cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Research note: Examining the association between tree canopy, parks and crime in Chicago

Abstract Urban green spaces have been shown to benefit residents’ physical and mental health as well as strengthen social ties. Some studies have found that presence of vegetation also might reduce crime. We examined whether an association exists between two forms of green space–(1) tree canopy and (2) public parks–and crime rates in the city of Chicago. Using publicly available data, we calculated percent tree canopy, percent acreage parks, and crime rate for assault, battery, burglary, homicide, narcotics, and robbery between years 2009–2013 for each of Chicago’s 801 census tracts. We used general linear modeling to determine whether tree canopy and crime rates as well as park area and crime rates were correlated after accounting for socioeconomic variables and spatial autocorrelation. An inverse association was found between percent tree canopy and crime rates for assault, battery, robbery, and narcotics. No significant association was found between crime types analyzed, with the exception of burglary, and percent park acreage.
Justifying My Position in Your Terms: Cross-cultural Argumentation in a Globalized World

A ‘community of minds’ has long been presumed to be a condition of possibility for genuine argumentative interactions. In part because of this disciplinary presupposition, argumentation scholars tend to exclude from their scope of inquiry conflict resolution among culturally heterogeneous and ideologically incompatible formations. Such a stance needs to be reexamined in view of recent developments in the on-going process of globalization. The unprecedented worldwide economic and financial integration has created for the first time a ‘generalized interest’ across national and continental boundaries. The need to countercheck global market forces has given rise to calls for a ‘global legal/ethical system’ or even a ‘transnational public sphere.’ Non-Western interlocutors in general are willing to debate cross-cultural issues in Western terms. Increasingly, Western interlocutors are also seeking to justify Western positions in non-Western terms. This emerging situation renders it both necessary and possible to argue across the boundaries of communities that do not share the same cultural or rhetorical tradition. It also poses a host of theoretical and practical issues whose exploration and analysis should become a new focus of argumentation studies.
Brain Development During Adolescence

The human brain is the most developmentally complex organ. Brain development begins before birth and continues long into early adulthood and perhaps even later. Along with the postnatal period, adolescence is an active and important time period for the development of brain structures. The brain is primarily composed of two tissue types, gray matter and white matter, each with its own distinct developmental trajectory. This review begins with an overview of the structural development of gray and white matter during childhood and adolescence as studied by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The pattern of gray matter development follows an inverted U-shape with a peak in volume around 11–12 years of age, reflecting various microstructural changes. In contrast to gray matter, overall white matter volume increases steadily from birth into adulthood. This review then provides an overview of the MRI technique of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), a new and innovative neuroimaging technique that provides detailed information about the brain’s white matter. DTI allows for the measurement of the microstructural features of white matter and permits the study of fiber connections among anatomically and functionally defined brain regions. This review ends with a discussion of a neuroimaging study using DTI to evaluate white matter brain changes in adolescence. Knowing the brain regions where white matter maturation occurs during adolescence in normative samples can help to identify the fiber tracts that may be susceptible to adverse environmental influences.
Interleukin-10 from CD4+ follicular regulatory T cells promotes the germinal center response

CD4+ follicular regulatory T (Tfr) cells suppress B cell responses through modulation of follicular helper T (Tfh) cells and germinal center (GC) development. We found that Tfr cells can also promote the GC response through provision of interleukin-10 (IL-10) after acute infection with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). Sensing of IL-10 by B cells was necessary for optimal development of the GC response. GC B cells formed in the absence of Treg cell-derived IL-10 displayed an altered dark zone state and decreased expression of the transcription factor Forkhead box protein 1 (FOXO1). IL-10 promoted nuclear translocation of FOXO1 in activated B cells. These data indicate that Tfr cells play a multifaceted role in the fine-tuning of the GC response and identify IL-10 as an important mediator by which Tfr cells support the GC reaction.
A functional assay to identify amyloidogenic light chains.

Introduction: Multiple myeloma (MM) and light chain monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (LCMGUS) are plasma cell disorders associated with the secretion of monoclonal free light-chai...
Academic library futures in a diversified university system

Dempsey and Malpas consider the future of the academic library in the context of a diversifying higher education system. The academic library is not fixed. It is changing as it adapts to the changing research and learning behaviors of its home institution, which are the principal drivers of the library service. Dempsey and Malpas explore ways in which libraries are responding to the transition from a collections-based model to a more diffuse services-based model. This is in parallel with the evolving influence of the network on student, teacher and researcher practices and with the shift from print to digital. They describe diversification of the higher education system, around poles of research, liberal education and career preparation. Academic libraries similarly will diverge, with different service bundles depending on the type of educational institution they serve. This means that the model of excellence for libraries also will need to be plural, based on strategic fit to the needs of the institution they serve and not on collection size or gate count.
Explication and Implications of the Placebo Concept

