cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Passive vortical flows enhance mass transport in the interior of a coral colony

Corals exchange nutrients and dissolved gases with the surrounding environment for metabolic purposes. A recent study demonstrated that corals can actively stir quiescent water columns and produce vortical flows that enhance mass transfer rates by up to 400%. Here, three-dimensional immersed-boundary simulations of the flow through a Pocillopora meandrina colony demonstrate that the passive geometric features of the branching colony produce highly vortical internal flows that enhance mass transfer at the interior of the colony, compensating almost exactly for flows speed reductions there of up to 64% so that the advection time scale remains roughly constant throughout the colony.Corals exchange nutrients and dissolved gases with the surrounding environment for metabolic purposes. A recent study demonstrated that corals can actively stir quiescent water columns and produce vortical flows that enhance mass transfer rates by up to 400%. Here, three-dimensional immersed-boundary simulations of the flow through a Pocillopora meandrina colony demonstrate that the passive geometric features of the branching colony produce highly vortical internal flows that enhance mass transfer at the interior of the colony, compensating almost exactly for flows speed reductions there of up to 64% so that the advection time scale remains roughly constant throughout the colony.
Total synthesis of (-)-hennoxazole A.

An enantioselective, convergent, total synthesis of the antiviral marine natural product (−)-hennoxazole A has been completed in 17 steps, longest linear sequence, from serine methyl ester and in 9...
Geographic disparities persist despite decline in mortality from IHD in California's Central Valley 1999-2014.

BackgroundNationally, ischemic heart disease mortality has declined significantly due to advancements in managing traditional risk factors of hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, smoking, and ob...
New Tools for Engineering the Arabidopsis Plastid Genome.

New transformation-competent Arabidopsis lines, with new plastid transformation vectors and a protocol for measuring plastid transformation efficiency, will advance the engineering of the plastid genome in Arabidopsis.
MPC-Based Building Climate Controller Incorporating Humidity

Although Model Predictive Control (MPC) has been widely investigated for energy efficient climate control of buildings, most prior works have neglected humidity in the problem formulation and performance evaluations. A climate control algorithm that ignores humidity cannot be used in practice, especially in hot-humid climates. Apart from the discomfort of occupants, high humidity over long periods will lead to issues such as mold growth, adversely impacting occupant health. In this paper, we provide an MPC formulation that explicitly accounts for humidity constraints in a principled manner. We show how to construct data-driven low order models of a cooling and dehumidifying coil that can be used in the MPC formulation. The resulting controller's performance is tested in simulation using a plant that differs significantly from the model used by the optimizer. In spite of the large plant model mismatch, the proposed MPC controller performs well. Humidity constraints are seen to be active for a large part of the day, especially in the summer. MPC formulations that ignore humidity would lead to a poor indoor climate in these situations.
Understanding Institutional Factors to Broaden Participation in Computing

This work aims to introduce a new line of research, lead by the Computing Research Association’s Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline and Harvey Mudd College, to stakeholders at the RESPECT 2019 conference. It is well known that the field of computing lacks diversity, and more qualified researchers are needed to meet the demands of the computing labor force. Further, while researchers and practitioners have recommendations for improving department culture to broaden participation in the field, we do not know which practices have the most impact on these goals. Through the analysis of national data collected from students, faculty, and institutions; our research will contribute to the understanding of institutional-level factors that help shape students’ experiences, interests, and sense of belonging in the field of computing. In doing so, this project aims to identify evidence-based best practices that can be adopted by the broader academic community to increase diversity in computing and STEM.
Foliar temperature as a tool for quantifying whole-plant transpiration in tree seedlings under laboratory and greenhouse conditions

A proper mechanistic understanding of how whole-tree transpiration varies as a function of environmental conditions is essential for predicting how vegetation will respond to climate change, particularly to changes in soil moisture dynamics expected under novel rainfall regimes. Whole-plant transpiration studies in trees rely on Granier-type sap-flow gauges that can be difficult to deploy. A potential alternative is provided by thermal indices of transpiration, used quite extensively in agricultural research and applications but so far largely ignored in ecological applications. We conducted a study under controlled conditions to test the ability of a simple foliar thermal index (based on the difference between leaf temperature and a dry reference temperature) to track whole-plant transpiration in savanna tree seedlings. We found that this index (ΔT) provided a good fit to actual hourly transpiration data in five of seven tree species. We applied the index to four trees and one grass tussock growing together in a large container under greenhouse conditions over a two-month period, and found that the index tracked fluctuations in soil moisture availability reasonably well, suggesting that it has power to detect reductions in transpiration linked to soil moisture limitation, at least under controlled conditions. We suggest that this technique provides a viable method for collecting transpiration time series for whole-plant functional trait studies.
Progressive Vestibular Schwannoma following Subtotal or Near-Total Resection: Dose-Escalated versus Standard-Dose Salvage Stereotactic Radiosurgery

