cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lattice Models for Modeling Sequence-Specific Phase Behavior of Low Complexity Domains

Low complexity domains (LCDs), enriched in charged, polar, and aromatic residues are drivers of aggregation and phase separation in a variety of proteins including those that drive the formation of RNA-protein granules. Polyglutamine (polyQ) tracts are a distinct archetype of LCDs. Mutational expansion of polyQ tracts in specific proteins is associated with onset and progression of at least nine different neurodegenerative disorders including Huntington's disease. The latter is associated with an expanded polyQ tract in the protein huntingtin. Recent experiments have uncovered complex thermodynamic and kinetic phase diagrams for N-terminal fragments of huntingtin. These phase diagrams are modulated by polyQ length, sequence contexts, concentration, and solution conditions. The details of the molecular and supramolecular interactions that give rise to emergent phase behavior of polyQ containing at distinct length scales remains poorly understood. Computations play an important role in predicting the phase behavior of LCDs. These calculations require simulations encompassing several hundreds of thousands of protein molecules spanning several orders of magnitude in protein concentrations. Such simulations are beyond the scope of all atom models. Since phase behavior results from the synergistic interactions amongst small numbers of collective coordinates, simulations designed to uncover sequence-encoded phase behavior can be pursued using either systematic coarse-graining or phenomenological models. Recent work has demonstrated the utility of both approaches. However, these models lack the requisite molecular detail to enable a complete understanding of sequence-specific contributions that determine similarities and differences in sequence-encoded phase behavior of LCDs. Here we present a lattice model that is tailored for modeling sequence-specific phase behaviors of LCDs. The model serves as an intermediate description between ultra coarse-graining and all-atom extremes. In the lattice model, a single bead on a 3-dimensional lattice site describes each residue. Each bead has multiple faces and this helps us capture the directionality of backbone hydrogen bonding and sidechain-specific interactions. Monte Carlo simulations based on these lattice models help us uncover the interplay amongst different sequence-encoded energy scales and phase behaviors of LCDs with polyQ tracts. Specifically, we focus on explaining the role of spherical mesophases as mediators of fibril formation in polyQ containing proteins. We also show that the model can be deployed for understanding the interplay amongst liquids, fibrils, and gels for other LCDs.
Personal utility in genomic testing: a systematic literature review

Researchers and clinicians refer to outcomes of genomic testing that extend beyond clinical utility as ‘personal utility’. No systematic delineation of personal utility exists, making it challenging to appreciate its scope. Identifying empirical elements of personal utility reported in the literature offers an inventory that can be subsequently ranked for its relative value by those who have undergone genomic testing. A systematic review was conducted of the peer-reviewed literature reporting non-health-related outcomes of genomic testing from 1 January 2003 to 5 August 2016. Inclusion criteria specified English language, date of publication, and presence of empirical evidence. Identified outcomes were iteratively coded into unique domains. The search returned 551 abstracts from which 31 studies met the inclusion criteria. Study populations and type of genomic testing varied. Coding resulted in 15 distinct elements of personal utility, organized into three domains related to personal outcomes: affective, cognitive, and behavioral; and one domain related to social outcomes. The domains of personal utility may inform pre-test counseling by helping patients anticipate potential value of test results beyond clinical utility. Identified elements may also inform investigations into the prevalence and importance of personal utility to future test users.
Simulation of Gas Transport in an Intravenacaval Blood-Gas Exchange device (IVOX)©

Abstract A mathematical model of a novel intravascular hollow-fiber gas exchange device, called IVOX © , is developed using a Krogh cylinderlike approach wherein a unit structure is assumed to comprise of a single fiber with gas flowing through its lumen and surrounded by another coaxial cylinder of blood flowing in the opposite direction. Species mass balances on O 2 and CO 2 result in a nonlinear coupled set of convective-difTusion parabolic partial differential equations that are solved numerically using an alternating direction implicit finite-difference method. Computed results indicate the presence of a large resistance to gas transport on the external (blood) side of the hollow fiber exchanger. Increasing gas flow through the device was found to favor CO 2 removal but not O 2 addition to blood. On the other hand, increasing blood flow over the device favored both CO 2 removal as well as O 2 addition. Neglecting the vacuum pressure gradient on the gas side results in an underestimate of CO 2 transport but an overestimate of O 2 transport. The exchange rates of CO 2 and O 2 were found to increase directly with the transmural Pco 2 gradient imposed across the device. This strongly suggests that CO 2 removal may be enhanced in a clinical setting under conditions of permissive hypercapnia (controlling respiratory acidosis by bicarbonate infusion). Fiber crimping was studied indirectly; improved blood mixing produced by the crimped fibers was mimicked by increasing species diffusivity in blood. The resulting lowered blood-side resistance favored species transfer.
Molecular Imaging of the Transplanted Heart: A Mechanistic Approach to Graft Survival

