cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Calculated electronic spectra of model ferric cytochrome P450 complexes

Restricted open-shell ground state properties and electronic spectra of two closely related low-spin, ferric, 6-coordinate, model cytochrome P450 complexes, one with a methyl mercaptide and the other a mercaptan as the second axial ligands, have been calculated with a newly modified, semiempirical INDO-SCF-CI method. The sensitivity of the calculated spectra to protonation of the sixth axial ligand, and the ability of the method to predict characteristic spectral features for the complexes investigated, are determined. Assignment of transitions, including xy- and z-polarized transitions, are made and compared with experimental observations where available. In particular, the origin of the anomalous split Soret spectrum observed in low-spin ferric complexes with mercaptide but not a mercaptan is investigated. Finally, a two part hypothesis is presented which provides a general explanation for the origin of both the observed split Soret and the red-shifted normal Soret in various ferrous and ferric P450 complexes in terms of the ground state orbital characters and simple symmetry considerations.
032PS Asking the Right Questions: Effective Partnerships between Guideline Groups and Systematic Review Groups

Guideline groups increasingly are seeking to leverage the value of independent systematic reviews. Compared with less formal approaches, systematic reviews are less likely to introduce bias. Such reviews require a pre-planned and structured process, in which the key questions clearly and precisely reflect the evidence needs of the guideline. Designing and conducting systematic reviews to support guideline development requires coordination and communication between guideline committees and systematic review investigators. This panel session is geared to guideline developers interested in partnering with independent systematic review groups. Guideline groups will hear about the benefits and challenges of systematic reviews and how to be an effective partner in the systematic review process to produce useful reviews. Stephanie Chang, Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) programme will moderate the session. Paul Shekelle, Director of the RAND EPC, Chair of the American College of Physicians Clinical Guidelines Committee, and co-Chair of the National Guideline Clearinghouse Editorial Board will review challenges and suggestions for how guideline groups and systematic review investigators can complement one another for effective partnerships. David Buckley, core investigator with the Pacific Northwest EPC at Oregon Health & Science University will focus on how guideline groups can work with systematic reviewers to shape effective questions for systematic review. Joy Melikow, member of the US Preventive Services Task Force Committee will share her perspective as a guideline developer experienced in using systematic reviews and the lessons she has learned in how to be an effective partner.
Drag Parameter Estimation Using Gradients and Hessian from a Polynomial Chaos Model Surrogate

A variational inverse problem is solved using polynomial chaos expansions to infer several critical variables in the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model’s (HYCOM’s) wind drag parameterization. This alternative to the Bayesian inference approach in Sraj et al. avoids the complications of constructing the full posterior with Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling. It focuses instead on identifying the center and spread of the posterior distribution. The present approach leverages the polynomial chaos series to estimate, at very little extra cost, the gradients and Hessian of the cost function during minimization. The Hessian’s inverse yields an estimate of the uncertainty in the solution when the latter’s probability density is approximately Gaussian. The main computational burden is an ensemble of realizations to build the polynomial chaos expansion; no adjoint code or additional forward model runs are needed once the series is available. The ensuing optimal parameters are compared to those obtained in Sraj et al. where the full posterior distribution was constructed. The similarities and differences between the new methodology and a traditional adjoint-based calculation are discussed.
The Child Outcomes of a Behavior Model

Within 3-tier behavioral models, universal interventions are expected to prevent the onset of problem behavior in a majority of children altogether and to sustain improvements in child outcomes by the selected and indicated interventions. A cohort longitudinal design was used to assess the extent to which a 3-tier model achieves these expected outcomes. The respective universal, selected, and indicated interventions included Behavior and Academic Support and Enhancement, First Step to Success, and MultiSystemic Therapy. A total of 407 children in Grades K-3 from 1 of 4 longitudinal cohorts participated. The results of 2-level linear growth analyses indicate that the 3-tier behavior model achieved the anticipated outcomes with respect to social behavior. The results, limitations, and implications are discussed.
Estimation and Hypothesis Testing

In a poll of 100 randomly selected voters, 35 expressed support for initiative A. How does one estimate the proportion of voters in the whole population that supports initiative A based on the sample of 100? How much confidence do we have on our estimate?
Automatic Speech Processing Methods for Bioacoustic Signal Analysis: A Case Study of Cross-Disciplinary Acoustic Research

Automatic speech processing research has produced many advances in the analysis of time series. Knowledge of the production and perception of speech has guided the design of many useful algorithms, and automatic speech recognition has been at the forefront of the machine learning paradigm. In contrast to the advances made in automatic speech processing, analysis of other bioacoustic signals, such as those from dolphins and bats, has lagged behind. In this paper, we demonstrate how techniques from automatic speech processing can significantly impact bioacoustic analysis, using echolocating bats as our model animal. Compared to conventional techniques, machine learning methods reduced detection and species classification error rates by an order of magnitude. Furthermore, the signal-to-noise ratio of an audible monitoring signal was improved by 12 dB using techniques from noise-robust feature extraction and speech synthesis. The work demonstrates the impact that speech research can have across disciplines.
The pretectal syndrome: 206 patients

