cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Phytopathogen-induced changes to plant methylomes

DNA methylation is a dynamic and reversible type of epigenetic mark that contributes to cellular physiology by affecting transcription activity, transposon mobility and genome stability. When plants are infected with pathogens, plant DNA methylation patterns can change, indicating an epigenetic interplay between plant host and pathogen. In most cases methylation can change susceptibility. While DNA hypomethylation appears to be a common phenomenon during the susceptible interaction, the levels and patterns of hypomethylation in transposable elements and genic regions may mediate distinct responses against various plant pathogens. The effect of DNA methylation on the plant immune response and other cellular activities and molecular functions is established by localized differential DNA methylation via cis-regulatory mechanisms as well as through trans-acting mechanisms. Understanding the epigenetic differences that control the phenotypic variations between susceptible and resistant interactions should facilitate the identification of new sources of resistance mediated by epigenetic mechanisms, which can be exploited to endow pathogen resistance to crops.
Characterization and optimization of a blue-enhanced honeycomb optical sensor

A honeycomb photodetector architecture is proposed for low-cost CMOS-compatible blue-enhanced sensing applications. In this paper, a physical model is developed to characterize the responsivity of honeycomb photodetectors. The model is then used to determine the optimum honeycomb physical dimensions for maximum responsivity and quantum efficiency. To implement the model in a real application, a test chip with honeycomb structures is designed, fabricated, and characterized using a commercial 0.35 pm standard CMOS process through Austria Micro Systems (AMS). Based on measured data, the optimal honeycomb structure in this fabrication process improves the quantum efficiency by 63% at 375 nm wavelength.
Reducing Disparities in Adolescent Pregnancy Among US Tribal Youths.

The authors discuss the Tribal Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) to help education Native American youth on pregnancy prevention. The mention implementation of the program, the need for local inclusion in the program, and the importance of cultural appropriateness.
Exercise reduces tumorigenesis in a K-ras mouse model of non-small cell lung cancer (TUM10P.1057)

Exercise has been shown to reduce the prevalence of certain cancer subtypes, prolong survival rates, and improve quality of life of cancer patients. Exercise’s role in cancer includes not only prevention and post-treatment care, but also the reduction in cancer progression. Moderate-intensity exercise has been shown to have significant inhibitory effects on tumor initiating mechanisms in mice resulting in decreased tumor incidence for a variety of cancers including pancreatic, gastrointestinal, and mammary. This is the first report of the role that exercise plays in the suppression of spontaneous murine lung cancer. Sedentary mice (N = 14) lung tumor count was 40.57 ± 3.483 tumors (mean ± SEM). Lung tumor count in the exercised mice (N = 10) was significantly reduced to 21.80 ± 1.705 tumors (p
Semen cryobanking for men with cancer — Criteria change

Objective To summarize pregnancies and births after the use of pretherapy cryobanked semen from men with cancer and to reassess the clinical role of semen cryobanking for these patients. Design Survey of pregnancies and births that have occurred after the use of cryobanked semen from pretherapy cancer patients. Setting Survey of the literature and of nine semen banks. Patients Men with testicular cancer, Hodgkin's diseases, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and other types of cancer who cryobanked their semen specimens before therapy. Outcome Measures Pregnancies and births resulting from the use of cryobanked semen after artificial insemination by husband (AIH) or other assisted reproductive technology (ART) procedures. Results The use of AIH and other ART procedures have resulted in 117 documented pregnancies and 115 livebirths. Conclusions Cryobanking of semen should be offered to all men diagnosed with cancer because such a procedure provides the only reasonable chance of establishing a pregnancy after therapy that is detrimental to fertility potential. Existing criteria for pretherapy semen cryobanking, therefore, should be revised in view of successful pregnancies even with the use of semen with low spermatozoal densities and motilities, as well as other realized clinical efficacies of ART. Conceptions have occurred after in vitro fertilization (IVF) with 6 motile spermatozoa. Semen cryobanking should be offered by the attending physician as a viable option for any pretherapy male patient who has any motile sperm and considers the future possibility of having children.
Brain Brightening: Neurotherapy for Enhancing Cognition in the Elderly

With increasing longevity, the absolute number and relative proportion of persons with dementia will become a significant problem in society. Neurotherapy offers a non-pharmacological treatment to enhance the functioning of frontal lobe functioning which usually is reduced as one grows older. This chapter presents ­preliminary evidence for the use of currently available biofeedback technology that has exciting promise to improve cognition in individuals with mild decline.
Videogame Production: How the Capitalist Socius and Platformization Subjectivate

