cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Codependence in the Nephromyces species swarm depends on heterospecific bacterial endosymbionts

Abstract The phylum Apicomplexa encompasses 6000 ubiquitous animal parasites, including Plasmodium, the most deadly human parasite on Earth. Anciently parasitic lineages, like apicomplexans, lose core metabolic pathways over time, as they evolve less costly scavenging mechanisms. The recent description of a mutualistic apicomplexan, Nephromyces, from deep within this parasitic group, opened the possibility of an evolutionary innovation that allowed an escape from a parasitic lifestyle. Nuclear genome data from Nephromyces, as well as the three bacterial symbionts that live within this species complex, demonstrate that the bacteria within Nephromyces contribute essential cofactors and amino acids that have enabled Nephromyces to abandon a parasitic lifestyle. Among these, bacterial lipoic acid appears to be a key cofactor for the reduction of virulence in Nephromyces. However, whereas we use FISH microscopy to reveal that each individual Nephromyces harbors no more than one endosymbiont type, no single bacterial endosymbiont can account for all missing metabolites. Based on the unique habitat of Nephromyces, as well as genomic, culturing, and wild population data, we conclude that Nephromyces has evolved as an extraordinary clade of codependent species, unlike any previously described.
The Flipped Classroom: Starting with the End in Mind

The flipped classroom (FC) is a teaching method that consists of pre-class, in-class, and post-class work. The pre-class work (usually videos) teaches the material that originally would have been covered in lectures, so that a portion of student study time occurs before class. The in-class session involves the application of content and is accomplished through collaborative problem-solving activities, peer-to-peer teaching, and the student questions. Post-class work consists of additional homework problems. The FC provides students with more control in their studying, promotes student-centered and higher-order learning, and enables deeper discussion of the material. However, FC requires significant work on the front-end for both professor and students and does not work well for students who are in class all day. The end goal of higher education is for students to be problem-solvers, and as such, the FC is an excellent teaching method to this end.
Health Needs of Mothers of Infants in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit : A Mixed-Methods Study.

Background Mothers with babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) face a host of challenges following childbirth. Limited information is available on these mothers' postpartum health needs and access to services. Objective To identify health needs of NICU mothers, access to services, and potential service improvements. Design A mixed-methods study including a retrospective cohort study, in-depth interviews, and focus groups. Setting Large, Level IV, regional referral, university-affiliated hospital in the United States. Participants Mothers of live-born infants born from 1 July 2014 to 30 June 2016 (n = 6849). Interviews included 50 NICU mothers and 59 stakeholders who provide services to these mothers or their infants. Measurements Severe maternal morbidity, chronic health conditions, health care encounters from discharge through 12 weeks postpartum, maternal health needs, care access, and system improvements. Results Compared with mothers of well babies, NICU mothers had more chronic diseases, experienced more perinatal complications, and utilized more acute care postpartum. Qualitative analyses revealed the desire to be at the baby's bedside as a driver of maternal health-seeking behaviors, with women not seeking or delaying medical care so as to stay by their infant. Stakeholders acknowledged the unique needs of NICU mothers and cited system challenges, lack of clarity about provider roles, and reimbursement policies as barriers to meeting needs. Limitations The study was conducted within a single health care system, which may limit generalizability. Qualitative analyses did not explore the influence of fathers, other children in the home, or length of NICU stay. Conclusion Universal screening and convenient access to maternal health services for NICU mothers should be explored to reduce adverse maternal health outcomes. Primary funding source Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Hybrid zonotopes: a new set representation for reachability analysis of mixed logical dynamical systems.

This article presents a new set representation named the hybrid zonotope. The hybrid zonotope is shown to be equivalent to $2^N$ constrained zonotopes through the addition of $N$ binary zonotope factors and is well-suited for the analysis of hybrid systems with both continuous and discrete states and inputs. The major contribution of this manuscript is a closed-form solution for exact forward reachable sets of linear mixed logical dynamical systems. This is given by a simple identity and does not require solving any optimization programs or taking set approximations. The proposed approach captures the worst-case exponential growth in the number of convex sets required to represent the nonconvex reachable set of a hybrid system while exhibiting only linear growth in the complexity of the hybrid zonotope set representation. To reduce both set representation complexity and the computational burden of reachability analysis, a binary tree is used to store only the combinations of binary factors of the hybrid zonotope that map to nonempty convex sets. The proposed approach is applied to an established benchmark example where the exact reachable set of a discrete-time hybrid system with six continuous and two discrete states is given by a single hybrid zonotope equivalent to the union of 657 constrained zonotopes, and is represented using only 283 continuous factors, 29 binary factors, and 177 linear equality constraints. Furthermore, the hybrid zonotope is closed under linear mappings, Minkowski sums, generalized intersections, and halfspace intersections.
Adjuvant PARP Inhibitors in Patients With High-Risk Early-Stage HER2-Negative Breast Cancer and Germline BRCA Mutations: ASCO Hereditary Breast Cancer Guideline Rapid Recommendation Update