The pretectal syndrome occurred in 2.3% of patients personally examined over an 18-year period. The symptoms were nonspecific, but the signs (abnormal pupils in 198 patients, vertical gaze limitation in 180, disjunctive horizontal eye position in 90 and vertical in 79, lid retraction in 83, and convergence-retraction nystagmus in 71) were exquisitely localizing. The etiology, skewed by the local prevalence of cysticercosis, was hydrocephalus in 80 patients, stroke in 53, and tumor in 45. The importance of timely diagnosis was underscored by the relatively good prognosis of many patients.
Plastic Hinge Integration Methods for Force-Based Beam¿Column Elements

A new plastic hinge integration method overcomes the problems with nonobjective response caused by strain-softening behavior in force-based beam-column finite elements. The integration method uses the common concept of a plastic hinge length in a numerically consistent manner. The method, derived from the Gauss-Radau quadrature rule, integrates deformations over specified plastic hinge lengths at the ends of the beam-column element, and it has the desirable property that it reduces to the exact solution for linear problems. Numerical examples show the effect of plastic hinge integration on the response of force-based beam-column elements for both strain-hardening and strain-softening section behavior in the plastic hinge regions. The incorporation of a plastic hinge length in the element integration method ensures objective element and section response, which is important for strain-softening behavior in reinforced concrete structures. Plastic rotations are defined in a consistent manner and clearly related to deformations in the plastic hinges.
A hybrid method for simulation factor screening

Factor screening is performed to eliminate unimportant factors so that the remaining important factors can be more thoroughly studied in later experiments. Controlled Sequential Bifurcation (CSB) and Controlled Sequential Factorial Design (CSFD) are two new screening methods for discrete-event simulations. Both methods use hypothesis testing procedures to control the Type I Error and power of the screening results. The scenarios at which each method is most efficient are complementary. This paper proposes a two-stage hybrid approach to combine CSB and CSFD. The new method usually has the same error control as CSB and CSFD. The efficiency, on the other hand, is usually much better than either component method.
Development and Evaluation of a Staff Training Program on Palliative Care for Persons With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) face barriers and disparities at end of life. Among these barriers are limited educational opportunities and a paucity of targeted training materials on palliative care for staff who provide their day-to-day care. This paper reports on a three-phase project undertaken to develop, implement, and evaluate a palliative care curriculum and educational program that is responsive to the unique learning needs of staff providing services and supports for individuals with I/DD living in long-term care settings. Participants' ratings of their levels of preparation and confidence to provide palliative care improved from pretraining to posttraining. Posttraining use of materials and practice changes in palliative care occurred. When training is developed in partnership with the staff who will use these training resources, it has the potential to sustain its use and to alter the care practices to address the palliative care needs of persons with I/DD.
Tests of Current Hypotheses of Mayfly (Ephemeroptera) Phylogeny Using Molecular (18s rDNA) Data

Partial 18s rDNA sequences from 22 exemplar mayfly species (Ephemeroptera) representing 20 families were analyzed to obtain a best phylogenetic tree for comparison to previous phylogenetic hypotheses. With respect to relationships among the three major groupings, our molecular data support the hypothesis that Pisciforma and Setisura comprise a monophyletic sister group to the Furcatergalia, rather than the hypothesis that Setisura and Furcatergalia comprise a monophyletic group stemming from the Pisciforma. Within Pisciforma, acceptable trees show that Baetidae separates at the base of the Pisciforma clade. The data suggest that Pisciforma is paraphyletic and do not support the grouping of all Southern hemisphere families as a monophyletic group. An evolutionary sequence favored by the data suggests a grouping of Siphlonuridae, Rallidentidae, Nesameletidae, and Ameletidae and a grouping of Oniscigastridae, Ameletopsidae, and Acanthametropodidae. The data support the monophyly of Setisura (Heptageniidae, Arthropleidae, Pseudironidae, Oligoneuriidae, Isonychiidae, and Coloburiscidae). Within Setisura, a bootstrap/jackknife test places the families Heptageniidae, Arthropleidae, and Pseudironidae in one clade at 100% frequency. Also supported are hypotheses that Pseudironidae is a sister group to a Heptageniidae–Arthropleidae group and that a sister relationship exists between the latter two families. Hypotheses that Pseudironidae separated from other Setisura families at an earlier stage and comprises a sister group to a Heptageniidae–Oligonuriidae lineage or that Pseudironidae should be moved out of Setisura are not supported.
Hepatic histology in intrauterine growth retardation following uterine artery ligation in the guinea pig.