Diverse representations of bodies in videogames has become a point of contention among developers and consumers alike, which has lead scholars to question why videogame production is breaking with trends of recognizable, anthropocentric characters in favor of “diverse” bodies. This paper contends that the overarching reason for this is that the capitalist socius (Deluze and Guattari, 1986) has become more readily equipped to be able to monetize and streamline diversity away from being an act of subversion and into an easily manipulatable source of revenue. In examining how the capitalist socius overlays onto the videogame production process, a few things become apparent. Because videogame production operates within the capitalist socius, their goals are the similar: to become autopoietic (able to reach a point of homeostasis in which the entity is able to reproduce and maintain its structural integrity) and to turn any and all resources into sources of capital generation. The expectation of bodies working in these regimes is to be as non-threatening and as pliable to new modes of subjectivation and capital generation as possible, but that means that bodies must undergo certain political transformations to adhere to these needs of the capitalist socius and videogame production process. As with any hegemonic structure, there are pockets of resistance that look to buck the current trends of subjectivation and capital generation. The form of resistance this paper examines is personal-games and affective experiences, but as with most things pertaining to the capitalist socius, personal-games are dangerously close to being swept up, monetized, and crunched down.
The Body Politic: Federalism as Feminism in Health Reform

This essay illuminates how modern health law has been mainstreaming feminism under the auspices of health equity and social determinants research. Feminism shares with public health and health policy both the empirical impulse to identify inequality and the normative value of pursing equity in treatment. Using the Affordable Care Act’s federal health insurance reforms as a case study of health equity in action, the essay exposes the feminist undercurrents of health insurance reform and the impulse toward mutuality in a body politic. The essay concludes by revisiting — from a feminist perspective — scholars’ arguments that equity in health insurance is essential for human flourishing.
Arterial Hypotension and Hypertension

During ordinary clinical circumstances, cerebral/spinal autoregulation maintains a constant blood flow across wide variations in perfusion pressure. However, as a function of neurologic pathology, surgical risk, or comorbidities, many neurologic surgical scenarios are anything but ordinary, and “tight” but strategic control of blood pressure is warranted. Intraoperative arterial blood pressure that is either too high or too low can cause or indicate serious complications for neurosurgical patients. Anticipation of changes in neurologic physiology, knowledge of a few evidence-based guidelines, and preparation of a range of available pharmacologic agents are fundamental. This section addresses three clinical settings in which arterial blood pressure is a common and critical management challenge.
Regulation of the p53 Family Proteins by the Ubiquitin Proteasomal Pathway

The tumor suppressor p53 and its homologues, p63 and p73, play a pivotal role in the regulation of the DNA damage response, cellular homeostasis, development, aging, and metabolism. A number of mouse studies have shown that a genetic defect in the p53 family could lead to spontaneous tumor development, embryonic lethality, or severe tissue abnormality, indicating that the activity of the p53 family must be tightly regulated to maintain normal cellular functions. While the p53 family members are regulated at the level of gene expression as well as post-translational modification, they are also controlled at the level of protein stability through the ubiquitin proteasomal pathway. Over the last 20 years, many ubiquitin E3 ligases have been discovered that directly promote protein degradation of p53, p63, and p73 in vitro and in vivo. Here, we provide an overview of such E3 ligases and discuss their roles and functions.
IMPACT OF SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH ON CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES

While many research efforts aim to address individual-level cardiovascular diseases (CVD) risk factors, this undermines the opportunity to reduce CVD death and disability by addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH). We aim to take a broader view by addressing the impact of SDOH on CVD.
Impact of Connectivity on Energy Consumption and Battery Life for Electric Vehicles

Connected vehicle technologies present new opportunities to minimize energy consumption in vehicles. Much of the prior work has focused on the impact of vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication on energy savings. Here, we analyze the impact of connectivity on both energy savings and battery degradation reduction for an electric bus. Dynamic programming is employed to optimize the velocity profile of a single electric bus passing through a traffic intersection under a V2I regime wherein the intersection timing of the traffic light is known a priori. The optimization seeks to minimize the overall cost function consisting of the electric energy consumption and battery degradation. Simulations have been conducted for both the connected vehicle case and the baseline case without connectivity. Three different battery sizes were investigated, and the results indicate that connectivity confers the greatest cost savings for the smallest battery. An overall cost savings of 27% can be realized by using connectivity to reduce both energy consumption and battery degradation.
Sinonasal Outcome Scores and Imaging: A Concurrent Assessment of Factors Influencing Their Association.

ObjectiveThe overall discriminatory ability of validated instrument scores for computed tomography (CT) findings of chronic rhinosinusitis has limitations and may be modified by multiple factors. T...
Moral character and the civic mission of American universities: The Catholic, Jesuit vision of justice education:

The formation of students’ moral character is a critical part of civic engagement programs in US higher education. This is especially evident in Catholic, Jesuit education, which emphasizes pedagog...
How Trees Get Standing: An Incremental Approach to Rights of Nature Advocacy

The rights of nature advocacy movement has gained traction internationally, but has not grabbed hold in the United States on a national level. Though it has found success locally, a different, more...
Immunogenetic determinants of heterosexual HIV-1 transmission: key findings and lessons from two distinct African cohorts

