cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A review of potential microbiome-gut-brain axis mediated neurocognitive conditions in persons living with HIV.

Abstract The microbiome-gut-brain axis, or the various interactions between the gut microbiome and the brain, has been of recent interest in the context of precision medicine research for a variety of disease states. Persons living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH) experience higher degrees of neurocognitive decline than the general population, correlating with a disruption of the normal gut microbiome composition (i.e. dysbiosis). While the nature of this correlation remains to be determined, there is the potential that the microbiome-gut-brain axis contributes to the progression of this disease. Previous research has established that the pathology associated with HIV induces alterations in the composition of gut microbiome, including a shift from Bacteroides to Prevotella dominance, and compromises gut barrier integrity, which may promote microbial translocation and consequent systemic inflammation and exacerbation of neuroinflammation. Further, though the use of antiretroviral therapy has been found to partially counteract HIV-related dysbiosis, it may also induce its own dysbiosis patterns, presenting a unique challenge for this research. More recent research has suggested the gut microbiome as a target for therapeutic interventions to improve symptoms associated with a variety of disease states, including HIV. Early findings are promising and warrant further research regarding the gut microbiome as a potential modifiable factor to improve health outcomes for PLWH. This review will discuss the current knowledge concerning the neuropathogenesis of HIV in the brain, role of the gut microbiome in neuroinflammation, and the relationship between HIV-status and the gut microbiome, followed by a conclusion that synthesizes this information within the context of the microbiome-gut-brain axis among PLWH. This review will also highlight the limitations of existing studies and propose future directions of this research.
Risk of suicide attempt in reserve versus active component soldiers during deployment to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan

Introduction Little is known about the degree to which U.S. Army soldiers in the Reserve Components (Army National Guard and Army Reserve) and Active Component (Regular Army) differ with respect suicide attempt (SA) risk during high-stress times, such as deployment. Method Using administrative person-month records of enlisted soldiers on active duty during 2004-2009, we identified 1170 soldiers with a medically documented SA during deployment and an equal-probability control sample of other deployed soldiers (n = 52,828 person-months). Logistic regression analyses examined the association of Army component (Guard/Reserve vs. Regular) with SA before and after adjusting for socio-demographic and service-related predictors. Results Guard/Reserve comprised 32.1% of enlisted soldiers and 19.7% of suicide attempters in-theater, with a SA rate of 81/100,000 person-years (vs. 157/100,000 person-years among Regular; rate ratio = 0.5 [95% CI = 0.5-0.6]). Risk peaked near mid-deployment for both groups but was consistently lower for Guard/Reserve throughout deployment. Guard/Reserve had lower odds of SA after adjusting for covariates (OR = 0.7 [95%CI = 0.6-0.8]). Predictors of SA were similar between components. Conclusions Guard/Reserve and Regular soldiers had similar patterns and predictors of SA during deployment, but Guard/Reserve had lower risk even after controlling for important risk factors. Additional research is needed to understand the lower SA risk among Guard/Reserve in-theater.
E/M Coding in 2021: The Times (and More) Are A-Changin'

Major revisions for commonly reported office and outpatient evaluation and management (E/M) codes were implemented on January 1, 2021, by the American Medical Association and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The goal of these changes was to simplify and streamline these service codes, with time and medical decision-making (MDM) now being the sole determinants of the overall E/M level. We present an overview of the new guidelines, requirements, and code descriptors to aid in accurate documentation and billing. Additional resources are provided if further billing and coding questions arise.
Chronic high-fat feeding and prolonged fasting in liver-specific ANGPTL4 knockout mice.

1) Angiopoietin-like 4 deficiency in hepatocytes (Angptl4LivKO) does not improve triglyceride phenotypes during high-fat feeding. 2) Angptl4LivKO mice have improved glucose tolerance after chronic ...
HierST: A Unified Hierarchical Spatial-temporal Framework for COVID-19 Trend Forecasting

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has largely influenced the world and our normal daily lives. To combat this pandemic efficiently, governments usually need to coordinate essential resources across multiple regions and adjust intervention polices at the right time, which all call for accurate and robust forecasting of future epidemic trends. However, designing such a forecasting system is non-trivial, since we need to handle all kinds of locations at different administrative levels, which include pretty different epidemic-evolving patterns. Moreover, there are dynamic and volatile correlations of pandemic conditions among these locations, which further enlarge the difficulty in forecasting. With these challenges in mind, we develop a novel spatial-temporal forecasting framework. First, to accommodate all kinds of locations at different administrative levels, we propose a unified hierarchical view, which mimics the aggregation procedure of pandemic statistics. Then, this view motivates us to facilitate joint learning across administrative levels and inspires us to design the cross-level consistency loss as an extra regularization to stabilize model training. Besides, to capture those dynamic and volatile spatial correlations, we design a customized spatial module with adaptive edge gates, which can both reinforce effective messages and disable irrelevant ones. We put this framework into production to help the battle against COVID-19 in the United States. A comprehensive online evaluation across three months demonstrates that our projections are the most competitive ones among all results produced by dozens of international group and even surpass the official ensemble in many cases. We also visualize our unique edge gates to understand the evolvement of spatial correlations and present intuitive case studies. Besides, we open source our implementation at https://github.com/dolphin-zs/HierST to facilitate future research towards better epidemic modeling.
Nutritional status significantly affects toxicological endpoints in the CDC bottle bioassay.

