cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Determinants and Unintended Consequences of Expanded Audit Reporting: Evidence from Tax-Related Key Audit Matters

This study examines the determinants and unintended consequences of tax-related key audit matters (KAMs). We argue it is important to examine constructs specifically related to KAM topics to draw valid inferences about expanded audit reporting. Tax KAMs provide this opportunity because tax expense is material to most firms, there is substantial risk in the tax function, and tax KAMs are prevalent and discuss a range of issues. Consistent with tax complexity increasing the difficulty of auditing tax expense, we find that firms with greater tax avoidance, greater tax risk, and larger deferred tax asset balances with greater estimation uncertainty are more likely to receive a tax KAM. In consequences analyses, we find that firms that stop receiving tax KAMs increase their future (but not concurrent) purchases of auditor-provided tax services, consistent with economic bond incentives threatening auditor independence. Firms that stop receiving tax KAMs also increase tax avoidance in subsequent years.
Time Dimension of Childhood Adversities and Externalizing Behavior Among Children of Teen Mothers: Sensitive Period Hypothesis vs. Accumulation Hypothesis:

Childhood adversities are associated with compromised behavioral health later in life. However, less attention has been paid to how time contributes to the damaging effects of adversity exposure. I...
Nursing student and faculty perspectives following involvement in women, children, family scholars pilot program

Background: Mentoring by experienced faculty can provide opportunities for nursing students to grow personally and professionally in their pursuit of establishing a clinical specialty focus. At a Midwest pre-licensure nursing (pre-licensure clinical nurse leader) program, faculty sought to assist students in pursuing knowledge and experiences within the Women, Children, and Family Nursing (WCFN) specialty. Methods: After completing an application process, selected scholars were matched with a faculty mentor to discuss student objectives/goals, project work, and engage in post-program employment opportunities conversations. At program end, both scholar and mentor completed satisfaction surveys. Results: Surveys revealed the WCFN scholar pilot program proved beneficial for both student scholar and faculty mentor. Small program changes would improve the scholar experiences. Conclusions: A WCFN Scholar program provides nursing students’ access to experienced faculty mentors who provide encouragement, assist with problem solving, and offer professional development advice, and networking. Faculty mentors reported personal satisfaction knowing they were supporting new nurse development in the WCFN specialty.
Energy, energy, read all about it: A thematic analysis of energy insecurity in the U.S. mainstream media from 1980 to 2019

Abstract We use thematic analysis to examine US news media articles (n = 575 from 192 outlets) about household energy insecurity issues from 1980 to 2019 as conveyed through extreme heat and cold-related events. The coverage tells stories of changes in climate patterns; rising costs of energy and changing energy landscapes; and potential for greater social and health inequality in tandem with a shrinking social safety net to support basic human needs. We found that media not only provides a body of evidence to substantiate academic and policy claims, but often precedes scholarly research in opening up new avenues for issue awareness, and highlighting lived experiences of energy insecurity. We highlight a triangular relationship across media coverage, policy output, and public interest, in which media plays a key role in germinating public response to policy, and influencing the nature of this response. We also offer critiques about how media has covered these issues that may have adverse policy implications. An overarching goal of this study is to demonstrate that there are insights to be gleaned from media coverage that confirm, extend, and challenge current policies and the scholarly and lay audience understanding of energy insecurity. These insights include, but are not limited to: making explicit the sociopolitical factors that both influence, and are exacerbated by, energy insecurity; including missing voices of those experiencing the compounding impacts of energy insecurity; and in turn, ways in which media coverage could propel policy to better address inequity dimensions of energy insecurity that current measures overlook.
Outcomes of pregnancy and childbirth in women with hidradenitis suppurativa.

