cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The heterogeneity of bovine albumin with respect to sulfhydryl and dimer content

Abstract A relatively fresh bovine plasma albumin (BPA) preparation (0.65 sulfhydryl group per albumin molecule; 5 to 6% dimer) and an old bovine mercaptalbumin (BMA) preparation (0.72 sulfhydryl group per albumin molecule; 8 to 9% dimer) were fractionated in a phosphate gradient on DEAE-Sephadex A-50. Two dimer fractions were obtained. One dimer fraction had a relatively high sulfhydryl content and could not be converted to monomer by treatment with thioglycolate. The other dimer fraction was essentially sulfhydryl-free, and approximately 50% of this dimer could be converted to monomer on treatment with thioglycolate. The first type of dimer predominated in the BPA preparation, while the second type of dimer was the major dimer component of the BMA preparation. BPA monomer fractions of varying sulfhydryl content were obtained. The first major fraction to be eluted was mercaptalbumin. Non-mercaptalbumin fractions were retarded in their elution from the column, and it was not possible to achieve more than partial regeneration of the sulfhydryl group of the more retarded non-mercaptalbumin fractions by treatment with 0.05 m thioglycolate. These results agree with the findings of Hartley, Peterson, and Sober and of Andersson. The BMA monomer fractions were similar in their elution volume and sulfhydryl content to the BPA fractions; as with the BPA non-mercaptalbumin fractions, the more retarded the albumin monomer fraction, the lower the sulfhydryl content after treatment with 0.05 m thioglycolate. The similarities in the behavior of the BPA and BMA non-mercaptalbumin monomer fractions are somewhat surprising since the presence of these non-mercaptalbumin fractions in plasma albumin has been shown to be due to mixed disulfide formation between mercaptalbumin and plasma cysteine and glutathione. It is difficult to see how the BMA non-mercaptalbumin monomer fractions could be present owing to such mixed disulfide formation, since the BMA preparation originally contained one sulfhydryl group per albumin molecule and has not since been in contact with small molecule thiols. Some oxidative pathway other than disulfide formation must be operative in the formation of non-mercaptalbumin monomer.
Food insecurity and dietary intake among US youth, 2007-2010.

Summary Background There is limited research describing associations between food insecurity and dietary intake. Objective To examine differences in dietary intake by food security status among a nationally representative sample of children and adolescents in the USA. Methods The sample included 5136 children, ages 2–15 years, from the National Nutrition and Health Examination Survey, 2007–2010. Propensity score weighting was used to improve covariate balance between food-secure and food-insecure (marginal, low or very low food security) participants. Multivariate measurement error models were used to model usual intake of various dietary components and assess differences by food security status. Results Initial analyses using multivariate measurement error models determined there were no differences between food-insecure and food-secure children across several dietary components. In sensitivity analyses, children experiencing very low food security consumed fewer whole grains and more solid fats and added sugars compared with their food-secure counterparts. Some of these differences were attenuated after propensity score weighting, although intake of whole grains and added sugars remained significantly different. Conclusions Food insecurity was largely not associated with dietary intake among 2–15-year-old US children, although some differences were observed comparing food-secure children to those experiencing very low food security.
Motor unit recruitment in human biceps brachii during sustained voluntary contractions

The purpose of the study was to examine the influence of the difference between the recruitment threshold of a motor unit and the target force of the sustained contraction on the discharge of the motor unit at recruitment. The discharge characteristics of 53 motor units in biceps brachii were recorded after being recruited during a sustained contraction. Some motor units (n = 22) discharged action potentials tonically after being recruited, whereas others (n = 31) discharged intermittent trains of action potentials. The two groups of motor units were distinguished by the difference between the recruitment threshold of the motor unit and the target force for the sustained contraction: tonic, 5.9 +/- 2.5%; intermittent, 10.7 +/- 2.9%. Discharge rate for the tonic units decreased progressively (13.9 +/- 2.7 to 11.7 +/- 2.6 pulses s(-1); P = 0.04) during the 99 +/- 111 s contraction. Train rate, train duration and average discharge rate for the intermittent motor units did not change across 211 +/- 153 s of intermittent discharge. The initial discharge rate at recruitment during the sustained contraction was lower for the intermittent motor units (11.0 +/- 3.3 pulses s(-1)) than the tonic motor units (13.7 +/- 3.3 pulses s(-1); P = 0.005), and the coefficient of variation for interspike interval was higher for the intermittent motor units (34.6 +/- 12.3%) than the tonic motor units (21.2 +/- 9.4%) at recruitment (P = 0.001) and remained elevated for discharge duration (34.6 +/- 9.2% versus 19.1 +/- 11.7%, P < 0.001). In an additional experiment, 12 motor units were recorded at two different target forces below recruitment threshold (5.7 +/- 1.9% and 10.5 +/- 2.4%). Each motor unit exhibited the two discharge patterns (tonic and intermittent) as observed for the 53 motor units. The results suggest that newly recruited motor units with recruitment thresholds closer to the target force experienced less synaptic noise at the time of recruitment that resulted in them discharging action potentials at more regular and greater rates than motor units with recruitment thresholds further from the target force.
Wide range weight functions for the strip with a single edge crack

