cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cooperativity effects in cyclic trifluoromethanol trimer: An ab initio study

Abstract For the first time, ab initio molecular orbital calculations are used to provide information on the dimer and cyclic trimer of trifluoromethanol. In order to better understand the system, the monomer is also investigated. Molecular geometries, binding energies, and harmonic vibrational frequencies of monomer, dimer and trimer are investigated at the Hartree-Fock Self-Consistent level using the 6-31+G(d,p), 6-31++G(2d,2p), and the 6-311++G(2d,2p) basis sets. Because the primary goal of this study is to examine cooperativity effects, particular attention is given to parameters such as OO distances, electronic charge densities at the bond critical points, shifts in the stretching frequencies of the donor OH bond, and the length of the donor OH bond. The cooperativity factor found using the HF/6-311++G(2d,2p) method ranged from 1.49 to 1.90 for the three hydrogen bonds in the cyclic trimer.
Continuation techniques for reachability analysis of uncertain power systems

The level of uncertainty in power systems is increasing due to substantial growth in renewable generation and increasing reliance on cyber-enabled system-wide responsiveness. In order to guarantee dynamic security of networks, power system designers are in need of practical reachability analysis tools that allow them to assess vulnerability of the system to undesirable outcomes and evaluate the impact of parameter uncertainty. This paper describes a novel suite of parameter continuation algorithms that may be applied to large-scale, stiff, hybrid power systems. They allow the impact of parameter uncertainty to be quantified, thereby enabling secure design through efficient exploration of critical parameter values and initial conditions.
Emotional intimacy mediates the relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder and intimate partner violence perpetration in OEF/OIF/OND veterans.

Veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are at elevated risk for perpetrating intimate partner violence (IPV). Little research exists on the link between PTSD and physical IPV in Operational Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) veterans. A sample of 110 male participants was recruited from the Northport Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC). Three separate models were compared to determine which best explained the relationships between PTSD, IPV, emotional intimacy, and relationship satisfaction. Constructs were assessed via a battery of standardized, self-report instruments. Thirty-three percent of veterans had clinically elevated PTSD scores, and 31% of the men reported that they engaged in physical IPV in the past year. Poor emotional intimacy mediated the association between PTSD symptoms and perpetration of physical IPV. Past predeployment IPV perpetration was shown to be a predictor for current postdeployment physical IPV perpetration. Language: en
Microtubule Depolymerization in Rat Seminiferous Epithelium Is Associated with Diminished Tyrosination of α-Tubulin

In the testis, microtubule-disrupting agents cause breakdown of the Sertoli cell cytoskeleton and sloughing of germ cells with associated Sertoli cell fragments, although the mechanism underlying this event is not understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of carbendazim and colchicine on microtubule polymerization status and posttranslational modifications of tubulin in freshly isolated rat seminiferous tubules. Soluble and polymerized tubulin pools were separated and tubulin was quantified using a competitive ELISA. Carbendazim and colchicine caused extensive microtubule depolymerization, shifting the ratio of soluble to polymerized tubulin from 40%:60% to 78%:22%, and to 84%:16%, respectively. Total tubulin levels remained relatively constant after carbendazim treatment but decreased twofold after colchicine treatment. To determine if modifications to tubulin may be associated with polymerization status, tubulin pools were analyzed by immunoblotting. Acetylated α-tubulin and βIII-tubulin distribution in tubulin pools was not affected by treatment. Tyrosinated α-tubulin (52 kDa) was localized in both tubulin pools and had decreased tyrosination in the microtubule pool after carbendazim treatment. A 47-kDa protein immunoreactive with both tyrosinated α-tubulin and general α-tubulin antibodies was found only in the microtubule pool. The 47-kDa protein (potentially an α-tubulin isoform) lost tyrosination, yet was still present in the microtubule pool based on detection with the general α-tubulin antibody, after carbendazim treatment. Similar effects were seen with colchicine, although loss of total tubulin protein was measured. Thus, decreased tyrosination of the microtubule pool of tubulin appears to be associated with depolymerization of microtubules.
Spatially controlled co-culture of neurons and glial cells.