Just what is the problem of identifying an intervention or treatment t of one sort or another as a placebo for a target disorder D? One set of circumstances, among others, in which the need for such an identification may arise is the following: After the administration of t to some victims of D, some of them recover from their affliction to a significant extent. Now suppose that there is cogent evidence that this improvement can indeed be causally attributed at all to some factors or other among the spectrum of constituents comprising the dispensation of Mo a patient. Then it can become important to know whether the therapeutic gain that ensued from t in the alleviation of D was due to those particular factors in its dispensation that the advocates of t have theoretically designated as deserving the credit for the positive treatment-outcome. And one aim of this paper is to articulate in detail the bearing of the answer to this question on whether t qualifies generically as a placebo or not. For, as will emerge, the medical and psychiatric literature on placebos and their effects is conceptually bewildering to the point of being a veritable Tower of Bable.
Candidate replacements for lead in CH3NH3PbI3 from first principles calculations

Abstract Due to its toxicity, there is a compelling need to replace lead in the organic-inorganic hybrid perovskite CH3NH3PbI3, a high-performance photovoltaic material. We use density functional theory (DFT) calculations with the generalized gradient functional PBEsol, the meta-GGA functional SCAN, and the hybrid functional HSE06, including spin-orbit coupling, to screen substituent elements based on their fundamental bandgap. Of the 27 candidate elements explored, we identify six (Mg, Si, Ge, Cd, Hg, and Zn) to be viable candidates for replacing Pb in the hybrid perovskites. We further characterize the optical absorption spectrum, with and without spin-orbit coupling, for these candidate replacements.
Pineoblastoma in a child with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome

A 4-year-old girl with a history of chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome presented to the emergency department with 2–3 weeks of worsening emesis. CT of the head revealed a large pineal region calcified tumour with associated hydrocephalus. Contrast-enhanced MRI of the brain and spine status postexternal ventricular drain placement confirmed a pineal tumour with diffuse metastatic leptomeningeal spinal spread (figure 1A,B). The child had a normal MRI of the brain 2 years prior (figure 1C) as work-up for her developmental delay. The diagnosis of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome was made by chromosomal microarray testing, which revealed a 2.5 MB deletion of 22q11.2 that included the TBX1 gene. Neuropathology on a subtotal resection showed clusters and sheets of tightly packed, small, blue cells with oval or slightly angulated nuclei and scant cytoplasm, consistent with a primitive neuroectodermal tumour. …
Mapping Photovoltaic Soiling Using Spatial Interpolation Techniques

In this paper, we present a new soiling map developed at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, showing data from 83 sites in the United States. Soiling has been measured through soiling stations or extracted by photovoltaic system performance data using referenced techniques. The data on the map have been used to conduct the first regional analysis of soiling distribution in the United States. We found that most of the soiling occurs in the southwestern United States, with Southern California counties experiencing the greatest losses because of the high particulate matter concentrations and the long dry periods. Moreover, we employed five spatial-interpolation techniques to investigate the possibility of estimating soiling at a site using data from nearby sites. We found that coefficients of determination of up to 78% between estimated and measured soiling ratios, meaning that, by using selective sampling, soiling losses can be predicted using the data on the map with a root-mean-square error of as low as 1.1%.
Research Domain Criteria scores estimated through natural language processing are associated with risk for suicide and accidental death.

BACKGROUND Identification of individuals at increased risk for suicide is an important public health priority, but the extent to which considering clinical phenomenology improves prediction of longer term outcomes remains understudied. Hospital discharge provides an opportunity to stratify risk using readily available clinical records and details. METHODS We applied a validated natural language processing tool to generate estimated Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) scores for a cohort of 444,317 individuals drawn from 815,457 hospital discharges between 2005 and 2013. We used survival analysis to examine the association of this risk with suicide and accidental death, adjusted for sociodemographic features. RESULTS In adjusted models, symptoms in each of the five domains contributed to incremental risk (log rank P < 0.001), with greatest increase observed with positive valence. The contribution of each domain to risk was time dependent. CONCLUSIONS RDoC symptom scores parsed from clinical documentation are associated with suicide and illustrates that multiple domains contribute to risk in a time-varying fashion.
Ligand‐Controlled Regiodivergent Enantioselective Rhodium‐Catalyzed Alkene Hydroboration

Regiocontrol in the rhodium-catalyzed boration of vinyl arenes is typically dominated by the presence of the conjugated aryl substituent. However, small differences in TADDOL-derived chiral monophosphite ligands can override this effect and direct rhodium-catalyzed hydroboration of β-aryl and β-heteroaryl methylidenes by pinacolborane to selectively produce either chiral primary or tertiary borated products. The regiodivergent behavior is coupled with enantiodivergent addition of the borane. The nature of the TADDOL backbone substituents and that of the phosphite moiety function synergistically to direct the sense and extent of regioselectivity and enantioinduction. Twenty substrates are shown to undergo each reaction mode with regioselectivity values reaching greater than 20:1 and enantiomer ratios reaching up to 98:2. A variety of subsequent transformations illustrate the potential utility of each product.
Racial/ethnic Differences in Body Composition Measures and Exercise Parameters in the TIGER Study (P21-046-19)