ASCO Rapid Recommendations Updates highlight revisions to select ASCO guideline recommendations as a response to the emergence of new and practice-changing data. The rapid updates are supported by an evidence review and follow the guideline development processes outlined in the ASCO Guideline Methodology Manual. The goal of these articles is to disseminate updated recommendations, in a timely manner, to better inform health practitioners and the public on the best available cancer care options.
Chapter 13 Selection of an αβ T-Cell Antigen Receptor in Vivo and Expression in Vitro in a Soluble Form

Publisher Summary Much progress has now been made in terms of identifying and characterizing the molecules important in T-cell recognition, both receptors and ligands. This work has established that T cells recognize fragments of antigens (Ag) embedded in major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules. With suitable serological probes, the expression of both α and β chains, and the progress (or lack) of T cells bearing these receptors in the animal can be followed. These transgenic systems should make possible the biochemical characterization of these phenomena. Preliminary indications are that this type of expression of αβ T-cell receptors (TCR) (in the absence of CD3) is faithful to the original and can be helpful in understanding the troika of T-cell recognition (TCR-Ag-MHC) at a molecular level. While the ligand for αβ TCR in the periphery (Ag-MHC) seems clear, what T-cell receptors see in the thymus has been a very controversial issue. In the 2B4 transgenic system, negative selection based on Mls reactivity, which helps to resolve some of the current issues are also encountered. In particular, there is a quantitative removal of cells expressing a high level of the 2B4β chain because of the combination of its V β 3 component and the Mls 2 A /3 A genotype.
78 Programmable crystal contacts used to improve the resolution of self-assembled 3D DNA crystals

Synthetic branched DNA motifs have been used for the construction of nanoscale objects and periodic arrays in one, two and three dimensions. The tensegrity triangle is a stiff DNA motif with threef...
Institutionalized Word Taboo: The Continuing Saga of FCC Indecency Regulation

Indecency regulation by the Federal Communications Commission and Supreme Court is the product of word taboo — the subconscious, emotional, involuntary avoidance of certain words out of fear that some harm will occur if they are spoken. Acting in tandem, the Court and the Commissioners create institutionalized word taboo based upon the assumption that broadcast media’s pervasive and intrusive presence into the home endangers unsupervised children. Technological innovation renders this premise invalid today, but institutionalized word taboo remains. This article (1) traces the rise of indecency regulation, (2) explains the invalidity of the assumptions used to justify it, (3) introduces word taboo as an explanation for the resilience of regulation, and (4) offers preferable options providing a path for science and reason to triumph over institutionalized word taboo.
The intrafamilial transmission of rheumatoid arthritis—VII: Why do wives with rheumatoid arthritis have husbands with peptic ulcer?

SOME years ago the senior author publicly expressed [l] the hypothesis that women with rheumatoid arthritis should, with undue frequency, be married to men with peptic ulcers. The reason given for this speculation was that it seemed likely that the hostility in these marriages [2, 31 would leave unmet the husbands’ needs for emotional support and the wives’ needs for ego support. When in the course of the study of the intrafamilial transmission of rheumatoid arthritis it became apparent that this prediction of association of rheumatoid arthritis and peptic ulcers across the marriage would be supported, it was decided to devote most of the third interview to those variables relevant to this hypothesis.
The source of acetyl coenzyme A for acetylcholine synthesis in the perfused rat phrenic nerve-hemidiaphragm.

Abstract Acetylcholine release by the phrenic nerve was measured in the isolated, perfused rat hemidiaphragm. In controls, the rate of release of acetylcholine increases with time; however, when (--)-hydroxycitrate, an inhibitor of ATP-citrate lyase, is added to the perfusate, the release of acetylcholine stabilizes at a level 40% below the final control value. In this preparation, the capacity of the citrate cleavage pathway to transfer acetyl coenzyme A from the nerve cell mitochondria to the cytosol increases with time; this is not the case for other transport processes.
Investigating the domain of validity of the Gubser solution to the Boltzmann equation

Abstract We study the evolution of the one particle distribution function that solves exactly the relativistic Boltzmann equation within the relaxation time approximation for a conformal system undergoing simultaneously azimuthally symmetric transverse and boost-invariant longitudinal expansion. We show, for arbitrary values of the shear viscosity to entropy density ratio, that the distribution function can become negative in certain kinematic regions of the available phase space depending on the boundary conditions. For thermal equilibrium initial conditions, we determine numerically the physical boundary in phase space where the distribution function is always positive definite. The requirement of positivity of this particular exact solution restricts its domain of validity, and it imposes physical constraints on its applicability.
Vertical Structure and Coronal Power of Accretion Disks Powered by MRI Turbulence

