cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The putative liquid-liquid transition is a liquid-solid transition in atomistic models of water

We use numerical simulation to examine the possibility of a reversible liquid-liquid transition in supercooled water and related systems. In particular, for two atomistic models of water, we have computed free energies as functions of multiple order parameters, where one is density and another distinguishes crystal from liquid. For a range of temperatures and pressures, separate free energy basins for liquid and crystal are found, conditions of phase coexistence between these phases are demonstrated, and time scales for equilibration are determined. We find that at no range of temperatures and pressures is there more than a single liquid basin, even at conditions where amorphous behavior is unstable with respect to the crystal. We find a similar result for a related model of silicon. This result excludes the possibility of the proposed liquid-liquid critical point for the models we have studied. Further, we argue that behaviors others have attributed to a liquid-liquid transition in water and related systems are in fact reflections of transitions between liquid and crystal.
Health Care Crisis Unabated: A Review of Recent Data on Health Care in the United States.

We review recently published studies of U.S. health policy and the nation's health care system. Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, health inequalities were widening and care was inequitably distributed. Although the Affordable Care Act's coverage expansion improved access to care and timely cancer diagnoses, a large proportion of U.S. residents continued to avoid medical care due to concerns about costs, and access to mental health services remains particularly inadequate. Yet more evidence of private insurers' profit-driven misbehaviors and of corruption among medical leaders continues to emerge. Misguided incentives and lax regulation encourages nominally nonprofit health care providers to mimic for-profits' misconduct, and rapacious investors own and control an increasing share of physicians' practices. Pharmaceutical firms wield outsize political influence and devote far more funds to rewarding investors than to research and development effort. Yet despite vigorous efforts by pharma and other commercial interests to denigrate national health insurance, polls indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to increasing support for such reform.
High sensitivity interferometry based on multiphoton quantum entanglement

Mathematical analysis is presented related to novel quantum entangled states useful for interferometry. For interferometry applications, the approach based on entanglement presented here, even in the presence of loss offers a quadratic reduction in the number of photons required while maximizing phase sensitivity and visibility. Reducing the number of photons decreases the effects of certain mechanisms that degrade results. The new interferometer is an improvement on a previous interferometer based on linear combination of M&N states (LCMNS). LCMNS have been shown to be much more robust in the presence of environmental effects than plain M&N states or N00N states. Adaptive optics techniques are used to adjust the coefficients of the LCMNS. Closed form expressions for the minimum phase error, visibility, and coefficients are derived. Environmental effects are included using open systems theory. Numerical results are provided.
Reducing the Complexity Costs of 401(K) Participation Through Quick Enrollment(Tm)

The complexity of the retirement savings decision may overwhelm employees, encouraging procrastination and reducing 401(k) enrollment rates. We study a low-cost manipulation designed to simplify the 401(k) enrollment process. Employees are given the option to make a Quick Enrollment(TM) election to enroll in their 401(k) plan at a pre-selected contribution rate and asset allocation. By decoupling the participation decision from the savings rate and asset allocation decisions, the Quick Enrollment(TM) mechanism simplifies the savings plan decision process. We find that at one company, Quick Enrollment(TM) tripled 401(k) participation rates among new employees three months after hire. When Quick Enrollment(TM) was offered to previously hired non-participating employees at two firms, participation increased by 10 to 20 percentage points among those employees affected.
Cellular engineering

Cellular engineering applies the principles and methods of engineering to the problems of cell and molecular biology of both a basic and applied nature. As biomedical engineering has shifted from the organ and tissue level to the cellular and sub-cellular level, cellular engineering has emerged as a new area. A cornerstone of much of this activity is cell culture technology, i.e., the ability to grow living cells in the artificial environment of a laboratory. Cellular engineering includes the role of engineering in both basic cell biology research and in the making of products which use living cells, e.g., tissue engineering and bioprocess engineering. The former involves the use of living cells in the development of biological substitutes for the restoration or replacement of function, and the latter the use of living cells to manufacture a biochemical product, e.g., throught the use of recombinant DNA technology. In fact, as biomedical engineering has expanded to include the cellular level, and bioprocess engineering has shifted in interest from microbial organisms to include mammalian cells, there are intellectual issues in which an interest is shared by these two formerly separate areas of engineering activity. Cellular engineering thus transcends the field of biomedical engineering.
DC-DC Converter IC for DVS

In a DVS microprocessor subsystem, the processor core and surrounding peripherals are run from a dynamically scaled voltage supply, enabling up to a 10x improvement in average energy per operation. This section describes the implementation of a prototype dynamic DC-DC converter for application in a DVS system along with measured results.
The Life and Death of Superimposition (1946)

Translated by Bert Cardullo University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Missouri, USA This essay first appeared in French in A‰cran FranA§ais in 1946, then was included in Volume 1 (\'Ontologie et langage\') of Qu\'est-ce que le cinA©ma? (Paris: A‰ditions du Cerf, 1958-1962), pp. 22-30. Translated here, for the first time, with the permission of Madame Janine Bazin.
Aquatic Chemistry Concepts