BACKGROUND The CDC Bottle Bioassay serves as an inexpensive and effective way to screen field-caught mosquitoes against a wide variety of insecticidal active ingredients and commercial formulations, with the goal of detecting resistant individuals. For this study, we assessed how sucrose-water (10% w/v) feeding status impacted the response of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes to select insecticides. RESULTS Starvation for 24 or 48 h decreased permethrin and malathion mean survival time by about 40%, with little difference in the two starvation times. Similar findings were also observed in a pyrethroid-resistant Puerto Rico strain challenged with permethrin, but these effects were less pronounced. To test the impact of mosquito weight, we measured weight under different 48-h nutritional conditions and found that sugar-water-fed and sugar-only-fed individuals were approximately the same weight (ANOVA, Bonferroni post-test P value >0.999) and that individuals fed water only were considerably lighter than either sugar-water-fed (ANOVA, Bonferroni post-test P value = 0.034) or sugar-only-fed individuals (ANOVA, Bonferroni post-test P value = 0.027) but equal in weight to starved mosquitoes (ANOVA, Bonferroni post-test P value >0.99). Of the nutritional challenges, water-only-fed mosquitoes were the most insecticide tolerant (ANOVA, Bonferroni post-test P values to all other treatments <0.01). CONCLUSIONS The results indicate insect nutritional status is an important experimental variable, particularly the hydration status of mosquitoes shortly before insecticide exposure. Moreover, as significant differences were observed between starved and component-fed (water, sugar, or sugar and water) mosquitoes in a pyrethroid-resistant strain, some caution is appropriate when interpreting resistance/susceptibility diagnoses with this bioassay.
Three-Dimensional Unsteady Simulation of Aerodynamics and Heat Transfer in a Modern High Pressure Turbine Stage

Unsteady 3-D RANS simulations have been performed on a highly loaded transonic turbine stage and results are compared to steady calculations as well as to experiment. A low Reynolds number k-epsilon turbulence model is employed to provide closure for the RANS system. A phase-lag boundary condition is used in the tangential direction. This allows the unsteady simulation to be performed by using only one blade from each of the two rows. The objective of this work is to study the effect of unsteadiness on rotor heat transfer and to glean any insight into unsteady flow physics. The role of the stator wake passing on the pressure distribution at the leading edge is also studied. The simulated heat transfer and pressure results agreed favorably with experiment. The time-averaged heat transfer predicted by the unsteady simulation is higher than the heat transfer predicted by the steady simulation everywhere except at the leading edge. The shock structure formed due to stator-rotor interaction was analyzed. Heat transfer and pressure at the hub and casing were also studied. Thermal segregation was observed that leads to the heat transfer patterns predicted by steady and unsteady simulations to be different.
Three-dimensional multifluid modeling of atmospheric electrodynamics in Mars' dynamo region

[1] The interactions between Mars' unique crustal magnetic fields and upper atmospheric particles lead to the formation of currents in the ionospheric dynamo region. This work is specifically focused on the collisions between ions, electrons, and neutrals in the atmospheric column of Mars. The remanent fields embedded in the Martian crust generate a very rich magnetic topology with important variations in terms of geometry and amplitude. Here we present mesoscale, self-consistent, three-dimensional, multifluid simulations of Mars' ionospheric electrodynamics in the dynamo region (∼100–400 km altitude), where differential motions of ions and electrons occur. In particular, we develop and validate a new method through the study of simple, uniform magnetic geometries. Our results demonstrate the existence of a dynamo current in the Martian atmosphere, which depends on the magnitude of the applied magnetic field and the neutral wind speeds. The simulation outputs are analyzed from mathematical and physical perspectives to identify the dominant processes at work in the formation of this current. Both case studies presented in this paper are qualitatively and quantitatively consistent with theoretical estimates and confirm the validity of the model, hence laying the groundwork for future studies of Mars' atmosphere using this new approach.
Habeas Without Rights

For almost six years, the habeas corpus petitions brought by foreign detainees held by the United States at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, have been stalled because the courts have struggled to answer a single question: whether the detainees possess enforceable rights. Although that question remains unresolved, the courts have uniformly concluded that the Guantanamo detainees' habeas claims, as well as the habeas claims brought by other accused enemy combatants, require a showing that the detainees possess cognizable rights violated by the detentions, most especially constitutional rights. This Article argues that the courts have been asking the wrong question and that habeas relief does not require the possession of rights. For most of the long history of habeas corpus, courts resolved habeas claims by determining whether the jailer had authority to impose detention, without undertaking any inquiry into the petitioner's rights. Habeas did not address "rights" in the modern sense of a discrete group of personal trumps against governmental action, such as those protected by the Bill of Rights. Habeas did not protect rights in this sense for a simple reason: habeas predates rights. Rather than addressing rights, habeas cases traditionally were framed in terms of power: "The question is," Justice Marshall asked in Ex parte Burford, "what authority has the jailor to detain him?" In the Guantanamo detainee cases, the traditional habeas inquiry would require the government to establish, as a matter of fact and law, that the detainees are enemy combatants.
Site-specific tolerance tables and indexing device to improve patient setup reproducibility.