Although current adult anthropometric cut points (e.g., BMI, waist circumference (WC), etc.) are applied universally, a growing body of research suggests that these measures, along with their relation to body fat percentage, may differ across racial/ethnic groups. In this study we investigated the presence of racial/ethnic differences among anthropometric measures and exercise parameters. Racial/ethnic specific prediction of body fat percentage (DXA-BF%) by these body composition measures was also examined. Data from 1789 participants from the Training Intervention and Genetics of Exercise Response (TIGER) Study (n = 1154 females, 635 males) were used. Subjects underwent 15 weeks of aerobic exercise training at 65–85% heart rate reserve. Only subjects who completed the protocol were included in these analyses. One-way ANOVA and multivariate regression, stratified by gender, were used to compare the relationship between race/ethnicity, DXA-BF%, and body composition. Both African American (AA) males and females exhibited lower levels of DXA-BF% per unit BMI, waist circumference (WC), and hip circumference (HC) when compared to NHW. Similarly, Hispanic White (H) of both genders showed less DXA-BF% per unit BMI and WC compared to NHW. AA and H males also showed significantly lower levels of DXA-BF% per unit waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Conversely, Asian Indians of both genders had higher levels of DXA-BF% per unit BMI, WC, and HC compared to NHW. Asians also had greater levels of DXA-BF% compared to NHW, with significant differences in HC for both genders and WHR in females. Racial/ethnic differences were observed among females for exercise duration, with AA (37.9 ± 3.9 minutes; P < 0.05), H (38.9 ± 4.0 minutes; P < 0.001), and Asians (38.9 ± 5.4 minutes; P < 0.01) all having significantly longer duration compared to NHW (37.1 ± 3.5 minutes). In males, values for exercise heart rate (AA 154.3 ± 7.6 bpm; H 157.7 ± 8.3 bpm; P < 0.05) and intensity (AA 66.6 ± 5.6%; H 69.4 ± 6.0%; P < 0.01) were significantly lower in AA compared to H. Our data provide evidence of racial/ethnic biases in anthropometric measures and their relationship to DXA-BF%, further supporting the need for race/ethnicity-specific cut points. Significant racial/ethnic differences in exercise parameters were also observed. TIGER Study funded by NIH/NIDDK.
Commodity Price Volatility and U.S. Monetary Policy: Commodity Price Overshooting Revisited

Commodity price volatility can create concern for central bank policy-makers. Recent commodity prices peaked in the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2007, and they have remained relatively volatile since. As they are often seen as being connected in a cause and effect relationship with inflation and real output, the driving forces behind commodity price volatility are crucial for the conduct of monetary policy (Svensson, 2005). Using an autoregressive moving average with an exponential generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedastic (ARMA-EGARCH) process, we extract the conditional variance series to identify volatility spillovers between monetary policies and commodity price index. The findings show that the volatility of agricultural commodity price index and other commodities price indices overshoot their long-run equilibrium in response to an impulse in monetary policy.
Endovascular Repair of the Thoracic Aorta

Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is an attractive alternative to open aortic repair and has continued to grow since its first published use in 1991 (Volodos et al., Vasa Suppl 33:93–95, 1991). Initially approved for repair of thoracic aortic aneurysms, TEVAR indications have expanded to include traumatic aortic injury, complicated type B dissections, and penetrating aortic ulcer. Benefits of the endovascular approach over the traditional open surgical approach include avoidance of a thoracotomy or sternotomy and avoidance of aortic cross-clamping.
The Contested Edges of Internal Affairs

Because of the internal affairs doctrine, the tiny state of Delaware plays a unique and outsized role as the nation’s preeminent regulator of corporate governance. But two recent developments have raised new questions about the precise scope of the doctrine and, consequently, Delaware’s lucrative regulatory domain. Specifically, in a four-month span in late 2018, (i) California enacted the nation’s first law mandating board gender diversity for all public corporations headquartered in California and (ii) the Delaware Court of Chancery in Sciabacucchi v. Salzberg invalidated a corporate charter provision purporting to regulate shareholder rights arising under federal securities law. These two high-profile corporate law developments highlight the inescapable indeterminacy at the edges of the internal affairs doctrine. This indeterminacy puts Delaware — and the many corporations that rely on Delaware law — in a precarious position because other states may contest the boundaries of the doctrine. Challenges at the edges of internal corporate affairs may both erode Delaware’s corporate law hegemony and reshape the regulatory landscape for corporations.
Integrating the three E’s in wastewater treatment: efficient design, economic viability, and environmental sustainability

