cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Food Insecurity and Psychological Distress Among Former and Current Smokers With Low Income.

Purpose:To examine how food insecurity and psychological distress interact in its association with smoking and to explore how food insecurity and psychological distress are associated with quitting...
The Energetics and Molecular Dynamics of the Proton Pumping Photocycle in Bacteriorhodopsin

The energy stored in the primary photochemical event of light adapted bacteriorhodopsin (~16 kcal mol-1) is shown to be sufficient to pump two, but not three, protons per photocycle. A two channel model of the proton pumping photocycle is presented which accommodates the available experimental data. This model is energetically efficient because the primary event is used to destabilize both channels simultaneously. Two separate electrostatic gradients are generated, and the dark reactions that occur following the primary event restabilize both channels via proton translocation processes that ultimately pump two protons. The “primary” channel pumps the first proton in parallel. with the formation of the M412 intermediate. The “secondary” channel pumps the second proton during the O660→bR568 dark reaction provided the electrochemical gradient is below a given threshold. Ground state 13-cis→all-trans reisomerization is accomplished during the N520→O660 dark reaction due to formation of a protonated Schiff base chromophore with a single (secondary) counterion near the β-ionylidene ring. This latter counterion stabilizes a chromophore resonance structure which has a high degree of bond order reversal lowering significantly the barrier to ground state C13=C14 isomerization.
KATP Channels, Adenosine Receptors and Ischemic Preconditioning

The ATP-sensitive potassium channel (KATP) was first discovered by Noma (1) in 1983 in guinea pig ventricular myocytes using patch clamp methodology. Noma demonstrated that intracellular concentrations of ATP ranging from 25–200 µM. resulted in a concentration-dependent inhibition of KATP channel opening. Subsequently, this channel has also been shown to exist in various other tissues including pancreatic beta cells, skeletal muscle, vascular smooth muscle and the central nervous system (2).
Seasonal Habitat Use of Slimy Sculpin and Juvenile Rainbow Trout in a Central New York Stream

Non-native Oncorhynchus mykiss (Rainbow Trout) have been shown to have negative effects on native salmonid populations. However, interspecific associations between Rainbow Trout and native non-salmonid species have received little attention. Cottus spp. (sculpin) are a native benthic species group that comprise an important component of many lentic and lotic ecosystems in North America. In this study, we examined seasonal habitat associations between juvenile Rainbow Trout and C. cognatus (Slimy Sculpin) in a stream in the Lake Ontario watershed in New York. There was evidence of habitat partitioning among the age classes examined, with overyearling Rainbow Trout and subyearling Slimy Sculpin occupying disparate habitat. The habitat use by subyearling Rainbow Trout and overyearling Slimy Sculpin was similar, which may increase the potential for competition between these age groups. Overyearling Rainbow Trout exhibited the highest degree of habitat selection, whereas subyearling Slimy Sculpin exhibited the least. Our observations are the first reported on the ecological associations of Rainbow Trout and Slimy Sculpin and may provide important information in instances where sculpin are being re-introduced.
In Vitro Approach for the Identification of Exceptional Responders in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Each case of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) represents a unique ecosystem. Despite recent advances in our understanding of the genetic landscape of AML, this information remains insufficient to accurately match patients with targeted therapies. While pediatric and adult AML share phenotypic similarities, pediatric AML represents a genetically distinct disease from adult AML, and will benefit from independent genomic studies and novel therapeutic strategies. Real-time ex-vivo functional screening can identify mechanisms underpinning drug response and diversity between tumors, aiding in patient stratification. We established an in vitro drug screening system that incorporates cytokine signaling to better model inflammation, stem cell function, and niche derived support of leukemic blasts. This approach provided insight into variability between patients who currently would be placed on the same therapeutic regimen. Samples were acquired from 12 pediatric AML patients, after informed consent was obtained. Samples were enriched for blasts, and cultured in the presence of SCF, TPO, FLT3-L, IL-3, and IL-6 (KTF36). A panel of 38 drugs was selected from a larger screen of 1839 compounds done on commercially available hematological malignancy cell lines. Drugs included standard chemotherapy agents used in AML and drugs currently under clinical development. Cells were exposed to drugs for 72hrs. An MTS assay was performed and results reported as % of viable cells remaining, after normalization to vehicle control wells. Targeted DNA NGS sequencing of 406 genes, 31 introns, and RNA sequencing of 265 genes was performed for genetic characterization. In vitro drug screening revealed variations in drug sensitivity between samples and revealed time ex-vivo and cytokine milieu to be important factors affecting response of the same cells to the same drugs. Engraftment of long term cultures into immunodeficient mice produced aggressive disease in all cases, indicating robust support of stem cell function via addition of KTF36 cytokines. When possible, clinical response to therapy was compared with in vitro response to the same drugs. This screening approach highlighted well established agents that showed significant activity in highly refractory disease providing rationale for further clinical trial development. An unsupervised clustering showed drug sensitivity primarily correlated with the presence of MLL-X fusion, NRAS/KRAS and PTPN11 alterations. Linear Regression with interaction effects showed drug sensitivity/resistance to be highly selective for single/signature of specific molecular alterations. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Efficacy of iPad “spatial release” application

