cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identifying Associations Between Influenza Vaccination Status and Access, Beliefs, and Sociodemographic Factors Among the Uninsured Population in Suffolk County, NY.

Seasonal influenza continues to impose a substantial healthcare and economic burden in the United States each year. This study assessed influenza vaccination rates among the uninsured population, determined the need for free flu vaccines, and analyzed associations of vaccination status with access, beliefs, and sociodemographic factors. Stony Brook Outreach and Medical Education (SB HOME) free clinic offers free flu vaccinations to uninsured patients over the age of 18 living in Suffolk County, New York. All patients visiting SB HOME between October 2018 and February 2019 were offered a 10-min anonymous survey assessing demographic characteristics, self-evaluation of health status, vaccination status during the 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 flu seasons, willingness to obtain a free flu vaccine, and beliefs and barriers surrounding flu vaccines. Analysis consisted of descriptive statistics, paired t tests, and χ2 tests using a significance threshold of p < 0.05. A total of 102 participants were surveyed, 80% of whom identified as Hispanic/Latino. The majority of participants expressed positive attitudes towards the influenza vaccine. Despite these positive attitudes, 72% reported not receiving the influenza vaccination during the 2017–2018 flu season, the commonly cited reasons being fear of getting sick from the flu vaccine, high cost, and not knowing where to get the vaccine. During the 2018–2019 flu season 60% of participants elected to receive a free flu shot at SB HOME, and participants with positive attitudes towards flu vaccines were more likely to accept the vaccine when offered at no cost. Fear of getting sick from the flu vaccine remained the most common reason for participants declining a free flu vaccine. Only 17% of participants would seek vaccination at the market price of $30, compared to the 76% who would if the vaccine was offered for free. Our study highlights the need for convenient and affordable access to the flu vaccine among uninsured populations, who despite recognizing the benefits of receiving the flu vaccine are unable to overcome certain barriers. Elucidating and targeting barriers specific to uninsured populations at the local community level may improve public health strategies centered on increasing vaccination rates.
Surgical Outcomes of Distal Pancreatectomy in Elderly Patients.

BackgroundThe extent to which age impacts surgical outcomes remains poorly characterized. This study aims to evaluate the impact of age on 30-day outcomes in patients after distal pancreatectomy.Me...
Mobile crowdsourcing-based data collection for user-centered facility maintenance management

Current facility maintenance management (FMM) practices rely heavily on data collection by facility management professionals and FMM systems and, at times, results in inefficiency in facility condi...
A vicious cycle of fear of falling avoidance behavior in Parkinson's disease: A path analysis.

Abstract Background Postural instability (PI) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is associated with several negative downstream consequences. Objective The purpose was to explore the validity of a theoretical model of these downstream consequences arranged in a vicious cycle wherein PI leads to decreased balance confidence, which in turn leads to increased fear of falling (FOF) avoidance behavior, which in turn leads to decreased physical conditioning, which then feeds back and negatively affects PI. Methods A path analysis of cross-sectional data from 55 participants with PD was conducted. The four constructs in the model connected in succession were: 1. PI (principal components analysis (PCA) composite of the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale PI and Gait Difficulty score, Timed Up and Go test, and Berg Balance Scale); 2. balance confidence (Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale); 3. FOF avoidance behavior (PCA composite of the FOF Avoidance Behavior Questionnaire and average number of steps per day); and, 4. physical conditioning (2-Minute Step Test). Results The path model was an excellent fit to the data, χ2 (7) = 7.910, p = .341, CFI = 0.985, TLI = 0.968, RMSEA = 0.049 (90% CI: 0.000 to 0.179). The moderate to strong and uniformly significant parameter estimates were −0.519, −0.651, −0.653, and −0.570, respectively (ps Conclusions PI directly and inversely predicted balance confidence, which in turn directly and inversely predicted FOF avoidance behavior. Furthermore, FOF avoidance behavior directly and inversely predicted physical conditioning, which directly and inversely predicted PI, thereby closing the cycle. These findings highlight the downstream consequences of PI in PD and support the notion of a vicious cycle of FOF avoidance behavior.
ABCnet: Adversarial bias correction network for infant brain MR images.

Abstract Automatic correction of intensity nonuniformity (also termed as the bias correction) is an essential step in brain MR image analysis. Existing methods are typically developed for adult brain MR images based on the assumption that the image intensities within the same brain tissue are relatively uniform. However, this assumption is not valid in infant brain MR images, due to the dynamic and regionally-heterogeneous image contrast and appearance changes, which are caused by the underlying spatiotemporally-nonuniform myelination process. Therefore, it is not appropriate to directly use existing methods to correct the infant brain MR images. In this paper, we propose an end-to-end 3D adversarial bias correction network (ABCnet), tailored for direct prediction of bias fields from the input infant brain MR images for bias correction. The “ground-truth” bias fields for training our network are carefully defined by an improved N4 method, which integrates manually-corrected tissue segmentation maps as anatomical prior knowledge. The whole network is trained alternatively by minimizing generative and adversarial losses. To handle the heterogeneous intensity changes, our generative loss includes a tissue-aware local intensity uniformity term to reduce the local intensity variation in the corrected image. Besides, it also integrates two additional terms to enhance the smoothness of the estimated bias field and to improve the robustness of the proposed method, respectively. Comprehensive experiments with different sizes of training datasets have been carried out on a total of 1492 T1w and T2w MR images from neonates, infants, and adults, respectively. Both qualitative and quantitative evaluations on simulated and real datasets consistently demonstrate the superior performance of our ABCnet in both accuracy and efficiency, compared with popularly available methods.
Brown Syndrome Following Endoscopic Modified Lothrop Procedure

