cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bioaccumulation of organochlorine contaminants and ethoxyresorufin-o-deethylase activity in southern California round stingrays (Urobatis halleri) exposed to planar aromatic compounds

While contaminant concentrations have been reported for elasmobranchs around the world, no studies have examined bioaccumulation patterns across male and female age classes. The round stingray (Urobatis halleri) is a local benthic species that forages near areas of high organochlorine contamination and represents a good elasmobranch model. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), DDT, and chlordanes were measured in juvenile and adult male and female stingrays from areas in southern California, USA (n ¼208), and a nearby offshore island, Santa Catalina (n ¼34). Both mainland juvenile male and female stingrays showed a significant dilution effect. After maturity, summed contaminant concentrations significantly increased with size for adult males (median 11.1mg/g lipid wt) and females(5.2mg/glipidwt).However,therateofbioaccumulationwassubstantiallygreaterinmalestingraysthaninfemales,likelyaresult of the females' ability to offload contaminants to offspring during pregnancy. In addition, males and females showed significant differences in their contaminant profiles, suggesting differential habitat use. Male and female stingrays collected from Santa Catalina Island had significantly lower concentrations (0.51mg/g and 0.66mg/g lipid wt, respectively), approximately 5 times less than those of mainland animals. Potential toxicity effects mediated through activation of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor were explored through ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity assays. Mainland male stingrays exhibited significantly greater EROD activities than Catalina males (481pmol/min/mg protein and 55pmol/min/mg protein, respectively); however, activity levels in female stingrays from both locations were comparable (297pmol/min/mg protein and 234pmol/min/mg protein, respectively) and lower than those in mainland males. The results suggest that PCBs and/or other structurally related contaminants may be inducing a biological response in mainland males but not females, possibly the result of a dampening effect of estradiol; however, the exact physiological repercussions of exposure remain to be determined. Environ Toxicol Chem 2014;33:1380-1390. # 2014 SETAC
ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF ANCLOTE KEY, WEST-PENINSULAR FLORIDA

Abstract The morphology of barrier system elements on the west coast of peninsular Florida is atypical for microtidal coasts because it includes numerous drumstick-shaped barriers and large ebb-tidal deltas. Anclote Key in Pinellas County, is the most northern island of the system. It was investigated in detail in order to determine its origin and developmental history. Extensive vibracoring and shallow seismic sub-bottom profiling demonstrate that a Miocene limestone platform underlies the area and is covered by only a few meters of Pleistocene and Holocene strata. Shoreward of Anclote Key, the irregular limestone surface slopes very gradually toward the Gulf whereas the gradient on the Gulf side is two to three times greater. A subtle but well-defined limestone ridge with relief of approximately 1 m is present beneath Anclote Key. Stratigraphic analysis of 24 vibracores has identified nine Quaternary facies above the Miocene limestone. A Pleistocene muddy sand unconformably overlies the limestone and is unconformably overlain by Holocene units. As sea level rose to within a few meters of its present position beginning about 4200 yrs B.P., extensive shallow sub-tidal grass flats and inter-tidal to supratidal mangrove swamp and salt marsh environments were present in this area. Wave action near the break in slope of the limestone surface caused concentration of sand and shell to be deposited as a shallow subtidal shoal. Continued wave and tidal action accompanied by slowly rising sea level caused vertical accretion and spillover as the shoal became intertidal and eventually supratidal. Once the sand body became subaerially exposed as a barrier island, processes typical of such environments gave rise to the deposition of well-defined beach, dune, and mangrove-covered washover facies. The configuration of the shallow limestone platform was instrumental in controlling the location of Anclote Key as it developed during the late Holocene.
Iterative CT reconstruction via minimizing adaptively reweighted total variation.

Background Iterative reconstruction via total variation (TV) minimization has demonstrated great successes in accurate CT imaging from under-sampled projections. When projections are further reduced, over-smoothing artifacts appear in the current reconstruction especially around the structure boundaries. Objective We propose a practical algorithm to improve TV-minimization based CT reconstruction on very few projection data. Method Based on the theory of compressed sensing, the L-0 norm approach is more desirable to further reduce the projection views. To overcome the computational difficulty of the non-convex optimization of the L-0 norm, we implement an adaptive weighting scheme to approximate the solution via a series of TV minimizations for practical use in CT reconstruction. The weight on TV is initialized as uniform ones, and is automatically changed based on the gradient of the reconstructed image from the previous iteration. The iteration stops when a small difference between the weighted TV values is observed on two consecutive reconstructed images. Results We evaluate the proposed algorithm on both a digital phantom and a physical phantom. Using 20 equiangular projections, our method reduces reconstruction errors in the conventional TV minimization by a factor of more than 5, with improved spatial resolution. Conclusions By adaptively reweighting TV in iterative CT reconstruction, we successfully further reduce the projection number for the same or better image quality.
The Impact of Evidence-Based Practice Implementation and Fidelity Monitoring on Staff Turnover: Evidence for a Protective Effect