Spatial Release from Masking (SRM) is the ability to obtain better speech recognition thresholds when the maskers are spatially separated from the target. Here, we present SRM data collected using three techniques: over headphones using a virtual speaker array, using Spatial Release iPad application (https://bgc.ucr.edu/games/spatialrelease/), and loudspeaker presentation in a sound-attenuated room. For all three techniques, Coordinate Response Measure (CRM) sentences were used as the stimuli, and “Charlie” was the call sign. A progressive tracking procedure was used to estimate the Speech Recognition Thresholds (SRTs) for listeners with varying hearing thresholds. The target sentence was always presentedg at 0 deg azimuth angle whereas the maskers were colocated (0 deg) with the target or symmetrically spatially separated by ±15 deg, ±30 deg, or ±45 de. Initial data analysis revealed similar SRTs for the iPad and headphone conditions and slightly poorer thresholds for the loudspeaker array condition. Thi...
Combined effect of posttraumatic stress disorder and prescription opioid use on risk of cardiovascular disease.

AimPrescription opioid analgesic use (OAU) is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). OAU is more common in patients with than without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and PTSD is associated with higher CVD risk. We determined whether PTSD and OAU have an additive or multiplicative association with incident CVD.Methods and resultsVeterans Health Affairs patient medical record data from 2008 to 2015 was used to identify 2861 patients 30–70 years of age, free of cancer, CVD and OAU for 12 months before index date. We defined a four-level exposure variable: 1) no PTSD/no OAU, 2) OAU alone, 3) PTSD alone and 4) PTSD+OAU. Cox proportional hazard models estimated the association between the exposure variable and incident CVD. The mean age was 49.0 (±11.0), 85.7% were male and 58.3% were White, 34.4% had no PTSD/no OAU, 32.9% had PTSD alone, 10.6% had OAU alone, and 22.1% had PTSD+OAU. Compared with patients with no PTSD/no OAU, those with PTSD alone were not at increased risk of inc...
Computed tomography guided radio-frequency ablation of osteoid osteomas in atypical locations

Purpose: Percutaneous radio-frequency ablation is a minimally invasive treatment option for osteoid osteomas. The ablation process is straightforward in the more common locations like the femur/tibia. Surgery has historically been the gold standard, but is currently used in lesions, that may not be effectively and safely ablated, i.e. close to skin/nerve. Radio-frequency ablation can still be used in such cases along with additional techniques/strategies to protect the sensitive structures and hence improve the outcomes. The authors describe their experience with four challenging osteoid osteoma ablation cases. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed radio-frequency ablations of four osteoid osteomas in rather atypical locations, the protective techniques/strategies employed, the adequacy and safety of the radio-frequency ablation with the use of these techniques. Results: All patients had complete resolution of pain with no recurrence in the follow-up period. No complications were reported. Conclusion: RFA has been proven to be an effective and safe option for treatment of OOs in the common locations. It is generally recommended to have a 1 cm safety margin between the RF probe and any critical structures in the vicinity. However, with OOs in atypical locations this may not be always possible and hence additional techniques may be needed to ensure protection of the surrounding sensitive structures and also allow for effective ablation.
Wanting All the Species to Be: Extinction, Environmental Visions, and Intimate Aesthetics

This article responds to the question ‘What do we Want?’ posed to scholars in the feminist environmental humanities, by expressing the desire for a multitude of species to continue to exist through...
Norepinephrine released by intestinal Paneth cells exacerbates ischemic AKI

Small intestinal Paneth cells play a critical role in acute kidney injury (AKI) and remote organ dysfunction by synthesizing and releasing IL-17A. In addition, intestine-derived norepinephrine is a...
Breast cancer risk reduction: Notable achievements and remaining challenges

Millions of women in the United States are at increased risk of breast cancer. Multiple prospective, randomized clinical trials have demonstrated both the efficacy and safety of selective estrogen receptor modulators and aromatase inhibitors in reducing substantially the risk of invasive breast cancer in women at increased risk. Published tables are available to aid clinicians in shared decision-making regarding drug interventions with their patients who are at increased risk of breast cancer. Both professional and governmental agencies have advised that these interventions should be offered to women at increased risk of breast cancer. Doing so would reduce breast cancer morbidity substantially.
Characteristics of astrovirus infection and typing characteristics analysis among children hospitalized with diarrhea in Tianjin