Hepatic histology was examined in guinea pig fetuses in which intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) was induced by unilateral uterine artery ligation and compared with that of control (well-grown) fetuses from uterine horns with intact circulations. From all animals, sections taken from the six lobes of the liver were prepared using hematoxylin and eosin stains. Periodic acid-Schiff and Prussian blue stains (both on fixed samples) and Oil Red O stains on frozen tissues were performed on a subset of samples. Comparisons revealed greater fat content in hepatocytes (P < .05) and decreased total hepatic hematopoiesis (P < .01) in IUGR animals than in controls. No differences in hepatocyte histology among lobes were observed in control animals. IUGR animals had increased fat content and decreased extramedullary hematopoiesis in the lobes receiving the portal circulation (P < .05). These data indicate significant abnormalities of hepatic lipid metabolism in IUGR animals following uterine artery ligation. An unexpected and counterintuitive finding was the decrease in hepatic hematopoiesis in the right side of the liver.
Intercolony Aggression Within and Among Local Populations of the Invasive Ant, Myrmica rubra (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), in Coastal Maine

Myrmica rubra L. was introduced into New England in the early 20th century, and at present, has a patchy distribution in parts of northeastern North America, including records from 31 communities in Maine. M. rubra is highly polygynous, and colonies reproduce vegetatively, forming dense local populations where conditions are favorable. Using mobile nests and baited arenas in a series of Þeld aggression bioassays, we tested patterns of internest tolerance within and among local populations on Mt. Desert Island, ME. We found that foragers originating from fragments of the same colony or from neighboring nests retained a high level of intraspeciÞc tolerance over several months, whereas signiÞcant intercolony aggression among workers was present between colonies within the same local patch separated by 10 m. Within populations, aggression score values were found to increase linearly with internest distance within a site. Aggression was highest between colonies from spatially different populations on the island and was higher still when nests were assayed against colonies at an off-island site 70 km away in Castine, ME. These data strongly suggest a multicolonial organization within and among local populations of M. rubra in parts of its introduced range. These Þndings contradict the loss of intraspeciÞc aggression and unicolonial social structure over large geographic areas that have previously been observed in other invasive ant species, particularly Linepithema humile Mayr.
Tax Advice before the Return: The Case for Raising Standards and Denying Evidentiary Privileges

Abusive tax shelters have shone an unappealing light on tax lawyers. Some commentators suggest that these abusive shelters are the work of a small tax shelter bar. This article argues that the same practitioner norms, interpretive approaches, and tax standards that make possible the role of the so-called tax shelter bar in designing mass-marketed shelters also encourage aggressive loophole exploitation in customized tax planning by the regular tax bar. Recent changes have set the stage for a paradigm shift in tax compliance. A new reportable transaction regime increases transparency. The 2004 Jobs Act's stiffer penalties and heightened standards for penalty protection, at least in the context of reportable transactions that have a significant tax avoidance purpose, move the target towards better compliance. Significant changes to the rules governing practice before the Internal Revenue Service add momentum. This article argues that the best way to stymie socially wasteful tax planning is to accelerate the paradigm shift. The statutory and ethical standards for positions taken or advised on returns should be raised. A taxpayer should not be able to take a position on a tax return, nor an advisor advise a position, unless it is considered to have a greater than fifty percent likelihood of success on the merits if litigated. To make returns fully transparent and facilitate enforcement, Congress should amend the law to eliminate the applicability to pre-return tax planning advice of the common law attorney-client privilege and work product protection.
Crossing Borders: Community Activism, Globalization, and Social Justice

Borders are among the most ubiquitous features of social life. They help to define who we are, shape our sense of the world, and contour our surroundings. Borders and boundary maintenance can serve both negative and positive goals, for example, serving as both sites for the reproduction of, and resistance to, inequalities. On the one hand, creating and maintaining borders between nations, communities, and groups form the basis for some of the most violent conflicts both historically and in our present time. While capital flows freely across national borders, people are subject to systematic and oppressive social control that limits or channels their movement. Militarism, violence, and nationalism, along with the less tangible politics of fear, function to enforce borders and raise further questions: who gets to define borders? Who controls these borders? Who can cross, and under what circumstances? Boundary-drawing processes are also at work in the construction of social problems, as distinctions are made between deviancy and normalcy, illegitimate and legitimate acts. On the other hand, demands for the protection of the physical integrity of self, community, or nation include the goal of ensuring personal, social, and cultural freedoms. These appeals for the respect for borders include calls for the right to self-governance by native peoples and the right to bodily integrity by feminist, transgender, intersexed, antiviolence, and anti-sexist activists. Borders between academic disciplines are also policed and hotly contested. Boundaries between what counts as academic work and what is defined as nonacademic also informs the ways in which scholars can engage with activism and how students are socialized into academia. Like many members of the Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP), I situate my work at the border of scholarship and activism and disciplinary and interdisciplinary knowledge and practice. Locating myself in these academic borderlands (to borrow from Gloria Anzalduua [1987]), the scholar activist whose work has contributed most to the development of what is now called border theory), I have been interested in understanding how to link local organizing with extra-local and transnational movements for social and economic justice, as well as to understand the ways in which activists draw on transnational organizing frames and documents and extra-local organizing to support local struggles. In exploring these processes, I tried to cross as many intellectual borders as possible, including sites of knowledge production outside the academy.
Energy Efficiency Improvements in Motors and Drives: United Kingdom Programmes

The United Kingdom activities to improve the energy efficiency of motors and drives are co-ordinated by the Energy Efficiency Best Practice programme (EEBPp). This programme is managed on behalf of the Department of the Environment (DoE) by ETSU for Industry, and BRECSU for Industrial and Commercial buildings.
A Collapsing Housing Bubble