While the implementation of tools such as image-guidance and immobilization devices have helped to prevent geometric misses in radiation therapy, many treatments remain prone to error if these items are not available, not utilized for every fraction, or are misused. The purpose of this project is to design a set of site-specific treatment tolerance tables to be applied to the treatment couch for use in a record and verify (R&V) system that will insure accurate patient setup with minimal workflow interruption. This project also called for the construction of a simple indexing device to help insure reproducible patient setup for patients that could not be indexed with existing equipment. The tolerance tables were created by retrospective analysis on a total of 66 patients and 1,308 treatments, separating them into five categories based on disease site: lung, head and neck (H&N), breast, pelvis, and abdomen. Couch parameter tolerance tables were designed to encompass 95% of treatments, and were generated by calculating the standard deviation of couch vertical, longitudinal, and lateral values using the first day of treatment as a baseline. We also investigated an alternative method for generating the couch tolerances by updating the baseline values when patient position was verified with image guidance. This was done in order to adapt the tolerances to any gradual changes in patient setup that would not correspond with a mistreatment. The tolerance tables and customizable indexing device were then implemented for a trial period in order to determine the feasibility of the system. During this trial period we collected data from 1,054 fractions from 65 patients. We then analyzed the number of treatments that would have been out of tolerance, as well as whether or not the tolerances or setup techniques should be adjusted. When the couch baseline values were updated with every imaging fraction, the average rate of tolerance violations was 10% for the lung, H&N, abdomen, and pelvis treatments. Using the indexing device, tolerances for patients with pelvic disease decreased (e.g., from 5.3 cm to 4.3 cm longitudinally). Unfortunately, the results from breast patients were highly variable due to the complexity of the setup technique, making the couch an inadequate surrogate for measuring setup accuracy. In summary, we have developed a method to turn the treatment couch parameters within the R&V system into a useful alert tool, which can be implemented at other institutions, in order to identify potential errors in patient setup.
Rapid prototyping using FRORL language

Presents a knowledge-based rapid prototyping system that facilitates the documentation, analysis, and development of a software system. The particular application domain to be modeled is represented in terms of objects and activities. A frame-and-rule oriented requirements language (FRORL) is developed to describe the objects and activities of the problem domain. FRORL is designed to capture most of the semantics of the application domain, thus making it possible to translate the requirements specification directly to the Prolog code. The checking for correctness of the specification developed in FRORL using a resolution strategy is also presented. >
Protein Kinase C alpha promotes tumor growth by initiating a feed-forward network involving miR15a and Cyclin E deregulation

3586 Protein Kinase C alpha (PKCα) has been implicated in cancer but the mechanism is unknown. Here we show that PKCα inhibitors decrease proliferation in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell lines and inhibit growth of xenografted SCC tumors. PKCα enhances cyclin E protein expression and cyclinE/cdk2 complex formation required for DNA synthesis through inhibition of the microRNA, miR15a. Tissue analysis reveals positive and negative correlations between PKCα and cyclin E or miR15a, respectively; PKCα is also associated with head and neck cancer progression and poor prognosis. These results identify PKCα as a key regulator of tumor growth via activation of a feed-forward network leading to enhanced protein translation followed by increased transcription of E2F target genes that sustain the proliferative signal.
Control of nonlinear steam generation process with time lags usings an H ∞ design

In [15], the first application of the H∞ design methodology to a gas- or oil-fired boiler was presented. The initial model, however, did not contain time delays. Recent experiments conducted by the authors on the actual plant indicated that time delays play a noticeable role in the system dynamics, and motivated the improvement of the model through the inclusion of time delays. The corresponding redesign of an H∞ controller that takes into account lags is carried out in this paper, with the order of the controller having fourteen states less prior to model reduction, and three states less in the final controller, in comparison to that of [15] while preserving similar performance and robustness of the design. In addition, the paper demonstrates a trade-off between the reduction of controller order and the loss of controller performance and investigates the necessity for more than a single controller to satisfy performance and robostness criteria for a full range of operating regimes.
Demand clustering in freight logistics networks

Demand clustering in freight logistics networks is an important strategic decision for carriers. It is used to incorporate new business to their networks, detecting potential economies, optimizing their operation, and developing revenue management strategies. A specific example of demand clustering is truckload combinatorial auctions where carriers bundle lanes of demand and price them taking advantage of economies of scope. This research presents a novel approach to cluster lanes of demand. Community detection is used to cluster the emergent network finding profitable collections of demand. Numerical results show the advantages of this method.
THE POLITICS OF LITERATURE IN THE ENGLISH REPUBLIC

(1990). THE POLITICS OF LITERATURE IN THE ENGLISH REPUBLIC. The Seventeenth Century: Vol. 5, No. 2, pp. 133-155.
Google chemtrails: a methodology to analyze topic representation in search engine results