A 41-year-old female with a history of allergic fungal rhinosinusitis underwent endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) 2 years prior. A bilateral total ethmoidectomy, sphenoid, maxillary, and Draf IIb frontal sinusotomies were performed. Over the course of 2 years, the patient experienced progressive symptoms of frontal pressure and discolored thick secretions. On nasal endoscopy there was significant crusting and allergic mucin bilaterally requiring repeated debridements. The mucin was predominantly observed from the anterior ethmoid cavity and frontal recess area. There were also moderate polypoid changes throughout her sinus cavities. A non-contrast CT scan was performed revealing moderate mucoperiosteal thickening of her frontal and ethmoid sinuses with osteoneogenesis (Fig. 8.1). After failing multiple attempts at maximum medical therapy including high-volume irrigations, oral and topical corticosteroids (including budesonide), and culture-directed topical and oral antibiotics, revision surgery was advised. An extended sphenoidotomy, mega-maxillary antrostomies, and extended frontal sinusotomy (Draf III or modified Lothrop procedure) were performed to facilitate long-term debridements as well as the use of topical anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial management of the respective sinus cavities. During the surgery, dense allergic mucin, osteoneogenesis, and polypoid mucosa were present in all the sinuses. During the modified Lothrop portion of the surgery, the left anterosuperior orbital periosteum, in the area of the trochlea, was thinned with a cutting burr resulting in an inadvertent perirobita laceration. Mild bleeding in the tiny rent of torn periorbita was controlled with suction cautery followed by a topical 1:1000 adrenaline-soaked neurosurgical cottonoid.
U.S. Adolescents’ Diet Consumption Patterns Differ between Grocery and Convenience Stores: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011–2018

Among U.S. adolescents, foods/beverages that are store-bought (i.e., from grocery and convenience stores) are significant contributors of energy intake. However, it remains unclear (1) what foods/beverages are consumed by U.S. adolescents from grocery and convenience stores and (2) if there are differences in foods/beverages consumed by store type. Therefore, we analyzed 29,216 eating occasions from adolescents (12-19 years; n = 4065) in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2018 to report food/beverage groups and nutrients consumed from grocery and convenience stores. Differences in food/beverage groups and nutrient densities by store type were calculated using multiple logistic and linear regressions. Adolescents were more likely to consume "Beverages" and "Snacks and Sweets" and less likely to consume "Grains", "Protein", "Milk and Dairy", "Condiments and Sauces", and "Fruits" from convenience compared to grocery stores (all p < 0.0025). Foods/beverages from convenience stores were higher in carbohydrates, total sugar, and added sugar and lower in protein, fat, saturated fat, sodium, and fiber than those from grocery stores (all p < 0.0025). In conclusion, while foods/beverages from convenience stores are more energy-dense and nutrient-poor, there is a critical need to increase the availability, accessibility, and affordability of healthier foods/beverages in both store types to encourage healthier dietary behaviors among U.S. adolescents.
Engaging through stories: Effects of narratives on individuals’ skepticism toward corporate social responsibility efforts

Abstract Skepticism is prevalent surrounding companies’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) communication. Existing research suggests that narratives can reduce counterarguing and increase story-consistent beliefs and attitudes. However, research is still in its preliminary stage in understanding how narratives may help alleviate individuals’ skepticism toward companies’ CSR initiatives. Through an experiment with Amazon Mechanical Turk participants (n = 345), the current study tested the effect of narrative vs non-narrative videos on individual perception of CSR skepticism. YouTube videos depicting a real organization’s CSR initiatives on the issue of gender equality were selected as stimuli. Results of the study suggest that narrative significantly reduced almost all of the previously identified dimensions of CSR skepticism and significantly increased perceived intrinsic (altruistic) motives. Furthermore, engagement with the video message and perceived CSR motives were significant mediators. The study highlights engagement with messages as a key aspect of reducing CSR skepticism. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
ASSESSMENT OF PERCEPTUALLY DISABLED INDIVIDUALS DRIVING SKILLS WITH A DRIVING SIMULATOR

Ten perceptually disabled and ten nonhandicapped subjects ranging in age from 18 to 25 participated in two sessions on a fixed-base driving simulator, followed by a road test. This preliminary investigation indicated a high correlation between simulator and road test performance scores. The simulator provides a good assessment of current driving skills for many individuals and may prove to be an effective tool for determining appropriate training procedures. The simulator should not be used as a screening mechanism to deny individuals access to training programs, but its use in driver training programs may provide handicapped persons with a safe, economical, and individualized training environment for the acquisition of perceptual-motor skills. Further investigation should address the question of training effectiveness.
Cardiac aneurysm with spontaneous rupture; report of two cases.