In this review, we will discuss recent developments in noninvasive molecular imaging of immune-mediated changes seen in cardiac allograft rejection. The significant developments of molecular imaging agents across various modalities, including MRI, PET/SPECT, optical imaging, and echocardiography, provide us with opportunities to image specific immunological pathways of cardiac allograft rejection that were previously not possible. Recent studies using novel molecular imaging modalities have shown us new understanding of immune-mediated mechanisms involved in allograft rejection. Though these studies largely have been performed in animal models, use of molecular imaging is ripe for clinical translation to provide more personalized detection and monitoring of immune processes in heart-transplant patients. This review evaluates the recent application of molecular imaging to target distinct pathways of acute cellular rejection and cardiac allograft vasculopathy that have the potential to be translated into routine clinical use.
The Sensitivity of Teacher Performance Ratings to the Design of Teacher Evaluation Systems

In recent years, states and districts have responded to federal incentives and pressure to institute major reforms to their teacher evaluation systems. The passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act...
Contemporary Turkey in conflict: ethnicity, Islam, and politics

In the wake of the Arab Revolts in 2010-2011, Turkey was engulfed in a multidimensional crisis. Challenges included accommodating millions of Syrian refugees on its own soil and confronting terrori...
Widefield whole eye SSOCT measurement of retinal curvature for papilledema screening (Conference Presentation)

Elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) can result from a variety of etiologies including severe head trauma, brain tumors and inflammations, or spontaneously (idiopathic). Sustained elevated ICP can be damaging to the central nervous system and potentially fatal depending on the magnitude and rate of pressure elevation. A classic ophthalmic sign of elevated ICP is optic disc edema or papilledema. A previous study has shown that magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can visualize posterior eye flattening in the presence of increased ICP. In contrast to MRI, optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a more commonly used and available ocular imaging technique that can readily show swelling of the optic nerve head relative to the surrounding retinal surface. However, the ability to recover an accurate estimate of retinal radius of curvature (Rc) requires several other parameters such as the ocular axial length and distance from the imaging system. To address this need, we developed a custom whole eye OCT system (centered at 1050nm; 100kHz A-scan rate) providing simultaneous wide field of views of the anterior and posterior ocular segments. A subject was seen in the Duke neuro-ophthalmology clinic with papilledema from idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). They were imaged with MRI as part of their clinical workup. Retinal Rc as measured by both OCT and MRI were comparable and indicated posterior flattening of the globe compared to normal.
Likelihood of nursing care being missed is influenced by several work-based factors.

Commentary on: Blackman I, Lye CY, Darmawan IGN, et al . Modeling missed care: implications for evidence-based practice. Worldviews Evid Based Nurs . 2018. doi: 10.1111/wvn.12285 In the past two decades, a compelling body of evidence1 2 has linked higher nurse-to-patient ratios, higher proportion of baccalaureate-prepared nurses and higher total nursing care hours to lower patient mortality, decreased length of stay and a lower likelihood of patient complications such as nosocomial infections and pressure injuries. Many of these studies used a complex mix of data sources including medical and administrative hospital records from which patient outcomes, …
Mixed-Reality Learning Environments: What Happens When You Move from a Laboratory to a Classroom?.

The advent of motion-controlled technologies has unlocked new possibilities for body-based learning in the mathematics classroom. For example, mixed-reality learning environments allow students the opportunity to embody a mathematical concept while simultaneously being provided a visual interface that represents their movement. In the current study, we created a mixed-reality environment to help children learn about angle measurement, and we investigated similarities and differences in learning between students who completed the activity individually during a one-on-one interview and students who observed others complete the activity during whole-class instruction. Pre- and post-assessment results showed that students in both settings learned at similar rates. Additionally, we analyzed the language used during the activity and found that students in the individual setting used more spatial language early in the activity, while students in the whole-class setting used more metaphors. This finding was likely due to differences in the perspectives students have when physically engaging with the angle compared to the perspective when observing someone else engage with the embodied-interaction.
UV-Ozone Cleaning for Removal of Surface Contaminants

Abstract An overview of the ultraviolet-ozone (UV-O3) method for removal of surface contaminants is provided. UV-O3 is an effective method for removing a variety of contaminants from various surfaces. It is a simple-to-use dry process which is inexpensive to set up and operate. It can produce near-atomically clean surfaces, in air or in a vacuum system, at ambient temperatures. Recent applications of UV-O3 cleaning for removal of surface contaminants are discussed.
African “Philosophy”: Deconstructive and reconstructive challenges

A forceful debate has been raging in intellectual circles in Africa and Europe over the past forty years (and has now emerged in America) focused by questions ranging from ‘Is there [such a thing as] an African philosophy?’, ‘Did [or do] traditional Africans have a philosophy?’, ‘Can there be [such a thing as] an African philosophy?’, to ‘What is African philosophy?’ While these might appear to be benign queries which initiate and frame legitimate intellectual inquiry and discourse, for me they convey the putrid stench of a wretchedness that fertilizes the soil from which they grow. Why have such questions been asked? Why is the matter of ‘African philosophy’ nothing more than a simple truism, or at most a heuristic for empirical identification followed by description and interpretation? More importantly, who initiated such questioning? And to what end? We can answer these last questions only by identifying the source of the stench of the former ones. That identification is what I shall offer in what follows.
Cognitive Control and Development

