cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The southern coastal Beringian land bridge: cryptic refugium or pseudorefugium for woody plants during the Last Glacial Maximum?

Aim The Bering Land Bridge (BLB) connected Asia and North America during glacial periods, supported a diverse ecosystem of now-vanished megafauna, and is a proposed glacial refugium. This study tests whether southern coastal Beringia was a refugium for woody taxa during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and hypotheses about habitats available on the BLB before and after megafaunal extinction. Location St. Paul Island, Alaska. Methods We analysed sediment cores from the Lake Hill, with a new age model anchored by 18 radiocarbon dates and multiple palaeoecological indicators (sedimentary ancient DNA [sedaDNA], macrobotanical fossils, and pollen) for the presence/absence of four woody genera: Picea, Betula, Alnus and Salix. We reconstructed vegetation history and compare St. Paul tundra composition to mainland counterparts. Results St. Paul has been continuously occupied by graminoid-forb tundra with prostrate shrubs (Salix, Ericaceae) since 18,000 years before present (yr bp). Fossil pollen of Picea, Pinus, Betula and Alnus is present in the Lake Hill sediments at low relative abundances and accumulation rates, consistent with long-distance transport. Macrobotanical fossils and sedaDNA analyses do not support Picea, Betula and Alnus presence. The St. Paul modern and fossil pollen assemblages are compositionally unlike mainland counterparts, but most closely resemble Arctic herbaceous tundra. Stratigraphically constrained cluster analysis indicates no major change in the vegetation after woolly mammoth extinction at 5600 yr bp, although Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Equisetum and forb abundances increase. Main conclusions This study strongly indicates that St. Paul and, by implication, southern coastal Beringia were not refugia for woody taxa during the LGM. The persistence of prostrate shrub-graminoid tundra supports interpretations that herbaceous tundra prevailed on southern Beringia during the LGM, whilst not ruling out the possibility of mesic shrub tundra in the interior. This herbaceous tundra supported an island refugium for woolly mammoth for 8000 years, showing no major vegetation composition changes after extinction.
Abstract 210: Impaired Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor-TrkB Signaling in Nucleus Tractus Solitarius During Chronic Heart Failure Blunts Baroreflex Sensitivity

Blunted baroreflex function is a negatively prognostic marker of autonomic imbalance in chronic heart failure (CHF), yet the mechanisms underlying baroreflex blunting in CHF are not fully understood. The nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) is the primary central target of baroreceptor afferents, and plays a critical role in regulating central baroreflex sensitivity. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor, TrkB, are highly expressed in the NTS, but little is known about the role of BDNF signaling in the NTS. We hypothesized that in the NTS, BDNF enhances baroreflex sensitivity, and impaired BDNF-TrkB signaling contributes to the blunted baroreflex function in CHF. To test this hypothesis, 50 nl of BDNF or the selective TrkB antagonist ANA-12 were microinjected bilaterally into the dorso-medial NTS of sham-operated rats and myocardial infarct-induced CHF rats. BDNF evoked a greater decrease in blood pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) in sham vs. CHF rats. Injection of ANA-12 increased MAP, HR, and RSNA to a greater extent in sham vs. CHF rats (Table). Following 125 μM ANA-12, baroreflex sensitivity was blunted in sham rats (3.7 ± 0.3 vs. 1.9 ± 0.1 bpm/mmHg max gain, p
Reducing Incidence of Necrotizing Enterocolitis.

Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a multifactorial disease that occurs when multiple risk factors and/or stressors overlap, leading to profound inflammation and intestinal injury. Due to its multifactorial nature, there has been much uncertainty in identifying clear strategies for prevention of NEC. Despite these obstacles, the incidence of NEC has gradually been decreasing over the past 10 years, in part due to quality improvement (QI) initiatives to prevent NEC. Current QI strategies primarily target the various predisposing conditions. This article reviews the evidence on which QI interventions to prevent NEC have been based and provides examples of successful QI interventions.
Pharmacokinetics of Mycophenolic Acid after Intravenous Administration of Mycophenolate Mofetil to Healthy Cats.

Background Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), the prodrug of mycophenolic acid (MPA), is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative immunosuppressant in feline medicine. Pharmacokinetic information is not available for cats. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine whether MMF is biotransformed into the active metabolite MPA and to evaluate the disposition of MPA after a 2-hour constant rate intravenous (IV) infusion of MMF in healthy cats. Animals Healthy cats (n = 6). Methods This was a prospective pilot study. All cats were administered MMF at 20 mg/kg every 12 hours over a 2-hour constant rate infusion for 1 day. The concentrations of MPA and its derivatives in blood were determined using a validated UHPLC–UV method. Results All cats biotransformed MMF into MPA. The mean AUC0-14 h ranged from 6 to 50 h*mg/L after IV dosing of MMF. Transient large bowel diarrhea was recorded in 2 of 6 cats after medication administration. Conclusion and Clinical Importance The disposition of MPA in plasma was highly variable, which could result in high interindividual variability in the safety and efficacy of treatment with MMF in cats.
Geothermal Energy on Mars