Staff retention is an ongoing challenge in mental health and community-based service organizations. Little is known about the impact of evidence-based practice implementation on the mental health and social service workforce. The present study examined the effect of evidence-based practice implementation and ongoing fidelity monitoring on staff retention in a children's services system. The study took place in the context of a statewide, regionally randomized effectiveness trial of an evidence-based intervention designed to reduce child neglect. In the study 21 teams consisting of 153 home-based service providers were followed over a 29-month period. Survival analyses revealed greater staff retention in the condition where the evidence-based practice was implemented along with ongoing fidelity monitoring presented to staff as supportive consultation. These results should help to allay concerns about staff retention when implementing evidence-based practices where there is good values-innovation fit and when fidelity monitoring is designed as an aid and support to service providers in providing a high standard of care for children and families.
Comparison of radar derived slant path rain attenuations with the COMSTAR beacon fades at 28.56 GHz for summer and winter periods

New results are described from an experiment for testing and improving the accuracy of radar derived slant path attenuations of the 28.56-GHz COMSTAR beacon signal using an electromechanical disdrometer located at Wallops Island, VA. Continued overall good agreement between measured and radar derived fades were noted on a case-by-case basis and statistically for the new data base.
Summary of emittance control in the SLC linac

The Stanford Linear Collider (SLC) electron-positron collider requires micron-size beams at the collision point in order to make maximum luminosity, which requires small beam emittances. These small emittances must be produced in the damping rings and accelerated down the linac without significant enlargement. The authors describe measurements of the beam emittance at various locations along the beam's trajectory and the techniques used to diagnose and correct errors. Measurements of the emittances of the beams exiting the damping rings as a function of the storage time show that the injected emittances are about three times larger than the design. Injection oscillations and betatron mismatches into the damping rings are the suspected causes of this enlargement. >
DIBS: Efficient distributed information brokerage in large-scale sensor networks

This paper is focused on the problem of designing a distributed information brokerage infrastructure for sensor networks. We propose a solution, called DIBS, which is suitable for networks of any size with or without geographic location information, supports a wide range of applications, and allows any number of these applications to be deployed at any time without the need to reprogram the network. The design of DIBS consists of two key components: the design for a content-based routing substrate for sensor networks, and the design for a suite of subscription, publication, and notification protocols running on top of this substrate. Our theoretical findings are complemented by a simulation-based evaluation.
Fatigue life prediction of solder material: effect of ramp time, hold time and temperature

The influence of factors such as ramp time, hold time, and temperature on isothermal fatigue of low-tin lead-based solder is investigated. Ways to extrapolate fatigue life are demonstrated. Decrease of frequency below 10/sup -2/ Hz is shown to lead to the reduction in the number of cycles to failure. The relation between N/sub f/ and frequency may be described by Eckel's relation. The effect of frequency is a function of strain range; therefore, the frequency-modified Coffin-Manson relation is not applicable to this solder at strains studied. Hold time dramatically reduces the number of cycles to failure and leads to the saturation in the N/sub f/. The method to calculate this limit is developed. The activation energy is a function of cycling conditions. High strain rates and high strain ranges lead to mixed transgranular-intergranular fracture. Activation energy, which is 24-26 kJ/mol. at low strain ranges and at all strain ranges with low strain rates (slow cycling or hold time in the cycle), can be used for isothermal fatigue data extrapolation of this solder. >
Trend‐stationary GNP: evidence from a new exact pointwise most powerful invariant unit root test

There has been a substantial debate whether GNP has a unit root. However, statistical tests have had little success in distinguishing between unit-root and trend-reverting specifications because of poor statistical properties. This paper develops a new exact small-sample, pointwise most powerful unit root test that is invariant to the unknown mean and scale of the time series tested, that generates exact small-sample critical values, powers and p-values, that has power which approximates the maximum possible power, and that is highly robust to conditional heteroscedasticity. This test decisively rejects the unit root null hypothesis when applied to annual US real GNP and US real per capita GNP series. This paper also develops a modified version of the test to address whether a time series contains a permanent, unit root process in addition to a temporary, stationary process. It shows that if these GNP series contain a unit root process in addition to the stationary process, then it is most likely very small. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Time to Prostate Specific Antigen Recurrence After Radical Prostatectomy and Risk of Prostate Cancer Specific Mortality

Purpose: In patients treated with radical prostatectomy who have biochemical recurrence we have previously reported that time from surgery to biochemical recurrence and postoperative prostate specific antigen doubling time are significantly related to the risk of prostate cancer death. We performed a more thorough examination of the association of time from surgery to biochemical recurrence and the risk of prostate cancer death.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively studied the records of 379 patients treated with radical prostatectomy between 1982 and 2000 who had had biochemical recurrence. We examined the association of time from surgery to prostate specific antigen recurrence and prostate specific antigen doubling time, and the risk of prostate cancer death using the Spearman correlation and Cox proportional hazards regression, respectively.Results: Longer time from surgery to prostate specific antigen recurrence was associated with a slower prostate specific antigen doubling time (Spearman r = 0.3...
A method for the preparation of transparent mesoporous silica sol–gel monoliths containing grafted organic functional groups