Background Many women affected by hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) are of childbearing age. To date, the literature is limited on pregnancy-related outcomes for women with HS. Objective To investigate maternal and obstetric outcomes and treatment utilization among women with HS. Methods This retrospective analysis used the IBM MarketScan Commercial Claims Database. Pregnant women with HS (n = 998) and 5:1 age-matched pregnant women without HS (n = 5065) were identified and information on claims related to diagnoses, procedures, and medications were analyzed. Results Compared to women without HS, pregnant women with HS had significantly lower odds of having a live birth (odds ratio [OR], 0.45; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.39-0.51) and significantly higher odds of having elective terminations (OR, 2.51; 95% CI, 2.13-2.96), gestational hypertension (OR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.12-1.84), and cesarean deliveries (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.06-1.55), and of receiving HS designated treatment during pregnancy (OR, 4.41; 95% CI, 3.56-5.46). Limitations Retrospective and convenience sampling and absence of clinical information to correlate HS severity and outcomes. Conclusion Pregnant women with HS have an increased probability of select complicated maternal and obstetric outcomes. Women planning for pregnancy or who are currently pregnant may benefit from coordinated care by dermatologists and obstetric providers.
Effect of the STAMP (Sharing and Talking About My Preferences) Intervention on Completing Multiple Advance Care Planning Activities in Ambulatory Care : A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background Interventions with the potential for broad reach in ambulatory settings are necessary to achieve a life course approach to advance care planning. Objective To examine the effect of a computer-tailored, behavioral health model-based intervention on the engagement of adults in advance care planning recruited from ambulatory care settings. Design Cluster randomized controlled trial with participant-level analysis. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03137459). Setting 10 pairs of primary and selected specialty care practices matched on patient sociodemographic information. Participants English-speaking adults aged 55 years or older; 454 adults at practices randomly assigned to usual care and 455 at practices randomly assigned to intervention. Intervention Brief telephone or web-based assessment generating a mailed, individually tailored feedback report with a stage-matched brochure at baseline, 2 months, and 4 months. Measurements The primary outcome was completion of the following 4 advance care planning activities at 6 months: identifying and communicating with a trusted person about views on quality versus quantity of life, assignment of a health care agent, completion of a living will, and ensuring that the documents are in the medical record-assessed by a blinded interviewer. Secondary outcomes were completion of individual advance care planning activities. Results Participants were 64% women and 76% White. The mean age was 68.3 years (SD, 8.3). The predicted probability of completing all advance care planning activities in usual care sites was 8.2% (95% CI, 4.9% to 11.4%) versus 14.1% (CI, 11.0% to 17.2%) in intervention sites (adjusted risk difference, 5.2 percentage points [CI, 1.6 to 8.8 percentage points]). Prespecified subgroup analysis found no statistically significant interactions between the intervention and age, education, or race. Limitations The study was done in a single region and excluded non-English speaking participants. No information was collected about nonparticipants. Conclusion A brief, easily delivered, tailored print intervention increased participation in advance care planning in ambulatory care settings. Primary funding source National Institute of Nursing Research and National Institute of Aging.
Firehose driven magnetic fluctuations in the magnetosphere

[1] The nonlinear saturation of the firehose instability in the high plasma pressure central plasma sheet is shown to produce a wide spectrum of Alfvenic fluctuations in the range of Pi-2 geomagnetic pulsations. The wave energy sources are the small p∥/p⊥ > 1 + B2/μ0p⊥ anisotropies which are created by Earthward ion convection at constant first and second adiabatic invariants. In the nonlinear state, the field-line curvature force is weaker than the linear force. This weakening of the driving force limits the amplitude of the Alfvenic fluctuations. Away from the equatorial plane, the plasma is firehose stable, but carries large magnetic fluctuations.
The body incantatory: Spells and the ritual imagination in medieval Chinese Buddhism, by Paul Copp

Paul Copp’s The Body Incantatory is groundbreaking in many respects. Providing an in-depth study of a largely ignored subject – the dhāraṇī incantations practiced in China outside of the high Esote...
Studies on the synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid. II. Studies with biologically active templates and the stimulation of synthesis by oligonucleotides.

Abstract When purified T5-induced deoxyribonucleic acid polymerase is incubated with transforming deoxyribonucleic acid from Bacillus subtilis, there is no detectable loss of transforming ability. By using 5-bromodeoxyuridine triphosphate triphosphate as a density marker and 32P-labeled transforming deoxyribonucleic acid as template, it was shown that after two rounds of synthesis, fractions isolated from the regions of a density gradient equivalent to deoxyribonucleic acid fully substituted with bromuracil and containing no detectable 32P had low but significant transforming activity. When deoxyribonuclease digests are added to incubation mixtures containing single stranded deoxyribonucleic acid and purified T5-induced polymerase, there is a marked stimulation of both the rate and yield. Digests prepared from the same type of deoxyribonucleic acid used as template are more effective than digests of heterologous nucleic acid. From analysis of sedimentation patterns in alkaline sucrose, and from experiments involving gel filtration, it has been found that oligonucleotides present in the digest are incorporated into the product in covalent linkage and probably act as initiators for deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis in this system.
Pricing a Credit-Linked Note on a CDX Tranche

A credit-linked note (CLN) on a tranche of the CDX index (partially) protects the holder against default losses in that tranche. The holder receives a specified redemption amount at note maturity. The note is priced using market spread quotes for a matching CDS on this tranche.
Intratumoral hemorrhage and fibrosis in vestibular schwannoma: a possible mechanism for hearing loss

Object Vestibular schwannomas (VSs) are benign lesions with an unpredictable natural history. Perhaps the greatest barrier to predicting which patients need treatment is our poor understanding of how these tumors cause hearing loss in the first place. In this case-control study, the authors investigated the relationship between preoperative hearing loss and histological changes such as intratumoral microhemorrhage and extensive fibrosis. Methods From a prospectively collected database, the authors selected all patients with VS who had undergone microsurgical resection as their initial treatment for histopathologically confirmed VS. Histological specimens obtained in 274 of these patients were systematically reviewed by a blinded neuropathologist who graded the extent of microhemorrhage and fibrosis in these tumors. The effect of these variables on preoperative hearing loss was studied using binary logistic regression. Results On univariate analysis, patients with extensive intratumoral microhemorrhage or ...
Spontaneous rupture of the spleen complicating labor