This contribution will concentrate on the implications of data from new studies of Mars during the past decade or so in terms of martian geothermal resources, and the potential differences in exploiting geothermal resources on Mars from our terrestrial experiences. An excellent discussion of the utility of geothermal energy on Mars was given by Fogg (1996), who makes strong arguments for the practicality of using geothermal energy on Mars with respect to other potential energy sources: these arguments will not be repeated here.
Slt, MltD, and MltG of Pseudomonas aeruginosa as Targets of Bulgecin A in Potentiation of β-Lactam Antibiotics

The interplay between the activities of lytic transglycosylases (LTs) and penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) is critical for the health of the bacterial cell wall. Bulgecin A (a natural-product inhibitor of LTs) potentiates the activity of β-lactam antibiotics (inhibitors of PBPs), underscoring this intimate mechanistic interdependence. Bulgecin A in the presence of an appropriate β-lactam causes bulge deformation due to the formation of aberrant peptidoglycan at the division site of the bacterium. As Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a nefarious human pathogen, has 11 LT paralogs, the answer as to which LT activity correlates with β-lactam potentiation is important and is currently unknown. Growth of P. aeruginosa PAO1 strains harboring individual transposon-insertion mutants at each of the 11 genes for LTs, in the presence of the β-lactam antibiotic ceftazidime or meropenem, implicated the gene products of slt, mltD, and mltG (of the 11), in bulge formation and potentiation. Hence, the respective enzymes would be...
Extremum Seeking for Force and Torque Actuated Systems

Extremum seeking (ES) is a powerful tool for the optimization and stabilization of unknown, open-loop unstable, noisy dynamic systems. It is particularly useful for autonomous systems and source seeking of analytically unknown functions. In this work we develop ES controllers for directly force-actuated noisy n-dimensional systems. We develop analytic forms for the controllers and demonstrate their effectiveness with simulation studies. We also consider a more constrained, 2D control problem in which a force is applied to the system dynamics, but the direction of the force is controlled via torque. Such a model is sometimes used to study under actuated ships as well as wheeled robots. We derive analytic formulas for the controllers, prove convergence results, and demonstrate with simulation studies.
Estimation of Lifting Capacity for Selected Wells in Rumaila Field

This paper deals with studying the effect of hole inclination angle on computing slip velocity and consequently its effect on lifting capacity. The study concentrates on selected vertical wells in Rumaila field, Southern Iraq. Different methods were used to calculate lifting capacity. Lifting capacity is the most important factor for successful drilling and which reflex on preventing hole problems and reduces drilling costs. Many factors affect computing lifting capacity, so hence the effect of hole inclination angle on lifting capacity will be shown in this study. A statistical approach was used to study the lifting capacity values which deal with the effect of hole inclination angle and those values that do not put the effect of hole inclination angle under consideration. Results illustrated that low hole inclination angles had a slight effect on lifting capacity values , but this study could be used on high inclination angles like directional wells or horizontal wells , hence high hole inclinations angle will yields high effect on lifting capacity values.
The behavior of 4-thiouridine in the E. coli s-RNA molecule.

Abstract A study has been made of the state of the sulfur-containing nucleotide, 4-thiouridine, in the s-RNA from E. coli . The evidence gathered from titration and denaturation studies indicates that this base is present in hydrogen-bonded form in normal E. coli s-RNA.
Light-Switchable Exchange-Coupled Magnet

A light-switchable hard magnet/soft magnet composite is described for which light irradiation breaks the exchange coupling between the two components. Heterostructure composites composed of nanomet...
GLOBAL AND TARGETED PROFILING OF GTP-BINDING PROTEINS IN BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES BY MASS SPECTROMETRY.

GTP-binding proteins are among the most important enzyme families that are involved in a plethora of biological processes. However, owing to the enormous diversity of the nucleotide-binding protein family, comprehensive analyses of the expression level, structure, activity, and regulatory mechanisms of GTP-binding proteins remain challenging with the use of conventional approaches. The many advances in mass spectrometry (MS) instrumentation and data acquisition methods, together with a variety of enrichment approaches in sample preparation, render MS a powerful tool for the comprehensive characterizations of the activities and expression levels of various GTP-binding proteins. We review herein the recent developments in the application of MS-based techniques, together with general and widely used affinity enrichment approaches, for the proteome-wide and targeted capture, identification, and quantification of GTP-binding proteins. The working principles, advantages, and limitations of various strategies for profiling the expression level, activity, posttranslational modifications, and interactome of GTP-binding proteins are discussed. It can be envisaged that future applications of MS-based proteomics will lead to a better understanding about the roles of GTP-binding proteins in different biological processes and human diseases. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Mass Spec Rev 00:1-21, 2020.
From my perspective: Toward peace engineering

