cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Exploring Catalase and Invertase Activity Using Sodium Alginate-Encapsulated Yeast (Yeast Spheres)

Finding the right enzyme experiment can be problematic, depending what one is trying to show, what supplies and equipment are available, and the time one can devote to the topic. I’ve developed simple and inexpensive labs for looking at catalase and invertase activity using yeast encapsulated in sodium alginate. Single-celled yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, are encapsulated in sodium alginate, a readily available extract from brown algae that, when it comes in contact with calcium chloride (CaCl2), forms a sphere or “bead.” These spheres may then be put into a solution containing substrate to test for enzyme activity. The spheres are easy to manipulate, one doesn’t have the variability and mess of a yeast solution, and since there are no cells in solution, there is nothing to interfere with the various assay methods one might want to use to test for product. The graduated cylinder method for testing catalase activity introduced here is especially good for collecting large amounts of data that enable students to use statistics and, unlike similar yeast catalase experiments using paper disks and a yeast solution, the yeast spheres are easy to manipulate and there is very little variability. I have used this procedure with students in class and with teachers in workshops with positive results and comments.
An improved wire-bonded power module with double-end sourced structure

This paper proposes a wire-bonded design with a unique double-end sourced structure for multi-chip paralleled SiC power modules. The proposed design achieved a reduced power-loop inductance of 7.2 nH, while inheriting the advantages of the conventional wire-bond technology. More importantly, the symmetrical structure of the proposed design brought consistent performances to the paralleled devices. A 1200 V, 60 A SiC MOSFET half-bridge module (3 devices in parallel) was fabricated and tested for verification. It demonstrated suppressed voltage overshoot and improved current-sharing among the devices. In addition, the proposed layout exhibited lower radiation noises, which will cause less interference to the sensitive electronic devices. A converter level design is also presented to accommodate this unique module structure.
Acculturation of prospective German physical education teachers

Studies of prospective physical education teachers’ (PPETs’) acculturation have been useful in terms of facilitating the development of effective physical education teacher education (PETE) program...
Delivery of Subspecialty Surgical Care in Low-Resource Settings

Subspecialty surgery, the provision of surgical care by trained subspecialists which typically requires advanced technology, materials, and infrastructure, is an emerging field on a global scale. Worldwide, there is a large burden of disease correctable by subspecialty surgery despite insufficient personnel and inadequate access to care for the majority of patients. Historically, subspecialty surgery in resource-limited settings has slowly progressed along a continuum of care. Numerous models and methods of delivery, each with notable advantages and disadvantages, have been utilized to provide care along this continuum. Based on these, providers and those they partner with can apply a model to further the provision of care. When done well, this delivery of subspecialty surgical care benefits not only the individual patient, but the community as a whole. Tenwek Hospital, a faith-based mission hospital that utilizes multiple methods of delivery, represents one example of how the continuum of the delivery of care can be used to promote cardiac surgery for individual patients while improving infrastructure and capacity to care for a community. This chapter illustrates some of the potential models available to enhance the subspecialist in global surgery.
Efficient Assessment of the Five-Factor Model of Personality: Structural Validity Analyses of the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (Form S).

Results of confirmatory and exploratory analyses of 485 nonstudent adults' responses to the NEO Five-Factor Inventory indicated that a 6-factor model best fit the data.
“A Strong Leadership that Does Not Show”: Ladies Auxiliaries as Women’s First Entrance Points into the Fire Department

Women first entered East Coast fire departments through forming ladies auxiliary groups, where women provided critical support services—offering assistance at the fire, holding fundraising events for the department, and building community relationships—while maintaining conventional gender roles. Exploring auxiliary work through the lens of collaboration reveals feminist strategies for creating ethos in a highly gendered workplace; this approach for studying the complexities of women’s movement between background and foreground roles opens new avenues for considering women’s navigation of rhetorical barriers in professional spaces.
Fractional Poisson–Nernst–Planck Model for Ion Channels I: Basic Formulations and Algorithms