Water is often the most mispriced and misused component in domestic, industrial and agricultural sectors. The rise in world population and industrialization in developing nations has tremendously increased the demand for water and has resulted in the generation of wastewater which is contaminated with dangerous pollutants and unknown contaminants. Furthermore, if the wastewater is not treated properly the toxic pollutants will leach back into the ground ultimately contaminating the groundwater resources. Thus, wastewater treatment, reuse, and safe disposal have become crucial for sustainable existence. In this review, the different aspects involved in designing efficient and sustainable wastewater treatment systems such as wastewater characterization, stage-wise treatment approach, technology features, modeling methodologies, cost evaluations, and environmental impact assessment are presented and future need for information exchange, interdisciplinary collaborations and convergent research are emphasized.
Decreased sphingolipid synthesis in children with 17q21 asthma–risk genotypes

Risk for childhood asthma is conferred by alleles within the 17q21 locus affecting ORMDL sphingolipid biosynthesis regulator 3 (ORMDL3) expression. ORMDL3 inhibits sphingolipid de novo synthesis. Although the effects of 17q21 genotypes on sphingolipid synthesis in human asthma remain unclear, both decreased sphingolipid synthesis and ORMDL3 overexpression are linked to airway hyperreactivity. To characterize the relationship of genetic asthma susceptibility with sphingolipid synthesis, we analyzed asthma-associated 17q21 genotypes (rs7216389, rs8076131, rs4065275, rs12603332, and rs8067378) in both children with asthma and those without asthma, quantified plasma and whole-blood sphingolipids, and assessed sphingolipid de novo synthesis in peripheral blood cells by measuring the incorporation of stable isotope-labeled serine (substrate) into sphinganine and sphinganine-1-phosphate. Whole-blood dihydroceramides and ceramides were decreased in subjects with the 17q21 asthma-risk alleles rs7216389 and rs8076131. Children with nonallergic asthma had lower dihydroceramides, ceramides, and sphingomyelins than did controls. Children with allergic asthma had higher dihydroceramides, ceramides, and sphingomyelins compared with children with nonallergic asthma. Additionally, de novo sphingolipid synthesis was lower in children with asthma compared with controls. These findings connect genetic 17q21 variations that are associated with asthma risk and higher ORMDL3 expression to lower sphingolipid synthesis in humans. Altered sphingolipid synthesis may therefore be a critical factor in asthma pathogenesis and may guide the development of future therapeutics.
Asynchronous Dynamic Single-Flux Quantum Majority Gates

Among the major issues in modern large-scale rapid single-flux quantum (RSFQ) circuits are the complexity of the clock network, tight timing tolerances, poor applicability of existing CMOS-based design algorithms, and extremely deep pipelines, which reduce the effective clock frequency. In this article, asynchronous dynamic single-flux quantum majority gates are proposed to solve some of these problems. The proposed logic gates exhibit high bias margins and do not require significant area or a large number of Josephson junctions as compared to existing RSFQ logic gates. These gates exhibit a tradeoff among the input skew tolerance, clock frequency, and bias margins. Asynchronous logic gates greatly reduce the complexity of the clock network in large-scale RSFQ circuits, thereby alleviating certain timing issues and reducing the required bias currents. Furthermore, asynchronous logic allows existing design algorithms to utilize CMOS approaches for synthesis, verification, and testability. The adoption of majority logic in complex RSFQ circuits also reduces the pipeline depth, enabling higher clock speeds in very large scale integration RSFQ circuits.
The Home-based Involvement Experiences of Low-income Latino Families with Preschoolers Transitioning to Kindergarten: Qualitative Findings

Given the limitations of research that mainly uses quantitative measures, often based on culturally-dominant middle-class notions of an “involved parent,” this study sought to gain an in-depth, qualitative understanding of how Latina mothers are involved at home in preparing their preschooler for kindergarten. We also examined barriers impacting their involvement. Using an interpretive methodological approach and a family resilience framework that privileges the stories and strengths of marginalized groups, we conducted in-depth interviews and observations with 17 Latina mothers of preschoolers in one suburban Head Start center. Despite having multiple risk factors, our study found that Latina mothers from low-income backgrounds were involved in multiple formal and informal in-home learning strategies that promoted their children’s cognitive and physical school readiness skills. Mothers engaged in direct teaching, promoting reading, embedding learning in daily activities, assessing knowledge and skills, and utilizing educational materials. They also identified barriers to home-based involvement: language and work barriers, rather than deficits in family cultures, limit families’ involvement. Contributing to the limited qualitative research with Latina mothers from low-income backgrounds who are parenting preschool-aged children enrolled in Head Start, our study highlights mothers’ resilience, detailing how mothers exhibited creativity, agency, and resourcefulness by using diverse strategies to support their children’s kindergarten readiness. These findings expand on demographic studies that emphasize risk factors and ignore resilient family practices among Latino families with preschoolers transitioning to kindergarten. Our findings further provide recommendations for how Head Start can continue to recognize and utilize Latina mothers’ efforts and expertise.
Primary Care of Refugee Children

