cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Biogeochemical Response of Apalachicola Bay and the Shelf Waters to Hurricane Michael Using Ocean Color Semi Analytic/Inversion and Hydrodynamic Models

Hurricanes are increasingly being recognized as important episodic drivers in ocean biogeochemical cycling; however, spatiotemporal response of their impacts on coastal and estuarine ecosystems are limited. Hurricane Michael, which made landfall just west of Apalachicola Bay (ApB) on October 10, 2018 as a Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 250 km h-1, caused widespread damage to the northwest Florida coast, and adverse effects on oyster reefs and water quality in ApB due to winds and coastal flooding associated with a strong storm surge. The impact of wind forcing and retreating storm surges on coastal and shelf biogeochemical properties remains however, largely unknown. In this study, we use a combination of pre-hurricane field observations, ocean-color satellite imagery and the outputs (salinity, currents, sea surface height and temperature) of a nested high-resolution 3-dimensional hydrodynamic model (NCOM) to examine the biogeochemical response of ApB and the surrounding shelf waters to Hurricane Michael. MODIS-derived optical proxies (e.g., absorption of colored dissolved organic matter or CDOM and particle backscattering coefficients) of dissolved and particulate organic carbon (DOC and POC) were derived for a series of clear-sky imagery (prior to and following the hurricane) using a combination of estuarine-tuned semi-analytic and empirical algorithms. Following the hurricane, spatiotemporal distribution of both DOC and POC in ApB and the nearshore coastal waters showed a strong response to storm surge, increasing river discharge, currents, and wind field. Average flux estimates of organic carbon exported from ApB between October 5-21, 2018 to the coastal ocean were much greater for DOC (0.86106 kg C d-1) than POC (0.21106 kg C d-1) and increased with increasing river discharge and the wind field. A bio-optical inversion algorithm applied to Sentinel-3A OLCI imagery of 13 October, 2018 immediately following the hurricane’s passage, showed a strong, week-long biological response with spatially distinct phytoplankton blooms of Karenia brevis and Emiliania Huxleyi, as detected by satellite imagery of pigments, an approach that could revolutionize our understanding of environmental impacts on phytoplankton. This study revealed spatiotemporal changes in estuarine and coastal ocean biogeochemistry reflective of a systematic regional ecosystem response to Hurricane Michael.
On Physical and Material Conservation Laws

Using the variational principle with varying boundaries, it is shown that both physical and material conservation laws can be obtained from the same expression. The basic quantities used in those conservation laws are:physical momentum (stress) and material momentum. Two different representations are employed to study the equal importance of both of them in the theory of elasticity.
High-Dimensional Linear Regression and Phase Retrieval via PSLQ Integer Relation Algorithm

We study high-dimensional linear regression problem without sparsity, and address the question of efficient recovery with small number of measurements. We propose an algorithm which efficiently recovers an unknown feature vector β∗ ∈ ℝp from its linear measurements Y = Xβ∗ in polynomially many steps, with high probability (as p → ∞), even with a single measurement, provided elements of β∗ are supported on a rationally independent set of at most polynomial in p size known to learner. We use a combination of PSLQ integer relation and LLL lattice basis reduction algorithms to achieve our goal. We then apply our ideas to develop an efficient, single-sample algorithm for the phase retrieval problem, where ${\beta ^ * } \in {\mathbb{C}^p}$ is to be recovered from magnitude-only observations Y = |〈X, β∗〉|.
The role of actin and myosin in antigen extraction by B lymphocytes.

Abstract B cells must extract antigens attached to the surface of antigen presenting cells to generate high-affinity antibodies. Antigen extraction requires force, and recent studies have implicated actomyosin-dependent pulling forces generated within the B cell as the major driver of antigen extraction. These actomyosin-dependent pulling forces also serve to test the affinity of the B cell antigen receptor for antigen prior to antigen extraction. Such affinity discrimination is central to the process of antibody affinity maturation. Here we review the evidence that actomyosin-dependent pulling forces generated within the B cell promote affinity discrimination and power antigen extraction. Our take on these critical B cell functions is influenced significantly by the recent identification of formin-generated, myosin-rich, concentric actin arcs in the medial portion of the T cell immune synapse, as B cells appear to contain a similar contractile actomyosin structure.
Abstract P455: Epistatic Regulation of Hematological-related Traits and Gene Expression in Mice Reveals Additional Heritability Missed by Standard GWAS-type Analyses

The genetic contribution of additive versus non-additive (epistasis) effects in the regulation of hematologic and other complex traits is unclear. Although many variants have been associated with a...
Tumor mutational load predicts time to first treatment in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and monoclonal B‐cell lymphocytosis beyond the CLL international prognostic index