During the past decade, significant advances have been made in characterizing changes in cognitive and neural processes with development, particularly in the development of cognitive control, the ability to reduce interference from competing sources. This article highlights some of the most influential work on the development of cognitive control and the neural mechanisms underlying this ability. Emphasis is placed on changes in prefrontal circuitry that parallel changes in cognitive control from infancy to adolescence.
Does BMP2 play a role in the pathogenesis of equine degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis

Horses afflicted with degenerative suspensory ligament desmitis (DSLD) suffer from progressive leg pain and lameness without history of trauma. DSLD is a systemic disorder caused by abnormal accumulation of proteoglycans in many connective tissues. One proteoglycan found in higher quantities in DSLD is decorin. The accumulated decorin has an abnormally glycosylated glycosaminoglycan chain in DSLD. In addition to acellular accumulations of proteoglycans foci of active fibroblasts/tenoblasts were observed in some tendons and suspensory ligaments (SLs) from DSLD cases We have hypothesized that this represents an early event in DSLD and that production of chondrogenic growth factors, such as BMP2, and/or enzyme participating in glycosylation of glycosaminoglycans is a major factor in initiation and progression of DSLD. Using immunohistochemistry we have identified BMP2 in these cellular foci, indicating association with proteoglycan production, but not in other cells in the tendon and SLs. In contrast, very little staining for TGFβ and dermatan sulfate epimerase, an enzyme involved in glycosylation of glycosaminoglycan chains, was observed in these foci and other cells in both control and DSLD-affected tendons and SLs. Our data support our hypothesis that chondrogenic growth factors may be responsible, at least in part for progression of DSLD in horses.
President Trump Stress Disorder: Partisanship, Ethnicity, and Expressive Reporting of Mental Distress After the 2016 Election:

In the aftermath of the 2016 election, many Democrats reported significant increases in stress, depression, and anxiety. Were these increases real, or the product of expressive reporting? Using a u...
Buoyant density determinations on chloroplast DNA in a variegated cytoplasmic mutant of Gossypium hirsutum L

Abstract Chloroplast DNA 2 isolated from normal green tissue of Gossypium hirsutum L. was shown to have buoyant density components of 1.697 and 1.706 gm/cc in neutral CsCl gradients. In cDNA of cytoplasmic mutant yellow and white tissue there was an increase in the 1.706 gm/cc component. In addition, the white tissue cDNA exhibited a unique high buoyant density band of 1.719 gm/cc. The nuclear DNA exhibited a significantly lighter buoyant density (1.692 gm/cc). Ultrastructural studies demonstrated that green tissue chloroplasts had normal grana and thylakoid development, yellow tissue chloroplasts showed only thylakoid development and white tissue chloroplasts appeared as empty vesicles.
United States Law and Conflict Minerals

In the past two decades there has been a movement to regulate the human rights impacts of corporate activity through disclosure-based rules. These rules require companies to gather and disclose to regulators information about their own supply chains and the materials used to make their products. Scholars and advocates argued that transparency was a powerful tool to use against a variety of corrupt behaviours by corporations and public officials. The most prominent of these regulations in the United States, the conflict minerals and disclosure of payments provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act, required thousands of companies to investigate their supply chains, report what they found, and disclose payments to foreign officials in pursuit of energy deals. Since it came into office, the Trump Administration has quickly begun to eliminate these rules and abandon the U.S. leadership role in the human rights movement. In this chapter, I argue that disclosure-based regulations can be powerful tools under the appropriate conditions and demonstrate how U.S. law worked in the short time it was in effect. I also show, through the analysis of recent cases, that in the absence of U.S. rules less transparency can create the conditions for more corruption and less respect for human rights.
Cannabidiol reduces seizures following CNS infection with Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus.

Objective C57BL/6J mice infected with Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) develop acute behavioral seizures in the first week of infection and later develop chronic epilepsy. The TMEV model provides a useful platform to test novel antiseizure therapeutics. The present study was designed to test the efficacy of cannabidiol (CBD) in reducing acute seizures induced by viral infection. Methods C57BL/6J mice were infected intracortically with 2 × 105 plaque-forming units of TMEV. Mice were divided into two treatment groups-1) CBD-treated mice and 2) vehicle-treated mice. Frequency and severity of acute seizures were evaluated by video-monitoring the mice four times daily by the experimenter blinded to the treatment group. Results Cannabidiol (180 mg/kg; 360 mg/kg/day) decreased both the frequency and severity of acute behavioral seizures following TMEV infection, but 150 mg/kg of CBD did not improve overall seizure outcome. The time to peak effect (TPE) of CBD in the 6 Hz 32 mA psychomotor seizure test using C57BL/6J mice was observed at 2 hours post-CBD treatment. Interestingly, CBD (150 mg/kg) significantly reduced frequency and severity of TMEV-induced acute seizures at 2 hours post-CBD treatment. These results suggest that CBD could be effective in decreasing TMEV-induced acute seizures when the seizure test is conducted at the TPE of CBD. Significance Cannabinoids are increasingly studied for their potential antiseizure effects. Several preclinical and clinical studies provide evidence that CBD could be an effective therapy for intractable epilepsies. The present study corroborates those previous findings and provides an opportunity to investigate pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and mechanism(s) of antiseizure effects of CBD in the TMEV model, which may help to design future clinical studies more effectively.
Predicting Human-Reported Enjoyment Responses in Happy and Sad Music