A closed form expression for the weight function for a strip with a single edge crack is presented. The expression is valid for relative crack lengths from zero to unity. It is based on the assumption that the shape of an opened edge crack can be approximated by a conic section. The results agree well with published values for weight functions, stress intensity factors, and crack mouth opening displacements.
Less Is More: The Physiological Basis for Tapering in Endurance, Strength, and Power Athletes

Taper, or reduced-volume training, improves competition performance across a broad spectrum of exercise modes and populations. This article aims to highlight the physiological mechanisms, namely in skeletal muscle, by which taper improves performance and provide a practical literature-based rationale for implementing taper in varied athletic disciplines. Special attention will be paid to strength- and power-oriented athletes as taper is under-studied and often overlooked in these populations. Tapering can best be summarized by the adage "less is more" because maintained intensity and reduced volume prior to competition yields significant performance benefits.
Use of Bioimpedance Spectroscopy to Estimate Body Water Distribution in Rats Fed High Dietary Sulfur Amino Acids

The effect of dietary sulfur amino acids on bioelectric properties was studied in rats by using bioimpedance spectroscopy. Weanling rats were assigned to one of 12 groups in a factorially arranged experiment with dietary variables of supplemental sulfur amino acid (none, 10 g DL-methionine/kg or 10 g DL-homocystine/kg), pyridoxine hydrochloride (0 or 7.5 mg/kg) and nickel (0 or 1 mg/kg). After 9 wk of feeding, 20-h urine specimens were collected from food-deprived rats for measurements of creatinine, and then bioimpedance was measured with multifrequency (Hydra ECF/ICF 4200) and single-frequency (RJL Systems model 101) analyzers. Urinary creatinine excretion was measured by intracellular water (ICW), total body solid and urinary volume (R2 = 0.675). Extracellular water (ECW) did not add significantly to the model. Rats fed methionine had significantly lower total body water, ICW and ECW than rats fed no supplemental sulfur amino acid. Rats fed homocystine had significantly lower ECW and a significantly higher ratio of ICW to ECW. Rats fed methionine or homocystine had significantly lower capacitance corrected for body length and ICW than those fed no supplemental sulfur amino acids. These results suggest that dietary homocystine changes the distribution of body water and that sulfur amino acids can affect membrane porosity and/or membrane thickness.
Automatic workload synthesis for early design studies and performance model validation

Computer designers rely on simulation systems to assess the performance of their designs before the design is transferred to silicon and manufactured. Simulators are used in early design studies to obtain projections of performance and power over a large space of potential designs. Modern simulation systems can be four orders of magnitude slower than native hardware execution. At the same time, the numbers of applications and their dynamic instruction counts have expanded dramatically. In addition, simulation systems need to be validated against cycle-accurate models to ensure accurate performance projections. In prior work, long running applications are used for early design studies while hand-coded microbenchmarks are used for performance model validation. One proposed solution for early design studies is statistical simulation, in which statistics from the workload characterization of an executing application are used to create a synthetic instruction trace that is executed on a fast performance simulator. In prior work, workload statistics are collected as average behaviors based on instruction types. In the present research, statistics are collected at the granularity of the basic block. This improves the simulation accuracy of individual instructions. The basic block statistics form a statistical flow graph that provides a reduced representation of the application. The synthetic trace generated from a traversal of the flow graph is combined with memory access models, branching models and novel program synthesis techniques to automatically create executable code that is useful for performance model validation. Runtimes for the synthetic versions of the SPEC CPU, STREAM, TPC-C and Java applications are orders of magnitude faster than the runtimes of the original applications with performance and power dissipation correlating to within 2.4% and 6.4%, respectively, on average. The synthetic codes are portable to a variety of platforms, permitting validations between diverse models and hardware. Synthetic workload characteristics can easily be modified to model different or future workloads. The use of statistics abstracts proprietary code, encouraging code sharing between industry and academia. The significantly reduced execution times consolidate the traditionally disparate workloads used for early design studies and model validation.
Signal transduction pathways triggered by the FcϵRIIb receptor (CD23) in human monocytes lead to nuclear factor-κB activation

Abstract Background: Alveolar macrophages play a key role in the initiation of the inflammatory reaction of allergic asthma. Alveolar macrophages and peripheral blood monocytes are activated when IgE/allergen immune complexes bind to the CD23 receptor, which leads to the production of inflammatory cytokines. Objective: We sought to investigate the molecular mechanisms regulating this early inflammatory response. We have focused on the study of the signal transduction pathways triggered by CD23 in human monocytes and the promonocytic cell line U937. Methods: CD23 was cross-linked in human monocytes and U937 cells with IgE immune complexes. Surface expression of CD23 was determined by FACS analysis. Transcription factor activation and gene transcription were studied by gel-shift assays and Northern blot analysis, respectively. IκBα phosphorylation and degradation was analyzed by Western blot. Results: Nuclear factor (NF)-κB is the main transcription factor involved in the gene activation that follows CD23 cross-linking in monocytes. CD23-induced NF-κB is a heterodimer composed of p65/p50 subunits. NF-κB nuclear translocation is secondary to the phosphorylation and subsequent degradation of the NF-κB inhibitory molecule IκBα. Tyrosine kinase–dependent, and not protein kinase C–dependent, pathways mediate CD23-triggered NF-κB activation but do not participate in the direct phosphorylation of IκBα. IκBα degradation and NF-κB nuclear translocation correlate with transcriptional activation of the inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β. Conclusions: NF-κB is the main transcription factor involved in the signal transduction pathway of CD23 in monocytes. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 1999;104:376-87.)
Latino assimilation, divided loyalties and the World Cup