Objective To study the pathogenic prevalence and genotypes of astrovirus among children under 5 years old hospitalized with diarrhea in Tianjin. Methods A total 837 stool specimens were collected from children with diarrhea hospitalized in Tianjin children's hospital from May 2008 to April 2009. Astrovirus antigens were detected using ELISA and the postive specimens were inoculated in CaCo-2cells. After the CPE caused by virus were observed, the total RNA of virus was extracted, then the genomc fragments of the strains were amplified by using RT-PCR and confirmed by sequencing of the RT-PCR products. Detection of rotavirus was employed by Colloidal Gold Device. Results Astrovirus antigen was found positive in 3.0% of the patients. The coinfection rate of astrovirus and rotavirus was 0. 7% (6/837).Ninety-six persent of children with astrovirus diarrhea were younger than 2 years of age, Forty-eight persent of children with astrovirus diarrhea were younger than 6 months. The astrovirus infections occurred mainly between August 2008 and April 2009. Of the 21 astrovirus positive specimens, 11 cases were successfully identified by RT-PCR and they were all serotype 1. Conclusion Astrovirus is a major cause of nonbacterical diarrhea between 2008 and 2009 in Tianjin, and the predominant serotype is type 1. Key words: Mamastrovirus; Astroviridae infections; Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction; Virus cultivation; Genotype
The Nesprin-1/-2 ortholog ANC-1 regulates organelle positioning in C. elegans without its KASH or actin-binding domains

Abstract KASH proteins in the outer nuclear membrane comprise the cytoplasmic half of LINC complexes that connect nuclei to the cytoskeleton. Caenorhabditis elegans ANC-1, an ortholog of Nesprin-1/2, contains actin-binding and KASH domains at opposite ends of a long spectrin-like region. Deletion of either the KASH or calponin homology (CH) domains does not completely disrupt nuclear positioning, suggesting neither KASH nor CH domains are essential. Deletions in the spectrin-like region of ANC-1 led to significant defects, but only recapitulated the null phenotype in combination with mutations in the trans-membrane span. In anc-1 mutants, the ER was unanchored, moving throughout the cytoplasm, and often fragmented. The data presented here support a cytoplasmic integrity model where ANC-1 localizes to the ER membrane and extends into the cytoplasm to position nuclei, ER, mitochondria, and likely other organelles in place.
Daily associations between affect and alcohol use among adults: The importance of affective arousal.

Abstract Objective Little is known about whether level of affective arousal (i.e., high vs. low) is associated with alcohol use and whether this relationship differs by valence (i.e., positive vs. negative affect) among adults. Methods Participants were n = 93 self-reported current drinkers (ages 25–65) who reported positive (PA) and negative affect (NA) seven times a day and alcohol use once a day for seven consecutive days. For each individual, mean levels of high arousal PA (e.g., excited), low arousal PA (e.g., satisfied), high arousal NA (e.g., frustrated), and low arousal NA (e.g., sad) were computed for each day. Results Alcohol use was reported on 30% of person-days, with an average of 2.3 drinks consumed on drinking days. Heavy episodic drinking (4+/5+ drinks for women/men) occurred on 4% of days. After covarying for age, gender, and weekday, days with higher-than-usual levels of high arousal PA were associated with a 52% increase in the odds of consuming any alcohol and a 105% increase in the odds of engaging in heavy episodic drinking. Individuals reporting more low arousal PA on average had a 77% increase in the odds of heavy episodic drinking. No significant associations between high or low arousal NA and alcohol use were found. Conclusions Greater PA, but not NA, was associated with heavy alcohol use at both the within- and between-person levels, perhaps attributable to social and enhancement drinking motives. Results differed by arousal, highlighting the importance of considering a wide range of affective states when examining alcohol use behavior.
Discussion by Fionn Murtagh

We will sketch out some problems associated with the restoration of Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images, which is of great immediate concern to the astronomical community. We wonder to what extent the approach described by Prof. Ripley would carry over to this problem.
Fundamental Limits and Tradeoffs in Invariant Representation Learning

Many machine learning applications involve learning representations that achieve two competing goals: To maximize information or accuracy with respect to a target while simultaneously maximizing invariance or independence with respect to a subset of features. Typical examples include privacy-preserving learning, domain adaptation, and algorithmic fairness, just to name a few. In fact, all of the above problems admit a common minimax game-theoretic formulation, whose equilibrium represents a fundamental tradeoff between accuracy and invariance. In this paper, we provide an information-theoretic analysis of this general and important problem under both classification and regression settings. In both cases, we analyze the inherent tradeoffs between accuracy and invariance by providing a geometric characterization of the feasible region in the information plane, where we connect the geometric properties of this feasible region to the fundamental limitations of the tradeoff problem. In the regression setting, we also derive a tight lower bound on the Lagrangian objective that quantifies the tradeoff between accuracy and invariance. Our results shed new light on this fundamental problem by providing insights on the interplay between accuracy and invariance. These results deepen our understanding of this fundamental problem and may be useful in guiding the design of adversarial representation learning algorithms.
Cell-type-specific alternative polyadenylation (APA) genes reveal the function of dynamic APA in complex tissues