Next-generation sequencing identified about 60 genes recurrently mutated in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). We examined the additive prognostic value of the total number of recurrently mutated CLL genes (i.e., tumor mutational load [TML]) or the individually mutated genes beyond the CLL international prognostic index (CLL-IPI) in newly diagnosed CLL and high-count monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis (HC MBL). We sequenced 59 genes among 557 individuals (112 HC MBL/445 CLL) in a multi-stage design, to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for time-to-first treatment (TTT), adjusted for CLL-IPI and sex. TML was associated with shorter TTT in the discovery and validation cohorts, with a combined estimate of continuous HR = 1.27 (CI:1.17-1.39, P = 2.6 × 10-8 ; c-statistic = 0.76). When stratified by CLL-IPI, the association of TML with TTT was stronger and validated within low/intermediate risk (combined HR = 1.54, CI:1.37-1.72, P = 7.0 × 10-14 ). Overall, 80% of low/intermediate CLL-IPI cases with two or more mutated genes progressed to require therapy within 5 years, compared to 24% among those without mutations. TML was also associated with shorter TTT in the HC MBL cohort (HR = 1.53, CI:1.12-2.07, P = .007; c-statistic = 0.71). TML is a strong prognostic factor for TTT independent of CLL-IPI, especially among low/intermediate CLL-IPI risk, and a better predictor than any single gene. Mutational screening at early stages may improve risk stratification and better predict TTT.
CP Complements to D

Despite their apparent simplicity, the structure of DPs containing “complement” CPs (what we will call DCs) has long been obscure. One major strand of investigation has attempted to assimilate DCs to (close) nominal apposition, implying that N and CP form a structural unit that then combines with D. Danish has two kinds of DCs, a bare DC with the superficial structure [D N CP] and a prepositional DC in which the CP is encased in a PP. Exploiting clues provided by the allomorphy of the definite morpheme, we argue that the bare and prepositional DCs have very different structures, neither of which can be assimilated to apposition between N and CP. We further show that the two kinds of DC have distinct semantic and pragmatic properties. We then argue that English also has two different structures for DCs, and that they are plausibly parallel to the structures we establish for Danish. We conclude by arguing that two distinct structures give rise to the “apposition” relation: in one case it is between coarguments of D and in the other it is nonrestrictive composition
Tumor immunity in mice reconstituted with BM cells engineered to express single chain T cell receptor specific for the tumor antigen MUC1.

2465 MUC1 glycoprotein is overexpressed on the surface of a variety of epithelial tumors and has been under investigation as a target for immunotherapy. Cytotoxic lymphocyte clones were generated from breast and pancreatic cancer patients that recognized MUC1 on the surface of tumor cells in a TCR-mediated MHC-unrestricted manner. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential to use MHC-unrestricted MUC1-specific TCR gene transfer for cancer immunotherapy. The T cell receptor (TCR) α and β chains were cloned from one MHC-unrestricted CTL clone (MA). Various chimeric TCRs were constructed and expressed on the surface of a variety of cell lines in vitro. TCR-deficient T cell line Jurkat, JRT3.5, transfected with the TCR α and β chains from MA CTL fluxed calcium in response to stimulation with a MUC1+ human tumor, HPAF. BWZ murine thymoma cells transfected with a scTCR (consisting of the TCR extracellular domain and the CD3 ζ signaling domain) were triggered to secret IL-2 in response to stimulation with MUC1+ tumor cells. These results confirmed specificity and functionality of the cloned receptors. The tumor recognition and rejection function of one of the constructs, the scTCR, was tested in vivo in SCID mice reconstituted with BM cells transduced with scTCR-MFG retroviral vector and challenged with HPAF tumor cells. Tumor growth in mice with scTCR-transduced BM cells was significantly slower than that seen in the control group. FACS analysis showed that BM cells transduced with scTCR-MFG retroviral vector differentiated in vivo into multiple immune lineages including granulocytes, monocytes and NK cells that express the scTCR. Human MUC1 Tg. mice reconstituted with BM cells transduced with the MUC1-specific TCR did not show any signs of autoimmunity, cellular infiltration or destruction of MUC1-expressing tissues. Transduction of BM with tumor-specific TCR represents a potentially efficacious gene therapy/immunotherapy approach. MUC1-specific MHC-unrestricted TCR will make this treatment applicable to all cancer patients with MUC1+ tumors, regardless of their HLA type.
Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, Mediterranean, and Alternative Healthy Eating indices are associated with bone health among Puerto Rican adults from the Boston Puerto Rican Osteoporosis Study

