cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
O4 Improving Student Confidence for Engaging in the Nutrition Policy Process Through Authentic Assignments and Class Activities

Objective To assess how authentic assignments and class activities impact students’ confidence for engaging in policy-related activities. Use of Theory or Research Authentic assignments allow students to apply skills they learn in class to real-world situations. Research in social work and nursing has shown students in policy courses with authentic assignments and class activities have improved their knowledge, motivation, confidence, and skills for engaging in policy-related activities. Target Audience The target audience was students in a 2-section nutrition policy course offered at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the fall of 2020. The course is required for Master of Public Health students in the Nutrition and Nutrition/Registered Dietitian concentrations and offered as an elective to others. Course/Curriculum Description The online course covered a variety of nutrition policy-related topics, through pre-recorded lectures and a weekly live session. Throughout the course, students completed a variety of authentic assignments and class activities such as a group policy brief project, letter to a legislator, and an elevator pitch on a nutrition policy issue. Evaluation Methods Students completed an online pre- and post-survey. Confidence for engaging in policy-related activities was assessed from a list of 11 policy-related class activities (ie, writing an effective letter to a legislator, developing a policy drop sheet). We asked students to rate their confidence regarding engaging in these types of policy activities on a scale of 1 (not at all confident) to 5 (very confident). Statistical significance for changes in confidence from pre- to post-survey was assessed using Wilcoxon signed rank tests. Results A total of 35 students completed both the pre- and post-surveys. There was a statistically significant increase in confidence for engaging in all activities assessed (P Conclusion The use of authentic assignments in a nutrition policy course increased students’ confidence for engaging in nutrition policy-related activities and is helpful for preparing students to participate in the nutrition policy process.
Fragmented day-night cycle induces period lengthening, lowered anxiety, and anhedonia in male mice.

Abstract Light exposure at night disrupts circadian-regulated biological functions, including mood. However, the consequence of fragmenting the night period and distributing it across the 24-hr period is less understood. Here we show that fragmenting an 8 -h and 6 -h night into equally distributed 2 -h periods throughout the 24-hr day results in period lengthening of the circadian rhythm in mice. Furthermore, mice exhibited less anxiety, which indicates increased risk-taking behavior, and a lack of pleasure-seeking, known as anhedonia. The successive alley and open field tests were used to assess anxiety, while the sucrose preference test was used to assess anhedonia. Analysis of depressive-like behaviors with the forced swim and tail suspension tests were not observed. After two weeks in 12 h light – 12 h dark, mice exposed to the fragmented night recovered and exhibited normal behaviors for both anxiety and anhedonia. Our results are congruent with published studies that describe the detrimental effects of constant light conditions on circadian rhythms and mood. These findings unveil the negative impact that fragmenting the day-night cycle has on circadian rhythms and mood.
Screening Diverse Weedy Rice (Oryza sativa ssp.) Mini Germplasm for Tolerance to Heat and Complete Submergence Stress During Seedling Stage

Rice is a staple food for more than 3.5 billion people worldwide, with Asia producing almost 90% of the global rice yield. In the US, rice is primarily produced in four regions: Arkansas Grand Prairie, Mississippi Delta, Gulf Coast, and California. As global temperatures continue to rise and fluctuate, crop-breeding programs must continue to evolve. Unfortunately, sudden submergence due to climate change and unpredictable flash flooding can cause yield reduction up to 100% and affect 20 million ha of agricultural farmlands. Similarly, it has been demonstrated that temperatures higher than 34°C can cause spikelet infertility resulting in up to 60% reduction in yield. One major drawback to developing abiotic stress-tolerant rice is the loss of critical traits such as vegetative vigor, fertility, and quality, which are essential in increasing rice’s economic return for farmers. To replace traits lost in past breeding endeavors, weedy rice (WR) has been proposed as a source for novel trait discovery to improve rice breeding programs. Therefore, the goal of this study was to screen and identify heat and submergence tolerant WR accessions. A WR mini germplasm was exposed to heat (38°C) and complete submergence for 21 days. After each treatment, height was recorded every 7 days for 28 days, and biomass was collected 28 days after treatment. The average height reduction across all accessions was 19 and 21% at 14 and 28 days after treatment (DAT) for the heat-stress treatment. The average height reduction across all accessions was 25 and 33% for the complete submergence stress. The average biomass reduction across all accessions was 18 and 21% for heat and complete submergence stress, respectively. Morphologically, at 28 DAT, 28% of the surviving WR accessions in the heat-stress treatment with less than 20% height reduction present straw-colored hull types with no awns present. When morphologically comparing WR accessions in the complete submergence-stress treatment, 33% of the WR accessions presented with black hull coloring and no awns, suggesting that these specific biotypes may play a role in the increased resilience of WR populations. Elite WR accessions that can survive the effects of climate change are highlighted.
Modeling Coupling through an Electromagnetically Deep Slot Aperture