Abstract This essay shows why peace is an ongoing process; why change in social conventions as well as engineering practice are needed to make peace engineering succeed; and why social science expertise, especially in technology assessment, should inform engineering projects. The journal Technological Forecasting & Social Change is set forth as a forum for peace engineering research.
Structure and Dispersion of Free and Grafted Polymer in Nanoparticle Organic Hybrid Materials-Based Solutions by Small-Angle Neutron Scattering

Liquid-like Nanoscale Organic Hybrid Materials or NOHMs consisting of polymer grafted nanoparticles have shown great promise in applications, such as electrochemistry and gas separation, due to the...
Androgen-induced epigenetic modulations in the ovary

In recent years, androgens have emerged as critical regulators of female reproduction and women's health in general. While high levels of androgens in women are associated with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), recent evidence suggests that a certain amount of direct androgen action through androgen receptor is also essential for normal ovarian function. Moreover, prenatal androgen exposure has been reported to cause developmental reprogramming of the fetus that manifests into adult pathologies, supporting the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) hypothesis. Therefore, it has become imperative to understand the underlying mechanism of androgen actions and its downstream effects under normal and pathophysiological conditions. Over the years, there has been a lot of studies on androgen receptor function as a transcriptional regulator in the nucleus as well as androgen-induced rapid extra-nuclear signaling. Conversely, new evidence suggests that androgen actions may also be mediated through epigenetic modulation involving both the nuclear and extra-nuclear androgen signaling. This review focuses on androgen-induced epigenetic modifications in female reproduction, specifically in the ovary, and discusses emerging concepts, latest perceptions, and highlight the areas that need further investigation.
Extracellular Hsp90α Detoxifies β-Amyloid Fibrils Through an NRF2 and Autophagy Dependent Pathway

We have investigated the role of extracellular Heat shock protein 90 alpha (eHsp90) in conferring protection of neuronal cells against fibrillary amyloid beta (f-A{beta}1-42) toxicity mediated by microglial cells. Formation of f-A{beta}1-42 plaques leads to neurotoxic inflammation, a critical pathological feature of Alzheimers Disease. We observed increased uptake and clearance of internalized f-A{beta}1-42 by microglial cells treated with eHsp90, an effect associated with activation of NRF2 (NF-E2-related factor 2) - mediated autophagy. eHsp90 thus mitigated the neuronal toxicity of f-A{beta}1-42-activated microglia. In addition, eHsp90 facilitated f-A{beta}1-42 engulfment by microglial cells in vitro. In summary, eHsp90 triggers NRF2-mediated autophagy in microglia and thus protects against the neurotoxic effects of f-A{beta}1-42.
The stories of rebellious children at the time of the 1979 revolution

In times of social upheaval and revolution, intellectuals’ ideas on societal transformation can seep into children’s literature, creating a subversive literary space in which authors redefine tradi...
E Pluribus Unum: Using Conceptual Metaphor Theory to Explore and Support Mixed-Ability Workplaces

Even when they are able to secure employment, people with cognitive disabilities typically encounter significant difficulties in the workplace. In this paper, we focus on Mixed-Ability workplaces: work settings in which people without disabilities and with different types of disabilities collaborate on a daily basis. The case study for our exploratory research is a university library that has been able to support a mixed-ability work setting for over four years. We describe how a theory from cognitive linguistics (Conceptual Metaphor Theory) can be used to explore the challenges that people encounter in mixed-ability workplaces, identify the cognitive processes that differ between neurotypical team leaders and workers with cognitive disabilities, and translate these findings into design recommendations for embodied technologies that support mixed-ability workplaces.
Tokens and Crowdfunding: A Perfect Match?

Equity Crowdfunding allows issuers to choose the type of security offered and data shows a variety of innovative securities being offered. Among the most recent securities appearing in offering filings are securitized tokens. The first crowdfunding issued that involved a token happened December 29, 2017. Since then 18 others have filed with a securitized token tied to their funding with six of the 19 showing successful outcomes. This article examines the rise in token crowdfunding as well as the risks and benefits of using token offerings. The conclusion focuses on the use of token offering to provide a consistent secondary market for crowdfunding issuers.
Fatigue analysis of railway freight car wheels under thermal loading conditions

When a wheel is subjected to repeated thermal loading due to drag braking cracks can develop and propagate due to fatigue. Wheels of 36, 33 and 28 inch diameter were studied using the finite–element method. The wheels were subjected to drag braking of 30, 40 and 50 hp, each applied for 30 minutes. The fatigue life was computed for an assumed load history using the Miner's linear cumulative damage rule. The temperature distribution in the wheel was obtained by means of the DOT program. The CREEP–PLAST program was used to compute the stress and strain distributions. The stress and strain values increase as the braking horsepower is increased. For the same loading the fatigue life is lower for the smaller wheels as compared to the fatigue life of the larger wheels.
Preparing Information Systems Graduates for a Complex Society: Aligning IS Curricula with Liberal Education Learning Outcomes.

