early lesions, the effectiveness of most other forms of therapy has been marginal (Aisner and Hansen, 1981; Minna et al., 1982). In considering lung cancer, one must deal with at least four major histologies, sharing variable degrees of relatedness (Matthews, 1981; Gazdar, 1984). Clinically, the distinction is often made between small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and the remaining histologies collectively referred to as the nonsmall-cell lung cancers (NSCLC) due to the distinct natural history and response to therapy of the two different groups (Cohen, 1978; Gazdar, 1983). The NSCLC histologies include squamous cell, adenocarinoma, and large cell and share the properties of poor response to chemotherapy, but frequently complete response to surgical resection at an early stage. In contrast, SCLC tends to metastasize early precluding surgical resection, but has a high initial response rate to combination chemotherapy. Therefore, major treatment decisions hinge upon the distinction between SCLC and NSCLC (Minna et al., 1982), so considerable interest has been focused on developing reagents which would distinguish pathologically between the two forms (Gazdar, 1983).
A Laboratory for Interactive Programming, Processing, and Display in Space Science

The launch of an unmanned scientific spacecraft marks the culmination of approximately three years of effort for each scientist having an experiment on-board. But it is only a transition, or, to paraphrase Sir Winston Churchill, the end of the beginning. There looms in front of the average experimenter five years (1) during which he will be confronted by the formidable task of analyzing the data he will receive. He has spent the majority of his time prior to launch in the design and fabrication of his experiment and in the integration and testing of it within the environment of the spacecraft. This phase was terminated at launch. He must now devote his time to the completion of preliminary computer programs, and to the presentation of preliminary results. Eventually he will complete his final analysis programs and present his conclusions to the scientific community.
Does Having a Political Discussion Help or Hurt Intergroup Perceptions? Drawing Guidance From Social Identity Theory and the Contact Hypothesis

This experiment ( N = 238) tested propositions from social identity theory alongside the intergroup contact hypothesis to examine whether having a political discussion with an in-group (politically similar) or out-group (politically different) member affects subsequent evaluations of these social groups. Although several experimental results provide strong support for the antisocial predictions proposed by social identity theory, ultimately it was found that having a political discussion with an out-group member led to more positive moral and affective evaluations of out-group members than having a discussion with an in-group member. This result is consistent with the contact hypothesis and supports the notion that political discussions across party lines can produce positive social outcomes.
The Soul Within: Understanding the Emotional Toll of Underrepresentation on African American Female Professors at Maryland Community Colleges

While community colleges are experiencing an increase in minority students, there has been a lack of substantial growth in the acquisition and retention of full-time minority faculty. For full-time African American female professors, this lack has resulted in the circumstance of underrepresentation. This qualitative study asked full-time African American female professors at predominantly White community colleges in Maryland, to explore the emotional toll of underrepresentation. In-depth interviews were conducted to develop a written illustration of how African American female professors at predominantly White institutions fulfill their professional duties in an environment that has been shown to lead to emotional burnout. This study will add to the body of research that increases the understanding of the lived experiences of minority faculty.
Influence of fiber orientation and shell thickness on the axial compressive behavior of concrete-filled fiber-reinforced polymer tubes

Abstract Concrete-filled fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) tubes (CFFTs) present a viable alternative column system to conventional reinforced concrete for new construction. A CFFT system consists of two parts: the prefabricated FRP tube and the concrete core. The exterior shell provides longitudinal and transverse reinforcement for the concrete core. Many design variables of the FRP shell, including its thickness and winding angle, can be altered to achieve desirable confinement, axial capacity, and ductility in CFFT columns. This research proposes a methodology to determine the minimum fiber angle for filament wound FRP tubes to provide confinement to the concrete core in CFFTs. The proposed approach was used to calculate the threshold winding angle for glass FRPs, which was found to be ±51.5°. To evaluate the proposed fiber angle threshold, 11 circular specimens with a concrete core diameter of 152 mm, a height of 597 mm, and glass fibers at angles of ±45°, ±55°, or ±65° were tested under cyclic axial compression. The effect of fiber angle and thickness of the shell were studied. The experimental results show that the level of confinement increases with winding angle and number of layers of fiber reinforcing, and the specimens with wind angles below the threshold, i.e. ±45°, behave similarly to unconfined concrete.
Extending A Correction Method for Unsteady Transonic Aerodynamics to Variable Camber Continuous Trailing Edge Flap