PART 1: INTRODUCTION. Overview. Thermodynamic Principles. PART 2: ACID/BASE CHEMISTRY. [H+] as an Important and Meaningful Thermodynamic Variable in Aquatic Chemistry. The Proton Balance, Electroneutrality, and Mass Balance Equations. Introduction to Quantitative Equilibrium Calculations. pH as a Master Variable. Titrations of Acids and Bases. Buffer Intensity b, and the Effects of Changes in b With pH on Titration Curves. Chemistry of Dissolved CO2. Gran Titrations. PART 3: MINERAL/SOLUTION CHEMISTRY. Solubility Behaviors of Simple Mineral Salts, and Metal Oxides, Hydroxides, and Oxyhydroxides. Solubility Behavior of Metal Carbonates in Closed Systems. Solubility of Metal Carbonates in Open Systems With a Gas Phase of Constant pCO2. Solubility Control, Solubility Limitation, the Coexistence of Multiple Solid Phases, and Multiple-Solid Predominance Diagrams. Solubility as a Function of Particle Size. Solid/Solid and Liquid/Liquid Solution Mixtures. The Gibbs Phase Rule. PART 4: METAL/LIGAND CHEMISTRY. Complexation of Metal Ions by Ligands. PART 5: REDOX CHEMISTRY. Redox Reactions pe, and EH. Introduction to pe-pH Diagrams: The Cases of Aqueous Chlorine, Hydrogen, and Oxygen. pe-pH Diagrams for Aqueous Lead in the Absence of CO2. pe-pH Diagram for Aqueous Lead in the Presence of CO2 With Fixed CT. pe and Natural Systems. The pe Changes in a Stratified Lake During a Period of Summer Stagnation: An Example of a Redox Titration. PART 6: EFFECTS OF ELECTRICAL CHARGES ON SOLUTION CHEMISTRY. The Debye-Huckel Law and Related Equations for the Activity Coefficients of Aqueous Ions. Electrical Double Layers in the Aqueous System. Stability and Coagulation of Colloidal Suspensions. INDEX.
Children and Digital Media

Children of the early 21st century live and grow embedded in a digital world in which observational media experiences are increasingly integrated with interactive ones. Children use digital media for numerous reasons, ranging from entertainment, to gaining information about themselves and the world around them, to regulating moods, to finding electronic friends to keep them company. This chapter documents the promises and perils of children's media experiences, including prosocial, positive constructive outcomes and antisocial, aggressive actions. The chapter ends with a description of media policies and a look forward about what children's social, cognitive, and physical development will be like in this rapidly changing media landscape which is increasingly at children's fingertips. Keywords: antisocial conduct; apps; computers; gaming; gender; imagination; media; media policy; noisy environments; obesity; parasocial relationships; prosocial behavior; risky environments; role models; sexuality; smartphones; social media; tablets; television; video games
Comprehensive transcriptome analysis using synthetic long-read sequencing reveals molecular co-association of distant splicing events.

Illumina-based synthetic long read RNA-seq enables comprehensive analysis of alternative splicing in transcriptomes.
Peptide synthesis with benzisoxazolium salts—III : Utility of 7-hydroxy-2-ethylbenzisoxazolium fluoroborate in the synthesis of peptides

Abstract The scope and limitations of the 7-hydroxy-2-ethylbenzisoxazolium salt method of forming amide bonds are outlined through the synthesis of a variety of simple peptide derivatives containing all of the common amino acids with the exceptions of arginine and histidine. The 3-acyloxy-2-hydroxy-N-ethylbenzamides derived from C-terminal serine or threonine containing peptides are found to react with amines at anomalously slow rates and with the formation of transesterified byproducts; a mechanistic explanation is offered. The utility of the method for the synthesis of medium sized peptides is examined by synthesis of oligomers of Gly-L-Leu-Gly.
Evaluating Indeterminate Interferon‐γ–Release Assay Results in Patients With Chronic Inflammatory Diseases Receiving Immunosuppressive Therapy

Objective To analyze the rate of indeterminate interferon-γ–release assay (specifically the QuantiFeron-TB Gold In-Tube [QFT-GIT]) testing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis in patients with chronic inflammatory disease (CID) compared with the general hospital population (GH) and a healthy reference group of hospital employees (HR), and to analyze factors associated with an indeterminate test result. Methods Adults with a QFT-GIT result within a large regional US health system were included. We compared the likelihood of having an indeterminate test across each patient group. Among patients with CID, we estimated the effect of glucocorticoids, biologic agents, and disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD) use on the likelihood of having an indeterminate test, controlling for age, sex, comorbidities, and prior health services use. Results Of the 55,108 patients who met the inclusion criteria, CID made up 5.2% (n = 2,864), GH 48.2%, and HR 46.6% of the study population. Indeterminate results were present in 5.3% of the CID group, 1.9% of the GH group, and 1.5% of the HR group. Compared with HR, patients with CID were 2.4 times as likely to have indeterminate test results (adjusted risk ratio [RR] 2.4, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.9–2.9). In adjusted models restricted to patients with CID, glucocorticoid use significantly increased the likelihood of an indeterminate test (adjusted RR 1.4 [95% CI 1.02–2.0]) while DMARD use decreased this likelihood (adjusted RR 0.7 [95% CI 0.5–0.97]) when compared to patients not receiving medications. Conclusion Patients with CID were more likely to have indeterminate QFT-GIT results when compared to HR subjects. Among patients with CID, only glucocorticoid use was associated with an increased likelihood of having an indeterminate test result.
Distribution of NOS in normoxic vs. hypoxic rat lung: upregulation of NOS by chronic hypoxia