BACKGROUND Conflicting results on associations between dietary quality and bone have been noted across populations, and this has been understudied in Puerto Ricans, a population at higher risk of osteoporosis than previously appreciated. OBJECTIVE To compare cross-sectional associations between 3 dietary quality indices [Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), Alternative Health Eating Index (AHEI-2010), and Mediterranean Diet Score (MeDS)] with bone outcomes. METHOD Participants (n = 865-896) from the Boston Puerto Rican Osteoporosis Study (BPROS) with complete bone and dietary data were included. Indices were calculated from validated food frequency data. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured using DXA. Associations between dietary indices (z-scores) and their individual components with BMD and osteoporosis were tested with ANCOVA and logistic regression, respectively, at the lumbar spine and femoral neck, stratified by male, premenopausal women, and postmenopausal women. RESULTS Participants were 59.9 y ± 7.6 y and mostly female (71%). Among postmenopausal women not taking estrogen, DASH (score: 11-38) was associated with higher trochanter (0.026 ± 0.006 g/cm2, P <0.001), femoral neck (0.022 ± 0.006 g/cm2, P <0.001), total hip (0.029 ± 0.006 g/cm2, P <0.001), and lumbar spine BMD (0.025 ± 0.007 g/cm2, P = 0.001). AHEI (score: 25-86) was also associated with spine and all hip sites (P <0.02), whereas MeDS (0-9) was associated only with total hip (P = 0.01) and trochanter BMD (P = 0.007) in postmenopausal women. All indices were associated with a lower likelihood of osteoporosis (OR from 0.54 to 0.75). None of the results were significant for men or premenopausal women. CONCLUSIONS Although all appeared protective, DASH was more positively associated with BMD than AHEI or MeDS in postmenopausal women not taking estrogen. Methodological differences across scores suggest that a bone-specific index that builds on existing indices and that can be used to address dietary differences across cultural and ethnic minority populations should be considered.
Factors associated with psychiatric readmission of children and adolescents in the U.S.: A systematic review of the literature.

Abstract Objective A systematic review of research assessing factors associated with inpatient psychiatric readmission of children and adolescents. Methods In accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), we searched 8 databases (1994–2018) to identify relevant articles on factors associated with youth psychiatric readmission. Selected articles addressed one or more factors associated with psychiatric readmission for children and adolescents (≤21 years of age) admitted to a psychiatric hospital in the United States for a primary mental health diagnosis. Two authors independently reviewed article abstracts, titles, and text. Results Of 7903 retrieved articles, 30 studies met inclusion criteria. Analyzed variables were categorized according to child demographic and clinical characteristics; family, provider, and community characteristics; and treatment and aftercare characteristics. Available studies were markedly heterogeneous in methodology and outcomes. Factors associated with an increased risk of readmission included greater symptom severity, clinical diagnoses such as psychosis and affective disorders, suicidal behavior and self-injury, poor family functioning, and longer lengths of index hospital stay. Conclusions Controlled trials of interventions to improve care and reduce recidivism for psychiatrically hospitalized youth are needed. Future research will benefit from a guiding theoretical framework, more representative samples, and standardized exposure/outcome measures.
Metamodeling and Machine Learning

A metamodel, or surrogate model, is a model of a model. Metamodeling refers to a process of generating such metamodels which is based on analysis, construction and development of the frames, rules, constraints, models and theories applicable and useful for modeling a predefined class of problems. On the other hand, machine learning is an application of artificial intelligence that provides systems the ability to automatically learn and improve from experience without being explicitly programmed. This chapter provides a review on different design of experiment techniques, as well as various machine learning algorithms.
Elimination of acquired resistance to PD-1 blockade via the concurrent depletion of tumour cells and immunosuppressive cells.

Antigen release resulting from the death of tumour cells induced by chemotherapies and targeted therapies can augment the antitumour responses induced by immune checkpoint blockade (ICB). However, tumours responding to ICB therapies often become resistant to them. Here we show that the specific targeting of tumour cells promotes the growth of tumour-cell variants that are resistant to ICB, and that the acquired resistance can be overcome via the concurrent depletion of tumour cells and of major types of immunosuppressive cell via a monoclonal antibody binding the enzyme CD73, which we identified as highly expressed on tumour cells and on regulatory T cells, myeloid-derived suppressor cells and tumour-associated macrophages, but not on cytolytic T lymphocytes, natural killer cells and dendritic cells. In mice with murine tumours, the systemic administration of anti-PD1 antibodies and anti-CD73 antibodies conjugated to a near-infrared dye prevented near-infrared-irradiated tumours from acquiring resistance to ICB and resulted in the eradication of advanced tumours. The elimination of immunosuppressive cells may overcome acquired resistance to ICB across a range of tumour types and combination therapies. The concurrent depletion of tumour cells and immunosuppressive cells via a monoclonal antibody targeting a common surface marker prevents tumours from acquiring resistance to therapies involving immune checkpoint blockade.
Multisensory Processing and Perceptual Consciousness: Part II

Multisensory processing encompasses all of the various ways in which the presence of information in one sensory modality can adaptively influence the processing of information in a different modality. In Part I of this survey article, I begin by presenting a cartography of some of the more extensively investigated forms of multisensory processing, with a special focus on two distinct types of multisensory integration. I briefly discuss the conditions under which these different forms of multisensory processing occur as well as their important perceptual consequences and interrelations. In Part II, I then turn to examining of some of the different possible ways in which the structure of conscious perceptual experience might also be characterized as multisensory. In addition, I discuss the significance of research on multisensory processing and multisensory consciousness for philosophical attempts to individuate the senses.
“Plant a victory garden: our food is fighting:” Lessons of food resilience from World War