Search engine results influence the visibility of different viewpoints in political, cultural, and scientific debates. Treating search engines as editorial products with intrinsic biases can help understand the structure of information flows in new media. This paper outlines an empirical methodology to analyze the representation of topics in search engines, reducing the spatial and temporal biases in the results. As a case study, the methodology is applied to 15 popular conspiracy theories, examining type of content and ideological bias, demonstrating how this approach can inform debates in this field, specifically in relation to the representation of non-mainstream positions, the suppression of controversies and relativism.
The Role of Online Learning in the Emergency Plans of Flagship Institutions

The study researched the websites of the 50 state flagship higher education institutions to investigate whether and how online or distance learning were included in the institutions’ emergency plans as solutions to emergencies such as H1N1. All 50 institutions had identical directions to students and staff on how to handle the H1N1 flu, but two-thirds (n=34) did not include any reference to online learning as a way to continue coursework. One-third (n=16) did include suggestions to faculty to find alternative ways of delivering courses, using technology or specific tools to do so, but only one of these institutions actually mentioned online learning.
Lower bounds for lower Ramsey numbers

For any graph G, let i(G) and μ;(G) denote the smallest number of vertices in a maximal independent set and maximal clique, respectively. For positive integers m and n, the lower Ramsey number s(m, n) is the largest integer p so that every graph of order p has i(G) ≤ m or μ;(G) ≤ n. In this paper we give several new lower bounds for s (m, n) as well as determine precisely the values s(1, n).
Theory of ionic effects on intermolecular interactions in polyions: Application to ethidium binding to DNA

A macromolecular association scheme is presented whereby a unification of macromolecular interaction and polyelectrolyte theories is developed facilitating an understanding of ion effects on polyelectrolyte transitions. The theory follows the Debye-Huckel-Manning treatment for calculating the difference in net fractional charge associated with a polyelectrolyte undergoing a transition. This fractional charge is used to calculate the intramolecular electrostatic energy which is associated with counterion release. This theory is applied to the intercalation of the ethidium cation into DNA. These preliminary results suggest that the theory should contribute to an understanding of the subtleties involved in electrostatic interactions with DNA and should prove to be an asset in the development of therapeutic drug effectiveness and specificity under physiological (salt) conditions.
Polyimides synthesized from 4,4'-(1,2-ethynediyl) bis (phthalic anhydride)

Preparation par polycondensation avec des diamines aromatiques et par copolycondensation avec le p,p'-4,4' α,α-dimethyl-methylenediphenylenedioxy bis-(anhydride phtalique). Les polyimides ont des Tg elevees, des temperatures de decomposition superieures a 500°C et sont non ou peu solubles dans la NMP
Effects of caffeine, Ca++, capacitation time, and strain on in vitro fertilization in mice

Oocytes (N=2922) were collected from superovulated female C57B16/J X DBA2/J (B6D2F1) mice and distributed among 48 treatments consisting of a 2×3×2×2×2 factorial design. The factors were strain of spermatozoa, B6D2F1 or SJL/J; caffeine concentration in the fertilization medium, 0,2, or 6 mM; time oocytes were exposed to sperm, 1 or 2 hours; Ca++ concentration in the capacitation medium, 0 or 1.8 mM; and capacitation time, 1 or 2 hr. Ova were observed 400 min after they were initially exposed to 105 spermatozoa per ml. Ova with two or more pronuclei and a second polar body were considered fertilized, In vitro embryonic development was monitored for 5 days. B6D2F1 spermatozoa resulted in consistently higher rates of fertilization than SJL spermatozoa, 77.5% vs 38.7% when averaged over other treatments. Caffeine concentrations of 0,2, and 6 mM resulted in respective mean fertilization rates of 50.1%, 58.8%, and 65.4% (P<0.005) when averaged over other factors. Fertilization rates of ova exposed 1 and 2 hr to sperm were 53.0% and 63.3% (P<0.005). B6D2F1 spermatozoa capacitated in medium with 1.8 mM Ca++ fertilized more ova (P<0.01), 83.1%, than when no Ca++ was present, 71.9%; this effect was absent with SJL spermatozoa. The effect of capacitation time depended on strain. Fertilization rates with B6D2F1 spermatozoa were higher, 80.1%, with a 2-hour capacitation time than with a 1-hour capacitation time, 75.0%. Exactly the opposite was true for the SJL spermatozoa; 43.4% for the 1-hour and 34.1% for 2-hour capacitation (P<.01). Development to the blastocyst stage was significantly greater (P<0.025) for ova fertilized by B6D2F1 (26.8%) than by SJL spermatozoa (17.7%).
A Three-Faceted Educational Approach to Catalyze Innovation

Dual degree programs are becoming increasingly common at universities, especially in the US. The unique highlight of the program in Arizona is that it concurrently emphasizes systematic study of the critical field of entrepreneurship. All participants in this program undergo formal studies and training in the area of entrepreneurship area, leading to the award of a formal certificate. This is the probably the first program in the world where one can receive a regular MBA degree, another masters degree in a specific domain of science or technology, and a coveted certificate in entrepreneurship, all in less than two years time.
Diversity, biogenesis and function of microbial amyloids