Expression and localization of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in the lungs of chronically hypoxic and normoxic rats were studied using both immunohistochemistry and NADPH diaphorase (NADPH-d) staining techniques. In the normoxic and in the hypoxic rat, NOS was detected by both methods in the endothelium of large pulmonary vessels and in the epithelium of bronchi and bronchioli. NOS expression was not detected in the endothelium of normoxic pulmonary resistance vessels but was prominently expressed in the endothelium of these vessels after 2-4 wk of chronic hypoxia. In contrast to small pulmonary vessels, the endothelium of small bronchial vessels exhibited NOS immunostaining in both normoxic and hypoxic lungs. Hypoxia was also found to induce de novo NOS expression in the smooth muscle of large and small pulmonary vessels and in bronchial smooth muscle. NOS enzyme activity in lung homogenates was assessed by [3H]arginine to [3H]citrulline conversion. The activity of soluble NOS, but not particulate NOS, was increased in the hypoxic lungs. These results demonstrate chronic hypoxia-induced upregulation of NOS protein expression and activity in the rat lung, suggesting a potentially important role of nitric oxide in adaptation of the pulmonary circulation to chronic hypoxia. The lack of immunostaining in small pulmonary resistance vessels is also consistent with physiological studies suggesting that NO may not be involved in the mechanism for maintaining the normally low pulmonary vascular resistance.
Improving queue stability in wireless multicast with network coding

This paper studies a single-hop wireless multicast network with packet erasure channels. The objective is to evaluate the queuing stability properties in terms of the input rate in a network coded system. The concept of virtual queue is used for each receiver and a packet transmission scheduling algorithm is proposed. Our main goal is to have a stable queuing system with highest possible input rate. Therefore, we analyze queuing stability and find the maximum input rate under different scenarios. Our simulation results validate our analysis for each scenario. Then for delay sensitive data, we compare our proposed method with the case in which each packet has a Hard Deadline constraint.
Relative Wages and the Market for Nursing Instructors

Given the reported difficulty in attracting and retaining qualified instructors, this paper examines the earnings of RNs involved in nursing instruction. Using data from the quadrennial National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses for 1988 through 2008, a large decrease in relative wage is found for RN instructors relative to other RNs working outside of education. In addition, early in the sample period RNs whose primary job was in teaching earn a wage advantage in their second job, but this wage differential goes to zero by 2008. This is interpreted as the effect of more able nurses moving out of teaching as relative wage opportunities increased.
Enhanced Bone Cells Growth and Proliferation on TiO2 Nanotubular Substrates Treated by RF Plasma Discharge

Titanium implants are well known for their biocompatibility, especially if bioinertness is desired, due to the Ti0 2 native oxide which is thermodynamically and chemically very stable. One of the major problems with this material involve its inability to induce enhanced cellular adhesion and proliferation on its surface without complicated structural approaches, leading to the possible lack of bone-implant interfacial interaction and rejection. In order to potentially improve osseointegration of such implants self-assembled vertical and ordered nanotubular TiO 2 arrays were fabricated by electrochemical anodization and were plasma treated under O 2 , N 2 , O 2 + N 2 , and He gaseous environments and their properties analyzed by various analytical procedures. Osteoblast bone cells (MC3T3-E1) were grown on Ti0 2 nanotube-arrayed substrates and their proliferation was analyzed and quantified. Oxygen and nitrogen plasma treatments were found to significantly improve the proliferation of the bone cells over the TiO 2 nanoarray substrates, with the O 2 + N 2 combination yielding the most significant improvements. These findings may be explained by the interactions between the cells and the changes in the surface chemistry induced by the O 2 and N 2 groups introduced by the plasma discharge treatment onto the TiO 2 surfaces.
Anode thermal analysis of high power microfocus CNT x-ray tubes for in vivo small animal imaging