In this paper we consider two outstanding intertwined problems in modern high-energy astrophysics: (1) the vertical thermal structure of an optically thick accretion disk heated by the dissipation of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence driven by the magneto-rotational instability (MRI), and (2) determining the fraction of the accretion power released in the corona above the disk. For simplicity, we consider a gas-pressure-dominated disk and assume a constant opacity. We argue that the local turbulent dissipation rate due to the disruption of MRI channel flows by secondary parasitic instabilities should be uniform across most of the disk, almost up to the disk photosphere. We then obtain a self-consistent analytical solution for the vertical thermal structure of the disk, governed by the balance between the heating by MRI turbulence and the cooling by radiative diffusion. Next, we argue that the coronal power fraction is determined by the competition between the Parker instability, viewed as a parasitic instability feeding off of MRI channel flows, and other parasitic instabilities. We show that the Parker instability inevitably becomes important near the disk surface, leading to a certain lower limit on the coronal power. While most of the analysis in this paper focuses on the case of a disk threaded by an externally imposed vertical magnetic field, we also discuss the zero-net-flux case, in which the magnetic field is produced by the MRI dynamo itself, and show that most of our arguments and conclusions should be valid in this case as well.
Bioaccumulation of copper, lead, and zinc in six macrophyte species grown in simulated stormwater bioretention systems.

Stormwater bioretention (BR) systems collect runoff containing heavy metals, which can concentrate in soil environments and potentially leach into groundwater. This greenhouse experiment evaluated differences among six plant species undergoing three varying hydraulic and pollutant loads in their bioaccumulation potential when subjected to continual application of low metal concentrations as a means of preventing copper, lead, and zinc accumulation in the BR soil. Results show that >92% of metal mass applied to the treatments via synthetic stormwater was removed from the exfiltrate within 27 cm of soil depth. Compacted soil conditions of unplanted controls retained significantly more Cu, Pb, and Zn than Carex praegracilis, and Carex microptera treatments. Differences in above and below ground plant tissue concentrations differed among species, resulting in significant differences in mass accumulation. In the above ground tissue, from highest to lowest, Phragmites australis accumulated 8 times more Cu than Scirpus acutus, and C. microptera accumulated 18 times more Pb, and 6 times more Zn than Scirpus validus. These results, and differences among species in mass distribution of the metals recovered at the end of the study, reveal various metal accumulation mechanisms.
Receptor localization, native tissue binding and ex vivo occupancy for centrally penetrant P2X7 antagonists in the rat

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The P2X7 receptor is implicated in inflammation and pain and is therefore a potential target for therapeutic intervention. Here, the development of a native tissue radioligand binding, localization and ex vivo occupancy assay for centrally penetrant P2X7 receptor antagonists is described. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Autoradiography studies using the P2X7 antagonist radioligand [3H]-A-804598 were carried out in rat brain and spinal cord. Subsequent in vitro binding and ex vivo occupancy assays were performed using rat cortex homogenate. KEY RESULTS P2X7 expression was shown to be widespread throughout the rat brain, and in the grey matter of the spinal cord. In binding assays in rat cortex homogenate, ∼60% specific binding was achieved at equilibrium. In kinetic binding assays, kon and koff values of 0.0021·min−1·nM−1 and 0.0070·min−1 were determined, and the Kd derived from kinetic measurements was consistent with that derived from saturation analysis. Novel P2X7 antagonists inhibited the binding of [3H]-A-804598 to rat cortex P2X7 receptors with Ki values of <40 nM. In an ex vivo occupancy assay, a P2X7 antagonist dosed orally to rats caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of the specific binding of [3H]-A-804598 to rat cortex. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS The present study describes the development of an assay that allows localization of P2X7 receptors, the measurement of the binding affinity of P2X7 receptor antagonists in native tissue, and provides a means of determining central P2X7 receptor occupancy. These assays could form an important part of a P2X7 drug discovery programme.
K2P—A Novel Cross-Link from Human Lens Protein

We report here the isolation of a novel acid-labile yellow chromophore from the enzymatic digest of human lens proteins and the identification of its chemical structure by LC-MS and NMR. This new chromophore exhibited a UV absorbance maximum at 343 nm and a molecular mass of 370 Da. One- and two-dimensional NMR analyses elucidated the structure as being 1-(5-amino-5-carboxypentyl)-4-(5-amino-5-carboxypentyl-amino)-3-hydroxy-2, 3-dihydropyridinium, a cross-link between the _-amino groups of two lysine residues and a five-carbon atom ring. We assigned it the trivial name of K2P. Quantitative determinations of K2P in individual normal human lens or cataract lens water-soluble and water-insoluble protein digests revealed a significant enhancement of K2P in the early stage of brunescent cataract lens proteins (type I/II, 613 ± 362 pmol/mg of water-insoluble sonicate supernatant (WISS) protein or 85 ± 51 pmol/mg of water-soluble [WS] protein) when compared with aged normal human lens proteins (261 ± 93 pmol/mg of WISS protein or 23 ± 15 pmol/mg of WS protein). Furthermore, a gradual decrease of K2P in the late stages of brunescent cataract lenses with the development of the browning color in the lens argues different coloration mechanisms during the processes of normal aging and cataract development. This new cross-link may serve as a quantitatively significant biomarker for assessing the role of lens protein modifications during aging and in the pathogenesis of cataract.
Bargaining solutions and relative guarantees