Objective Local failure of incompletely resected vestibular schwannoma (VS) following salvage stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) using standard doses of 12 to 13 Gy is common. We hypothesized that dose-escalated SRS, corrected for biologically effective dose, would have superior local control of high-grade VS progressing after subtotal or near-total resection compared with standard-dose SRS. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting Tertiary academic referral center. Participants Adult patients treated with linear accelerator-based SRS for progressive VS following subtotal or near-total resection. Main Outcome Measures Dose-escalated SRS was defined by a biologically effective dose exceeding a single-fraction 13-Gy regimen. Study outcomes were local control and neurologic sequelae of SRS. Binary logistic regression was used to evaluate predictors of study outcomes. Results A total of 18 patients with progressive disease following subtotal (71%) and near-total (39%) resection of Koos grade IV disease (94%) were enrolled. Of the 18 patients, 7 were treated with dose-escalated SRS and 11 with standard-dose SRS. Over a median follow-up of 32 months after SRS, local control was 100% in the dose-escalated cohort and 91% in the standard-dose cohort (p = 0.95). Neurologic sequelae occurred in 28% of patients, including 60% of dose-escalated cohort and 40% of the standard-dose cohort (p = 0.12), although permanent neurologic sequelae were low at 6%. Conclusions Dose-escalated SRS has similar local control of recurrent VS following progression after subtotal or near-total resection and does not appear to have higher neurologic sequalae. Larger studies are needed.
Influences of water-improvement modes on the prevalence of child dental fluorosis of the drinking-water-boren fluorosis areas in Tianjin City

Objective The purpose of the study was to explore the effects of different ways of water improvement and water usage on fluorosis prevention and population health,and to provide a basis for scientific prevention and control of drinking-water-borne-fluorosis in the future.Methods Villages with and without the water-improvement project were selected as monitoring points and classified as the water-unimprovement villages,the water-improvement villages with unqualified fluoride level,the incomplete water-improvement villages (fluoride level was reduced through a certain equipment),and the complete water-improvement villages(surface water improvement).Dental fluorosis of children aged 8 to 12 in the villages was monitored by Dean method in 2007,2010 and 2012,respectively.Results Detectable rates of 8-10 years old Children in water-unimprovemt village were 59.3％(131/221) in 2010 and 58.7％(145/247) in 2012(x2 =0.02,P ＞ 0.05); These Two indicators in water-improvement with unqualified fluoride villages were 25.6％(22/86) in 2010 and 51.5％(35/68) in 2012 (x2 =10.85,P ＜ 0.05); Two indicators in incomplete water-improvement villages were 98.9％ (91/92) in 2007,98.7％ (76/77) in 2010,and 92.9％(65/70) in 2012(x2 =10.85,P ＜ 0.05); Two indicators in complete water-improvement villages were 94.0％(188/200) in 2010 and 83.0％(185/223) in 2012(x2 =12.30,P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Complete water-improvement (surface water improvement) has the greatest impact on population health improvement lived in the drinking-water-boren fluorosis areas.Though the dental fluorosis detectable rate has decreased,the health effect is not obvious in the incomplete water-improvement villages (fluoride level was reduced through a certain equipment).Complete water-improvement is the best choice to improve the control and prevention effect on drinking-water-borne-fluorosis. Key words: Drinking water; Fluorosis, dental; Water-improvement project; Monitor
A classical delphi study to identify the barriers of green information technologies

This qualitative, classical Delphi study explored the apparent lack of corporate commitment to prioritized Green Information Technologies (GITs), which could delay the economic benefits for maximizing the use of energy resources. The purpose of this study was to examine the leadership barriers impeding the adoption of GITs. A panel of nineteen Information Technology and Sustainability experts participated in this study. The panels' members were from industry, government, and academia. The NVivo 9 software was used for the qualitative data analysis and reports the results. The leadership barriers identified in this study as impeding were the lack of understating of GIT and the benefits it can yield for organizations. To gain energy cost reductions, and to meet future environmental regulations, a paradigm change is needed to integrate GIT into organizational strategies, processes, and culture. The results of this study give useful recommendations to rationalize the adoption of GIT to overcome implementation barriers.
Computational Derivation of Core, Dynamic Human Blunt Trauma Inflammatory Endotypes.

Systemic inflammation ensues following traumatic injury, driving immune dysregulation and multiple organ dysfunction (MOD). While a balanced immune/inflammatory response is ideal for promoting tissue regeneration, most trauma patients exhibit variable and either overly exuberant or overly damped responses that likely drive adverse clinical outcomes. We hypothesized that these inflammatory phenotypes occur in the context of severe injury, and therefore sought to define clinically distinct endotypes of trauma patients based on their systemic inflammatory responses. Using Patient-Specific Principal Component Analysis followed by unsupervised hierarchical clustering of circulating inflammatory mediators obtained in the first 24 h after injury, we segregated a cohort of 227 blunt trauma survivors into three core endotypes exhibiting significant differences in requirement for mechanical ventilation, duration of ventilation, and MOD over 7 days. Nine non-survivors co-segregated with survivors. Dynamic network inference, Fisher Score analysis, and correlations of IL-17A with GM-CSF, IL-10, and IL-22 in the three survivor sub-groups suggested a role for type 3 immunity, in part regulated by Th17 and γδ 17 cells, and related tissue-protective cytokines as a key feature of systemic inflammation following injury. These endotypes may represent archetypal adaptive, over-exuberant, and overly damped inflammatory responses.
Hermeneutics of Food and Drug Regulatory Policy