The tendency for Latinos in the USA to support Mexican (or other national) soccer teams is taken as a problematic signal that Latinos are not assimilating into mainstream US society. The question of cultural assimilation and identity is critical to the ongoing debate regarding immigration and the influx of Latinos in the USA. Many argue that the Latino population differs from past immigrant populations because the new group is not assimilating into mainstream US society and sports structures. This paper challenges the thesis that the support of a person’s favoured national team can measure cultural assimilation and loyalty to the USA as overly simplistic and as an example of nativism. Support of national soccer teams cannot be used as a reliable indicator for cultural assimilation. An important query left out of the discussion is the level of US incorporation of Latinos into US civil society; after all, assimilation is not a one-way street. It is less the case that Latinos in the USA have divided loyaltie...
Oxide-confined vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, quantum dots, and the Purcell effect: can scaling the mode size improve laser performance?

The development of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) has led to new types of low power, high efficiency light sources for data communication. The small size, low power, and surface-normal emission of VCSELs has enabled relatively dense 2D arrays for highly parallel data communication and optical signal processing. In this paper we examine the issues of device scaling on VCSEL performance. We look specifically at what benefits may be derived from continued scaling of the active volume down to minimum sized dimensions, and what device schemes may be required to obtain the scaling. Laser rate equations are used to show that when the VCSEL mode volume is reduced to wavelength cubed dimensions, a significant improvement in modulation speed is predicted based on the radiative lifetime change due to the Purcell effect. However, several parasitic effects must be controlled in order to realize these benefits. Most important are control of the optical loss due to diffraction or scattering, and control of the electronic losses due to carrier diffusions and surface effects. Novel optical confinement schemes based on oxide- apertures, photonic bandgaps, and/or closely coupled 2D arrays may be useful for controlling optical loss, while self-assembled quantum dots are attractive for controlling electronic diffusion to dimensions within the minimum optical mode volume.
A constant-volume gas pump for gas electrodes

A pump suitable for use with gas electrodes, in which recirculation of the gas is necessary, is described. The system to which the cell with the gas electrode and the pump are connected does not change its volume when the pump is in operation. The pump works as follows: an embolus, consisting of a Tefloncoated magnetic stirring bar, placed inside a glass tube having an internal diameter slightly larger than the diameter of the bar, is moved from the outside with a permanent magnet, which in turn is moved horizontally along the tube by means of a mechanical assembly driven by an electric motor. The motion of the embolus is accompanied by the closing and opening of glass valves which allow the gas to circulate in the desired direction. The pump, used in conjunction with a vacuum line, operates from pressures as low as 60 Torr to above atmospheric pressure. The operation of the pump is unaffected by organic gases and most inorganic gases.
Understanding Morphology-Dependent Polymer Aggregation Properties and Photocurrent Generation in Polythiophene/Fullerene Solar Cells of Variable Compositions

We fabricate poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) thin film solar cells of variable weight/weight (w/w) compositions (i.e., 1:1 to 1:4) to systematically perturb polymer packing (aggregation) properties and assess their impact on local electronic structure and photocurrent generation efficiency. A combination of absorption spectroscopy and resonance Raman spectroscopic and photocurrent imaging techniques are used to quantify and spatially map morphology-dependent cofacial, π−π aggregated P3HT chains and correlate these structures to local photocurrent production characteristics. On average, increasing the PCBM weight fraction results in blue shifts and broadening for absorption and Raman spectra in the dominant P3HT C═C stretching mode region (∼1450−1470 cm−1), whereas symmetric stretching C—C modes show decreased intensities and red shifts. P3HT/PCBM absorption spectra are fitted near the resolved P3HT onset region using a weakly coupled H-aggregate model th...
Small pits associated with renilla (Cnidaria: Pennatulacea) on a modern low‐energy sandflat, Kiawah Island, South Carolina, U.S.A.