In this study, we have extended our correction method for transonic aerodynamics to baseline and variable camber continuous trailing edge (VCCTEF) geometries of super-critical airfoils at cruise conditions. This correction method modifies Theodorsen theory, which is based on incompressible potential flow over a flat plate. The method is partly based on CFD RANS simulations of oscillating NASA generic transport model (GTM) baseline cruise and VCCTEF airfoil geometries in pitch and shows promise for addressing transonic flutter problems of aeroelasticity. In the earlier study1, the Theodorsen functions were modulated with non-linear functions of Mach number, M, and reduced frequency, k, and thus the correction was demonstrated for the symmetrical NACA0012 airfoil. In the present study, the modulation functions are also allowed to account for the effects of camber and thickness of the airfoil. This is demonstrated by applying the correction method to various symmetric NACA00xx airfoil geometries (NACA001, NACA0002, NACA0012, NACA0015 and NACA0018), the NASA GTM super-critical baseline and VCCTEF airfoil geometries, e.g., the circular airfoil, VCCTEF222. First results indicate that the correction method accounts for a large variation of thickness of airfoils and camber. The present correction method will guide the development of a new state space model for the VCCTEF system and eventually a new transfer function that will be incorporated in a new aeroelastic framework leading to an appropriate transonic flutter model for use in the future aircraft systems in development under the NASA Advanced Air Transportation Technologies (AATT) project.
¿De quién son estos pensamientos? Examinando el modelo top-down de las atribuciones de agencia mental

espanolLas atribuciones de agencia mental se definen como el acto de asignar el inicio o autoria de un pensamiento fenomenico en 1era persona a un agente especifico. Este tipo de atribucion es fundamental para la produccion de la creencia de que los seres humanos somos agentes racionales no solamente en terminos conductuales, sino que tambien cognitivos. La teoria top-down - uno de los enfoques dominantes en la literatura actual - sugiere que las atribuciones de agencia mental emergen como explicaciones retrospectivas de caracter racional a la ocurrencia de pensamientos fenomenicos en primera persona. De esta forma, la agencia de un pensamiento no es parte de su contenido fenomenico inicial, sino que una categoria impuesta tras un analisis retrospectivo. Tras introducir algunos aspectos basicos sobre la discusion, el presente articulo ofrece una evaluacion critica del modelo top-down con el fin de identificar sus fortalezas y debilidades argumentativas. El articulo concluye que, si bien el modelo posee meritos importantes, este no esta en condiciones de responder a ciertos desafios conceptuales fundamentales. EnglishAn attribution of mental agency is defined as the act of as-signing the initiation or authorship of a first personal phenome-nal thought to a specific agent. This type of attribution is funda-mental for the production of the belief that human beings are ra-tional agents not only in behavioral terms, but also, in a cognitive manner. The top-down approach –one of the dominant theories in current literature– suggests that attributions of mental agency arise as retrospective rational explanations for the occurrence of phenomenal thoughts. Thus, the agency of a thought would not be contained in its most fundamental phenomenal structure, rath-er, it would be an imposed category. After introducing the most fundamental elements of the debate, this paper evaluates the top-down model in order to identify its argumentative strengths and weaknesses. It is concluded that, although this model possesses a number of merits, it cannot deal in a plausible way with some fundamental conceptual challenges.
General Characteristics of Pneumonia

Pneumonia is defined and discussed from a pathophysiologic basis. The different epidemiologic categories are discussed. Specific infectious organisms are discussed, including viral, bacterial, and fungal organisms, including atypical organisms. The specific and nonspecific imaging findings for pneumonia are discussed. Clinical history is emphasized.
Using Supplementary Cementitious Materials to Mitigate Alkali-Silica Reaction in Concrete with Recycled-Concrete Aggregate

AbstractRecycled concrete aggregate (RCA) is a key tool for improving sustainability in the construction and demolition industries. The use of RCA in new concrete is, in part, obstructed by the dea...
A Comprehensive Scientific Survey of Excipients Used in Currently Marketed, Therapeutic Biological Drug Products.