Abstract We propose to evaluate solutions to abstract bargaining problems on the basis of the extent to which they differentially affect the fortunes of two individuals initially present, when the number of agents increases while their opportunities do not. We introduce the concept of the relative guarantee structure of a solution to quantify this possibility. The Kalai-Smorodinsky and Egalitarian solutions offer maximal guarantees in the class of anonymous solutions, and, in particular, they strictly dominate the Nash solution. In that class, the Kalai-Smorodinsky solution is the only weakly Pareto-optimal solution to offer maximal guarantees and to satisfy scale invariance, whereas the Egalitarian solution is the only weakly Pareto-optimal solution to offer maximal guarantees and to satisfy contraction independence.
In situ SEM study of lithium intercalation in individual V2O5 nanowires

Progress in rational engineering of Li-ion batteries requires better understanding of the electrochemical processes and accompanying transformations in the electrode materials on multiple length scales. In spite of recent progress in utilizing transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to analyze these materials, in situ scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was mostly overlooked as a powerful tool that allows probing these phenomena on the nano and mesoscale. Here we report on in situ SEM study of lithiation in a V2O5-based single-nanobelt battery with ionic liquid electrolyte. Coupled with cyclic voltammetry measurements, in situ SEM revealed the peculiarities of subsurface intercalation, formation of a solid–electrolyte interface (SEI) and electromigration of liquid. We observed that single-crystalline vanadia nanobelts do not undergo large-scale amorphization or fracture during electrochemical cycling, but rather transform topochemically with only a slight shape distortion. The SEI layer seems to have significant influence on the lithium ion diffusion and overall capacity of the single-nanobelt battery.
Poster presentations as an assessment tool in a third/college-level Information Literacy course: an effective method of measuring student understanding of library research skills

This paper examines the impact that poster presentations have had in increasing student knowledge, engagement and interest in learning and understanding library research skills in a college-level, general education information literacy class. Many general education library classes use an annotated bibliography as a summative assessment of students’ learning in the course; however, this type of assessment does not provide a good method to evaluate students’ knowledge of research skills. In place of this bibliography a poster session was used to evaluate and assess student understanding of library research skills. The poster presentations allow the instructor to evaluate how the students applied their library research skills to locate information to answer research questions. Additionally, the presentations provide the students with the opportunity to share what they have learned with their classmates and invited guests and to learn more about each other’s topics. More than 100 students have had the opportunity to present a poster and to share what they have learned. The poster consists of a summary of what was learned about the research question, reasons why the question was chosen and three citations. Students have commented that they have enjoyed the experience of learning more about their selected research topics and sharing what they have learned with their classmates. Researching a topic of interest to the student results in greater understanding and more interest in learning and using library research skills. The poster presentation helps students make a stronger connection between the skills required to find the information and their ability to communicate what they have learned about their research question. When designing information literacy programs, poster presentations showcasing the students’ research process should be considered as an alternative form of assessment that can be used to evaluate student learning in a general education library skills class. Additionally, a poster presentation assessment addresses Standards 1 through 5 of the ACRL (Association of College & Research Libraries) Information literacy competency standards for higher education and demonstrates the students’ ability to meet the course learning objectives. This article is based on a paper presented at LILAC 2012.
Germ line and somatic instability of a white mutation in Drosophila mauritiana due to a transposable genetic element.

A spontaneous white mutation recovered in Drosophila mauritiana is unstable and reverts to normal eye color at a frequency greater than 4 per 1,000 ×-chromosomes. Germ line reversion occurs at a high rate in D. mauritiana males and in interspecific hybrid females, while the rate is depressed in D. mauritiana females. These events are not restricted to the germ line, as cases of variegated patterns of eye pigmentation, indicating somatic reversion, are recovered at a frequency comparable to that of the male germ line reversion rate. Germ line reversion events are genetically stable, while the somatic variegation patterns are not heritable. The patterns of eye pigment variegation produced suggests that reversion events are occurring throughout development. Whole genome DNA digests blotted and probed with the cloned D. melanogaster white gene indicate that this unstable white mutation in D. mauritiana is associated with an insertion of DNA that is lost upon reversion to wild type, indicating that this DNA insert is in fact a transposable element.
Chemiluminescence response of the human polymorphonuclear neutrophil to lipopolysaccharides.

Polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) respond to a variety of stimuli with a sequence of reactions that lead to the production of “active oxygen” species, including H2O2, free radicals, such as superoxide (O2 −·) and hydroxyl (HO·), and singlet molecular oxygen (1O2). Some of these can oxidize (5-amino-2,3-dihydrophthalazine 1,4-dione) (luminol) to the ground state aminophthalate ion; this reaction sequence is accompanied by the generation of a photon and forms the basis for the chemiluminescence (CL) response. In this work we used a dedicated photon counting instrument to record CL from PMN incubated with bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We have studied the CL response to the LPS fromEscherichia coli strains 026:B6 and 055:B5, as well asSalmonella minnesota RE 595 and have determined that CL requires heat-labile serum factors, these most likely being intact components of the complement system.
EINSTEIN FIELD EQUATIONS: AN ALTERNATE APPROACH TOWARDS EXACT SOLUTIONS FOR AN FRW UNIVERSE

We show that the Einstein field equations for a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker(FRW) universe are completely equivalent to a generalized Ermakov-Milne-Pinney system. This extends recent work of R. Hawkins and J. Lidsey, and provides an alternate method for deriving exact solutions of the field equations.
The decline and fall of the Israeli Military Government, 1948–1966: a case of settler-colonial consolidation?

The term settler-colonialism has recently gained traction among scholars of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict who use it to address all forms of Zionist ideology and practices. This article, however, benefits from a conceptual distinction between colonial and settler-colonial Zionist policies when assessing the first two decades of Israel's existence. During this period, Palestinian-Arabs who remained within the state borders were granted nominal citizenship. At the same time, the state also subjected the majority of this population to the Military Government, a form of martial law which suspended many of the rights and legal protections that citizenship afforded. The article considers Israel's various forms of right-granting, social-democratic tendencies, and liberal policies as the post-Nakba continuation of Zionist settler-colonial consolidation. Conversely, Israel's Military Government and other forms of discrimination the Palestinian-Arab citizens endured could be considered colonial institutions that...
Social skills differences among attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder types in a chat room assessment task

This study assessed social skills in 116 children aged 7–12 with ADHD-Combined Type (ADHD-C; n=33), ADHD-Inattentive Type (ADHD-I; n=45), and comparison children (n=38), with consideration of the role sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) symptoms play in distinguishing profiles. Social skills were assessed using a novel computerized chat room task, in which participants were encouraged to join a conversation and type messages to interact with four computer-simulated peers. Every participant received the identical stimulus from the simulated peers, but was free to respond to it in his or her own unique way. Relative to comparison children, children with ADHD-C made off-topic and hostile responses; children with ADHD-I made off-topic responses, few responses and showed poor memory for the conversation. ADHD subtype differences remained after statistical control of IQ, reading achievement, typing skill, and comorbid disruptive behavior disorders. SCT symptoms, most prevalent among children with ADHD-I, predicted a distinct pattern of social withdrawal and lower hostility. Parent and teacher ratings and in-vivo observations of social skills correlate with this new measure.
Critical issue: Faculty advising

As the end of the present decade draws near, higher education faces several critical issues. Costs of providing higher education are rising; tuitions are rising; enrollments of four year institutions are declining;' many private colleges have closed; the public, legislators, and employers are pressing schools to be accountable for the product they produce; and students want quality education and guidance in reaching their goals in the most efficient manner. Higher education is feeling pressures from many different directions and must try to respond-in some cases the traditional answers will work no longer. As higher education ranks lower on state priority funding lists, academic administrators must find ways to maximize the effects of programs and personnel. Faculty advising, until recently, has received relatively little or no attention in the literature or on the campus. Academic advising involves hundreds of thousands of students, faculty, and paraprofessionals. Bonar indicates that it costs millions of dollars both in faculty time and physical facilities to conduct this activity,2 yet until recently no one has asked: Who does advising? What is the purpose of advising? How effective is current advising? Faculty advising has been a more critical issue internally to colleges and universities, but indications beginning to surface point to external concern on this issue, as evidenced by the calling
1259 AMNIOTIC FLUID ANALYSES IN BABOON PREGNANCIES

Extreme similarities in the anatomy and physiology of the feto-placento-uterine unit in baboons and humans make the baboon an ideal model to investigate various aspects of reproductive physiology. Thirty-six amniotic fluid samples from 30 normal baboon pregnancies ranging in length from 50 to 173 days (term=180 days) were analyzed to obtain baseline data. Amniotic fluid volume as determined by para-aminohippurate dilution ranged from 126 to 380 ml, with a mean (±SD) of 269±77.6 ml. Volume did not vary significantly over the period of the study. It correlated well with the volume determined at cesarean section by aspirating all the fluid prior to incising the uterus (r=0.65). Osmolality averaged 273±8.3 mOsm/kg (range:252-287). Creatinine (C) concentration ranged from 0.23 to 1.51 mg/dl and increased linearly with gestational length (G): C=0.008 G-0.09, r=0.63, Syx=0.248. Protein (P) concentration ranged from 0.022 to 1.229 g/dl and increased as a power function of gestational length: p=0.022 G0 · 7 , r=0.88, Syx=0.3156. PH averaged 7.70±0.226 (range:7.44-8.30). A spectrophotometric absorption peak was identified at 400 nm rather than at 450 nm: ΔOD400 averaged 0.047 ±0.0686 (range: 0-0.290) and did not vary with gestational length. While these values are of the same order of magnitude as those observed in human amniotic fluid, the data suggest that baboon amniotic fluid differs from humans' in a number of respects.
New telechelic polymers and sequential copolymers by polyfunctional initiator‐transfer agents (inifers) LVII. Chlorine telechelic poly(p‐chlorostyrene)