Metallic enclosures are commonly used to protect electronic circuits against unwanted electromagnetic (EM) interactions. However, these enclosures may be sealed with imperfect mechanical seams or joints. These joints form narrow slots that allow external EM energy to couple into the cavity and then to the internal circuits. This coupled EM energy can severely affect circuit operations, particularly at the cavity resonance frequencies when the cavity has a high Q factor. To model these slots and the corresponding EM coupling, a thin-slot sub-cell model [1] , developed for slots in infinite ground plane and extended to numerical modeling of cavity-backed apertures, was successfully implemented in Sandia’s electromagnetic code EIGER [2] and its next-generation counterpart Gemma [3] . However, this thin-slot model only considers resonances along the length of the slot. At sufficiently high frequencies, the resonances due to the slot depth must also be considered. Currently, slots must be explicitly meshed to capture these depth resonances, which can lead to low-frequency instability (due to electrically small mesh elements). Therefore, a slot sub-cell model that considers resonances in both length and depth is needed to efficiently and accurately capture the slot coupling.
Membrane-initiated estrogen, androgen and progesterone receptor signaling in health and disease.

Rapid effects of steroid hormones were discovered in the early 1950s, but the subject was dominated in the 1970s by discoveries of estradiol and progesterone stimulating protein synthesis. This led to the paradigm that steroid hormones regulate growth, differentiation, and metabolism via binding a receptor in the nucleus. It took 30 years to appreciate not only that some cellular functions arise solely from membrane-localized (SRs) actions, but that rapid sex steroid signaling from membrane-localized SRs is a prerequisite for the phosphorylation, nuclear import, and potentiation of the transcriptional activity of nuclear SR counterparts. Here, we provide a review and update on the current state of knowledge of membrane-initiated estrogen (ER), androgen (AR) and progesterone (PR) receptor signaling, the mechanisms of membrane-associated SR potentiation of their nuclear SR homologues, and the importance of this membrane-nuclear SR collaboration in physiology and disease. We also highlight potential clinical implications of pathway-selective modulation of membrane-associated SR.
Antarctic Soils and Climate Change

The magnitude and potential causes of historical climate warming in Antarctica are discussed, based on an analysis of the published literature and the editor’s personal observations over the past 45 years. The potential impacts of continued warming on Antarctic soils is discussed.
Localization of Two Functions of the Phosphoribosyl Anthranilate Transferase of Escherichia coli to Distinct Regions of the Polypeptide Chain

The trpD gene specifies a polypeptide which has both glutamine amidotransferase and phosphoribosyl anthranilate (PRA) transferase activities. Deletions fusing segments of trpD to the gene preceding it in the operon, trpE, were selected in strains carrying various trpD point mutations. The selection procedure required both that a deletion enter trpE and that it restore the PRA transferase activity which the parent trpD point mutant lacked. Deletion mutants were found which had PRA transferase activity although the first third of trpD was deleted. The existence of the mutants proves that a terminal segment of trpD is sufficient to specify a polypeptide having PRA transferase activity. The location of the deletion end points on the genetic map of trpD defines the extent of the trpD segment required for PRA transferase activity. This segment did not overlap the initial region of trpD required to specify the glutamine amidotransferase function of the trpD polypeptide. These results support the hypothesis (M. Grieshaber and R. Bauerle, 1972; H. Zalkin and L. H. Hwang, 1971) that the bifunctional trpD polypeptide might have evolved by fusion of a gene specifying a glutamine amidotransferase with a gene directing PRA transferase synthesis.
A lookahead arbiter for n-user b-server with non-favorite priority

The paper presents the arbiter design using one level and two level lookahead technique with two step arbitration for N-user B-server case with favorite and non-favorite priorities. The implementation of the proposed arbiter can work more efficiently and faster than the iterative method and is fairer and more complete than pure lookahead technique in the realistic multiprocessor system. >
Implicit Learning and Tacit Knowledge: An Essay on the Cognitive Unconscious

In this new volume in the Oxford Psychology Series, the author presents a highly readable account of the cognitive unconscious, focusing in particular on the problem of implicit learning. Implicit learning is defined as the acquisition of knowledge that takes place independently of the conscious attempts to learn and largely in the absence of explicit knowledge about what was acquired. One of the core assumptions of this argument is that implicit learning is a fundamental, "root" process, one that lies at the very heart of the adaptive behavioral repertoire of every complex organism. The author's goals are to outline the essential features of implicit learning that have emerged from the many studies that have been carried out in a variety of experimental laboratories over the past several decades; to present the various alternative perspectives on this issue that have been proposed by other researchers and to try to accommodate these views with his own; to structure the literature so that it can be seen in the context of standard heuristics of evolutionary biology; to present the material within a functionalist approach and to try to show why the experimental data should be seen as entailing particular epistemological perspectives; and to present implicit processing as encompassing a general and ubiquitous set of operations that have wide currency and several possible applications. Chapter 1 begins with the core problem under consideration in this book, a characterization of "implicit learning" as it has come to be used in the literature. Reber puts this seemingly specialized topic into a general framework and suggests a theoretical model based on standard heuristics of evolutionary biology. In his account, Reber weaves a capsule history of interest in and work on the cognitive unconscious. Chapter 2 turns to a detailed overview of the experimental work on the acquisition of implicit knowledge, which currently is of great interest. Chapter 3 develops the evolutionary model within which one can see learning and cognition as richly intertwining issues and not as two distinct fields with one dominating the other. Finally, Chapter 4 explores a variety of entailments and speculations concerning implicit cognitive processes and their general role in the larger scope of human performance
Perfect Multiple Coverings in Metric Schemes