Abstract 1. 1. Cardiac ventricular aneurysm is not a rare complication of myocardial infarction. Yet, it seldom causes death by virtue of spontaneous rupture. 2. 2. Atherosclerotic coronary occlusion is responsible for 85 per cent of the cases of cardiac aneurysm. 3. 3. Two cases of cardiac ventricular aneurysm that terminated in rupture are herewith presented. 4. 4. The etiology, incidence, pathogenesis, site, prerequisites for ante-mortem diagnosis, prognosis, and course of this lesion are briefly presented. The roles of x-ray and electrocardiography are discussed.
All-sky monitoring of high-energy transients

The use of triangulation, or arrival-time analysis, to monitor the gamma-ray sky, is discussed. A network of spacecraft separated by interplanetary distances can monitor the entire sky continuously for gamma-ray bursts and similar astrophysical transients. Single experiments in low Earth orbit can also perform this function, and generally have the advantage of greater sensitivity, at the cost of some loss of spatial and temporal coverage.
The first 24 hours of the World Trade Center attacks of 2001--the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emergency phase response.

On 11 September 2001, terrorists hijacked two passenger planes and crashed them into the two towers of the World Trade Center (WTC) in New York City. These synchronized attacks were the largest act of terrorism ever committed on US soil. The impacts, fires, and subsequent collapse of the towers killed and injured thousands of people. Within minutes after the first plane crashed into the WTC, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia, initiated one of the largest public health responses in its history. Staff of the CDC provided technical assistance on several key public health issues. During the acute phase of the event, CDC personnel assisted with: (1) assessing hospital capacity; (2) establishing injury and disease surveillance activities; (3) deploying emergency coordinators/liaisons to facilitate inter-agency coordination with the affected jurisdictions; and (4) arranging rapid delivery of emergency medical supplies, therapeutics, and personal protective equipment. This incident highlighted the need for adequate planning for all potential hazards and the importance of interagency and interdepartmental coordination in preparing for and responding to public health emergencies. Language: en
The Ubiquitin‐Vacuolar Protein Sorting System is Selectively Required During Entry of Influenza Virus into Host Cells

Influenza virus enters cells by endocytosis, and requires the low pH of the late endosome for successful infection. Here, we investigated the requirements for sorting into the multivesicular body pathway of endocytosis. We show that treatment of host cells with the proteasome inhibitors MG132 and lactacystin directly affects the early stages of virus replication. Unlike other viruses, such as retroviruses, influenza virus budding was not affected. The requirement for proteasome function was not shared by two other pH-dependent viruses: Semliki Forest virus and vesicular stomatitis virus. With MG132 treatment, incoming influenza viruses were retained in endosomes that partially colocalized with mannose 6-phosphate receptor, but not with classical markers of early or late endosomes. Colocalization was also observed with Rme-1, which is part of the recycling pathway of endocytosis. In addition, influenza virus entry was dependent on the vacuolar protein sorting pathway, as over-expression of dominant-negative hVPS4 caused arrest of viruses in endosome-like populations that partially colocalized with the hVPS4 protein. Overall, we conclude that influenza virus selectively requires the ubiquitin/vacuolar protein sorting pathway for entry into host cells, and that it must communicate with a specific cellular machinery for intracellular sorting during the initial phase of virus infection.
SAGA-mediated acetylation interacts with Prp5 ATPase activity in pre-mRNA splicing (940.1)

Regulation of gene expression occurs at multiple levels, including the removal of non-coding sequences from protein-coding pre-messenger RNA transcripts, commonly known as RNA splicing. Correct gene expression requires high fidelity in pre-mRNA splicing, as up to 15% of mutations leading to disease result in aberrant pre-mRNA splicing. Though previously thought of as biologically distinct processes, recent studies have shown there is a complex interplay between transcription and pre-mRNA splicing, however, the regulation underlying this coordination remains unclear. Using the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we have identified interactions between components of the SAGA (Spt/Ada/Gcn5/Ada) transcriptional coactivator complex and the ATP-dependent spliceosomal DEAD-box protein Prp5. Prp5 plays a critical role in mediating ATP-dependent RNA remodeling in splicing, though its precise role in transcription or chromatin remodeling is unclear. Deletion of genes encoding components of the SAGA complex requ...
Neural Basis of Audition

This chapter reviews the neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of the auditory system. A brief introduction to the key acoustical parameters that are important for understanding the physiological literature is included. Responses to simple tonal stimuli and to some more complex sounds are described for several levels of the auditory pathway, from the auditory nerve to the auditory cortex. Responses of central neurons to binaural stimuli are described in the context of spatial localization. A brief description of the descending pathways is also included. Where applicable, neural responses are described in terms of both average discharge rates and temporal response properties. The influence of the nonlinear, or level-dependent, properties of the cochlea on average-rate and temporal responses of auditory neurons are described; these nonlinearities are an important property of the healthy inner ear and have been a major focus of recent research on the auditory system. Keywords: auditory cortex; auditory localization; auditory masking; auditory nerve; cochlea; frequency tuning; tonotopic maps
Endometrial carcinoma and tamoxifen: clearing up a controversy.