"Speculative froth" in the housing market definitely exists to a degree. But we see little reason to think the froth is enough to swamp the other forces supporting home prices in this country.
Outcome Expectancy and Sexual Compulsivity Among Men Who Have Sex with Men Living with HIV

Sexual compulsivity is operationalized by engaging in repetitive sexual acts, having multiple sexual partners and/or the excessive use of pornography. Outcome expectancy refers to the beliefs about the consequences of engaging in a given behavior. Research examining the relationship between outcome expectancy and sexual compulsivity is limited. The aim of this study was to assess the association between outcome expectancy and sexual compulsivity among men who have sex with men (MSM) living with HIV. Data were obtained from 338 MSM. Simple and multiple linear regression models were used to assess the association between outcome expectancy and sexual compulsivity. After adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, income, education, and employment status, for every one point increase in outcome expectancies for condom use, HIV disclosure and negotiation of safer sex practices, there was, on average, an approximate one point decrease in sexual compulsivity score. Prevention and intervention programs geared towards reducing sexual compulsivity among MSM should focus on increasing outcome expectancies for condom use, HIV disclosure and negotiation of safer sex practices.
Conformation of ryanodine receptor-2 gates store-operated calcium entry in rat pulmonary arterial myocytes.

Aims Store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) contributes to a multitude of physiological and pathophysiological functions in pulmonary vasculatures. SOCE attributable to inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (InsP3R)-gated Ca2+ store has been studied extensively, but the role of ryanodine receptor (RyR)-gated store in SOCE remains unclear. The present study aims to delineate the relationship between RyR-gated Ca2+ stores and SOCE, and characterize the properties of RyR-gated Ca2+ entry in pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). Methods and results PASMCs were isolated from intralobar pulmonary arteries of male Wister rats. Application of the RyR1/2 agonist 4-chloro- m -cresol (4-CmC) activated robust Ca2+ entry in PASMCs. It was blocked by Gd3+ and the RyR2 modulator K201 but was unaffected by the RyR1/3 antagonist dantrolene and the InsP3R inhibitor xestospongin C, suggesting RyR2 is mainly involved in the process. siRNA knockdown of STIM1, TRPC1, and Orai1, or interruption of STIM1 translocation with ML-9 significantly attenuated the 4-CmC-induced SOCE, similar to SOCE induced by thapsigargin. However, depletion of RyR-gated store with caffeine failed to activate Ca2+ entry. Inclusion of ryanodine, which itself did not cause Ca2+ entry, uncovered caffeine-induced SOCE in a concentration-dependent manner, suggesting binding of ryanodine to RyR is permissive for the process. This Ca2+ entry had the same molecular and pharmacological properties of 4-CmC-induced SOCE, and it persisted once activated even after caffeine washout. Measurement of Ca2+ in sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) showed that 4-CmC and caffeine application with or without ryanodine reduced SR Ca2+ to similar extent, suggesting store-depletion was not the cause of the discrepancy. Moreover, caffeine/ryanodine and 4-CmC failed to initiate SOCE in cells transfected with the ryanodine-binding deficient mutant RyR2-I4827T. Conclusions RyR2-gated Ca2+ store contributes to SOCE in PASMCs; however, store-depletion alone is insufficient but requires a specific RyR conformation modifiable by ryanodine binding to activate Ca2+ entry.
Synthesis and Reactivity of Bis(tetramethylcyclopentadienyl) Yttrium Metallocenes Including the Reduction of Me3SiN3 to [(Me3Si)2N]― with [(C5Me4H)2Y(THF)]2(μ-η2:η2-N2)

The metallocene precursors needed to provide the tetramethylcyclopentadienyl yttrium complexes (C5Me4H)3Y, [(C5Me4H)2Y(THF)]2(μ-η2:η2-N2), and [(C5Me4H)2Y(μ-H)]2 for reactivity studies have been synthesized and fully characterized, and their reaction chemistry has led to an unexpected conversion of an azide to an amide. (C5Me4H)2Y(μ-Cl)2K(THF)x, 1, synthesized from YCl3 and KC5Me4H reacts with allylmagnesium chloride to make (C5Me4H)2Y(η3-C3H5), 2, which is converted to [(C5Me4H)2Y][(μ-Ph)2BPh2], 3, with [Et3NH][BPh4]. Complex 3 reacts with KC5Me4H to form (C5Me4H)3Y, 4. The reduced dinitrogen complex, [(C5Me4H)2Y(THF)]2(μ-η2:η2-N2), 5, can be synthesized from either [(C5Me4H)2Y]2[(μ-Ph)2BPh2], 3, or (C5Me4H)3Y, 4, with potassium graphite under a dinitrogen atmosphere. The 15N labeled analogue, [(C5Me4H)2Y(THF)]2(μ-η2:η2-15N2), 5-15N, has also been prepared, and the 15N NMR data have been compared to previously characterized reduced dinitrogen complexes. Complex 2 reacts with H2 to form the corresponding ...
Application of screening experimental designs to assess chromatographic isotope effect upon isotope-coded derivatization for quantitative liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Isotope effect may cause partial chromatographic separation of labeled (heavy) and unlabeled (light) isotopologue pairs. Together with a simultaneous matrix effect, this could lead to unacceptable accuracy in quantitative liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry assays, especially when electrospray ionization is used. Four biologically relevant reactive aldehydes (acrolein, malondialdehyde, 4-hydroxy-2-nonenal, and 4-oxo-2-nonenal) were derivatized with light or heavy (d3-, 13C6-, 15N2-, or 15N4-labeled) 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine and used as model compounds to evaluate chromatographic isotope effects. For comprehensive assessment of retention time differences between light/heavy pairs under various gradient reversed-phase liquid chromatography conditions, major chromatographic parameters (stationary phase, mobile phase pH, temperature, organic solvent, and gradient slope) and different isotope labelings were addressed by multiple-factor screening using experimental designs that included both asymmetrical ...
Exciton and Trion Energy Transfer from Giant Semiconductor Nanocrystals to MoS2 Monolayers