The ability to create and maintain neuron and glial cell co-cultures is important for neuronal regeneration as well as for fundamental studies on neuron and glial cell interactions. We demonstrate here a method for spatially controlling the arrangement of neurons and glial cells. Line patterns of cell resistant, poly(oligoethyleneglycol methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid), was microcontact printed on various substrates to spatially control the attachment of neurons. Neuron-like cells, PC12 and SH-SY5Y cells, were confined within the unprinted line patterns and extended neurites along the line patterns. Subsequent attachment of glial cells was accomplished by converting the originally cell-resistant line patterns of poly(oligoethyleneglycol methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) to cell adhesive by electrostatic adsorption of cationic poly-lysine, chitosan, or poly(ethyleneimine). This method for creating patterned co-cultures of neuron and glial cells provides a useful tool for investigating neuron–glial cell interactions and has potential applications in the repair or regeneration of nervous systems. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2005
Manipulations in glycogen metabolism and the failure to influence infarct size in the ischaemic rabbit heart.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Myocardial ischaemic preconditioning is characterized by a reduction in the rate of glycolysis. Brief myocardial ischaemia also reduces the glycogen content of the heart. The first objective was to determine whether augmenting glucose oxidation by activation of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex would prevent the infarct limitation of ischaemic preconditioning. The second part of the study evaluates whether glycogen depletion before ischaemia mimics the infarct-limiting effect of ischaemic preconditioning. METHODS Dichloroacetate (300 + 150 mg kg(-1)), an activator of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, was administered intravenously in the anaesthetized open-chest rabbit. All animals underwent 45 min of regional ischaemia and 3 h of reperfusion. Ischaemic preconditiong was elicited by 5 min of coronary occlusion. Control rabbits, those with ischaemic preconditioning with no dichloroacetate, received a saline vehicle. An isolated perfused rabbit heart model was employed to test the second hypothesis. Hearts were depleted of glycogen by perfusing them with a substrate-free buffer. Infarction was assessed by triphenyl tetrazolium chloride and area at risk determined with fluorescent particles. RESULTS (a) Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex activation experiments. Treatment with dichloroacetate alone did not alter infarct size (58 +/- 7% control vs. 60 +/- 5% dichloroacetate). Addition of dichloroacetate did not attenuate the infarct-limiting effect of ischaemic preconditioning as evidenced by a similar reduction in infarct size in the ischaemic preconditioning group (22 +/- 5%) and in the ischaemic preconditioning + dichloroacetate group (27 +/- 7%). (b) Glycogen depletion experiments. Compared with control hearts with a normal glycogen content (4.84 +/- 0.15 mg g(-1) wet weight), glycogen depleted and ischaemic preconditioning hearts had reduced glycogen content before ischaemia (2.15 +/- 0.26, 1.62 +/- 0.17 mg g(-1) wet weight, respectively; P < 0.01). Glycogen depletion did not reduce infarct size: 25.0 +/- 4.5% cf. 27.9 +/- 3.4% in the control group. However, ischaemic preconditioning resulted in a significant reduction of infarct size (11.5 +/- 2.3% vs. 27.9 +/- 3.4% control; P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Augmentation of oxidative glycolysis by dichloroacetate in in situ rabbit hearts does not alter the effect of ischaemic preconditioning, and glycogen depletion in the isolated rabbit heart does not influence infarct size after subsequent coronary occlusion.
CMOS RF: (still) no longer an oxymoron

As CMOS continues to evolve along predicted trajectories, its suitability for RF applications only improves. Peak device f/sub T/ is /spl sim/40 GHz for 0.25 /spl mu/m technology and should double roughly every three years if established trends continue. The growing number of interconnect layers benefits passive components as well, such as lateral flux (e.g., fractal) capacitors, accumulation-mode varactors, and shielded inductors and transformers. Coplanar waveguides of reasonable quality are enabled also, and were recently used in a distributed amplifier with a 23 GHz unity-gain frequency, and in a 17 GHz distributed oscillator. Device F/sub min/ is well under 0.5 dB at 1-2 GHz, allowing practical LNA NFs in the /spl sim/1 dB range on <10 mW of power, while new insights into device noise scaling have eased concerns about hot carrier noise enhancement. Exploitation of a new phase noise theory has allowed a 1.8 GHz oscillator to exhibit under -121 dBc/Hz phase noise @600 kHz offset, with on-chip spiral inductors and 6 mW of power, by using symmetry to suppress the effect of 1/f device noise. The 17 GHz distributed oscillator also achieves a phase noise better than -110 dBc/Hz @ 1 MHz on 52 mW of power. These developments have most recently resulted in a 0.25 /spl mu/m 5 GHz LNA/mixer/synthesizer that exhibits 5 dB overall NF and -2 dBm IIP3 on 45 mW of power.
Extracting parity and magnitude from Arabic numerals: developmental changes in number processing and mental representation.

Abstract Children from Grades 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 (7.8, 9.2, 9.8, 11.7, and 13.6 years old, respectively) made speeded, bimanual parity (odd/even) judgments of the Arabic numerals 0–9. Analysis of response times indicated that from fourth grade on, parity information is retrieved directly from memory rather than being extracted by means of a mental calculation strategy. As early as Grade 3, children exhibited the SNARC ( S patial– N umerical A ssociation of R esponse C odes) effect, where small numbers were responded to faster with the left hand than with the right hand, while the converse held true for large numbers. This finding, previously demonstrated only in adults, confirms that (a) children represent magnitude information in the form of a left-to-right oriented mental number line, and (b) this information is accessed obligatorily even when irrelevant. Finally, although the SNARC effect remained strong at Grade 4, it was attenuated at Grades 6 and 8 by a linguistic effect based on associations between the unmarked adjectives “even” and “right” and between the marked adjectives “odd” and “left.”
Large-scale atmospheric circulation changes are associated with the recent loss of Arctic sea ice