During the past 5 years, a number of case reports and clinical trial results have associated tamoxifen therapy with an increased incidence of endometrial carcinoma. A review of the literature shows that there are over 200 cases of endometrial carcinoma reported in tamoxifen-treated women. Most cases are Stage I (82%), grade 1-2 disease (80%), which is consistent with the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Reporting data of 74 and 79% for Stage I and grade 1-2 endometrial carcinoma. We conclude that there is a modest increase in endometrial carcinoma incidence during tamoxifen therapy (i.e., 2/1000 tamoxifen treated women per year versus 1/1000 women per year for Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Reporting), that there is no strong association with duration of therapy, and that tamoxifen is not associated with a high-grade, poor prognosis disease. The benefits of tamoxifen in lives saved exceeds the incidence of endometrial carcinoma.
Changes in the regional abundance of hemlock associated with the invasion of hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae Annand)

Since its introduction, the non-native hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) has spread to infest hemlock (Tsuga spp.) in at least 18 states in the eastern USA. Previous studies have documented highly variable rates of hemlock mortality among infested stands making it difficult to estimate regional impacts. Here data from the US Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis program collected from 432 eastern U.S. counties reveals several surprising and conflicting regional patterns. First, median live and dead hemlock basal area has generally increased over the last two decades across the eastern U.S. This has generally been the case in both infested and uninfested counties. Second, the median percentage of hemlock which is alive has decreased over the past ~20 years, again in both infested and uninfested counties. Third, the ages of infestations are negatively correlated with the percentage of live hemlock, as might be expected given the known impact adelgids can have on a stand through time; however this relationship depends on the exclusion of uninfested counties, as counties infested >12 years and uninfested counties have similar percentages of live hemlock. Combined, these data suggest increasing tree density associated with the past century of reforestation and succession in the eastern U.S. may currently be overwhelming the negative impacts of the adelgid at the regional scale, however, the long-term stability of this situation is not known, and data from long-infested counties suggest the landscape may be at a “tipping point”.
A New Generation of Vehicle Routing Research: Robust Algorithms, Addressing Uncertainty

In recent years new insights and algorithms have been obtained for the classical, deterministic vehicle routing problem as well as for natural stochastic and dynamic variations of it. These new developments are based on theoretical analysis, combine probabilistic and combinatorial modeling, and lead to new algorithms that produce near-optimal solutions, and a deeper understanding of uncertainty issues in vehicle routing. In this paper, we survey these new developments with an emphasis on the insights gained and on the algorithms proposed.
Novel structure--function information on biogenic amine transporters revealed by site-directed mutagenesis and alkylation.

The study reported by Wenge and Bonisch in this issue provides critical structural information regarding extracellular loop 2 (EL2) of the human norepinephrine transporter (NET). A systematic search among all 10 cysteine and 13 histidine residues in NET led to His222 in EL2 as the target for N-ethylmaleimide: its alkylation interferes with [3H]nisoxetine binding, indicating the part of EL2 containing His 222 reaches back into the protein interior where it prevents access by nisoxetine to its binding site. Thus, EL2 in human NET does much more than conformationally assisting substrate translocation. The present study underscores the importance of site-directed mutagenesis approaches to elucidate structural features that cannot be deduced from crystals of homolog proteins. In the case of NET, the closest crystal structure is that of the homolog LeuT, but EL2 is difficult to align with 22 less loop residues in LeuT than in NET. The present results could only be achieved by the systematic mutagenesis study of all cysteines and all histidines in NET.
Induction of an endogenous B-tropic type C RNA virus from SWR/J mouse embryo cells in tissue culture.

Abstract Embryo cells of the inbred SWR/J strain have been previously demonstrated to lack chemically inducible NIH Swiss-tropic or xenotropic endogenous viruses. In the present studies, SWR/J embryo cells are shown to be inducible by iododeoxyuridine to release a mouse cell-tropic virus that preferentially replicates in SC-1 and BALB c cells. The inducibility of this B-tropic virus from clonal lines of SWR/J cells establishes that the virus is present within all cells of the SWR/J strain. The Fv-1 genotype of SWR/J embryo cells is shown to be Fv-1 nn , making the cells nonpermissive for B-tropic virus replication. This may account at least in part for the inability of the B-tropic endogenous virus of SWR/J cells to become established following chemical activation in tissue culture.
Exploring Conjugate CFD Heat Transfer Characteristics for a Film-Cooled Flat Plate and 3-D Turbine Inlet Vane