Today, the high ideals of local food production reverberate as a model of self-sufficiency and food security. In the USA and Great Britain during World War I (WWI), local food production was envisioned as ammunition to win the war. To what extent have the food policies and slogans of World Wars I and II influenced current ideas of the value of local strategies of food security in maintaining resilience, and what lessons does the history of war offer about food resilience? During World War I, German and British military strategists developed plans to win the war by leveraging actions to destroy their enemy’s civilian food system. This history triangulates the food resilience of a country that imported food (Great Britain) with one that grew its food locally (Germany), and one that exported surplus (the USA) to examine the strengths and limits of local food production. During World War I, Germany suffered over a million fatalities from famine, while the USA and Great Britain raised their national nutritional status by the end of the war. The tragic German experience led directly to the rise of World War II (WWII), a war initiated with a “Hunger Plan.” Nineteen million civilians died, many of starvation. A long historical time frame is needed to construct lessons about resilient food systems. This brief sketch of the dismantling and reconstruction of food systems in WWI and WWII draws from secondary sources to suggest novel ideas about the interplay between local production, national coordination, and international networks for humanitarian aid. Using the food policies of three countries—Great Britain, the USA, and Germany—this history provides an opportunity to consider the characteristics of resilient food systems, and to suggest what is required to reconstruct a large-scale food system following a crisis. War, a disrupter of food systems, also provides a model of how food systems can be reconstructed.
Transitions of cloud-topped marine boundary layers characterized by AIRS, MODIS, and a large eddy simulation model

[1] Cloud top entrainment instability (CTEI) is a hypothesized positive feedback between entrainment mixing and evaporative cooling near the cloud top. Previous theoretical and numerical modeling studies have shown that the persistence or breakup of marine boundary layer (MBL) clouds may be sensitive to the CTEI parameter. Collocated thermodynamic profile and cloud observations obtained from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments are used to quantify the relationship between the CTEI parameter and the cloud-topped MBL transition from stratocumulus to trade cumulus in the northeastern Pacific Ocean. Results derived from AIRS and MODIS are compared with numerical results from the UCLA large eddy simulation (LES) model for both well-mixed and decoupled MBLs. The satellite and model results both demonstrate a clear correlation between the CTEI parameter and MBL cloud fraction. Despite fundamental differences between LES steady state results and the instantaneous snapshot type of observations from satellites, significant correlations for both the instantaneous pixel-scale observations and the long-term averaged spatial patterns between the CTEI parameter and MBL cloud fraction are found from the satellite observations and are consistent with LES results. This suggests the potential of using AIRS and MODIS to quantify global and temporal characteristics of the cloud-topped MBL transition.
Mediodorsal Thalamus Plays a Critical Role in the Development of Limbic Motor Seizures

Limbic motor seizures in animals, analogous to complex partial seizures in humans, result in a consistent activation of the mediodorsal thalamus (MD) and, with prolonged seizures, damage to MD. This study examined the functional role of MD in focally evoked limbic motor seizures in the rat. GABA- and glutamate (Glu)-mediated synaptic transmissions in MD were evaluated for an influence on seizures evoked from area tempestas (AT), a discrete epileptogenic site in the rostral piriform cortex. A GABAA receptor agonist, Glu receptor antagonists, or a GABA-elevating agent were focally microinfused into MD before evoking seizures by focal application of bicuculline methiodide into the ipsilateral AT. Focal pretreatment of MD with the GABAA agonist muscimol (190 pmol) protected against seizures evoked from AT. Seizure protection was also obtained with the focal application of 2, 3-dihydroxy-6-nitro-7-sulfamoyl-benzo(F)quinoxaline (NBQX) (500 pmol), an antagonist of the AMPA subtype of Glu receptors, into MD. In contrast, focal pretreatment of MD with a competitive antagonist of the NMDA receptor 2-amino-7-phosphonoheptanoic acid (500 pmol) did not attenuate seizures. The anticonvulsant effects achieved with intra-MD injections of muscimol and NBQX were site-specific, because no seizure protection was obtained with injections placed 2 mm ventral or lateral to MD. Prolonged seizure protection was obtained following GABA elevation in MD after the application of the GABA transaminase inhibitor vigabatrin (194 nmol). These results suggest the following: (1) MD is a critical participant in the generation of seizures elicited focally from piriform cortex; (2) transmission via AMPA receptors, but not NMDA receptors, in MD regulates limbic seizure propagation; and (3) a GABA-mediated system exists within MD, the enhancement of which protects against focally evoked limbic motor seizures.
The Impact of Child Care on Gender Role Development and Gender Stereotypes.