Transparent, crack-free mesoporous silica sol–gel monolith 2 was prepared from the hydrolysis of Si(OMe)4 in MeOH containing ethylene glycol (HOCH2CH2OH). Gradual exposure of the product monolith 1 to MeOH/H2O and then H2O helps prevent cracking of the monolith. Direct reaction of chelating diamine H2N(CH2)2NH(CH2)3Si(OMe)3 with 1 gave diamine-grafted monolith 3. Imprint-grafting of monolith 1 with the Cu2+ complex Cu[H2N(CH2)3Si(OMe)3]42+ yielded monolith 5 grafted with the monoamine ligand H2N(CH2)3Si(O–)3 (APS). BET studies showed that the average pore size in amine-imprint-grafted 5 was ca. 47 A with a specific surface area of 232 m2 g−1, and the total pore volume was 0.24 cm3 g−1 for all pores of the gel which were less than 174 A.
Comparison of junctional diversity in the neonatal and adult immunoglobulin repertoires.

Junctional diversity in immunoglobulin (Ig) from an adult mouse contributes significantly to the size of the final Ig repertoire. In adult pre-B cells, N region addition and deletion of nucleotides form coding regions produces very heterogenous CDR3 sequences. In contrast, Ig from fetal and newborn mice show very restricted junctional diversity. The reasons for this are: (a) the lack of N regions; and (b) the predominance of certain junctional sequences. These common junctional sequences all appear to occur by targeted rearrangement to short stretches of sequence homology near the ends of the segments to be joined. Targeted rearrangement may play a role in the over-expression of certain Vh genes early in ontogeny. These non-random junctional sequences in the neonate will reproducibly create certain Ig, for example, the dominant T15 anti-PC antibodies. Thus the immune system first creates a small repertoire of predictable Ig sequences. To the extent that these Ig are expressed in long-lived B cells, these ...
Single-cell RNA content of natural marine planktonic bacteria measured by hybridization with multiple 16S rRNA-targeted fluorescent probes

Despite the potential of cellular RNA as a tool for the study of bacterial activities in natural environments, cellular RNA has rarely been measured because of methodological limitations. In a previous study, we quantitatively analyzed single-cell RNA content with multiple 16S rRNA-targeted fluorescent probes. In the present study, we explore the potential of this approach with 12 samples of natural planktonic bacteria collcctcd from coastal water over a 6-month period (late winter to summer). We measured fluorescence from single cells hybridized with multiple probes, cellular DNA and RNA by ethidium bromide (EtBr) lluoromctry, and t3H]thymidine (TdR) incorporation rates. Fluorescence of the probehybridized cells was highly correlated to cellular RNA determined by EtBr fluorometry. Winter and summer samples showed different patterns of fluorescence-frequency distribution. Temperature had a large positive effect on TdR incorporation rates, but there was a negative correlation with cellular RNA content; only the samples taken at elevated summer temperatures showed a positive relationship between TdR incornoration and cellular RNA content. We estimated that the RNA content of the cells not visibly labeled wiih five probes was ~0.3 fg. The role of bacterioplankton in the aquatic
Direct inkjet printing of composite thin barium strontium titanate films

Composite Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3/MgO thin films with 60% tuning and tan [H9254] of 0.007 at 2 GHz were deposited using metal organic decomposition inks by spin coating on single crystal MgO substrates. The films with approximately 1 mol% MgO in Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 had a better tuning/loss ratio than either the 0 or the 10 mol% MgO substituted films. Crystalline Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 films were produced on both MgO and alumina substrates by inkjet printing of metalorganic precursors with subsequent thermal decomposition followed by annealing at 900°C. Barium strontium titanate lines as narrow as 100 μm were printed on the alumina substrates. The inkjet-printed films were predominantly (100) oriented on MgO and (110) oriented on alumina. The crystalline quality of the inkjet-printed films was improved by annealing at 1100°C for 3 h in oxygen. Both the printed and the spin-coated films had smooth surfaces (300 A root-mean-square roughness) as required for subsequent deposition of high-resolution metal electrodes. An inkjet-printed Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 film (3500 A) on MgO annealed at 1100°C had 20% tunability of the dielectric constant (e) at 9.1 V/μm direct current bias and tan δ < 0.002 at 1 MHz.
A life cycle engineering approach to development of flexible manufacturing systems