The steady development of biotechnology-derived therapeutic biologics over the last few decades has generated drugs that are now standard medical treatments for a range of indications. While the development of protein products has surged in recent years, the formulation and delivery of these complex molecules have relied on drug-specific studies and, in some instances, data from non-proteinaceous drug products. The commonalities, trends, and gaps in excipient technologies used to support the development of therapeutic proteins largely remain unexplored due to the drug-specific nature of many formulations. Using a comprehensive and relational database approach, we aimed to provide a scientific survey of all approved or licensed biotechnology-derived drug products with the goal of providing evidence-based information on common attributes and trending features in protein product excipients. We examined 665 formulations, and 395 unique formulations based on having unique excipients within them, that supported 211 therapeutic proteins as of June 2020. We report the prevalence of each excipient class and excipient chemical used in eight different drug types including monoclonal antibodies, antibody conjugates, cytokines and growth factors, enzymes, polypeptide hormones, pulmonary surfactants, recombinant fusion proteins, and toxins. We also report the prevalence by excipient type among all therapeutic proteins, in the context of each drug’s recommended pH range, concentration ranges for excipients, and route of administration. The results of our analyses indicate certain excipients common to monoclonal antibodies, cytokines, and polypeptide hormones. We also report on excipients unique to protein drug products, such as amino acids, solubilizers, and lyoprotectants. Overall, our report summarizes the current landscape of excipients used in marketed biotechnology-derived therapeutic biologic products.
Friends in Low‐Entropy Places: Orthographic Neighbor Effects on Visual Word Identification Differ Across Letter Positions

Visual word recognition is facilitated by the presence of orthographic neighbors that mismatch the target word by a single letter substitution. However, researchers typically do not consider where neighbors mismatch the target. In light of evidence that some letter positions are more informative than others, we investigate whether the influence of orthographic neighbors differs across letter positions. To do so, we quantify the number of enemies at each letter position (how many neighbors mismatch the target word at that position). Analyses of reaction time data from a visual word naming task indicate that the influence of enemies differs across letter positions, with the negative impacts of enemies being most pronounced at letter positions where readers have low prior uncertainty about which letters they will encounter (i.e., positions with low entropy). To understand the computational mechanisms that give rise to such positional entropy effects, we introduce a new computational model, VOISeR (Visual Orthographic Input Serial Reader), which receives orthographic inputs in parallel and produces an over-time sequence of phonemes as output. VOISeR produces a similar pattern of results as in the human data, suggesting that positional entropy effects may emerge even when letters are not sampled serially. Finally, we demonstrate that these effects also emerge in human subjects' data from a lexical decision task, illustrating the generalizability of positional entropy effects across visual word recognition paradigms. Taken together, such work suggests that research into orthographic neighbor effects in visual word recognition should also consider differences between letter positions.
The Life Table of Psyllids (Hemiptera:Triozidae) on Tomato Leaves

Bactericera cockerelli is a very destructive pest that transmits Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum (Lso). An effective strategy does not exist to control the Candidatus Liberibacter species for plant protection. The management practices that do exist practice on limiting the spread of infection. When irradiation technology has been used, it has shown a great promise to disinfest pests. It is currently not clear how eBeam dosage impacts the psyllids life cycle. This experiment focuses on the life cycle of psyllids under laboratory conditions without eBeam treatment. It is meant to set the foundation for further research at Texas A&M University. Seeds were germinated and transplanted at the Texas A&M Institute for Plant Genomics and Biotechnology. Psyllids from a colony provided were placed on tomato leaves and the developmental times of 60 psyllids were documented. The average developmental time for an egg to become an adult was 21 days. The average developmental time for each instar stage was between 3 to 4 days. Further research will be conducted by Texas A&M University to evaluate the effects of eBeam irradiation at various doses on psyllid growth, developmental time and reproduction.
HIGH TEMPERATURE DEFORMATION BEHAVIOUR OF TiAl INTERMETALLIC COMPOUND

The behaviour of TiAl intermetallic compound of Ll_0 type under com-pressive deformation at high temperature and its recrystallization microstructurehave been studied. The compressive proof stress of the polycrystalline TiAl wasfound to be a positive temperature dependence as same as the single crystal one.The correlation of the flow stress together with strain rate and deformation tem-perature is in good agreement with the expression: e=Aσ_p~nexp(-Q/RT)Adjusting the deformation temperature and strain rate to a decrease in flow stressof alloy down to below its brittle fracture stress may improve successfully notonly the hot working of the TiAl-base alloy but also the fineness of the recry-stalline grains.
Heterologous Expression and Functional Analysis of Aedes aegypti Odorant Receptors to Human Odors in Xenopus Oocytes.