1. BASIS FOR STUDY Both the literature and a review of IS program websites provide justification for a design to align IS curriculum with liberal education learning outcomes. 1.1 Need for Liberal Arts Educated IS Talent The Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU Harney and Howard, 2013). The type of education in demand by business and society from a university graduate is commonly known as a liberal arts education, or liberal education. Although some smaller, private institutions, based on a strong liberal arts foundation, integrate such liberal education into their curriculum across all disciplines (Fleming, 2008), most public education institutions still relegate liberal education to a set of core courses that must be checked off in the freshman/sophomore years prior to engaging in the "real" discipline-based learning in the junior/senior years. The result is an undergraduate curriculum profile that a Carnegie Foundation study (Colby, Ehrlich, Sullivan, and Dolle, 2011) likened to the shape of a barbell, with liberal education on one side and business education on the other side with slim connections between the two. Given the need for a liberal arts educated business graduate in today's global society, one might argue that lack of attention to developing a holistic undergraduate curriculum associated with a liberal arts education is irresponsible. 1.2 Current Alignment of IS Programs with Liberal Education Learning Outcomes A challenge facing Information Systems (IS) programs is to design a curriculum that meets program and college accreditation requirements while simultaneously meeting university liberal education learning outcomes (assuming their university has defined and adopted liberal education learning outcomes). We examined a sampling of IS program websites to determine whether developing a design for aligning liberal education learning outcomes would be valuable to IS educators. Our exploratory findings support the need for our proposed design. The foci of our exploration were program learning goals or outcomes, college/school learning goals or outcomes, and university learning goals or outcomes. We drew our sample of IS programs from colleges and schools accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools in Business (AACSB) (AACSB, 2011) under the Business category and MIS/CIS program name. Our sample ensures consistency with previous research (Bell, Mills, and Fadel, 2013), which examined the extent of adherence to the IS 2010 curriculum guidelines. We used a repeated random sampling to create a list of institutions for analysis. Our sample size of 83 institutions gives us a maximum half-interval of 11% on any estimate of the population proportion of institutions that satisfy any criterion or not; that is, there is at least a 95% probability that the true proportion of institutions is within [+ or -]11% of our estimate (Glass and Hopkins, 1984). …
Small gene family encoding an eggshell (chorion) protein of the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni

We have isolated six independent genomic clones encoding schistosome chorion or eggshell proteins from a Schistosoma mansoni genomic library. A linkage may of five of the clones spanning 35 kilobase pair (kbp) of the S. mansoni genome was constructed. The region contained two eggshell protein genes closely linked, separated by 7.5 kbp of intergenic DNA. The two genes of the cluster were arranged in the same orientation, that is, they were transcribed from the same strand. The sixth clone probably represents a third copy of the eggshell gene that is not contained within the 35-kbp region. The 5' end of the mRNA transcribed from these genes was defined by primer extension directly off the RNA. The ATCAT cap site sequence was homologous to a silkmoth chorion PuTCATT cap site sequence, where Pu indicates any purine. DNA sequence analysis showed that there were no introns in these genes. The DNA sequences of the three genes were very homologous to each other and to a cDNA clone, pSMf61-46, differing only in three or four nucleotides. A multiple TATA box was located at positions -23 to -31, and a CAAAT sequence was located at -52 upstream of the eggshell transcription unit. Comparison of sequences in regions further upstream with silkmoth and Drosophila sequences revealed several very short elements that were shared. One such element, TCACGT, recently shown to be an essential cis-regulatory element for silkmoth chorion gene promoter function, was found at a similar position in all three organisms.
Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model to Assess the Influence of Blinatumomab-Mediated Cytokine Elevations on Cytochrome P450 Enzyme Activity

Blinatumomab is a CD19/CD3 bispecific T-cell engager (BiTE®) antibody construct for treatment of leukemia. Transient elevation of cytokines (interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)) has been observed within the first 48 hours of continuous intravenous blinatumomab infusion. In human hepatocytes, blinatumomab showed no effect on cytochrome P450 (CYP450) activities, whereas a cytokine cocktail showed suppression of CYP3A4, CYP1A2, and CYP2C9 activities. We developed a physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model to evaluate the effect of transient elevation of cytokines, particularly IL-6, on CYP450 suppression. The predicted suppression of hepatic CYP450 activities was <30%, and IL-6-mediated changes in exposure to sensitive substrates of CYP3A4, CYP1A2, and CYP2C9 were <twofold and lasted <1 week. Model verification indicated that IL-6 was the key cytokine suppressing CYP450 activities; the duration of cytokine elevation was a major determinant of magnitude of suppression. This study shows the utility of PBPK modeling for risk assessment of cytokine-mediated drug interactions.
Individualized Bayesian Knowledge Tracing Models

Bayesian Knowledge Tracing (BKT)[1] is a user modeling method extensively used in the area of Intelligent Tutoring Systems. In the standard BKT implementation, there are only skill-specific parameters. However, a large body of research strongly suggests that student-specific variability in the data, when accounted for, could enhance model accuracy [5,6,8]. In this work, we revisit the problem of introducing student-specific parameters into BKT on a larger scale. We show that student-specific parameters lead to a tangible improvement when predicting the data of unseen students, and that parameterizing students’ speed of learning is more beneficial than parameterizing a priori knowledge.
Biomass characterization of Agave and Opuntia as potential biofuel feedstocks.

