cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bayesian inference of constitutive model parameters from uncertain uniaxial experiments on murine tendons

Abstract Constitutive models for biological tissue are typically formulated as a mixture of constituents and the overall response is then assembled by superposition or compatibility. This ensures the stress response of the biological tissue to be in the range of a given constitutive relationship, guaranteeing that at least one parameter combination exists so that an experimental response can be sufficiently well captured. Another, perhaps more challenging, problem is to use constitutive models as a proxy to infer the structure/function of a biological tissue from experiments. In other words, we determine the optimal set of parameters by solving an inverse problem and use these parameters to infer the integrity of the tissue constituents. In previous studies, we focused on the mechanical stress-stretch response of the murine patellar tendon at various age and healing timepoints and solved the inverse problem using three constitutive models, i.e., the Freed-Rajagopal, Gasser-Ogden-Holzapfel and Shearer in order of increasing microstructural detail. Herein, we extend this work by adopting a Bayesian perspective on parameter estimation and implement the constitutive relations in the tulip library for uncertainty analysis, critically analyzing parameter marginals, correlations, identifiability and sensitivity. Our results show the importance of investigating the variability of parameter estimates and that results from optimization may be misleading, particularly for models with many parameters inferred from limited experimental evidence. In our study, we show that different age and healing conditions do not correspond to statistically significant separation among the Gasser-Ogden-Holzapfel and Shearer model parameters, while the phenomenological Freed-Rajagopal model is instead characterized by better indentifiability and parameter learning. Use of the complete experimental observations rather than averaged stress-stretch responses appears to positively constrain inference and results appear to be invariant with respect to the scaling of the experimental uncertainty.
Heterochrony as a Generalizable Principle in Biological Dynamics

We define heterochrony as the absence of characteristic time scales along with the conservation of sequential order (though some elements in the anticipated sequence may be absent). More generally, topology constrains geometry; a condition that has been called rigidity. Our interest is in the emergence of dynamical, ontogenetic and/or phylogenetic features of a recurrent, aperiodic orbit. Their manifolds are composed of finite (discrete, bounded) subspaces of the finite dimensional space of physical and mathematical possibilities of structural and dynamical morphogenesis.
Photobiomodulation for Alzheimer's Disease: Has the Light Dawned?

Next to cancer, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia is probably the most worrying health problem facing the Western world today. A large number of clinical trials have failed to show any benefit of the tested drugs in stabilizing or reversing the steady decline in cognitive function that is suffered by dementia patients. Although the pathological features of AD consisting of beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles are well established, considerable debate exists concerning the genetic or lifestyle factors that predispose individuals to developing dementia. Photobiomodulation (PBM) describes the therapeutic use of red or near-infrared light to stimulate healing, relieve pain and inflammation, and prevent tissue from dying. In recent years PBM has been applied for a diverse range of brain disorders, frequently applied in a non-invasive manner by shining light on the head (transcranial PBM). The present review discusses the mechanisms of action of tPBM in the brain, and summarizes studies that have used tPBM to treat animal models of AD. The results of a limited number of clinical trials that have used tPBM to treat patients with AD and dementia are discussed.
The Persistent Effect of Temporary Input Cost Advantages in Shipbuilding, 1850 to 1911

Can temporary input cost advantages have a long-run impact on production patterns? I study this question in the context of shipbuilding from 1850 to 1911. Although North America was the dominant wood shipbuilding region in the mid-19th century, the introduction of metal shipbuilding shifted the industry to Britain, where metal inputs were less expensive. After 1890, Britain’s input price advantages largely disappeared but its dominant position in the industry persisted. I show that American shipbuilders exposed to British competition struggled to transition to metal shipbuilding and present evidence that the mechanism behind Britain’s persistent lead was the development of pools of skilled workers.
Trivalent metal complex geometry of the substrate governs cathepsin B enzymatic cleavage rate

The lysosomal protease cathepsin B recognizes defined, short peptide sequences, providing means for effective, targeted drug release. Here, we show that the introduction of a coordination complex adjacent to the cleavage sequence allows us to tune enzymatic cleavage rate by varying the complexed, trivalent metal ion.
Iron Deficiency and Its Role in Sleep Disruption in Patients With Angelman Syndrome.

Objective:To determine if Angelman syndrome patients with sleep complaints have an increased risk of iron deficiency, and if iron therapy improves their sleep difficulties.Background:About two-thir...
Differences in Use of Aggressive Therapy for Localized Prostate Cancer in New York City.