In the past decade, an estimated 274,000 children and adolescents have come to the United States as refugees. Their exposure to health-related risk and protective factors varies by nationality, socioeconomic status, and time period. This chapter will focus on refugee groups who have arrived in the United States in the prior decade, from arrival to the transition to ongoing primary care. After arriving in the United States, growth and nutrition, communicable conditions, vaccine catchup, potentially toxic exposures, and entry into primary and specialty care are the focus of healthcare. Over time, psychosocial needs and chronic disease management, including development and dental health, may predominate. Lastly, the structure of the initial and ongoing visits, including cultural considerations, effective triadic communication, and collaboration with community services, is formative in the care experience for both children and their families. The intent of this chapter is to review core information and guidelines, bearing in mind that children’s specific health needs, exposures, and experiences are heterogeneous.
Do Creditors Influence Corporate Tax Planning? Evidence from Loan Covenants

This study examines how creditor interventions after debt covenant violations affect corporate tax avoidance. Using a regression discontinuity design, we find that creditor interventions increase borrowers' tax avoidance. This effect is concentrated among firms with weaker shareholder governance before creditor interventions and among those with less bargaining power during subsequent debt renegotiations. Our results indicate that creditors play an active role in shaping corporate tax policy outside of bankruptcy.
Major modifications to minimize thoracic esophago-gastric leak and eradicate esophageal stricture after Ivor Lewis esophagectomy

BACKGROUND The Ivor Lewis esophagectomy (ILE) remains the procedure of choice for localized middle or lower esophageal carcinoma. Nevertheless, anastomotic leak remains a common complication with rates from 3% to 25% and a stricture rate as high as 40%. The frequency of these complications suggests that the procedure itself may have inherent limitations including the use of potentially ischemic tissue for the esophagogastric anastomosis. We introduce a modified technique that reduces operative steps, preserves blood supply, and uses a modified esophagogastric anastomosis. METHODS All consecutive patients undergoing ILE with the described modified technique were identified. An esophagram was performed on postoperative day six or seven. To ensure that all cases were identified, anastomotic leaks were defined as any radiographic evidence of contrast extravasation. RESULTS A total of 110 patients underwent the modified esophagectomy with 2 anastomotic leaks (1.82%) and zero strictures. There was 1 late death but no early deaths (<30 or 90 days) or early re-admissions (<30 days). The average number of risk factors was 2.12, and 98 patients (90%) had at least 1 risk factor in their medical history. CONCLUSIONS The modifications proposed simplify procedural steps, limit unnecessary dissection and introduce a technique that ends the practice of connecting ischemic tissue. We believe this technique contributes to surgical durability and reduces the rate of postoperative leak and eliminates stricture.
Pathogen Gene Expression during Intestinal Infection

This chapter discusses what is known about bacterial gene expression during infection of the intestinal tract in animal models of disease. Despite the publication of numerous studies investigating gene expression by pathogens that colonize the intestinal tract, many of these studies were performed in vitro or in cell culture models of infection. While the importance of these investigations cannot be disputed, these systems do not fully represent the complex milieu of the intestinal tract, on which the chapter is focused. In addition, since many intestinal pathogens have the ability to cause serious systemic disease, bacterial gene expression has been examined at sites of systemic infection. DNA microarrays have been recently used to examine Vibrio cholerae gene expression in rabbit ligated ileal loops. Genes encoding transcriptional regulatory factors, including phoP, were absent from the set of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ivi genes induced specifically in the small intestine. Of the three Yersinia species that infect humans, Y. enterocolitica and Y. pseudotuberculosis are enteric pathogens. Yersinia enterocolitica harbors a virulence plasmid, known as pYV, that carries many genes required for virulence. Using a strain lacking this plasmid, Y. enterocolitica chromosomal intestinal ivi genes were identified in the PP of mice 24 h after oral infection. The examination of gene expression in diverse bacterial pathogens during intestinal infection has revealed much about the conditions experienced during this process.
Hürthle cell carcinoma is a better gold standard than Hürthle cell neoplasm for fine-needle aspiration of the thyroid: defining more consistent and specific cytologic criteria.