Research has shown that gender role development is socially constructed and learned from birth. In this study, the impact of child care and the interactions that take place there are examined, with a focus on gender behavior and stereotypes. Observation data and analysis are presented. Themes representing gender stereotypes and the breaking of gender barriers are examined, and the role that caregivers can play in the fostering of gender-fair behaviors is discussed.
The 20th Century Decline in the Private Cost to Women of Non-Marital Sex: Causes and Consequences

Non-marital sex in the United States — pre-marital, extra-marital, and post-marital — went through a radical change over the course of the twentieth century. It both increased markedly in frequency and availability and changed dramatically in character. The pace of change was most rapid in a period of perhaps ten years beginning in the early 1960s. What accounts for this revolution in such a core human activity? Why and how did we shift from a world in which sex outside of marriage, while not unavailable, was not nearly so abundant, was generally unreliable, tawdry, and, for women, usually shameful, to one in which it was readily and widely available, seen as part of the natural course of unmarried life, and where the failure to engage in sex with some regularity was generally viewed as harmful and shameful?I am aware of no fundamental change in the drive for sex or its ontological and psychological meaning that explains this revolution. I will spend most of this paper providing an economic explanation of this transformation, and particularly its pace in the 1960s. I will focus primarily on the plummeting costs to women of engaging in sex. That waning of cost came in two different, but related, dimensions. First, there was a dramatic amelioration and even reversal in the negative material consequences of sex. Second, and perhaps more importantly, the reputational price that women had to pay for engaging in non-marital sex plummeted in a manner analogous to a neighborhood “tipping” model. Beyond exploring the causes I am concerned with the consequences of this change in practice and attitude. I will discuss the immense negative externalities both pecuniary and real that have come in the train of our more libertine practices and attitudes. That I will suggest that the earlier more prudish and chaste sexual culture had a number of broad societal benefits that have now been eroded will hardly be surprising. Grounding such an observation in the language and concepts of economics will, I hope, prove informative and thought provoking.
Application of modified Twomey techniques to invert lidar angular scatter and solar extinction data for determining aerosol size distributions

Polarization properties of the angularly scattered laser light from a volume of air are used to determine the size distribution of the aerosol particles within the volume by the use of appropriate inversion techniques. Similar techniques are employed to determine a mean size distribution of the particulates within a vertical column through the atmosphere from determinations of the aerosol optical depth as a function of wavelength. In both of these examples, a modification of an inversion technique originally described by Twomey has been employed. Details of this method are presented as well as results from actual measurements employing bistatic lidar and solar radiometer.
Magnetic doping of a thiolated-gold superatom: First-principles density functional theory calculations

The ${\text{Au}}_{25}{(\text{SR})}_{18}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ cluster is a new member in the superatom family which features a centered icosahedral shell $({\text{Au}}_{13})$ protected by six $\text{RS}{(\text{AuSR})}_{2}$ motifs (RS\ensuremath{-} being an alkylthiolate group). Here we show that this superatom can be magnetically doped by replacing the center Au atom with Cr, Mn, or Fe. We find that Cr- and Mn-doped clusters have an optimized magnetic moment of 5 Bohr magnetons while the Fe-doped cluster has an optimized magnetic moment of 3 Bohr magnetons. Although the dopant atom's local magnetic moment makes a major contribution to the total moment, the icosahedral ${\text{Au}}_{12}$ shell is also found to be significantly magnetized. Our work here provides a scenario of magnetic doping of a metal-cluster superatom which is protected by ligands and made by wet chemistry.
A single domain of yeast poly(A)-binding protein is necessary and sufficient for RNA binding and cell viability

Abstract The poly(A)-binding protein (PAB) gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is essential for cell growth. A 66-amino acid polypeptide containing half of a repeated N-terminal domain can replace the entire protein in vivo. Neither an octapeptide sequence conserved among eucaryotic RNA-binding proteins nor the C-terminal domain of PAB is required for function in vivo. A single N-terminal domain is nearly identical to the entire protein in the number of high-affinity sites for poly(A) binding in vitro (one site with an association constant of approximately 2 X 10(7) M-1) and in the size of the binding site (12 A residues). Multiple N-terminal domains afford a mechanism of PAB transfer between poly(A) strands.
Interventions to Improve Outcomes for Minority Adults with Asthma: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVES To systematically review the literature to characterize interventions with potential to improve outcomes for minority patients with asthma.
Synthesis of biphenylated cyanate esters: Thermomechanical resin comparisons within two isomeric series

Three isomeric tetraaryl cyanate esters containing biphenyl moieties {bis-[4-(4′-cyanatophenyl)phenyl]propane, 2,2-bis-[4-(3′-cyanatophenyl)phenyl]propane, and 2,2-bis-[4-(2′-cyanatophenyl)phenyl]propane} and three isomeric triaryl cyanate esters {2-(4′-hydroxyphenyl)-2-[4′-(4-hydroxyphenyl)phenyl]propane, 2-(4′-hydroxyphenyl)-2-[4′-(3-hydroxyphenyl)phenyl]propane, and 2-(4′-hydroxyphenyl)-2-[4′-(2-hydroxyphenyl)phenyl]propane} were synthesized from their corresponding bisphenols. The structures of the monomers were confirmed with IR and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The curing behavior was investigated with differential scanning calorimetry. Cyanate esters were cured thermally in the absence of a catalyst and were characterized by dynamic mechanical analysis. The results were compared to the properties of commercial bisphenol A polycyanurate. Of the three tetraaryl isomers, 2,2-bis-[4-(2′-cyanatophenyl)phenyl]propane had the highest melting point, and its corresponding resin had the lowest glass-transition temperature (Tg). The para isomer displayed the highest Tg value of the three novel tetraaryl resins. The triaryl dicyanate isomers were low-melting solids, with the ortho and meta isomers existing as liquids at room temperature. The Tg value of the para-triaryl isomer was the highest of the three triaryl isomers and was about the same as that of bisphenol A polycyanurate. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011
Optical traps for single molecule biophysics: a primer