Abstract Sustainable production of lignocellulosic biofuels requires a sufficient supply of biomass feedstocks. Agave and Opuntia represent highly water-use efficient bioenergy crops that are suitable for expanding feedstock production into semi-arid marginal lands. These feedstocks have garnered interest as dedicated biofuel feedstocks because of their high water- and fertilizer-use efficiency and not competing with major food crops or conventional biofuel feedstocks. To better understand the potential of these feedstocks, the biomass composition of Agave tequilana and Opuntia ficus-indica was analyzed. Previous extraction procedures and analytical methods have led to variable estimates of the chemical compositions of the biomass of these species. Therefore, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) standard methods were used in the present study. A. tequilana showed higher mass fractions of water-soluble constituents, structural carbohydrates, cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin than O. ficus-indica. In contrast, O. ficus-indica had higher protein, water, and ash mass fractions than A. tequilana. Both species had lower lignin mass fractions, thus yielding lower heating values, but had higher water and ash mass fractions than most woody biomass feedstocks. The high water mass fractions of these species (85–94%) could prove advantageous for biomass deconstruction and aqueous phase catalytic conversion processes as less exogenous water inputs would be needed. Lastly, solid-state NMR analysis revealed that both A. tequilana and O. ficus-indica had high amorphous and para-crystalline cellulose mass fractions (>80%), indicating that these biomass feedstocks would be far less recalcitrant to deconstruction than traditional lignocellulosic biomass feedstocks.
Ascorbic acid enhances the release of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone from the mediobasal hypothalamus in vitro.

Abstract Ascorbic acid is frequently used in in vitro studies of neurotransmitter-evoked release of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) from hypothalamic fragments. Although it is assumed that ascorbate merely prevents the oxidative degradation of catecholamines, we have discovered that ascorbic acid itself produces significant increases in the release of LHRH. Our studies showed that ascorbic acid, at concentrations below 1 mM, produced a dose-dependent release of LHRH from incubated rat mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH). The magnitude of the ascorbate-induced release was in the range of 100–200% above controls; significant amounts of LHRH were released only if the MBH were incubated with ascorbate for time periods longer than 30 minutes. We also found that ascorbate-induced increases in LHRH were equivalent to those produced by another LHRH secretagogue, naloxone, and that the combined effects of the two substances were additive in nature. Although the mechanisms underlying this effect are not fully understood, nonspecific chemical reduction is probably not a factor since sodium metabisulfite did not induce the release of LHRH. It seems probable that ascorbate may enhance the activity of endogenous norepinephrine in the MBH and, thereby, lead to increased release of LHRH.
Promoting an ethical approach to unproven screening imaging tests

The use of screening imaging technology such as electron beam computed tomography and computed tomographic scans for the early detection of coronary artery disease, lung cancer, and other diseases is rising, even though they have not been proven to reduce disease-specific mortality. Until randomized, controlled trials assess the efficacy of these tests as screening tests, they will remain controversial. It is unclear whether the potential benefits of these screening tests outweigh the risks. In a practice environment in which public demand and enthusiasm for screening is high, radiologists can recognize the ethical issues associated with unproven screening imaging tests; understand current national policies toward professionalism and informed and shared decision making for screening; draw on the lessons learned from the proliferation of another unproven screening test, the prostate-specific antigen blood test for prostate cancer; and work with others in the health care system to promote an ethical approach to screening imaging tests.
Influence of ventricular morphology on outcome after the Fontan procedure

The modified Fontan procedure has gained wide acceptance in the treatment of various congenital heart defects. Determination of risk factors for mortality remains an important issue for optimizing patient selection for the Fontan procedure. Conflicting results have been reported about whether ventricular morphology is a risk factor in these patients. Survival free of Fontan takedown or cardiac transplantation was assessed in the first 500 patients undergoing the Fontan procedure at our institution. This survival was correlated with ventricular morphology as evaluated by angiography. Both multivariate and univariate analyses indicated ventricular morphology was predictive of early survival free of Fontan takedown or cardiac transplantation following the procedure. However, there was no statistical evidence for ventricular morphology being a risk factor for mortality in patients alive 6 months after the procedure. Ventricular morphology is a risk factor for early survival in patients undergoing a Fontan procedure, with left ventricular morphology associated with a better early survival than right ventricular morphology.
Geometrical percolation threshold of overlapping ellipsoids