Abstract 1. 1. A case of spontaneous rupture of the spleen complicating labor is reported. It is believed to be the first case recorded in the American literature. 2. 2. Twenty-one cases of splenic rupture complicating pregnancy, labor, and the puerperium have been collected from the literature. 3. 3. Due to difficulty in diagnosis and rapidity of death, spontaneous splenic rupture complicating labor may be an unrecognized cause, albeit a minor one, of fatal obstetric shock.
Transient giant R waves in the early phase of acute myocardial infarction: Association with ventricular fibrillation

An unusual electrocardiographic (ECG) pattern was observed in five patients who suffered an acute anterior myocardial infarction. Early in their illness and following resuscitation from ventricular fibrillation (three patients), in the midst of recurrent ventricular irritability prior to development of ventricular fibrillation (one patient), and following a period of seizures (one patient), the ECG showed ST-segment elevation, marked increase in the R-wave amplitude, disappearance of S waves and merging of QRS complexes with the elevated ST segments, ECG patterns noted in these patients were similar to the ones recorded from dogs immediately after ligation of a large coronary artery, and from patients with severe episodes of variant angina. Although these early electrocardiographic changes probably reflect either marked regional transmural blood flow deprivation or its aftermath, they could not be taken as indices of eventual massive myocardial necrosis since in most of these patients the alterations were followed by development of nontransmural myocardial infarction. The possible mechanisms and the implications of such discrepancy between early and late electrocardiographic indicators of injury or necrosis is discussed.
Beyond Strength Participant Perspectives on the Benefits of an Older Adult Exercise Program

This study examines the expected and experienced benefits among participants in Enhance®Fitness (EF), an evidence-based group physical activity program for older adults. We also describe the implications for program dissemination (reach, implementation, and maintenance) within the RE-AIM (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance) framework. Twenty semistructured interviews were conducted with EF participants enrolled from 2005 to 2012. Interviews were digitally recorded, professionally transcribed, and analyzed using a deductive approach. Participants were motivated to join EF for expected physical benefits and the social environment of a group-based class. Actualized benefits of participation included physical, social, functional, and improved self-image/sense of well-being. Participants valued the practical application of class exercises to daily activities that support independent living, such as lifting objects and completing household chores. Organizations looking to implement EF or improve existing EF classes can improve program reach, implementation, and maintenance by incorporating participants' expressed motivations and valued benefits in program marketing and by improving organizational support to meet participant needs. EF class instructors can tailor their classes to engage participants based on their motivations. Understanding participants' motivations and valued benefits can improve EF dissemination by meeting participant needs with tailored class offerings and organizational needs informed by participant insights that aid program sustainability.
Hydrogenase Measurement with Photochemically Reduced Methyl Viologen

Methyl viologen was reduced photochemically in the presence of proflavine and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. The reduced methyl viologen was oxidized by hydrogenase from Vibrio succinogenes. H2 and oxidized methyl viologen were the products. Hydrogenase activity was determined by spectrophotometric measurement of the disappearance of reduced methyl viologen at 600 nm. The extinction coefficient of reduced methyl viologen was determined and is 8.25 mm−1 × cm−1 at 600 nm. Optimal conditions for assaying V. succinogenes hydrogenase were developed. Extracts of Escherichia coli and Desulfovibrio desulfuricans catalyzed reduced methyl viologen oxidation in the assay system, whereas Azotobacter vinelandii extracts were inactive.
Application of response surface methodology for optimization of important parameters in decolorizing treated distillery wastewater using Aspergillus fumigatus UB2 60

Distillery wastewater causes many environmental problems and colored substances must be removed from it before discharge into the environment. Decolorization of anaerobically treated distillery wastewater was therefore studied using locally isolated Aspergillus fumigatus. As cultural conditions are very important for the decolorization process, the combined effect of initial maltose concentration, pH and mycelial mass was studied using response surface methodology. A central composite design for the three variables was employed to study the combined effect on decolorization efficiency of distillery wastewater. The optimum initial maltose concentration was found to be 15.13 g/l, the optimum pH was 5.57 and the optimum mycelial mass 2.57 g/l.
Thin film tandem photovoltaic cell from II-IV-V chalcopyrites

Using quasiparticle self-consistent GW (QSGW) theory, we analyze materials properties of the II-IV-V family of chalcopyrite semiconductors consisting of compounds and alloys based on (Mg,Zn,Cd)(Si,Ge,Sn)(P,As)2, and show how they may offer excellent opportunities for the development of tandem thin-film solar cells. The constituent elements are abundant and nearly lattice-matched compounds can be found with near optimum band gaps. We show the close connection to band structures of other fourfold coordinated compounds that have led to the highest efficiency devices, and suggest potentially optimum alloys for tandem thin-film cells.
Polyoxometalate HIV-1 Protease Inhibitors. A New Mode of Protease Inhibition