The mosquito Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus), a vector of many important human diseases including yellow fever, dengue fever and Zika fever, shows a strong preference for human hosts over other warm-blooded animals for blood meals. Olfactory cues play a critical role for mosquitoes as they explore their environment and seek a human host to obtain blood meals, thus transmitting human diseases. Odorant receptors (ORs) expressed in the olfactory sensory neurons are known to be responsible for the interaction of mosquito vectors with human odors. To gain deeper insights into Ae. aegypti’s olfactory physiology and investigate their interactions with humans at the molecular level, we used an optimized protocol of Xenopus Oocytes heterologous expression to functionally analyze Ae. aegypti odorant receptors in response to human odors. Three example experiments are presented: 1) Cloning and synthesizing cRNAs of ORs and odorant receptor co-receptor (Orco) from four to six days old Ae. aegypti antennae; 2) Microinjection and expression of ORs and Orco in Xenopus oocytes; and 3) Whole-cell current recording from Xenopus oocytes expressing mosquito ORs/Orco with a two-electrode voltage-clamp. These optimized procedures provide a new way for researchers to investigate human odor reception in Aedes mosquitoes and reveal the underlying mechanisms governing their host-seeking activity at a molecular level.
Special Populations: Pediatrics

Obtaining emergent vascular access for pediatric patients poses additional challenges beyond those encountered with adult patients, including differences in vascular anatomy, greater head-to-body size ratio, increased compressibility of the peripheral vasculature, and smaller veins. This chapter discusses some of the common methods and adjuncts used in overcoming these obstacles to establish pediatric emergent vascular access, including the use of ultrasound guidance for placement of central venous catheters, and techniques specific to neonatal access. Preferences for target sites in pediatric subjects are mentioned, including references to the relevant medical literature.
Strong and weak cross-inheritance of substance use disorders in a nationally representative sample.

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are moderately to highly heritable and are in part cross-transmitted genetically, as observed in twin and family studies. We performed exome-focused genotyping to examine the cross-transmission of four SUDs: alcohol use disorder (AUD, n = 4487); nicotine use disorder (NUD, n = 4394); cannabis use disorder (CUD, n = 954); and nonmedical prescription opioid use disorder (NMPOUD, n = 346) within a large nationally representative sample (n = 36,309), the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (NESARC-III). All diagnoses were based on in-person structured psychiatric interview (AUDADIS-5). SUD cases were compared alone and together to 3959 “super controls” who had neither a SUD nor a psychiatric disorder using an exome-focused array assaying 363,496 SNPs, yielding a representative view of within-disorder and cross-disorder genetic influences on SUDs. The 29 top susceptibility genes for one or more SUDs overlapped highly with genes previously implicated by GWAS of SUD. Polygenic scores (PGS) were computed within the European ancestry (EA) component of the sample (n = 12,505) using summary statistics from each of four clinically distinct SUDs compared to the 3959 “super controls” but then used for two distinctly different purposes: to predict SUD severity (mild, moderate, or severe) and to predict each of the other 3 SUDs. Our findings based on PGS highlight shared and unshared genetic contributions to the pathogenesis of SUDs, confirming the strong cross-inheritance of AUD and NUD as well as the distinctiveness of inheritance of opioid use disorder.
A continuous two-step method of order 8 with a block extension for y″=f(x,y,y′)

Abstract We derive a piecewise continuous hybrid third derivative approximation (CHTDA) that is defined for all values of the independent variable on the range of interest. This continuous approximation has the ability to provide a continuous solution between all the grid points with a uniform accuracy comparable to that obtained at the grid points. Furthermore, the CHTDA is used to produce several implicit hybrid third derivative formulas (IHTDFs), which are expressed in block form and applied as a block hybrid third derivative algorithm (BHTDA) for the numerical solution of second order initial value problems. The stability of the block extension is discussed. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the accuracy and efficiency of the BHTDA.
Evidence for interdependent action of glucagon and nucleotides on the hepatic adenylate cyclase system.