Life cycle engineering, or integrated product and process development (IPPD), has gained much attention recently due to its significant applications to various products and systems in industry. The authors' previous work introduced an IPPD methodology as a systems approach to competitive and environmentally conscious product and process development. Different product development issues are formally described as constrained optimization problems and solved using a life locus tree. The paper extends the methodology to the development of manufacturing systems. In order to increase its modeling capability and decision accuracy, a time variable is introduced into the methodology. The execution duration of processes and their time-varying characteristics are considered. The methodology is then applied to the life cycle development of a flexible manufacturing system (FMS). FMS machine selection and decisions along its life are optimally made. The latter includes how many times each FMS component should be upgraded and which end-of-life option it should take. Life cycle decision making is based on cost, benefit, and environmental impact of an FMS. The proposed approach provides a new way to develop cost-effective, high-quality, and environmentally conscious FMS.
OUR MUTUAL ENGINE: THE ECONOMICS OF VICTORIAN THERMODYNAMICS

Early on in Charles Dickens's Our Mutual Friend (1865), the pair of characters Eugene Wrayburn and Mortimer Lightwood glibly recount the years they have spent doing nothing, with no business, no efforts, no cares. They have jobs – one is a barrister, the other a solicitor – but neither has done a scrap of work, ever.
The Definition and Significance of an Effective Radius for Ice Clouds

Abstract Single scattering shortwave properties of ice clouds are frequently derived in terms of the “effective” radius (re) of the ice crystal population. Substantial discrepancies between definitions exist, making interpretation and comparison of various radiative parameterization schemes and satellite retrieval techniques difficult. Each definition of effective radius can be related to more physically based parameters, such as the crystal dimension of median mass. For vertically inhomogeneous clouds, the relative importance of different cloud heights in determining the retrieved re is examined, and a definition of re for vertically inhomogeneous clouds composed of hexagonal columns is proposed. This definition shows reasonable agreement with the re values that would be retrieved using visible and near-infrared channels for some microphysical data acquired in tropical ice clouds near Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, in the mid-1970s. Because only the upper parts of a thick ice cloud are detected by satellit...
Immunoexpression of villin in neuroendocrine tumors and its diagnostic implications.

Abstract Background.—Villin, a 95-kd cytoskeletal protein associated with axial microfilament bundles of brush border microvilli, is mostly restricted to intestinal glandular tumors. Villin immunoexpression was recently observed in a small number of carcinoids of the intestinal tract and lung, but its significance in a broad category of neuroendocrine tumors has not been evaluated. Design.—A total of 114 neuroendocrine tumors of different origins were tested for villin expression. They included gastrointestinal carcinoids (n = 30), lung carcinoids (n = 15), small cell carcinomas of the lung (n = 24), small cell carcinomas of other sites (n = 15), islet cell tumors (n = 8), Merkel cell carcinomas (n = 6), paragangliomas (n = 6), and others (n = 10). Nine round cell sarcomas were tested as well. Results.—Villin immunoreactivity was present in 85% of gastrointestinal carcinoids and small cell carcinomas, but was found in only 40% of lung carcinoids. Other tumors tested were virtually negative for villin. In ...
The Rise and Fall of Nasty Politics in America

It is fair to say that a great swath of forest was sacrificed for the study of negative campaigning. As we might hope and expect, a great deal has been learned since our initial assumptions that negative ads would be the downfall of our republic. (For an excellent review of this literature, see Geer 2006). This PS symposium and a spate of recent work (for example, see Herbst 2010; Shea and Fiorina 2012; Sobieraj and Berry 2011), suggest growing interest in a somewhat different form of negativity: the tone of political discourse, or what we might call levels of civility in politics. Much of this work has centered on the impact of nasty politics on individuals (Forgette and Morris 2006; Mutz 2007; Mutz and Reeves 2005; Fridkin and Kenney 2008). Might vitriol turn off citizens and lead to increased levels of distrust and cynicism?
Dynamic Adverse Selection: Time-Varying Market Conditions and Endogenous Entry

In this paper I analyze the effects of time-varying market conditions and endogenous entry on the equilibrium dynamics of markets plagued by adverse selection. I show that variation in gains from trade, stemming from market conditions, creates an option value and distorts liquidity when gains from trade are low. An improvement in market conditions triggers a wave of high-quality deals due to the preceding illiquidity and lack of incentives to signal quality. When gains from trade are high, the market is fully liquid; high prices and no delay in trade attract low-grade assets, and the average quality deteriorates. My analysis also reveals that illiquidity can act as a remedy as well as a cause of inefficiency: partial illiquidity allows for screening of assets and restores efficient entry incentives. I demonstrate model implications using several applications: early stage financing, initial public offerings, and private equity buyouts.
Giving and Receiving Feedback Evaluation

This chart can be used to help students reflect on and document their feedback conversations. In the course of giving or receiving feedback, we often become so embroiled in what we are saying or in what is being said to us that we fail to reflect on the quality and impact of the communication. Though intended to accompany the technical note "Feedback" (UVA-OB-0746), the chart is useful with many other materials on assessing performance.
Penetrating Keratoplasty and Glaucoma

Multiple mechanisms can lead to the development of glaucoma following penetrating keratoplasty (PK), including open and closed angle mechanisms. Previously controlled glaucoma can become uncontrolled or elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) can develop following penetrating keratoplasty. Treatment in these patients can be complex, and the glaucoma is often refractory to medical therapy.
Brief of Amicus Curiae Knowledge Ecology International, in Support of Petitioners' Petition for Writ of Certiorari (Ninestar Technology Co., Ltd, et. al. v. Int'l. Trade Comm'n, et. al.)