Perfect multiple coverings generalize the concept of perfect codes by allowing for multiplicities, much as t-designs generalize Steiner systems. A necessary and sufficient condition is found to determine when a metric scheme admits a nontrivial perfect multiple covering. Results specific to the classical Hamming and Johnson schemes are given which bear out the relationship between t-designs, orthogonal arrays, and perfect multiple coverings.
Charting America's return to public international law under the Obama administration

The administration of George W. Bush left the international credibility of the United States in tatters and seriously undermined any U.S. claim to leadership in human rights and the rule of law. The administration of Barack Obama can begin to repair the damage by re-engaging the United Nations, reaffirming adherence to the Geneva Conventions, emracing the Kyoto process to control climate change, and engaging the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Travels and Archaeology In South Chile

Travels and Archaeology In South Chile. Junius B. Bird with Margaret Bird (edited by John Hyslop). Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1988. 278 pp. $27.50 (Cloth). ISBN 0-87745-202-4.
Analysis of the effect of amines on inhibition of receptor-mediated and fluid-phase pinocytosis in rabbit alveolar macrophages

Incubation of rabbit alveolar macrophages in vitro with methyl amine led to a time- and concentration-dependent inhibition of uptake of alpha macroglobulin-125I-trypsin complexes (alpha M-125I-T). Upon addition of methyl amine (50 mM) to cells prelabeled with alpha M-125I-T there was a rapid inhibition of lysosomal catabolism of internalized ligand. In the absence of ligand, incubation of cells with 50 mM methyl amine led to a 40-70% decrease in surface-receptor number. The methyl amine-induced decrease in surface-receptor number only occurred in metabolically active cells since cells incubated at 0 degrees C, or treated with N-ethyl maleimide and incubated at 37 degrees C, did not show the effect. Incubation of cells at 37 degrees C with methyl amine also effected a 40-70% decrease in fluid-phase pinocytosis. Although there was a decline in surface-receptor number, the remaining population of receptors were capable of mediating (at least) one round of ligand internalization. However, further ligand uptake was prevented. Data demonstrate that although receptors were present on cell surfaces, they were incapable of mediating ligand internalization. Incubation of macrophages with chloroquine at 37 degrees C for 60 min also led to a disappearance of receptors, and a concomitant reduction in fluid-phase pinocytosis.
Localization algorithm for small objects in an image using wavelet transforms

This paper presents an algorithm for determining the coordinates of small objects appearing in a sequence of scene images based on sum and difference processing of the detailing wavelet coefficients of the current and reference images, followed by a morphological analysis of the generated pseudo-image. The effectiveness of the algorithm is compared with the difference algorithm for analyzing changes in the observation scene. It is shown that the proposed algorithm is more resistant to the effects of relative shifts of the current and reference images.
Sensitivity in the Overland Reintensification of Tropical Cyclone Erin (2007) to Near-Surface Soil Moisture Characteristics

AbstractThis study investigates the impact of abnormally moist soil conditions across the southern Great Plains upon the overland reintensification of North Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Erin (2007). This is tested by analyzing the contributions of three soil moisture–related signals—a seasonal signal, an along-track rainfall signal, and an early postlandfall rainfall signal—to the intensity of the vortex. In so doing, a suite of nine convection-permitting numerical simulations using the Advanced Research Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF-ARW) is used. Of the signals tested, soil moisture contributions from the anomalously wet months preceding Erin are found to have the greatest positive impact upon the intensity of the vortex, though this impact is on the order of that from climatological soil moisture conditions. The greatest impact of the early rainfall signal contributions is found when it is added to the seasonal signal. Along-track rainfall during the simulation period has a minimal impact.Var...
Supported inorganic membranes: Promises and challenges

Supported inorganic membranes hold the promise of highly effective separation and purification, and stable operation in harsh environments. Examples are thin films of paladium alloy for H2, mixed conducting oxides for O2, amorphous silica for CO2 and zeolites for hydro-carbons, and meso-porous titania for water purification. However, compared to organic membranes, large-scale production of inorganic membranes requires improvements in reproducibility and cost processes. This short overview provides terminology, concepts, and important criteria for performance, stability, reproducibility, and cost of supported inorganic membranes. Also discussed are possible approaches to address the challenges, and examples for designing gas separation and water purification.
Microstructural and surface modification of an aluminum alloy by rapid solidification with a pulsed laser

Abstract The interaction of a microsecond-duration CO2 laser pulse (10.6 μm) in vacuum with an aluminum alloy containing 1.2% Mn causes a dramatic change in the metallurgical microstructure in the laser-melted region. Second phases which are normally present as discrete particles in the alloy resolidify in the near-surface region in straited bands parallel to the free surface. The rapid solidification process also modifies the chemical composition of the surface, depleting the surface of the alloying elements manganese, silicon and iron. The surface also contains a network of ripples caused by rapid melting and solidification.
Impact of increased heart rate alone and heart rate plus contractility upon intraventricular ECG morphology.