Abstract The kinetic characteristics of glucagon action and binding as functions of hormone and nucleotide concentrations have been investigated in the hepatic adenylate cyclase system. Either App(NH)p (5'-adenylylimidodiphosphate), 0.1 mm, or ATP, 2 mm, was used as substrate. The formation of adenosine 3' : 5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) in response to glucagon exhibits lag times as long as 4 min in the presence of about 0.1 nm glucagon. The lag times diminish as the hormone or substrate concentrations increase. Addition of GTP (0.1 mm) abolishes the lags at all concentrations of glucagon tested in the presence of 0.1 mm App(NH)p and causes a decrease in the concentration of glucagon required for half-maximal activation of the enzyme. In the presence of GTP, the apparent Km for glucagon action ranges from 0.2 to 0.5 nm glucagon; in its absence, the Km ranges from 2 to 7 nm. Pretreatment of the enzyme system with glucagon for 15 min prior to addition of substrate also abolishes the lags seen at low concentrations of the hormone. When the pretreated enzyme system is incubated with limiting concentrations of substrate (0.1 mm App(NH)p) in the absence of free hormone, the velocity of enzyme activity is dependent upon GTP. Stimulatory effects are observed with 30 nm GTP; GTP exerts maximal effects at 1 µm. The lag times observed in onset of glucagon activation appear to reflect a change in state of the enzyme induced by glucagon binding to its receptor. The time dependency is changed simply by increasing the concentration of glucagon; GTP acts subsequent to or attendant upon this change in state induced by glucagon. Glucagon binding exhibits Hill coefficients of about 1.5, suggesting cooperative interactions between two or more subunits of the system. GTP, in addition to its effects on glucagon action, stimulates the rate of dissociation of glucagon from its receptor and, as a consequence, causes a decrease in the steady state levels of bound glucagon. The release of hormone seems not to be causally related to enzyme activation since the rates of dissociation are increased by addition of 0.1 mm GTP without concomitant increases in enzyme velocity. A hyperbolic relationship is observed between the levels of receptors occupied by glucagon and adenylate cyclase activity generated in the presence of GTP. Complete activation of the enzyme requires full occupation of the specific binding sites in hepatic plasma membranes (about 3 pmoles per mg of membrane protein). This finding shows that all of the specific binding sites for glucagon in these membranes represent receptors functionally and structurally linked to the adenylate cyclase system. The finding that glucagon and GTP activate adenylate cyclase by a concerted or interdependent mechanism is discussed in relation to the characteristics of the adenylate cyclase system as an allosteric regulatory enzyme system.
Towards Stronger Coulomb Coupling in an Ultracold Neutral Plasma

Ultracold neutral plasmas are strongly coupled Coulomb systems that are generated by photoionizing lasercooled atoms close to the ionization threshold. The strong coupling parameter Γ is limited at times later than ∼100 ns by disorder-induced heating. A recent simulation predicted that higher values of Γ can be realized in ultracold neutral plasmas if the plasma ions are excited to higher ionization states. In this paper we present recent results from an experiment that increases the strong coupling of an ultracold neutral plasma by promoting the plasma ions to the second ionization state. Using laser-induced fluorescence we map out the ion velocity distribution of the Ca+ ions in a partially doubly ionized plasma and show that the heating due to the second ionization depends on the timing of the second ionization laser pulses. We compare our results to MD simulations, which estimate that Γ increases from approximately 2.5 to 3.6. (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Some aspects of agroclimatology in Southeast Asia and New Guinea

Several aspects of energy budget and water balance problems in SE Asia and New Guinea are discussed and a new map showing the distribution of global radiation in SE Asia and New Guinea is presented. Potential evapotranspiration rates are calculated by the Penman equation and are compared with monthly rainfall to determine the length of the hydrological growing season. Potential rice yields are estimated based on a formula developed by the International Rice Research Institute. The extremely low maize yields of Asian humid tropics are explained by unfavorable climatic conditions, particularly high night temperature.
Inhibition of System Xc− Transporter Attenuates Autoimmune Inflammatory Demyelination