Recent loss of summer sea ice in the Arctic is directly connected to shifts in northern wind patterns in the following autumn, which has the potential of altering the heat budget at the cold end of the global heat engine.With continuing loss of summer sea ice to less than 20% of its climatological mean over the next decades,we anticipate increased modification of atmospheric circulation patterns. While a shift to a more meridional atmospheric climate pattern, the Arctic Dipole (AD), over the last decade contributed to recent reductions in summer Arctic sea ice extent, the increase in late summer open water area is, in turn, directly contributing to a modification of large scale atmospheric circulation patterns through the additional heat stored in the Arctic Ocean and released to the atmosphere during the autumn season. Extensive regions in the Arctic during late autumn beginning in 2002 have surface air temperature anomalies of greater than 3 °C and temperature anomalies above 850 hPa of 1 °C. These temperatures contribute to an increase in the 1000–500 hPa thickness field in every recent year with reduced sea ice cover. While gradients in this thickness field can be considered a baroclinic contribution to the flow field from loss of sea ice, atmospheric circulation also has a more variable barotropic contribution. Thus, reduction in sea ice has a direct connection to increased thickness fields in every year, but not necessarily to the sea level pressure (SLP) fields. Compositing wind fields for late autumn 2002–2008 helps to highlight the baroclinic contribution; for the years with diminished sea ice cover there were composite anomalous tropospheric easterly winds of∼1.4 m s –1 , relative to climatological easterly winds near the surface and upper troposphericwesterlies of∼3 m s –1 . Loss of summer sea ice is supported by decadal shifts in atmospheric climate patterns. A persistent positive Arctic Oscillation pattern in late autumn (OND) during 1988–1994 and in winter (JFM) during 1989–1997 shifted to more interannual variability in the following years. An anomalous meridional wind pattern with high SLP on the North American side of the Arctic—the AD pattern, shifted from primarily small interannual variability to a persistent phase during spring (AMJ) beginning in 1997 (except for 2006) and extending to summer (JAS) beginning in 2005.
Intraoperative management of a patient with a chronic, previously undiagnosed traumatic diaphragmatic hernia

Traumatic diaphragmatic hernia (TDH) occurs in approximately 5% of hospitalized motor vehicle accident victims and 10% of victims of penetrating chest injury. Although most such injuries are diagnosed at the time of initial trauma, approximately 10% become apparent only months or years later. The TDH patient is at risk for surgical complications, including pulmonary aspiration, hypoxemia, and hemodynamic instability. Diagnosis and proper management of TDH is essential in order to minimize such complications. The anesthetic management of a patient with a preexisting TDH presenting for lumbar laminectomy is discussed.
Microtubule Protofilament Number Is Modulated in a Stepwise Fashion by the Charge Density of an Enveloping Layer

Microtubules are able to adjust their protofilament (PF) number and, as a consequence, their dynamics and function, to the assembly conditions and presence of cofactors. However, the principle behind such variations is poorly understood. Using synchrotron x-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy, we studied how charged membranes, which under certain conditions can envelop preassembled MTs, regulate the PF number of those MTs. We show that the mean PF number, AENae ,i s modulated primarily by the charge density of the membranes. AENae decreases in a stepwise fashion with increasing membrane charge density. AENae does not depend on the membrane-protein stoichiometry or the solution ionic strength. We studied the effect of taxol and found that AENae increases logarithmically with taxol/tubulin stoichiometry. We present a theoretical model, which by balancing the electrostatic and elastic interactions in the system accounts for the trends in our findings and reveals an effective MT bending stiffness of order 10-100 kBT/nm, associated with the observed changes in PF number.
Smpy's First Decade: Ten Years of Posing Problems and Solving Them

The Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth (SMPY) began in 1971 with the purpose of devising ways of identifying and facilitating the education of such students. The solutions and their longitudinal evaluation are described. Use of the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) was shown to be an effective way of identifying students in the 7th grade who would achieve academically at a superior level in high school. Moreover, acceleration was deemed an effective alternative for educating gifted children. Curricular flexibility rather than special programs for the gifted has proved the most effective way to facilitate the education of precocious students. For the mathematically precocious, SMPY devised fast-paced mathematics classes. These were shown to have long-term effects. SMPY has also discovered large sex differences in mathematical reasoning ability and in mathematics and science achievements in high school.
Minimum Distribution-Sensitivity, Poverty Aversion, and Poverty Orderings☆