Morphologic methods proposed for detection of ventricular tachycardia commonly use a template of averaged intraventricular ECGs acquired during sinus rhythm for comparison with ventricular tachycardia. Whether increased heart rate with and without an accompanying increase in contractility affects the stability of the intraventricular electrogram during sinus rhythm is unknown, however. We examined the intraventricular ECGs from two groups of patients undergoing electrophysiology studies before and during doses of an (Yand P-agonist, epinephrine (group A, 13 patients, 50 ng/kg/min) and of a pure P-agonist, isoproterenol (group B, 11 patients, 2 kg/min), and from four groups of patients being treated with atria1 pacing at different rates (group C, 8 patients, 600 ms; group D, 7 patients, 500 ms; group E, 8 patients, 450 ms; group F, 8 patients, 400 ms). Sinus cycle length decreased from 776 -+ 134 ms to 684 t 146 ms in group A; from 733 & 117 to 519 + 54 ms in group B; from 796 -+ 90 ms to 603 + 2 ms in group C; from 756 ? 129 ms to 502 + 2 ms in group D; from 720 k 136 ms to 452 t 1 ms in group E; and from 714 + 153 ms to 402 & 2 ms in group F. Correlation waveform analysis was performed on ventricular ECGs recorded from bipolar RV apex electrodes ( 1 cm, l500 Hz) using a best fit method of alignment of depolarization. When compared to a control passage
CRF-1 antagonist and CRF-2 agonist decrease binge-like ethanol drinking in C57BL/6J mice independent of the HPA axis.

Recent evidence suggests that corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptor (CRFR) signaling is involved in modulating binge-like ethanol consumption in C57BL/6J mice. In this report, a series of experiments were performed to further characterize the role of CRFR signaling in binge-like ethanol consumption. The role of central CRFR signaling was assessed with intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion of the nonselective CRFR antagonist, α-helical CRF9–41 (0, 1, 5, 10 μg/1 μl). The contribution of central CRF type 2 receptor (CRF2R) signaling was assessed with i.c.v. infusion of the selective CRF2R agonist, urocortin (Ucn) 3 (0, 0.05, 0.1, or 0.5 μg/1 μl). The role of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis was assessed by pretreating mice with intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of (1) the corticosterone synthesis inhibitor, metyrapone (0, 50, 100, 150 mg/kg) or (2) the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, mifepristone (0, 25, 50 mg/kg), and (3) by using radioimmunoassay to determine whether binge-like ethanol intake influenced plasma corticosterone levels. Finally, we determined whether the ability of the CRF1R antagonist, CP-154,526 (CP; 0, 10, 15 mg/kg, i.p.), to blunt binge-like drinking required normal HPA axis signaling by comparing the effectiveness of CP in adrenalectomized (ADX) and normal mice. Results showed that i.c.v. infusion of a 1 μg dose of α-helical CRF9–41 significantly attenuated binge-like ethanol consumption relative to vehicle treatment, and i.c.v. infusion of Ucn 3 dose-dependently blunted binge-like drinking. On the other hand, metyrapone nonselectively reduced both ethanol and sucrose consumption, mifepristone did not alter ethanol drinking, and binge-like drinking did not correlate with plasma corticosterone levels. Finally, i.p. injection of CP significantly attenuated binge-like ethanol intake in both ADX and normal mice. Together, these results suggest that binge-like ethanol intake in C57BL/6J mice is modulated by CRF1R and CRF2R signaling, such that blockade of CRF1R or activation of CRF2R effectively reduces excessive ethanol intake. Furthermore, normal HPA axis signaling is not necessary to achieve binge-like drinking behavior.
Temperature progammed electron energy loss spectroscopy: Kinetics of CH3 OH decomposition on Ni(110)☆

Abstract A new time-resolved electron energy loss spectrometer has been used to perform temperature programmed reaction studies the decomposition of methanol on
Generation and Transport of Smoke Components

Smoke is a mixture of gases, vapors, and suspended particulate matter, or aerosols. The nature of the aerosol component of smoke can play a significant role in its deposition in the fire environment and in its lethal and sublethal effects on people. This paper presents the current state of knowledge about smoke aerosol phenomena that affects smoke toxicity: soot generation, fractal structure of soot, agglomerate transport via thermophoresis, sedimentation, and diffusion, agglomerate growth through coagulation and condensation, and the potential for the aerosols to transport adsorbed or absorbed toxic gases or vapors into the lungs. Tables are included for measured smoke yields and aerodynamic particle sizes, equations and references are provided for the smoke agglomerate transport properties and wall loss, and key literature references are provided for adsorption of irritant gases on soot particles and water droplets and the toxicity of nanosize particles.
Bifurcation Analysis of the Zero Dynamics and the Practical Stabilization of Nonlinear Minimum‐Phase Systems