Immunogenetic studies in the past three decades have uncovered a broad range of human genetic factors that seem to influence heterosexual HIV-1 transmission in one way or another. In our own work that jointly evaluated both genetic and nongenetic factors in two African cohorts of cohabiting, HIV-1-discordant couples (donor and recipient pairs) at risk of transmission during quarterly follow-up intervals, relatively consistent findings have been seen with three loci (IL19, HLA-A, and HLA-B), although the effect size (i.e., odds ratio or hazards ratio) of each specific variant was quite modest. These studies offered two critical lessons that should benefit future research on sexually transmitted infections. First, in donor partners, immunogenetic factors (e.g., HLA-B*57 and HLA-A*36:01) that operate directly through HIV-1 viral load or indirectly through genital coinfections are equally important. Second, thousands of single-nucleotide polymorphisms previously recognized as "causal" factors for human autoimmune disorders did not appear to make much difference, which is somewhat puzzling as these variants are predicted or known to influence the expression of many immune response genes. Replicating these observations in additional cohorts is no longer feasible as the field has shifted its focus to early diagnosis, universal treatment, and active management of comorbidities.
Memes in the time of corona: an autoethnographic visual essay on memes as relational resources during the COVID-19 pandemic

More than just humorous online content, memes fulfill significant affective, sociocultural and political functions at both the individual and collective level By analysing personally significant COVID-19 memes within their larger vernacular communication contexts, this autoethnographic visual essay illuminates these digital artefacts as vibrant relational resources that facilitate sense-making and social connection in uncertain times Examining these dynamics at different levels of inquiry (micro, meso and macro) and across various contexts (personal, professional, and mixes thereof), this essay therefore illustrates how, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, these memetic articulations – and the conversations they engendered – helped this researcher look within, relate, and ultimately pull through [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Visual Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use This abstract may be abridged No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract (Copyright applies to all Abstracts )
#Kanhaiya: Exploring Indian journalists’ use of Twitter to share developing news and audience engagement with different types of tweets:

This exploratory study examined the twitter feeds of ten senior Indian journalists during a specific event of national importance to understand what type of tweets led to greater follower engagemen...
COC: hierarchical coflow ordering for WAN bandwidth optimization in inter-data center

In recent years, more and more applications involving large-scale data analytics tend to be geo-distributed [6]. Those applications distribute intermediate data into different data centers, and generate traffic going through WAN links between data centers, which are expensive resources for service providers. Many global service providers like Microsoft, Google, and Facebook have already developed their SD-WAN traffic engineering systems [5, 7, 8] to optimize the bandwidth allocation across their inter-data centers.
The Responses of Blue Crabs (Callinectes sapidus) to Hypoxia/Hypercapnia in Freshwater

RESPONSES OF BLUE CRABS (CALLINECTES SAPIDUS) TO HYPOXIA/HYPERCAPNIA IN FRESHWATER By JAMES T. MARTIN, Masters of Science A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Science in Environmental Science at Virginia Commonwealth University, 2009. Major Director: Dr. Peter L. deFur, Affiliate Associate Professor, Center for Environmental Studies The present research examined respiratory responses of blue crabs to long term (4, 13, and 21 days) hypercapnic hypoxia in freshwater at 23 C. Hypoxic conditions (50-60 & 75-85 mmHg O2) were induced by allowing the crabs to consume their oxygen supply, resulting in a hypercapnic induced decrease in pH that remained through the exposure. Postbranchial hemolymph responses to hypoxia/hypercapnia in freshwater demonstrate decreases in PO2, increases in PCO2, and decreases in pH. Lactate levels decreased over time, but hemocyanin concentration was highly variable with no trends. PH, lactate, and hemocyanin observations also demonstrated high variability and a variety of different responses in individual crabs. There was no evidence of improving oxygen transport abilities. Despite varying responses high mortality rates were observed. The high mortality rate suggests blue crabs are not able to survive the multiple stress of hypoxia/hypercapnia along with the stress of living in freshwater. The mortality rates observed are much greater than previous blue crab hypoxic studies in saltwater. Elevated mortality may result from a failure of oxygen transport, acid-base balance or ion regulation.
Client Base Valuation

Abstract A significant part of the value of a service business can be attributed to the value of its customer or client base. This study uses the example of an accounting firm to develop a client base valuation model. The model helps to explain current approaches to client base valuation and suggests issues that warrant further investigation. A critical investigatory issue is client base attrition. Using data from five accounting firm acquisitions, this study empirically examines the impact that key client contact personnel have on client base attrition. results indicate that the retention of key client contact personnel by the acquiring CPA firm significantly reduces client base attrition post-acquisition and can enhance the valuation of client bases by quite significant amounts.
Firing U.S. Attorneys: An Essay

This essay examines the constitutional basis for Justice Department independence, the main constitutional issue underlying the recent dismissal of United States Attorneys. It outlines a duty-based theory of executive power, a theory that Article II should be understood as a set of checks and balances to secure faithful execution of the law, rather than solely as a source of Presidential power. It shows how this theory can provide a constitutional justification for Justice Department independence. The essay reexamines the unitary executive theory which claims that the Constitution gives the President unlimited power to fire prosecutors in the context of the dismissals, showing that the theory helped justify these widely lamented actions. It argues that this widely touted theory merits reexamination in light of the dismissals and that the duty-based theory outlined here provides a textually plausible and attractive alternative.
Trends in mammography over time for women with and without chronic disability.