Abstract This paper introduces a measure of distribution-sensitivity, which is similar to Arrow-Pratt's measure of risk aversion, for a poverty index. The measure also gauges poverty aversion and has a clear and straightforward interpretation. Using this measure, we can define various classes of minimum distribution-sensitive poverty indices. We show that the ordering condition for such a class of poverty indices is simply a generalized (poverty) deprivation profile dominance. Properties and implications of this dominance condition are analyzed and poverty orderings by different classes of poverty measures are compared. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Number: I32.
A Validity and Reliability Update on the Informal Reading Inventory with Suggestions for Improvement

The informal reading inventory is a diagnostic instrument used by learning disability specialists, reading teachers, and classroom teachers to identify an appropriate reading grade level placement for students, and to identify strengths and weaknesses in word recognition and comprehension. In recent years, a number of studies have examined its validity and reliability. This article gives a comprehensive review of this research. Based on the findings of this review, suggestions of ways the teacher can improve the validity and reliability of existing informal reading inventories are provided, along with suggestions for evaluating reliability and validity of newly published IRI's.
Lifting by Convergence Lines

Abstract The lifting depth of a convergence line in an unstratified boundary layer beneath a stably stratified atmosphere is examined with both analytical and numerical models. Cases are considered with and without flow in the layer above the convergence line. Three different stability profiles above the boundary layer are also considered: an inversion, continuous stratification, and a combination of the two. For the case in which there is no flow above the convergence line, analytical solutions are obtained for the lifting depth for the three different stability profiles. Simulations of the flow with a nonlinear, nonhydrostatic model show good agreement with these analytical predictions. The presence of flow in the upper layer increases the complexity of the problem due to the presence of gravity waves in the steady-state solution. For an atmosphere with just an inversion, the analytical model predicts that, for hydrostatic flow, the depth of lifting is independent of the upper-level flow; while for nonh...
Novel ultra-fast deconvolution method for fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy based on the Laguerre expansion technique

A new deconvolution method for fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) based on the Laguerre expansion technique is presented. The performance of this method was tested on synthetic FLIM images derived from a multiexponential model and from fluorescence lifetime standards, and then compared to standard algorithms of FLIM analysis. Our results demonstrated significant advantages of the Laguerre method over standard algorithms. First, the fluorescence intensity decays of arbitrary form can be estimated at every pixel, without a priori assumption of its functional form. Second, the number of delayed images required to perform deconvolution is relatively low (as low as 5), reducing the acquisition time. Third, ultra-fast light sources are not longer required, making less expensive to perform lifetime imaging. Finally and most important, deconvolution at every pixel is performed in parallel using a common Laguerre basis, thus allowing reducing significantly the computation time (i.e. synthetic 600/spl times/600 pixel images can be deconvolved with high accuracy in less than 20 s). Based on these findings, we believe that the Laguerre deconvolution technique represents a more robust and extremely fast analytical method that will allow exploring FLIM in practical real-time applications, such as clinical diagnosis.
The sociometry and sociogenesis of reproduction in the Florida harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex badius.

The colony is the functional unit of natural selection for most social insects including the Florida harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex badius. To address reproduction in the species variables were evaluated relevant to the colony-level (sociometry), and social growth (sociogenesis). Colonies become reproductively mature when the worker population reaches ~700 individuals. The production of males and gynes (reproductive females) occurs only in spring, and is highly synchronized from its onset, which in turn allows synchronization of mating in early summer. Worker production follows sexual production, and continues until colonies go dormant in winter. Once mature, colony investment into reproduction is a constant proportion of colony size (isometric), regardless of the sex ratio produced. As individual male body size increases, they become leaner, whereas the amount of fat stored by gynes is highly variable. Larger colonies produce larger males, but gyne size is a constant across the range of colony sizes. As colony size increases, investment into males increases faster than investment into gynes. Therefore, there is a trend of increasing male bias in the sex ratio with increasing colony size (although a single outlier complicates this conclusion). We interpret our results in the light of sexual and natural selection as documented in related species. We also report the first documentation of male production by workers in the genus Pogonomyrmex.
On The Financial Characteristics Of Firms That Have Achieved The Highest Levels Of Accuracy In Earnings Predictability

The value of a company is said to be a function of the future earnings or cash flows the company will produce discounted at a rate commensurate with risks associated with those cash flows. The subject of earnings predictability or the lack of reliable forecasts has been of interest to academic researchers and financial managers for years. Value Line publishes weekly, a ranking of the reliability of earnings predictions for every firm in their database. The higher the Value Line ranking for earnings predictability, the more likely they would recommend it as a safe investment. Earnings predictability is then, simply one of their important measures of potential value and safety. The purpose of this study is to provide a financial analysis of those firms described by Value Line as having the most reliable levels of earnings predictability in their database. Specifically, the analysis will test for significant differences in the financial profiles of those firms that achieved the highest Value Line ratings for earnings predictability, and companies selected at random from the same industries. A unique financial profile is estab­lished for the highest rated group, and it is suggested that the profile may be used to identify firms that because of their financial nature are capable of producing the most accurate sales forecasts, and earnings predictability. As in previous studies of this nature Multiple Discriminant Analysis is used.
A Decade of Operations Research in Health

Some of the roots of operations research have been identified by Dr. Page in his paper. Three major ones are apparent from the outset in studies of the health services, with somewhat different emphasis than in military and industrial applications. First, the models of systems behavior, particularly stochastic systems, were applied; indeed, the role of the early operations researchers in hospitals was almost a missionary one of revealing to physicians and administrators the dominant effects of chance on the time patterns of demands for available resources. More will be said of this later.
Examining Student Identification with the Alumni Organization at a 4-Year Commuter Campus.