It is well-known that, in a globally minimum phase nonlinear system, high-gain output feedback can be used to steer trajectories from any arbitrarily large compact set to any arbitrary small neighborhood of the origin. The question, however, of describing the asymptotic behavior of the closed loop system so obtained inside this small neighborhood has remained open. In this paper we address this question. In particular, we describe explicitly, in terms of properties of the open-loop system, the structure of certain compact attractors that might exists and determine their stability in the sense of Lyapunov.
Treatment modality and vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Objective Vasospasm is the leading source of neurological morbidity after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Our objective was to evaluate the impact of treatment modality on vasospasm, delayed cerebral infarction, and clinical deterioration caused by delayed cerebral ischemia (CD-DCI). Methods We reviewed an institutional cohort, comparing rates of vasospasm, delayed cerebral infarction, and CD-DCI between patients managed with only microsurgical clipping and those treated with only endovascular coiling within 72 hours of rupture. Age, sex, smoking status, Hunt-Hess grade, and Fisher grade were adjusted for in a multivariate regression model. Results Two hundred three patients were treated with clipping and 52 with coiling. There was no significant difference in patient age, sex, smoking status, aneurysm location, and presenting clinical (Hunt-Hess) and radiographic (Fisher) grade between these two groups. Sixty-percent of patients had moderate or severe vasospasm after clipping compared with 38% after coiling (Multivariate odds ratio [OR] 2.32, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.21–4.47, P = 0.01). Clipping was associated with a greater number of territories with vasospasm (mean of 3.1 vs. 2.3, P = 0.03 after multivariate analysis). Delayed radiographic cerebral infarction was more common in the clipping group (17% vs. 6%, multivariate OR 3.66, 95% CI 1.06–12.71, P = 0.04). For CD-DCI, a trend was seen as 16% of patients treated with clipping had CD-DCI compared with 6% of patients treated with coiling (multivariate OR 3.11, 95% CI 0.89–10.86, P = 0.07). Conclusion We demonstrate significantly lower rates of vasospasm and delayed infarction after endovascular coiling of ruptured aneurysms.
Forage nutritive value of Texas bluegrass harvested in the morning and afternoon in northwest Oklahoma

Texas bluegrass (Poa arachnifera Torr.) is a highly rhizomatous, dioecious, sex- ual, perennial, cool-season grass native to southern Kansas, Oklahoma, western Arkansas and most of Texas. This native species is of particular interest for development into an improved cool-season forage plant because of its heat tol- erance and persistence under the extreme environmental conditions of the southern Great Plains. The objectives of this experiment were to determine water-soluble, non-structural carbohydrate and crude protein concentrations, forage dry matter yield, and in situ organic matter and crude protein disap- pearance from Texas bluegrass as affected by germplasm, maturity and time of harvest (morning and afternoon) at Woodward, Oklahoma. Crude protein con- centrations ranged from 9 to 12% across seasons and did not differ between a morning and afternoon harvest. Dry matter yield ranged from 2130 to 5580 kg ha 1 over all harvest dates. Water-soluble, non-structural carbohydrate concentration was greater in the afternoon compared to morning harvests and ranged from 11 to 26%. Based on estimates from in situ digestion, the ratio of ruminally degradable crude protein to ruminally degraded organic matter in Texas bluegrass, it may compensate for the ruminally degraded nitrogen defi- ciency associated with dormant warm-season grasses during the winter. The forage nutritive value parameters estimated in this study indicate that Texas bluegrass has potential as an improved cool-season pasture grass.
Music has positive effects for individuals with neurological speech and language disorders but questions remain regarding type, timing, and fidelity of treatment

This review provides a summary and appraisal commentary on the treatment review by Hurkmans, J., de Brujin Boonstra, A. M., Jonkers, R., Bastiaanse, R., Arendzen, H., & Reinders-Messelink, H. A. (2012). Music in the treatment of neurological language and speech disorders: A systematic review. Aphasiology, 26, 1–19.Source of funding and declaration of interests: Not reported.
Stimulation of rat liver 4-hydroxybenzoate: polyprenyl transferase activity by a cytosolic protein factor; Evidence for a polyprenyl pyrophosphate transport protein

Rat liver postmicrosomal supernatant contains a factor which stimulates the 4-hydroxybenzoate:polyprenyl transferase activity of whole mitochondria and inner mitochondrial membrane fragments. The factor involved appears to be a heat stable, nondializable protein sensitive to tryptic hydrolysis and has been partially purified. Since this protein binds nonaprenyl pyrophosphate and stimulates its transport into mitochondria but shows no similar effect with 4-hydroxybenzoate, it is suggested that this protein also acts as an all trans polyprenyl pyrophosphate carrier protein.
Steroid hormones: effect on brain development and function.