Abstract Background: Women with disabilities often receive mammograms at lower rates than do nondisabled women, although this disparity varies by disability type and severity. Given the implementation of disability civil rights laws in the early 1990s, we examined whether disability disparities in mammogram use have diminished over time. Methods: We analyzed National Health Interview Survey responses of civilian, noninstitutionalized United States female residents 50 to 74 years old from selected years between 1998 and 2010. We identified seven chronic disability types using self-reported functional impairments, activity/participation limitations, and expected duration. We conducted bivariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses examining associations of self-reported mammogram use within the previous two years with sociodemographic factors and disability. Results: Most chronic disability rates rose over time. The most common disability was movement difficulties, with rates increasing from 35.6...
Development of a Monoclonal Antibody-based Immunoassay for Cyclic DNA Adducts Resulting from Exposure to Crotonaldehyde

In order to develop an immunoassay for DNA modifications resulting from exposure to crotonaldehyde, monoclonal antibodies specific for the 8R,6R- and 8S,6S-stereoisomers of 3-(2-deoxy-beta-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-8-hydroxy-6 - methylpyrimido[1,2-a]purine-10(3H)one were produced. These cyclic 1,N2-propanodeoxyguanosines are formed in DNA exposed to crotonaldehyde in vitro. Three of the four antibodies were most specific for one stereoisomer while the fourth was most specific for the other stereoisomer. Fifty % inhibition of binding in an enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay using two of these antibodies and capable of detecting 0.5 mumol of 1,N2-propanodeoxyguanosine per mol of deoxyguanosine was developed. The method was validated by comparison to results obtained with fluorescence assay.
An investigation of fracture and fatigue crack growth behavior of cast niobium aluminide intermetallics

Abstract This paper presents the results of a combined experimental and theoretical study of fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth in cast Nb-15Al- x Ti ( x =10, 25 and 40 at%) niobium aluminide-based intermetallics. Fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth resistance are shown to improve significantly in the cast alloy containing 40 at% Ti. The improvements in the fracture toughness of the 40Ti alloy are shown to be due to the combined effects of ligament toughening, crack-tip plasticity and crack-tip blunting. The atomistic simulations show that the increased plasticity in these alloys is associated with their higher Ti content. The micromechanisms of fatigue crack growth are also elucidated. The implications of the results are discussed for potential structural application of niobium aluminide intermetallics.
Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection : outcome of surgical correction and management of recurrent venous obstruction

Objective: Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) can be corrected with low mortality and good outcome. If complicated by pulmonary vein stenosis (PVS), either at presentation or secondary to the repair, the long-term outcome is compromised. We have evaluated an institutional experience with TAPVC, with particular regard to the evolving management of PVS. Methods: Retrospective analysis of 85 consecutive patients with non-isomeric TAPVC undergoing surgical correction over a 10-year period (1988‐1997). In addition, three patients were referred to us with secondary PVS, having had their primary procedure elsewhere. Attention was focused on incidence of PVS, and strategies for management. Results: Median age at first operation was 33 days (range 1‐533). Site of drainage was supracardiac (43/88), infracardiac (20/88), cardiac (17/88), and mixed (8/88). On presentation, 35% of patients were ventilated. Early mortality was 7% (6/85), with one late non-cardiac death. 82% of the original patients (70/85) are currently well at a median follow-up of 64 months (range 6‐119). The incidence of PVS requiring intervention was 11% (9/85). Median time to PVS was 41 days. In these patients, 18 balloon angioplasties, four endovascular stent placements (in two patients), and a further 23 surgical procedures were performed. Of the nine patients undergoing re-intervention after initial surgery at our institution, five (56%) survived. Two of these have no residual obstruction and right ventricular pressure (RVP) , 50% systemic, two have unilateral obstruction and RVP , 50% systemic, and one has bilateral obstruction and RVP 80% systemic. Of the three patients referred to us with secondary PVS, two are alive and well, and one died early after the first re-operation. Conclusions: Intrinsic obstruction (endocardial sclerosis or thickening) is associated with worse prognosis and earlier re-intervention than extrinsic (anatomical) obstruction. We advocate an early, aggressive approach to the management of patients with TAPVC, especially in the presence of PVS. This complication is most appropriately managed by a combination of re-operation and repeated balloon dilatation. q 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Spearman's g = Anderson's ACT?: Reflections on the Locus of Generality in Human Cognition

(1998). Spearman's g=Anderson's ACT?: Reflections on the Locus of Generality in Human Cognition. Journal of the Learning Sciences: Vol. 7, No. 1, pp. 135-145.
Modulating the modulators: interaction of brain norepinephrine and cannabinoids in stress.