Amyloid is a distinct β-sheet-rich fold that many proteins can acquire. Frequently associated with neurodegenerative diseases in humans, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, amyloids are traditionally considered the product of protein misfolding. However, the amyloid fold is now recognized as a ubiquitous part of normal cellular biology. Functional amyloids have been identified in nearly all facets of cellular life, with microbial functional amyloids leading the way. Unlike disease-associated amyloids, functional amyloids are assembled by dedicated, directed pathways and ultimately perform a physiological function that benefits the organism. The evolved amyloid assembly and disassembly pathways of microbes have provided novel insights into how cells have harnessed the amyloid assembly process for productive means. An understanding of functional amyloid biogenesis promises to provide a fresh perspective on the molecular events that underlie disease-associated amyloidogenesis. Here, we review functional microbial amyloids with an emphasis on curli fibers and their role in promoting biofilm formation and other community behaviors.
Working memory in the oldest-old: evidence from output serial position curves.

In the present study, we examined adult age differences in short-term and working memory performance in middle-aged (45–64 years), young–old (65–74 years), old–old (75–89 years), and oldest–old adults (90 years and over) in the Louisiana Healthy Aging Study. Previous research suggests that measures of working memory are more sensitive to age effects than are simple tests of short-term memory Bopp and Verhaeghen (Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences 60:223–233, 2005), Myerson, Emery, White, and Hale, (Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition 10:20–27, 2003). To test this hypothesis, we examined output serial position curves of recall data from three span tasks: forward and backward digit span and size judgment span. Participants’ recall patterns in the size judgment span task revealed that the two oldest groups of adults showed the largest decreases in recall performance across output serial positions, but did not differ significantly from each other. Correlation analyses indicated the strongest negative correlation with age occurred with the size judgment span task. Implications of these findings for understanding strategic processing abilities in late life are discussed.
Tandem Homogeneous Metathesis/Heterogeneous Hydrogenation: Preparing Model Ethylene/CO2 and Ethylene/CO Copolymers

Addition of silica gel to a completed homogeneous metathesis polymerization catalyzed by Cl2(Cy3P)2RuCHPh (1) converts the residue of 1 to a highly effective heterogeneous olefin hydrogenation catalyst. Quantitative olefin hydrogenation of the unsaturated polymer under very mild conditions occurs in the presence of a variety of functional groups. This tandem homogeneous metathesis/heterogeneous hydrogenation procedure is used to prepare commercially relevant polyethylene-based materials, such as sequence ordered ethylene/CO2 and ethylene/CO copolymers as well as telechelic polyethylene.
Heat shock proteins of adult and embryonic human ocular lenses

We investigated the presence and distribution of heat shock proteins, HSP-70 [Horwitz, J. 1992. Proc Natl Acad Sci 89:10449-10453], HSP-40, HSc-70, HSP-27, and alphabeta-crystallin in different regions of adult and fetal human lenses and in aging human lens epithelial cells. This study was undertaken because heat shock proteins may play an important role in the maintenance of the supramolecular organization of the lens proteins. Human adult and fetal lenses were dissected to separate the epithelium, superficial cortex, intermediate cortex, and nucleus. The water soluble and insoluble protein fractions were separated by SDS-PAGE, and transferred to nitrocellulose paper. Specific antibodies were used to identify the presence of heat shock proteins in distinct regions of the lens. HSP-70 [Horwitz, 1992], HSP-40, and HSc-70 immunoreactivity was mainly detected in the epithelium and superficial cortical fiber cells of the adult human lens. The small heat shock proteins, HSP-27 and alphabeta-crystallin were found in all regions of the lens. Fetal human lenses showed immunoreactivity to all heat shock proteins. An aging study revealed a decrease in heat shock protein levels, except for HSP-27. The presence of HSP-70 [Horwitz, 1992], HSP-40, and HSc-70 in the epithelium and superficial cortical fiber cells imply a regional cell specific function, whereas the decrease of heat shock protein with age could be responsible for the loss of optimal protein organization, and the eventual appearance of age-related cataract.
Impedance based sensing of the specific binding reaction between Staphylococcus enterotoxin B and its antibody on an ultra-thin platinum film.

Abstract Immunobiosensing techniques to measure specific antigen-antibody binding reactions are important in the development of biosensor applications in biotechnology, in vitro diagnosis, medicine and food technology. An immunobiosensor was constructed to measure the specific binding reaction between Staphylococcus enterotoxin B (SEB) and anti-SEB antibodies. The biosensor comprised an anti-SEB bioactive layer covalently immobilized on an ultra-thin platinum (Pt) film sputtered onto a 100 nm thick silicon dioxide layer on a silicon chip. The Pt film was discontinuous with a normal thickness of 25 A. The impedance of the Pt film decreased during the binding of the anti-SEB to SEB in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) at room temperature. The impedance decreases were irreversible in PBS before saturation of the specific binding sites. When saturated, the impedance at 100 Hz was 14% of the value obtained for the fresh anti-SEB layer in PBS. The magnitude of the impedance (∥Z∥) decrease followed a simple relationship with SEB concentration in the range between 0.389 and 10.70 ng/ml SEB. The specificity of the biosensor was demonstrated by showing that no irreversible impedance decreases occurred when the sensor was exposed to 100 ng/ml κ-casein, α-casein, or α-lactalbumin, in PBS.
Control of respiration by the mitochondrial phosphorylation state.