Carbon nanotube (CNT) micro-focus x-ray tubes have been demonstrated as a novel technology for in-vivo small animal imaging. It enables simultaneous respiratory and cardiac gated prospective CT imaging of free breathing animals with high temporal resolution. Operating the micro-focus CNT x-ray source at high power is required to achieve high temporal resolution. The thermal loading of the anode focal spot is a limiting factor in determining the maximum power of an x-ray tube. In this paper, we developed a reliable simulation model to quantitatively analyze the anode heat load of the CNT x-ray source operating in both DC and pulse modes. The anode temperature distribution is simulated using finite element analysis. The model is validated by comparing simulation results for the micro-focus x- ray tube with reported experimental results. We investigated the relationship between the maximum power and the effective focal spot size for CNT micro-CT system running in both DC and pulse modes. Our results show that when operating in pulse mode, the maximum power of the CNT x-ray source can be significantly higher than when operating in DC mode. In DC mode, we found that the maximum power scales non-linearly with the effective focal spot size as P(in W) = (0.25/ sin θ+1.6)f0.73 s (in μm), where 1/sin θ is the projection factor for a given anode angle θ. However, in pulse mode the maximum power linearly increases with the effective focal spot size asP(in W) = (0.20/ sin θ+0.35)fs(in μm), and is significantly higher than that in the DC mode. This implies that it is feasible to improve the micro-CT temporal resolution further without sacrificing the image quality. The simulation method developed here also enables us to analyze the thermal loading of the other CNT x-ray sources for other applications, such as the stationary digital breast tomosynthesis scanner and the CNT microbeam radiation therapy system.
A Mathematical Programming Model of Decentralized Multi-Level Systems

In decentralized systems, the objectives at the different levels often differ. Each level controls only a subset of the decision variables but is affected by the decisions made at the other levels. Recent methods in bi-level linear programming solve such systems better than decomposition methods. Here, the bi-level LP is extended to a bi-level system with many decision-makers at the lower level, and a tri-level system with one decision-maker at each level. In both of these cases, the higher level acts as the leader and the lower level as the follower in the Stackelberg game. The resulting techniques are illustrated with simple numerical examples.
Exploiting social media for Army operations: Syrian crisis use case

Millions of people exchange user-generated information through online social media (SM) services. The prevalence of SM use globally and its growing significance to the evolution of events has attracted the attention of the Army and other agencies charged with protecting national security interests. The information exchanged in SM sites and the networks of people who interact with these online communities can provide value to Army intelligence efforts. SM could facilitate the Military Decision Making Process by providing ongoing assessment of military actions from a local citizen perspective. Despite potential value, there are significant technological barriers to leveraging SM. SM collection and analysis are difficult in the dynamic SM environment and deception is a real concern. This paper introduces a credibility analysis approach and prototype fact-finding technology called the “Apollo Fact-finder” that mitigates the problem of inaccurate or falsified SM data. Apollo groups data into sets (or claims), corroborating specific observations, then iteratively assesses both claim and source credibility resulting in a ranking of claims by likelihood of occurrence. These credibility analysis approaches are discussed in the context of a conflict event, the Syrian civil war, and applied to tweets collected in the aftermath of the Syrian chemical weapons crisis.
A polyhedral study on 0-1 knapsack problems with disjoint cardinality constraints: Strong valid inequalities by sequence-independent lifting

We study the set of 0-1 integer solutions to a single knapsack constraint and a set of non-overlapping cardinality constraints (MCKP), which generalizes the classical 0-1 knapsack polytope and the 0-1 knapsack polytope with generalized upper bounds. We derive strong valid inequalities for the convex hull of its feasible solutions using sequence-independent lifting. For problems with a single cardinality constraint, we derive two-dimensional superadditive lifting functions and prove that they are maximal and non-dominated under some mild conditions. We then show that these functions can be used to build strong valid inequalities for problems with multiple disjoint cardinality constraints. Finally, we present preliminary computational results aimed at evaluating the strength of the cuts obtained from sequence-independent lifting with respect to those obtained from sequential lifting.
Circulation in the Ensenada Front—September 1988

Abstract The 3-D circulation of the Ensenada Front, located off southern California and northern Baja California, is examined using hydrographic and mixed-layer drifter measurements. The measurements resolve sub-mesoscle motions (10 km scale) and trace the flow over a 400 km extent, from deep water into the continental margin. Along the Ensenada Front, the cool, relatively fresh, southeastward-flowing waters of the California Current were observed to turn abruptly onshore and flow eastward for approximately 200 km before resuming a southeastward trajectory. Embedded in the onshore flow was a 60 km wide, surface-intensified (> 30 cm s −1 ), high speed filament, which bifurcated after resuming a southeastward course, and appeared to feed into a complex set of flows that were strongly influenced by the mesoscale eddy field. Various water mass properties are used to trace the along-front evolution of the filament and its demise. Estimates of vorticity and divergence in the filament are made on the scale of drifter clusters, deployed in diamond patterns with a separation of 10 km. Potential vorticity appears to be conserved along drifter trajectories, and suggests a divergent, upwelling (5 m day −1 ) filament with convergent flow along the sides. Such a pattern is consistent with a model of constant wind stress blowing along the filament.
Upregulation of striatal D2 receptors in the MPTP-treated vervet monkey is reversed by grafts of fetal ventral mesencephalon: an autoradiographic study