BACKGROUND The majority of fine-needle aspirates of the thyroid that demonstrate a predominance of Hurthle cells are diagnosed as suspicious for Hurthle cell neoplasm. Only a minority of these patients are found to have carcinoma at the time of resection. In the current study, an attempt was made to define criteria that were more specific for Hurthle cell carcinoma without a loss in sensitivity. METHODS The literature was reviewed and 33 aspiration samples diagnosed as suspicious for a Hurthle cell neoplasm (4 nonneoplastic cases, 19 adenoma cases, and 10 carcinomas) were reexamined and reclassified based on criteria derived from the literature. RESULTS All Hurthle cell carcinomas could be identified using a total of five criteria: predominantly Hurthle cells and scant colloid and at least one of either small cell dysplasia (cytoplasmic diameter less than twice the nuclear diameter, with often quite bland cells), large cell dysplasia (greater than twice the variation in nuclear diameter; large cells typically demonstrate prominent nucleoli and irregular nuclear outlines), crowding (nuclei touching), and dyshesion (single cells). Three of 4 nonneoplastic aspiration samples (75%) and 7 of 19 Hurthle cell adenomas (37%) did not meet these criteria and could reliably be diagnosed as benign. CONCLUSIONS By focusing on criteria for Hurthle cell carcinoma rather than all Hurthle cell neoplasms, criteria can be developed that improve the specificity without a loss of sensitivity. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2002;96:261–6. © 2002 American Cancer Society.
Biogenesis of reactive sulfur species for signaling by hydrogen sulfide oxidation pathways

Sulfide signaling is biologically important, but the identity and source of reactive sulfur species (RSS) remains unclear. An analysis of sulfur reactivity now suggests that oxidation pathways thought to dispose of sulfur may actually create RSS. The chemical species involved in H2S signaling remain elusive despite the profound and pleiotropic physiological effects elicited by this molecule. The dominant candidate mechanism for sulfide signaling is persulfidation of target proteins. However, the relatively poor reactivity of H2S toward oxidized thiols, such as disulfides, the low concentration of disulfides in the reducing milieu of the cell and the low steady-state concentration of H2S raise questions about the plausibility of persulfide formation via reaction between an oxidized thiol and a sulfide anion or a reduced thiol and oxidized hydrogen disulfide. In contrast, sulfide oxidation pathways, considered to be primarily mechanisms for disposing of excess sulfide, generate a series of reactive sulfur species, including persulfides, polysulfides and thiosulfate, that could modify target proteins. We posit that sulfide oxidation pathways mediate sulfide signaling and that sulfurtransferases ensure target specificity.
Cisplatin-based combination chemotherapy in the treatment of poorly differentiated carcinoma and poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma of unknown primary site: results of a 12-year experience.

PURPOSEWe previously reported excellent responses to cisplatin-based chemotherapy in a minority of patients with poorly differentiated carcinoma (PDC) or poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma (PDA) of unknown primary site. We have continued to study and to treat these patients, and now report clinical characteristics, treatment results, and prognostic factors in a large group of patients identified prospectively.PATIENTS AND METHODSBetween February 1978 and December 1989, we treated 220 patients with PDC or PDA of unknown primary site. The median age was 39 years; 48% of patients had predominant tumor location in the mediastinum, retroperitoneum, or peripheral lymph nodes. Specialized pathologic studies resulted in the identification of specific tumor types in only a few cases. All patients received cisplatin-based chemotherapy; between 1978 and 1984, 116 patients received cisplatin, vinblastine, and bleomycin (PVeB) +/- doxorubicin, and 104 patients treated since January 1985 received cisplatin and etopos...
Entrepreneurship Development, Patterns of

Despite emerging patterns, there are a number of contingent factors that have been found to influence the new venture development process and which provide fruitful areas for future research. Four of the more significant contingencies are the gender of the lead entrepreneur, the corporate environment, industry structure, and the cultural contexts. Keywords: patterns; behavioral; cognitive; environmental; venture development
Experimental Test of Multi-Stage Vertical-Axis Turbines for Cellular Communication Applications

A multi-year research program has generated a working prototype for a vertical-axis wind turbine that is capable of powering cellular communication equipment. The turbine is designed to be affixed to already existing communication towers and thereby has a reduced cost of installation. The turbine is driven by air drag forces rather than by lift. It has a number of novel features including venting slots that are created to reduce the thrust loading on the communication tower. In addition, contoured caps are affixed to the upper and lower edges of the turbine blades to increase power production. As previously mentioned, the turbine design itself is a drag-based concept rather than the more typical lift-driven devices. The advantages of the drag-based design are: 1. lower startup wind speed, 2. slower rotation and a lessened vibrational load on the tower, 3. less sensitive to wind direction, and 4. it can be aligned with the tower.The design of the device was carried out through a combination of numerical simulation and experimentation. The simulations have evolved from preliminary two-dimensional calculations to a fully three dimensional, unsteady, computational fluid dynamic analysis. Simultaneously, the experiments have included both in-field and wind-tunnel tests of various stages of the turbine design.An outcome of the effort is a third-generation working vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) that is currently being evaluated with in-field tests. The results of the tests are positive and confirm the expectations that were developed during the product design phase. The turbine, which can be constructed with various rotor stages, has the capability of producing approximately 2–3 kW of power in wind-speed environments of 12–16 m/s. These power production levels are greatly in excess of that required to fully power the electronics equipment on a typical cellular communication tower. Unfortunately, subsequent tests showed that the turbine production dropped approximately sevenfold. The cause of the decrease in performance was friction in the mechanical components which coupled the rotating shaft to the support structure. This recognition reinforces the importance of low-resistance mechanical design for VAWTs.Another aspect of the turbine design is the specialized electronics which allow the electronics to adapt to local wind speeds and consequently increase the efficiency of the power production.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Cutaneous involvement in localized forms of bullous pemphigoid.