Whether in a happy mood or a sad mood, humans enjoy listening to music. In this paper, we introduce a novel method to identify auditory features that best predict listener-reported enjoyment ratings by splitting the features into qualitative feature groups, then training predictive models on these feature groups and comparing prediction performance. Using audio features that relate to dynamics, timbre, harmony, and rhythm, we predicted continuous enjoyment ratings for a set of happy and sad songs. We found that a distributed lag model with Ll regularization best predicted these responses and that timbre-related features were most relevant for predicting enjoyment ratings in happy music, while harmony-related features were most relevant to predicting enjoyment ratings in sad music. This work adds to our understanding of how music influences affective human experience.
Trends in northern midlatitude atmospheric wave power from 1950 to 2099

In a warming climate, atmospheric wave activity and associated weather patterns may change, although conflicting results have been reported on this topic. Additionally, atmospheric wave changes in a future climate have mainly focused on waves of a specified spatial scale, rather than a particular spatiotemporal scale. Here, changes in the variability of Rossby waves of multiple spatiotemporal scales are analyzed using the wavenumber-frequency power spectrum, a tool commonly applied to analyze atmospheric equatorial waves. Daily 500 hPa geopotential height data over 40°–60°N from historical (1950–2005) and future (2006–2099) simulations from 20 models in the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) under the RCP8.5 scenario were analyzed. When compared to the historical period, the late 21st century climate projections showed a decline in spectral power for both eastward and westward propagating waves with wavenumbers greater than 8 that spanned over all frequencies in all seasons, but an increase in mean power for eastward propagating waves with wavenumbers 1–7 over all frequencies was shown in winter and spring. This increase in power was accompanied by increased variance, i.e., an increased meridional extent of 500 hPa ridges and troughs, and was the result of increases in the mean number of high amplitude events and duration of activity within this wave band. These results indicate that large-scale (~ 104 km) eastward propagating weather systems may intensify with higher amplitudes for ridges and troughs, while short-scale (102–103 km) weather systems may decrease in their intensity due to reduced variability in the late 21st century under the high emissions scenario. Potential mechanisms for these changes are discussed, including enhanced Arctic warming and midlatitude-tropical interactions.
Is Earlier Better? The Relationship between Age When Starting Early Intervention and Outcomes for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Selective Review

Although the conventional wisdom is that "earlier is better" when it comes to intervention for children with ASD, it is not clear what evidence exists to support this notion. This review examined a group of studies that addressed outcomes for young children with ASD who started early intervention at a range of ages. The review was selective by including only papers that examined the age of initiation of treatment as well as baseline cognitive, language, or adaptive level and, in addition, employed a method to control for the covariance between early ability level and age of beginning intervention. Fourteen studies were identified and then compared on methods and outcomes. The support for "earlier is better" was mixed, but it was clear that complex relationships among predictor variables need to be explored in order to understand the role of age of starting early intervention for later outcomes.
Pharmacist-led telemental health transitions of care clinic improves antidepressant medication continuity posthospitalization.

A pharmacist-led telemental health transitions of care clinic was created at a Veterans Affairs Medical Center to improve continuity of psychiatric medication therapy following discharge from an acute psychiatric hospitalization. This was a single-center, multi-site, retrospective cohort study (historical cohort). The primary study objective was to determine the impact of a post-discharge pharmacist-led telemental health transitions of care clinic on improving antidepressant adherence rates after an acute psychiatric hospitalization. Secondary objectives included evaluation of rates of readmission to psychiatric hospitals, time to first mental health provider follow-up, and characterization of various pharmacist interventions made during the clinic visit. Pilot study results support that a pharmacist-led telemental health transitions of care clinic can improve antidepressant adherence after psychiatric hospital discharge and reduce time to postdischarge follow-up with a mental health provider. Patients enrolled in the clinic were more likely to maintain a medication possession ratio >0.8 within 90 days of discharge when compared to a historical control (100% vs 43%, P = .035). The clinic also improved time to first mental health provider follow-up as seen by a statistically significant improvement in the number of patients seen within 14 days of discharge by a mental health provider (100% vs 43%, P = .035). Results highlight the valuable role of psychiatric pharmacists in delivery of transitions of care services and support the expansion of current roles to improve outcomes after psychiatric hospitalizations.
Inherited predisposition to breast cancer in the Carolina Breast Cancer Study