Small, shallow circular pits containing the Atlantic sea pansy, Renilla reniformis, were fairly common at one locality on the lower foreshore of Kiawah Island in June, 1997. Many of the pits were positioned on the stoss side of sand ripples; the organisms were oriented with their bilateral plane of symmetry essentially parallel to ripple crests. If preserved as concave epireliefs or convex hyporeliefs on bedding surfaces, such pits would be difficult not only to attribute to a trace producer or traditional ethologic category, but to identify as trace fossils in the first place.
A parametrization of vertically-variable horizontal non-uniformity of rain within the GPM-DPR beams

The “non-uniform beam filling” (NUBF) problem has received much attention in the context of retrieving instantaneous rain amounts from radar measurements because of the non-linearity of the relation between the amount of rain and the signature it leaves in the received echo signals. The non-linearities convert additive white uncertainty into biases in the measured quantities, and the accuracy of any estimate of the biases depends on how detailed a description one can use of the underlying non-uniformity. In this paper, we describe a method that we developed to characterize this non-uniformity in a very similar way to the treatment of Hydrometeor-Size-Distribution variability, by parametrizing it. This should be particularly useful to allow retrieval algorithms to account for NUBF in a more realistic way.
CENTRAL CATECHOLAMINERGIC LESIONS IN THE DEVELOPING RAT: EFFECTS ON CARDIAC NORADRENALINE LEVELS, TURNOVER AND RELEASE

1 The role of the central nervous system in regulating cardiac sympathetic tone was examined in developing rats with neonatal central catecholaminergic lesions produced by intracisternal 6-hydroxydopamine treatment. 2 Lesioned animals showed a persistent deficit in both cardiac noradrnaline levels and spontaneous turnover rate as evaluated by alpha-methyl-p-tyrosine treatment. 3 Despite these deficits, tyramine was fully capable of releasing cardiac noradrenaline and short-term centrally-mediated release also could be elicited by exposure to cold or by swimming exercise. 4 The alterations in cardiac noradrenaline content produced by the central lesions may result from long-term reductions in sympathetic tone which do not necessarily compromise short-term response capabilities of the sympathetic system.
Intergovernmental competition in Europe with and without a common currency

Abstract Taking a cue for the theory of the soft budget constraint applied to enterprises in socialist economies, I first develop a theory of what makes government budget constraints “hard” or “soft” in capitalist economies. Then I show that having a hard governmental budget constraint (as with the American state governments) is a necessary condition for mercantile competition to be “market-preserving”, that is, to improve current resource allocation while protecting future generations from debt carryovers. As long as European nation-states retain control over their own central banks, however, their governments will have budget constraints that are unduly soft. Thus, in Europe, mercantile competition among national governments should be actively constrained by the EU Commission. Even so, future generations could be victimized by excessive debt buildup by national governments. The reforms of European monetary arrangements that I propose are evolutionary and relatively modest compared to the “leap in the dark” of the Maastricht Agreement's push for a common currency.
Lactase deficiency: Distribution, associated problems, and implications for nutritional policy

Lactase deficiency is highly correlated with lactose malabsorption, as determined by standardized testing procedures, and to a lesser extent with lactose intolerance, as determined by symptoms resulting from the ingestion of lactose. Rates of lactase deficiency vary considerably among populations. The literature on the distribution of lactase deficiency is reviewed, followed by a discussion of associated dietary problems and health problems. Because lactase deficiency tends to have a high prevalence rate among ethnic minority groups in the U.S. and among native populations in the Third World, food supplementation programs that include milk which are provided for those groups may not achieve the intended results. Implications of the distribution of lactase deficiency for nutritional policy are presented, and the alternative of providing a lactose‐free milk substitute is discussed.
A note on a set-valued extension property

Abstract Principal result: Suppose Y is metrizable. Then: (a) if X is metrizable and A ⊂ X is closed, then every continuous g : A → Y extends to an l.s.c. ψ : X → K ( Y ) ; (b) Y satisfies (a) for all paracompact X if and only if Y is completely metrizable.
Alfalfa as an Alternative to Bermudagrass for Pastured Stocker Cattle Systems in the Southern USA

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) may support better stocker calf gains than common bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylis (L.) Pers.] in the southern USA. Yearling heifers (Bos taurus 3 B. indicus) grazed each type of pasture for 2 yr on a Coastal Plain soil in southwest Arkansas. Alfalfa stand counts declined linearly with time after planting. Spring forage mass was greater for alfalfa than bermudagrass, but summer dormancy of alfalfa resulted in a summer forage mass advantage for bermudagrass. Bermudagrass provided a longer grazing season (115– 168 d for bermudagrass vs. 66–156 d for alfalfa, P , 0.01), more animal grazing days (1040–1452 vs. 594–1221 d, P , 0.01), and fewer grazing interruptions than alfalfa. Average daily gain (ADG, 462 vs. 319 g d 21 , P , 0.05) and total liveweight gain (664 vs. 447 kg ha 21 , P , 0.05) were greater for alfalfa than bermudagrass in Year 2. In both years, heifers grazing alfalfa made the same amount of liveweight gain in less time than heifers grazing bermudagrass. The bermudagrass system had a negative net return across the trial period. Net return for the alfalfa system was dependent on the value of harvested hay. When alfalfa hay valuereached $95 Mg 21 of dry matter (DM), net return was greater for the alfalfa system than for the bermudagrass system ($59 vs. $2148 ha 21 , P , 0.05). On a Coastal Plain soil, renovation of common bermudagrass to alfalfa pasture can be economically feasible under a dual stocker/hay production system.
Increased mortality with peptic ulcer bleeding in patients with both compensated and decompensated cirrhosis.