Past research has identified several institutional and individual antecedents that lead to greater intent to support an organization. This paper takes an organizational identification approach in developing an Alumni Relationship Model (ARM) that can be used by universities to generate greater support for their Alumni services activities. This paper shows that by going beyond traditional organizational identification models and by introducing new variables, it is possible to broaden and enrich both practice and theory of organizational identification within a university setting.
Neanderthal man: In search of lost genomes

Molecular anthropology has come of age. This book informs us that the heritage of Asians and other people is deep and complex. Like all people, Asians have African roots going back to pre-human anc...
Donor–Acceptor Semiconducting Polymers Containing Benzodithiophene with Bithienyl Substituents

Synthesis and photovoltaic properties of two donor–acceptor polymers containing benzodithiophene with 3,3′,5-trihexylbithienyl substituents are reported. Benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole and 5-hexylthieno[3,4-c]pyrrole-4,6-dione were used as acceptor building blocks for the synthesis of donor–acceptor polymers. The photovoltaic properties of the synthesized donor–acceptor polymers were investigated in bulk heterojunction solar cells with [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) acceptor.
Sleep-related movement disorders.

Purpose of Review: This article reviews the sleep-related movement disorders, including restless legs syndrome (RLS; Willis-Ekbom disease), periodic limb movement disorder, rhythmic movement disorders, sleep-related bruxism, and sleep-related leg cramps.Recent Findings: The prevalence of clinically
Advergaming and healthy eating involvement: How healthy eating inclinations impact processing of advergame content

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand how healthy eating involvement (HEI) impacts the evaluations of branded food advergames. Design/methodology/approach – This paper invokes the elaboration likelihood model and reactance theory to explain the effects of different levels of brand integration within a food advergame on individuals with different reported levels of HEI. Undergraduate students were assigned (non-random) to play one of three different advergames with varying levels of brand integration. Furthermore, participant’s health involvement was measured and incorporated as a moderating variable on brand and advergame attitudes. Regression analyses were used to analyze the data. Findings – The results showed significant interaction effects between HEI levels and level of brand advergame integration. Individuals with higher levels of HEI showed more negative attitudes toward the brand and game when integration was high. However, lower levels of brand advergame integration resulted in pos...
High-Fidelity Yet Fast Dynamic Models of Wheeled Mobile Robots

Advances in hardware design have made wheeled mobile robots (WMRs) exceptionally mobile. To fully exploit this mobility, we present a novel dynamic model formulation for use in WMR planning, control, and estimation systems. The formulation is high fidelity, general, modular, and fast. It builds on our prior work on recursive methods for 3-D kinematics derivation and constrained motion prediction using differential algebraic equations. It is stable, even for large integration steps, and can enforce realistic nonlinear models of wheel–terrain interaction. Simulation tests show our dynamic models to be more functional, stable, and efficient than common alternatives. Simulations can run over 1K $\times$ faster than real time on an ordinary PC. Experimental results on multiple platforms and terrain types show that, once calibrated, our models predict motion accurately. To facilitate their use, we have released open-source MATLAB and C++ libraries implementing our modeling/simulation methods.
Repair of traumatized mammalian hair cells via sea anemone repair proteins.

Mammalian hair cells possess only a limited ability to repair damage after trauma. In contrast, sea anemones show a marked capability to repair damaged hair bundles by means of secreted repair proteins (RPs). Previously, it was found that recovery of traumatized hair cells in blind cavefish was enhanced by anemone-derived RPs; therefore, the ability of anemone RPs to assist recovery of damaged hair cells in mammals was tested here. After a 1 h incubation in RP-enriched culture media, uptake of FM1-43 by experimentally traumatized murine cochlear hair cells was restored to levels comparable to those exhibited by healthy controls. In addition, RP-treated explants had significantly more normally structured hair bundles than time-matched traumatized control explants. Collectively, these results indicate that anemone-derived RPs assist in restoring normal function and structure of experimentally traumatized hair cells of the mouse cochlea.
A Species-Level Phylogeny of Extant Snakes with Description of a New Colubrid Subfamily and Genus.