Abstract In summary, there is much overlap among the three types of localized cutaneous pemphigoid discussed. They all tend to affect the same age group, in general. They all may remain regional or be associated with a generalized eruption consistent with bullous pemphigoid. These three variants of subepidermal blistering disease also appear to be susceptible to koebnerization. Direct immunofluorescence findings are identical, as well, with linear IgG and C3 at the basement membrane. Indirect immunofluorescence tends to be negative for all three variants, with a tendency to positivity with increased extent and severity of skin involvement. There are differences, though, between them. BPP tends to affect men more than women, unlike BMMP-CP and localized cutaneous nonscarring BP. Localized cutaneous non-scarring BP unusually involves the legs, whereas the other two conditions affect the head and neck, with resultant scarring. Histology is similiar to that seen in BP, but dermal fibrosis and sclerosis result in skin affected by BMMP-CP and BPP. Localized cutaneous nonscarring BP is more amenable to topical steroid therapy, whereas BMMP-CP and BPP are more persistent and resistant to systemic immunosuppressive therapy. Clinical, histologic, and immunologic similarities among the pemphigoid variants may reflect common antigenic features. 44 On the other hand, clinical, histologic, and immunologic differences may imply that there are more than one bullous pemphigoid antibody directed at a variety of antigenic structures. 26,45
Redox-induced carbon-carbon bond formation by using noninnocent ligands

The control of radical reactions to afford selective carbon–carbon bond formation is a significant synthetic challenge with applications ranging from small-molecule activation to natural product synthesis. Oxidation of (IP–)2Al(CH3) (1, IP = iminopyridine) with TrBPh4 (Tr = trityl) afforded the C–C coupled product [(IP)(Tr-IP)Al(CH3)][BPh4] (2) in which the trityl radical and the IP– radical have undergone C–C bond formation. In contrast, oxidation of 1 with TrBArF24 {BArF24 = tetrakis[(3,5-trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate} or TrB(C6F5)4 affords cationic [(IP)(IP–)Al(CH3)][BArF24] (3a) or [(IP)(IP–)Al(CH3)][B(C6F5)4] (3b), respectively . The different reaction outcomes provided by the different counteranions of Tr+ imply that a difference in stability of the products or of the intermediate mixed-valent [(IP)(IP-)Al(CH3)]+ state exists. We speculate that the most likely factor is the difference in solubility afforded by the different anions of the products that are formed. We also show that the formation of stable, cationic biradical complexes is possible and that these complexes do not undergo C–C radical coupling at the IP ligand. Cationic [(IP–)2Al(OEt2)][BArF24] (4) was obtained by protonolysis of 1 with H(OEt2)2BArF24, and two-electron oxidation of [(IP2–)2Al]– (5) afforded [(IP–)2Al(thf)][BArF24] (6).
Effect of center of pressure and trunk center of mass optimization methods on the analysis of whole body lifting mechanics.

Abstract Objective. This study evaluates methods to optimize the trunk center of mass position, the center of pressure position, or both to minimize the difference between horizontal location of the whole body center of mass estimated by the model and center of pressure measured during static postures. Design. Within subjects repeated measures. Background. Methods to optimize the trunk center of mass position have been proposed in the past, but have not been fully evaluated nor have accounted for errors in the location of the center of pressure. Accurately determining these locations affects the understanding of the control of balance. Methods. Six methods were compared using kinematic and force plate data from 22 subjects. Static postures resembling both leg and back lifting techniques were used to optimize the center of mass. A typical lifting movement was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the methods in reducing the difference between external moment and time derivative of the angular momentum. Results. Optimization of the center of pressure had a statistically significant effect on reducing errors (P 0.05). Conclusions. Optimizing the center of pressure was simple and compensated for systematic errors introduced from the model and instrumentation. The addition of the center of mass optimization improved some results but added much complexity to the experimental procedures. Relevance Reducing errors in determining the relative position of the center of pressure and center of mass enhances the understanding of balance control as this relationship reflects the dynamic stability of the system.
Comparison study for 3x-nm contact hole CD uniformity between EUV lithography and ArF immersion double patterning