Background Cirrhosis is associated with worse outcomes in peptic ulcer bleeding (PUB). There are no population-based studies from the United States on the impact of cirrhosis on PUB outcomes. Objective To investigate the impact of cirrhosis on outcomes of patients with PUB. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Nationwide Inpatient Sample 2009. Patients International Classification of Diseases, the 9th revision, codes were used to identify patients with PUB and cirrhosis. The control group was patients with PUB without cirrhosis. Main Outcome Measurements In-hospital mortality, length of stay, and hospitalization costs. Results A total of 96,887 discharges with PUB as a diagnosis were identified—3574 with PUB and cirrhosis and 93,313 with PUB alone without cirrhosis. Mortality of PUB with concomitant cirrhosis was higher than in the control group without cirrhosis (5.5% vs 2%; P = .01); decompensated cirrhosis had higher mortality than did compensated cirrhosis (6.6% vs 3.9%; P = .01). In multivariate analysis, the presence of cirrhosis independently increased mortality (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.2-4.9). Stratified analysis showed that decompensated cirrhosis (aOR 4.4; 95% CI, 2.6-7.3) had higher mortality than compensated cirrhosis (aOR 1.9; 95% CI, 1.04-3.6). There was no difference in the proportion of patients who underwent endoscopy within 24 hours (51.9% vs 51.1%; P = .68) between those with cirrhosis and controls. Patients with cirrhosis received less surgical intervention (aOR 0.8; 95% CI, 0.6-0.9) compared with controls. Hospitalization costs also were increased in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. Limitations Administrative data set. Conclusion Both decompensated and compensated cirrhosis are associated with increased mortality in patients with PUB.
Chert: Modern Inorganic Deposition in a Carbonate-Precipitating Locality

Chert is precipitating as gelatinous opal-cristobalite in lakes associated with the Coorong Lagoon of South Australia. Dolomite, magnesite, and magnesian calcite are also being deposited. High pH (9.5 to 10.2) causes dissolution of detrital silicates; lowering of pH (7.0 to 6.5) and drying of the lakes cause precipitation of chert. time.
NO Chemisorption on Cu/SSZ-13: a Comparative Study from Infrared Spectroscopy and DFT Calculations

The locations and energies of Cu ions in a Cu/SSZ-13 zeolite catalyst were investigated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. For “naked” Cu2+ ions (i.e., Cu2+ ions with no ligands in their coordination spheres other than zeolite lattice oxygen atoms), the more energetically favorable sites are within a 6-membered ring. However, with the presence of various adsorbates, the energy difference between 6- and 8-membered ring locations greatly diminishes. Specifically, Cu2+ ions are substantially stabilized by −OH ligands (as [CuII(OH)]+), making the extra-framework sites in an 8-membered ring energetically more favorable than 6-membered ring sites. Under fully dehydrated high vacuum conditions with different Si/Al and Cu/Al ratios, three chemisorbed NO species coexist upon exposure of NO to Cu/SSZ-13: NO+, Cu2+–NO, and Cu+–NO. The relative signal intensities for these bands vary greatly with Si/Al ratios. The vibrational frequency of chemisorbed NO was found to be very sensitive to the location of ...
Nanostructured tantala as a template for enhanced osseointegration.

The goal of current dental and orthopedic biomaterials research is to design implants that induce controlled and guided tissue growth, and rapid healing. In addition to acceleration of normal wound healing phenomena, these implants should result in the formation of a characteristic interfacial layer with adequate biomechanical properties. To achieve these goals, however, a better understanding of events at the bone–material interface is needed, as well as the development of new materials and approaches that promote osseointegration. Here we present novel nanostructured nanoarrays from tantala that can promote cell adhesion and differentiation. Our results suggest that tantala nanotube arrays enhance osteoblast cell adhesion, proliferation and differentiation. The routes of fabrication of tantala nanotube arrays are flexible and cost-effective, enabling realization of desired platform topologies on existing non-planar orthopedic implants.
An experimental demonstration of winding number dependence of the Aharonov-Bohm effect

Abstract Measurements on a superconducting ring which twice encircles a long solenoid containing flux show quantized flux states with δφ = φ 0 2 = h 4e . This explicity demonstrates the winding number dependence of the Aharonov-Bohm effect.
Relative contributions of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations to "triple-negative" breast cancer in Ashkenazi Women.