In this paper, I examine the philosophical foundations of the regulation of edible things with particular emphasis on interpretations of the ontological relationship between the categories of 'food' and 'drugs.' To illustrate the diversity of possible approaches to the regulation of food and drugs and their correlative ontological commitments, I focus on two different examples: the United States Food and Drug Administration's Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) and the development of India's Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH). In my examination of these two regulatory bodies, my goal is not to provide a universal or absolute answer as to how the food-drug relationship ought to be interpreted or codified within regulatory policy. Rather, I aim to provide support for the following claims: (1) these regulatory policies are undergirded by philosophical assumptions regarding the ontological relationship between the categories of food and drugs, (2) the regulatory structure of the US Food & Drug Administration rests on a dichotomous interpretation of the food-drug relationship, (3) India's Ministry of AYUSH rests on an interpretation of the food-drug relationship that understands the categories of 'food' and 'drugs' as overlapping with one another, and (4) each of these approaches to the regulation of edible things has unique advantages and disadvantages that ought to be recognized and evaluated in developing and revising policy for the regulation of edible things.
The Decline and Rise of Fiduciary Obligations in Business

This chapter introduces Fiduciary Obligations in Business, a volume of specially commissioned essays on fiduciary law in the business context. The scholarship on fiduciary duties in business organizations has a Janus-faced character. On the one hand, few would disagree that business organizations are one of the key contexts for the application of fiduciary duties. Yet the expressed attitude of much corporate law theory reflects increasing disdain for the role of fiduciary duties, the result of both doctrinal changes and the growth of contractarian scholarship. That marginalization of fiduciary law and theory is out of step with significant developments. In this introduction, we explain some of the ways in which the early, “pure" contractarian position on fiduciary duties has eroded. We suggest three primary critiques that have emerged over the past few decades: (1) market realism, which has brought more nuance and empirics to the contractarian position; (2) stakeholder and pluralist critiques, which emphasize business relationships beyond the shareholder-manager dyad; and (3) fiduciary traditionalism, which draws on philosophical and moral justifications for fiduciary duties. We situate our contributors’ chapters within that framework.
The paradox of policy advocacy: philanthropic foundations, public interest groups, and second-order policy feedback effects

The Tax Reform Act of 1969 introduced formal legal barriers designed to limit the political activities of foundations. How do these constraints affect foundations’ funding decisions and the capacity of public interest organizations that rely on philanthropic support for their advocacy work? We argue that the policy regime governing private foundations’ work has produced two layers of feedback effects that not only shape philanthropic behavior, but also create real obstacles for grantee organizations and their advocacy efforts. We contend that, particularly for recipient organizations who (1) have a primary mission of political advocacy and mobilization and (2) rely heavily on philanthropic support, the policies governing foundation behavior can create incompatible goals between grantors and grantees pursuing policy change. Drawing on records of grant activity, archival material, and elite interviews, we explore this argument using a salient case study: anti-predatory lending reform. Ultimately, we find that policy restrictions on foundation giving may limit the capacity and threaten the success of advocacy organizations engaged in grassroots political work necessary to promote policy change, thus curtailing the potential for the very reforms foundations are eager to pursue.
Not on air, but Online: The Labor Conditions of the Digital Journalist in U.S. Local Television Newsrooms:

As American news preferences shift from broadcast to digital platforms, corporate-owned local television stations have hired digital teams to keep a growing array of mobile, social, web, and over-t...
White matter abnormalities in psychiatric disorders

This article reviews the reports of white matter abnormalities in several psychiatric disorders. Volumetric differences found by voxel-based morphometry or region-of-interest analysis of structural magnetic resonance imaging studies are described. Abnormalities in the diffusion metrics, primarily fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity, from diffusion tensor imaging studies are also summarized. The consensus is that there are widespread abnormalities in white matter in psychiatric disorders, but no particular region has been identified as specific to any one disease. Instead, these diseases seem to impact commonly the corpus callosum and superior longitudinal fasciculus, as well as several other connecting tracts. Neuroimaging has provided significant insights into the aberrant white matter in these diseases, but more work is required to understand the timing, progression, and underlying pathophysiology of these abnormalities.
Correctness of Compiling Polymorphism to Dynamic Typing

The connection between polymorphic and dynamic typing was originally considered by Curry et al. (1972, Combinatory Logic, vol. ii) in the form of “polymorphic type assignment” for untyped λ-terms. Types are assigned after the fact to what is, in modern terminology, a dynamic language. Interest in type assignment was revitalized by the proposals of Bracha et al. (1998, OOPSLA) and Bank et al. (1997, POPL) to enrich Java with polymorphism (generics), which in turn sparked the development of other languages, such as Scala, with similar combinations of features. In such a setting, where the target language already has a monomorphic type system, it is desirable to compile polymorphism to dynamic typing in such a way that as much static typing as possible is preserved, relying on dynamics only insofar as genericity is actually required. The basic approach is to compile polymorphism using embeddings from each type into a universal “top” type, , and partial projections that go in the other direction. This scheme is intuitively reasonable, and, indeed, has been used in practice many times. Proving its correctness, however, is non-trivial. This paper studies the compilation of System F to an extension of Moggi's computational meta-language with a dynamic type and shows how the compilation may be proved correct using a logical relation.
Virus Replication, Cytopathology, and Lysosomal Enzyme Response of Mitotic and Interphase Hep-2 Cells Infected with Poliovirus