The polymerization of p-chlorostyrene (pClSt) under carbocationic conditions has been investigated. The use of binifers 1,4-di(2-chloro-2-propyl) benzene (pDCC) and 1,3-di(2-chloro-2-propyl)-5-tert-butylbenzene (m-tBuDCC) in conjunction with BCl3 coinitiator in CH3Cl diluent at −60 and −35°C give α,ω-di-benzylic chlorine-capped polymer sClPpClStCls. According to kinetic investigations the inifer mechanism is operative and both binifers are efficient in controlling the end structures, molecular weights, and to a certain extent molecular weight distributions (MWD). Strong circumstantial evidences have been generated to demonstrate the satisfactory synthesis of sClPpClStCls and the absence of indanyl end-groups, i.e., structural considerations, linearity of inifer plots, quantitative Cl end-group microanalysis, FTIR spectroscopy, and blocking experiments. The latter involved the blocking of THF from the sec-benzylic chlorine end-groups by AgPF6 and thus led to the synthesis of a new triblock copolymer PTHF-b-PpClSt-b-PTHF. Interestingly, the isotactic content (mm triads and mmmm pentads) of PpClSt is significantly higher than that of polymer prepared by free-radical induced polymerization. The Tg of a PpClSt of Mn = 5700 g/mol was 123°C.
RABBIT LYMPHOID CELLS DIFFERENTIATED WITH RESPECT TO α-, γ-, AND µ- HEAVY POLYPEPTIDE CHAINS AND TO ALLOTYPIC MARKERS AA1 AND AA2

Lymphoid cells present in spleen and lymph nodes of hyperimmune rabbits were found to be differentiated with respect to the class of immunoglobulin heavy chain which they contained. The relative proportions of cells containing the various heavy chains were as follows: α-chain (5 to 8%), µ-chain (14 to 21%), and γ-chain (71 to 81%). The allotypic markers Aa1 and Aa2, found on heavy chains, were also found to be separately localized in cells of Aa 1/ Aa 2 heterozygous rabbits. The ratio of cells in spleen and lymph nodes containing the Aa1 marker to those containing the Aa2 marker varied with individual rabbits; the range was 53 to 88% Aa1 versus 12 to 47% Aa2.
An invitation to the 16th international congress on photosynthesis research in 2013: opportunities and challenges in the 21st century.

The 16th International Congress on Photosynthesis will be held August 11–16, 2013 in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. The congress will include 15 plenary lectures, 21 scientific symposia, poster sessions, exhibitors, opening reception, final banquet, excursions and accompanying persons program. The congress is organized as an official event sponsored by the International Society of Photosynthesis Research.
Comparison of Large-Scale Routes to Manufacture Chiral exo-2-Norbornyl Thiourea

Two routes aimed at the manufacture of chiral exo-2-norbornyl thiourea (1) on large scale are described. The first approach involves five chemical steps and hinges on a classical resolution via diastereomeric salt formation. The synthesis utilizes amine 2 as the resolution handle. The second approach includes two chemical steps and a chiral chromatography of (±)-1. Despite the larger initial investment necessary to acquire the chiral stationary phase used in the chromatographic approach, the shorter reaction sequence and efficiency of the chromatographic separation make the second route a more attractive option for long-term applications.
National Farm Capital Accounts

Farm capital flows and finance accounts are quantified to the extent possible using national economic accounting procedures applied to existing farm sector data. Outmoded concepts and data gaps preventing accurate monitoring of economic performance are identified. Current accounting definitions cause substantial capital formation to be recorded as asset valuations. Measures of book value capital consumption allowances, net real estate transfers, and saving in the capital finance account reveal that internal capital financing is important for its magnitude and certainty. The national farm capital accounts improve income and production analysis.
External Corrosion Growth-Rate From Soil Properties

External corrosion growth rate is an essential parameter to establish the time interval between successive pipe integrity evaluations. Actual corrosion rates are difficult to measure or predict. NACE Standard RP0502 [1] recommends several methods including comparison with historical data, buried coupons, electrical resistance (ER), and Linear Polarization Resistance (LPR) measurements. This paper presents a testing program and procedure to validate the use of the LPR and ER methods to enhance the estimation of corrosion growth rates and improve the selection of reassessment intervals of gas transmission pipelines. Laboratory and field tests were performed using the LPR and ER technologies. The evaluation of soil parameters that affect localized corrosion included its type, moisture content, pH, resistivity, drainage characteristics, chloride and sulfite levels, and soil Redox potential. The results show that the LPR device provides instantaneous measurement of corrosion potential and it may be used to reflect the variations of corrosion rates with the changes of soil conditions, moisture, and temperature. However, LPR measurements are more efficient in saturated soils with uncertainty about its validity in partially and totally dry soils. Consequently, seasonal changes in soil conditions make it difficult to estimate total corrosion growth rate. On the other hand, the measurements using the ER method provided consistent estimates for long-term corrosion growth rates. Corrosion growth rates were also evaluated from a previous study by the National Institute of Standards (NIST) [2]. A procedure was developed to correlate soil properties to corrosion rates from the ER measurements and NIST data. The procedure was implemented in a computer program to provide an estimate of corrosion rate based on the soil input data and allows the operator to use the ER probes to improve the reliability of corrosion rate estimates.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Agency and transcendence: The experience of therapeutic change