Abstract Background Socioeconomic factors may impact how a patient is treated for prostate cancer (CaP). Our objective was to determine if county of residence or neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics were associated with treatment for CaP in New York City (NYC). Materials and Methods We used the NYSPACED database to identify men aged 40 to 80 years with localized CaP in NYC between 2004 and 2016. We categorized patients into receiving either aggressive local therapy (ALT) or non-aggressive treatment (NT). We identified borough of residence through NYSPACED and used Public Use Microdata Area (PUMA) designation to define neighborhood characteristics using United States Census data. We hypothesized that differences exist in use of ALT according to county of residence and neighborhood characteristics. We used multivariable logistic regression to test the association between county of residence and ALT as well as between ALT and PUMA characteristics. Results Our cohort included 40,668 patients. Overall, 80% had ALT, and 21% had NT. NT use increased over time from 16% in 2004 to 32% in 2016 (P Conclusions We observed significant differences in use of treatment for men with newly diagnosed CaP in NYC. The ability to receive this treatment was associated with borough of residence as well as neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics. Additional research is required to identify barriers in access to NT within NYC.
Parenting and Physics: How to Support Physics Students Who Are Raising Children

This study addresses the obstacles and lack of support available for physics students who are also parents. The purpose of this study is to provide physics parents with strategies that other students like them have used and provide ideas for universities and physics faculty to support physics students who are raising children. Majoring in physics could present a challenge to any parents, given the demands of the major. Further, given the low numbers of women in physics and previous research on student parents, it is likely that majoring in physics might be an extra burden for women who are parenting. Given the need for people trained as physicists and engineers, finding ways to support parents in physics could have benefits all around: It could increase the pool of highly trained STEM workers, while diversifying physics and also helping parents prepare for careers that can support their families.
2.10 Chiral Pool Synthesis: Chiral Pool Synthesis from Hydroxy Acids: Lactic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Malic Acid, and 2-Methyl-3-hydroxypropionic Acid

The following chapter covers hydroxy acids, which are derived from the chiral pool. Their application in recent natural product synthesis will be reviewed. Several examples for each hydroxyl acid were chosen particularly with regard to substrate controlled diastereoselective reactions. For a better understanding of the presented syntheses the molecular framework of the chiral pool building blocks are marked in blue throughout the whole synthesis. In this way the reader is able to track the disposition of the initial fragments. Each section starts with a short introduction to the corresponding hydroxy acid, primarily focusing on the industrial production. The following hydroxy acids are dealt with: 3-hydroxybutyric acid, lactic acid, methyl ( R )-(−)-3-hydroxy-2-methylpropionate (Roche ester), mandelic acid, malic acid, and tartaric acid.
Categories Create Mind-Sets: The Effect of Exposure to Broad Versus Narrow Categorizations on Subsequent, Unrelated Decisions

Abstract The authors find that exposure to different types of categories or assortments in a task creates a mind-set that changes how consumers process information in subsequent tasks. That is, these mind-sets have a spillover effect that alters consumers' decision making in a variety of subsequent and unrelated tasks, from basic cognitive behaviors (e.g., grouping) and consumer decisions (e.g., new product adoptions) to more general decision-making strategies (e.g., susceptibility to heuristics). Consumers previously exposed to broad assortments or categorizations base their decisions on fewer pieces of information, typically those made salient by the environment. In contrast, consumers previously exposed to narrow assortments or categorizations employ multiple pieces of information, both salient and nonsalient, without exerting any extra effort. Consequently, prior exposure to broad versus narrow categorizations leads to greater susceptibility to some common context effects and to heuristic decision making.
Mintzberg’s Model of Managing: Random Thoughts from an Observation

The classical view of a manager’s role has been that he/she organizes, coordinates, plans, and controls. In 1973, Mintzberg clarified that on any given day managers are very busy, frequently interrupted, and at pains to control what they do. Revisiting his observations 35 years later, Mintzberg (2009) delineated a Model of Managing that depicts managing on three planes: through information, with people, and for action. Framed by Mintzberg’s (2009) Model of Managing, this precis presents findings, analyses, and reactions from observation of a single manager.
Nutrient Intake During School Lunch in Title I Elementary Schools With Universal Free Meals.

BackgroundThe National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides >30 million meals to children daily; however, the specific nutrient composition of NSLP-selected and consumed meals for students from low...
Optical Spectral Linewidths in Solids

Physicists and chemists have long realized that the information about material systems which can be obtained by spectroscopic studies is strongly dependent on the resolution which can be achieved. This may be limited by the physical system itself or by the measurement process. A number of early papers studied sharp-line spectra in solids. One of the pioneers was Jean Becquerel [1], who worked extensively with rare earth materials in Paris in the early 1900’s. He recognized that at low temperatures, spectral lines could become quite sharp, and in 1908 took his samples and spectrograph to Leiden and collaborated with Kammerlingh Onnes [2] on a measurement of the absorption spectra of rare earth ions in naturally occurring crystals such as tysonite (LaF3) and xenotime (YPO4) at the temperatures of liquid and solid hydrogen. The resulting spectra, recorded with a theoretical resolving power of ∼104, were extremely rich but certainly contained many lines which were instrumentally broadened. In the 1930’s, Otto Deutschbein working in Marburg [3] carried out extensive measurements of the spectra of chromium ions in natural crystals of many materials including ruby, spinel, alexandrite and tourmaline, as well as synthetic materials. He found that at liquid nitrogen temperatures, a number of spectral lines were ∼3 cm-1 wide, but again, since he was working with a prism spectrograph with a linear dispersion of 50A/mm, many of these lines were broadened by the measurement process.
Flux-current methods for SRM rotor position estimation