One of the most pressing issues in current neuropsychopharmacology is the search for new and more effective therapeutic agents for the most prevalent and serious psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, anxiety and depression. As a case in point, antidepressants that block the reuptake of monoamines, in particular serotonin and norepinephrine, are only partially effective, as only ~50–65% of depressed patients who seek treatment achieve successful clinical response from currently available drugs, and “successful response” is typically defined as 50% improvement in symptom severity (Janicak, et al., 1997). This is clearly unacceptable, and a new approach to treating such disorders is sorely needed. A recent article by Reyes et al. (Reyes, et al., 2012) addresses the interaction of norepinephrine and cannabinoid receptors in the prefrontal cortex as a potential mechanism involved specifically in stress-related psychiatric disorders such as depression, and also considers the potential utility of targeting cannabinoid CB1 receptors as a novel therapeutic strategy.
Techniques for calibration of the scale factor and image center for high accuracy 3-D machine vision metrology

Techniques are described for calibrating certain intrinsic camera parameters for machine vision. The parameters to be calibrated are the horizontal scale factor, and the image center. The scale factor calibration uses a one-dimensional fast Fourier transform and is accurate and efficient. It also permits the use of only one coplanar set of calibration points for general camera calibration. Three groups of techniques for center calibration are presented: Group I requires using a laser and a four-degree-of-freedom adjustment of its orientation, but is simplest in concept and is accurate and reproducible; Group II is simple to perform, but is less accurate than the other two; and the most general, Group II, is accurate and efficient, but requires a good calibration plate and accurate image feature extraction of calibration points. Group II is recommended most highly for machine vision applications. Results of experiments are presented and compared with theoretical predictions. Accuracy and reproducibility of the calibrated parameters are reported, as well as the improvement in actual 3-D measurement due to center calibration. >
The 2b protein as a minor structural component of PRRSV

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) ORF2 contains an internal ORF that codes for a small non-glycosylated protein known as 2b. Previous work had identified the presence of a 10kDa 2b protein in virus-infected cells and the induction of an anti-2b response in PRRSV-infected pigs, as well as a possible association of 2b with the virion (, Virology 287:183-191). In this study, we utilized two experimental approaches, including the use of a 2b peptide-specific monoclonal antibody, to demonstrate that the PRRSV 2b protein is an integral component of the PRRSV virion. This study suggests that 2b in PRRSV is similar to the E protein in EAV and forms a minor structural component of the virion.
A simulation-based production planning support system for printed circuit board fabrication

Abstract A network-based simulation model is described to analyze the circuit board insertion process using surface mount technology. The network simulation model is developed using simulation analysis SIMAN designed for an IBM PC/XT or a compatible system. Among the results of the model are workstation utilizations, size of work-in-process inventories at different locations in the process, throughput times and rates, and production costs. Sensitivity analyses are performed on some of the major factors that can effect the efficiency of the system. The model provides a methodology for evaluating alternative production strategies and offers management a tool to develop efficient production policies, thus minimizing capital and operating costs.
A polynomial translation of S4 into intuitionistic logic

It is known that both S 4 and the Intuitionistic prepositional calculus Int are P-SPACE complete. This guarantees that there is a polynomial translation from each system into the other. However, no sound and faithful polynomial translation from S 4 into Int is commonly known. The problem of finding one was suggested by Dana Scott during a very informal gathering of logicians in February 2005 at UCLA. Grigori Mints then brought it to my attention, and in this paper I present a solution. It is based on Kripke semantics and describes model-checking for S 4 using formulas of Int . A simple translation from Int into S 4, the Godel-Tarski translation, is wellknown; given a formula φ of Int , one obtains by prefixing □ to every subformula. For example, . That the translation is sound and faithful can be seen by considering topological semantics, which assign open sets both to □-formulas of S 4 and arbitrary formulas of Int ; the interpretation of φ and turn out to be identical. See Tarski's paper [6] for details. Godel's original paper can be found in [3]. In [2], Friedman and Flagg present a kind of inverse to Godel-Tarski. Given a formula φ of S 4 and a finite set of formulas Γ of Int , for each e ∈ Γ one gets an intuitionistic formula given recursively by
FOAM STABILITY—EFFECT OF SURFACTANT COMPOSITION ON THE DRAINAGE OF MICROSCOPIC AQUEOUS FILMS

An incident light interference microscopic technique has been employed to determine the drainage time, velocity of thinning and critical thickness of thin liquid films associated with foam systems. Using this technique, we have investigated the drainage and stability behavior of aqueous foam films of various sizes containing both single component and mixed surfactant systems. The surface tension, surface viscosity and elasticity for the surfactant solutions were also measured. The experimental results for the drainage time are compared with the theoretical predictions.
Kinetics and products of the gas-phase reactions of O3 with amines and related compounds