Abstract The time dependence of oxygen consumption of actively respiring mitochondria has been studied in detail as adenosine diphosphate (ADP) becomes depleted, and the dependence on exogenous adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and orthophosphate (Pi) has been investigated. The results are consistent with a model having the electron transport and phosphorylation processes in chemical equilibrium with the extramitochondrial phosphorylation state, [ATP] [ADP] [Pi], and the respiration rate proportional to the concentration of reduced cytochrome a3. The latter is, in turn, dependent upon the phosphorylation state. The mathematical shape of polarographic oxygen consumption curves between the region of excess ADP and the region of minimum ADP has been calculated from the model, and agreement has been found with the experimentally measured rates of oxygen consumption during ADP depletion.
Cumulative impacts on water quality functions of wetlands

The total effect of cumulative impacts on the water quality functions of wetlands cannot be predicted from the sum of the effects each individual impact would have by itself. The wetland is not a simple filter; it embodies chemical, physical, and biotic processes that can detain, transform, release, or produce a wide variety of substances. Because wetland water quality functions result from the operation of many individual, distinct, and quite dissimilar mechanisms, it is necessary to consider the nature of each individual process. Sound knowledge of the various wetland processes is needed to make guided judgements about the probable effects of a given suite of impacts. Consideration of these processes suggests that many common wetland alterations probably do entail cumulative impact. In addition to traditional assessment methods, the wetland manager may need to obtain appropriate field measurements of water quality-related parameters at specific sites; such data can aid in predicting the effects of cumulative impact or assessing the results of past wetland management.
Dimethyl celecoxib as a novel non-cyclooxygenase 2 therapy in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.

Objectives The cyclooxygenase 2 enzyme has become a therapeutic target in cancer treatment. Cyclooxygenase 2 blockade with selective inhibitors increases apoptosis and decreases the metastatic potential of lung cancer cells. Some of the antitumor effects of these inhibitors may occur through both cyclooxygenase 2-dependent and independent pathways. Our goal was to investigate these pathways using celecoxib (selective cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitor) and 2,5-dimethyl celecoxib, a structural analog modified to eliminate cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitory activity, while potentially maintaining antineoplastic properties. Methods 2,5-Dimethyl celecoxib was synthesized in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Southern California. With the use of non–small cell lung cancer cells (A549), prostaglandin E 2 production was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to assess cyclooxygenase 2 activity. Cell proliferation was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-5-(3-carboxymethoxyphenyl)-2-(4-sulfophenyl)-2H-tetrazolium, inner salt assay. Cell migration was performed using transwell inserts that were matrigel coated for invasion experiments. Gelatin zymography was used to assess matrix-metalloproteinase activity. Results 2,5-Dimethyl celecoxib did not inhibit interleukin-1β–stimulated prostaglandin E 2 production, whereas celecoxib did even at low doses. Both celecoxib and 2,5-dimethyl celecoxib decreased tumor cell viability and proliferation with IC 50 for celecoxib and 2,5-dimethyl celecoxib of 73 and 53 μmol/L, respectively. Both drugs were also potent inducers of apoptosis, and both inhibited tumor cell migration and invasion. This was associated with down-regulation of matrix metalloproteinase activity. Conclusions 2,5-Dimethyl celecoxib is a structural analog of celecoxib that lacks cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitory activity but exhibits significant antineoplastic properties comparable to celecoxib. This suggests that the antineoplastic activities of celecoxib are, at least in part, cyclooxygenase independent and that therapeutic strategies can be developed without the side effects of global cyclooxygenase 2 blockade.
Explosive assault on ω

Discussion relative a l'utilisation des supernovae extragalactiques de type I comme methode de mesure du parametre de densite cosmologique Ω et de la geometrie de l'espace
Measurements of the Superfluid Joule–Thomson Refrigerator Using High Concentration 3 He– 4 He Mixtures

The superfluid Joule–Thomson refrigerator (SJTR) uses a liquid superfluid 3He–4He mixture to provide cooling below 1 K. Performance measurements of the SJTR using 5% and 11% 3He concentration mixtures are reported. High concentration operation shows higher cooling powers at high temperature. Ultimate temperatures are seen to increase with increasing concentration due to a pinching of the temperature defect in the recuperative heat exchanger. This pinching effect is due to the variation of the heat capacity of the 3He–4He mixture with temperature and concentration and is discussed in detail and design changes are suggested to mitigate it.
Characterization of the Effect of NaCl and Trehalose on the Thermotropic Hysteresis of DOPC Lipids during Freeze/Thaw