The patent exhaustion doctrine is a common law tradition that has existed in the United States for over 150 years. This doctrine, analogous to the statutorily codified “first sale” doctrine of Copyright Law, limits the patent owner’s control to the first sale of the technology. Once the first authorized sale occurs, the patent owner’s right to the invention are considered exhausted. This Court’s precedent has long found that the first authorized sale, regardless of the place of manufacture or location of sale, exhausts the patent owner’s rights to control future downstream sales. The Federal Circuit’s recent decisions run contrary to this Court’s longstanding history. As a general rule, KEI favors international patent exhaustion, a rule that stood in the United States until the Federal Circuit’s decision in 2001. Where desirable public policy favors limitations on international exhaustion, Congress is capable of providing such limitations through other laws or regulatory processes.
Mutually orthogonal rectangular gerechte designs

Abstract Let q be a prime power and r , s , m , n positive integers. We construct families of mutually orthogonal gerechte designs of order q r + s with rectangular regions of size q r × q s . This leads to a lower bound on the size of a family of mutually orthogonal gerechte designs of order mn with rectangular regions of size m × n . The construction is linear-algebraic; surrounding theory employs companion matrices and Toeplitz matrices over finite fields.
Early Exploration: Breathing and Butler Caves

Prior to 1958, Breathing Cave was the only large cave known in Burnsville Cove. That changed in May, 1958 when air blowing from beneath a sandstone ledge guided explorers to the discovery of the Butler Cave-Sinking Creek cave system. The exploration of the Butler Cave-Sinking Creek system along with nearby Breathing Cave is described in detail. Breathing consists of a large network maze on the flank of the Sinking Creek Syncline. Butler Cave consists of a master trunk passage and underground stream that follows the axis of a syncline northeast to a series of terminal sumps. Connecting with the trunk passage is a series of network maze caves that extend up the northwest flank of the syncline. Overall, Butler Cave contains 16.71 miles of surveyed passages. The excavation of a new entrance in 1998 allowed easy access to the cave and in recent years exploration is being continued.
Nectar robbing impacts pollinator behavior but not plant reproduction

Trait-mediated indirect effects (TMIEs) refer to interactions in which the effect of one species on another is mediated by the behavior of a third species. A mechanistic approach that identifies the direction and impact of TMIEs can shed light on why different net outcomes are observed in the same general phenomena across systems. Nectar robbing has variable net effects through TMIEs on animal-pollinated plants across systems, but the mechanistic steps underlying this range of outcomes are often unclear. To address this knowledge gap, we assessed linkages between nectar robbing, pollinator behavior and plant reproductive success in the Andean tree, Oreocallis grandiflora. We found that robbing in this system led to lower nectar volumes, higher nectar sucrose concentration, and higher nectar viscosity, which together negatively impact nectar quality. This drop in nectar quality was associated with decreased visitation rates by hummingbirds, which might be expected to impact plant reproduction negatively by pollen limitation. However, it was also associated with increased diversity (Shannon's) and evenness in the pollinator community due to reduced visitation by a territorial hummingbird, which might be expected to impact reproduction positively via enhanced genetic diversity of pollen as non-territorial pollinators forage over greater areas. We measured seed set and mass to distinguish the relative intensity of these two possible outcomes, but found no detectable effect. We tentatively conclude that these two consequences of TMIEs may have balanced each other out to yield a neutral net effect of nectar robbing on plant reproduction, though other explanations are also possible. This study highlights ways in which ecologically important TMIEs may act in opposing directions to mask important ecological forces, and underscores the continued need for detailed study of the mechanisms through which TMIEs operate.
The ‘Usual Suspects’: How Race Affects Decisions to Report Rape Victimization

A key issue in contemporary criminology is the role that social status, and particularly race, plays in legal processes. Previous research suggests that criminal justice proceedings-including arrest, conviction, and sentencing rates-are influenced by victim and offender race, but rarely examines the role of race in reporting events to the police. The following research uses data from the rape sub-sample of the National Crime Victimization Survey of households 1992-2001; logistic regression analyses are conducted to determine how victim and offender race influence reporting of rape to the police, controlling for other incident characteristics. The findings suggest that rapes with a Black perpetrator are much more likely to be reported to police, regardless of whether the victim is white or Black.
On the Innovation and Function of Team-based Teachers' Party Branch

Team-based Teachers' Party Branch is innovation of college party to take the initiative to adapt to college reform and development,to expand the field,to enhance functions and to strengthen the party's grassroots organizations.Team-based teachers' party branch has to grasp the law of the time,continuously push forward the concept innovation,system innovation and mechanism innovation.Its functions are shown in the following three aspects: providing protection and motivation to teamwork,inciting and stimulating creativity in teamwork,and unifying team force.
Condition research on modified bentonite by carbon entraining roasting method