ABSTRACT Alternative polyadenylation (APA) causes shortening or lengthening of the 3’-untranslated region (3’-UTR) of genes across multiple cell types. Bioinformatic tools have been developed to identify genes that are affected by APA (APA genes) in single-cell RNA-Seq (scRNA-Seq) data. However, they suffer from low power, and they cannot identify APA genes specific to each cell type (cell-type-specific APA) when multiple cell types are analyzed. To address these limitations, we developed scMAPA that systematically integrates two novel steps. First, scMAPA quantifies 3’-UTR long and short isoforms without requiring assumptions on the read density shape of input data. Second, scMAPA estimates the significance of the APA genes for each cell type while controlling confounders. In the analyses on our novel simulation data and human peripheral blood mono cellular data, scMAPA showed enhanced power in identifying APA genes. Further, in mouse brain data, scMAPA identifies cell-type-specific APA genes, improving interpretability for the cell-type-specific function of APA. We further showed that this improved interpretability helps to understand a novel role of APA on the interaction between neurons and blood vessels, which is critical to maintaining the operational condition of brains. With high sensitivity and interpretability, scMAPA shed novel insights into the function of dynamic APA in complex tissues. Key Points We developed a bioinformatic tool, scMAPA, that identifies dynamic APA across multiple cell types and a novel simulation pipeline to assess performance of such tools in APA calling. In simulation data of various scenarios from our novel simulation pipeline, scMAPA achieves sensitivity with a minimal loss of specificity. In human peripheral blood monocellular data, scMAPA identifies APA genes accurately and robustly, finding unique associations of APA with hematological processes. scMAPA identifies APA genes specific to each cell type in mouse brain data while controlling confounders that sheds novel insights into the complex molecular processes.
¿Qué constituye la transición Paracas-Nasca en Paracas Necrópolis? Prácticas mortuorias, artefactos presentes, formas de indumentaria y diversidad sociocultural

espanolPara reevaluar la contribucion del complejo mortuorio Paracas Necropolis a la comprension de la transicion Paracas- Nasca, se traza la distribucion de artefactos textiles y no textiles en una muestra de contextos relativamente bien documentados. La evidencia procedente de fardos complejos y mas simples permite proponer un modelo del orden social, las relaciones de intercambio y los procesos historicos. Sobre la base de la reconstruccion de cada contexto mortuorio, la distribucion de los tipos de artefactos, las asociaciones de genero y las secuencias de practicas mortuorias se aporta mejor evidencia para evaluar el rango social y los roles rituales. Los tipos y estilos de artefactos se agrupan de acuerdo a su presencia en los mismos contextos mortuorios para evaluar la cronologia Paracas-Nasca de la escuela de Berkeley y las correlaciones de Dwyer y Paul para los textiles de Paracas Necropolis. Tener en cuenta la agencia de quienes atendieron a los muertos, los productores y usuarios de los objetos presentes y sus relaciones de intercambio es esencial para caracterizar las tradiciones de cultura material y los procesos historicos de interaccion en un mundo social complejo. EnglishTo evaluate the contribution that the Paracas Necropolis mortuary complex makes to our understanding of the Paracas-Nasca transition, the distribution of textile and non-textile artifacts is tracked among a sample of relatively well-documented gravelots. Evidence from complex and simpler burials informs a model of the social order, exchange relationships and historic processes. Based on the reconstruction of each mortuary context, the distribution of artifact types, gender associations and sequences of mortuary practice provide better evidence to evaluate social rank and ritual roles. Artifact types and styles are grouped based on their co-occurrence in mortuary contexts to evaluate the Berkeley School Paracas-Nasca chronology and Dwyer-Paul correlations for Paracas Necropolis textiles. Awareness of the agency of those who attended to the dead, the producers and users of the objects present and their exchange relationships is essential for characterizing material culture traditions and historic processes of interaction in a complex social world.
Lean at home: applying RCA techniques to home projects

Root cause analysis techniques are often applied to problems in the workplace; however, they may also prove very useful when applied to home projects. This research explores the application of root cause analysis techniques in three home projects: (1) Cause-and-Effect diagram to remove Palmetto bugs in a condo dwelling, (2) Five Whys method to repair a sunroof water leak in a car, and (3) Fault Tree Analysis to repair a Toro string trimmer that starts, then dies. The effective use of root cause analysis techniques can have a meaningful impact on resolving home project issues resulting in a restoration of homeowner issues as well as reduced homeowner anxiety, repair time, and repair cost.
Meckel's Enterolith Causing Small Bowel Obstruction: A Useful Solution to a Unique Problem.