Although neural transplantation holds promise as a treatment for Parkinson's disease, parkinsonian primates have generally exhibited inconsistent and incomplete recovery of motor functions following intrastriatal grafting of fetal ventral mesencephalon. One possible contributing factor to this variable response is lack of appropriate integration of donor neurons with host striatal circuitry with the result that there is insufficient dopamine release and postsynaptic dopamine receptor activation. This issue was examined by measuring the effect of transplanting fetal ventral mesencephalon to the striatum of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-treated (MPTP) monkeys on striatal D2 receptor binding. One year after receiving MPTP, D2 receptor binding was upregulated in the dorsal and ventral striatum of African green monkeys. Grafting of fetal ventral mesencephalon to the dorsal striatum of MPTP-treated monkeys 9 months before sacrifice, eliminated the D2 receptor upregulation in dorsal, but not ventral, region. Dopamine concentration in dorsal striatum of grafted MPTP-treated monkeys was significantly higher than in that region of MPTP-treated non-grafted monkeys. In addition, dopamine concentration was significantly higher in dorsal compared to ventral striatum of grafted MPTP-treated monkeys. These data, in addition to those from a previous autoradiographic study on dopamine uptake site density in these monkeys, strongly supports the hypothesis that ectopically placed ventral mesencephalon not only produces, but maintains the release of sufficient levels of dopamine to restore postsynaptic dopamine transmission in regions influenced by graft-derived dopamine.
Behavior Settings: A Revision and Extension of Roger G. Barker’s “Ecological Psychology”

Forty years of collaboration in research and writing with Roger G. Barker have uniquely qualified the author to revise Barker's classic Ecological Psychology: Concepts and Methods for Studying the Environment of Human Behavior (1968). The author's primary goal has been to provide an up-to-date and comprehensive description of behavior setting theory and method with sufficient detail and illustration to guide new research applications. Barker's presentation of theory and method has been preserved except where changes were required to reflect the advances reported in Barker and Schoggen's Qualities of Community Life (1973). The lengthy report in Ecological Psychology of empirical findings from the study of behavior settings the town of Midwest has been replaced by extensive summaries of the currently available reports of research applications of behavior setting theory. Four new chapters have been added: a chapter be economist Karl A. Fox on the use of behavior settings in social system accounting, an article by Barker on behavior settings that have figured prominently in his career, a chapter that discusses behavior settings in relation to a number of other concepts in social science and the field of environment and behavior, and a final chapter on the need for an eco-behavioral science taken from two papers by Barker.
Graph theory's uses in formalizing anthropological theories

Hage, Per, and Frank Harary. Structural Models in Anthropology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1983. xiv + 201 pp. including appendix, references, and index. $12.95 paper.
Coalition formation processes with belief revision among bounded-rational self-interested agents

This paper studies coalition formation among self-interested agents that cannot make sidepayments. We show that -core stability reduces to analyzing whether some utility pro le is maximal for all agents. We also show that strategy pro les that lead to the -core are a subset of Strong Nash equilibria. This fact carries our -core-based stability results directly over to two other strategic solution concepts: Nash equilibrium and Coalition-Proof Nash equilibrium. This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Tuomas Sandholm's CAREER Award IRI-9703122, Grant IRI-9610122, and Grant IIS9800994. Fernando Tohm e was also supported by the Departamento de Econom a of the Universidad Nacional del Sur, in Argentina and by a Fellowship from the National Research Council (CONICET) of Argentina. An early version of this paper appeared in a workshop [41]
A small subclass of SV40 T antigen binds to the viral origin of replication

Abstract We examined the affinities of SV40 large T antigen for unique viral DNA sequences by binding SV40 Bst NI DNA fragments in extracts of infected or transformed cells, and then immunoprecipitating the T antigen-DNA complex. The G fragment, which spans the viral origin of replication ( ori ) was quantitatively bound to T antigen. A T-antigen-specific monoclonal antibody (Mcl 7), which recognized only 5%–10% of the T antigen from infected or transformed cells, immunoprecipitated the majority of the ori -binding activity. This suggests that only a minor subclass of wild-type T antigen is active in binding to the origin. C6 cells contain a replication-defective mutant T antigen that when tested in the DNA-binding immunoassay, showed no affinity for the ori fragment. Mcl 7 not only failed to immunoprecipitate ori binding in C6 cells, but also did not detect any labeled C6 T antigen whatever. Thus Mcl 7 recognizes an immunologically distinct subset of wild-type T antigen that comprises the origin-binding form of the viral protein, which is absent in the C6 T antigen population. Mcl 122, which recognizes a 53 kilodalton host protein that complexes with T antigen, immunoprecipitated ori -binding activity from extracts of infected or transformed cells, but not from C6 cells. Thus wild-type T antigen can bind ori sequences even when complexed to the host protein. These data suggest that T antigen consists of different subpopulations with different functions.
Renal disease and diet therapy in the elderly

Renal disease is a disease closely associated with aging. Although kidney disease can occur at any age, the prevalence and severity of renal disease is far more prominent in the elderly. As the geriatric population continues to grow, nurses can anticipate treating significant numbers of elderly people with renal disease. Research suggests that with early dietary intervention the progression of renal disease can be altered. Therefore, knowledge of the characteristics and goals of diet therapy are necessary to provide effective client education and promote compliance.
Idiosyncratic Drug-Induced Liver Injury: A Clinical Update

Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a rare but potentially devastating adverse drug reaction. Its presentation can range from asymptomatic elevation in liver biochemistries to fulminant liver failure. Over the past decade, clinical and research interest in the field of idiosyncratic DILI has been intense, and several new findings have been reported. In this article, we provide an update on implicated agents, clinical features, outcomes, and the results of recently reported genetic studies.
Identification of α-Galactosyl Epitope Mimetics through Rapid Generation and Screening of C-Linked Glycopeptide Library

A general methodology has been established for rapid generation and screening of combinatorial glycopeptide library and subsequent mass spectrometric sequencing to identify the mimetics of Galα(1,3)Gal epitopes. Using this approach, several active glycopeptide sequences were recognized and found to inhibit the binding of human natural anti-Gal antibodies with comparable IC50s to synthetic Galα(1,3)Gal oligosaccharides. The most active glycopeptides detected from the library included Gal-Tyr-Trp-Arg-Tyr, Gal-Thr-Trp-Arg-Tyr, and Gal-Arg-Trp-Arg-Tyr. These glycopeptides showed higher affinities to anti-Gal antibodies than known Galα(1,3)Gal peptide mimetics, such as DAHWESWL and SSLRGF. Our results suggest that, by combining a peptide sequence (the “functional” mimic part) with a terminal α-linked galactose moiety (the “structural” mimic part), the resulting glycopeptide could be a very good Galα(1,3)Gal mimetic. Analysis of these active glycopeptides provided first-hand information regarding the binding si...
Expert Baseball Batters Have Greater Sensitivity in Making Swing Decisions

(2010). Expert Baseball Batters Have Greater Sensitivity in Making Swing Decisions. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport: Vol. 81, No. 3, pp. 373-378.
Organizational Image Assessment in the Health and Human Services Sector1

Five studies were conducted from 1976 to 1984 in southcentral Pennsylvania to evaluate the potential of bipolar ratings by adult user populations for assessing the general agency and/ or specific program image of service organizations in the not-for-profit sector. Statistically reliable differences in mean ratings on scales such as staff qualifications, physical accessibility, and so forth were found to distinguish image profiles and the clarity of image of three human service agencies within the same region of service, to detect change over a 6-year period in the image of individual agencies, and to be sensitive to the effects of management actions designed to modify the image of an in-patient psychiatric facility within a region. The demonstration that specific management interventions over a 2-year period were detectable by ratings along specifically relevant dimensions encourages the immediate application of this inexpensive feedback device by managers of human service agencies and the further investigation of user image ratings as a system output potentially amenable to control system analyses.
The Personal Responsibility Act of 1996: The Bitter and The Sweet for African American Families

The Personal Responsibility Act of 1996 represents the most tangible legacy of the 104th Congress and the Republicans' “Contract with America.” Though the act will have devastating consequences for all poor and working-class families, its effects on the African American community will be especially ominous. This is because African American families experience poverty at a greater rate than do European American and other families. Moreover, the feature of the act that reduces the amount of financial assistance to families when one of their members has been convicted of a drug-related felony will also endanger African American families since African Americans are most likely to be convicted of drug-related crimes. In the midst of these harsh outcomes, the feature of the act that allows states to establish contracts with religious organizations could bode well for aggrandizing the role the black church can play in providing social services and employment opportunities for African American families. This pape...
Spin-lattice relaxation in the excited 4 S 3/2 state of Er 3+ in LaF 3

We have employed a purely optical method to measure spin-lattice relaxation in the lower excited 4S3/2 state of Er3+ in LaF3 at helium temperatures. Above 3 K the relaxation is dominated by an Orbach process through the upper 4S3/2 state. Below 3 K the relaxation is caused by some residual mechanism that obscures the Kramers–Van Vleck direct process. By relating the Orbach relaxation measurements to the homogeneous broadening of the upper 4S3/2 level, we determine values of the transition rates between the upper and lower 4S3/2 states.
Synthesis of α-P-Modified Nucleoside Diphosphates with Ethylenediamine

This report describes a one-pot synthesis of α-P-borano-, α-P-thio-, and α-P-seleno-modified nucleoside diphosphate analogues that are otherwise difficult to obtain. The key step involves the intramolecular nucleophilic attack by an amino group in 5 to remove the γ-phosphate. The absolute configurations of P-diastereomers were confirmed by analysis of their 1H NMR. Affinity studies revealed that the nucleoside boranodiphosphates are potentially useful in antiviral research.
EFFECTS OF EUGLYCEMIC HYPERINSULINEMIA ON NEONATAL CANINE HEPATIC AND MUSCLE METABOLISM