The Carolina Breast Cancer Study (CBCS) phases I-II was a case-control study of biological and social risk factors for invasive breast cancer that enrolled cases and controls between 1993 and 1999. Case selection was population-based and stratified by ancestry and age at diagnosis. Controls were matched to cases by age, self-identified race, and neighborhood of residence. Sequencing genomic DNA from 1370 cases and 1635 controls yielded odds ratios (with 95% confidence limits) for breast cancer of all subtypes of 26.7 (3.59, 189.1) for BRCA1, 8.8 (3.44, 22.48) for BRCA2, and 9.0 (2.06, 39.60) for PALB2; and for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) of 55.0 (7.01, 431.4) for BRCA1, 12.1 (4.18, 35.12) for BRCA2, and 10.8 (1.97, 59.11) for PALB2. Overall, 5.6% of patients carried a pathogenic variant in BRCA1, BRCA2, PALB2, or TP53, the four most highly penetrant breast cancer genes. Analysis of cases by tumor subtype revealed the expected association of TNBC versus other tumor subtypes with BRCA1, and suggested a significant association between TNBC versus other tumor subtypes with BRCA2 or PALB2 among African-American (AA) patients [2.95 (1.18, 7.37)], but not among European-American (EA) patients [0.62 (0.18, 2.09)]. AA patients with pathogenic variants in BRCA2 or PALB2 were 11 times more likely to be diagnosed with TNBC versus another tumor subtype than were EA patients with pathogenic variants in either of these genes (P = 0.001). If this pattern is confirmed in other comparisons of similarly ascertained AA and EA breast cancer patients, it could in part explain the higher prevalence of TNBC among AA breast cancer patients.
Formation and evolution of protostellar accretion discs – II. From 3D simulation to a simple semi-analytic model of Class 0/I discs

We use a 3D radiative non-ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulation to investigate the formation and evolution of a young protostellar disc from a magnetized pre-stellar core. The simulation covers the first ${\sim}10~{\rm kyr}$ after protostar formation, and shows a massive, weakly magnetized disc with radius that initially grows and then saturates at ${\sim}30~{\rm au}$. The disc is gravitationally unstable with prominent large-amplitude spiral arms. We use our simulation results and a series of physical arguments to construct a predictive and quantitative physical picture of Class 0/I protostellar disc evolution from several aspects, including (i) the angular-momentum redistribution in the disc, self-regulated by gravitational instability to make most of the disc marginally unstable; (ii) the thermal profile of the disc, well-approximated by a balance between radiative cooling and accretion heating; and (iii) the magnetic-field strength and magnetic-braking rate inside the disc, regulated by non-ideal magnetic diffusion. Using these physical insights, we build a simple 1D semi-analytic model of disc evolution. We show that this 1D model, when coupled to a computationally inexpensive simulation for the evolution of the surrounding pseudodisc, can be used reliably to predict disc evolution in the Class 0/I phase. The predicted long-term evolution of disc size, which saturates at ${\sim}30~{\rm au}$ and eventually shrinks, is consistent with a recent observational survey of Class 0/I discs. Such hierarchical modelling of disc evolution circumvents the computational difficulty of tracing disc evolution through Class 0/I phase with direct, numerically converged simulations.
Redistribution Equilibria of Organometallic Compounds

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews work on redistribution equilibria and describes the principles underlying the mathematical treatment of such equilibria as well as the general implications of these equilibria with respect to general chemistry. The overall process merely is a rearrangement of covalent bonds, with the total number of σ-bonds of any type remaining constant. However, other effects may also be quite significant-effects such as hybridization changes or nonbonding interactions, including steric factors and dipole interactions. When monofunctional and difunctional substituents are sorted on a polyfunctional moiety, a large number of molecular structures are possible ranging from the simple structures in which all of the sites of the polyfunctional moiety are filled by mono-functional substituents through molecules of increasing complexity to the most complicated structures in which the poly-functional moieties are held together by difunctional or bridging substituents. Equilibrium constants for the exchange of the constituent atoms between building units truly apply only to the ring-free portion of the molecules and the presence of simple cyclic molecules can be shown to cause a continuous increase in the apparent value of such equilibrium constants as the amount of bridging units is increased with respect to the mono-functional substituents.
Raising Language and Lowering Voice? The Costs of Recognition in 'Democratic' Cameroon

This paper raises two questions. First, how does an African leader expand his authority, even under the constraints of democratic institutions? The answer speaks to recent literature on authoritarian permanence in Africa. This study highlights three strategies that are normally associated with 'real' democracy: drawing electoral boundaries, registering voters, and including minority rights in a constitution. These institutional changes in have served to entrench autocracy in Cameroon. The second question asks whether authority is bolstered or undermined by the expansion of discrete literate associations - specifically language groups whose language gains written form. The question evokes older literatures on state- and nation-building and more recent work on civil society. Initial evidence from Cameroon suggests that groups with longer histories of a written language are more likely to coalesce in opposition to the state.
Sexual orientation, work, and income in Canada