Mitotic Hep-2 cells, selected by the PEL (colloidal silica) density gradient method and held in mitosis with Colcemid, are readily infected by poliovirus type I (Mahoney). They produce and release the same amount of virus as interphase, random-growing cells. In contrast to interphase cells, mitotic cells show no detectable virus-induced cytopathic effect at the light microscopy level and only slight alterations, consisting of small clusters of vacuoles, at the electron microscopy level. Mitotic cells contain the same total amount of lysosomal enzymes per cell as interphase cells, but they display no redistribution of lysosomal enzymes during the virus infection as interphase cells do. This supports the view that lysosomal enzyme redistribution is associated with the cytopathic effect in poliovirus infection but shows that virus synthesis and release is not dependent on either the cytopathic effect or lysosomal enzyme release. The possible reasons for the lack of cytopathic effect in mitotic cells are discussed. Images
Integrating Distinctively Canadian Elements into Television Drama: A Formula for Success or Failure? The Due South Experience

Abstract: The production of indigenous Canadian television drama, despite cultural importance ascribed to the genre, has been continually beset by funding and other problems. This situation prompted Canadian producers to concentrate upon the production of so-called industrial dramas that attempt to minimize or completely mask their Canadian origins and are designed primarily for the export market. There have been exceptions - North of 60, Black Harbour, Due South. These identifiably Canadian dramas garnered significant numbers of viewers at home as well as foreign audiences. Based upon a case study of Due South, the authors suggest that distinctive Canadian elements need not be viewed as detriments to a show's success but rather be regarded as potential assets that can help a program distinguish itself from its competitors. Resume : La production de drames clairement canadiens, malgre l'importance culturelle qu'on lui accorde, a sans cesse encouru des problemes de financement entre autres. Cette situation a motive les producteurs canadiens a se concentrer sur des drames dits industriels qui minimisent ou dissimulent completement leurs origines canadiennes afin d'etre plus exportables. Il existe cependant des exceptions telles que North of 60, Black Harbour et Due South. Ces drames immanquablement canadiens ont attire un public considerable au Canada ainsi que des publics a l'etranger. Les auteurs se fondent sur une etude de cas de Due South (Direction : Sud) pour suggerer que la presence d'elements canadiens n'entrave pas forcement le succes d'une emission. Au fait, on devrait plutot envisager ces elements comme aidant une emission a se differencier de la concurrence.
Intraneural glycosidases. II. Purification and properties of -fucosidase, -fucosidase, -mannosidase and -xylosidase of rat cerebral cortex.

Abstract α- and β-fucosidase (EC 3.2.1.-), α-mannosidase (α- d -mannoside mannohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.24) and β-xylosidase (β- d -xyloside xylohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.37) were purified 980-, 720-, 1900- and 2630-fold from rat cerebral cortex by solubilization with a non-ionic detergent, centrifugation, (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 precipitation, and Sephadex G-100 and DEAE-cellulose column chromatography. The purified enzymes hydrolyzed both p- nitrophenyl glycosides and glycoproteins at rapid rates. The purified β-fucosidase hydrolyzed p- nitrophenyl -β- fucopyranoside ( K m = 2.66·10 −4 M ) but not p- nitrophenyl -α- fucopyranoside . The purified α-fucosidase hydrolyzed p- nitrophenyl -α- fucopyranoside ( K m = 1.33·10 −3 M ), porcine submaxillary mucin ( K m = 1.0·10 −5 M ), porcine submaxillary mucin minus N- acetylneuraminic acid ( K m = 2.7·10 −6 M ) but not p- nitrophenyl -β- fucopyranoside or the α-1,3-fucose of orosomucoid. This enzyme appears to be specific for the α-1,2-linkage but not for the moiety to which fucose is bonded. The purified α-mannosidase catalyzed the hydrolysis of p- nitrophenyl -α- mannopyranoside ( K m = 4.0·10 −4 M ), fetuin minus N- acetylneuraminic acid, galactose and N- acetylglucosamine ( K m = 2.7·10 −5 M ), ovalbumin ( K m = 8.2·10 −4 M ), and ovalbumin minus N- acetylglucosamine ( K m = 2.1·10 −6 M ). β-Xylosidase hydrolyzed p- nitrophenyl -β- xylopyranoside ( K m = 2.7·10 −3 M ) and chondroitin sulfate minus ( N- acetylgalactosamine , glucuronic acid) n , galactose, and galactose ( K m = 3.2·10 −5 M ). For hydrolysis of p- nitrophenylglycosides the following optimal pH's were found: α-fucosidase, 4.3; α-mannosidase, 4.1; β-fucosidase, 3.1; and β-xylosidase, 4.2. At a final concentration of 0.01 M, HgCl 2 inhibited the activity of the purified enzymes by 42 to 85%, with p- nitrophenylglycosides as substrates. The enzymes were rapidly inactivated by incubations for 1 h at temperatures above 40°.
Signaling Through Platelet Integrin αIIbβ3: Inside-out, Outside-in, and Sideways