The kinetics and products of the gas-phase reactions of O3 with a series of aliphatic amines and related compounds have been investigated at 298 ± 2 K and 740 Torr total pressure of air. The absolute rate constants obtained (in cm3 molecule-1 s-1 units) were: methylamine, (7.4 ± 2.4) x 10-21; dimethylamine, (1.67 ± 0.20) x 10-18; trimethylamine, (7.84 ± 0.87) x 10-18; 2-(dimethylamino)ethanol, (6.76 ± 0.83) x 10-18; and tetramethylhydrazine, (5.21 ± 0.60) x 10-18. The major products observed from the O3 reactions with the use of in situ FT-IR absorption spectroscopy were: from trimethylamine, (CH3)2NCHO, CH3N=CH2 and HCHO; and from dimethylamine, CH3N=CH2, CH3NO2, and HCHO. Possible reaction mechanisms are presented and discussed.
Early intervention and recovery among children with failure to thrive: follow-up at age 8.

OBJECTIVES. We sought to examine the impact of a randomized, controlled trial of home visiting among infants with failure to thrive on growth, academic/cognitive performance, and home/classroom behavior at age 8. METHODS. Infants with failure to thrive (N = 130) or adequate growth (N = 119) were recruited from pediatric primary care clinics serving low-income, urban communities. Eligibility criteria included age 36 weeks, birth weight >2500 g, and no significant medical conditions. Evaluation included anthropometries, Bayley scales, maternal anthropometries, demographics, negative affect, IQ, and the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment scale. Infants with failure to thrive were treated in an interdisciplinary growth and nutrition clinic and randomized into clinical-intervention-plus-home-intervention or clinical-care-only groups. The home-visiting curriculum promoted maternal sensitivity, parent-infant relationships, and child development. Follow-up visits were conducted by evaluators who were unaware of the children9s growth or intervention history. At age 8, the evaluation included anthropometries, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children III, and the Wide Range Achievement Test, Revised. Mothers completed the Child Behavior Checklist and teachers completed the Teacher Report Form. ANALYSIS. Multivariate analyses of variance were used to examine differences in growth, cognitive/academic performance, and home/school behavior, adjusted by maternal education, public assistance, and, when appropriate, infant Bayley score, maternal BMI, height, negative affect, IQ, and Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment scores. RESULTS. Retention was 74% to 78%. Children in the adequate-growth group were significantly taller, heavier, and had better arithmetic scores than the clinical-intervention-only group, with the clinical-intervention-plus-home-intervention group intermediate. There were no group differences in IQ, reading, or mother-reported behavior problems. Children in the clinical-intervention-plus-home-intervention group had fewer teacher-reported internalizing problems and better work habits than the clinical-intervention-only group. CONCLUSIONS. Early failure to thrive increased children9s vulnerability to short stature, poor arithmetic performance, and poor work habits. Home visiting attenuated some of the negative effects of early failure to thrive, possibly by promoting maternal sensitivity and helping children build strong work habits that enabled them to benefit from school. Findings provide evidence for early intervention programs for vulnerable infants.
A reassessment of the expected development consequences of tsetse control efforts in Africa.

Abstract Since the World Food Conference (1974) recommended a long term program of tsetse control, increasing attention of governments and international agencies has focused on the problem. This paper briefly outlines the strategies potentially available for tsetse control operations before assessing the likely consequences of any large scale tsetse control endeavor. The implications for both natural and human systems are shown to be profound and, in many cases, counter-productive to development goals. Suggestions for more appropriate strategies of addressing the tsetse issue are included. The major conclusions of the study are: (1) extreme caution is needed in relating the absence of development to the presence of the tsetse fly; (2) promises of benefits forthcoming with the removal of the tsetse fly must be viewed with skepticism; (3) in some cases a case can be made for retaining the tsetse; (4) fly zone problems can be addressed in many ways other than tsetse removal; (5) the regions most likely to incorporate successful tsetse control efforts will be on the margins of tsetse range, removed from border areas beyond the purvey of tsetse control efforts and within the domain of a stable administrative structure capable of mobilizing planning, funding and personnel; (6) it is important to define the targeted human population for the designed development benefits. Different strategies should be employed in virgin lands, places with people lacking livestock experience and places intended for expanding pastoralist rangelands; (7) the push for tsetse eradication arises from its role as a disease vector, its ‘non-political’ status as a development target and the strong Western bias toward the role of cattle in the modern agricultural mix.
Insulin-like growth factor receptors and binding protein in rat neuroblastoma cells.