Background With over 3,500 species encompassing a diverse range of morphologies and ecologies, snakes make up 36% of squamate diversity. Despite several attempts at estimating higher-level snake relationships and numerous assessments of generic- or species-level phylogenies, a large-scale species-level phylogeny solely focusing on snakes has not been completed. Here, we provide the largest-yet estimate of the snake tree of life using maximum likelihood on a supermatrix of 1745 taxa (1652 snake species + 7 outgroup taxa) and 9,523 base pairs from 10 loci (5 nuclear, 5 mitochondrial), including previously unsequenced genera (2) and species (61). Results Increased taxon sampling resulted in a phylogeny with a new higher-level topology and corroborate many lower-level relationships, strengthened by high nodal support values (> 85%) down to the species level (73.69% of nodes). Although the majority of families and subfamilies were strongly supported as monophyletic with > 88% support values, some families and numerous genera were paraphyletic, primarily due to limited taxon and loci sampling leading to a sparse supermatrix and minimal sequence overlap between some closely-related taxa. With all rogue taxa and incertae sedis species eliminated, higher-level relationships and support values remained relatively unchanged, except in five problematic clades. Conclusion Our analyses resulted in new topologies at higher- and lower-levels; resolved several previous topological issues; established novel paraphyletic affiliations; designated a new subfamily, Ahaetuliinae, for the genera Ahaetulla, Chrysopelea, Dendrelaphis, and Dryophiops; and appointed Hemerophis (Coluber) zebrinus to a new genus, Mopanveldophis. Although we provide insight into some distinguished problematic nodes, at the deeper phylogenetic scale, resolution of these nodes may require sampling of more slowly-evolving nuclear genes.
Intrinsic instability of thin liquid films on nanostructured surfaces

The instability of a thin liquid film on nanostructures is not well understood but is important in liquid-vapor two-phase heat transfer (e.g., thin film evaporation and boiling), lubrication, and nanomanufacturing. In thin film evaporation, the comparison between the non-evaporating film thickness and the critical film breakup thickness determines the stability of the film: the film becomes unstable when the critical film breakup thickness is larger than the non-evaporating film thickness. In this study, a closed-form model is developed to predict the critical breakup thickness of a thin liquid film on 2D periodic nanostructures based on the minimization of system free energy in the limit of a liquid monolayer. Molecular dynamics simulations are performed for water thin films on square nanostructures of varying depth and wettability, and the simulations agree with the model predictions. The results show that the critical film breakup thickness increases with the nanostructure depth and the surface wettability. The model developed here enables the prediction of the minimum film thickness for a stable thin film evaporation on a given nanostructure.
Tumor-Associated Blood Group Antigen Expressions and Immunoglobulins Associated with Tumors

There are very many glycol ipid and glycoprotein carbohydrate sequences which may be expressed in varying quantities on mammalian cells from different tissues. The types and quantities of the carbohydrate sequences may also vary during the cell cycle, throughout the developmental stages of tissues, during cellular differentiation and in response to extracear signals. The complexity of the carbohydrate sequences is evident and is further emphasized with reports of new sequences in the recent Iiterature. Presumably, all such carbohydrate sequences are available for expression on transformed cells of benign and malignant tissue growths. Transformed cells may make use of this vast repertoire of sequences to maintain their viability in the various environments experienced in their metastatic ventures, to gain a growth advantage, and, in some cases, to maintain a de-differentiated state. Alterations in carbohydrate sequence expression by transformed cells may also allow such cells to escape the host defense mechanisms which would otherwise recognize and react with tumor-specific or -associated carbohydrate (as well as non-carbohydrate) antigenic differences.
Cross Section for the Si 28 (n, p)Al 28 Reaction

By observing the radioactivity induced in glass samples bombarded by monoenergetic neutrons from the $d\ensuremath{-}d$ reaction, the excitation function and the absolute cross section for the ${\mathrm{Si}}^{28}(n, p){\mathrm{Al}}^{28}$ reaction have been measured for neutron energies from 4.4 to 8.0 Mev. In this energy region several resonances were found and the maximum cross section was measured to be 0.37 barn.
Loss of Expression of the Pro-Apoptotic Bcl-2 Family Proteins Bak and Bax in Rituximab- and Chemotherapy-Resistant Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Cells.