As part of a thorough benchmarking of the baseline cooling design in planned optimization work, Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) conjugate heat transfer (CHT) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) assessments have been accomplished at RTV design flow conditions to simulate both a cooled flat plate pressure side (PS) model infrared thermography experiment as well as a full-scale, fully-cooled, full-wheel blowdown experiment on the same high pressure turbine (HPT) vane. Numerous past works on turbomachinery film cooling have been conducted using flat plate models because of their simplicity, repeatability, and low cost of experimentation relative to full scale rotating blowdown rigs. Some of these works generated film cooling correlations still in use today in industry for HPT components. The CFD assessments in this work provide insight into the fundamental differences between a flat plate model and a realistic 3-D vane in terms of film cooling performance for the same PS cooling array. The comparisons of results wring out expected differences between the geometries due to aspects such as highly curved surfaces and endwall effects. However, with nearly-matched coolant-to-mainstream temperature and pressure ratios, the cooling performance between the two models is surprisingly similar, especially in the midspan region. The similarities and differences observed herein represent the rigor and accuracy afforded by simulating both the solid and fluid domains as well as the high-density unstructured meshes that take into account all individual cooling passages and internal plenums, on top of the typically-assessed external fluid flow field.© 2012 ASME
Thermal and flammability properties of a silica-poly(methylmethacrylate) nanocomposite

PMMA, poly(metheylmethacrylate), nanocomposites were made by in situ radical polymerization of MMA, methylmethacrylate, with colloidal silica (ca. 12 nm) to study the effects of nanoscale silica particles on the physical properties and flammability properties of PMMA. Transparent samples resulted and the dispersity of the particles was examined by transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The addition of nanosilica particles (13% by mass) did not significantly change the thermal stability, but it made a small improvement in modulus, and it reduced the peak heat release rate roughly 50%. Last, the flame-retardant mechanism provided by the addition of nanosilica particles in PMMA is discussed.
Cross-language, type-safe, and transparent object sharing for co-located managed runtimes

As software becomes increasingly complex and difficult to analyze, it is more and more common for developers to use high-level, type-safe, object-oriented (OO) programming languages and to architect systems that comprise multiple components. Different components are often implemented in different programming languages. In state-of-the-art multicomponent, multi-language systems, cross-component communication relies on remote procedure calls (RPC) and message passing. As components are increasingly co-located on the same physical machine to ensure high utilization of multi-core systems, there is a growing potential for using shared memory for cross-language cross-runtime communication.We present the design and implementation of Co-Located Runtime Sharing (CoLoRS), a system that enables cross-language, cross-runtime type-safe, transparent shared memory. CoLoRS provides object sharing for co-located OO runtimes for both static and dynamic languages. CoLoRS defines a language-neutral object/classmodel,which is a static-dynamic hybrid and enables class evolution while maintaining the space/time efficiency of a static model. CoLoRS uses type mapping and class versioning to transparently map shared types to private types. CoLoRS also contributes a synchronization mechanism and a parallel, concurrent, on-the-fly GC algorithm, both designed to facilitate cross-language cross-runtime object sharing.We implement CoLoRS in open-source, production-quality runtimes for Python and Java. Our empirical evaluation shows that CoLoRS extensions impose low overhead. We also investigate RPC over CoLoRS and find that using shared memory to implement co-located RPC significantly improves both communication throughput and latency by avoiding data structure serialization.
Unsteady Propulsor Force Prediction for Spatially and Temporally Varying Inflow

A method to compute unsteady propulsor forces for spatially and temporally varying inflows is presented. A propulsor flow prediction code, previously developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was modified and upgraded to account for time varying inflow and multiple blade rotations. The original code utilizes lifting surface theory and discretizes the propulsor surface as boundary elements to compute the unsteady potential flow. Experimental data characterizing the full unsteady, three-dimensional turbulent inflow to a Swirl-Induced Stator Upstream of Propulsor (SISUP) propulsor, were used as inflow boundary conditions. Experimental data recorded the periodic velocity fluctuations due to the stator wakes as well as the broadband turbulent characteristics of the inflow. Blade force, integrated shaft force, and blade pressure are computed based on the experimental inflow. The effect of periodic variations in the inflow was examined to determine the effect on unsteady blade forces. For these cases, the time mean experimental effective inflow is used and a fluctuating component is added for flow in the axial direction. This may be viewed as an effectively fluctuating freestream. Comparisons of unsteady force and radiated noise are then made with the baseline mean flow case to gauge the time-varying effects. Fluctuating velocity dramatically altered the force spectra even at frequencies different from the velocity fluctuation frequency. This modified algorithm can now be utilized to examine a wider set of time-dependent propulsor flow problems and to calculate the associated performance due to these unsteady flows.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Thermal stability of [Mn(III)(O)2Mn(IV)(H2O)2(Terpy)2](NO3)3 (Terpy = 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine) in aqueous solution