Modified effect of roasted bentonite added carbon was evaluated by how big is the decolorizing rate of C.I.Direct Red 12B dye waster water. By experiment we got a best modifying condition, under such condition we can make modified bentonite sorbent with strong sorption. This sorbent also can be catalyst containing active ingredient or be support carrying water treatment reagent.
Transport Processes of Naphthalene in the Aquatic Environment

Abstract A study was conducted on the environmental transport processes of naphthalene in three surface water-sediment systems and in Milli-Q water-clay system. Solubility, Henry's law constant (H), volatilization rate constant, photolysis rate constant, and sorption-desorption coefficients, were determined. Aqueous solubilities ranged from 28.0 to 29.4 mg/L and did not show a significant difference in the different waters at a – 0.5. Experimentally determined H were lower in the natural waters than in Milli-Q water possibility due to decrease in surface tension. Estimation of volatilization rates by measuring KVC/KVO was subject to photolysis side effects. Photolysis rate followed first order kinetics and was enhanced in natural waters by factors from 2 to 7. Data on naphthalene sorption-desorption coefficients were not conclusive. Translation of the laboratory data to field or microcosm conditions may reflect different situations than the apparent differences noted in individual process determined in the laboratory. Under well characterized microcosm conditions, volatilization is the major transport process of naphthalene. Photolysis and biotransformation, each account for less than 15% of the kinetic process. The natural water matrix retarded volatilization rates and enhanced photolysis rates. The microcosm sediment partition coefficient was lower than values derived from laboratory data.
AN INDEX OF PSEUDO-DISCRIMINATION LOSS.

An Index of Pseudo-Discrimination Loss (PDL-Index) has been developed for use with the recorded W-22 discrimination tests and is described. This PDL-Index is based on consideration of the kinds of ...
Neurotoxins and Neurodevelopment

The leading cause of neonatal mortality is birth defects, in some cases the result of exposure to neurotoxins. Even when not resulting in death, damage to the developing brain or central nervous system as a result of exposure can result in negative impacts that affect lifelong outcomes. Genetic conditions, medical conditions, and trauma are most often discussed as identified causes for neurodevelopmental disorders and damage to the brain. Neurotoxins, or harmful substances, that can affect brain function and development from conception onward further add to risk for deviations from typical development and optimum outcomes. This chapter introduces the context of neurotoxins and the mechanisms by which in utero and postnatal exposure can affect neural development and function. At the same time that advanced technology allows research to better understand brain–behavior relations and various neurotoxins, the potential for exposure to neurotoxins with deleterious effects also is increasing. Other moderating factors are identified, as well as general considerations for prevention and intervention.
Teaching teachers to teach diverse students in computer science

The goal of this panel is to engage the computing education community in perspectives on developing and delivering diversity-focused faculty professional development. Panel session attendees will gain an understanding of the role and importance of diversity-focused professional development and knowledge about the critical instructional components that affect successful online and face-to-face professional development available to them and their colleagues. The panel is comprised of scholars who are both researchers and educators. They provide a range of experience developing and delivering professional development to high school, community college, undergraduate and graduate school computing faculty.
Intentional intravenous mercury injection

Mercury toxicity is commonly associated with vapour inhalation or oral ingestion, for which there exist definite treatment options. Intravenous mercury injection is rarely seen, with few documented cases. Treatment strategies are not clearly defined for such cases, although a few options do show benefit. This case report describes a 29-year-old man suffering from bipolar disorder, who presented following self-inflicted intravenous injection of mercury. Clinical and radiographic features, possible adverse clinical sequelae in preexisting mental illness and further complications are discussed, as well as possible treatment strategies in light of relevant literature.
Review of Byline of Hope: Collected Newspaper and Magazine Writing of Helen Keller

No abstract available. © 2017 Marcum. All rights reserved. By author request, this article is excluded from Creative Commons licensing.
Advanced wasting in peritoneal dialysis patients

Aim To identify patients with end-stage renal disease treated by peritoneal dialysis (PD) who had zero body fat (BF) as determined by analysis of body composition using anthropometric formulas estimating body water (V) and to compare nutritional parameters between these patients and PD patients whose BF was above zero. Methods Body weight (W) consists of fat-free mass (FFM) and BF. Anthropometric formulas for calculating V allow the calculation of FFM as V/0.73, where 0.73 is the water fraction of FFM at normal hydration. Wasting from loss of BF has adverse survival outcomes in PD. Advanced wasting was defined as zero BF when V/0.73 is equal to or exceeds W. This study, which analyzed 439 PD patients at their first clearance study, used the Watson formulas estimating V to identify patients with VWatson/0.73 ≥ W and compared their nutritional indices with those of PD patients with VWatson/0.73 Results The study identified at the first clearance study two male patients with VWatson/0.73 ≥ W among 439 patients on PD. Compared to 260 other male patients on PD, the two subjects with advanced wasting had exceptionally low body mass index and serum albumin concentration. The first of the two subjects also had very low values for serum creatinine concentration and total (in urine and spent peritoneal dialysate) creatinine excretion rate while the second subject had an elevated serum creatinine concentration and high creatinine excretion rate due, most probably, to non-compliance with the PD prescription. Conclusion Advanced wasting (zero BF) in PD patients, identified by the anthropometric formulas that estimate V, while rare, is associated with indices of poor somatic and visceral nutrition.
The identity of catfishes identified as Mystus cavasius (Hamilton, 1822) (Teleostei: Bagridae), with a description of a new species from Myanmar