Abstract. We provide the first evidence on sexual orientation and economic outcomes in Canada using confidential data that ask adults a direct question about their sexual orientation. Gay men have 12% lower personal incomes and lesbians have 15% higher personal incomes than otherwise similar heterosexual men and women, respectively. Different labour force patterns can account for some of the income differentials. We also document large differences in educational attainment, childrearing, and urbanicity that generally mirror patterns found in the US. Finally, we show that applying couples-based approaches common in this literature greatly overstates the magnitudes of gay/straight income gaps.
Unexpected scaling of the performance of carbon nanotube Schottky-barrier transistors

We show that carbon nanotube Schottky-barrier transistors exhibit scaling that is qualitatively different than conventional transistors. The performance depends in an unexpected way on both the thickness and the dielectric constant of the gate oxide. Experimental measurements and theoretical calculations for ambipolar devices provide a consistent understanding of the novel scaling, which reflects the very different device physics of a Schottky-barrier transistor with a quasi-one-dimensional channel contacting a sharp edge. A simple analytic model gives explicit scaling expressions for key device parameters such as subthreshold slope, turn-on voltage, and transconductance.
EFFECT OF LAND USE ON DECISIONS OF SHOPPING TOUR GENERATION: A CASE STUDY OF THREE TRADITIONAL NEIGHBORHOODS IN WA

This study investigates the relationship between land use and shopping tour generation using an activity-based shopping model that captures the effects of land use patterns on household decisions of shopping tour frequency, tour scheduling and mode choice. The model was calibrated using travel data collected in three traditional neighborhoods located in the Puget Sound region, WA, and shopping travel patterns across seven common household structures were analyzed. The results reveal that land use patterns have virtually no impact on overall shopping tour frequency. However, land use does seem to be associated with decisions about the type of shopping tours undertaken. For example, households with poorer accessibility tend to make fewer one-stop shopping tours, and are more likely to combine shoppingtrips with other trips to form multi-stop shopping tours as a means of compensating for locational deficiencies. Finally, we also found that traditional neighborhood residents who live closer to the neighborhood commercial street, and thus, have greater accessibility, are more inclined to use non-auto modes for one-stop shopping tours.
PIONEER 10: OBSERVATIONS OF ENERGETIC ELECTRONS IN THE JOVIAN MAGNETOSPHERE

The University of Iowa experiment on Pioneer 10 is a simplified version of the originally proposed instrument. This simplification was due to the constraints specified by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration at the time of acceptance of the experiment. The reduced observational objectives of the experiment were: (a) To make an exploratory survey of the intensities, energy spectra, and angular distribution of energetic particles in the magnetosphere of Jupiter; (b) To measure the heliocentric radial gradient of the intensity of galactic cosmic rays E p ⪞ 80 MeV (Van Allen, 1972, 1973; Thomsen, 1974); and (c) To study the occurrence, intensity, and angular distribution of solar flare particles and their propagation through the interplanetary medium at large heliocentric distances.
The quorum‐sensing protein TraR of Agrobacterium tumefaciens is susceptible to intrinsic and TraM‐mediated proteolytic instability

TraR of Agrobacterium tumefaciens is a LuxR-type transcription factor that regulates genes required for replication and conjugation of the tumour-inducing plasmid. TraR binds the pheromone 3-oxo-octanoylhomoserine lactone (OOHL) and requires this molecule for folding into a protease-resistant, soluble conformation. Even after binding to OOHL, TraR is degraded at readily detectable rates. Here we show that the N-terminal domain of TraR, which binds OOHL, is more resistant to degradation than the full length protein, suggesting that sites on the C-terminal DNA binding domain [TraR(170-234)] enhance protein turnover. A fusion between GFP and TraR(170-234) was poorly fluorescent, and truncations of this fusion protein allowed us to identify residues in this domain that contribute to protein degradation. TraR activity was previously shown to be inhibited by the antiactivator TraM. These proteins form 2:2 complexes that fail to bind DNA sequences. Here we show that TraM sharply decreased the accumulation of TraR in whole cells, indicating that TraM facilitates proteolysis of TraR. The TraM component of these complexes is spared from proteolysis, and could therefore act catalytically.
Incidence of wrong-site surgery among hand surgeons.