Abstract The chemistry of oxidizing water to dioxygen in photosynthesis is catalyzed by a Mn4Ca cluster in PS II. A synthesized Mn(III/IV)-oxo dimer compound, [Mn(III)(O)2Mn(IV)(H2O)2(Terpy)2](NO3)3 (Terpy = 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine) is able to catalyze the conversion of water to dioxygen. In this work, we investigated the thermal stability of this Mn(III/IV)-oxo dimer in the range of 20–85 °C. The decomposition of the Mn(III/IV)-oxo dimer in aqueous solution at ∼60 °C occurred involving a change in Mn valence. Values of the activation energies for the first fast step with a lifetime of 3.5 ± 0.5 min and in the following slow step with lifetime of 19 ± 4 min were determined to be 68 ± 10 kJ/mol, and 82 ± 16 kJ/mol, respectively. We speculate that the thermal inactivation of PS II may also be associated with a Mn valence change in the Mn4Ca cluster. Unexpectedly, the thermal decomposition of the Mn(III/IV)-oxo dimer was found to generate a Mn-containing precipitate that retained catalytic oxygen-evolution activity. The solid Mn-containing material is not manganese dioxide as judged by EPR, FTIR, elemental analysis, and atomic absorption spectroscopy. The novel Mn-containing precipitate, tentatively assigned as a Mn-oxo oligomer, is thermally stable and may be a unique material for fabricating catalytic materials in solar fuel production.
The Relationship Between Overall Reading Comprehension and Comprehension of Coreferential Ties for Second Language Readers of English

The study reported here investigates the relationship between overall comprehension and the comprehension of coreferential pronouns for second language readers of English. In the first phase of the study. L2 students at The Ohio State University read a passage of contemporary U.S. literature. Overall comprehension was measured by an immediate recall protocol, and coreferent comprehension was measured by a coreferent-identification task. In the second phase of the study, both L1 and L2 subjects were observed. Discriminant function analysis, along with information from interviews, provided insight into' the types of errors made by L1 and L2 readers. The results suggest that misunderstanding of coreferential ties reflects a misunderstanding of the descriptive phrases to which the pronouns refer.
The effects of geometric isomerism on the linkage isomers formed by dithiocyanatobis(triphenylphosphine or -arsine)platinum(II) complexes

Abstract The complexes cis-[PtL2(SCN)2](L = P(C6H5)3, As (C6H5)3) have been observed to undergo exclusively cis S-bonded → cis N-bonded isomerizations in the solid phase on heating. Raising the temperature of the reactions between [Pd(SCN)4]2− and P(C6H5)3 or As (C6H5)3 in solution leads to the isolation of products which contain increasingly larger proportions of the trans N-bonded isomers, which are unaffected by heating in the solid phase. The results of vCN integrated absorption intensity ratio measurements indicate that the complexes cis-[PtL2(SCN)Cl] (L = a variety of phosphines) and cis-[Pt(P(CH3)2C6H5)2(CO)SCN]X (X− = BF4− PF6−), previously formulated by Cherwinski and Clark as containing S-bonded thiocyanate groups, actually involve N-bonding in the solid phase.
Isolated growth hormone deficiency and the GH-1 gene: update 2002.

This short review will focus on the mechanisms which are thought to be directly involved in GH expression and particularly on the monogenetic disorders which were shown to cause iso
Poromas of the head and neck.

Abstract Background: The "eccrine" poroma is a benign neoplasm previously thought to originate from the eccrine sweat gland. Early studies suggested that these were primarily lesions of the hairless acral surfaces. Objective: This article reports the clinical and histologic findings of 10 cases of poroma of the head and neck area. Methods: The clinical and histologic findings of 10 cases of poroma of the head and neck area are compared with 10 poromas occurring on the extremities. Results: Some poromas demonstrated evidence for apocrine origin. Unlike poromas found on the extremities, head and neck poromas were usually asymptomatic and were never correctly diagnosed clinically. Although 9 of 10 poromas on the extremities occurred in male patients, the head and neck poromas showed no gender predilection. Conclusion: Clinicians should be aware that poromas can occur in the head and neck area and may be of apocrine origin. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2001;44:48-52.)
Security and Composition of Multiparty Cryptographic Protocols

We present general definitions of security for multiparty cryptographic protocols, with focus on the task of evaluating a probabilistic function of the parties' inputs. We show that, with respect to these definitions, security is preserved under a natural composition operation. The definitions follow the general paradigm of known definitions; yet some substantial modifications and simplifications are introduced. The composition operation is the natural ``subroutine substitution'' operation, formalized by Micali and Rogaway. We consider several standard settings for multiparty protocols, including the cases of eavesdropping, Byzantine, nonadaptive and adaptive adversaries, as well as the information-theoretic and the computational models. In particular, in the computational model we provide the first definition of security of protocols that is shown to be preserved under composition.
Mechanical behavior of Ni3Al: Effects of environment, strain rate, temperature and boron doping