Hormones secreted by the adrenals, gonads and thyroid play an important role in mediating how the environment shapes the structure and function of the brain during early development, adult life and se
Abdominal aortic calcification in young adult survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia: Results from the St. Jude Lifetime Cohort study

Abdominal aortic calcification (AAC), metabolic syndrome, and low bone mineral density (BMD) are risk factors for atherosclerotic disease and cardiovascular morbidity. We evaluated AAC in 662 adult survivors of childhood ALL (median age 31 years). AAC was present in 10% of subjects, metabolic syndrome in 36%, and low BMD in 29%. The adjusted odds ratio (OR) for AAC among women with metabolic syndrome was 2.3 (95% CL=1.0, 4.3). The OR for AAC in men with low BMD was 3.1 (95% CL=1.3, 7.3). A substantial proportion of adult survivors of childhood ALL have AAC and/or metabolic syndrome, suggestive of early atherosclerotic disease.
Phonon engineering in graphene and van der Waals materials

Phonons—quanta of crystal lattice vibrations—reveal themselves in electrical, thermal, optical, and mechanical phenomena in materials. Phonons carry heat, scatter electrons, and affect light–matter interactions. Nanostructures opened opportunities for tuning the phonon spectrum and related properties of materials for specific applications, thus realizing what was termed phonon engineering. Recent progress in graphene and two-dimensional van der Waals materials has led to a better understanding of phonon physics and created additional opportunities for controlling phonon interactions and phonon transport at room temperature. This article reviews the basics of phonon confinement effects in nanostructures, describes phonon thermal transport in graphene, discusses phonon properties of van der Waals materials, and outlines practical applications of low-dimensional materials that rely on phonon properties.
Synthesis and characterization of some alkyl(diferrocenyl)-phosphines and alkyl(diferrocenyl)phosphine oxides

ABSTRACT Reaction of ferrocene with alkyldichlorophosphines (RPCl2, R=Me, Et, t-Bu) in the presence of aluminum chloride produces diferrocenyl(alkyl)phosphines (Fc2PR, (1a)–(3a), R=Me, Et, t-Bu) and diferrocenyl(alkyl) phosphine oxides Fc2P(O)R, (1b)–(3b) in low yields. Diferrocenyl(ethyl) phosphine oxide (2b) crystallizes in the P1 space group with one equivalent of water in the crystal. Compounds (1a)–(3a) are oxidized at lower potentials than the corresponding phenyl derivative, Fc2PPh. Cyclic voltammetry of (1a)–(3a) indicates that the first oxidation is irreversible. The corresponding diferrocenyl(alkyl) phosphine oxides (1b)–(3b) are more difficult to oxidize than (1a)–(3a) but show two reversible oxidations separated by 140–160 mV.
High-throughput virtual screening identifies novel N'-(1-phenylethylidene)-benzohydrazides as potent, specific, and reversible LSD1 inhibitors

Lysine specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) plays an important role in regulating histone lysine methylation at residues K4 and K9 on histone H3 and is an attractive therapeutic target in multiple malignancies. Here we report a structure-based virtual screen of a compound library containing ∼2 million small molecular entities. Computational docking and scoring followed by biochemical screening led to the identification of a novel N'-(1-phenylethylidene)-benzohydrazide series of LSD1 inhibitors with hits showing biochemical IC50s in the 200-400 nM range. Hit-to-lead optimization and structure-activity relationship studies aided in the discovery of compound 12, with a Ki of 31 nM. Compound 12 is reversible and specific for LSD1 as compared to the monoamine oxidases shows minimal inhibition of CYPs and hERG and inhibits proliferation and survival in several cancer cell lines, including breast and colorectal cancer. Compound 12 may be used to probe LSD1's biological role in these cancers.
Differential susceptibility and the early development of aggression: interactive effects of respiratory sinus arrhythmia and environmental quality.

The purpose of the current study was to predict the development of aggressive behavior from young children’s respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and environmental quality. In a longitudinal sample of 213 children, baseline RSA, RSA suppression in response to a film of crying babies, and a composite measure of environmental quality (incorporating socioeconomic status and marital adjustment) were measured, and parent-reported aggression was assessed from 18 to 54 months of age. Predictions based on biological sensitivity-to-context/differential susceptibility and diathesis-stress models, as well as potential moderation by child sex, were examined. The interaction of baseline RSA with environmental quality predicted the development (slope) and 54-month intercept of mothers’ reports of aggression. For girls only, the interaction between baseline RSA and environmental quality predicted the 18-month intercept of fathers’ reports. In general, significant negative relations between RSA and aggression were found primarily at high levels of environmental quality. In addition, we found a significant Sex × RSA interaction predicting the slope and 54-month intercept of fathers’ reports of aggression, such that RSA was negatively related to aggression for boys but not for girls. Contrary to predictions, no significant main effects or interactions were found for RSA suppression. The results provide mixed but not full support for differential susceptibility theory and provide little support for the diathesis-stress model.
Irreversible Investments and Volatile Markets: A Study of the Chemical Processing Industry

This paper investigates the empirical effect of volatility on irreversible investments. We use a sample of chemical products in the United States and the European Union to test the impact of volatility on new investments in capacity. We distinguish among three sources of volatility: exchange rates, input prices, and product demand. We find that the effects of volatility on the amount of capacity investment differ depending on the source of volatility. Input prices and product demand volatility do not appear to have a material and statistically significant effect in either the United States or the European Union. In contrast, exchange rate volatility has a significant negative impact on investment by chemical manufacturers in the European Union.
Detection of plugin misuse drive-by download attacks using kernel machines