This study characterizes the freeze/thaw behavior of large unilamellar DOPC vesicles in the presence of 0.5 or 4 M NaCl and 73 to 146 mM trehalose using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Differences in lipid hydration between cooling and heating caused hysteresis in lipid phase change behavior and altered post-thaw lipid chain order. Lipids transitioned to a more ordered state during cooling. However, with heating, there was further conversion to a more ordered state at temperatures lower than the chain melting temperature. This conversion was more pronounced at higher concentrations of NaCl due to the formation of NaCl dihydrate crystals and the resulting changes in lipid hydration. Trehalose was shown to be capable of abrogating the severe dehydration effect at sufficiently high trehalose/NaCl concentrations by suppressing the formation of the NaCl dihydrate crystals. Moreover, trehalose enhanced recovery of prefreeze membrane structure.
Genetics and alcoholism

Alcohol is widely consumed; however, excessive use creates serious physical, psychological and social problems and contributes to the pathogenesis of many diseases. Alcohol use disorders (that is, alcohol dependence and alcohol abuse) are maladaptive patterns of excessive drinking that lead to serious problems. Abundant evidence indicates that alcohol dependence (alcoholism) is a complex genetic disease, with variations in a large number of genes affecting a person's risk of alcoholism. Some of these genes have been identified, including two genes involved in the metabolism of alcohol (ADH1B and ALDH2) that have the strongest known affects on the risk of alcoholism. Studies continue to reveal other genes in which variants affect the risk of alcoholism or related traits, including GABRA2, CHRM2, KCNJ6 and AUTS2. As more variants are analysed and studies are combined for meta-analysis to achieve increased sample sizes, an improved picture of the many genes and pathways that affect the risk of alcoholism will be possible.
Finding the First Generation of Stars and Black Holes

The first stars and black holes that formed in the Universe are likely too faint for a direct detection. However, by ionizing most of the intergalactic medium (IGM), they left an indirect clue that reveals their existence. We discuss currently available observational constraints on the reionization history of IGM, and the extent to which accreting black holes (BHs) and stars can help account for these observations. We argue, based on the combined statistics of Lyman a and β absorption in quasar spectra, that the IGM contains a significant amount of neutral hydrogen with n HI /n H ≥ 0.1. On the other hand, we argue, based on the lack of a strong evolution in the observed abundance of Lyman a emitting galaxies beyond z ∼ 5.5, that the mean neutral hydrogen fraction cannot exceed n HI /n H 0.3 at the same redshift. We conclude that the IGM is experiencing rapid ionization at redshift z ∼ 6. We find that quasar BHs, including faint ones that are individually below the detection thresholds of existing optical and X-ray surveys, are unlikely to drive the evolution of the neutral fraction around this epoch, because they would over-produce the present-day soft X-ray background. On the other hand, the seeds of the z ∼ 6 quasar BHs likely appeared at much earlier epochs (2 ∼ 20), and produced hard ionizing radiation by accretion. These early BHs are promising candidates to account for the high redshift (z ∼ 15) ionization implied by the recent cosmic microwave anisotropy data from WMAP. Using a model for the growth of BHs by accretion and mergers in a hierarchical cosmology, we suggest that the early growth of quasars must include a super-Eddington growth phase, and that, although not yet optically identified, the FIRST radio survey may have already detected several thousand > 10 8 M ○. BHs at z > 6.
Notes on the Ecology of Pheidole oxyops FOREL in Paraguay (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Colonies of Pheidole oxyops FOREL were found randomly dispersed at densities of 5.2 nests · ha−1 in semideciduous hardwood forests near Asuncion, Paraguay. Peak foraging intensity occurred at surface temperatures between 22 °C and 28 °C, and no activity was observed at surface temperatures below 10 °C nor above 32 °C. Diel foraging patterns shifted from summer to winter. The composition of forage items also changed seasonally with the lowest trophic diversity found for the summer, when insects made up a substantial part of the forage.
Human Fetal Cerebellar Cortex: Organization and Maturation of Cells in vitro

Human fetal cerebellar cortex was maintained up to 5 months in vitro. Important features included early migration of granule neurons followed by maturation of Purkinje and granule neurons. Unique areas of organization developed in which a rim of leptomeningeal cells surrounded an explant and its outgrowth zone; these areas subsequently grew as well-defined units.
Who will lead quake program

While federal, state, and local officials are still totaling the damage from the October 17 Loma Prieta earthquake in northern California, Congress is undecided on which agency should lead national efforts to prepare for earthquakes. The Federal Emergency Management Agency currently runs the National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program (NEHRP), coordinating earthquake hazard research supported by itself, the U.S. Geological Survey, National Science Foundation, and National Institute of Science and Technology. Now several longtime supporters of NEHRP in the Senate, unhappy with FEMA's performance, want the “lead” agency role to be turned over to USGS. Seismologists, members of Congress, and emergency response experts have been critical of reduced spending and disorganization within the program.
An extension of Alfrey's analogy to thermal stress problems in temperature dependent linear viscoelastic media