The identity of South Asian riverine bagrid catfishes usually referred to as Mystus cavasius (Hamilton, 1822) is reviewed. Three species comprise what is currently understood as M. cavasius : M. cavasius s. str. from northern India, M. seengtee from southern India and a new species, M. falcarius, from the Salween and Irrawaddy river drainages in Myanmar and the shorter river drainages in southern Myanmar. Mystus seengtee is resurrected from synonymy with M. cavasius and both species are redescribed. The three species differ from other congeners with a long-based adipose fin in having a combination of a black spot in front of the dorsal-spine base, a dark humeral mark, a body without distinct midlateral stripes, very long maxillary barbels reaching to caudal-fin base, dorsal spine short and feebly serrate, tall dorsal fin, and 13n29 gill rakers. These species differ from each other in dorsal fin shape, shape of the predorsal profile, coloration, and number of rakers on the first gill arch.
Teriparatide treatment improves bone defect healing via anabolic effects on new bone formation and non-anabolic effects on inhibition of mast cells in a murine cranial window model†

Investigations of teriparatide (recombinant parathyroid hormone [rPTH]) as a potential treatment for critical defects have demonstrated the predicted anabolic effects on bone formation, and significant non-anabolic effects on healing via undefined mechanisms. Specifically, studies in murine models of structural allograft healing demonstrated that rPTH treatment increased angiogenesis (vessels 30 μm) and mast cell numbers, which lead to decreased fibrosis and accelerated healing. To better understand these non-anabolic effects, we interrogated osteogenesis, vasculogenesis, and mast cell accumulation in mice randomized to placebo (saline), rPTH (20 μg/kg/2 days), or the mast cell inhibitor sodium cromolyn (SC) (24 μg/kg/ 2days), via longitudinal micro-computed tomography (μCT) and multiphoton laser scanning microscopy (MPLSM), in a critical calvaria defect model. μCT demonstrated that SC significantly increased defect window closure and new bone volume versus placebo (p < 0.05), although these effects were not as great as rPTH. Interestingly, both rPTH and SC have similar inhibitory effects on arteriogenesis versus placebo (p < 0.05) without affecting total vascular volume. MPLSM time-course studies in untreated mice revealed that large numbers of mast cells were detected 1 day postoperation (43 ± 17), peaked at 6 days (76 ± 6), and were still present in the critical defect at the end of the experiment on day 30 (20 ± 12). In contrast, angiogenesis was not observed until day 4, and functional vessels were first observed on 6 days, demonstrating that mast cell accumulation precedes vasculogenesis. To confirm a direct role of mast cells on osteogenesis and vasculogenesis, we demonstrated that specific diphtheria toxin-α deletion in Mcpt5-Cre-iDTR mice results in similar affects as SC treatment in WT mice. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that mast cells inhibit bone defect healing by stimulating arteriogenesis associated with fibrotic scaring, and that an efficacious non-anabolic effect of rPTH therapy on bone repair is suppression of arteriogenesis and fibrosis secondary to mast cell inhibition. © 2017 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Electrocardiography of Heart Failure: Features and Arrhythmias

While this chapter addresses the electrocardiographic (ECG) features of heart failure (HF) and physiologically significant arrhythmias in patients with HF, neither ECG findings nor specific arrhythmias establish the diagnosis of HF, regardless of its origin. The diagnosis of HF is established by the patient’s symptoms and physical signs, along with confirmatory evidence of mechanical heart dysfunction (e.g., by echocardiography or cardiac catheterization). HF can be due to systolic and/or diastolic dysfunction affecting one or both ventricles. Regardless of which, because of ventricular interdependence, HF ultimately leads to compromise of both systemic and pulmonary hemodynamics. Unchecked, the end result is multiorgan system failure and death, whether HF results from congenital or acquired heart disease. This chapter highlights the ECG features of HF and arrhythmias in patients with HF.
A Potential Oligogenic Etiology of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: A Classic Single-Gene Disorder.