We investigate nonradiative energy transfer (NRET) between CdSe/CdS core/shell “giant” nanocrystal quantum dots (gNQDs) and monolayer domains of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) grown by chemical vapor deposition. We employ three sets of gNQDs with varied core/shell parameters that exhibit radiative emission from neutral and charged excitons (trions) at different spectral positions from 590 to 660 nm as confirmed by photon statistics of individual nanocrystals. Strong photoluminescence (PL) emission quenching is observed for the donor gNQDs placed on MoS2 domains, indicative of the efficient NRET. Analysis of the double-component PL decays reveals NRET from both neutral excitons and charged trions with the same efficiency. Applying a macroscopic electrodynamics model for the decay of electric-dipole emitters in the vicinity of an ultrathin semiconducting layer with a strong in-plane excitonic polarizability, we confirm high NRET efficiencies from >95% to 85% for dots with diameters from 10 to 20 nm. This demon...
"Decknamen or pseudochemical language"? Eirenaeus Philalethes and Carl Jung.

RESUME. — II est impossible d'analyser l'historiographie concernant l'alchimie sans se heurter aux idees du « pere de la psychologie analytique », Carl Jung. Jung soutenait que l'alchimie, consideree comme une entite diachronique, transculturelle, relevait plus des etats psychologiques de l'experimentateur que des processus reellement chimiques. Pour expliciter cette idee, Jung met en avant un certain nombre d'alchimistes de la premiere periode moderne. L'un d'eux est Eirenaeus Philalethes, le pseudonyme de George Starkey (1628-1665), originaire des Bermudes, qui etudia au Harvard College puis s'etablit a Londres. Une analyse attentive des travaux de Starkey montre, cependant, que Jung s'etait trompe dans son appreciation sur cette grande figure de l'alchimie du XVIIe siecle. Cette constatation fait planer un serieux doute sur l'ensemble de l'interpretation jungienne de l'alchimie.
Cytotoxic gallium complexes containing thiosemicarbazones derived from 9-anthraldehyde: Molecular docking with biomolecules

We have synthesized a trio of gallium complexes bearing 9-anthraldehyde thiosemicarbazones. The complexes were assessed for their anticancer activity and their biophysical reactivity was also investigated. The three complexes displayed good cytotoxic profiles against two human colon cancer cell lines, HCT-116 and Caco-2. The IC50 ranged from 4.7 - 44.1 μM with the complex having an unsubstituted amino group on the thiosemicarbazone being the most active. This particular complex also showed a high therapeutic index. All three complexes bind strongly to DNA via intercalation with binding constants ranging from 7.46 × 104 M-1 to 3.25 × 105 M-1. The strength of the binding cannot be directly related to the level of anticancer activity. The complexes also bind strongly to human serum albumin with binding constants on the order of 104 - 105 M-1 as well. The complexes act as chemical nucleases as evidenced by their ability to cleave pBR322 plasmid DNA. The binding constants along with the cleavage results may suggest that the extent of DNA interaction is not directly correlated with anticancer activity. The results of docking studies with DNA, ribonucleotide reductase and human serum albumin, however showed that the complex with the best biological activity had the largest binding constant to DNA.
Increased Hormone-Negative Endocrine Cells in the Pancreas in Type 1 Diabetes.

Context and Objective: Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is characterized by a β-cell deficit due to autoimmune inflammatory-mediated β-cell destruction. It has been proposed the deficit in β-cell mass in T1D may be in part due to β-cell degranulation to chromogranin-positive, hormone-negative (CPHN) cells. Design, Setting, and Participants: We investigated the frequency and distribution of CPHN cells in the pancreas of 15 individuals with T1D, 17 autoantibody-positive nondiabetic individuals, and 17 nondiabetic controls. Results: CPHN cells were present at a low frequency in the pancreas from nondiabetic and autoantibody-positive, brain-dead organ donors but are more frequently found in the pancreas from donors with T1D (islets: 1.11% ± 0.20% vs 0.26% ± 0.06 vs 0.27% ± 0.10% of islet endocrine cells, T1D vs autoantibody positive [AA+] vs nondiabetic [ND]; T1D vs AA+, and ND, P < .001). CPHN cells are most commonly found in the single cells and small clusters of endocrine cells rather than within established islets (...
Passive tracer transport in stochastic flows