Malware distribution using drive-by download attacks has become the most prominent threat for organizations and individuals. Compromised web services and web applications hosted on the cloud act as the delivery medium for the exploits. The exploits included often target the vulnerabilities within the plugins of the web browsers. Implementing security controls to counter the exploits within the browsers for ensuring end point security has become a challenge. In this paper, a set of features is proposed and is extracted by monitoring the communications between the browser and the plugins during the rendering of webpages. The Support Vector Machines are trained using the defined features and the performance of the trained classifier is evaluated using a dataset with both malicious and benign use cases of the plugins. The dataset included 10,239 malicious use cases and 37,369 benign use cases. To compensate the imbalance in the distribution of the dataset, experiments were performed using weighted costs and oversampling. Our analysis shows that the Support Vector Machines trained by using the proposed set of features classified with an average accuracy of about 99.4%. On integrating the proposed approach as an inline defense, an average performance overhead of 5.14% was observed.
Analytic Treatment of Source Photon Emission Times to Reduce Noise in Implicit Monte Carlo Calculations

Statistical uncertainty is inherent to any Monte Carlo simulation of radiation transport problems. In space-angle-frequency independent radiative transfer calculations, the uncertainty in the solution is entirely due to random sampling of source photon emission times. We have developed a modification to the Implicit Monte Carlo algorithm that eliminates noise due to sampling of the emission time of source photons. In problems that are independent of space, angle, and energy, the new algorithm generates a smooth solution, while a standard implicit Monte Carlo solution is noisy. For space- and angle-dependent problems, the new algorithm exhibits reduced noise relative to standard implicit Monte Carlo in some cases, and comparable noise in all other cases. The improvements are limited to short time scales; over long time scales, noise due to random sampling of spatial and angular variables tends to dominate the noise reduction from the new algorithm.
Thiazolidine-2-carboxylate derivatives formed from glyoxylate and L-cysteine or L-cysteinylglycine as possible physiological substrates for D-aspartate oxidase

Adducts of glyoxylate with L-cysteine or L-cysteinylglycine were found to be excellent substrates at low concentrations for beef kidney D-aspartate oxidase. Evidence is presented that cis-thiazolidine-2,4-dicarboxylate and its glycine amide are the actual substrates, and that both are converted in the enzymic reaction to 4-substituted thiazoline-2-carboxylates. The results imply that these thiazolidine derivatives are the likely physiological reactants for mammalian D-aspartate oxidase.
Symbiotic Relationships of Legumes and Nodule Bacteria on Barro Colorado Island, Panama: A Review

New data on 129 bacterial isolates were analyzed together with prior samples to characterize community-level patterns of legume–rhizobial symbiosis on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama. Nodules have been sampled from 24 BCI legume species in 18 genera, representing about one quarter of the legume species and one half of the genera on the island. Most BCI legumes associated exclusively with nodule symbionts in the genus Bradyrhizobium, which comprised 86.3% of all isolates (315 of 365). Most of the remaining isolates (44 of 365) belonged to the β-proteobacterial genus Burkholderia; these were restricted to two genera in the legume subfamily Mimosoideae. Multilocus sequence analysis indicated that BCI Bradyrhizobium strains were differentiated into at least eight lineages with deoxyribonucleic acid divergence of the same magnitude as found among currently recognized species in this bacterial genus. Two of these lineages were widely distributed across BCI legumes. One lineage was utilized by 15 host species of diverse life form (herbs, lianas, and trees) in 12 genera spanning two legume subfamilies. A second common lineage closely related to the taxon B. elkanii was associated with at least five legume genera in four separate tribes. Thus, BCI legume species from diverse clades within the family frequently share interaction with a few common lineages of nodule symbionts. However, certain host species were associated with unique symbiont lineages that have not been found on other coexisting BCI legumes. More comprehensive sampling of host taxa will be needed to characterize the overall diversity of nodule bacteria and the patterns of symbiont sharing among legumes in this community.
Radiation pneumonitis in mice: a severe injury model for pneumocyte engraftment from bone marrow.

Abstract Objective To better understand the process by which pneumocytes can be derived from bone marrow cells, we investigated the in vivo kinetics of such engraftment following lethal irradiation. Methods A cohort of lethally irradiated B6D2F1 female mice received whole bone marrow transplants (BMT) from age-matched male donors and were sacrificed at days 1, 3, 5, and 7 and months 2, 4, and 6 post-BMT ( n = 3 for each time point ) . Additionally, 2 female mice who had received 200 male fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS)-sorted CD34+lin− cells were sacrificed 8 months post-BMT. Results Lethal irradiation caused histologic evidence of pneumonitis including alveolar breakdown and hemorrhage beginning at day 3. To identify male-derived pneumocytes, simultaneous fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for Y-chromosome and surfactant B messenger RNA was performed on lung tissue. Y+ type II pneumocytes were engrafted as early as day 5 posttransplant, and eventually from 2 to 14% of the pneumocytes were donor derived in individual mice. Co-staining for epithelial-specific cytokeratins demonstrated that by 2 months, marrow-derived pneumocytes could comprise entire alveoli, suggesting that type I cells derived from type II pneumocytes. Conclusion We conclude that alveolar lining cells derive from bone marrow cells immediately after acute injury. Also, the CD34+lin− subpopulation is capable of such pulmonary engraftment.
On the GLY Conjecture of upper estimate of positive integral points in real right-angled simplices☆