Optical trapping experiments of different complex- ities are making a significant impact in biology. This review seeks to highlight design choices for scientists entering the field or building new instruments and to discuss making calibrated measurements with optical traps. For specificity, this review focuses on nucleic acid-based assays, but the discussion reflects the general experimental design considerations of developing a biological assay and an optical trap to measure it.
Effects of Multiple Small Doses of Progesterone on Estrogen and Gonadotropin Secretion in the Cyclic Hamster

AbstractThe sc injection of 10 μg of progesterone at 0900, 1200, and 1500 h of Day 3 of the hamster estrous cycle (Day 1 = morning of ovulation) delayed ovulation by at least one day. Following progesterone treatment, the temporal changes in hormone levels on Day 3 were determined. Serum estradiol declined significantly at 1300 hr (1 hr after the second injection of progesterone) and was depressed until at least 2200 hr of Day 3. Serum estradiol returned to normal levels by 0900 hr, Day 4. Serum levels of progesterone ranging from 1.2 to 2.8 ng/ml were associated with the decline in estradiol; these levels of progesterone are within the physiological range of 5 ng/ml produced by the corpora lutea on Days 1 and 2 of the cycle. The rapid initial fall in estradiol produced by exogeneous progesterone was not paralleled at 1300 hr by similar declines in FSH, LH, or PRL. However, at subsequent time intervals on Day 3, serum LH was 3-4 ng/ml less in the progesterone-treated hamsters. Therefore, the use of multip...
Educational issues related to cancer genetics

Objectives: To discuss educational issues facing the nurse and to review opportunities for genetic education. Data sources: Published articles pertaining to cancer genetics and nursing. Conclusions: Health care providers are experiencing significant changes in their professional lives. Not only is the environment where services are provided changing, but the need for consumers to be knowledgeable and the expectations of care providers are enhanced. One significant challenge is the genetic discoveries influencing available health care. Educational preparation is crucial to the application of genetic technology in practice, research, and management of all patients. Implications for practice: The science and technology of genetics offers tremendous potential change for health care delivery. This in turn requires knowledgeable nurses to provide total patient care through the integration of genetic information. Determination of preferred methods, content, access, and evaluation is the focus of genetic educational issues.
Observation and identification of 2-C-methyl-d-erythritol-2,4-cyclopyrophosphate in horseweed and ryegrass treated with glyphosate

Abstract Glyphosate is the world’s most important and widely used herbicide with a global market forecast to exceed a million metric tons before end of the current decade. While using 31 P NMR in vivo to determine the fate of glyphosate in horseweed ( Conyza canadensis (L.) Cronquist), we observed the glyphosate-induced appearance of an unexpected phosphorous containing compound that, in some cases, presented at millimolar concentrations [X. Ge, D.A. d’Avignon, J.J.H. Ackerman, R.D. Sammons, Rapid vacuolar sequestration: the horseweed glyphosate resistance mechanism, Pest Manag. Sci. 66 (2010) 345–348.]. Additional studies showed appearance of the same compound could be induced in ryegrass ( Lolium multiflorum Lam) and other plant species by glyphosate exposure. We have isolated and identified the phosphorous containing compound as 2-C-methyl- d -erythritol-2,4-cyclopyrophosphate (MEcPP), one of the intermediates of the methylerythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) pathway, which is critical in plants for the production of isoprenoids. Herein, we describe conditions under which MEcPP can be produced in plants as well as the isolation and characterization of this metabolite.
Trapping efficiency of selected adsorbents for various airborne pesticides

Abstract A study was conducted to compare the efficiency of five absorbents used by government and private laboratories to collect airborne pesticides. Six pesticides, acephate, chlordane, chlorpyrifos, diazinon, heptachlor, and propoxur, were vaporized in a closed system and collected on each of the adsorbents, Chromosorb 102, ORBO 42, ORBO 44 (chlordane and heptachlor only), Polyurethane foam (PUF) or Tenax GC, by drawing 250 L of air through the adsorbent. There were no differences in collection efficiency of the five pesticides on Chromosorb 102, ORBO's 42/44, and PUF. The efficiency with Tenax was somewhat less with several of the pesticides.
Charity begins at home: a socio-technical analysis of corporate websites to study the response to September 11