Abstract Psychotherapeutic change lies at the heart of effective therapy yet little is known about it. In this study, twenty major or significant experiences of change were studied which occurred both in and out of therapy. A phenomenological research design was utilized in an attempt to identify the essential structure of these experiences. Findings indicated several initiating modes that led to the changes, each of which culminated in the act of transcendence or moving beyond contextual limitations. Transcendence is explored in terms of its component aspects of the overarching insight and an array of subtle yet powerful psychological acts. Suggestions are made for psychotherapy in terms of the enhancement of agency, empowerment, and liberation.
Finite element solution of the Orr–Sommerfeld equation using high precision Hermite elements: plane Poiseuille flow

This paper presents a comprehensive review of the numerical techniques used during the past half century and their accuracy in hydrodynamic stability analysis of plane parallel flows. The paper also describes a finite element solution of the Orr–Sommerfeld equation using high precision Hermite elements. A stability analysis technique is performed by imposing an infinitesimal perturbation to the laminar base flow to determine the thresholds of neutral instabilities or the growth rate of the perturbation for any Reynolds and wave numbers. Validation of the present numerical technique is performed for plane Poiseuille flow. The numerical results, obtained with uniform and nonuniform meshes, show excellent agreement with the most accurate results available in the literature. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influences on birth weight and gestation period of Holstein-Friesian cattle.

Abstract The effects of genetic group for milk yield, breeding management, nutrition of cow, sex of calf, year and season of birth, parity, and sires within genetic groups on birth weights and gestation length were studied in 341 Hoistein-Friesian single-born calves. Least squares means and error standard deviations for birth weight and gestation length were 44.9 kg ± 4.5 kg and 276.7 days ± 3.7 days. Season and year of birth did not influence both traits significantly. Male calves were 3.6 kg heavier than females, but they did not differ significantly in gestation length. Calves from second and third carvings were heavier than those from first parturitions and gestated for a significantly longer time. Cows under heavy grain feeding dropped calves that were 1.8 kg heavier than those under average feeding conditions; no differences in their mean gestation lengths were detected. Calves resulting from early postpartum breedings were 1.2 kg lighter than those from late breedings, but their gestation lengths were not affected differentially. Calves from the high genetic group were gestated 3.4 days longer than those in the low group though they did not differ in their mean birth weight. Sires within genetic groups were a significant source of variation for gestation length in both groups, but only sires within the low group had a significant effect on birth weight. Interactions between genetic × reproduction and genetic × nutrition × reproduction were significant on birth weight whereas nutrition × sex and genetic × nutrition × reproduction interactions were significant for gestation length. A multiple regression equation for birth weight selected by a stepwise procedure included the dummy variables nutrition of cow, breeding management, sex, parity, and a second-order term in parity (squared multiple correlation = .40). The equation for gestation length included genetic group for milk yield and age at calving (squared multiple correlation .17). Sire groups accounted for 7.6 and 13.6% of the phenotypic variance of adjusted birth weight and gestation length. Paternal half-sib heritabilities were .30 ± .16 and .54 ± .22 for birth weight and gestation length.
Proximity problems for points on a rectilinear plane with rectangular obstacles

We consider the following four problems for a setS ofk points on a plane, equipped with the rectilinear metric and containing a setR ofn disjoint rectangular obstacles (so that distance is measured by a shortest rectilinear path avoiding obstacles inR): (a) find aclosest pair of points inS, (b) find anearest neighbor for each point inS, (c) compute the rectilinearVoronoi diagram ofS, and (d) compute a rectilinearminimal spanning tree ofS. We describeO ((n+k) log(n+k))-time sequential algorithms for (a) and (b) based onplane-sweep, and the consideration of geometrically special types of shortest paths, so-calledz-first paths. For (c) we present anO ((n+k) log(n+k) logn)-time sequential algorithm that implements a sophisticateddivide-and-conquer scheme with an addedextension phase. In the extension phase of this scheme we introduce novel geometric structures, in particular so-calledz-diagrams, and techniques associated with the Voronoi diagram. Problem (d) can be reduced to (c) and solved inO ((n+k) log(n+k) logn) time as well. All our algorithms arenear-optimal, as well as easy to implement.
Femtosecond correlated optical reactivity and scanning tunneling microscopy studies of metal surfaces