B104, an established rat neuroblastoma cell line exhibiting specific neuronal qualities, was chosen as a model to study insulin-like growth factor (IGF) binding and action in the central nervous system. Specific binding of [125I]IGF-II to B104 membranes averaged 12.2 ± 4.0% (mean ± SD)/100 μg/ml protein compared with [125I]IGF-I binding of 10.1 ± 2.9%. In competitive binding studies employing [125I]IGF-II as the radioligand, high affinity for IGF-II was demonstrated (50% displacement at 2.7 ng/ml), with none for IGF-I or insulin. Upon crosslinking [125I]IGF-I to membranes under reducing conditions, two prominent bands were observed, migrating with apparent mol wt (Mr) of 135,000 and 280,000. Both bands were inhibited by IGFs and insulin, but not by R-II-PABI, a polyclonal antibody to the type 2 receptor. These bands presumably represent the αsubunit and an incompletely reduced a-a-dimer of the type 1 IGF receptor. When cross-linking [125I]IGF-II to membranes under reducing conditions, the primary labeled ...
Regge Poles and an S -Matrix Theory of the Lamb Shift

The Lamb shift in hydrogen is calculated by means of dispersion theory. Relativistic invariance is maintained throughout the calculation, and electron spin is included, although the spin of the proton is neglected. Divergence problems which have plagued other calculations are eliminated by the exploitation of the Regge behavior of the amplitudes which appear in the dispersion integrals. The preliminary results are in excellent agreement with the lowest-order values given by Yennie and Erickson.
Carrier plasmon induced nonlinear band gap renormalization in two-dimensional semiconductors.

In reduced-dimensional semiconductors, doping-induced carrier plasmons can strongly couple with quasiparticle excitations, leading to a significant band gap renormalization. However, the physical origin of this generic effect remains obscure. We develop a new plasmon-pole theory that efficiently and accurately captures this coupling. Using monolayer ${\mathrm{MoS}}_{2}$ and ${\mathrm{MoSe}}_{2}$ as prototype two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors, we reveal a striking band gap renormalization above 400 meV and an unusual nonlinear evolution of their band gaps with doping. This prediction significantly differs from the linear behavior that is observed in one-dimensional structures. Notably, our predicted band gap renormalization for ${\mathrm{MoSe}}_{2}$ is in excellent agreement with recent experimental results. Our developed approach allows for a quantitative understanding of many-body interactions in general doped 2D semiconductors and paves the way for novel band gap engineering techniques.
Soluble cell membrane antigens associated with bladder cancer

Separated soluble membrane components present on bladder cancer cells were screened for their ability to produce cell-mediated immune responses, and those antigens that were tumor-associated (TAA) were purified and identified. A total of 812 tests of control and cancer antigens were performed in 110 patients. In a series of 384 skin tests performed in 28 patients with crude antigens separated by gel filtration and a series of 322 skin tests performed in 60 patients with semipurified antigens further separated by gradient polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the average 48-h induration response in those patients who reacted was not significantly different in relation to the stage of cancer. Preoperative patients responded to a tumor-associated antigen, and postoperative patients responded not only to the tumor-associated antigen, but also to a tissue-associated antigen, which may possibly contain tumor-related components. Of these bladder cancer patients, 78% had a positive delayed hypersensitivity reaction to skin tests with 30 μg semipurified bladder cancer TAA, whereas only 53% had reactions to one or more of the recall antigens used, which included SKSD, candida, dermatophytin, PPD, and mumps. TAA was also isolated and identified on bladder cancer tissue culture line T-24. More highly purified bladder TAA was highly specific in controlled skin tests for delayed hypersensitivity reaction to 5 μg per test in 20 patients. The amount of TAA present on primary bladder tumor cells is approximately 0.2 pg, and on T-24 cell it is approximately 0.04 pg; this is approximately 2% of the soluble protein on a primary bladder cancer cell and about 0.8% of the soluble protein on a T-24 cell. Reactions with TAA in leukocyte migration inhibition tests were partial; TAA is a very weak reactant in double diffusion tests; TAA shows promise in indirect immunofluorescent tests, in some complement fixation tests, and for use in enzyme-linked immunoadsorbent assays. Bladder cancer TAA is a simple polypeptide, fairly stable, with an estimated molecular size of approximately 40,000 daltons. The tissue-associated antigen reacts in double diffusion with sera from patients with benign and malignant bladder conditions, and is a polypeptide of approximately 80,000 daltons; whether this less specific antigen is a dimer containing the TAA component must still be determined.
Research in South Africa: To Know an Archive

During the first half of 1985 I visited the Republic of South Africa in order to investigate the origins of the Natives Land Act of 1913. My research, emphasizing the years 1910 to 1916, required that I work in archives and libraries in three of the four provinces (excluding Natal). In the process I went to major and minor research facilities, to a few museums, and even to a small town public library. What follows is a discussion of many of the archives in South Africa, aids to making research easier, and some of the pitfalls one may face pursuing historical research in that country. The largest and most important archive in South Africa is the Central Archives Depot in Pretoria. This functions as the national archives of South Africa as well as the Transvaal Provincial Archives. All the most important central government department records are deposited there, including the Prime Minister's collection; the records of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Justice Department, Lands Department; and, of particular interest to the Africanist, the records of the Department of Native Affairs (however variously titled between 1910 and the present). The CAD also holds a substantial number of personal paper collections, including those of Jan Smuts and J.B.M. Hertzog. The Central Archives Depot is not the easiest place in which to work. Consequently, try to plan your stay so that you can have what might seem to be more than enough time to work there.
The interaction of aquated cis-[(NH3)2Pt(II)]with nucleic acid constituents. II. Modified nucleosides.