In this study we performed a content analysis on the websites of the Fortune 100 corporations to examine their responses to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. We find that most corporations responded by providing financial assistance in the form of direct cash donations or matching employee contributions. Contributions of products or services, and enhanced security measures were the most frequently provided in-kind responses. Four variables influence the kinds of responses generated by the various companies: industry category, geographic location, physical impact, and profitability. The Industry category financial services, and the Northeast geographic location have the most significant effect on company responses. Physical impact of the tragedy is related to the provision of additional services or security measures. In addition, level of profitability is found to affect both donations to a fund and provision of volunteers. The paper explores some of the reasons behind the pattern of responses we observed and recommends some directions for future research.
Digital plagiarism: An experimental study of the effect of instructional goals and copy-and-paste affordance

Abstract This paper presents an empirical study of digital plagiarism. Under two experimental conditions, undergraduate writers were guided by different achievement goals to write an essay with or without the copy-and-paste function on a website. The study focused on two possible influences on digital plagiarism, a) instructional goals for writing, and b) the affordances of digital learning environments specifically the availability of a copy-paste function. A 2 × 2 factorial design was used to analyze the effects of these contextual variables on digital plagiarism. Results indicated that overall 79.5% of the writers engaged in digital plagiarism. There was a significant interaction in which instructional performance goals lead to more plagiarism when copy-paste is available. Findings highlight individual-environment interactions, including a writer's adopted goals for writing as set by writing prompt instructions (learning goals vs. performance goals) and the affordances of the writing environment including the ease of copy-paste or precautions taken to protect text (such as using jpegs of text). Rather than being principally directed by student's beliefs prior to, or when they begin a writing task, the on-the-fly interactions they have during the writing task may best explain their tendency toward plagiarism.
Photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation of 0.635-eV EL0 emission in oxygen-doped semi-insulating GaAs.

The 0.635-eV photoluminescence emission present in oxygen-doped semi-insulating GaAs was studied with respect to temperature variation and photoluminescence excitation. The photoluminescence characteristics of the 0.635-eV emission are distinctly different compared to those of 0.68-eV EL2 emission. The radiative mechanism is explained well by the configuration coordinate model, which involves a complex center involving the deep oxygen donor on an arsenic site and a gallium vacancy as a nearest neighbor. The Frank-Condon shift and vibration energy of the excited state of the center were determined to be 0.16 and 0.025 eV, respectively.
Effects of Hormonal Growth Factors on Colony Formation and Chemosensitivity of Human Tumors in Agarose

Because low plating efficiencies of most human cancers severely limit the number of successful chemosensitivity tests that can be performed, we studied the growth-enhancing effects of hormonal growth factors on a variety of solid tumors. Dose-response studies with progesterone and estradiol indicated no benefit from adding these substances to the culture medium. This was true whether progesterone or estradiol was used alone or in the presence of other hormones. By contrast, epidermal growth factor (EGF) at concentrations from 10 to 100 ng/ml increased colony numbers up to 10-fold. Although insulin, hydrocortisone, and EGF used alone could either stimulate or inhibit the growth of specific tumors, the combination of all three (hormone mixture or HM) was always at least as good and usually better than any individual component in increasing cloning efficiency. HM-supplemented medium gave significantly increased colony counts in 41/46 tumors. Sensitivity to anticancer drugs was not changed in 63 paired drug tests.
Magnetic field computation using Delaunay triangulation and complementary finite element methods

A two-dimensional finite element analysis package is described which automatically generates optimal finite element meshes for magnetic field problems. The system combines the concept of Delaunay triangulation with variational principles to provide a grid which adapts to the characteristics of the solution. In this procedure, two different approximate solutions to the magnetic field are derived, the difference between the two approximate solutions providing an element by element measure of the accuracy of the solution. By refining those elements having the largest errors and recomputing the solution iteractively, finite element meshes having a uniforrn error density are obtained. The system is menu oriented and utilizes multiple command and display windows to create and edit the object description interactively. Matrix solution is by means of a rapid pre-conditioned conjugate gradient algorithm, and a wide variety of post-processing operations are supported. Application of the mesh generator to a variety of problems in magnetic field design shows it to be one of the most powerful and easy to use systems yet devised.
Effects of Internal pH on the Acetylcholine Transporter of Synaptic Vesicles

Uptake of acetylcholine (ACh) by synaptic vesicles isolated from the electric organ of Torpedo was induced with an artificially imposed proton gradient. The gradient was formed by hyposmotic lysis and resealing of vesicles in a low pH buffer to form vesicular ghosts followed by sudden elevation of the pH of the ghost suspension. [ 3 H]ACh accumulated rapidly, the proton gradient collapsed spontaneously within 5 min as monitored by [ 14 C] methylamine uptake, and the accumulated ACh leaked out of the ghosts after 5 min. Vesamicol blocked both uptake and efflux of the [ 3 H]ACh, demonstrating that both processes are mediated by the ACh transporter. The protonophore nigericin also blocked uptake very potently. Specific uptake was titrated with variable concentrations of [ 3 H]ACh. It exhibited K m and V max values of ∼200-500 μM and 7-30 nmol [ 3 H]ACh/mg at 5 min, respectively, which are values close to those commonly observed for ATP-dependent uptake by intact vesicles. Specific uptake by ghosts was titrated with variable internal pH and constant external pH. It exhibited maximal uptake between internal pH 4.5 and 5.5. The dependence was very steep and could be fit best by assuming that the active form of the transporter requires protonation of two internal sites of apparent pK value of 5.3±0.2. A similar result was obtained when the uptake was titrated with variable internal pH with a constant thermodynamic driving force maintained by keeping the external pH ∼2.6 units higher. The origin of the transport inhibition that sets in at very low internal pH values is not clear. In vivo, the steep dependence of transport on the transmembrane pH gradient might serve to minimize leakage of ACh from the cytoplasm due to ACh transporter in the plasma membrane
Individuals with Exceptional Longevity Manifest a Delayed Association Between Vitamin D Insufficiency and Cognitive Impairment