A new experimental technique, correlated optical reactivity and scanning tunneling microscopy (CORSTM), is shown to be a uniquely powerful tool for the study of spatially localized reactivity of surfaces. In particular, CORSTM measurements directly correlate electromagnetic field enhancements that affect chemical dynamics and reactivity with surface topography on the length scale of a few nanometers. These measurements are based on the detection of surface plasmon polariton mediated multi-photon ionization from metal surfaces using ultrafast optical excitation and scanning probe microscopy photoelectron detection. The CORSTM approach is extended to a pump-probe scheme facilitating spatially localized measurement of hot electron dynamics. The experimental results provide direct confirmation of the optimal structural topographies for surface enhanced spectroscopy predicted by electromagnetic theories. CORSTM will provide a better understanding of phenomena that involve plasmons through the direct measurement of structure-function correlations.
Toward best practice and innovation in independent living training: Experiences from the multi-site evaluation of federally-funded projects

Abstract This article describes a cluster of child welfare training projects focused on assisting foster youth with transition to independent living. The article examines the extent to which the projects used best practice principles and, in cases where best practices were lacking, the factors that impeded such practices. The article provides a picture of training practice in child welfare, identifying innovative activities and recommending ways that gaps can be filled to achieve better training outcomes. The sites conducted careful needs assessments, developed learning objectives based on competencies, did systematic curricula pilot testing, and presented state-of-the-art concepts. Recommendations include that sites conduct a more rigorous context analysis to understand challenges in transferring learning to the workplace, make more creative use of advisory committees, ensure that content experts/consultants are integrated into projects from the outset, focus more on skill development, and provide sufficient curriculum structure so that training can be repeated in a consistent way as well as adapted to meet varied learner needs.
Region-of-interest volumetric visual hull refinement

This paper introduces a region-of-interest visual hull refinement technique, based on flexible voxel grids for volumetric visual hull reconstructions. Region-of-interest refinement is based on a multi-pass process, beginning with a focussed visual hull reconstruction, resulting in a first 3D approximation of the target, followed by a region-of-interest estimation, tasked with identifying features of interest, which in turn are used to locally refine the voxel grid and extract a higher-resolution surface representation for those regions. This approach is illustrated for the reconstruction of avatars for use in tele-immersion environments, where head and hand regions are of higher interest. To allow reproducability and direct comparison a publicly available data set for human visual hull reconstruction is used. This paper shows that region-of-interest reconstruction of the target is faster and visually comparable to higher resolution focused visual nhull reconstructions. This approach reduces the amount of data generated through the reconstruction, allowing faster post processing, as rendering or networking of the surface voxels. Reconstruction speeds support smooth interactions between the avatar and the virtual environment, while the improved resolution of its facial region and hands creates a higher-degree of immersion and potentially impacts the perception of body language, facial expressions and eye-to-eye contact.
Phase-space integrals and invariant-mass distributions with Monte Carlo techniques

A method is presented in which a Monte Carlo approach is used for evaluating multi-particle phase-space integrals and individual-particle energy distributions in systems of nonzero total momentum. A technique is also developed for the computation of invariant-mass distributions.
Analysis of the formation of bound poly(dimethylsiloxane) on silica

The kinetics of adsorption of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) on silica particles was studied. A theoretical model was developed and fitted to different sets of experimental data to investigate the dependence of model parameters upon polymer and filler characteristics. In the model, the formation of bound polymer was pictured as a second-order reaction process with a rate proportional to both the number of available binding sites on the filler surface (silanol groups) and the number of free (unbound) polymer chains surrounding silica particles. The assumption was made that these two limiting factors had the same effect on the adsorption rate of bound rubber. This model proved to be well adapted to a wide range of material parameters for mixtures containing less than 30 wt% of silica.
THE REACTION MECHANISMS, SELECTIVITY AND SPECIFICITY OF ACTION OF 2-HALOGENOETHYLAMINES. AN ANALYSIS.

Abstract The design of monofunctional 2-halogenoethylamines as irreversible antagonists to the excitatory responses produced by noradrenaline has met with considerable success and extremely active and highly specific compounds are now known. The design of difunctional analogues (nitrogen mustards) as irreversible anti-tumor agents has not enjoyed the same success. It is the purpose of this paper to analyse this situation in terms of previous work and to indicate features which may be pertinent to the design of more effective anti-adrenaline and anti-tumor agents. Particularly, the activities of both mono- and di-functional 2-halogenoethylamines are discussed in terms of their specificity (antagonism to a specific biochemical process) and selectivity (localization at a particular cellular level) of action. The biological actions of 2-halogenoethylamines are discussed in terms of their chemical reactivity which is apparently a necessary, but not a sufficient, prerequisite for both adrenergic blocking and anti-tumor activities. However, a limited correlation between chemical reactivity and biological activity may sometimes be apparent. The importance of factors influencing both specificity and selectivity of action are critically discussed, and it is suggested that specificity of action only is concerned with adrenergic blocking action, but that both selectivity and specificity of action are of importance in the design of effective anti-tumor agents.