A family of nonintrusive methods is presented for estimating the shaft angle of a switched reluctance machine. Such methods can be utilized for commutation control of the SRM (switched reluctance machine) thereby eliminating the requirement for a shaft position sensor. These methods rely on the machine's inherent flux/current magnetic characteristics to infer rotor position from measurements of stator flux-linkage and current during normal phase excitation. Position estimation schemes are presented for SRMs in which both single and multiple simultaneous phases are excited. Also presented is a simulated sensing performance using measured SRM data processed according to the proposed position lumped-parameter estimation scheme. >
The logarithm in biology. II. Distributions simulating the log-normal.

Abstract In this second paper, I present a number of distributions—some derivable from explicit mechanisms and others not, which approach the log-normal distribution or its integral. As in the previous work, the variety of circumstances that lead to the log-normal distribution or approximations to it is stressed. Cassandra-like we preach caveat emptor to those who would believe any explicit explanation in any particular case without collateral reasons.
Elasto-Optic Anomaly in K H 2 P O 4

A Curie-Weiss anomaly in the elasto-optic (Pockels') coefficient ${{p}_{66}}^{E=0}$ measured under the "shorted" condition has been observed by spontaneous Brillouin light scattering above the ferroelectric transition at 122\ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K. The observed relation ${{p}_{66}}^{E=0}=\ensuremath{-}0.0345\ensuremath{-}\frac{2.132}{(T\ensuremath{-}117.45)}$ is shown to be a direct consequence of the anomaly in the "clamped" dielectric constant ${{\ensuremath{\epsilon}}_{33}}^{X=0}$.
Cometary Plasma Waves and Instabilities

Various plasma waves and instabilities that have been observed near comets are discussed. Observational results are ordered by plasma parameters and compared with specific instabilities. The variation in the cometary ion and electron beam densities and velocities are studied by examining regions far from and near the comet nucleus. Spacecraft observations relevant to nonlinear wave evolution, wave cascading, and the development of turbulence are reviewed. The implications of the results for wave-particle interactions - linear, nonlinear, resonant, and nonresonant - and their effects on stochastic particle acceleration are addressed. Higher-frequency ELF/VLF wave observations are also reviewed, and comparisons between the various measurements are made.
Iterative Reconstruction Techniques in Abdominopelvic CT: Technical Concepts and Clinical Implementation

OBJECTIVE. This article discusses the clinical challenge of low-radiation-dose examinations, the commonly used approaches for dose optimization, and their effect on image quality. We emphasize practical aspects of the different iterative reconstruction techniques, along with their benefits, pitfalls, and clinical implementation. CONCLUSION. The widespread use of CT has raised concerns about potential radiation risks, motivating diverse strategies to reduce the radiation dose associated with CT. CT manufacturers have developed alternative reconstruction algorithms intended to improve image quality on dose-optimized CT studies, mainly through noise and artifact reduction. Iterative reconstruction techniques take unique approaches to noise reduction and provide distinct strength levels or settings.
Synthesis of ficisterol - the first natural sterol with 23-thyl substitution

Abstract Using a Claisen ortho-ester rearrangement, all four possible C-23, C-24-stereoisomers of the novel marine sterol ficisterol (23-ethyl-24-methyl-27-norcholesta-5, 25-dien-3β-ol, 1 ) were synthesized and the C-24 configuration of the natural product established.
Corn oil biofuel land use change emission impacts: sharing emission savings between ethanol and biodiesel

“The results obtained from these simulations indicate that extracting corn oil reduces the induced land use emissions due to total biofuel production…. The bottom line is that more biofuel is produced from the same or fewer land resources, so total system land use emissions fall.”
Localization of antigens on the inner-acrosomal membrane of the rabbit sperm by immunofluorescence

The acrosome-reacted spermatozoa interact with the zona pellucida through their limiting inner acrosomal membrane (IAM). The antigenic properties of IAM were determined using the antibody to IAM raised in a male guinea pig. The antisera was incubated with the acetone powder of rabbit lung, liver, kidney, heart, muscle, and blood cells. The unabsorbed antibodies specifically interacted with antigens on the IAM as determined by the immunofluorescence technique.
Effects of the Communities That Care model in pennsylvania on youth risk and problem behaviors

We undertook the first broad-scale quasi-experimental evaluation of youth outcomes in communities using the Communities That Care program (Hawkins, J. D., & Catalano, R. F., Jr. San Francisco, CA, USA: Jossey-Bass Inc, Publishers, 1992a), which targets adolescent problem behaviors. We evaluated 15 risk factors and 6 outcomes (substance use and delinquent behaviors) for 38,107 youth in 2001 and 98,436 youth in 2003 in Pennsylvania schools. Multilevel analyses compared student reports in communities with CTC programs to comparable communities without CTC, while controlling for level of poverty in the community. Results favored the CTC communities at greater than chance levels in terms of lower rates of some risk factors and outcomes. In a follow-up analysis, CTC community grade cohorts were included only if the grade cohort was expected to benefit from a CTC sponsored program (based on timing of program implementation and target age of the program). Evidence of CTC effects for grade cohorts that received evidence-based programs was even stronger. These findings suggest that community coalitions can affect adolescent public health problems at a population level, especially when evidence-based programs are utilized.
Probing the requirements for recognition and catalysis in Fpg and MutY with nonpolar adenine isosteres.