A recurrent problem in materials science is the prediction of the percolation threshold of suspensions and composites containing complex-shaped constituents. We consider an idealized material built up from freely overlapping objects randomly placed in a matrix, and numerically compute the geometrical percolation threshold ${\mathit{p}}_{\mathit{c}}$ where the objects first form a continuous phase. Ellipsoids of revolution, ranging from the extreme oblate limit of platelike particles to the extreme prolate limit of needlelike particles, are used to study the influence of object shape on the value of ${\mathit{p}}_{\mathit{c}}$. The reciprocal threshold 1/${\mathit{p}}_{\mathit{c}}$ (${\mathit{p}}_{\mathit{c}}$ equals the critical volume fraction occupied by the overlapping ellipsoids) is found to scale linearly with the ratio of the larger ellipsoid dimension to the smaller dimension in both the needle and plate limits. Ratios of the estimates of ${\mathit{p}}_{\mathit{c}}$ are taken with other important functionals of object shape (surface area, mean radius of curvature, radius of gyration, electrostatic capacity, excluded volume, and intrinsic conductivity) in an attempt to obtain a universal description of ${\mathit{p}}_{\mathit{c}}$. Unfortunately, none of the possibilities considered proves to be invariant over the entire shape range, so that ${\mathit{p}}_{\mathit{c}}$ appears to be a rather unique functional of object shape. It is conjectured, based on the numerical evidence, that 1/${\mathit{p}}_{\mathit{c}}$ is minimal for a sphere of all objects having a finite volume.
Rigorous bounds on the fluid permeability: Effect of polydispersivity in grain size

Rigorous bounds on the fluid permeability (on resistance) of porous media composed of spherical grains with a continuous size distribution are computed. For any finite degree of polydispersivity, scaling the resistance bound by the square of the specific surface (relative to the monodisperse case) yields effectively universal behavior at a fixed sphere volume fraction. A new proposition regarding an exact relationship between the permeability and another effective parameter, the trapping constant associated with diffusion‐controlled reactions among traps, is employed to assess the accuracy of the rigorous bound.
An Overview of Renal Pathology in Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus in Relationship to Altered Glomerular Hemodynamics

Clinical diabetic nephropathy in man is the consequence of the development of a specific constellation of glomerular, tubular, vascular, and interstitial structural abnormalities accompanied by highly characteristic immunohistochemical alterations that, together, are unique to diabetes. Because changes resembling the specific pathology of diabetes do not develop in patients with conditions that lead to long-standing glomerular hyperfunction (such as unilateral nephrectomy), it is unlikely that glomerular hemodynamic abnormalities per se can be the cause of diabetic nephropathy. Whether hemodynamic abnormalities represent a risk factor that, in the presence of the diabetic state, can accelerate the rate of development of the basic lesions of diabetic nephropathy is currently unclear. However, there is considerable evidence that when the renal lesions of diabetes are far advanced, factors such as systemic hypertension can determine the rate of renal functional deterioration in diabetes as in other disorders. Although the diabetic rat may be a useful model for the study of aspects of the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy, much confusion has resulted from the inclusion of focal segmental glomerularsclerosis as a diabetic lesion. Similarly, the acceptance of all increases in urinary protein excretions in this model as resulting from or reflecting of diabetic nephropathology can be misleading. It is concluded that treatment aimed at manipulating renal hemodynamics in diabetic patients without evidence of renal disease should remain in the realm of clinical research.
Total syntheses of (+)- and (−)-syringolides 3 and of (+)- and (−)-syributins 1, 2 and 3

Abstract The first total syntheses of (−)-syringolide 3, (+)-syributin 3 and their unnatural enantiomers (+)-syringolide 3 and (−)-syributin 3 using a common intermediate as starting material are described. In addition, total syntheses of (−)- and (+)-syributins 1 and 2 were accomplished by means of the same methodology.
Epidemiology of cervical spine injury victims

Abstract Study Objective: We sought to characterize demographics and injury patterns among patients undergoing emergency department cervical spine radiography for blunt traumatic injury. Methods: All patients with blunt trauma undergoing cervical spine radiography at 21 centers were enrolled in this prospective, observational study. Patients' date of birth, age, sex, and ethnicity were noted before cervical spine radiography. Results: Demographic factors associated with cervical spine injury, present in 818 of 33,922 patients, included the following: age of 65 years or older (relative risk [RR] 2.09; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.77 to 2.59); "other" ethnicity (RR 1.79, 95% CI 1.46 to 2.19); male sex (RR 1.72, 95% CI 1.48 to 2.00); and white ethnicity (RR 1.50, 95% CI 1.31 to 1.72). Hispanic ethnicity (RR 0.64, 95% CI 0.51 to 0.79), female sex (RR 0.58, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.67), black ethnicity (RR 0.55, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.66), and age of less than 18 years (RR 0.39, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.55) were associated with reduced risk of cervical spine injury. Conclusion: Among patients undergoing ED cervical spine radiography, cervical spine injury is more common among the elderly, male subjects, and patients of white or "other" ethnicity. Because cervical spine injury occurs in patients in all demographic categories, however, this information cannot be used to select individual patients who should or should not undergo imaging.[Lowery DW, Wald MM, Browne BJ, Tigges S, Hoffman JR, Mower WR, for the NEXUS Group. Epidemiology of cervical spine injury victims. Ann Emerg Med. July 2001;38:12-16.]
Temporal Dynamics of Soil Moisture Spatial Variability in the Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory

This study utilized a 4-yr database consisting of catchment-wide volumetric soil moisture measurements at 78 locations from the surface down to 1.1 m depth within the 7.9-ha Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory in central Pennsylvania. The objectives were to: (i) assess the uncertainty in estimating catchment-wide mean soil moisture content by characterizing the relationship between soil moisture spatial variability and spatially averaged moisture content and (ii) examine the relationship between temporal changes in soil moisture spatial variability and seasonal and event-based hydrologic fluxes. Our results showed that soil moisture spatial variability increased exponentially with increasing catchment-wide wetness across all measurement depths and various soil–landform units. This relationship led to the widening of confidence intervals and an increase in the number of sites needed to obtain 95% confidence in spatially averaged soil moisture as the catchment wets up. This was due to the well-drained and steep-sloped hillslope soils in the catchment that confined saturated areas to the swales and the valley floor. Temporal changes in soil moisture spatial variability indicated a seasonal increase in the catchment-wide soil moisture variability that coincided with the emergence of a shallow water table in the valley during the winter and spring months. Event-based increases in soil moisture spatial variability associated with large antecedent precipitation were also observed (but with limited resolution because of weekly to biweekly measurements), which indicated the importance of subsurface lateral flow in influencing the catchment-wide soil moisture spatial variability. Because ephemeral shallow water tables and subsurface lateral flow are common in many temperate forests, our results are useful for guiding soil moisture monitoring campaigns in these catchments and have implications for interpreting and scaling remote sensing footprints of soil moisture in these landscapes during different times of a year.
Fragrance material review on 2-methyl-4-phenyl-2-butyl acetate

Abstract A toxicologic and dermatologic review of 2-methyl-4-phenyl-2-butyl acetate when used as a fragrance ingredient is presented. 2-Methyl-4-phenyl-2-butyl acetate is a member of the fragrance structural group Aryl Alkyl Alcohol Simple Acid Esters (AAASAE). The AAASAE fragrance ingredients are prepared by reacting an aryl alkyl alcohol with a simple carboxylic acid (a chain of 1–4 carbons) to generate formate, acetate, propionate, butyrate, isobutyrate and carbonate esters. This review contains a detailed summary of all available toxicology and dermatology papers that are related to this individual fragrance ingredient and is not intended as a stand-alone document. Available data for 2-methyl-4-phenyl-2-butyl acetate were evaluated then summarized and includes physical properties, acute toxicity, skin irritation, skin sensitization, and elicitation data. A safety assessment of the entire AAASAE will be published simultaneously with this document. Please refer to Belsito et al. (2012) for an overall assessment of the safe use of this material and all AAASAE in fragrances. Belsito, D., Bickers, D., Bruze, M., Calow, P., Dagli, M., Fryer, A.D., Greim, H., Hanifin, J.H., Miyachi, Y., Saurat, J.H., Sipes, I.G., submitted for publication. A toxicologic and dermatologic assessment of aryl alkyl alcohol simple acid esters when used as fragrance ingredients.
The thrombotic microangiopathies

The term thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) encompasses a group of conditions that are defined by, or result from, a similar histopathological lesion. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), and several other conditions are associated with TMA. Distinguishing HUS from TTP is not always possible unless there are specific causes, such as Shiga toxin, Streptococcus pneumoniae, or a specific molecular defect such as factor H or ADAMTS13 deficiency. This review describes the forms of HUS/TTP that are not related to Shiga toxin, pneumococcal infection, genetic causes, or ADAMTS13 deficiency. Conditions include HUS/TTP associated with autoimmune disorders, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, transplantation, malignancy, and medications.
Synthesis and Application of Polystyrene Nanospheres Supported Platinum Catalysts in Enantioselective Hydrogenations

Nearly monodisperse polystyrene nanospheres coated with platinum have been synthesized and applied successfully in the cinchona alkaloid-modified enantioselective hydrogenation of ethyl pyruvate. During the catalyst preparation broadly varied experimental conditions were used resulting in several catalysts with different properties. The effect of hydrogen pressure, solvent, modifier and polystyrene nanoparticle size on the enantioselectivity was also studied. Based on the results the effect of support on the mechanism of the enantiodifferentiation has been discussed.
Impedance Characterization of a Quartz Crystal Microbalance

The impedance characteristics of the quartz crystal used in quartz crystal microbalance is considered a higher dimension of information that can be obtained in addition to the resonant frequency change of the crystal. The impedance allows calculating the quality factor of the oscillator that is very closely related to the mechanical rigidity of the material, which is adsorbed or deposited on the quartz crystal. This paper concentrates on utilizing an impedance analyzer, often found in electroanalytical laboratories, instead of the usually required network analyzer.
Early diagenesis in differing depositional environments: The response of transition metals in pore water