In this work, we propose a fractional Poisson–Nernst–Planck model to describe ion permeation in gated ion channels. Due to the intrinsic conformational changes, crowdedness in narrow channel pores, binding and trapping introduced by functioning units of channel proteins, ionic transport in the channel exhibits a power-law-like anomalous diffusion dynamics. We start from continuous-time random walk model for a single ion and use a long-tailed density distribution function for the particle jump waiting time, to derive the fractional Fokker–Planck equation. Then, it is generalized to the macroscopic fractional Poisson–Nernst–Planck model for ionic concentrations. Necessary computational algorithms are designed to implement numerical simulations for the proposed model, and the dynamics of gating current is investigated. Numerical simulations show that the fractional PNP model provides a more qualitatively reasonable match to the profile of gating currents from experimental observations. Meanwhile, the proposed model motivates new challenges in terms of mathematical modeling and computations.
Higher Complex Carbohydrate Diets in Gestational Diabetes

Nutrition therapy is the single treatment component that will reach every woman with GDM independent of diagnostic criteria. Despite the adaptive insulin resistance of pregnancy, an optimal mixture of higher quality complex carbohydrates with less glycemic potential, lower fat, and appropriate protein in the context of higher overall diet quality holds potential for promotion of good glycemic health while meeting pregnancy nutritional goals. The preponderance of evidence from randomized trials in GDM to date suggests that a balanced liberalization of higher quality complex carbohydrates results in good glycemic control, improved insulin action and improved maternal glucose tolerance, improved lipemia, and vascular benefits, while low-GI diets in particular may reduce the need for insulin, and lower postprandial glycemia. Identifying a diet for GDM that can alter maternal/fetal metabolism in late pregnancy when fetal growth accelerates are critical to reducing short- and long-term metabolic risk in this growing cohort of mothers and infants. Nutrition therapy in GDM holds great potential to effectively treat this population by optimizing the intrauterine environment.
Microstrip signal integrity enhancement by using low-loss solder mask

Microstrip design in printed circuit board (PCB) suffers potential high insertion loss or higher crosstalk, compared to stripline. The loss of microstrip has been a key limiting factor for high speed application. In this paper, a new type of solder mask material with low dissipation factor (DF) is proposed to apply in the microstrip design, instead of the regular solder mask. The proposed approach by using low loss solder mask can improve the microstrip signal integrity more than 10%. Designers can use the outer layers with the lower loss to have more design flexibility.
Positive psychotherapy for smoking cessation enhanced with text messaging: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Abstract Background Despite reductions in cigarette smoking in the U.S., improvements in the efficacy of smoking cessation treatments are needed, as rates of sustained abstinence remain disappointingly low. Both low positive affect and high negative affect contribute to smoking relapse and constitute viable targets for smoking cessation interventions. Although some clinical trials have evaluated interventions to address depression as a smoking relapse risk factor, very few have focused on positive affect. Recently, we developed and conducted a preliminary clinical trial of a smoking cessation treatment that targets positive affect and cognitions by incorporating interventions rooted in positive psychology. The current randomized controlled trial will expand upon this preliminary trial to test whether this positive psychology-informed approach results in higher smoking cessation rates compared to a time-matched standard smoking cessation treatment control. Methods Three hundred and forty adult daily smokers will be randomly assigned to either positive psychotherapy for smoking cessation or standard behavioral smoking cessation counseling. Participants will meet weekly with a study counselor for 6 weeks and will receive transdermal nicotine patch and text messaging smoking cessation support. Additionally, text messaging in the positive psychotherapy condition will encourage engagement in positive psychology-specific strategies for boosting mood and staying smoke free. Smoking cessation outcomes will be measured at 12, 26, and 52 weeks following target quit date. Conclusion Results from this study will provide evidence on whether incorporating positive psychology interventions into smoking cessation treatment can improve smoking cessation outcomes relative to standard behavioral counseling with nicotine patch and text messaging.
Simulations of SU(2) lattice gauge theory with dynamical reduced staggered fermions

We simulate $SU(2)$ lattice gauge theory in four dimensions using dynamical reduced staggered fermions. The latter lead to two rather than four Dirac fermions in the continuum limit. We review the derivation and properties of reduced staggered fermions and show that in the case of fields in the fundamental representation of $SU(2)$ the theory does not exhibit a sign problem and can be simulated using the rational hybrid monte carlo algorithm. We present results on lattices up to $1{6}^{4}$ for a wide range of bare fermion masses. We find a single site condensate appears at strong coupling that spontaneously breaks the one global $U(1)$ symmetry remaining in the reduced fermion action.
Data needed on anthelmintic use.