The Escherichia coli DNA repair enzymes Fpg and MutY are involved in the prevention of mutations resulting from 7,8-dihydro-8-oxo-2‘-deoxyguanosine (OG) in DNA. The nonpolar isosteres of 2‘-deoxyadenosine, 4-methylbenzimidazole β-deoxynucleoside (B), and 9-methyl-1H-imidazo[4,5-b]pyridine β-deoxynucleoside (Q), were used to examine the importance of hydrogen bonding within the context of DNA repair. Specifically, the rate of base removal under single-turnover conditions by the MutY and Fpg glycosylases from duplexes containing OG:B and OG:Q mismatches, relative to OG:A mismatches, was evalulated. The reaction of Fpg revealed a 5- and 10-fold increase in rate of removal of OG from duplexes containing OG:B and OG:Q base pairs, respectively, relative to an OG:A mispair. These results suggest that the lack of the ability to hydrogen bond to the opposite base facilitates removal of OG. In contrast, adenine removal catalyzed by MutY was much more efficient from an OG:A mispair-containing duplex (k2 = 12 ± 2 min...
Promoting Chemistry Learning through Undergraduate Work Experience in the Chemistry Lab: A Practical Approach

Hiring undergraduate lab assistants in chemistry departments is common in college. However, few studies have focused on promoting undergraduate chemistry learning and thinking skills through this work experience in chemistry teaching laboratories. This article discusses the strategy we implemented in the lab assistant program. The student-centered, inquiry-based work experience provided a unique learning environment for undergraduate students. A routine lab assistant job can be transformed into a unique chemistry learning experience. The development of critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, and working skills from this job experience promotes undergraduate learning and shapes students’ future study.
Sacrificial layer for the fabrication of electroformed cantilevered LIGA microparts

The use of silver filled PMMA as a sacrificial layer for the fabrication of multilevel LIGA microparts is presented. In this technique, a bottom level of standard electroformed LIGA parts is first produced on a metallized substrate such as a silicon wafer. A methyl methacrylate formulation mixed with silver particles is then cast and polymerized around the bottom level of metal parts to produce a conducting sacrificial layer. A second level of PMMA x-ray resist is adhered to the bottom level of metal parts and conducting PMMA and patterned to form another level of electroformed features. This presentation will discuss some the requirements for the successful fabrication of multilevel, cantilevered LIGA microparts. It will be shown that by using a silver filled PMMA, a sacrificial layer can be quickly applied around LIGA components; cantilevered microparts can be electroformed; and the final parts can be quickly released by dissolving the sacrificial layer in acetone.
Relevant replies to questions: Answers versus evasions

A taxonomy was developed that accounts for all relevant partner responses to questions in the natural discourse of nursery school dyads. Evasive replies as well as answers must be included in such a scheme. Evasive replies are discoursally linked to questions, whereas answers are grammatically linked to questions. Nursery school children in this sample tended to inspect the nature of the relevance of a reply to a question and, at least on some occasions, to acknowledge replies to questions (explicitly or implicitly) and to respond differently to evasive replies than replies in general.
Assessment of brain iron and neuronal integrity in patients with Parkinson's disease using novel MRI contrasts

Postmortem demonstration of increased iron in the substantia nigra (SN) is a well-appreciated finding in Parkinson's disease (PD). Iron facilitates generation of free radicals, which are thought to play a role in dopamine neuronal loss. To date, however, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has failed to show significant in vivo differences in SN iron levels in subjects with PD versus control subjects. This finding may be due to the limitations in tissue contrasts achievable with conventional T(1)- and T(2)-weighted MRI sequences that have been used. With the recent development of novel rotating frame transverse (T(2rho)) and longitudinal (T(1rho)) relaxation MRI methods that appear to be sensitive to iron and neuronal loss, respectively, we embarked on a study of 8 individuals with PD (Hoehn & Yahr, Stage II) and 8 age-matched control subjects. Using these techniques with a 4T MRI magnet, we assessed iron deposits and neuronal integrity in the SN. First, T(2rho) MRI, which is reflective of iron-related dynamic dephasing mechanisms (e.g., chemical exchange and diffusion in the locally different magnetic susceptibilities), demonstrated a statistically significant difference between the PD and control group, while routine T(2) MRI did not. Second, T(1rho) measurements, which appear to reflect upon neuronal count, indicated neuronal loss in the SN in PD. We show here that sub-millimeter resolution T(1rho) and T(2rho) MRI relaxation methods can provide a noninvasive measure of iron content as well as evidence of neuronal loss in the midbrain of patients with PD.
Territoriality, politics and the ‘urban’