Cell adhesion, which plays a major role in the response of tissues to injury, involves a wide variety of cells, adhesion receptors, and ligands. Prominent among the cells responding to injury are platelets, the first line of defense against hemorrhage and an early player in the overall process of wound-healing.1 Prominent among the adhesion receptors is αIIbβ3, a platelet-specific integrin essential for hemostasis by virtue of its role in mediating platelet aggregation and platelet spreading on vascular matrices. Prominent among the ligands for αIIbβ3 are the multivalent adhesive proteins, fibrinogen and von Willebrand factor (vWF), which in soluble form, mediate platelet aggregation and, in solid phase, mediate adhesive spreading.2 In addition to the adhesive functions of αIIbβ3, this integrin serves as a bidirectional conduit for biochemical and mechanical information flow across the platelet plasma membrane.3 For example, intracellular signals modulate the ligand-binding function of αIIbβ3 (inside-out signaling), and signals generated by ligation and clustering of αIIbβ3 regulate the extent of platelet aggregation and spreading (outside-in signaling). The relationships between αIIbβ3 and intracellular signaling pathways have been the subject of intense study in human platelets, model cell systems, and more recently, in genetically-modified mice. Although model cells and mouse platelets have become indispensable tools to dissect mechanisms of αIIbβ3 signaling, conclusions drawn from their use must always be validated in human platelets. Despite this caveat, a broad, but still incomplete, picture of integrin signaling in platelets is beginning to emerge. This update will highlight selected recent developments in this area and discuss potential clinical implications.
Dysregulation of Diurnal Cortisol Secretion Affects Abstinence Induction during a Lead‐in Period of a Clinical Trial for Depressed Cocaine‐Dependent Patients

Background and Objective Hypothesizing that stress dysregulation may worsen cocaine dependence, we investigated the effect of diurnal cortisol secretion profile, suppression of cortisol secretion, and total cortisol secretion on retention, abstinence-based voucher earnings, days of cravings, and mood status of participants at the end of a 2-week medication-free lead-in prior to randomization in a clinical trial of mirtazapine (60 mg vs. placebo) for depressed cocaine-dependent patients. Methods We measured saliva cortisol levels at 9 AM, 2 PM, and 5 PM on the first two consecutive days of a 2-week medication-free lead-in period. Results from saliva samples were used to estimate the total daily level of cortisol, the diurnal profile of secretion (typical vs. atypical), and response to dexamethasone suppression (.1 mg). Seventy-seven patients collected saliva samples at baseline, and 65 (85%) were suitable for profile analysis. Results Patients with typical profiles (52%) collected significantly more abstinence-based voucher earnings during the lead-in (U = 299.50, p = .025). Diurnal secretion profile did not significantly affect mood status, days of craving, or retention. There were no significant effects of suppression of cortisol secretion or of total cortisol levels on any outcome measures. Conclusion In a subgroup of cocaine-dependent patients, deviation of cortisol secretion away from the homeostatic diurnal pattern was associated with reduced success at achieving early abstinence, an important determinant of treatment success. (Am J Addict 2014;23:1–6)
Automated guidance from physiological sensing to reduce thermal-work strain levels on a novel task

This experiment demonstrated that automated pace guidance generated from real-time physiological monitoring allowed less stressful completion of a timed (60 minute limit) 5 mile treadmill exercise. An optimal pacing policy was estimated from a Markov decision process that balanced the goals of the movement task and the thermal-work strain safety constraints. The machine guided pace was based on current physiological strain index (PSI), the time, and the distance already completed. Fourteen healthy and fit young subjects participated in the study (9 men, 5 women). Each participated in an unguided exercise session followed by a guided one. In the unguided session, they were instructed to complete 5 miles in 60 minutes and to try to finish at the lowest body temperature possible; in the guided sessions, participants were instructed to match machine-provided pacing guidance provided every 2 minutes. Continuous real-time measures of heart rate and core body temperature were obtained from a wearable Hidalgo EquivitalTM EQ-02 and the MiniMitter Jonah thermometer pill. Of the fourteen subjects, 13 completed the 5 miles in one hour for the unguided session; at least three different self-pacing strategies were observed, with an alternating speed proving to be most effective. In the guided sessions, 6 subjects were stopped by the machine guidance for exceeding the algorithms PSI “safety” limit. Eight subjects were guided to complete the task with significantly lower PSIs. The results indicate that machine guided advice shows promise for preventing hyperthermia and improving outcomes for performers of an unfamiliar task.
Cerebrospinal Fluid Enzymes in Neurological Disease