Abstract Sustained remissions following standard chemotherapy are achieved in less than half of patients diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). A major case of treatment failure is the development of resistance to current therapies. Early studies demonstrated that rituximab was a safe and effective monotherapy for patients with indolent B-cell lymphoma refractory or relapsed following prior chemotherapy. In one study, Davis et al. demonstrated a loss of responsiveness upon rituximab re-treatment in 60% of patients suggesting the development of antibody resistance. To study mechanisms by which cells become resistant to rituximab we induced rituximab resistance in several well characterized B-cell lymphoma cell lines (Raji, RL, SU-DHL-4) by exposing them to increasing concentrations of rituximab or rituximab plus human serum as a source of complement. Individual clones were than generated from rituximab-resistant cell lines (RRCL) by limiting dilution. Characterization of the cell lines and clones generated by repeated exposure to rituximab revealed that in addition to gaining a rituximab-resistant phenotype they also developed concurrent chemotherapy resistance. In rituximab-sensitive parental cell lines, chemotherapy induced apoptosis via the intrinsic pathway. However, apoptotic cell death was completely blocked in resistant cell lines and clones. Upon investigation of potential mediators of both rituximab and chemotherapy resistance, we observed a significant down-regulation of the pro-apoptotic Bcl-2 family proteins Bax and Bak. We therefore hypothesize that resistance to chemotherapy- and rituximab-induced apoptosis is due to the down-regulation of Bax and Bak observed in all rituximab-resistant cell lines and clones characterized to date. We are currently investigating the mechanism(s) underlying the down-regulation of Bax and Bak protein in RRCL. Preliminary data suggests that wild-type Bax and Bak mRNA is expressed at a comparable level in RRCL and parental cells. This strongly suggests that Bax and Bak protein expression may be differentially controlled via post-transcriptional mechanisms in resistant cells. Currently, we are evaluating expression of Bax and Bak in archived lymphoma biopsy specimens and their correlation to treatment response or resistance. If a clinical correlation is identified, therapies aimed at restoring Bak and/or Bax expression may someday prove useful in circumventing clinical resistance to currently used immuno +/− chemotherapy-based regimens.
It Is Time to End the Dualistic Short Versus Long Duration of Dual Antiplatelet Therapy Debates.

At every national and international cardiology meeting, there is at least 1 obligate dualistic debate on whether duration of dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) in all patients treated with coronary stent implantation should be short or long. This binary approach is similarly played out in the literature. Although we recognize the usefulness of different intellectual perspectives, as well as the entertainment value of such debates, we believe that the time for debating has passed. Rather, it is time to acknowledge that some patients may best be treated with a short duration of DAPT, some with a standard duration of DAPT, and some with a longer or prolonged duration of DAPT. We should now direct our energies toward identifying these subgroups. Decisions on DAPT duration for any individual patient must be based not on dogmatic or blind adherence to a study result, meta-analysis, or even guideline recommendation but on a thoughtful and informed ongoing assessment of the benefits and risks of DAPT for that particular patient (Figure), as well as patient preference. Figure. Factors associated with an increased risk of ischemia (stent thrombosis, spontaneous myocardial infarction [MI]) and bleeding. ACS indicates acute coronary syndrome; CAD, coronary artery disease; NSAID, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; OAT, oral anticoagulant therapy; and PCI, percutaneous coronary intervention. This dualistic short versus long debate ignores the fact that many patients with comparable ischemic and bleeding risk may best be treated by a …
Thoracic gamma irradiation-induced obesity in C57BL/6 female mice.

AbstractPurpose: To investigate the late effects of thoracic region irradiation (TRI) on mouse body weight.Materials and methods: Female C57BL/6 mice were divided into nonirradiated, 5 Gy total body irradiation, 9 Gy sub-total body irradiation, and 12.5 Gy thoracic region irradiation (TRI) groups. Changes in mouse weight were monitored every other week at similar time points for 12 months. The anatomical characteristics of abdominal visceral fat distribution were recorded, and mitochondrial DNA copy number in the hearts and livers and lipid metabolic signaling in the liver were analyzed. Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance and a student’s t-test.Results: TRI led to a significant increase (p < .001) in body weight that was dependent on time and individuals [42.1% of mice were overweight (50% increase in body weight) 4 months post-TRI and 100% of mice were overweight at 10 months post-TRI]. Gross anatomical features of abdominal visceral fat distribution and storage in radiation-induced overw...
Pathways, Integration, and Sequencing the Curriculum

Law school course offerings have proliferated in recent decades. From the perspective of the individual student, an expanded curriculum may create exciting educational opportunities while posing trade-offs between a generalist education and specialization. Law schools face two key challenges. First, they must structure the curriculum so that the experiences of individual law students have some coherence. Second they must incorporate the full range of formal knowledge, professional skill, and values. This section of the forthcoming book Building on Best Practices: Transforming Legal Education in a Changing World (Lexis 2015) identifies three approaches – not mutually exclusive – to structuring the law school curriculum: provide course advising with structured pathways through the curriculum and concentrations; integrate the curriculum: connect the individual courses that a student takes, both those taken concurrently and across the years the student is enrolled in law school; engage in a particular type of integration: sequence the curriculum by structuring offerings from introductory to intermediate to advanced, so that later classes build on the concepts and skills learned in earlier ones.
Hepatotoxicity After Long-Term Methotrexate Therapy

To reassess the need for repeat liver biopsies in patients receiving long-term methotrexate therapy, we reviewed the results of 15 biopsies in 14 such patients seen from 1979 to 1984 at the Medical University of South Carolina. Significant changes in liver histology were found in seven patients. These findings did not correlate with biochemical abnormalities, presence of anemia or obesity, or age when methotrexate therapy was initiated. Four of the 15 biopsies (27%) showed grade III or IV histologic changes (fibrosis or cirrhosis), which led to discontinuance of treatment. The single most significant factor predisposing to toxicity appeared to be the duration of therapy, though the cumulative doses, no patient with grade III or IV histology had been treated for less than five years. Thus, surveillance liver biopsies at suitable intervals are advisable once the patient has been treated for five years or more. Conversely, liver biopsies within the first five years of treatment with methotrexate appear not to be necessary, though these results should be confirmed in a larger patient group.
The Basics of Lasers

In this chapter, the important common elements of all lasers are introduced. Some examples of lasing systems are given to define how these elements are implemented in practice.
Astrometric study of four binary stars.