Nb-containing polyoxometalates (POMs) of the Wells−Dawson class inhibit HIV-1 protease (HIV-1P) by a new mode based on kinetics, binding, and molecular modeling studies. Reaction of α1-K9Li[P2W17O61] or α2-K10[P2W17O61] with aqueous H2O2 solutions of K7H[Nb6O19] followed by treatment with HCl and KCl and then crystallization affords the complexes α1-K7[P2W17(NbO2)O61] (α11) and α2-K7[P2W17(NbO2)O61] (α21) in 63 and 86% isolated yields, respectively. Thermolysis of the crude peroxoniobium compounds (72−96 h in refluxing H2O) prior to treatment with KCl converts the peroxoniobium compounds to the corresponding polyoxometalates (POMs), α1-K7[P2W17NbO62] (α12) and α2-K7[P2W17NbO62] (α22), in moderate yields (66 and 52%, respectively). The identity and high purity of all four compounds were confirmed by 31P NMR and 183W NMR. The acid-induced dimerization of the oxo complexes differentiates sterically between the cap (α2) site and the belt (α1) site in the Wells−Dawson structure (α22 dimerizes in high yield; α1...
Electrostatic-driven pattern formation in fibers, nanotubes and pores

The physical properties of interfaces between media with different dielectric permittivities are modified by the adsorption of charged particles. The adsorbed charges can be arranged into self-assembled nanostructures with properties that can be controlled by, for example, varying the ionic abundance of charged species in the media separated by the interface. The presence of inhomogeneous charge distributions at interfaces between media with different dielectric permittivity is a crucial feature of many interesting physical systems including clay, biological ion channels, and DNA-carbon nanotubes complexes. We describe here a general formalism using the electrostatic Green's function to compute the optimal arrangement of charges in cylindrical geometry. This geometry serves as model for a porous medium or a fiber. We study, in particular, the electrostatic energy of charged lamellar structures that cover the cylinder. We demonstrate that, under a variety of conditions, chiral helices are the preferred structure adopted by the lamellar system. These helices are more prominent in systems with higher permittivity in the interior of a tube separating two media, such as in porous media and ion channels, than in fibers with low dielectric interiors in aqueous media. We also analyze the effect of line tension on the surface pattern that competes with the charge-accumulation penalty upon the adsorption of polyions with hydrophobic groups.
Agenda-Setting in a Culture of Fear: The Lasting Effects of September 11 on American Politics and Journalism

Agenda setting has been developed, expanded, and employed in numerous studies as an analytical tool that affords an understanding of not only how our political reality is formulated but also how "realities" can be manufactured. However, as the authors argue, by grafting agenda setting and media systems dependency theory--two different traditions in mass communication theory--it is possible to better account for changes in the agenda-setting process because of shifts in the power relationships between all actors involved, especially under conditions of increased threat; conditions similar to those the American public has lived in since the September 11 terrorist attacks. Illustrations from Campaign 2004 complement this analysis. The authors suggest that it is critical to understand the dynamics of the making of "mediated realities" so as to alert readers of the importance in furthering critical media literacy skills necessary for the public to distinguish between facades and facts.
Methods for measurement of pediatric bone

Many experts believe that optimizing bone mineral accrual early in life may prevent childhood fractures and possibly delay the development of osteoporosis later in life. Adequate nutrition and physical activity are environmental factors important in determining whether or not children acquire an appropriate amount of bone for their body size. Pediatric diseases, or therapeutic interventions used in their treatment, may interfere with normal bone development. Although there are specific methods available for assessing pediatric bone, there is no one method that can adequately assess bone health and identify the specific bone deficits that may be occurring. Understanding the biological basis for bone deficits and the ability of various bone assessment methods to discriminate or measure these deficits is important in understanding normal bone development and how to prevent and treat pediatric bone disease. The purpose of this review is to briefly describe changes in bone with growth, to define “bone density” in biological terms, to discuss some of the issues with pediatric bone measurements, and to review the three main methods for assessing bone parameters in pediatric populations. These methods, including dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), quantitative ultrasound (QUS) and peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) will be described, the advantages and disadvantages discussed, and the relationship between bone parameters and fracture risk presented for each of the methods.
Binding and cAMP Studies of Melanotropin Peptides with the Cloned Human Peripheral Melanocortin Receptor, hMC1R

Abstract Binding and stimulation of cAMP by the melanotropin peptides α-MSH (α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone) and its superpotent analogues [Nle4, D Phe7] α-MSH (MT-I) and [formula] α-MSH4-10-NH2 (MT-II) were undertaken to examine their respective properties on the human peripheral melanocyte melanocortin receptor, hMC1R. α-MSH was found to possess a binding IC50 value of 6.5 ± 0.9 × 10−9 M and cAMP EC50 value of 2.0 ± 0.6 × 10−9 M. MT-I possesses a binding IC50 value of 1.2 ± 0.3 × 10−9 M and a cAMP EC50 of 0.5 ± 0.03 × 10−9 M. MT-II possesses a binding IC50 of 0.57 ± 0.08 × 10−9 M and cAMP EC50 value of 0.20 ± 0.05 × 10−9 M.
Mean temperature and mean concentration distributions over a physically modelled three-dimensional heat island for different stability conditions