In order to continue scaling down the feature sizes of the devices, EUV lithography is regarded as the most powerful candidate for patterning. So It has being studied to overcome the several issues such as source power for high throughput to apply volume production, mask defectivity from mask blank, RLS (Resolution, LWR & Sensitivity) trade off, which is the intrinsic property of EUV resist, and so on. For 2x nm node DRAM, dense contact hole, which has 3x nm half pitch (hp), has been issued to be made so far. There are two well-known methods for pattering; hole double patterning with ArF immersion lithography and single patterning with EUV lithography. EUV is more simple solution than hole double patterning for 3xnm hp dense contact hole, if it has large process window and comparable CD uniformity. Fortunately, EUV process already has larger process window than that of ArF immersion because its k1 value is a little bit high. But CD (critical dimension) uniformity and pattern profile were very poor in our initial result. Therefore it needs a lot of efforts to improve and compete against double patterning. The double patterning performance for 3xnm hp contact hole has been shown last year. In this paper, we will investigate on improving CD uniformity and pattern profile for 3x nm hp contact hole with several methods. Finally, the performance of EUV, which is achieved by our experiments, is being compared with that of double patterning in terms of CD uniformity and pattern profile.
Optical Potential for the Rotational Excitation of Diatomic Molecules by Atoms

By restricting attention to a single open scattering channel at a time, it is found that an optical potential, accurate to second order in the scattering potential, can be easily derived for the example of rotational excitation of a rigid rotator by a structureless atom. The resulting equations are contrasted with those derived from the close-coupling method. In cases where many open channels are present, the optical-potential method seems to offer many advantages over close coupling. Various practical methods for improving the accuracy of the optical potential beyond second order are discussed.
Investigation of the effects of crosslinking glutamate dehydrogenase with dimethyl pimelimidate

Chemical crosslinking with dimethyl pimelimidate has been used to examine the quaternary structure and conformational mobility of bovine liver glutamate dehydrogenase. Crosslinking patterns are shown to be consistent with either a stacked or staggered dimer of trimers structure of the hexamer. Crosslinking in the absence of coligands results in a small loss of activity but an almost complete loss of GTP inhibitory effects. Protection experiments show that the active site can be protected by a variety of ligand combinations, and that the loss of GTP inhibition is protected by several complexes containing either NADH or NADPH, indicating that the second coenzyme site per subunit (which preferentially binds NADH) is not involved in the protection process. A significant loss of ADP activation occurs during crosslinking which is not protected against by any combination of protecting ligands tried, including those which involve second coenzyme site binding, showing that the ADP site is functionally distinct from the GTP site and from the second coenzyme binding site. Crosslinking in the presence of protecting ligands gives similar gel patterns to those obtained in the absence of protection. Affinity chromatography experiments show that the crosslinked enzyme still binds GTP despite the loss of GTP inhibition, and hysteresis experiments show that the second coenzyme site is left functional if protected with either coenzyme. A model is presented where crosslinking affects the conformational linkage between various ligand binding sites involved in GTP inhibition rather than the sites themselves.
Application of pressure broadening theory to the calculation of atmospheric oxygen and water vapor microwave absorption

The problem of the pressure broadening of spectral lines is investigated with respect to the microwave absorption of two terrestrial atmospheric gases, oxygen and water vapor. A formalism and accompanying computational procedures under the impact approximation and using the Liouville (line) Space concept introduced by Baranger and elaborated by Fano are employed. It is desired that the theory would obviate the necessity for specific line shapes, provide a means of computing line widths and account for line overlapping effects from first principles. The present approach is found to be generally adequate for the treatment of O2 absorption on comparison with experimental data for line widths, absorption coefficients and zenity opacities. While H2O line widths are satisfactorily predicted, estimated resonance overlapping effects are found to be far from sufficient (accounting for at most ~ 5%) to explain the theoretically controversial anomalous absorption.
When recent and evolutionary histories meet: deciphering temporal events from contemporary patterns of mtDNA from fishers (Martes pennanti) in north-eastern North America

The current spatial distribution of genetic lineages across a region should reflect the complex interplay of both historical and contemporary processes. Postglacial expansion and recolonization in the distant past, in combination with more recent events with anthropogenic effects such as habitat fragmentation and overexploitation, can help shape the pattern of genetic structure observed in contemporary populations. In this study, we characterize the spatial distribution of mtDNA lineages for fisher (Martes pennanti) in north-eastern North America. The history of fishers in this region is well understood and thus provides an opportunity to interpret patterns of genetic structure in the light of known historical (e.g. recolonization from glacial refugia) and contemporary events (e.g. reintroductions, fragmentation and natural recolonization). Our results indicate that fishers likely recolonized north-eastern North America from a single Pleistocene refugium. Three genetically distinct remnant populations persisted through the population declines of the 1800s and served as sources for multiple reintroductions and natural recolonizations that have restored the fisher throughout north-eastern North America. However, the spatial genetic structure of genetic lineages across the region still reflects the three remnant populations.