Summary The binding interaction of aquated cis-(NH3)2Pt(II) with 1-methylguanosine (1-MeGuo), 7-methylguanosine (7-MeGuo), 1-methyladenosine (1-MeAdo+) and protonated adenosine has been studied using UV difference spectroscopy. The magnitude of the binding constants for the 1 : 1 interaction of cis-(NH3)2Pt(II) with 1-MeGuo and 1-MeAdo are log K = 3.5 and 3.7, respectively. These data are presented and compared to other cis-(NH3)2 Pt(II)-nucleoside interactions.
Political Science and East Asian Area Studies

Political science “area studies,” or what the American Political Science Association calls “foreign and comparative government and politics” in order to insure that they not be confused with the biggest area study of them all, United States government and politics, have always posed difficulties for the Emily Posts of the discipline. Not a year goes by without a guardian of die methodological flame writing an article bemoaning the “ameoretical” quality of area studies or issuing a warning mat “The immersion in local materials may cast the researcher adrift far from any theoretical shore.”
Calcium fluxes in internally dialyzed giant barnacle muscle fibers

Calcium-45 fluxes have been examined in isolated giant barnacle muscle fibers subjected to internal solute control by means of “internal dialysis”. The45Ca efflux was dependent upon the concentrations of both total and ionized internal Ca (Ca2+ buffered with EGTA). With a total Ca concentration of 2.0mm and a 1∶2 Ca/EGTA ratio (nominal [Ca2+] i =0.13 μm), the Ca efflux averaged 1.2 pmoles/cm2 sec. Under identical conditions, the mean Ca influx was only 0.36 pmoles/cm2 sec. The large Ca efflux may not be attributed to leak of the CaEGTA complex, since a 2.5-fold increase in the EGTA concentration (nominal [Ca2+] i =0.032 μm)reduced the45Ca efflux by one-third. Furthermore, when EDTA was used to buffer the internal Ca concentration (in the absence of internal Mg), the steady efflux of14C-EDTA was only about 10% of the45Ca efflux (in parallel experiments). The time-course of the45Ca fluxes also appeared anomalous in that45Ca influx reached a steady level much more rapidly than45Ca efflux in fibers of comparable diameters. If the muscle fibers are treated as right circular cylinders, these data imply that the apparent diffusion coefficient for inwardly-moving Ca is much larger than for outwardly-moving Ca. In contrast to Ca efflux, the outward diffusion of22Na,14C-EDTA and3H2O appears to be limited primarily by the permeability of the dialysis tube wall. Some, but not all, of the anomalous behavior of the Ca fluxes can be reconciled if the deep, branched infoldings of the barnacle muscle surface membrane are taken into account.
My Academic Plan: Helping Students Map Their Future.

What more important problem could we solve than helping students make intelligent decisions in their course selections? The South Orange County Community College District created a new award-winning system dedicated to helping students define, refine, and implement their personal academic goals. The user-centered design is apparent in the intuitive user interface and the rapid rate of adoption.
Hyperspectral imaging and ankle: brachial indices in peripheral arterial disease.

Background To evaluate the correlation between ankle:brachial indices (ABI) and visible light reflectance spectroscopy hyperspectral imaging (HSI) determinations of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin (oxyHgb and deoxyHgb) levels in the skin of the distal lower extremity. This is a prospective, open, comparator trial which took place at the Vascular laboratory of a Veterans Administration Hospital in Long Beach, USA. Fifty-eight patients (85 limbs) were referred for routine vascular laboratory studies including ABI had concomitant HSI. Limbs with noncompressible pedal signals were excluded from the analysis. Methods ABI was determined with continuous wave Doppler ultrasound and leg blood pressure cuffs. A commercial HSI system (Oxu-Vu®, Hypermed, Inc.) was used to measure oxyHgb, deoxyHgb, and percent oxygenated hemoglobin (%oxyHgb) in the dorsum of the foot and ankle. HSI measurements of volar forearm skin were also obtained to normalize the lower extremity HSI measurements in a manner comparable with ABI. Results For purposes of comparison, data sets were divided into 3 groups: ABI > 0.9 (n = 53), 0.45 Conclusion The lack of a correlation between HSI measurements and ABI is consistent with previous observations that in moderate peripheral arterial disease skin perfusion is maintained at normal levels and in critical ischemia paradoxical increased flow may be present. Although the current study failed to show a clinically useful correlation between HSI measurements of oxyHgb levels, further evaluation of this novel technology is warranted.