The recognition of enzymes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) began with reports of acid and alkaline phosphatase activity in 193865,117 and of ribonuclease (RNase) in 1946.211 Numerous enzymes have subsequently been sought in CSF, and the majority have been assayed in neurological diseases. Activities of most of the enzymes examined have been lower in normal CSF than in disease, and they have also been lower in CSF than in blood.242a It thus seems inescapable that their major source in CSF is derived from serum enzymes that enter CSF at the choroid plexus or via permeability of the blood-CSF or blood-brain barrier. Enzymes in CSF also originate from indigenous cells in the central nervous system (CNS) or in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) (from proximal portions of cranial nerves or from spinal roots) and from infiltrating cells (leukocytes) that have reached this extracellular fluid compartment. In most instances, the relative contribution of these or their alteration in disease is not fully understood.
The complex interactions between Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin and epithelial tight junctions.

Abstract Clostridium perfringens enterotoxin (CPE) is responsible for the diarrheal symptoms of C. perfringens type A food poisoning and antibiotic-associated diarrhea. The CPE protein consists of a single 35 kDa polypeptide with a C-terminal receptor-binding region and an N-terminal toxicity domain. Under appropriate conditions, CPE can interact with structural components of the epithelial tight junctions, including certain claudins and occludin. Those interactions can affect tight junction structure and function, thereby altering paracellular permeability and (possibly) contributing to CPE-induced diarrhea. However, the tight junction effects of CPE require cellular damage as a prerequisite. CPE induces cellular damage via its cytotoxic activity, which results from plasma membrane permeability alterations caused by formation of a ∼155 kDa CPE-containing complex that may correspond to a pore. Thus, CPE appears to be a bifunctional toxin that first induces plasma membrane permeability alterations; using the resultant cell damage, CPE then gains access to tight junction proteins and affects tight junction structure and function.
Conversion of a Teacher-Delivered Course into an Interactive Videodisc-Delivered Program.

In 1982, the Central Intelligence Agency started a Spanish language course to teach adults to survive in a Spanish-speaking country in a two-week full-time course. The course was extremely successful and has been copied in several other languages as well as in other government language programs. It takes students with no knowledge of the Ianguage to a 0 + or I level (ILR scale) within two weeks. We finished converting the classroom course in December 1988 into an interactive videodisc course that permits students to learn the same amount (or more) working three to five hours per day at the workstation, with only one additional hour of instruction with a teacher. This paper describes how the project was designed and produced; how it integrates strategies from the Natural Approach and Total Physical Response into an interactive videodisc. The reader will get a good picture of what an interactive videodisc language course actually entails.
Correction for inhomogeneous line broadening in spin labels, II

Abstract Our methods to correct for inhomogeneous line broadening in the EPR of nitroxide spin labels are extended. Previously, knowledge of the hyperfine pattern of the nuclei responsible for the inhomogeneous broadening was necessary in order to carry out the corrections. This normally meant that either a separate NMR experiment or EPR spectral simulation was needed. Here a very simple method is developed, based upon measurement of four points on the experimental EPR spectrum itself, that allows one to carry out the correction procedure with precision rivaling that attained using NMR or spectral simulation. Two associated problems are solved: (1) the EPR signal strength is estimated without the need to carry out double integrations and (2) linewidth ratios, important in calculating rotational correlation times, are corrected. In all cases except one, the corrections are effected from the four measured points using only a hand-held programmable calculator. Experimental examples illustrate the methods and show them to be amazingly accurate.
Air handling unit supply air temperature optimal control during economizer cycles

Abstract Most air handling units (AHUs) in commercial buildings have an air economizer cycle for free cooling under certain outside air conditions. During the economizer cycle, the outside air and return air dampers are modulated to seek supply air temperature at its setpoint. The supply air temperature is typically set at 55 F (13 °C) to control humidity in the space. However, dehumidification is not necessary when the outside air is dry. Meanwhile, the space may have less cooling load due to envelope heat loss and/or occupant schedule changes. These facts provide an opportunity to use higher supply air temperature to reduce or eliminate mechanical cooling and terminal box reheat. On the contrary, a higher supply air temperature requires increased air flow as well as fan power. Therefore, an optimization question is formed, through which an optimal supply air temperature is identified to minimize total energy consumption. In this paper a steady-state energy consumption model is established for AHU systems under the economizer, and then an analytical optimization method is used to seek an optimal supply air temperature setpoint to minimize the energy cost. This paper presents AHU system energy modeling, supply air temperature optimization, simulated energy savings, and control sequence development.
Characterization of platelet binding of heparins and other glycosaminoglycans