Results of flow visualization, and the mean temperature measurements over a physically modelled three-dimensional heat island in a wind tunnel capable of simulating stratified atmospheric boundary layers are presented. Concentration measurements of Kr85 released from an upwind two-dimensional continuous line source show good correlation with flow visualization and mean temperature distributions. The results indicate the unique features of three-dimensional flow over a heat island - lateral low-level convergence, upward vertical motions, and upper-level horizontal divergence.
Accelerating Differential Phase Contrast imaging for NSLS-II data analysis

In scanning x-ray microscopy, Differential Phase Contrast (DPC) imaging is a technique to image the phase contrast information. It is based on the concept that locally a sample can be considered as a prism, which deflects the incident x-ray beam slightly in angle. Many efforts have been made in DPC imaging and a number of representative cases at a moderate spatial resolution have demonstrated the success of the method. However, the inherent limitations of those methods prevent DPC imaging from ultra-high spatial resolution imaging applications. A highly robust approach to DPC imaging based on Fourier-shift fitting was proposed recently. This method is effective in reconstructing the buried nanoscale interfacial structures. Because of the non-linear fitting and Fourier transformation operations involved in the algorithm, the computation is intensive at each scanning point. One challenge in this method is to make it fast enough to keep up with pixel-wise scanning, so that real-time data processing can be achieved. Here we provided three implementations in Matlab, Python and C++ and compared their speed performance. Experiments show that the C++ version is about one order of magnitude faster than the Matlab version and nearly two orders of magnitude faster than the Python version. In addition, we designed a parallel algorithm to divide the task into a number of independently running routines executing on a batch-queue based multi-core servers cluster and achieved almost another two orders of magnitude improvement.
Spectral solutions of the Navier-Stokes equations in arbitrary two-dimensional domains

Abstract This paper is intended to demonstrate the use of numerical grids generated by spectral techniques in the solution of the Navier-Stokes equations also obtained by using spectral techniques. This effort thus extends the applicability of spectral techniques to arbitrary domains. In this paper, only 2D numerical transformation and Navier-Stokes solutions on 2D domains have been considered. Extension to 3D domains seems to be formal but certainly more complex computationally.
Electrical properties of ZnO:Ga as a transparent conducting oxide in InGaN based light emitting diodes

We report on the effects of metal organic epitaxy grown GaN templates with different surface morphologies, achieved under different chamber pressures of 200 and 400 Torr, on the electrical properties of GZO. For as-grown GZO layers with electron concentration above 1020 cm-3 grown on either 200-Torr p-GaN or 400-Torr p-GaN templates, the electron concentration is temperature-dependent as opposed to temperature-independence for GZO/a-sapphires, which demonstrates that the underlying GaN layers affect the GZO electrical properties measured by Hall method. By annealing in nitrogen environment or by inserting a thick ZnO buffer layer, the effects of the underlying GaN layers on GZO electrical properties can be eliminated paving the way for accurate determination of electrical properties. All three annealed GZO layers grown on 200-Torr p-GaN, 400-Torr p-GaN, and a-sapphire, exhibited comparable electron mobilities (~50 cm2/V·s at 15 K and ~41 cm2/V·s at 300 K) and similar temperature dependences while their electron concentrations are different (5.1×1020, 7.1×1020, and 9.2×1020 cm-3) due to the substrate-caused differences in GZO growth mode, structure, etc. By means of simulations, ionized impurity scattering was found to be the dominant scattering mechanism in the range of 15-330 K for GZO when electron concentration is higher than 5×1020 cm-3. Although other scattering events caused by defects and structures are weaker than the ionized impurity scattering, the electrical properties could be still slightly improved by finding more optimized growth conditions to eliminate defects and/or to improve crystal quality.© (2012) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Designing Performance Management Systems for Total Quality Implementation

Based on recently proposed principles of total quality management (TQM), takes a system‐oriented perspective with regard to the design of performance management systems in organizations. The underlying premiss of this orientation is that methods for managing individual and group performance must be compatible with continuous improvement efforts and customer‐based TQM strategies.
Regioselective Hula-twist photoisomerization of cinnamate esters in organic glass

Irradiation of ethyl cis-o-fluorocinnamate and related compounds in organic glass led to two HT-isomerization processes that exhibit a strong preference at C-β than at C-α as shown by low temperature UV absorption spectroscopy and supported by ab initio calculations.
A household level environmental Kuznets curve

Abstract Richer households may create more vehicle emissions because they own more vehicles and drive more. Poorer households may pollute more because they use high polluting vintages and maintain them less well. This paper uses 1993 California vehicle microdata to show that there is a `Kuznets U' shaped hydrocarbon emissions relation.
A new world order: tailored gene targeting and regulation using CRISPR.