Abstract The elastic-viscoelastic analogy due to Alfrey (1944, 1948) is extended to incorporate thermal stress problems in nonhomogeneous linear viscoelastic media. It is shown that the thermal stresses in a body possessing temperature-dependent linear viscoelastic properties can be deduced from an equivalent elastic body.
Live time display clock

Abstract An electronic clock is described for use with a Radiation Instrument Development Laboratory (RIDL) Model 34-12 400 analyzer.
Disabling the Able: Stereotype Threat and Women's Work Performance

Stereotype threat is the risk of confirming a negative stereotype about one’s group as being true of oneself. This laboratory simulation investigated the effect of stereotype threat on women’s performance of a managerial task and explored gender role identification as a moderator of the stereotype threat effect. Specifically, the effect of the stereotype that women are less competent than men in managerial and executive positions was examined. Male and female participants performed a managerial in-basket task in a stereotypically masculine or feminine sex role-typed condition. As hypothesized, women underperformed men in the masculine sex role-typed condition, but not in the feminine sex role-typed condition. These effects were moderated by masculine gender role identification, thus establishing a boundary condition for the stereotype threat effect.
Purinergic regulation of basal and arginine vasopressin-stimulated hydraulic conductivity in rabbit cortical collecting tubule.

An extracellular adenosine responsive site that stimulates adenylate cyclase activity has been identified in several tissues. There is limited information on the presence and physiologic significance of adenosine receptors in well-defined segments of the mammalian nephron. We therefore examined the effect of adenosine and selected analogues on basal hydraulic conductivity in rabbit cortical collecting tubules (CCT) perfused in vitro. Adenosine and analogues with an intact ribose moiety produced a significant, sustained increase in hydraulic conductivity. No increase in hydraulic conductivity was seen in either time control CCT's or CCT's exposed to an adenosine analogue with an altered ribose moiety. These experiments are compatible with the presence of a functional adenosine receptor which requires an intact ribose moiety and acts to increase hydraulic conductivity in the mammalian CCT.
Oxo substituents markedly alter the phase II metabolism of alpha-hydroxybutenylbenzenes: models probing the bioactivation mechanisms of tamoxifen.

The P450-catalyzed hydroxylation of tamoxifen to give α-hydroxytamoxifen [(E)-4-{4-[2-(dimethylamino)ethoxy]phenyl}-3,4-diphenyl-3-buten-2-ol] and subsequent formation of reactive sulfate esters which alkylate DNA has been proposed to be a potential carcinogenic pathway for tamoxifen. In the present study, the ability of α-hydroxytamoxifen analogs to form GSH and sulfate conjugates was investigated in order to understand the structural features influencing reactivity. The para oxo analogs 1 [1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-hydroxy-1-butene], 2 [1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxy-1-butene], and 4 [1-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-3-hydroxy-1-butene] reacted with GSH instantaneously under strong acidic conditions to yield GSH conjugates in greater than 90% yields. Interestingly, the meta phenolic analogs 3 [1-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxy-1-butene] and 5 [1-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-1-phenyl-3-hydroxy-1-butene] did not react with GSH to any significant extent under similar conditions. Characterization of the GSH conjugates with 1H-NMR,...
Toward a More Complete Model of Offender Reintegration: Linking the Individual-, Community-, and System-Level Components of Recidivism

Over the last several decades significant progress has been made in identifying the evidence-based components of successful offender reentry. These advancements have often been limited to specific disciplines and frequently are developed by academics or practice-based researchers independent of one another. Further, although a large body of knowledge has been compiled detailing the significant predictors of recidivism, the specific mechanisms by which these correlates either reduce or increase recidivism remain largely unknown. Accordingly, the present work seeks to build a more complete framework of offender reintegration by integrating existing knowledge on what works in reducing recidivism across multiple levels of analysis. We argue that social support provides an organizing concept for understanding the existing relationships in recidivism research. The implications for continued theoretical development and future testing of the model are discussed.
The effect of dispersal ability in winter and summer stoneflies on their genetic differentiation

1. Plecopteran species disperse less than most other aquatic insects. Within stoneflies, members of different families vary in the degree of wing morphology and season of adult emergence. 2. Dispersal limitations were tested to determine if there were increased differences among the nearby, Chagrin and Grand River populations in north-eastern Ohio, by comparing genetic variation within the 16s rRNA region of mitochondrial DNA in two stoneflies. Allocapnia recta emerges in winter and often has rudimentary wings, and Leuctra tenuis emerges in summer with fully developed wings. 3. There was significant genetic variability between the samples of A. recta from two adjacent rivers (FST = 0.20), but not between samples of L. tenuis (FST = 0.07). 4. Distinct clades in A. recta were found to occur within the minimum spanning tree specific to the Chagrin River, which contributed to a significant difference in gene diversity between the two rivers. Haplotypes in L. tenuis appeared randomly distributed between the two rivers; however, nucleotide diversity was significantly less in samples from the Grand River. 5. Shared haplotypes of both species illustrate the inter-connectedness of the Chagrin and Grand River populations, and the lower genetic variability of L. tenuis between the two rivers is indicative of its greater dispersal capability.