Meckel's diverticulum (MD) is the most common congenital anomaly of the gastrointestinal tract. Its course is usually benign but may also result in complications requiring surgical intervention. A diverticulum may also permit the removal of intraluminal objects without bowel resection and anastomosis. A woman in her 50s was found to have a mechanical small bowel obstruction secondary to an intraluminal mass within the terminal ileum. On exploration, an MD was encountered proximal to the mass. A diverticulectomy was performed after maneuvering the enterolith into the diverticulum. Meckel's diverticulum with an associated enterolith is a rare cause of small bowel obstruction. Historic imaging may show long-standing stones in the bowel lumen and provide a diagnostic clue. Diverticulectomy may be performed to reduce the risks of small bowel resection and anastomosis. This technique can be used for other intraluminal objects requiring removal in the presence of an MD.
Effects of paclobutrazol and fertilizer on the physiology, growth and biomass allocation of three Fraxinus species

Abstract Fraxinus spp. (ash) trees are widely found in urban areas across the U.S. where they experience varying degrees and types of stress. Fertilizer and paclobutrazol (PB) are marketed as a means to alter growth and enhance tree vigor. Fertilizer typically increases radial growth but may reduce root: shoot ratios. Paclobutrazol, a gibberellin inhibitor, may reduce radial growth but increase root: shoot ratios. In 2010, 63 Fraxinus spp. trees, (21 each, Fraxinus americana, Fraxinus quadrangulata and Fraxinus mandshurica) growing in a plantation were assigned to one of three treatments: fertilization, PB application or untreated control. Gas exchange, foliar nutrient concentration, radial growth and biomass allocation were assessed to evaluate tree response to treatments. Throughout the two year study, gas exchange was not affected by species or treatment. In 2010, there were no treatment effects on foliar N but F. quadrangulata had lower foliar N (1.94% ± 0.086), than F. americana (2.59% ± 0.050) and F. mandshurica (2.69% ± 0.063). In 2011, fertilizer increased F. quadrangulata foliar N (2.19% ± 0.085) compared to control trees (1.72% ± 0.128). Foliar N did not differ between F. americana or F. mandshurica fertilized or control trees or between PB and control trees of any species. In 2010, there were no treatment effects on growth. In 2011, radial growth of fertilized trees was 20 and 40% more than control and PB trees, respectively. In October 2011, we harvested trees to assess treatment effects on biomass allocation. Root: total biomass ratios of PB trees were 9 or 10% higher compared to control or fertilized trees, respectively, when species were combined. Biomass allocation was rarely different between fertilized and control trees. Results indicate the three Fraxinus species differ considerably in growth, foliar nutrients and biomass allocation and their response to PB and fertilizer.
Context-specific morphine tolerance and withdrawal: The effects of interdose interval

In the present experiments, we examined the effect of interdose interval (IDI) on context-specific morphine tolerance and withdrawal in rats. Contextual control of withdrawal was demonstrated with a 48-h IDI and was retained during an 8-day period of drug abstinence. Context-specific tolerance was also acquired and retained with a 48-h IDI. With a 12-h IDI, contextual control of both withdrawal and tolerance was disrupted. These studies demonstrated context-specific withdrawal with a lower dose (10 mg/kg) and a longer retention interval than has been previously reported. The finding that both contextual withdrawal and tolerance were similarly affected by the IDI suggests that they are mediated by a common process.
Arylamidase of Cephalosporium acremonium and its specificity for cephalosporin C.

Three aggregational forms of arylamidase are produced by Cephalosporium acremonium. The exocellular enzyme, with an approximate molecular weight of 60,000, was purified 300-fold by diethylaminoethyl cellulose chromatography, gel filtration, and gel electrophoresis. With l-leucyl-β-naphthylamide as the substrate, the Km is 4.2 × 10−4m; the optimum pH, 7.7; and the temperature optimum, 35 C. The enzymatic hydrolysis of l-leucyl-β-naphthylamide is inhibited by a number of cephalosporins, whereas a variety of penicillins show no effect. Alternatively, the enzyme specifically catalyzes the β-lactam hydrolysis of a number of cephalosporins; a number of penicillins are resistant. The Km for cephalosporin C is 9.09 × 10−4m.
Some Thoughts on ICT and Growth

Since the arst Harvard Forum on information and communication technology and economic development in 2003, there has been great progress in a number of areas. A truly amazing and rapid expansion of ICT services has occurred. A wide range of important services (informational, anancial, and other) have been identiaed that affect the ability of the poor and, indeed, large parts of developing country populations to conduct transactions at reasonable costs, as well as to start and run businesses. Not only have these services been identiaed, but there has been major progress in many countries in expanding access to these informational and transaction-based services. While the process is far from complete, evidence suggests that the impacts are large and growing. The role of ICT in expanding economic opportunities and lowering information and transaction costs, as predicted in the arst Harvard Forum, has, in fact, turned out to be true. Many of the questions about the use of ICT by the poor have been positively resolved. Affordability has increased, and the technology seems accessible and easy to use. The progress in a number of areas, including implementation of safe savings channels, secure and low-cost transfer of funds, micro anance credit availability, and more, has been impressive. It is also fairly clear that mobile phone and data technology has increasingly formed the infrastructure underpinning of much of this. Some suspected back then (in 2003) that the cellular phone morphing into a digital communication device and an Internet access client would increase in importance. But few of us foresaw the explosive growth in cell phone access and usage. By the time of the second Harvard meeting in 2009, global cell phone penetration was on the order of 60%, with 4.5 billion cell phones in use. The much-discussed digital divide may not have entirely disappeared, but its magnitude has diminished signiacantly, and the pattern appears to be more like convergence than divergence. Cell phone growth has been largely the result of private sector investment and initiative seeking new customers and developing the products and services that they need and can afford. Issues such as access to power have been resolved in creative ways. Fortunately, for the most part, this process seems to have largely escaped regulatory intervention, or to have beneated from a more constructive regulatory approach based on competition and new entry. Products have been adapted to particular market needs, fueling additional growth. On the provision of anancial services to the poor, much has been accomplished—in part, because of the availability of cell phone-based platforms. But the process has some ways to go. Costs need to come down, and service provision needs to expand. There is extensive evidence that anancing for poorer people in developing countries continues to have
A Survey of Boolean Algebras with Operators