The UK was the first country to start recording the sales of veterinary antibiotics when the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) began collecting data in 1993. In 2013, the government launched a strategy to reduce the development and spread of antibiotic resistance. Subsequently, the agriculture industry published a …
REDUCED NEURON MODELS

This chapter discusses how a neuron can be reduced to a simple model for the analysis of some aspect of its function. Many neurons have a resting discharge or maintained level of activity and fire in the absence of overt stimulation of the afferent supply. This activity is usually irregular. Similarly, when a neuron is stimulated, its firing cannot be fully described in deterministic terms. There are several possible sources of variability in neural responses. To begin with the input, the postsynaptic potential may be variable because of either the internal state of the neuron or the quantity of synaptic transmitter impinging on the membrane. As regards the output, the threshold may fluctuate because of the variations of the internal state or the postspike membrane potential may vary and affect the difference between resting and threshold potentials. The chapter discusses some aspects of neuron firing statistics that are amenable to mathematical analysis and an interpretation of the firing threshold.
Views and Commentaries: The Emergency Conservation of Waterlogged Bibles from the Memorabilia Assemblage Following the Collapse of the Texas A&M University Bonfire

Four Bibles were recovered from the spontaneous shrines at the site of the bonfire tragedy that claimed the lives of 12 students at Texas A&M University. Having been exposed to rain and wind for several weeks, these books were severely deteriorated. Inscriptions, photographs, and poems included with the Bibles, however, are an important part of the material culture assemblage that folklorists and anthropologists need to preserve and study. As part of an emergency recovery effort, the Bibles were collected and preserved using inexpensive and innovative techniques, using Lysol-treated absorbent paper and freeze-drying techniques.
First-Principles Studies of the Lithiation and Delithiation Paths in Si Anodes in Li-Ion Batteries

Understanding the lithiation of Si and the resulting formation of amorphous lithium silicides (a-LixSi) has been the subject of numerous studies due to the importance of silicon anodes for next generation, high energy density lithium batteries. Experimental studies have shown that a-LixSi with 2 ≤ x ≤ 3.75 appears as a prominent phase in the transformation of Si during lithiation and delithiation, but computational studies have yet to elucidate why. In this work, first-principles molecular dynamics computations were performed to simulate the various immediate steps associated with lithiation and delithiation of Si anodes in a Li-ion half-cell battery. The energy of formation and unit-cell volume for relevant LixSi phases and Si have been computed for both crystalline and amorphous states. The first-principles results are utilized to construct lithiation and delithiation pathways and compute the corresponding changes in the voltage, capacity, and cell volume of the anode. These results indicate that multip...
Post-event misinformation effects in a language-trained chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes).

Errors of source monitoring are widespread human memory challenges, and our memories are subject to distortion upon the presentation of subsequent misinformation. Less is known about if and when misinformation effects occur in nonhuman species’ memory. Here we tested a symbol-trained chimpanzee’s recall memory of a hidden food item’s identity after a 10-min delay. During this delay, the subject was sometimes (depending on the condition) shown consistent or inconsistent video information about the identity of the food, before being asked to name the item to a second experimenter blind to the reward and condition. Across all conditions, our subject, Sherman, correctly named the food item at above chance levels. In the Inconsistent condition, in which Sherman was shown a video with misleading information, his performance was the worst of all conditions (although accuracy was still high). Interestingly, however, during three of the four trials in this condition in which Sherman made a mistake, he incorrectly named the food item shown during the misleading video information. These results provide evidence that chimpanzees, like humans, may be vulnerable to misinformation effects, even when that misleading information is presented in a different modality (video) than the original live event memory, demonstrating further commonality between human and ape memory systems.
Field-based body temperatures reveal behavioral thermoregulation strategies of the Atlantic marsh fiddler crab Minuca pugnax