Abstract While a central category in the human sciences, including political geography, the urban is for the most part a curiously unexamined one. Using the very different arguments of Saunders and Harvey as its point of departure this paper examines the defensibility of a specifically urban politics. Saunders had argued against and Harvey in favor. Harvey’s approach has the merit of being anchored by a carefully thought out understanding of the relation between society and space. But wile this means, qua Saunders, that politics is necessarily about space, it does not mean that there is a necessarily urban politics. Interests in space are rarely in the specifically urban. Some may find it convenient to elaborate arguments that assume that there is something called the urban and that it corresponds to the causally significant. In some national contexts, like the US, these arguments may appear more plausible than elsewhere. But for the most part the structures of socio-spatial relations in which people and firms have interests can only be reduced to the urban with difficulty.
The ergodicity of a class of reversible reaction-diffusion processes

We build on recent results of Durrett, Ding and Liggett to establish ergodicity in a class of reversible reaction-diffusion processes.
Generalized trajectory charts

Abstract A rapid method of obtaining trajectory information for preliminary design purposes is presented in graphic form. The effects of thrust variation with altitude and drag can be approximated by a simple iterative solution. By use of the curves data may be obtained for velocity, path angle, altitude and range covered during powered flight. Curves have been obtained for gravity turn flights and constant attitude flight paths, wherein the thrust vector angle remains constant relative to the local horizontal. The use of these curves is illustrated for a ballistic missile range calculation.
Imaging the Conditioned Behavioral Effects of Methamphetamine in Rodents

Cue-elicited craving is modeled in rats using the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm, however it is not known whether this CPP produces a pattern of brain activations homologous to those reported in humans. To test the hypothesis that similar neural circuits underlie cue-elicited craving in rodents and humans, we used behavioral neuroimaging with 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (FDG) and positron emission tomography (PET) in freely moving rats during the expression of place preference to methamphetamine (METH). Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) correlated preference with regional changes in brain activation. We observed increased relative FDG uptake compared to baseline in the cerebellum, thalamus, frontal, sensory and motor cortices. There were significant decreases in the insular cortex and throughout the hippocampus. Covariate analysis revealed circuitry in the dorsal and ventral striatum, cingulate gyrus and amygdala where relative FDG uptake correlated with individual differences in preference. These findings demonstrate a strong overlap in those areas activated by the expression of place preference in rodents and distinct patterns of brain activation observed with expectancy and cue-induced craving in humans. We conclude that neuroimaging in animals enriches, and is enriched by, the field of Pavlovian conditioning as well as other fields of behavioral science.
Identification and Structure of Activated-Platelet Protein-1, a Protein with RNA-Binding Domain Motifs that is Expressed by Activated Platelets

Beyond their critical role in thrombosis, platelets perform important functions in vascular remodeling, inflammation, and wound repair. Many of these functions are executed by molecules expressed by activated platelets. A novel molecule, activated-platelet protein-1 (APP-1), was identified by a monoclonal antibody against activated rabbit platelets. When platelets were stimulated by thrombin, A23187 or ADP, APP-I was expressed on the platelet surface. APP-1 was also detected in whole cell lysates of platelets, but not on the external surfaces of resting platelets. With maximal activation by thrombin, 15900±2800 molecules APP-1 were expressed/platelet. A 2.3-kb cDNA fragment containing a partial coding sequence for APP-1 was isolated from a rabbit bone marrow library by expression cloning with the anti-APP-l monoclonal antibody. When expressed as a recombinant fusion protein in bacteria, APP-1 bound specifically to poly(A)-Sepharose. The full-length cDNA coding for human APP-1, obtained by DNA hybridization techniques, showed 98.7% amino acid sequence identity with the rabbit protein. Northern analysis with human APP-1 identified a 3.7-kb mRNA transcript in megakaryocytic lines that express transcripts for platelet proteins. Human APP-1 has four ribonucleotide binding domains with ribonucleoprotein 1 and 2 motifs. By virtue of its ribonucleotide binding domains, APP-1 is structurally related to polyadenylate-binding protein, which regulates translation initiation and polyadenylate shortening, and to nucleolysin, a specific effector molecule found in the granules of cytotoxic T lymphocytes.
On the Importance of the Clinician-Educator: Dermatology Fellowship for Academic Clinician Teachers

Within each academic dermatology department there usually exists one clinician who is viewed as the "gold standard" against which diagnostic and therapeutic acumen are measured. As a patient with a puzzling disorder is discussed at rounds, it is to this master that the final word falls, whose recommendation for treatment gets the nod; it is to his or her words that people remain quiet and listen intently. They are commonly also the leading teachers in the medical centers, passing on to succeeding generations the factual knowledge, spiced with bits of philosophy, ethics, and anecdote, that helps to ensure the development of dermatology residents into superb practitioners. They are often the ones most responsible for generating medical student interest in our specialty. Such individuals in our current lingo are "clinician-educators," the rock residents depend on to provide role models to emulate in the diagnosis, care, and treatment of our patients and to whom the community looks to for help in caring for their patients with the most difficult diagnoses.
Molecular biology: Slip sliding on DNA.