Approximately 10% of Ashkenazi Jewish (AJ) women with breast cancer (BC) carry a founder mutation in BRCA1 or BRCA2. There is an association between BRCA1 mutations and “triple-negative” breast cancer (TNBC) [estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) negative, HER2 negative]. We sought to determine the predictive value of the TNBC phenotype for the presence of a BRCA mutation in AJ women ascertained without respect to family history. DNA samples were collected between 8/2000 and 6/2004 from a prevalent cohort of unselected AJ women with breast cancer (median age at diagnosis 56 years). Samples (n = 451) were genotyped for AJ founder mutations. 352 (78.0%) cancers were ER positive, 254 (56.3%) PR positive, and 91 (20.2%) ER negative/PR negative. 63 (14.0%) cancers were HER2 positive (immunohistochemistry 3+ or FISH >2.2). TNBC was observed in 64 patients (14.2%). Founder mutations were detected in 48 samples (10.6%) including 25/64 TNBC (39.1%; 19 BRCA1, 6 BRCA2). Among TNBC patients with family history (FH) information, 6/15 (40%) mutations were found in women without breast or ovarian cancer in a close relative. The positive predictive value of TNBC for a BRCA1 mutation was 30% overall, 50% in women diagnosed<50 years, and 14% in women diagnosed ≥50. TNBC was significantly associated with detecting a mutation in either BRCA1 or BRCA2, but only 25/52 (48%) mutation-associated cancers were TNBC. The prevalence of BRCA founder mutations exceeds 50% in subsets of AJ women with TNBC. FH is an imperfect predictor of mutation status in this group. A significant number of mutation-associated TNBC are due to BRCA2.
Shear-wave seismic reflection studies of unconsolidated sediments in the near surface

We have successfully applied of SH-wave seismic reflection methods to two different near-surface problems targeting unconsolidated sediments. At the former Fort Ord, where the water table is approximately 30 m deep, we imaged aeolian and marine aquifer and aquitard stratigraphy to a depth of approximately 80 m . We identified reflections from sand/clay and sand/silt interfaces and we mapped these interfaces along our transects. At an aggregate study site in Indiana, where the water table is at a depth of 1 to 2 m , we imaged stratigraphy in alluvial sand and gravel, and observe a strong reflection from the 32-m -deep bedrock surface. In both cases, we exploited the high resolution potential of SH waves, their insensitivity to water content, and the possibility of reducing Love wave contamination by working along a roadway. We accomplished our results using only sledgehammer sources and simple data processing flows.
Pesticide-sensitive fish muscle cholinesterases

Abstract Cholinesterase activity was determined in extracts of muscle tissue from 28 species of fish. Flatfish and sea bass muscle were found to be particularly high in activity. Fish muscle cholinesterase from 11 high-activity species was separated from a small amount (1–10%) of acetylcholinesterase and further characterized kinetically. The K M s ranged from 0.077 to 0.93 mM using acetylthiocholine substrate, and from 0.036 to 0.323 mM using butyrylthiocholine substrate. The acetylthiocholine/butyrylthiocholine V max ratio ranged from 0.5 to 3.3. These cholinesterases were extremely sensitive to organophosphate, hypochlorite-activated organothiophosphate and carbamate pesticides.
Measurement of the electron affinity of cerium.

The electron affinity of cerium has been measured using laser photodetachment electron spectroscopy. The electron affinity of $\mathrm{Ce}{(}^{1}{\mathrm{G}}_{4})$ was determined to be $0.955\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.026\mathrm{eV}$. The data also show that ${\mathrm{Ce}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ has at least two bound excited states with binding energies of $0.921\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.025\mathrm{eV}$ and $0.819\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.027\mathrm{eV}$ relative to the ${(}^{1}{\mathrm{G}}_{4})$ ground state of the cerium atom. The present experimental measurements are compared to recent calculations of the energy levels of ${\mathrm{Ce}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$. Strong disagreement with the most recent theoretical atomic structure calculations highlights the complicated nature of this particular lanthanide.
Developmental differences in short-lived auditory memory for various classes of speech sounds

Abstract Spoken serial recall by second-grade children of aurally presented lists of digits, synthetic stop consonants, and synthetic vowels showed a significant suffix effect (selective debilitation of recall at the final position under the stimulus suffix condition) only for the lists of digits and not for either consonants or vowels. Making the synthetic syllables more distinctive by simultaneously covarying the consonant and vowel failed to produce a suffix effect under a strict scoring criterion which required both consonant and vowel to be recalled correctly; however, when subjects were given credit for partially correct answers the suffix effect emerged. Adults given the redundant consonant-vowel syllables showed a significant suffix effect with the strict scoring criterion. However, when consonants and vowels varied orthogonally, the adults' performance showed the suffix effect only under the lenient scoring criterion. An argument is made for equivalence of basic memorial processing between children and adults, the difference being in the number of features needed to disambiguate the target items and in the ability to integrate these features to exploit interstimulus redundancy.
Basalt- CO2–H2O interactions and variability in carbonate mineralization rates