The cycling of Fe, Mn, Ni, Co, Cu, Cr, V, and Mo during early diagenesis was investigated in sediments from five different depositional environments in the California Borderland. Dissolved O2, NO3−, NO2−, and SO4− were also measured at each site to establish the position of redox boundaries pertinent to this study. Sites were chosen to allow the comparison of several parameters of potential importance to the cycling of these metals: bottom water O2 concentration; sediment redox conditions; cycling of metal oxide carrier phases and the relative contribution of biogenic and terrigenous material to the detrital metal flux. At 10 μM oxygen and above the sequence of terminal electron acceptor utilization was typical of pelagic sediments, differing only in scale. Under these conditions the recycling of Mn oxides resulted in an enriched layer near the interface. At bottom water 02 concentrations < 5 μM Mn oxides are not recycled. Under these conditions Fe oxides and SO42− are important oxidants. The depth of the zone of manganese oxidation with respect to the interface affects the efficiency of metal scavenging by manganese oxides. Trapping and recycling of Ni and Co with Mn oxides results in remobilization from reducing sediments and enrichment in oxic sediments. Scavenging of these metals is favored by a deep oxic zone in the sediments. In contrast, Cr, V, and Mo appear to be transported to the sediments as reduced species and are released from the sediments by oxidation. The source of the reduced species is assumed to be biogenic material. The accumulation of these metals is favored by reducing conditions in the sediments. Cu is enriched in the sediments by transport with detrital biogenic material, followed by adsorption onto sediment solids. Cu is released at the interface and rapidly removed onto the solids at all sites except the one pelagic site, at the base of the slope. The magnitude of Cu released in the slowly accumulating pelagic sediment exceeds the Cu binding capacity of the solids, resulting in pore water Cu concentrations in excess of 100 nM. In general, metal cycling associated with the early diagenesis of sediments was observed to decouple transport processes from burial processes for the transition metals measured in this study.
Maximizing fault tolerance in a low-s WaP data network

The BRAIN (Braided Ring Availability/Integrity Network) is a radically different type of data network technology that uses a combination of a braided ring topology and high-integrity message propagation mechanisms. The BRAIN was originally designed to tolerate two passive failures or one passive and one active failure (including a Byzantine failure). In recent developments, the BRAIN's fault tolerance has been increased to the level where it can tolerate two active failures (including two Byzantine failures), as long as the two failures are not colluding. A colluding failure is an active failure that supports one or more other active failures to cause a system failure. To be effective, these active failures must be syntactically correct — i.e., cannot be detected by inline error detection, such as CRCs, checksums, physical encoding (e.g. 8B/10B), protocol rules, or reasonableness checks. The probability of colluding failures happening is so low that this new BRAIN, for all practical purposes, is a two-fault tolerant network. This improvement in fault tolerance comes at no additional cost. That is, it uses exactly the same minimal amount of hardware as the original BRAIN. As an example comparison, this new version of the BRAIN requires less size, weight, and power (SWaP) than a typical two-channel AFDX network, while tolerating more faults and more types of faults. The nodes used by the BRAIN, are simplex (they require no redundancy in themselves for integrity) and the fault tolerance provided by the BRAIN can be made transparent to all application software. The BRAIN can check that redundant nodes (e.g. pair-wise adjacent nodes) produce bit-for-bit identical outputs, without resorting to clock-step self-checking pair processing that is rapidly becoming technologically infeasible due to the higher speeds of modern processors. The BRAIN also simplifies the creation of architectures with dissimilar redundancy. The design of these BRAIN improvements were guided by the use of the Symbolic Analysis Laboratory (SAL) model-checker in a novel use of formal methods for exploratory development early in the design cycle of a new protocol.
Impact of Automated Alerts on Follow-Up of Post-Discharge Microbiology Results: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND Failure to follow up microbiology results pending at the time of hospital discharge can delay diagnosis and treatment of important infections, harm patients, and increase the risk of litigation. Current systems to track pending tests are often inadequate.
Ronald Reagan and the Splintering of the Christian Right

In the years since the Republicans took control of Congress in 1994, they have named buildings, airports, and even a freeway after their hero Ronald Reagan. Conservatives hail him as the father of modern Republican pontics. The Christian Right celebrates Reagan's hero status more passionately than any other group. He is their champion, the man who brought them out of the political wilderness and into the halls of power. At the annual Christian Coalition meetings, politicians appear and hope to win the votes of religious conservatives by claiming a link to the former president. Reagan's image and ideas permeate the politics of the Christian Right to the point that he has become their patron saint. But while this cult of hero worship is public, in private, many Christian Right leaders lament that Reagan actually did little for them. The earliest and still popular conception of the Reagan era marks it as the high water mark for the Christian Right and they went into decline after 1988; however the opposite is true. It is best to view the Reagan administration as a period of growth in which the Christian Right enjoyed a high profile, but had little tangible success in politics. While the president spoke of his personal dislike of abortion and the need for prayer in public schools, ne was unwilling to expend any of his considerable political capital to move those issues forward. Many Christian Right leaders realized that being granted a meeting with the president was no substitute for having their agenda made into law. As one anonymous Reagan administration official put it, "We want to keep the Moral Majority types so close to us they can't move their arms.'" For religious conservatives, the Reagan era was time of photo opportunities, kind words, and little else.