The purpose of this survey is to call attention to the unifying role of the concept of a Boolean algebra with operators. The first chapter contains a brief history of this concept and a list of theorems from universal algebra that play an important role in the treatment of the subject. The next two chapters are concerned with the general theory, in particular canonical extensions and dualities, while each of the remaining chapters treats a particular class of BAO’s. The presentation is highly incomplete. In each chapter some basic concepts are introduced and their properties are illustrated by stating a number of key theorems, mostly without proofs. The bibliography contains only a miniscule portion of the relevant literature, but should be sufficient to open up the subject to a reader who wants to pursue a particular topic further.
Structural studies on bovine lactoferrin.

Abstract Bovine lactoferrin has a molecular weight of 77,100 ± 1500 in dilute aqueous solution as determined by the method of sedimentation equilibrium in the ultracentrifuge. In 6 m guanidine hydrochloride in the presence or absence of mercaptoethanol, bovine lactoferrin has a molecular weight of 72,500 to 77,200 ±1300 as measured by sedimentation equilibrium in the ultracentrifuge or by gel filtration on agarose columns. The molecular weight obtained by gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate is 76,000 ± 2400. Tryptic peptide maps reveal a number of peptides approximately equal to the content of lysine plus arginine in the molecule. Quantitative end group analysis shows 1 residue of alanine at the amino terminus of the molecule. These data demonstrate that bovine lactoferrin is composed of a single polypeptide chain. Analysis of the carbohydrate content revealed 1 residue of terminal sialic acid, 10 to 11 residues of N-acetyl glucosamine, 5 to 6 residues of galactose, and 15 to 16 residues of mannose per molecule of lactoferrin. Another protein, isolated as a major contaminant in commercial preparations of bovine α-lactalbumin showed identical properties to bovine lactoferrin except that it appeared, based upon molecular weight measurements, to be an aggregating system.
High pressure modulation of Escherichia coli DNA gyrase activity.

Abstract Elevated pressures greater than 551 bar were found to inhibit the DNA supercoiling activity of Escherichia coli DNA gyrase. A large fraction of the inhibitory effect could be reproduced by preincubation of the enzyme at high pressure prior to enzymatic assay at 1 bar. It is proposed that elevated pressure influences gyrase structure, most likely by promoting the dissociation of its subunits, however, it is also possible that effects on enzyme activity exist.
A Review of “Insurgencies; Essays in planning theory”

John Friedmann is one of the inventors of the field of planning theory. He recounts his experience in a seminar at the University of Chicago, in which “this new subject, planning theory, really had...
Urticaria Guidelines: Consensus and Controversies in the European and American Guidelines.

Urticaria can present acutely and be self-limiting or become chronic and persist for weeks, months, or years. In either case, the condition may have a significant impact on the patient’s quality of life. Two major consensus groups, the EAACI/WAO and the AAAAI/ACAAI Joint Task Force, have written guidelines on the diagnosis and management of urticaria. While both agree on most points regarding the definition, general evaluation, and treatment, there are some differences which exist. The guidelines, which are written to assist both primary practitioners and specialists in managing their patients with urticaria, have been developed based on scientific evidence, and when insufficient evidence is available, then recommendations are based on expert consensus opinion. The majority of the differences between the two guidelines pertain to recommendations based on expert opinion because of weak scientific evidence. Within this document, we compare the recommendations of these two groups, highlighting the key similarities and differences.
Effects of visual display and motion system delays on operator performance and ueasiness in a driving simulator

The role of visual-motion coupling delays and cuing order on operator performance and uneasiness was assessed in a driving simulator by means of a response surface methodology central-composite des...
Numerical simulation of the motion of neutrally buoyant particles in the plane Poiseuille flow of a Newtonian fluid

Abstract In this note we discuss the generalization of a Lagrange multiplier based fictitious domain method to the simulation of migration of neutrally buoyant particles in plane Poiseuille flow of a Newtonian fluid. The migration away from the center of the channel is believed to be an effect of the curvature of the velocity profile. We found this effect is not weakened by the presence of many particles, but instead by the collisions among the particles. Experiments and simulations show that the particles concentrate in the central region where the shear rate is low.
Desorption kinetics of lithium amide/magnesium hydride systems at constant pressure thermodynamic driving forces