Abstract The mechanical behavior of polycrystalline Ni3Al was studied as functions of environment, strain rate, temperature and boron doping. We find that the ductility of boron-free Ni3Al increases with increasing strain rate, increasing (or decreasing) temperature from room temperature, and decreasing amounts of water vapor in the test environment. The present results are consistent with our earlier conclusion that moisture-induced environmental embrittlement is a major cause of the room-temperature brittleness of Ni3Al. We also find in the present study that boron suppresses environmental embrittlement in Ni3Al; however, its efficacy depends on the amount added. At a level of 100 wppm, it quite effectively suppresses environmental embrittlement, with ductility remaining high and insensitive to strain rate in both air and water. At a level of 50 wppm, however, boron alleviates environmental embrittlement only in air—in water the ductility is strongly strain-rate sensitive. Boron also affects the fracture mode, tending in general to promote transgranular fracture if present in sufficient quantity.
Modeling the effects of latitudinal gradients in stellar winds, with application to the solar wind

A steady, axisymmetric, quasi-radial, global model previously developed for stellar winds with embedded magnetic fields has been extended to include latitudinal gradient effects on the azimuthal velocity and magnetic field. The linear results at large radii are presented for large-amplitude latitudinal variations in the radial magnetic field, mass loss rate, and radial velocity of the wind. The magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations predict meridional flows that develop naturally from internal magnetic stresses. The flows open flux tubes in the star's equatorial plane, redistributing mass and magnetic flux as a function of stellar latitude. The plasma spins up to conserve angular momentum in fields and plasma. The results are generally applicable to stellar winds (including radiatively driven winds), provided that the internal structure is not dominated by rotation. The asymptotic solutions do not explicitly depend on the form of the energy equation, although the assumed O(1) state which drives these solutions depends on the deposition of energy and momentum throughout the wind.
The Transmission of Helicopter Technology, 1920-1939: Exchanges with von Baumhauer

Previous research on helicopter history consists primarily of (auto)biographies and collections of helicopter patents. The first with its focus on individual achievements mostly denies contact between pioneers while the second largely ignores the limited use of patents by these pioneers. As a result the transmission of helicopter technology, particularly that of the 1920s and 1930s in Europe, has been little understood. The results of archival research presented here show that there was contact between these helicopter pioneers including providing references to patent information but at a modest scale. Conference reports and private correspondence found in the archive of the Dutch helicopter engineer Albert von Baumhauer suggest that a stronger link between helicopter pioneers was evident in shared theoretical interests rather than in an exchange of mechanical solutions. Language barriers and geographical distance between the main players partly explain the lack of greater cooperation among a highly speci...
Autoimmunity and Graves Disease

Current treatment options for Graves' hyperthyroidism and the related ophthalmopathy (GO) are not uniformly effective and carry with them potentially serious side effects. As a result, efforts have been focused on the development of novel therapies. Progress has been made, particularly in the production of thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) antagonists, as either monoclonal blocking antibodies or small-molecule ligands. In addition, rituximab (RTX) is the first targeted biological therapy to be studied as treatment for these conditions.
Endotoxin induces an exaggerated interleukin-10 response in peritoneal macrophages of children compared with adults ☆

Abstract Background Children have a lower incidence of postinjury multiple organ failure (MOF) compared with adults with equivalent injury severity. Because MOF appears to be the end result of systemic hyperinflammation, children may have either an attenuated proinflammatory response or an augmented antiinflammatory response compared with adults. The purpose of this study was to determine the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pro- and antiinflammatory cytokine response of pediatric versus adult peritoneal macrophages (PM). The authors hypothesized that pediatric PMs would have an enhanced antiinflammatory response compared with adults. Methods Human PMs were collected during elective laparoscopic procedures and stimulated with LPS. (Pediatric cohort: n=9 [mean, 5.4 years], adult cohort: n=8 [mean, 41.6 years]). P less than .05 was accepted as significant. Results LPS-induced a 50-fold increase in interleukin-10 (IL-10) antiinflammatory cytokine production in pediatric versus adult PMs. LPS-induced tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) production was also increased in pediatric versus adult PMs. The anti-proinflammatory cytokine ratio (IL-10 to TNF-α) was 20-fold higher in pediatric versus adult PMs. Conclusions LPS-induced macrophage production of both IL-10 and TNF-α was increased in children. The anti-proinflammatory cytokine ratio (IL-10 to TNF-α) was strikingly higher in pediatric versus adult PMs. These data suggest that the age-related balance of anti- and proinflammatory cytokines in resident macrophages is different in children compared with adults.
Basidiospore allergens: determination of optimal extraction methods.

Summary Five methods were tested by RAST for allergen extraction from seven basidiospore species Armillaria tabescens, Chlorophyllum molybdites, Coprinus quadrifidus, Pleurotus ostreatus, Calvatia cyathiformis, Pisolithus tinctorius, and Scleroderma sp. With each basidiospore type, extracted allergen activity varied according to the method employed. In general, defatting of spores with ethyl ether, followed by homogenization in 0.125 m NH4HCO3 buffer, resulted in greatest allergen yield. In order to compare extracts from different isolates, batches of Pleurotus ostreatus spores obtained from different locations and over different time periods were analysed. Spores harvested from the same basidiomycete species in different areas varied in allergen (RAST) and protein (HPLC profile) content. The spores obtained from the same location over a 1–2 year period did not differ significantly. These results indicate that basidiospores can be stored for several years and that spore extracts from different locations can vary. These studies will help in the future to provide better characterized extracts for clinical studies.
An Approach to Make Macroporous Metal Sheets as Current Collectors for Lithium-Ion Batteries