Dedicated binding proteins stabilize single-stranded DNA, protecting it from breakage and distortion. Once thought to form inert complexes with DNA, such proteins are now shown to be remarkably mobile.
Medical management of vesicoureteral reflux

Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in children is associated with increased risk of urinary tract infection (UTI). Recurrent UTI in the presence of the VUR is believed to cause renal scarring, which carries a risk of subsequent hypertension, toxemia of pregnancy, and significant renal damage, including end-stage renal disease. The natural history of VUR is to improve or resolve completely with time in most of the patients. The traditional management consists of prompt treatment of UTI, long-term anti-microbial prophylaxis until the VUR resolves, or surgical intervention in those with persistent high grade VUR, recurrent UTI in spite of prophylaxis with anti-microbial agent, allergy to anti-microbial agents, and patient/parent non-compliance with the medical management. Voiding dysfunction and constipation play an important role, and their diagnosis and appropriate management helps reduce the frequency of UTI and promote the resolution of the VUR. Patients with renal scarring need to be monitored for potential complications such as hypertension, proteinuria, and progression of the renal damage. In patients with hypertension and/or proteinuria, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs) or angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are the drugs of choice, because of their reno-protective properties. Recent studies have revealed that there is no convincing evidence that UTI in the presence of VUR predicts renal injury or that the use of long-term anti-microbial prophylaxis or surgical intervention prevents renal scarring or its progression. However, until proven otherwise by a prospective, placebo-controlled, randomized study, it is advisable to err on the side of caution and consider VUR and UTI risk factors for renal scarring and treat each patient on individual basis.
List organization and recognition memory

Some investigators have been unable to find that list organization aids recognition, although it does aid recall, thus lending support to a model of memory that assumes that the memorial processes involved in recall differ from those operating in recognition. Other experimenters, however, have found organization to have a facilitating effect on recognition. The present study examined recognition performance using organized and unrelated word lists, with two types of distractors being used. Results indicated that organization aided recognition, regardless of the type of distractor employed.
Differentiation of defect populations responsible for bulk laser-induced damage in potassium dihydrogen phosphate crystals

The defects responsible for damage in KDP and DKDP crystals are investigated by analyzing the density of damage sites and their individual morphology under different irradiation wavelengths and fluences. The experimental results indicate the presence of two defect species initiating damage over different wavelength ranges. Disparities in the morphology of damage sites initiated are also observed over each wavelength range.
Academic success among Mexican-American women in a community college

This field study examined a model of attrition in young Mexican American women at a community college. It was hypothesized that those who achieved low academic performance would drop out in response to a series ofpsychosocial and sociocultural barriers in education. The model in vestigated a process by which Mexican American women matriculate into the community college system and either bring with them or encounter for the first time a set of well‐documented barriers to education. At this juncture, they either possess or do not possess the personality characteristics and background that help them overcome the consequences of the barriers. If the students are able to sustain themselves through the difficulty posed by the barriers, they are more likely to experience depression, which may manifest as somatic symptoms. To the extent that a student succumbs to depression, her academic performance would fall and she would opt to leave school. The results of this study suggest that the greatest impact of educati...
Effects of saline acclimation on plasma electrolytes, urea excretion, and hepatic urea biosynthesis in a freshwater stingray, Potamotrygon sp. Garman, 1877.

Abstract 1. 1. Freshwater stingrays, Potamotrygon sp., were slowly acclimated to 40% sea water. 2. 2. Saline acclimation had no significant effect on the rate of urea biosynthesis. 3. 3. Rates of urea excretion were low and did not differ significantly in freshwater and saline acclimated rays. Total ammonia- n + urea- n was excreted primarily as ammonia- n in both groups. 4. 4. The rate of simultaneous total-body clearance of urea-14C and thiourea-14C in saline acclimated rays did not indicate that saline acclimation was accompanied by renal conservation of urea. 5. 5. Hematocrits and plasma urea concns did not differ significantly in fresh water and saline acclimated rays. 6. 6. Plasma sodium and chloride concns were significantly increased by saline acclimation.
Short-latency visual stabilization mechanisms that help to compensate for translational disturbances of gaze.

: Recent studies in primates have revealed short-latency visual tracking mechanisms that help to stabilize the eyes during translational disturbances of the observer, and so operate as backups to otolith-mediated vestibulo-ocular reflexes. One such mechanism generates version eye movements to help stabilize gaze when the moving observer looks off to one side, utilizing binocular disparity to help single out the images in the plane of fixation (ocular following). Two others generate vergence eye movements to help maintain binocular alignment on objects that lie ahead: one responds to the radial patterns of optic flow (radial-flow vergence) and the other to the changes in binocular parallax (disparity vergence). Accumulating evidence suggests that, despite their short latency, all are mediated by the medial superior temporal area of cortex.
Sterols produced by Synura petersenii (Chrysophyta).