The GLY (Granville–Lin–Yau) Conjecture is a generalization of Lin, Xu and Yau's results. An important application of GLY is its use in characterizing an affine hypersurface in Cn as a cone over a nonsingular projective variety. In addition, the Rough Upper Estimate Conjecture in GLY, recently proved by Yau and Zhang, implies the Durfee Conjecture in singularity theory. This paper develops a unified approach to prove the Sharp Upper Estimate Conjecture for general n. Using this unified approach, we prove that the Sharp Upper Estimate Conjecture is true for n=4,5,6. After giving a counter-example to show that the Sharp Upper Estimate Conjecture is not true for n=7, we propose a Modified GLY Conjecture. For each fixed n, our unified approach can be used to prove this Modified GLY Conjecture.
Avoiding the Conditional Fallacy

Over-simple internalist accounts of practical reasons imply that we cannot have reasons to become more rational, because they claim that we have a reason to φ only if we would have some desire to φ if we were fully rational. But if we were fully rational, we would have no desire to become more rational. Robert Johnson has recently argued that in their attempts to avoid this problem, existing versions of internalism yield reasons which do not have an appropriate connection with potential explanations of action. I suggest that the problem is partly a result of failure to see that action-tokens are usually tokens of a wide variety of action-types, and that the internalist conditional need only be true of one of these types in order to justify a reason claim about the token.
Matrix spectroscopy of the argon resonance photolysis products of group IV chlorides

Abstract Matrix IR spectra of the argon resonance photolysis products of SiCl4 include the previously identified SiCl2 and SiCl3 radicals, SiCl+3 at 742 cm−1 and a possible identification of SiCl+4 at 717 cm−1. Similar studies with GeCl4 produced GeCl2 and a reassignment for GeCl3 , and experiments with SnCl4 gave the SnCl2 and SnCl3 species. Optical spectroscopie evidence for SiCl+4 at-475 nm suggests that this molecular ion is less distorted than its more photosensitive CCl+4 counterpart.
Circadian and gender effects on repolarization in healthy adults: a study using harmonic regression analysis

Background: Sudden cardiac death and myocardial infarction have a circadian variation with a peak incidence in the early morning hours. Increased dispersion of repolarization facilitates the development of conduction delay necessary to induce sustained arrhythmia. Both QT-dispersion and T-wave peak to T-wave end (TpTe) have been proposed as markers of dispersion of myocardial repolarization. Methods: Forty healthy adults (20 women), age 35–67 years old, with normal EKGs, echocardiograms, stress tests, and tilt-table tests were analyzed during a 27-hour hospital stay. EKGs were done at eight different time points. QT-intervals, QT-dispersion, and TpTe were measured at each time point. Harmonic regression was used to model circadian periodicity, P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The composite QT-interval was longer in women than in men (416 ± 17 msec vs 411 ± 20 msec, respectively, P = 0.006). The QT-dispersion among all leads was greater in men than women (37 ± 13 msec vs 30 ± 11 msec, respectively, P < 0.0001); a similar difference was found in the precordial leads. Harmonic regression showed that QT-dispersion had a significant circadian variation, primarily in men. In men, the maximum QT-dispersion occurred at 6 AM (45 ± 15 msec). TpTe also had a significant circadian variation that was not affected by gender in the majority of leads. Conclusions: A circadian variation exists in the dispersion of myocardial repolarization, as measured by both TpTe and QT-dispersion. Men and women have a different circadian variation pattern. Further studies regarding the mechanisms and clinical implications are needed. Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol 2010;15(1):3–10
Piezoresistance Constants of n-Type InAs

A measurement of the piezoresistance constants of $n$-type InAs as a function of temperature from 77\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K to 300\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K has been made. From the small magnitude found for the three constants throughout the temperature range investigated, it is concluded that the results of this experiment are consistent with a spherical conduction-band model for InAs.
Analysis of nanostructured coatings synthesized by ballistic impaction of nanoparticles

Abstract SiC nanostructured coatings were synthesized by ballistic impaction of nanoparticles using a process called hypersonic plasma particle deposition (HPPD). X-ray diffraction spectra of typical samples showed the presence of crystalline SiC and Si. Grain sizes obtained through transmission electron microscopy showed particles in the sub 10 nm range with primarily crystalline β-SiC and some crystalline Si particles present. These results correlate well with particle size distributions measured using an aerosol sampling probe coupled to a scanning electrical mobility spectrometer. Interestingly, particle size distributions indicated only small changes in the particle size distributions when Si deposition was compared to SiC. Examination of adhesion characteristics highlighted the importance of a chemically bound interlayer during SiC deposition on Mo and steel substrates.
A multiple-column hydraulic method for fractionation of particles for chromatographic columns.

An apparatus for fractionation of particles is described. Liquid at constant temperature is freed of air bubbles and circulated at constant flow rate through a series of vertical columns of progres...