Abstract The binding of glycosaminoglycans to intact washed human platelets was studied. The platelet binding of a 3 H-labeled unfractionated heparin was saturable and reached equilibrium in 10–15 minutes. Heparin binding was specific: a 50-fold molar excess of an equivalent unlabeled heparin displaced up to 90% of labeled heparin, while chondroitin sulfate A and hyaluronic acid minimally displaced the binding of labeled heparin. Low molecular weight heparin fragments showed intermediate efficacy in displacing the binding of unfractionated [ 3 h]heparin. Dextran sulfate (M 8,000, sulfation 17%) was as potent as unfractionated heparin in displacing binding, while neutral dextrans were ineffective. We observed that platelet activation by the calcium ionophore A23187 increased heparin binding by 2 to 3-fold, principally by enhancement of binding capacity not binding affinity. This process of heparin binding to the platelet surface may mediate some of the reported effects of heparin on platelet behavior.
Seasonal storage of nutrients by perennial herbaceous species in undisturbed and disturbed deciduous hardwood forests

ABSTRACT Question: Pollution and eutrophication of surface water is increasingly a problem in agricultural landscapes. Do intact (relatively undisturbed) and degraded forests differ in seasonal nutrient storage and therefore potential to ameliorate nutrient pollution? Location: United States, Midwestern region. Methods: We used three sets of paired plots, where intact plots were located close to disturbed woodlands. Herbaceous perennials located in eight 0.25 m2 quadrats in the plots were harvested (in spring and mid-summer), dried, separated into above- and below-ground plant parts, and weighed to determine biomass. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content of the plant tissues were then determined, and these data combined with biomass to estimate nutrient storage. Results: In spring, intact sites had 62% greater above-ground biomass than disturbed sites and 75%greater below-ground biomass. In summer, below-ground biomass of intact plots was still much greater than that of disturbed plots (73 percent), ...
Experimental and theoretical studies of DNA separations by capillary electrophoresis in entangled polymer solutions

Studies of electrophoretic separations of DNA restriction fragments by capillary electrophoresis in solutions of (hydroxyethyl) cellulose (HEC) were performed. Rheological studies were used to confirm that the entanglement threshold (phi*) for the HEC solutions used is approximately 0.004 g/mL, in good agreement with theoretical predictions. A mesh size an order of magnitude smaller than that found in agarose gels (on a per weight basis) was calculated using polymer-entanglement theory and was confirmed by electrophoretic measurements. Electrophoretic migration was shown to follow the Ogston regime under most conditions. An approach for obtaining smaller mesh sizes is presented.
On Combined Phase 1 - Phase 2 Projective Methods for Linear Programming

We compare the projective methods for linear programming due to de Ghellinck and Vial, Anstreicher, Todd, and Fraley. These algorithms have the feature that they approach feasibility and optimality simultaneously, rather than requiring an initial feasible point. We compare the directions used in these methods and the lower-bound updates employed. In many cases the directions coincide and two of the lower-bound updates give the same result. It appears that Todd's direction and Fraley's lower-bound update have slight advantages, and this is borne out in limited computational testing.
Prophylactic methotrexate after linear salpingostomy: a decision analysis

Abstract Objective: To compare two strategies for managing women after linear salpingostomy for treatment of tubal pregnancy: observation and prophylactic methotrexate. Design: Decision analysis. Setting: Outpatient tertiary-care center. Patient(s): One thousand hypothetical women treated with a linear salpingostomy for ectopic pregnancy. Intervention(s): Observation after salpingostomy and treatment of persistent ectopic pregnancy with a single dose of methotrexate (current standard of care) versus treatment with prophylactic methotrexate at the time of salpingostomy. Main Outcome Measure(s): Number of ruptured ectopic pregnancies, surgical procedures, complications, and cost for each group (observation vs. prophylaxis). Result(s): Prophylactic methotrexate results in fewer cases of tubal rupture (0.4% vs. 3.7%) and fewer procedures (1.9% vs. 4.7%) at a lower cost ($67.55 less/patient) compared with observation alone. Methotrexate-associated complications occur more frequently with prophylaxis (5.5% vs. 0.8%). Certain conditions change which strategy is preferable. Observation is the best strategy when the persistent ectopic pregnancy rate is 18%, or the rupture rate of persistent ectopic pregnancies is Conclusion(s): Prophylactic methotrexate at the time of linear salpingostomy for the treatment of ectopic pregnancy is preferable to observation as long as certain conditions exist.
Starch Grain Analysis in California and the Great Basin

AbstractUnderstanding variability in prehistoric diets requires data on plant and animal remains. While zooarchaeological approaches continue to provide fine-grained information on the animal components of diet, plant use is difficult to track within a wide range of archaeological contexts. Starch grain analysis is a proven method for identifying the taxonomic relationships of plant microfossils deposited on archaeological artifacts. Here I report on practical and methodological considerations for the application of starch research to California and Great Basin archaeobotanical remains. The study examines the feasibility of the approach in identifying plant use on a small set (n = 8) of ground stone artifacts recovered from the Leonard Hot Spring locality, Surprise Valley, northeastern California. The exercise yielded a total of 111 starch grains. Of these, 52 were diagnostic of edible plant taxa. The possibilities for monitoring past patterns of plant consumption and variation therein through time and sp...
Intravenous prostacyclin in acute nonhemorrhagic stroke: a placebo-controlled double-blind trial.