Abstract Flood basalts are receiving increasing attention as possible host formations for geologic sequestration of anthropogenic CO 2 , with studies underway in the U.S., India, Iceland, and Canada. Our previous laboratory studies with Columbia River basalts showed relative quick precipitation of carbonate minerals compared to other siliclastic rocks when batch reacted with water and supercritical CO 2 . In this study, our prior work with Columbia River basalt was extended to tests with basalts from the eastern U.S., India, and Africa. The basalts are all similar in bulk chemistry and share common minerals such as plagioclase, augite, and a glassy mesostasis. Single pass flow through dissolution experiments under dilute solution and mildly acidic conditions indicate similar cation release behavior among the basalt samples tested. Despite similar bulk chemistry and apparent dissolution kinetics, long-term static experiments with CO 2 saturated water show significant differences in rates of mineralization as well as precipitate chemistry and morphology. For example, basalt from the Newark Basin in the U.S. is by far the most reactive of any basalt tested to date. Carbonate reaction products for the Newark Basin basalt were globular in form and contained significantly more Fe than the secondary carbonates that precipitated on the other basalt samples. Calcite grains with classic “dogtooth spar” morphology and trace cation substitution (Mg and Mn) were observed in post-reacted samples associated with the Columbia River basalts. Other basalts produced solid precipitates with compositions that varied chemically throughout the entire testing period. Polished cross sections of the reacted grains show precipitate overgrowths with irregular regions outlined by dark and bright layers indicative of zonations of different compositions. Chemical differences in the precipitates indicate changes in fluid chemistry unique to the dissolution The Karoo basalt appeared the least reactive, with very limited behavior of each basalt sample reacted with CO 2 saturated water. mineralization occurring during the testing period. Additional experiments conducted using mixtures of H 2 S and CO 2 unexpectedly changed the relative reactivity of the basalts. For example, the Karoo basalt was highly reactive in the presence of aqueous dissolved H 2 S and CO 2 , evident by small nodules of carbonate coating the basalt grains after 181 days of testing. However the most reactive basalt in pure CO 2 , Newark Basin, formed limited amounts of carbonate in the presence of H 2 S. Basalt reactivity in pure CO 2 appears to be controlled by the glassy mesostasis chemistry, which is the most reactive component of basalt. With the addition of H 2 S, the reactivity appears to be controlled by precipitation of insoluble iron sulfides as coatings on the basalt grains.
Emergency department utilization by children in foster care.

Objective.— To examine emergency department (ED) utilization of children in foster care using nationally representative data. Methods.— Cross-sectional analysis of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, Wave 1, which provided data for children ages 1 to 14 years in foster care for 1 year between October 1999 and December 2000. We identified children as having used the ED based upon foster parent responses to the question, "In the last 12 months, has your child gone to an emergency room or urgent care center (UCC) for an illness or injury?" We examined child and family demographic variables that were associated with having used the ED. Results.— The sample included 559 children in foster care. Thirty-one percent (95% confidence interval=26%, 36%) of foster children had visited the ED or UCC in the past 12 months. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that out of all children in foster care, children who had a chronic condition, children of younger age, and children with younger foster caregivers were significantly more likely to have used the ED. Conclusion.— A sizeable proportion of children in foster care use the ED, and subgroups of these children have particularly high rates of ED use. An important component of providing a medical home for children in foster care should involve coordination of care around ED visits for this vulnerable group of children.
Choosing tests of statistical significance in studies of social interactive behaviour: A critical note on murray, hayes, and smith (1978)

Abstract Significant chi-square differences for boys and girls on variables of observational period and adult presence-absence, reported by Murray, Hayes, and Smith (1978), were found to be not significant when analysed by the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test and t test. The discrepancy between the outcomes of the different analyses is seen to be related to the inappropriateness of chi-square as a test of significance using behavioural data which have been summed across individuals within the sample (Cochran, 1954; Lewis & Burke, 1949). Appropriate ways of using chi-square to analyse social interacuon and other methods of analysis, including analysis of variance, information analysis and transition probability, are reviewed.
Near‐infrared spectroscopy investigation of water effects on the cationic photopolymerization of vinyl ether systems

Real-time Fourier transform near-infrared spectroscopy has been used to monitor monomer and water concentrations simultaneously during cationic vinyl ether photopolymerization. The use of near-infrared peak area methods allows the water content to be conveniently and nondestructively determined in any monomer or polymer for which the water peak has previously been calibrated by gravimetric analysis. Although the shape of the absorption band due to absorbed water in a monomer changes with the quantity of water, the integrated intensity from about 5350 to 4900 cm−1 can be correlated directly to the water concentration, and this region is well removed from the vinyl-based absorption at approximately 6190 cm−1. This approach provides a highly informative, dynamic technique for examining the influence of moisture on polymerization reactions. Significant differences have been observed in the effects of absorbed water on the cationic photopolymerization kinetics of vinyl ether monomers with or without an OH group. Along with the rapid consumption of water coupled to vinyl ether polymerization, acid-catalyzed hydrolysis reactions have also been spectroscopically observed, giving rise to the formation of aldehyde groups. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 1985–1998, 2004
Organic phosphorus and elemental ratios as indicators of prehistoric human occupation