Not since the discovery of RNA interference has a new technology made such a powerful impact in the molecular biosciences. The RNA-guided, modified type II prokaryotic clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats system (CRISPR) represents not only an exceptional tool but also potentially an important new therapeutic modality.
Identification of individual sex-factor DNA strands and their replication during conjugation in thermosensitive DNA mutants of Escherichia coli☆

Abstract Covalent circular sex-factor DNA has been isolated from donor and recipient cells during the conjugation of normal and temperature-sensitive DNA mutants of Escherichia coli . Single strands of sex-factor DNA were centrifuged in cesium chloride-poly(U,G) gradients to give two components that have been identified by annealing experiments as the separated complementary strands. When matings are performed with either DNA temperature-sensitive donor or recipient cells, the inhibition of vegetative DNA synthesis at the restrictive temperature does not interfere with transfer and circularization of the sex-factor DNA. If DNA is isolated from temperature-sensitive donor cells mated at the restrictive temperature, a specific stimulation of sex-factor DNA synthesis can be demonstrated. By separating the complementary strands of the sex-factor in a cesium chloride-poly (U,G) gradient, this DNA synthesis has been found to be asymmetric. The sex-factor DNA strand which is synthesized in the donor has the same polarity as the strand which is transferred to the recipient.
Safety and Immunogenicity of an Intranasal Sendai Virus-Based Human Parainfluenza Virus Type 1 Vaccine in 3- to 6-Year-Old Children

ABSTRACT Human parainfluenza virus type 1 (hPIV-1) is the most common cause of laryngotracheobronchitis (croup), resulting in tens of thousands of hospitalizations each year in the United States alone. No licensed vaccine is yet available. We have developed murine PIV-1 (Sendai virus [SeV]) as a live Jennerian vaccine for hPIV-1. Here, we describe vaccine testing in healthy 3- to 6-year-old hPIV-1-seropositive children in a dose escalation study. One dose of the vaccine (5 × 105, 5 × 106, or 5 × 107 50% egg infectious doses) was delivered by the intranasal route to each study participant. The vaccine was well tolerated by all the study participants. There was no sign of vaccine virus replication in the airway in any participant. Most children exhibited an increase in antibody binding and neutralizing responses toward hPIV-1 within 4 weeks from the time of vaccination. In several children, antibody responses remained above incoming levels for at least 6 months after vaccination. Data suggest that SeV may provide a benefit to 3- to 6-year-old children, even when vaccine recipients have preexisting cross-reactive antibodies due to previous exposures to hPIV-1. Results encourage the testing of SeV administration in young seronegative children to protect against the serious respiratory tract diseases caused by hPIV-1 infections.
Prostate cancer: Celecoxib trampled in the STAMPEDE trial

Initial results from the STAMPEDE trial of androgen deprivation therapy with and without celecoxib in patients with prostate cancer have shown that celecoxib does not confer benefit. Despite this negative finding, this multiarm, multistage trial will be informative of future clinical trial design, particularly as new agents become available for prostate cancer.
Selective loss of lateral geniculate cells in the adult cat after chronic monocular paralysis

Adult cats with chronic (two weeks) monocular paralysis had lateral geniculates with diminished numbers of cells characterized by long latency responses to optic chiasm shock. This diminution was unexpectedly more prominent among lamina A1 cells, driven by the mobile and presumably normal eye, than among cells receiving inputs from the paralyzed eye. These results confirm reports suggesting that a hitherto unrecognized degree of plasticity exists in the central nervous system of the adult cat.
Monitoring and managing tire pressure

This paper describes the monitoring and managing of tire pressure. The cheap micro controller working in conjunction with existing wireless transmitters and tire pressure monitoring devices for motor vehicle applications is designed. The main goal is to develop a working unit capable of detecting pressure in multiple tires and adjustment of pressure in the tires to the appropriate predefined values. The controller that interfaces with the tire receiver to correctly capture and manipulate the data and the pressure management capability is also discussed. The "transportation recall enhancement, accountability and documentation" (TREAD) act requires automakers to gradually provide tire pressure monitoring solutions for all motor vehicles. This system is mainly designed and implemented for the use on truck trailers.
A Software Engineering Guideline for Self-Organizing Resource-Flow Systems

When introducing self-organization into a system, its developer aims to reduce the system’s complexity, during development as well as during operation. More often than not, the self-organization mechanism is ingenious, highly tweaked for the system under construction and not reproducible or reusable by other developers or in other projects. This paper introduces a software engineering guideline for self-organizing resource-flow systems along with an elaborated pattern that describes the elements of the system under construction and their collaboration. Together, guideline and pattern are the basis for a well-defined approach for the design and construction of systems in this class, which includes, among others, logistics applications, and adaptive production systems. They therefore allow developers to achieve reproducible results within a documented design framework, leverage the possibilities of the underlying formal approach and reuse self organization mechanisms tailored for the system class. The paper demonstrates the application of the guideline with a running example.
Reversion of resistance by Spodoptera frugiperda to nuclear polyhedrosis virus