Completion of long-term astrometric plate series yields revised results on the orbits and parallaxes. The subdwarf 'i Cassiopeiae seems to be overluminous; the distance of the supergiant 6 Aurigae is near 600 pc. The unresolved companion in the red dwarf pair BD +6°398 is of very low mass, and the companion of BD +67°552 massive but probably underluminous.
Mode-of-action of photosynthesis inhibitor herbicides

In the commercial development of herbicides during the past 25 years, a relatively few number of classes of chemical compounds have been introduced. Among these are derivatives of halogenated benzoic-, phenoxyalkyl acids, thiocarbamates, aminotriazole, and a series of photosynthesis inhibitors.
Biosynthetic studies of marine lipids. 221: Calysterol: Some aspects of sterol cyclopropene biosynthesis in the sponge calyx nicaeensis

Abstract Calysterol ( 1 ) was shown not to be biosynthesized by direct dehydrogenation of its cyclopropane analog, dihydrocalysterol ( 5 ). Loss of H-28 from 5 during the biosynthesis of 1 was demonstrated, which implies that either 24- H -isocalysterol ( 2 ) or (23 S )-23 H -isocalysterol ( 4 ) is the direct dehydrogenation product of 5 . A novel synthesis of 5 is described which allowed facile introduction of tritium at C-28.
English on cigarette packs from six non-Anglophone low- and middle-income countries.

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are vital to the global tobacco market. The pack is key to cigarette branding, and review of cigarette packs revealed English as a common feature. The prevalence of English and its potential branding utility is explored. Every available unique cigarette pack was purchased from diverse retailers in six LMICs where English is not the official language (Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, Ukraine, Vietnam). Packs’ front panels were coded for English on pack fronts. English penetration was quantified by country and a comparison of English use between multinational and national brands was undertaken. A qualitative analysis of symbolic and utilitarian usage of English was conducted. Of 1303 unique cigarette packs analyzed, 67% (n = 876) included some English. English text conveyed product information and usage instruction. English was more prevalent for multinational brands. Qualitatively, English use frequently connected cigarettes with concepts of quality, style, luxury, and aspirational lifestyle. Restricting English use should be incorporated into plain packaging policy to protect populations from deceptive branding practices, specifically presenting cigarettes as an aspirational product.
Virtual Reference Services and Instruction: An Assessment

This paper assesses the incorporation of instruction in library virtual reference services (VRS), and explores whether the rate, and nature of instruction provided to patrons during VRS sessions is...
Restoration of External Rotation Following Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty without Latissimus Dorsi Transfer.

Background Latissimus dorsi transfers have been considered necessary to restore active external rotation following reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA). The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of an RSA system that lateralizes the center of rotation in restoring active external rotation without a latissimus dorsi transfer in patients with a preoperative external rotation deficit (external rotation of Methods We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients who had undergone RSA with a lateralized center of rotation without a latissimus dorsi transfer. All patients had had a preoperative external rotation deficit (active external rotation of Results Thirty-three patients (24 in the CLEER group and 9 in the non-CLEER group) met the inclusion criteria. The average follow-up was 43.4 months (range, 24 to 77 months). External rotation improved significantly in both the CLEER group (from -21° preoperatively to 28° postoperatively; p 0.05 for all). Conclusions RSA with a lateralized center of rotation can effectively restore external rotation without the use of a latissimus dorsi transfer in patients with a preoperative external rotation deficit as a result of rotator cuff arthropathy or other posttraumatic etiologies. Level of evidence Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
IDH-1 polymorphisms in pilocytic astrocytomas

Abstract As of 2016, isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-1 and IDH-2 mutations are part of the definition of an oligodendroglioma and may be seen in a significant subset of grade II-IV fibrillary astrocytomas. Reports of IDH-1 and IDH-2 alterations in pilocytic astrocytomas have been rare. This study reports two cases of pilocytic astrocytomas which harbored IDH-1 polymorphisms (G105G) (c.315C > T) discovered on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and sequencing. The first was encountered in a 21-year-old male with a right orbital frontal pole mass. The second occurred in a 19-year-old female with a right frontal tumor. Neither tumor stained with antibody to IDH-1 (R132H). No BRAF V600E immunostaining, minimal p53 staining (