To The Editor: Meinberg and Stern present an interesting and thorough discussion in "Incidence of Wrong-Site Surgery Among Hand Surgeons"(2003;85:193-7). In the article, they "endorse recommendations of marking the surgical site," which comply with the "Sign Your Site" campaign of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Task Force on Wrong-Site Surgery 1. Unfortunately, since this 1997 Task Force Report, and despite many efforts to popularize the practice of marking the surgical site, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations reported that there has been no decrease in the incidence of wrong-site surgery 2. In fact, as far as we know, no study anywhere has proved that marking the correct surgical site actually impacts the incidence of wrong-site surgery. The reason for this is that the "Sign Your Site" method to prevent wrong-site surgery is based upon faulty logic. Asking a surgeon …
Hardening in non-stoichiometric (1 − x)Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3–xBaTiO3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramics

The role of A-site non-stoichiometry was investigated in lead-free piezoelectric ceramics based on compositions in the 1 − x(Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3)–xBaTiO3 system near the morphotropic phase boundary, where x = 0.055, 0.06, and 0.07. Donor doping was introduced through the addition of excess Bi, however, there were no changes in the crystal structure. In contrast, acceptor doping was introduced through the addition of excess Na and was found to promote rhombohedral distortions. A significant improvement of dielectric properties was observed in donor-doped compositions and, in contrast, a degradation in properties was observed in acceptor-doped compositions. Compared to the stoichiometric composition, the acceptor-doped compositions displayed a significant increase in coercive field (E c) which is an indication of domain wall pinning as found in hard Pb(Zr x Ti1−x )O3. This result was further confirmed via remanent polarization hysteresis analyses. Moreover, all A-site acceptor-doped compositions also exhibited an increase in mechanical quality factor (Q m) as well as a decrease in piezoelectric coefficient (d 33), dielectric loss (tan δ), remanent polarization (P r), and dielectric permittivity, which are all the typical characteristics of the effects of “hardening.” The mechanism for the observed hardening in A-site acceptor-doped BNT-based systems is linked to changes in the long-range domain structure and defect chemistry.
Detection of Parallelism Between Statements by Decomposing into Separate Sequential Processes

A new method of parallelism between statements is exploited. The method is to decompose a process into separate sequential processes that are connected through queues of message buffers. The conditions for decomposition are analyzed, and a decomposition algorithm is developed. PL/I is used to describe processes.
Non-contact technique for characterizing full-field surface deformation of shape memory polymers at elevated and room temperatures

Abstract Thermally activated shape memory polymers (SMPs) can display modulus changes of approximately three orders of magnitude in transitioning from the high modulus, “glassy” state below the glass transition temperature (Tg) to the low modulus, “rubbery” state above the Tg. In the high temperature region, SMPs can achieve strain levels well above 100%. Their complex behavior includes large modulus changes to as low as ∼1 MPa, extremely high strain levels, and path dependent properties, thus precluding the use of traditional strain gages and low-contact force extensometers. The present study presents a comparison of thermomechanical testing techniques developed to characterize the material behavior of SMPs. Specifically, the performance of strain measurements using contact methods (clip-on extensometers and adhesive strain gages) are compared to non-contact methods (laser extensometer and digital image correlation). An MTS environmental chamber with an observation window allows for non-contact optical measurements during testing. A series of tensile tests are performed on a commercial SMP (with a Tg of ∼105 °C) at 25 °C and at 130 °C. It is observed that the clip-on extensometer significantly affects the SMP behavior even in the low temperature, high modulus state. Overall, the laser extensometer provides a robust method for controlling the axial strain in the gage section of the samples at moderate strain rates. The digital image correlation allows for full field measurement of both axial and transverse strains of SMPs over a range of temperatures and strain rates.
Potential health benefits of dietary phytoestrogens : A review of the clinical, epidemiological, and mechanistic evidence

Phytoestrogens represent a family of plant compounds that have been shown to have both estrogenic and antiestrogenic properties. A variety of these plant compounds and their mammalian metabolic products have been identified in various human body fluids and fall under two main categories: isoflavones and lignans. A wide range of commonly consumed foods contain appreciable amounts of these different phytoestrogens. For example, soy and flax products are particularly good sources of isoflavones and lignans, respectively. Accumulating evidence from molecular and cellular biology experiments, animal studies, and, to a limited extent, human clinical trials suggests that phytoestrogens may potentially confer health benefits related to cardiovascular diseases, cancer, osteoporosis, and menopausal symptoms. These potential health benefits are consistent with the epidemiological evidence that rates of heart disease, various cancers, osteoporotic fractures, and menopausal symptoms are more favorable among population...
Ultrasound energy and the dissolution of thrombus.

In this issue of the Journal, Alexandrov et al. (pages 2170–2178) introduce practicing physicians to a new and exciting use of diagnostic ultrasonography. The authors show that ultrasound energy, u...
Performance modeling for emerging interconnect technologies in CMOS and beyond-CMOS circuits