Objectives: To define vitamin D levels and their association with cognition in subjects with exceptional longevity. Design: Cross-sectional. Setting: Community and long-term care facilities. Participants: Ashkenazi Jewish subjects (n = 253) with exceptional longevity, with comparison made to the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III) participants aged 70 and older. Measurements: Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were measured using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry analysis. Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and clock drawing test (CDT: command and copy). Results: The median age of the Ashkenazi subjects was 97 (interquartile range (IQR) 95�104). Age-associated rise in the prevalence of vitamin D insufficiency, defined as a serum vitamin D level of less than 30 ng/mL, was noted in NHANES III (P = .001). In the Ashkenazi group with longevity, the rate of vitamin D insufficiency was comparable with that of the NHANES III participants, who were up to 25 years younger. In the cohort with exceptional longevity, 49% demonstrated cognitive impairment as assessed according to MMSE score (impaired cognition, median 9.5 IQR 0�24); normal cognition, median 29 (IQR 18�30) P < .001). Vitamin D insufficiency was more prevalent in those with impaired cognition, defined according to the MMSE (71.8% vs 57.7%, P = .02) and the CDT copy (84.6% vs. 50.6%, P = .02), than in those with normal cognition. This association remained significant after multivariable adjustment in logistic regression models for cognitive assessments made using the MMSE (odds ratio (OR) = 3.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1�9.29, P = .03) and the CDT copy (OR = 8.96, 95% CI = 1.08�74.69, P = .04). Conclusion: Higher vitamin D levels may be a marker of delayed aging, because they are associated with better cognitive function in people achieving exceptional longevity.
Combining static analysis and state transition graphs for verification of event-condition-action systems in the RERS 2012 and 2013 challenges

We present a combination of approaches for the verification of event-condition-action (ECA) systems. The analyzed ECA systems range from structurally simple to structurally complex systems. We address the verification of reachability properties and behavioral properties. Reachability properties are represented by assertions in the program and we determine statically whether an assertion holds for all execution paths. Behavioral properties are represented as linear temporal logic formulas specifying the input/output behavior of the program. Our approach assumes a finite state space. We compare a symbolic analysis with an exhaustive state space exploration and discuss the trade-offs between the approaches in terms of the number of computed states and run-time behavior. All variants compute a state transition graph which can also be passed to an LTL verifier. The variants have a different impact on the number of computed states in the state transition graph which in turn impacts the run-time and memory consumption of subsequent phases. We evaluate the different analysis variants with the RERS benchmarks.
Reference image-independent fault detection in transportation camera systems for nighttime scenes

Automated, unattended camera systems used for various transportation applications such as toll collection and photo enforcement need to capture high quality images in a variety of outdoor scenarios. In particular, they need to remain functional in low ambient illumination conditions (nighttime and cloudy day situations) to enable identification of objects or persons involved in incidents being monitored or extracting relevant information. Over time, for installed camera systems in the field, several problems can develop, such as external flash unit failures, focus drifts, and exposure issues. Thus, it is important to periodically monitor the nighttime images/videos taken by the camera system to ensure nominal functionality. However, due to constantly changing scene elements, it is not practical to compare a historical reference image with an identical scene against current camera output to detect problems. To address this, we present image quality metrics that can be extracted without a nominal reference image and can be used to characterize these problems. These can be incorporated into algorithms that can enable automated camera diagnostics for intelligent transportation systems.
Do Market-Level Hospital and Physician Resources Affect Small Area Variation in Hospital Use?:

This study evaluates the effect of market-level physician and hospital resources on hospi- tal use. It is anticipated that higher hospital discharges are associated with (1) greater hospital and physician resources, (2) more differentiated hospital and physician resources, and (3) higher levels of teaching intensity in the community. Data on 14 modified diagnos- tically related groups (DRGs) and 58 hospital market communities in Michigan are ana- lyzed during a 7-year period. Findings indicate that physician resources, hospital re- sources, differentiation of hospital and physician resources, and teaching intensity con- tribute only modestly to discharges, holding constant the socioeconomic attributes of the community and adjusting for the variation in hospital use over time. With the inclusion of hospital and physician resource variables, socioeconomic factors remain important de- terminants of the variation across market communities. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for health care organizations, managed care programs, and cost con- trol efforts in general.