Abstract By means of thin-layer chromatography, gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, melting-point determinations and derivative formation the taste and odor alga Synura petersenii was shown to produce β-sitosterol and cholesterol.
Deficits in finite verb morphology : Some assumptions in recent accounts of specific language impairment

The grammatical morphology deficits common in children with specific language impairment (SLI) are characterized in some models as linguistic deficits. Such models must assume some mechanism for correct productions of finite verb forms. Three such assumptions were tested by analyzing speech samples from 18 children with SLI (aged 3 years 6 months to 6 years 9 months). Assumption 1, that nonfinite forms are used consistently until replaced by memorized finite forms, was tested by examining the distribution of verb types in present third-person singular and noun types in present third-person singular contractible copula contexts. Significantly more word types than expected were inflected inconsistently. Both Assumption 2, that finite and nonfinite verb forms are memorized but used indiscriminately, and Assumption 3, that affixation rules are applied indiscriminately, predict random use of finite forms. This prediction was not supported.
L-asparaginase induced antithrombin III deficiency: Evidence against the production of a hypercoagulable state

L-asparaginase, a chemotherapeutic agent employed in the treatment of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), is known to depress the synthesis of numerous plasma proteins. The plasma concentration of the major protease inhibitor of the coagulation mechanism, antithrombin III, is substantially decreased in patients receiving this drug. This observation has generated speculation that L-asparaginase may induce a hypercoagulable state in humans. To examine this hypothesis, we studied ten patients with ALL in remission who were being treated with the above chemotherapeutic agent. Our data revealed that infusion of this enzyme leads to a marked decrease in the plasma concentrations of prothrombin as well as antithrombin III. However, we have also observed a constant level of thrombin generation during the same period of time as monitored by plasma levels of prothrombin activation fragment (F1 + 2) and thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT). Based upon these findings we suggest that administration of L-asparaginase does not usually lead to the induction of a hypercoagulable state.
Gravity-dependent Nystagmus and Inner-Ear Dysfunction Suggest Anterior and Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery Infarct

Cerebellar lesions may present with gravity-dependent nystagmus, where the direction and velocity of the drifts change with alterations in head position. Two patients had acute onset of hearing loss, vertigo, oscillopsia, nausea, and vomiting. Examination revealed gravity-dependent nystagmus, unilateral hypoactive vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR), and hearing loss ipsilateral to the VOR hypofunction. Traditionally, the hypoactive VOR and hearing loss suggest inner-ear dysfunction. Vertigo, nausea, vomiting, and nystagmus may suggest peripheral or central vestibulopathy. The gravity-dependent modulation of nystagmus, however, localizes to the posterior cerebellar vermis. Magnetic resonance imaging in our patients revealed acute cerebellar infarct affecting posterior cerebellar vermis, in the vascular distribution of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA). This lesion explains the gravity-dependent nystagmus, nausea, and vomiting. Acute onset of unilateral hearing loss and VOR hypofunction could be the manifestation of inner-ear ischemic injury secondary to the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) compromise. In cases of combined AICA and PICA infarction, the symptoms of peripheral vestibulopathy might masquerade the central vestibular syndrome and harbor a cerebellar stroke. However, the gravity-dependent nystagmus allows prompt identification of acute cerebellar infarct.
Bariatric surgery: unstressing or boosting the β-cell?

Bariatric surgery is the most effective therapy for severe obesity in terms of reduction of morbidity and mortality and quality of life improvement. Different bariatric procedures distinctly differ with regard to their effectiveness to reduce body weight and to improve morbidities, such as type 2 diabetes. In this regard, the most effective procedures are bilio-pancreatic diversion (BPD) and duodenal switch procedure curing 98.9% of the diabetes patients, followed by Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) with 83.7% success rate, by gastroplasty with 71.6% and by gastric banding with 47.9%. Interestingly, a net improvement up to resolution of type 2 diabetes has been consistently reported few days after RYGB and BPD. RYGB promotes incretin secretion which, in turn, stimulates insulin secretion while insulin sensitivity is slightly improved. Rarely, the long-term effect of incretin hypersecretion might result in hypertrophy and hyperplasia of the islets of Langerhans, otherwise known as nesidioblastosis, associated with hyperinsulinaemia and severe postprandial hypoglycaemia. In contrast, BDP improves insulin resistance to a greater extent and results, in the long run, in supra-normal values of insulin sensitivity with subsequent reduction of insulin secretion. The mechanism allowing diabetes resolution after surgical intestinal manipulation is extremely interesting but only partially understood.
Search for neutrinoless double beta decay with the CUORE detector