A survey of the current state of research on passive tracer transport in stochastic flows is provided. The article is aimed at both mathematicians and physical scientists, and technical details are kept to a minimum. New challenges are indicated.
Comparative genomic hybridization for analysis of changes in DNA copy number in multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a clonal neoplasm of terminally differentiated plasma cells (PCs). Conventional cytogenetic analysis is one of the widely accepted DNA genome-screening tools for identification of chromosomal aberrations in MM. The success rate of detection of abnormal karyotypes by conventional cytogenetic analysis in myeloma is very low because of the low mitotic activity and content of PCs in bone marrow. The advent of comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) has opened a new possibility for characterizing chromosomal aberrations in myeloma cells. CGH is one of the powerful global assays for detecting changes in DNA copy number in a given genomic complement. This method involves competitive hybridization of differentially labeled test DNA (tumor) and reference DNA (normal) to normal human metaphase chromosome spreads. Based on the relative intensity of the two fluorescent colors, regions of a chromosome with gain or loss can be identified in a single hybridization. One of the advantages of CGH is that it can make use of archival materials when frozen tissues are not available, thus greatly expanding the number of cases that can be analyzed. Prospective and retrospective application of CGH to tumor specimens would permit clinical correlative studies of changes in DNA copy number with a much greater power than conventional cytogenetic analysis. The detailed procedures for CGH, including DNA labeling, hybridization, fluorescence microscopy, digital image analysis, and data interpretation, as well as the limitations of CGH are discussed in this chapter.
Hook-Plate Fixation in Patients with Acute Acromioclavicular Joint Dislocation Improved Radiographic But Not Clinical Outcomes Compared with Nonoperative Treatment

Canadian Orthopaedic Trauma Society. Multicenter randomized clinical trial of nonoperative versus operative treatment of acute acromio-clavicular joint dislocation. J Orthop Trauma. 2015 Nov;29(11):479-87. ### Question: In patients with high-grade, acute acromioclavicular (AC) joint dislocation, does operative repair with hook-plate fixation improve patient outcomes more than nonoperative treatment? ### Design: Randomized (allocation concealed), unblinded, controlled trial with 2 years of follow-up and intention-to-treat analysis. ### Setting: 11 hospitals in Canada. ### Patients: 83 patients 16 to 60 years of age (mean age, 38 years; 94% men) who had a closed, complete (Rockwood grade-III to V) AC joint dislocation and were recruited ≤28 days after the injury. Exclusion criteria included previous surgery on the injured shoulder, scapulothoracic dissociation, vascular or ipsilateral shoulder injury, coracoid process fracture of the injured shoulder, or limited life expectancy. >80% of patients were assessed for secondary outcomes at 1 year; 1 year. ### Intervention: Operative repair (n = 40) or nonoperative treatment (n = 43). Operative repair was done ≤28 days after the injury and included anatomic …
Effect of Serum on Long-Term Cultures of Human Umbilical Cord Blood Megakaryocyte Progenitors.

Platelet recovery following umbilical cord blood (CB) transplants can be delayed for several months. In vitro expansion and transplantation of CB megakaryocyte progenitor cells (MPC) may be one way to increase circulating platelets thereby shortening the period of thrombocytopenia. The in vitro expansion and differentiation of CB MPC derived from enriched CB CD34+ cells was studied after immuno-magnetic bead isolation. Isolated CB CD34+ cells were incubated in serum-free culture medium supplemented with a Tpo peptide agonist (TpoA), Flt-3L, Stem Cell Factor (SCF) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF). At week 2, the cultures were divided and 1) maintained in serum-free medium, 2) supplemented with 5% human serum and, 3) supplemented with 5% mouse serum. Using flow cytometry and histocytochemistry, the cultured cells were evaluated for MPC using CD41a, CD36, von Willebrand factor (VWF) and also for myeloid progenitors using CD15 and CD33. The mean total percent MPC (CD41a+ and CD36+) at week 2 was 53 ±17% and 49 ±12%, respectively. After 2–4 weeks of additional culture the %MPC declined to less than 30% in cultures with or without serum supplements. However, at weeks 5–8 of additional culture the %MPC increased in the cultures supplemented with human or mouse serum. The mean %MPC was 45 ±19% (serum-free), 55 ±16% (human serum) and, 71 ±5% (mouse serum) in cultures at week 5–8 of additional culture. The remaining cells in the cultures were myeloid progenitors (CD15+ or CD33+). Total cell numbers at week 5–8 were inhibited 3 to 5x-fold in mouse serum supplemented cultures compared to serum free and human serum supplemented cultures. In addition, VWF+ cells could be detected after 5 weeks of additional culture when either human or mouse serum was present. These data help to explain the delay in platelet recovery typically associated with cord blood transplants but, indicate that additional serum factors are present to enhance megakaryocyte differentiation. These results also suggest that the transplant of cultured CB MPC may prove beneficial for the treatment of thrombocytopenic patients and normal platelet recovery.
Energy Density Enhancement of Stacked Switched Capacitor Energy Buffers Through Capacitance Ratio Optimization