The effects of euglycemic hyperinsulinemia on hepatic and muscle metabolism were determined in the fasted newborn dog during the first day of life. Hyperinsulinemia was sustained with a primed constant infusion of insulin whereas euglycemia was maintained with an intravenous infusion of 10% glucose using the insulin clamp technique. Euglycemic hyperinsulinemia caused an increase of glucose utilization from 43.9 +/- 3.7 to 66.5 +/- 5.4 mumol/kg/min (p less than 0.001) and reduced endogenous glucose production to 44.4 +/- 5.4% of basal values obtained before the induction of hyperinsulinemia. Hepatic tissue glycogen, triglycerides, or intermediates were not altered by hyperinsulinemia nor was the incorporation of [3H]glucose into glycogen. However, the hepatic cytoplasmic redox state was more oxidized, and the incorporation of [3H]glucose into triglycerides was higher among hyperinsulinemic pups. Pups who demonstrated incomplete suppression of endogenous glucose production had metabolite perturbation suggestive of ongoing gluconeogenesis. Despite very few changes in hepatic tissue metabolite levels, pups subjected to hyperinsulinemia demonstrated a linear uptake of 2-deoxyglucose into hepatic tissue as a function of circulating insulin levels during hyperinsulinemia. Muscle tissue demonstrated no alterations of tissue metabolites, glycogen, or triglycerides levels or precursor incorporation into these storage pools. Nonetheless, 2-deoxyglucose incorporation into neonatal muscle tissue was a significant linear function of plasma insulin concentration. Total tissue 2-deoxyglucose uptake was lower in muscle tissue than in hepatic tissue (245 +/- 19 versus 514 +/- 20 dpm/g/min) (p less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Turbulent shearing of crude oil mixed with dispersants generates long microthreads and microdroplets.

Using cinematic digital holography, we demonstrate that turbulent breakup of crude oil mixed with dispersants into microdroplets starts with the formation of very long and quite stable, single or multiple microthreads that trail behind $300--1400\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ droplets. These threads extend from Reynolds number dependent regions with high surfactant concentration, which, along with associated viscosities and stretching by turbulence stabilizes the threads. The subsequent breakup, producing $2.8\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\mathrm{m}$ droplets, is due to an increasing surface area and diffusion of dispersants into the continuous phase.
Characterization of olfactory bulb units of sockeye salmon with behaviorally relevant stimuli

1. The response properties of single olfactory bulb units of juvenile sockeye (Oncorhynchus nerka) were characterized using behaviorally-relevant natural waters and amino acid solutions as olfactory stimuli. 2. While most cells responded to several stimuli (Fig. 2), some cells were found that responded in a unique way to a single stimulus solution and thereby discriminated it from the other stimuli (Fig. 4). At least one such specific cell was found for each of the natural waters. 3. In addition, cells were found that reliably discriminated lake waters as a class from non-lake natural waters and amino acids (Fig. 5). 4. The discrimination between the group of natural waters and the amino acids by many cells of the bulb may have been a result of: (1) odorant concentration differences; (2) inorganic ions particularly calcium present only in the natural water stimuli (Fig. 6); or (3) odorant complexity differences between stimulus groups. 5. Units from fish reared in different natural waters showed no differences in their response properties. 6. The results demonstrate the existence of a cellular basis for the discrimination of natural waters essential for both lakeward fry migrations and adult homing migrations.
Salt Stability - Effect of Particle Size, Relative Humidity, Temperature and Composition on Salt to Free Base Conversion

Purpose The aim of this study was to investigate how factors such as temperature, relative humidity and particle size impact the extent of disproportionation (salt to free base conversion) in powder blends of miconazole, benzocaine or sertraline mesylate salts mixed with a basic additive.
Deformations with discontinuous gradients in plane elastostatics of compressible solids

We investigate certain issues pertaining to plane deformations with discontinuous gradients sustained by compressible, isotropic, hyperelastic materials. Conditions on the elastic potential which are necessary and sufficient for the existence of such deformations are derived. An alternative, explicit set of criteria is deduced from these, which involves jump conditions restricting the deformation invariants on either side of the discontinuity. This result, which is expressed in terms of the local amounts of shear and dilatation, characterizes all possible two-phase states sustained by a given elastic potential. Some implications of ellipticity loss on the existence of such states are considered.
Effective range approach to the low-energy p wave pion - nucleon interaction

The theory of $p$-wave pion-nucleon scattering is reexamined using the formalism recently proposed by one of the authors (F.E.L.). On the basis of the cut-off Yukawa theory without nuclear recoil it is found, for not too high values of the coupling constant, that: (a) For each $p$-wave phase shift a certain function of the cotangent should be approximately linear at low energies and should extrapolate to the Born approximation at zero total energy. The value of the renormalized unrationalized coupling constant determined in this way from experiment is ${f}^{2}=0.08$. A special feature of the predicted energy dependence of the phase shifts is that ${\ensuremath{\delta}}_{33}$ is positive and the other $p$ phase shifts are negative. (b) The so-called "crossing theorem" requires a relation between the four $p$ phase shifts, so that in addition to the coupling constant only two further constants are needed to completely specify the low-energy behavior. (c) The direction of the energy variation in the (3,3) state is such that a resonance will occur for a sufficiently large cut-off ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{max}$. Rough estimates indicate that ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{max}\ensuremath{\approx}6$ will produce a resonance at the energy required by experiment. It is argued that the results (a) and (b) are very probably also consequences of a relativistic theory but that (c) may not be.
Top-Down Proteomics on a Chromatographic Time Scale Using Linear Ion Trap Fourier Transform Hybrid Mass Spectrometers