Human occupation enriches soils with phosphorus, which may provide a useful chemical tracer for site delineation in archaeological studies. In the present study, fine scale soil profiles of inorganic, particulate organic and total phosphorus through a prehistoric Indian site and nearby control site in Cape Cod, MA, indicated a greater predictive value of particulate organic P over inorganic P and total P in determining the vertical boundaries of an anthrosol. The value of inorganic P and total P as occupation tracers was confounded by vertical migration of inorganic P species. Inorganic P mobility was found to result from diagenesis and other post-depositional alterations, including the effects of recent sea water flooding on soil concentrations of dominant exchangeable cations. Parallel measurements of organic carbon and total nitrogen confirmed organic enrichment within the anthrosol. Evaluations of elemental ratios distinguished the anthrosol from the unimpacted soil locations by a 50% higher average C:P ratio and a two-fold higher average C:N ratio of its residual organic fraction which declined exponentially with depth. Combining C, N and organic P data yielded a robust tracer for distinguishing anthropogenic organic matter enrichment from naturally occurring deposition through all soil levels examined at this prehistoric site. Profiles of organic matter C:OP and C:N ratios indicated that C enrichment occurred well below the stratigraphically defined anthrosol boundary indicating site habitation prior to the anthrosol deposition. This contention of earlier site usage was supported by comparison of depth profiles of C:OP ratios with lithic debitage density profiles. Significant correlations between C:OP ratios and lithic debitage density suggested that C enrichment relative to OP may be a useful indicator of habitation and may yield insight into intra-site variation in the intensity of land use.
Design of thin-film filters for the monitoring of chemical reactions

A new optical computation method for the monitoring of chemical reactions requires filters with spectral transmittance curves that vary in a complicated way with wavelength. In this paper we consider the design of two different sets of filters, one of which could be used to predict the degree of curing of a polymer from an analysis of its Raman spectra. The problem is not easy because the required filters have sharp spectral features in a narrow spectral region. Two different design methods are used. The performance of one set designed by conventional means is very close to the specifications. However, current thin film deposition methods are probably incapable of producing filters of such thickness. The second solution is based on the use of several filters placed in series. It should be possible to implement this particular solution, but its performance is not nearly as good. Nevertheless, calculations indicate that this filter pair should also result in a satisfactory control of the curing process.
Subsequent reference: syntactic and rhetorical constraints

Once an object is introduced into a dicourse, the form of subsequent references to it are strongly governed by convention. This paper discusses how those conventions can be represented for use by a generation facility. A multistage representation is used, allowing decisions to be made when and where the information is available. It is suggested that a specification of rhetorical structure of the intended message should be included with the present syntactic one, and the conventions eventually reformulated in terms of it.
NRC's Significance Determination Process: Current Status and Future Trends in Assessing Risks Attributed to External Events

Until the late 1990s, inspection and enforcement practices at the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) were minimally influenced by probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) results. In the late 1990...
Abstract 1419: Oncogenic Myc disrupts NAMPT circadian oscillation in mouse hepatocellular carcinoma cell line

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA MYC, which is overexpressed in a variety of human cancers, drives aerobic glycolysis, also called the Warburg effect. The Warburg effect results in regeneration of NAD+ from increased conversion of pyruvate to lactate, such that decreased lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) activity results in NAD+ depletion and can result in cell death. Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT), a rate-limiting enzyme that is involved in the NAD+ salvage pathway, was reported to be directly upregulated by Myc. Increased NAD+ synthesis thus helps to replenish NAD+ along with LDHA. In this regard, we have previously reported the synergy of inhibiting LDHA and NAMPT in causing lymphoma xenograft regression. Targeting NAMPT by its inhibitor FK866 has been tested in clinical trials. However, the toxicity of FK866 in normal cells is not negligible, with thrombocytopenia being reported. Toxicity, however, could be diminished if therapy is administered at specific times of the day (termed chronotherapy) when normal cells are least dependent on NAMPT, whose levels oscillate every 24 hours. We have previously found that Myc upregulates Rev-erbα, which inhibits and disrupts oscillation of the circadian rhythm gene ARNTL (protein name Bmal1) in the osteosarcoma cell line U2OS. However, although NAMPT was shown oscillating in normal mouse liver and other tissues, how the oscillation of NAMPT is affected in cancer especially under Myc overexpression is still poorly understood. Here we show Myc induces Nampt mRNA and protein in mouse hepatocellular carcinoma (mHCC) cell line that has been engineered tetracycline inducible Myc transgene expression vector. Inhibition of NAMPT by FK866 induces perturbation of circadian gene expression in mHCC cells, including Rev-erbα, Per1 and Cry1. The alteration of circadian gene expression can be rescued by nicotinamide, suggesting that the circadian clock is affected by NAD+/NADH ratio. Interestingly, Nampt mRNA oscillates in mHCC cell lines in the absence of Myc and the oscillation was lost when Myc is induced, suggesting a therapeutic opportunity could exist in the window between circadian regulation of the ebb-and-flow of normal cell NAMPT level and the sustained, non-circadian cancer cell NAMPT level. Our observation that Myc disrupts the oscillation its target gene NAMPT provides a conceptual framework for metabolic chronotherapy that could potentially lead to better cancer treatment strategies that reduce side effects. We thank the following founding sources: NIH R01CA57341, LLS 6106-14. Citation Format: Annie L. Hsieh, Brian J. Altman, Anand Venkataraman, David I. Bellovin, Dean W. Felsher, John B. Hogenesch, Chi V. Dang. Oncogenic Myc disrupts NAMPT circadian oscillation in mouse hepatocellular carcinoma cell line. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1419. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1419