The therapeutic efficacy of prostacyclin in nonhemorrhagic cerebral infarction was assessed in a placebo-controlled double-blind trial. A total of 80 patients with stroke onset within 24 hours were randomized into placebo (37 patients) and prostacyclin (43 patients) groups. Demographic data and risk factors were comparable. Patients in the prostacyclin group received a continuous i.v. infusion of prostacyclin at an average rate of 8.5 ng/kg/min for an average of 64 hours. The placebo group received vehicle only in a similar fashion. During treatment hemodynamic changes were more prominent in the patients receiving prostacyclin and included reduction of systolic and diastolic blood pressure and increase in pulse rate. In contrast there was only a slight (but significant) reduction of diastolic blood pressure in the placebo group. Neurologic deficit scores were determined on admission, at Day 3, and at Weeks 1, 2, and 4. Mean neurologic deficit scores upon entry were comparable in the placebo and prostacyclin groups, and a significant improvement in the score for neurologic deficit was noted in both. The placebo group tended to fare better throughout the study, with a significant difference in neurologic deficit score favoring the placebo group at Week 2 (p = 0.0048). Two patients in the placebo and one in the prostacyclin group died. The only difference in adverse reactions was flushing (6 patients in prostacyclin vs. 0 in placebo group, p less than 0.05). The results of this study suggest a lack of therapeutic efficacy of prostacyclin in a defined population of patients with nonhemorrhagic cerebral infarction.
Exposure to school and community based prevention programs and reductions in cigarette smoking among adolescents in the United States, 2000-08.

Abstract Smoking remains prevalent among US youth despite decades of antismoking efforts. Effects from exposure to prevention programs at national level may provide informative and compelling data supporting better planning and strategy for tobacco control. A national representative sample of youth 12–17 years of age from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health was analyzed. A 3-stage model was devised to estimate smoking behavior transitions using cross-sectional data and the Probabilistic Discrete Event System method. Cigarette smoking measures (prevalence rates and odds ratios) were compared between exposed and non-exposed youth. More than 95% of the sample was exposed to prevention programs. Exposure was negatively associated with lifetime smoking and past 30-day smoking with a dose–response relation. Reduction in smoking was related to increased quitting in 2000–02, to increased quitting and declined initiation in 2003–05, and to initiation, quitting and relapse in 2005–08. Findings of this analysis suggest that intervention programs in the United States can reduce cigarette smoking among youth. Quitting smoking was most responsive to program exposure and relapse was most sensitive to funding cuts since 2003. Health policy and decision makers should consider these factors in planning and revising tobacco control strategies.
Mps1 as a link between centrosomes and genomic instability.

Centrosomes are microtubule-organizing centers that must be precisely duplicated before mitosis. Centrosomes regulate mitotic spindle assembly, and the presence of excess centrosomes leads to the production of aberrant mitotic spindles which generate chromosome segregation errors. Many human tumors possess excess centrosomes that lead to the production of abnormal spindles in situ. In some tumors, these extra centrosomes appear before aneuploidy, suggesting that defects in centrosome duplication might promote genomic instability and tumorigenesis. The Mps1 protein kinase is required for centrosome duplication, and preventing the proteasome-dependent degradation of Mps1 at centrosomes increases its local concentration and causes the production of excess centrosomes during a prolonged S-phase. Here, we show that Mps1 degradation is misregulated in two tumor-derived cell lines, and that the failure to appropriately degrade Mps1 correlates with the ability of these cells to produce extra centrosomes during a prolonged S-phase. In the 21NT breast-tumor derived cell line, a mutant Mps1 protein that is normally constitutively degraded can accumulate at centrosomes and perturb centrosome duplication, suggesting that these cells have a defect in the mechanisms that target Mps1 to the proteasome. In contrast, the U2OS osteosarcoma cell line expresses a nondegradable form of Mps1, which we show causes the dose-dependent over duplication of centrioles even at very low levels of expression. Our data demonstrate that defects in Mps1 degradation can occur through multiple mechanisms, and suggest that Mps1 may provide a link between the control of centrosome duplication and genomic instability. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Transient crowd discovery on the real-time social web

In this paper, we study the problem of automatically discovering and tracking transient crowds in highly-dynamic social messaging systems like Twitter and Facebook. Unlike the more static and long-lived group-based membership offered on many social networks (e.g., fan of the LA Lakers), a transient crowd is a short-lived ad-hoc collection of users, representing a "hotspot" on the real-time web. Successful detection of these hotspots can positively impact related research directions in online event detection, content personalization, social information discovery, etc. Concretely, we propose to model crowd formation and dispersion through a message-based communication clustering approach over time-evolving graphs that captures the natural conversational nature of social messaging systems. Two of the salient features of the proposed approach are (i) an efficient locality- based clustering approach for identifying crowds of users in near real-time compared to more heavyweight static clustering algorithms; and (ii) a novel crowd tracking and evolution approach for linking crowds across time periods. We find that the locality-based clustering approach results in empirically high-quality clusters relative to static graph clus- tering techniques at a fraction of the computational cost. Based on a three month snapshot of Twitter consisting of 711,612 users and 61.3 million messages, we show how the proposed approach can successfully identify and track interesting crowds based on the Twitter communication structure and uncover crowd-based topics of interest.