Proteomics has grown significantly with the aid of new technologies that consistently are becoming more streamlined. While processing of proteins from a whole cell lysate is typically done in a bottom-up fashion utilizing MS/MS of peptides from enzymatically digested proteins, top-down proteomics is becoming a viable alternative that until recently has been limited largely to offline analysis by tandem mass spectrometry. Here we describe a method for high-resolution tandem mass spectrometery of intact proteins on a chromatographic time scale. In a single liquid chromatography−tandem mass spectrometry (LC−MS/MS) run, we have identified 22 yeast proteins with molecular weights from 14 to 35 kDa. Using anion exchange chromatography to fractionate a whole cell lysate before online LC−MS/MS, we have detected 231 metabolically labeled (14N/15N) protein pairs from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Thirty-nine additional proteins were identified and characterized from LC−MS/MS of selected anion exchange fractions. Automa...
Properties of CAR-kinase: the enzyme that phosphorylates the cAMP chemotactic receptor of D. discoideum.

The cell surface cAMP chemotactic receptor ofD. discoideum can be phosphorylated in partially purified plasma membrane preparations in a ligand-dependent manner. CAR-kinase, the enzyme responsible for receptor phosphorylation, was shown to be an integral membrane protein. It could utilize either ATP or GTP to phosphorylate the receptor, although ATP was much more efficient. The apparent affinity constant for ATP was approximately 20–25 µM. Maximum CAR-kinase activity was observed betweenpH 6.5 andpH 7, and required the presence of Mg2+. Neither Mn2+ nor Ca2+ could substitute for that divalent cation. The enzyme was found to be sensitive to the ionic strength and temperature of the incubation reaction. Dephosphorylation of the receptor was not observed in the membrane preparations, indicating that the enhanced level of receptor phosphorylation that occurred upon ligand binding was not an indirect reflection of receptor dephosphorylation and subsequent incorporation of radiolabeled phosphate.
Ecological and life-history notes on syrphid predators of woolly apple aphid in Virginia, with emphasis on Heringia calcarata

Three species of hover fly commonly prey on woolly apple aphid, Eriosoma lanigerum, in Virginia, USA apple orchards. Larvae of Heringia calcarata are specialized predators of this pest, while Eupeodes americanus and Syrphus rectus are generalist aphid predators. The developmental duration of the immature stages of H. calcarata was determined under laboratory conditions, revealing a generation time of 19–20 d at 25°C. Descriptions of the larval, pupal and adult stages of H. calcarata are reported. Potted apple trees infested with arboreal colonies of woolly apple aphid and deployed in an orchard in Virginia were used as sentinels to measure seasonal changes in the relative abundance of the three syrphid species, based on the number of unhatched eggs deposited during weekly, 48-h exposure intervals from April to October, 2003–2005. Similar trends in the relative abundance of each species were recorded across all years. Eupeodes americanus was recorded first, showing a pronounced peak between mid-April and mid-May, followed by a prolonged period during which it was absent or present in very low numbers and then a much smaller peak in September and October. First records of H. calcarata occurred slightly later than for E. americanus. Early peaks of H. calcarata abundance typically occurred in May and June and tended to be smaller than those of E. americanus. Heringia calcarata eggs were recovered throughout most of each season. The potential role of predation by aphidophagous hover flies on the suppression of woolly apple aphid outbreaks in eastern apple orchards is discussed.
Steady-state model of a flat laser-driven target

A steady-state model of a plasma slab, accelerated by interaction with laser radiation, determines temperature, velocity, and density profiles and boundaries consistent with laser intensity and wavelength and slab mass and acceleration. Density-profile modification is caused by laser pressure. Plasma flows subsonically into the critical surface, and supersonically out.
Experimental transvitreal cyanoacrylate retinopexy through silicone oil

We evaluated the use of transvitreal cyanoacrylate retinopexy in the treatment of experimental rhegmatogenous retinal detachment during vitreous surgery in rabbit eyes filled with silicone oil. The view to the fundus was superior to that obtained in our previous model of cyanoacrylate retinopexy in the air-filled eye. Glue delivery was consequently both easier and more precise through silicone oil relative to air. The chorioretinal adhesions produced with cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive were compared with those produced by trans-scleral retinal cryopexy and were found to be more rapid in onset as well as stronger. An exaggerated tissue response adjacent to the cyanoacrylate site suggested a potential toxic chemical or thermal reaction, or both, to the tissue adhesive, but there was no evidence of any distant ocular effects.
Overvoltage on transmission systems caused by dropping load

THE INCREASE in voltage resulting from total or partial loss of load is especially undesirable on waterwheel driven generators because of their regulation characteristics and the fact that they are frequently connected to long lengths of high tension transmission line. The charging current of such lines results in a further increase in voltage. Although various types of relays have been used to trip the generator on the occurrence of excessive voltage or speed, a more desirable method of limiting the voltage is by the use of generator voltage regulator acting in the generator or exciter field circuit.