Abstract Lithium amide and magnesium hydride are lightweight materials with high hydrogen-holding capacities and thus they are of interest for hydrogen storage. In the present work mixtures with initial molar compositions of (LiNH 2 + MgH 2 ) and (2LiNH 2 + MgH 2 ) were ball milled with and without the presence of 3.3 mol% potassium hydride dopant. Temperature programmed desorption, TPD, analyses of the mixtures showed that the potassium hydride doped samples had lower onset temperatures than their corresponding pristine samples. The dehydrogenation kinetics of the doped and pristine mixtures was compared at 210 °C. In each case a constant pressure thermodynamic driving force was applied in which the ratio of the plateau pressure to the applied hydrogen pressure was set at 10. Under equivalent conditions, the (LiNH 2 + MgH 2 ) mixture desorbed hydrogen about 4 times faster than the (2LiNH 2 + MgH 2 ) mixture. The addition of potassium hydride dopant was found to have a 25-fold increase on the desorption rates of the (2LiNH 2 + MgH 2 ) mixture, however it had almost no effect on the desorption rates of the (LiNH 2 + MgH 2 ) mixture. Activation energies were determined by the Kissinger method. Results showed the potassium hydride doped mixtures to have lower activation energies than the pristine mixtures.
Quality of refiner groundwood pulp as related to handsheet properties and gross wood characteristics

Pupl quality, in terms of a fiber shape factor S and a fiber length factor L, was determined for 96 pulps disk-refined from chips of varying characteristics. S was evaluated in terms of the Canadian Standard Freeness of the 48/100 fiber length fraction and is a parameter inversely proportional to specific surface. L is the percentage, by weight, of pulp retained on a 48-mesh screen and reflects the distribution by weight of fiber length in the whole pulp. S and L accounted for as much as 83 percent of the variation in handsheet properties. Properties were improved by using pulps displaying low values of S and relatively high values of L. Both S and L were related to specific refining energy and wood quality. S increased with increasing unextracted chip specific gravity and rings per inch of growth rate but decreased with increasing latewood content and refining energy. L decreased with increasing refining energy, rings per inch of growth rate, and unextracted chip specific gravity but increased with increasing latewood.
Does functional depletion of stem cells drive aging

Abstract The regenerative power of stem cells has raised issues about their relation to aging. We focus on the question of whether a decline in the function of stem cells may itself be a significant feature of aging. The question is implicitly two-fold: does functional depletion of stem cells affect the accumulation of aging-related deficits, and -- whether or not depletion is significant -- can activation of stem cells alleviate deficits? Two types of system are considered: 1) the exhaustible pool of ovarian follicles. The depletion of follicles leads to the aging-related phenomenon of menopause; and 2) the reserve of hematopoietic stem cells. Substantial numbers are sustained throughout life, but in mouse models, endogenous replicative activity has been shown to decline sharply with age. We discuss the possible implications of these observations for the rate of aging and the prospects for intervention.
Natural product origins of Hsp90 inhibitors

The currently used Hsp90 inhibitors, geldanamycin, herbimycin A and radicicol, were isolated many years ago from Streptomyces and fungi originally for their antiprotozoal activity, herbicidal activity and antifungal activity, respectively. In the mid 1980s, it was found that the benzoquinone ansamycin antibiotics (herbimycin A, geldanamycin, and macbecin) reversed v-Src transformed cells to normal phenotypes, and Bcr-abl was subsequently suggested to be the molecular target for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia through a study using herbimycin A for its selective antioncogenic activity. In 1994, these ansamycins were found to bind to Hsp90 and to cause the degradation of client proteins including Src kinases; further efforts to develop anticancer drugs were made using geldanamycin analogs, and 17AAG was chosen as the best candidate for clinical trials. The number of novel natural products isolated from microbial origins is continuing to increase and is doubling every 10 years. Thus, screening of bioactive substances from natural origins, using assays including defined targets, and developing leads toward drugs via optimized derivatization is a conventional but still promising strategy for drug discovery and development.
Thermal decomposition of CF3I using I-atom absorption

I-atom atomic resonance absorption spectrometry (ARAS) has been developed and applied to measure the thermal decomposition rate constant for CF 3 I (+M) → CF 3 + I (+M). The I-atom curve-of-growth (λ = 183 nm) was determined using this reaction, and, for [I] ⩽3 × 10 12 molecules cm −3 , (ABS) = 1.9215 × 10 −13 [I], yielding σ = 1.933 × 10 −14 cm 2 . Measured rate constants can be expressed by k 1 = 3.24 × 10 −9 exp(−17286 K/T) cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 (±56%, 1033 ⩽ T ⩽ 1285 K). RRKM theory has been applied to rationalize this result.
Observation of Behavioral and Personality Characteristics of Phenylketonurics According to Their Dietary Duration: Early Treatment and Normal Intelligence