A simple method and approach is described to produce macroporous metal sheets as current collectors for lithium-ion batteries. This method is based on slurry blending, tape casting, sintering, and reducing of metal oxides and produces a uniform macroporous metal sheet. As an example, a macroporous copper sheet was prepared and used as the current collector for a silicon thin-film anode material. Such a porous copper substrate allows Si to have a much better adhesion, lower electrical contact resistance, higher capacity, capacity retention, and longer cycle life than on surface-roughened Cu foil and smooth Cu foil. This methodology produces very limited wastes and is also adaptable to many other materials such as Ni porous sheets at an industrial-scale production that is easy to be achieved.
Rovibronic symmetry and nuclear spin analysis of octanitrocubane

Abstract Octanitrocubane is shown to possess interesting nuclear spin statistics and rovibronic level patterns in its equilibrium chiral ( D 4 ) symmetry both due to 17 O and 14 N nuclear spin species. The populations and distributions of rovibronic levels will be influenced by the chiral symmetry and the nuclear spin species and spin statistical weights due to 17 O, 14 N and 13 C species. We have computed the nuclear spin species and spin statistics and correlations of the rovibronic levels and spin species in different symmetries. Our predicted results could aid in the interpretation of 17 O dynamic NMR, vibronic and rovibronic spectra of gas-phase octanitrocubane.
Use of a small reporter molecule to determine cell-surface proteins by capillary electrophoresis and laser-induced fluorescence: use of 5-SAENTA-x8f for quantitation of the human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 protein.

The human equilibrative nucleoside transporter 1 protein (hENT1) is a major mediator of cellular entry of nucleosides and anticancer nucleoside drugs; its assay is important in understanding and diagnosing chemotherapy resistance. Here we present a novel assay for quantifying hENT1 using capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection (CE-LIF). A cellular population is treated with 5‘-S-(2-aminoethyl)-N6-(4-nitrobenzyl)-5‘-thioadenosine-x8-fluorescein (5-SAENTA-x8f), which binds with high affinity and specificity to the hENT1 protein. The cells are washed to remove excess reagent, lysed, and centrifuged, and the supernatant is analyzed by CE-LIF with the use of an internal standard. Accuracy was evaluated by comparing the capillary electrophoresis results with those obtained by flow cytometry; the results were highly correlated, r = 0.96. The relative standard deviation of the hENT1 assay was 10%, determined from nine independent assays of the same cell line, which is 3 times superior ...
Transition metal nitride contacts for CdTe photovoltaics

CdS/CdTe thin film photovoltaics were produced with transition metal nitrides (TMNs) as back contacts. The devices show photovoltaic activity but a significant Schottky barrier was found at the back contact. Solar cells perform better as the ZrN films are thicker due to improved microstructure. The good reflectance of ZrN makes it acts as a reflective layer to reduce optical losses and lower the thickness of CdTe. Pure N 2 plasma treatment of the back surface of the CdTe and annealing did not improve the performance. A thin layer of Cu was introduced to dope the CdTe and completed with a ZrN film but more amount of Cu deteriorates the performance. Although the nitrides are highly stable and have good electrical properties, we have not been able to obtain devices to date that are not limited by the back contacts.
Are we eating more than we think? Illegitimate signaling and xenohormesis as participants in the pathogenesis of obesity.

Summary Resource utilization may represent a central force driving evolution. A tight link between sensing energy availability and managing energy acquisition and utilization constitutes a common feature among all organisms. While such a link was likely adaptive during prehistoric evolution, modern lifestyles may decouple perceived cues from actual energy availability so as to promote obesity in humans. A particular illegitimate signal is chronic stress, which may shift body phenotype to suit a more conservative state of energy management. In prehistoric times, such a response likely aided survival during periods of low resource availability. However, new sources of chronic stress have emerged that bear little relationship to contextual energy, which is generally abundant in the modern world. In addition, modern techniques of husbandry and agriculture can produce stress in the food chain, such that food itself can act as an illegitimate signal of chronic stress. Obese livestock and unusual fat profiles in farmed fish, meat, and eggs may reflect stress phenotypes. Consumers of stressed foods may sense those signals – a phenomenon known as xenohormesis – and assume the stressed phenotype. This maladaptive process may promote obesity by erroneously biasing hosts towards caloric accumulation in the context of energy abundance. Regional tissue accumulation of fat may indicate local tissue stress. Atherosclerosis may result from stress signals that induce sympathetic bias and regional fat accumulation in vessel adventitia. Medications such as neuroleptics and foods such as diet drinks may generate illegitimate signals by mimicking molecules used for energy management. Implications for the prevention and treatment of dysfunctions related to these derangements are discussed. New strategies for manufacturing biologics by manipulating stress conditions or controlling fatty acid attachments to proteins are envisioned.