Abstract A laboratory colony of fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, was selected for resistance by feeding larvae of every generation the LD80 of its nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV). The LD50 was 5.9 polyhedral inclusion bodies (PIB)/insect in a control (susceptible) colony and 18.7 PIB/insect in the resistant insects. These LD50s were significantly different based on nonoverlap of 95% fiducial limits. The NPV-resistant colony was divided into two: one colony (V +) continued to be fed the LD80 of the NPV in every generation, and the other resistant colony (V −) was no longer exposed to NPV. Within one generation the LD50 of NPV against the V − colony (17.0 PIB/insect) was no longer significantly different, based on 95% fiducial limits, from that of the control colony (5.6 PIB/insect). Within three generations of dividing the resistant colony, the LD50 in the V − colony (10.1 PIB/insect) was significantly different from that in the V + colony (19.8 PIB/insect). After eight generations, the LD50s were 5.8, 19.5, and 7.3 PIB/insect in the control, V +, and V − colonies, respectively. Thus, fall armyworm populations can lose their resistance to NPV when they are not exposed to the virus. There were no differences between the control and resistant (V +) colonies in mean weights of larvae or pupae, but the NPV-susceptible insects had a significantly (P
Mirror-reactor studies

The magnetic-mirror reactor concept has evolved from a simple, spherical-shaped plasma, confined in a magnetic field produced by a baseball or yin-yang coil set, to multiple-cell configurations called tandem mirrors. During its evolution the reactor concept has become more practical in terms of producing a saleable commodity. Specifically, the market for this fusion energy is predicted to be for fissile fuel for fission reactors, high-temperature heat for synthetic fuels to replace petroleum and fossile fuels, and electricity. In fact, considerably more revenues may result from the sale of fissile fuel and somewhat more from high-temperature heat than from electricity.
Functional Connectivity during Modulation of Tinnitus with Orofacial Maneuvers

ObjectiveTo determine changes in cortical neural networks as defined by resting-state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging during voluntary modulation of tinnitus with orofacial maneu...
November: The History of Aviation Month

Although aviation is an indispensable part of modern transportation, it attracts less popular attention today than at any time during this century. Ironically, the very dominance of aviation, with its attendant “professionalization,” has stolen much of its romance.
Is MSY an Adequate Foundation for Optimum Yield

Abstract Traditionally, maximum sustained yield (MSY) has been estimated from surplus production models. A second approach has been to calculate MSY as the product of average recruitment and maximum yield per recruit. These approaches to MSY are an inadequate foundation for optimum yield. Surplus production models are fit to catch and effort data under the assumption that the rate of expenditure of effort is proportional to fishing mortality rate. Often, this assumption is not valid. Furthermore, the most common method of fitting surplus production models to data may falsely indicate that the model satisfactorily describes the fishery. Because of the random fluctuations in productivity of fisheries, the fishing mortality rate corresponding to MSY will produce an average yield less than MSY. Maximizing yield per recruit may lead to a severe depletion of spawning stock size and recruitment failure. For multispecies fisheries, independent management of several species aimed at achieving MSY for each may be s...
Exploration of the relationship between frequency of illness, attrition from alcohol treatment, neuropsychological status and field dependence

One hundred thirty-nine male veterans receiving treatment for alcoholism were administered the Cornell Medical Index (CMI), neuropsychological tests comprising the Brain Age Quotient (BAQ) and the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT). Patients endorsing items on scale J (frequency of illness) of the CMI comprised a frequently ill group (27%) with the remaining patients comprising an infrequently ill group (73%). The frequently ill group patients were more likely to drop out of treatment, obtain lower BAQ scores and appear more field-dependent on the GEFT. Treatment attrition of frequently ill patients might be less if their individualized treatment plan involved greater structure consistent with their field dependent orientation and impaired neuropsychological status.
Dynamic models for ammonium inhibition of nitrate uptake by phytoplankton

Abstract Two systems of differential equations are proposed to describe the dynamic effects of NH 4 + on NO 3 − uptake. The inhibitory function is of the form 1/(1 + [NH 4 + ]/ K 4 ), where K 4 is the Michaelis constant for NH 4 + uptake. In the first system, concentrations of particulate nitrogen, NO 3 − and NH 4 + are modeled, and NH 4 + inhibits NO 3 − uptake directly. In the second, a pool of cellular reductant is added into which both reduced NO 3 − and NH 4 + flow. Nitrate reductase also is included, and its formation is inhibited by NH 4 + . In each case, solutions agree well with published observations on a deep-tank culture of Ditylum brightwellii .
The Organic Nature of Sensations

(1937). The Organic Nature of Sensations. The Journal of General Psychology: Vol. 16, No. 2, pp. 357-377.
Identification of an Arabidopsis thaliana Ribulose-1,5-Bisphosphate Carboxylase/Oxygenase Activase (RCA) Minimal Promoter Regulated by Light and the Circadian Clock