In this paper, emerging low-power interconnect options for CMOS and beyond CMOS technologies are reviewed. First, electrical interconnects based on carbon nanotubes and graphene nanoribbons are discussed. It is found that carbon-based electrical interconnects can potentially outperform their conventional Cu counterpart at technology nodes close to or below 10 nm. Next, since using electron spin as a novel state variable has attracted major attention, interconnect options for beyond-COMS spintronic devices will be discussed. We start with metallic interconnects based on the non-local spin-valve and spin-torque-driven switching, and the impact of size effects and dimensional scaling on their potential performance is studied. It is found that the spin signal in the non-local structure decays significantly because of a large degradation in the spin relaxation length as the interconnect width decreases. Next, a spintronic interconnect in the form of a conventional spin-valve configuration is introduced to increase the energy efficiency by eliminating the loss of spins in the non-local structure. Both metallic and semiconducting channels are studied, and the results show that the metallic interconnect is more energy-efficient than the semiconducting one when the interconnect is short (a few hundreds of nanometers) due to a high conductive current path. However, a semiconducting channel is appropriate for an intermediate or long (several microns) interconnect due to a longer spin relaxation time and the possibility of using an electric field to enhance the spin relaxation length. Furthermore, it is shown that for spin interconnects, downscaling the size of the ferromagnets can largely reduce the delay, energy, and energy-delay product at the cost of a shorter retention time.
A REVISION OF PEGAEOPHYTON ( BRASSICACEAE )

As delimited here, Pegaeophyton is a Sino-Himalayan genus of six species of which three, P. angustiseptatum (China), P. watsonii (India, Sikkim) and P. sulphureum (Bhutan), are described as new. P. scapiflorum var. robustum is raised to subspecific rank. Keys, detailed descriptions, and distributions are given. The affinities of Pegaeophyton are discussed.
Efficient in vivo 31P magnetization transfer approach for noninvasively determining multiple kinetic parameters and metabolic fluxes of ATP metabolism in the human brain

ATP metabolism is controlled mainly by ATP synthase (ATP(ase)) and creatine kinase (CK) reactions that regulate cerebral ATP production, transportation, and utilization. These coupled reactions constitute a chemical exchange metabolic network of PCr ATP Pi characterized by two forward and two reverse reaction fluxes, which can be studied noninvasively by in vivo (31)P MRS combined with magnetization transfer (MT). However, it is still debated whether current MT approaches can precisely determine all of these fluxes. We developed and tested a modified in vivo (31)P MT approach based on a multiple single-site saturation (MSS) technique to study the entire PCr ATP Pi network in human occipital lobe at 7T. Our results reveal that 1) the MSS MT approach can explicitly determine all four reaction fluxes with a minimal number of (31)P spectra; 2) the three-spin exchange model accurately determines reverse reaction fluxes, resulting in equal forward and reverse fluxes for both CK and ATP(ase) reactions; and 3) the ATP synthesis rate (8.8 +/- 1.9 micromol/g/min, N = 11) measured in the human brain reflects cerebral oxidative phosphorylation. The MSS MT approach should provide an important modality for noninvasively studying the essential roles of ATP metabolism in brain bioenergetics, function, and diseases.
The Allure of Counterpoint: History and Reconciliation in the Writing of Edward Said and Assia Djebar

This article examines the work of Algerian writer Assia Djebar in light of Edward Said’s theory of counterpoint. For Said, the “basic humanistic mission today, whether in music, literature, or any of the arts or the humanities, has to do with the preservation of difference without, at the same time, sinking in to the desire to dominate.” In Culture and Imperialism (1993), Said proposed counterpoint as a model of how discrepant texts and historical narratives could be brought together on equal terms, and reconceived as part of a complex whole. In her fiction, Djebar deploys literary strategies that closely approximate musical counterpoint: the simultaneous development of multiple narratives, the juxtaposition of dissonant subject positions, and the use of such figures as chiasmus, epigraph, allusion, and palimpsest. Through such contrapuntal techniques, Djebar has developed a compassionate, nuanced and inclusive approach to history—one that accommodates difference, even when it comes to the most entrenched conflicts of the twentieth century.
An updated review of the clinical development of coumarin (1,2-benzopyrone) and 7-hydroxycoumarin

Several authors have demonstrated that coumarin (1,2-benzopyrone) in combination with cimetidine can produce objective antitumor responses in some patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. The purpose of this report is to review the clinical development of coumarin, with or without cimetidine, with special reference to renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Previously unpublished data concerning the survival of a population of patients with RCC, who were treated on a phase I trial of coumarin and cimetidine, are presented. The rationale and study design of an active randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of coumarin for RCC are discussed. A progress report is given for an ongoing phase I trial of oral 7-hydroxycoumarin, the major human metabolite of coumarin.
The effects of deviations from LTE and line blanketing on stellar atmospheres in the range B5 to A5

Abstract We examine the effects of bound-bound collisional coupling in atomic hydrogen on deviations from LTE as calculated for stellar atmosphere models with Teff = 10 000 and 15 000°K, log g = 4. The influence of departures from LTE on the observable features predicted by these models is found to depend critically on the magnitude of the bound-bound collision rates. The effects of line blanketing on the temperature structure and emergent flux for these models are then compared with the non-LTE results. Finally, the role of departures from LTE for both atomic H and H- are discussed in the case of a model in which Teff = 7500°K, log g = 4.
CMOS descanning and acousto-optic scanning enable faster confocal imaging

Fast pixel random access capabilities of CMOS imagers are exploited to create a virtual pinhole or slit in synchrony with acousto-optic laser beam scanning to significantly speed up confocal microscopy.