The recently proposed stacked switched capacitor (SSC) energy buffer architecture can extend the lifetime of single-phase ac–dc converters by replacing the electrolytic capacitors needed for twice-line-frequency energy storage with film or ceramic capacitors, while maintaining comparable effective energy density. This paper presents a methodology for further increasing the effective energy density of SSC energy buffers by optimizing the capacitance ratios of the capacitors used in the energy buffer. It is systematically shown that the relative enhancement in effective energy density depends on the required ripple ratio and the number of backbone and supporting capacitors in the energy buffer. The proposed approach can substantially increase the effective energy density of the energy buffer. For example, the effective energy density of a 1-10 enhanced unipolar SSC energy buffer, designed for a 10% ripple ratio, can be increased by 100% as a result of this capacitance ratio optimization. The presented methodology is validated using a 1-2 enhanced unipolar SSC energy buffer designed for an 8-W offline LED driver.
Plasma Is a Reliable Source of mRNA for Testing IgVH Mutation Status in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

The mutational status of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable-region ( IgVH ) gene in the leukemic cells of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is an important prognostic marker. Lack of IgVH mutation is associated with rapid disease progression and shorter survival. The assay used to determine IgVH mutation status requires specific amplification of the mRNA of the expressed clonal IgVH gene in CLL. However, in some patients with CLL or lymphocytic lymphoma, the bulk of the disease resides in the lymph nodes or bone marrow, with few circulating leukemic cells. In addition, contamination of leukemic clonal cells by reactive polyclonal plasma cells can cause difficulty in obtaining homogenous IgVH mRNA for sequencing, and may therefore lead to failed sequencing or sequencing of the wrong IgVH mRNA. We have reported that plasma is enriched with leukemia-specific DNA, RNA, and protein because of the high turnover of leukemic cells relative to non-neoplastic cells. We thus reasoned that plasma might be a more reliable source of IgVH mRNA than cells from peripheral blood or bone marrow, where mixed populations of leukemic cells and non-neoplastic lymphocytes or plasma cells could hinder sequencing. We tested the plasma from 8 patients in whom routine (cell-based) testing for IgVH mutation status failed to yield results due to a paucity of leukemic cells ( IgVH mRNA. Sequencing of these products showed the presence of mutated IgVH in 5 patients and unmutated IgVH in 3. Testing paired plasma and cell samples from 19 patients with CLL showed identical mutation rates and family types of the expressed IgVH gene. In contrast, plasma from 20 normal individuals showed no IgVH amplification products that could be sequenced. This data suggest that plasma can be used as an alternative to cells for testing IgVH mutation status. More importantly, plasma is more reliable when few leukemic cells are in circulation and the bulk of the tumor is in the bone marrow or lymph nodes.
New insight on an old reaction – the aqueous hydrolysis of acetic anhydride

Studies have shown that aqueous reactions generating a change in pH can be accurately monitored using a fast-response pH electrode. This technique has been successfully applied in this work to the aqueous hydrolysis of acetic anhydride, which is a reaction that has been studied using a variety of techniques for nearly one hundred years. Many of these techniques involve elaborate equipment and sophisticated analyses, making the pH technique an attractive alternative. Studies here have focused on the temperature effects of the simple hydrolysis and acetate-catalyzed hydrolysis reactions. Data analyses suggest the notion that if simple hydrolysis occurs by a two-step mechanism, it does so only at low temperatures, whereas acetate-catalyzed hydrolysis occurs almost assuredly by a single step mechanism. Results of this work yield the following values for the activation parameters for simple hydrolysis (subscripted with a “w”) and acetate-catalyzed hydrolysis (subscripted with an “a”) at atmospheric pressure: ΔHw‡=39.90.7kJ⋅mol−1,ΔSw‡=−227(2)J⋅K−1⋅mol−1,ΔHa‡=49.7(0.3)kJ⋅mol−1 and ΔS‡a=−1571J⋅K−1⋅mol−1. Implications of these results are discussed in this article. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of Other Demographic Factors on Subjective QOL

Andrews and Withey (1976), in what is regarded as a seminal study in the psychology of QOL, demonstrated that about 10% of the variance in life satisfaction can be accounted for by demographic characteristics. In later reviews, Diener (1984) and Argyle (1999) suggested a slightly higher estimate: 15%. Based on classic theories of life satisfaction (e.g., bottom -up theory first introduced by Andrews & Withey, 1976; Campbell, Converse, & Rodgers, 1976), an individual’s satisfaction with life is strongly influenced by the objective conditions of his/her life. Bottom-up theory asserts that when a person evaluates their life overall, they review the objective conditions of his/her life in various life domains (i.e., social life, family life, leisure life, work life, financial life, love life, etc.), weigh this domain satisfaction by the relative importance of this domain vis-a-vis other domains, and sum up those evaluations to create an overall judgment. Such a process is essentially grounded on the objective conditions of one’s life, which translates into demographics (age, income, education, marital status, gender, and so on). In the preceding chapter, we discussed the effects of one important demographic factor, income, on the subjective aspects of QOL. In this chapter, we will shift our attention to other demographic factors such as age, gender, education, and marital status, among others.
Kähler-Einstein Metrics for the Case of Negative and Zero Anticanonical Class