CUORE (Cryogenic Underground Observatory for Rare Events) is a 1-ton experiment to search for Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay of 130Te using 988 TeO2 bolometers. It aims at reaching the sensitivity on the effective neutrino mass of the order of few tens of meV. CUORICINO, a single CUORE tower running since 2003 in the Gran Sasso Underground Laboratory (Italy), plays an important role as a standing alone experiment for developing the future CUORE setup. The latest limit obtained on the Majorana mass is presented. The effort in improving the detector sensitivity and background reduction is also reported.
Theoretical lifetimes and fluorescence yields for 1s2p 3P levels

Abstract Theoretical lifetimes and fluorescence yields for the 1s2p 3P levels are presented for selected atomic numbers up to Z=50.
FINE CONTEXT, LOW-RANK, SOFTPLUS DEEP NEURAL NETWORKS FOR MOBILE SPEECH RECOGNITION

We investigate the use of large state inventories and the softplus nonlinearity for on-device neural network based mobile speech recognition. Large state inventories are achieved by less aggressive context-dependent state tying, and made possible by using a bottleneck layer to contain the number of parameters. We investigate alternative approaches to the bottleneck layer, demonstrate the superiority of the softplus non-linearity and investigate alternatives for the final stages of the training algorithm. Overall we reduce the word error rate of the system by 9% relative. The techniques are also shown to work well for large acoustic models for cloud-based speech recognition.
The perception of offset: A problem of decision criteria

Robinson (1974) has presented a simple form of a hypothesis which assumes that the sensory response to a stimulus persists for a period of time exceeding its physical duration. He uses this hypothesis to predict Efron’s (1970) results concerning the delayed perception of offset of brief stimuli. We propose a natural extension of this hypothesis that assumes that each subject adopts a “personal” criterion in order to judge offset. This model not only provides predictions consistent with Efron’s data, but can also predict data of quite dissimilar appearance, including the data of the present study.
Short-Term Thermal-Humidity Shock Affects Point-of-Care Glucose Testing: Implications for Health Professionals and Patients

The objective was to assess the effects of short-term (≤1 hour) static high temperature and humidity stresses on the performance of point-of-care (POC) glucose test strips and meters. Glucose meters are used by medical responders and patients in a variety of settings including hospitals, clinics, homes, and the field. Reagent test strips and instruments are potentially exposed to austere environmental conditions. Glucose test strips and meters were exposed to a mean relative humidity of 83.0% (SD = 8.0%) and temperature of 42°C (107.6°F, SD = 3.2) in a Tenney BTRC environmental chamber. Stressed and unstressed glucose reagent strips and meters were tested with spiked blood samples (n = 40 measurements per time point for each of 4 trials) after 15, 30, 45, and 60 minutes of exposure. Wilcoxon's signed rank test was applied to compare measurements test strip and meter measurements to isolate and characterize the magnitude of meter versus test strip effects individually. Stressed POC meters and test strips produced elevated glucose results, with stressed meter bias as high as 20 mg/dL (17.7% error), and stressed test strip bias as high as 13 mg/dL (12.2% error). The aggregate stress effect on meter and test strips yielded a positive bias as high as 33 mg/dL (30.1% error) after 15 minutes of exposure. Short-term exposure (15 minutes) to high temperature and humidity can significantly affect the performance of POC glucose test strips and meters, with measurement biases that potentially affect clinical decision making and patient safety.
Observation of Massive Overcompensation in the Complexation of Sodium Poly(styrenesulfonate) with Cationic Polymer Micelles

Complex particles have been formed by the electrostatic association of protonated polystyrene-b-poly(2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-PVPH+) micelles with sodium poly(styrenesulfonate) (PSS-Na+), all at pH 1. Light scattering demonstrates that there is a large mass excess of PSS- associated with each PS-b-PVPH+ micelle (the molecular weight increases by factors of 5−6), even in the limit that the weight ratio of the micelle to PSS-Na+ is very low, thereby avoiding bridged structures. This system is an example of charge and mass overcompensation, but to a much greater extent than usual. Surprisingly the effect of the molecular weight of the PSS-Na+ is minor. We believe that it is the flexible polymer micelle corona that permits such a large degree of mass and charge overcompensation because the linear PSS-Na+ can penetrate the micelle corona and adopt a convoluted local conformation with many loops or points of grafting attachment. While these particles are stable with respect to storage, they do not seem to be stab...
Sandy Burton's Accounting Legacy: Regulation and Education

Sandy Burton was a seasoned academic who played a major role in shaping American accounting regulation in the latter part of the twentieth century. A vocal reformer, he became a vigorous SEC Chief Accountant and thereafter New York City Deputy Mayor. He was a critic of accounting practice as well as academe, preaching the gospel of reform in writings and speeches. Contending that accounting was too narrowly focused, he called upon the accounting community to reinvent itself. He was profoundly dissatisfied with the nature of academic accounting research because it had been irrelevant to practice. Burton earned considerable respect for attempting to bridge the gap between accounting practice and academe.