13 Phenylketonuric children with normal intelligence and treated early were divided into two groups, a long- and a short-diet group, on the basis of the length of their dietary restriction. All subjects were rated by parents and teachers on the Behavior-Personality Problem Rating Scale. According to the total scores and scores on two individual items (“social withdrawal” and “passivity”), the subjects of the long-diet group received significantly more unfavorable ratings than the subjects of the short-diet group. Equally high incidences of “poor interpersonal behavior,” “short attention span,” “low frustration tolerance,” “low self-confidence,” and “special learning disability” were found in both groups.
Kinetic simulation of single electron transfer–living radical polymerization of methyl acrylate at 25 °C

A mechanistic comparison of the ATRP and SET-LRP is presented. Subsequently, simulation of kinetic experiments demonstrated that, in the heterolytic outer-sphere single-electron transfer process responsible for the SET-LRP, the activation of the initiator and of the propagating dormant species is faster than of the homolytic inner-sphere electron-transfer process responsible for ATRP. In addition, simulation experiments suggested that in both polymerizations the rate of deactivation is similar. In SET-LRP, the Cu(II)X2/L deactivator is created by the disproportionation of Cu(I)X/L inactive species, while in ATRP its concentration is mediated by the bimolecular termination. The combination of higher rate of activation with the creation of deactivator via disproportionation provides, via SET-LRP, an ultrafast synthesis of polymers with very narrow molecular weight distribution at room temperature. SET-LRP is mediated by a catalytic amount of Cu(0), and under suitable conditions, bimolecular termination is virtually absent. Kinetic and simulation experiments have also demonstrated that the amount of water available in commercial solvents and monomers is sufficient to induce the disproportionation of Cu(I)X/L into Cu(0) and Cu(II)X2/L and, subsequently, to change the polymerization mechanism from ATRP to SET-LRP. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 1835–1847, 2007.
Molecular tagging and validation of microsatellite markers linked to the low germination stimulant gene (lgs) for Striga resistance in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench)

Striga is a devastating parasitic weed in Africa and parts of Asia. Low Striga germination stimulant activity, a well-known resistance mechanism in sorghum, is controlled by a single recessive gene (lgs). Molecular markers linked to the lgs gene can accelerate development of Striga-resistant cultivars. Using a high density linkage map constructed with 367 markers (DArT and SSRs) and an in vitro assay for germination stimulant activity towards Striga asiatica in 354 recombinant inbred lines derived from SRN39 (low stimulant) × Shanqui Red (high stimulant), we precisely tagged and mapped the lgs gene on SBI-05 between two tightly linked microsatellite markers SB3344 and SB3352 at a distance of 0.5 and 1.5 cM, respectively. The fine-mapped lgs region was delimited to a 5.8 cM interval with the closest three markers SB3344, SB3346 and SB3343 positioned at 0.5, 0.7 and 0.9 cM, respectively. We validated tightly linked markers in a set of 23 diverse sorghum accessions, most of which were known to be Striga resistant, by genotyping and phenotyping for germination stimulant activity towards both S. asiatica and S.hermonthica. The markers co-segregated with Striga germination stimulant activity in 21 of the 23 tested lines. The lgs locus similarly affected germination stimulant activity for both Striga species. The identified markers would be useful in marker-assisted selection for introgressing this trait into susceptible sorghum cultivars. Examination of the sorghum genome sequence and comparative analysis with the rice genome suggests some candidate genes in the fine-mapped region (400 kb) that may affect strigolactone biosynthesis or exudation. This work should form a foundation for map-based cloning of the lgs gene and aid in elucidation of an exact mechanism for resistance based on low Striga germination stimulant activity.
Modeling strain hardening and texture evolution in friction stir welding of stainless steel

Abstract Steady-state friction stir welding of stainless steel has been modeled using an Eulerian formulation that considers coupled viscoplastic flow and heat transfer in the vicinity of the tool pin. Strain hardening is incorporated with a scalar state variable that evolves with deformation as material moves along streamlines of the flow field. The model equations are solved using the finite element method to determine the velocity field and temperature distribution, with a modified Petrov–Galerkin employed to stabilize the temperature distribution. The evolution equation for the state variable for strength is integrated along streamlines using an adaptive procedures to determine step size based on the element size. The intense shearing and associated heating lead to complex behavior near the tool pin. The effect of this complex response is demonstrated with the crystallographic texture, which displays a nonmonotonic strengthening and weakening history along streamlines that pass close to the tool pin.
myGander: A mobile interface and distributed search engine for pervasive computing

Motivated by the growing amount of digitally-accessible information in our physical surroundings and the ephemeral nature of that information, there is a profound need to efficiently search information with spatiotemporal underpinnings without a priori indexing. Human users in Personalized Network Spaces (PNetS), pervasive computing environments connected by opportunistic peer-to-peer connections, need information that is immediate and localized. This tight integration of the user with his immediate surroundings introduces novel search requirements. The requisite support for performing search of the here and now in the here and now calls for a new paradigm of search that explicitly separates search from advanced indexing of data. In light of this vision, this paper presents Gander, a scalable search engine for PNetS, along with myGander, a prototype mobile interface for Gander. The utility and usability of myGander as supported by Gander is demonstrated through a practical real-world pervasive computing scenario.