Suppose M is a compact Kahler manifold of complex dimension m. We would like to prove in this chapter the existence of a Kahler-Einstein metric on M when the anticanonical class of M is either negative or zero. A Kahler-Einstein metric means a Kahler metric whose Ricci curvature is a constant multiple of the Kahler metric. First we formulate the problem in the form a Monge-Ampere equation.
Male Parental Investment and the Development of Children's Social Competencies: Understanding the Moderating Effects of Marital Quality

A vast literature shows that the quality of personal relationships, especially personal relationships with parents for children, is a major predictor of psychosocial functioning and development. The present literature review attempts to better understand parental influences on the development of children's social competencies from an evolutionary perspective, by focusing on male parental investment in children, and its influences on the child's social competencies. Extant research suggests that male parental investment is more highly correlated with, and predictive of the development of the childs socio-competitive competencies than female parental investment. This review also explores the effects of marital quality on the links between parent-child relationship behaviors and child outcomes.
Declining Marbled Murrelet density, but not productivity, in the San Juan Islands, Washington, USA

ABSTRACT The Marbled Murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) is federally threatened in part of its range in western North America. Information on density and productivity is important for managing populations. Over an 18-yr period, we monitored murrelet density and productivity ratios during the breeding season along 170 km of shoreline of the San Juan Islands, Washington, USA. While murrelets occur throughout the coastal marine waters of Washington, the San Juan Islands support higher densities of murrelets during the breeding season than most other areas. From 1995 to 2012, the average density of adult murrelets declined significantly from 11.16 to 5.76 murrelets km−2, a decline that mirrored large-scale at-sea surveys in Washington. Despite this consistent and ominous decline in overall murrelet density, the density of juvenile murrelets and murrelet productivity ratio (juveniles:adults) did not decline over this time period. Thus, the declining density of murrelets in the San Juan Islands was due to decl...
Allies or adversaries: NGOs and the state in Africa, edited by Jennifer N. Brass, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2016, 292 pp., £64.99 (hardback), ISBN 9781316678527

This work analyses relations between the state and one critically important non-state actor: the nongovernmental organisation (NGO). The sheer number of NGOs working in Africa and the broad range o...
Application of a Beta-Tricalcium Phosphate Graft to Minimize Bony Defect in Bone–Patella Tendon–Bone Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Abstract Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with a bone–patellar tendon–bone autograft yields good clinical outcomes. Despite appropriate clinical outcomes, the most common complaint after reconstruction with a bone–patellar tendon–bone autograft is anterior knee pain at the donor graft sites. Synthetic bone grafts, such as beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP), have been previously used to fill the bony defect in fractures as well as removal of bony tumors, and have shown positive utility in improving anterior knee pain after ACL reconstruction. In this Technical Note, we describe the technique of placing a β-TCP graft in the donor graft site after bone–patellar tendon–bone ACL reconstruction. After standard arthroscopic ACL reconstruction, the β-TCP is appropriately sized with an osteotome and sagital saw before being placed into the patellar and tibial donor sites. A 0-Vicryl suture is used to suture the periosteum to secure the β-TCP graft at the donor sites. This described technique allows for appropriate sizing and secure placement of the graft to maximize bone regeneration at the donor site.
Incentives and Regulation in Queues

It is known that customers seeking service in a queuing system tend to overcrowd the facility when making their individual decisions based on a consideration of the benefits they derive from the service and the cost due to waiting at the system. To obtain an optimal utilization it is necessary to restrict entry by pricing. In this paper, the effect of applying the operating cost of the service center to its users is analyzed.
Dietary carbohydrates effects upon magnesium metabolism in sheep.

Apparent magnesium (Mg) absorption was measured in mature sheep fed hay or vegetative grass, each with and without supplemental glucose (water-soluble carbohydrate). Glucose supplemented in varying levels to hay increased apparent Mg absorption (linear, P less than 0.01) and urinary-Mg output (linear, P less than 0.01). Glucose added to vegetative grass did not change Mg absorption, but plasma-Mg concentrations were higher (P less than 0.05) than controls. Absorption and urinary loss of Mg were positively correlated (P less than 0.01) when hay or grass was fed, with or without glucose. Varying dietary glucose levels in hay or grass did not influence (P greater than 0.05) apparent absorption of calcium (Ca), potassium (K), or phosphorus (P). This study suggests that supplementation with a readily available carbohydrate during periods of dietary Mg deficiency may reduce the rate of plasma-Mg decline characteristic of ruminants grazing spring grass.
On Accumulating and Having IT All

The main hypothesis to be investigated is that the distinction between grammatical aspect and t the semantic classification of verbal predicates into eventuality types (events, processes and states) is encoded by distinct parts of verbal morphology in Slavic languages. The key empirical evidence is drawn from the influence of verbal morphology on the interpretation of certain bare plural and mass arguments.