T cell infiltration into the CNS is a significant underlying pathogenesis in autoimmune inflammatory demyelinating diseases. Several lines of evidence suggest that glutamate dysregulation in the CNS is an important consequence of immune cell infiltration in neuroinflammatory demyelinating diseases; yet, the causal link between inflammation and glutamate dysregulation is not well understood. A major source of glutamate release during oxidative stress is the system Xc(-) transporter; however, this mechanism has not been tested in animal models of autoimmune inflammatory demyelination. We find that pharmacological and genetic inhibition of system Xc(-) attenuates chronic and relapsing-remitting experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Remarkably, pharmacological blockade of system Xc(-) 7 d after induction of EAE attenuated T cell infiltration into the CNS, but not T cell activation in the periphery. Mice harboring a Slc7a11 (xCT) mutation that inactivated system Xc(-) were resistant to EAE, corroborating a central role for system Xc(-) in mediating immune cell infiltration. We next examined the role of the system Xc(-) transporter in the CNS after immune cell infiltration. Pharmacological inhibitors of the system Xc(-) transporter administered during the first relapse in a SJL animal model of relapsing-remitting EAE abrogated clinical disease, inflammation, and myelin loss. Primary coculture studies demonstrate that myelin-specific CD4(+) Th1 cells provoke microglia to release glutamate via the system Xc(-) transporter, causing excitotoxic death to mature myelin-producing oligodendrocytes. Taken together, these studies support a novel role for the system Xc(-) transporter in mediating T cell infiltration into the CNS as well as promoting myelin destruction after immune cell infiltration in EAE.
Marc Bloch, Sociology and Geography: An expanding view: Marc Bloch's later projects

Following Marc Bloch's move to Paris in 1936, much of his time was taken up by projects begun sometime before. It was a time of multiple commitments and unfinished business. Not only had he promised several volumes to Berr's series, “L'Evolution de l'Humanite,” he was also now responsible for directing and contributing to his own series, “Le Paysan et la Terre.” His new position in the chair of Economic History at the Sorbonne further restricted the kinds of work he could undertake. As he pointed out to Febvre, he would be forced at the Sorbonne to leave aside interests that did not fit neatly under the label of social history. This would include some of his more politically oriented work such as that on the rois thaumaturges and on l'idee de l'Empire . As he confided to Febvre, “One of my preoccupations is to see how I will be able, on occasion, to reintroduce these things; and for the time being I certainly won't speak of this to others than you.” The disruption of the Second World War meant that several of these later projects would remain unfinished. Nevertheless, during the many idle moments which the war also brought, Bloch had time to reflect and write on the nature of history, grappling yet again with issues in the pre-war debates between historians, sociologists, and geographers – in a work which would also never be completed.
Application of a simple preconcentration scheme to the determination of isopropylmethylphosphonofluoridate at trace levels in water

Abstract The procedure for the preconcentration and determination of isopropyl-methylphosphonofluoridate (Sarin) involves extraction of the sample with chloroform, preconcentration of the vaporized extract on a Porapak Q plug, and direct thermal desorption of the adsorbed material into a gas chromatograph. Precise determinations at concentrations down to approximately 67 pg ml -1 are possible.
APPROXIMATING SMOOTH THICKNESS

The thickness of a knot is the radius of the thickest rope with which the knot could be tied. Basic properties of thickness have been established. However, thickness is difficult to compute for all but a few knot conformations. Thus, a continuous polygonal thickness function is needed to approximate its smooth analogue. The most natural definition yields incorrect estimates on a planar circle. Here, a polygonal thickness function is defined and shown to be continuous and to correctly approximate smooth thickness with an elementary inscribing algorithm. Examples of thickness estimations are also given.
In-vitro biosynthesis of sulphatoglycosphingolipids by rat submandibular salivary glands

A sulphotransferase activity, concentrated mainly in the microsomal fraction, which catalyses the transfer of sulphate group from 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulphate to galactosylceramide and lactosylceramide was demonstrated in rat submandibular and sublingual glands. However, the sulphotransferase activity of this fraction in submandibular glands was about ten times higher than in sublingual glands. Optimum enzyme activity was obtained using the detergent Triton X-100, F-, and Mg2+ at a pH of 6.8. The enzyme did not catalyse the transfer of sulphate to glucosylceramide, trihexosylceramide and triglucosyl glyceroglucolipid. The sulphotransferase exhibited similar affinity for both galactosyl- and lactosylceramide. The apparent Km of the enzyme for galactosylceramide was 3.8 X 10(-5) M, and for lactosylceramide, 4.3 X 10(-5) M. The results of compositional analysis and periodate-oxidation studies of the 35S-labelled products of the enzyme reactions established that in both [35S]-sulphatoglycosphingolipids the sulphate-ester group is located at C-3 of the galactose residue.
The effect of cobalt complex addition on the cure and properties of an epoxy matrix resin