Rationale: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a prototypic single-gene disease caused mainly by mutations in genes encoding sarcomere proteins. Despite the remarkable advances, the causal genes in ≈40% of the HCM cases remain unknown, typically in small families and sporadic cases, wherein cosegregation could not be established. Objective: To test the hypothesis that the missing causal genes in HCM is, in part, because of an oligogenic cause, wherein the pathogenic variants do not cosegregate with the phenotype. Methods and Results: A clinically affected trio with HCM underwent clinical evaluation, electrocardiography, echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and whole exome sequencing. Pathogenic variants in the whole exome sequencing data were identified using established algorithms. Family members were genotyped by Sanger sequencing and cosegregation was analyzed. The siblings had a severe course, whereas the mother had a mild course. Variant analysis showed that the trio shared 145 heterozygous pathogenic variants in 139 genes, including 2 in cardiomyopathy genes TTN and ALPK3 . The siblings also had the pathogenic variant p.Ala13Thr variant in MYL2 , a known gene for HCM. The sibling’s father also carried the p.Ala13Thr variant, in whom an unambiguous diagnosis of HCM could not be made because of concomitant severe aortic stenosis. The TTN variant segregated with HCM, except in a 7-year-old boy, who had a normal phenotype. The ALPK3 variant, shared by the affected trio, did not segregate with the phenotype. Conclusions: We posit that a subset of HCM might be oligogenic caused by multiple pathogenic variants that do not perfectly cosegregate with the phenotype.
Pharmacogenetic Biomarkers to Predict Treatment Response in Multiple Sclerosis: Current and Future Perspectives

Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) have significantly advanced the treatment of relapsing multiple sclerosis (MS), decreasing the frequency of relapses, disability, and magnetic resonance imaging lesion formation. However, patients’ responses to and tolerability of DMTs vary considerably, creating an unmet need for biomarkers to identify likely responders and/or those who may have treatment-limiting adverse reactions. Most studies in MS have focused on the identification of pharmacogenetic markers, using either the candidate-gene approach, which requires prior knowledge of the genetic marker and its role in the target disease, or genome-wide association, which examines multiple genetic variants, typically single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Both approaches have implicated numerous alleles and SNPs in response to selected MS DMTs. None have been validated for use in clinical practice. This review covers pharmacogenetic markers in clinical practice in other diseases and then reviews the current status of MS DMT markers (interferon , glatiramer acetate, and mitoxantrone). For a complex disease such as MS, multiple biomarkers may need to be evaluated simultaneously to identify potential responders. Efforts to identify relevant biomarkers are underway and will need to be expanded to all MS DMTs. These will require extensive validation in large patient groups before they can be used in clinical practice.
Abstract 4599: Antibody targeting PDZ domain of TIP-1 induces proliferation arrest through AKT/mTOR signaling inhibition in lung cancer and glioblastoma

Antigens that are over-expressed in cancer in response to radiation are being used as novel targets. We showed tax interacting protein 1 (TIP-1) to be radiation-inducible that translocated to the surface of the cancer cell following irradiation. TIP-1, which consists of a single PDZ domain plays an important role in cell signaling, cancer development, and progression. TIP-1’s involvement in various survival pathways makes it an attractive target for anticancer therapeutics. We used antibodies specific to this PDZ domain to determine its role in cancer cell survival. We monitored proliferation in lung cancer (A549 and H460) and glioblastoma (D54 and U251) cells after 24, 48, 72 and 96h treatment with the anti-PDZ antibody. We observed a time-dependent proliferation arrest with anti-PDZ antibody treatment which was associated with increased apoptosis. The anti-PDZ antibody when combined with radiation (3Gy) led to reduced proliferation and colony formation. Anti-PDZ antibody had no effect on the proliferation of normal lung (MRC-5) and endothelial (HUVEC) cells. Cells treated with anti-PDZ antibody showed decreased levels of the phosphorylated forms of AKT, mTOR, and a downstream substrate of mTOR, 4EBP1. Anti-PDZ antibody treatment also led to an overall reduction in basal levels of AKT, mTOR, and 4EBP1. Further, we evaluated the effect of the anti-PDZ antibody on tumor growth in heterotopic mouse models of lung cancer (A549) and glioma (U251). We observed significant growth delay in mice treated with anti-PDZ antibody treatment when compared to mice treated with the isotype control. The combination of the anti-PDZ antibody with radiation showed an additive effect. Immunoblot analysis of tumor tissues also showed downregulation of phosphorylated and total levels of AKT, mTOR and 4EBP1 in the tumors treated with anti-PDZ antibody. Overall, our results suggest that TIP-1 is a promising therapeutic target for treatment of lung cancer and glioblastoma. Antibodies specific to the PDZ domain of TIP-1 enhance the efficacy of radiotherapy. The anti-PDZ antibodies need to be optimized further before translating it into the clinic. Citation Format: Vaishali Kapoor, David Dadey, Kelly Hoye, Andrea Collins, Dinesh Thotala, Dennis Hallahan. Antibody targeting PDZ domain of TIP-1 induces proliferation arrest through AKT/mTOR signaling inhibition in lung cancer and glioblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4599. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4599