Transcription of the Arabidopsis thaliana gene encoding ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) activase (RCA) is organ-specific, light-responsive, and regulated by the circadian clock. RCA is transcribed throughout the green parts of the plant, but not in roots and petals. Responses elicited by short pulses of light indicate that the light response is mediated, at least in part, by phytochrome. Analysis of transgenic tobacco and Arabidopsis carrying RCA 5' untranscribed regions fused to reporter genes (uidA, encoding beta-glucuronidase, or cat, encoding chloramphenicol acetyltransferase) indicate that elements sufficient to confer organ-specific, light-responsive, and clock-regulated transcription are localized within 317 base pairs upstream of the site of transcription initiation. A clock-responsive element sufficient to confer a low-amplitude (approximately 2-fold) circadian oscillation lies within 317 base pairs of the trascription start, but other elements necessary for high-amplitude (approximately 10-fold) circadian oscillation lie upstream of -317 and are removed by deletion from -970 to -317.
48.2: The Chemical Durability of EAGLE XG™ in LCD Dry Etch Processes

This work compared the chemical durability of EAGLE XG™, EAGLE2000™ and Code 1737 glasses in typical TFT dry etch processes. Active, dielectric, and metal films were etched with a resist mask. Glass surfaces were evaluated by dark field microscopy, SEM/EDX, and AFM. The results show dry etch durability is comparable for all three compositions.
Self-injection of barbiturates and benzodiazepines in baboons

Self-injection of three barbiturates, six benzodiazepines, and chlorpromazine was examined in baboons. Intravenous injections of drug were dependent upon completion of 160 lever presses (a 160-response fixed-ratio schedule). A 3-h time-out period followed each injection, permitting a maximum of eight injections per day. Prior to testing each dose of drug, self-injection performance was established with cocaine. Subsequently, a test dose was substituted for cocaine. Amobarbital, pentobarbital, and secobarbital maintained the highest levels of self-injection, which were similar to those maintained by cocaine. Clonazepam, clorazepate, diazepam, flurazepam, medazepam, and midazolam maintained relatively modest levels of self-injection, while chlorpromazine maintained only low levels, which were in the range of vehicle control. Of the six benzodiazepines, midazolam produced the highest levels of self-injection. At the highest self-injected doses, the barbiturates produced anesthesia in contrast to the benzodiazepines, which produced only sedation. None of the drugs affected food intake except for chlorpromazine, which produced dose-related decreases. The differences among the drug classes (i.e., barbiturate, benzodiazepine, phenothiazine) with respect to the maintenance of self-injection correspond well with the results of previous animal and human drug self-administration studies.
Group Identity and Citizenship Education in Global Times

Global immigration and the increasing diversity in nation-states around the world challenge liberal assimilationist conceptions of citizenship and raise complex and divisive questions about how nat...
Thermal-hydraulic phenomena during reflux condensation cooling in steam generator tubes

Abstract The transitions of cooling mechanism in steam generator tubes during reflux condensation are studied. It is found that the transitions are closely related to the occurrence of flooding or counter-current flow limitation phenomena in steam generator tubes. As shown in the previous studies of other researchers, the transition from filmwise reflux condensation into total reflux condensation occurs when the flooding criterion suggested by Wallis is met. In this study, it is suggested that the transition from total reflux condensation to complete carry-over occurs depending on the tube height and cooling conditions. It is also shown that the flooding at SG tubes occurs before the flooding at hot leg when a reflux condensation mode is existing in steam generator. Though the thermal-hydraulic conditions during reflux condensation after a small-break loss-of-coolant accident have enough margin to the transition into carry-over, considerations for the prevention of primary coolant relocation should be provided.
Application of small-signal modeling and measurement techniques to the stability analysis of an integrated switching-mode power system

Small-signal modeling techniques are used in a system stability analysis of a breadboard version of a complete functional electrical power system. The system consists of a regulated switching dc-to-dc converter, a solar-cell-array simulator, a solar-array EMI filter, battery chargers and linear shunt regulators. Loss mechanisms in the converter power stage, including switching-time effects in the semiconductor elements, are incorporated into the modeling procedure to provide an accurate representation of the system without requiring frequency-domain measurements to determine the damping factor. The small-signal system model is validated by the use of special measurement techniques which are adapted to the poor signal-to-noise ratio encountered in switching-mode systems. The complete electrical power system with the solar-array EMI filter is shown to be stable over the intended range of operation.
Interfaces for advanced manufacturing technology

Due to the rapid computerization of advanced manufacturing workplaces, there is an increasing need for interfaces which can support this specific set of applications and users. However, workers in these situations tend to be highly trained in the specific tasks that they must accomplish, but may be relative novices on computing systems. This paper describes the design of Easy Assemble, a windows based support system to assist workers in a flexible assembly task. Six subjects used Easy Assemble as real-time instructional support to assemble four products in a simulated manufacturing environment. Subjects assembled products in less than half the time and with variances much lower than the control group which used the traditional method of blueprints. Furthermore, subjects made significantly fewer errors. The system provides a starting point for the development of fully integrated systems for the advanced manufacturing environment.