The effects of adding various cobalt complexes to a tetraglycidyl methylene dianiline-based epoxy resin were determined. The addition of cobalt(III) acetylacetonate was found to alter the epoxy cure and improve the flexural strength and fracture toughness of the cured resin. These effects were not duplicated by the addition of various other cobalt complexes.
Probing bacterial gene expression within host cells

The study of bacterial gene expression in the host environment is critical to our understanding of the disease process. New research tools, such as luciferase and green fluorescent protein, provide the means to measure bacterial responses to the intracellular environment with minimal perturbations and with single-cell resolution.
Broad antibody and T cell reactivity induced by a pneumococcal whole-cell vaccine.

Abstract Injecting mice with killed cells of non-capsulated strain RM200 adsorbed on Al(OH)3 (pneumococcal whole-cell vaccine; WCV) reduces nasopharyngeal colonization by capsular serotype 6B and prevents fatal aspiration pneumonia by serotype 3 or serotype 5 strains. To further examine the potential for omni-strain immunity, we here examined a panel of clinical isolates and a library of capsule-switch variants in the TIGR4 background. IgG binding to these bacteria in sera of rabbits injected with WCV or Al(OH)3 alone was assayed by ELISA without and with adsorption with cell-wall polysaccharide, a species-common antigen. The examined strains were 23 primary isolates including at least 10 different MLS types and 13 serotypes; 15 of these strains were invasive isolates, subsequently mouse-passed. Additionally, to investigate the effect of capsulation, TIGR4 strain constructs with the capsulation genes of 20 different serotypes were evaluated. In ELISA all strains showed a large difference in IgG binding due to the immunization, of which most of the antibody typically was not CWPS-adsorbed and presumably directed to exposed protein antigens. Increased binding of IgG in the WCV-immunized serum to the 20 isogenic capsule-switch strains was shown also by flow cytometry. Further, all these 20 strains elicited IL-17A in T cells of WCV-vaccinated mice, a cytokine known to accelerate pneumococcal clearance. Thus WCV induced both humoral and T H 17 cell-mediated immunity against all tested strains.
Comparative Bioavailability: Eight Commercial Prednisone Tablets

Two four-treatment crossover bioavailability studies were performed in panels of 12 adult male volunteers with eight different commercial prednisone tablets. Plasma samples from the first study were assayed by radioimmunoassay for both prednisone and prednisolone. Plasma samples from the second study were assayed for prednisolone only. Statistical analyses of the data showed significant differences in the rate of appearance of prednisolone in plasma, but not in the amount convened to prednisolone. Some observations are made on the relationships between prednisone and prednisolone concentrations in plasma following oral administration of prednisone.
Pros and Cons of Official Dollarization in Eastern Europe

The balance of payments barrier is the biggest obstacle to growth in Eastern Europe. This problem stems from the existence of individual national currencies which dynamically increases the risk associated with capital inflows. Capital inflow leads to both domestic growth and domestic currency real appreciation, reducing net exports to a level insufficient to service international debt obligations stemming from capital inflow. To avoid losses when capital flows are reversed, high domestic interest rates are required to stem capital outflow. Result is the decline of domestic economic activity. Adoption of foreign currency eliminates the need for net exports as the source of revenue needed to service debt obligation, hence it renders the balance of payments as an obstacle to sustained capital flows and economic growth irrelevant.
Contributions of phytoplankton and nitrifying bacteria to ammonium and nitrite dynamics in coastal waters

Abstract Ammonium and nitrite dynamics in coastal waters off Washington were examined using stable nitrogen isotope methods. Assimilation rates of ammonium into particulate nitrogen exhibited maxima (up to 500 nmol l −1 d −1 at shallow depths and were negligible below the photic zone. Rates of ammonium oxidation by nitrifying bacteria showed surface minima and increased with depth (up to 35 nmol l −1 d −1 ). Both processes showed evidence of control by light intensity: light stimulated assimilation and inhibited oxidation. Ammonium turnover was dominated by phytoplankton assimilation at shallow depths and at inshore stations, while the relative contribution of bacterial oxidation of ammonium to turnover increased with increasing depth and increasing distance from shore. Nitrite turnover due to ammonium oxidation approached 60% per day in the primary nitrite maximum at the outer stations.