Behavioral thermoregulation is an important defense against the negative impacts of climate change for ectotherms. In this study we examined the use of burrows by a common intertidal crab, Minuca pugnax, to control body temperature. To understand how body temperatures respond to changes in the surface temperature and explore how efficiently crabs exploit the cooling potential of burrows to thermoregulate, we measured body, surface, and burrow temperature data during low tide on Sapelo Island, GA in March, May, August, and September of 2019. We found that an increase in 1 degree C in the surface temperature led to a 0.70-0.71 degrees C increase in body temperature for females and an increase in 0.75-0.77 degrees C in body temperature for males. Body temperatures of small females were 0.3 degrees C warmer than large females for the same surface temperature. Female crabs used burrows more efficiently for thermoregulation compared to the males. Specifically, an increase of 1 degree C in the cooling capacity (the difference between the burrow temperature and the surface temperature) led to an increase of 0.42-0.50 degrees C for females and 0.34-0.35 degrees C for males in the thermoregulation capacity (the difference between body temperature and surface temperature). The body temperature that crabs began to use burrows to thermoregulate was estimated to be around 24 degrees C, which is far below the critical body temperatures that could lead to death. Many crabs experienced body temperatures of 24 degrees C early in the reproductive season, several months before the hottest days of the year. Because the use of burrows involves fitness trade-offs, these results suggest that warming temperatures could begin to impact crabs far earlier in the year than expected.
VR-PAVIB: The Virtual Reality Pedestrian-Autonomous Vehicle Interaction Benchmark

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are an emerging theme for future transportation. However, research on pedestrian-AV interaction, which promotes pedestrian safety during autonomous driving, is not a well-explored domain. One challenge preventing the development of pedestrian-AV interaction research is that there is no publicly available and standardized benchmark to allow researchers to investigate how different interfaces could help pedestrians communicate with AVs. To resolve this challenge, we introduce the Virtual Reality Pedestrian-Autonomous Vehicle Interaction Benchmark (VR-PAVIB). VR-PAVIB is a standardized platform that can be used to reproduce interaction scenarios and compare results. Our benchmark provides state-of-the-art functionalities that can easily be implemented in any interaction scenario authored by a user. The VR-PAVIB can easily be used in a controlled lab space using low-cost virtual reality equipment. We have released our project code and include the automotive user interface community to extend VR-PAVIB.
Double-Peaked Low-Ionization Emission Lines in Active Galactic Nuclei

We present a new sample of 116 double-peaked Balmer line Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) selected from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. Double-peaked emission lines are believed to originate in the accretion disks of AGN, a few hundred gravitational radii (Rg) from the supermassive black hole. We investigate the properties of the candidate disk emitters with respect to the full sample of AGN over the same redshifts, focusing on optical, radio and X-ray flux, broad line shapes and narrow line equivalent widths and line flux-ratios. We find that the disk-emitters have medium luminosities (~10^44erg/s) and FWHM on average six times broader than the AGN in the parent sample. The double-peaked AGN are 1.6 times more likely to be radio-sources and are predominantly (76%) radio quiet, with about 12% of the objects classified as LINERs. Statistical comparison of the observed double-peaked line profiles with those produced by axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric accretion disk models allows us to impose constraints on accretion disk parameters. The observed Halpha line profiles are consistent with accretion disks with inclinations smaller than 50 deg, surface emissivity slopes of 1.0-2.5, outer radii larger than ~2000 Rg, inner radii between 200-800Rg, and local turbulent broadening of 780-1800 km/s. The comparison suggests that 60% of accretion disks require some form of asymmetry (e.g., elliptical disks, warps, spiral shocks or hot spots).
The Equation of State of the Intergalactic Medium After Hydrogen Reionization

We use an analytic model to study how inhomogeneous hydrogen reionization affects the temperature distribution of the intergalactic medium (IGM). During this process, the residual energy of each ionizing photon is deposited in the IGM as heat, increasing its temperature to 20,000-30,000 K; subsequent expansion of the Universe then cools the gas. Because reionization most likely proceeds from high to low densities, underdense voids are ionized last, have less time to cool, and are (on average) warmer than mean-density gas immediately after reionization is complete (an "inverted" equation of state). From this initial configuration, the low-density gas cools quickly and eventually returns to a more normal equation of state. The rapidly evolving temperature introduces systematic uncertainties in measurements of the ionizing background at z~6. For example, late reionization implies rapid cooling, so that the ionizing background would have to evolve even more rapidly at z ~5-6 than typically claimed. This degeneracy is difficult to disentangle, because the Lyman-alpha forest probes only a narrow range in densities (over which the gas is nearly isothermal). However, higher Lyman-series transitions probe wider density ranges, sampling different effective temperatures, and offer a new way to measure the IGM equation of state that should work where nearly saturated absorption precludes other methods. This will help to separate evolution in temperature from that in the ionizing background. While more detailed study with hydrodynamic simulations is needed, we show that such measurements could potentially distinguish early and late reionization using only a handful of lines of sight.
Comparison of morphometric, structural, mechanical, and physiologic characteristics of human superficial femoral and popliteal arteries

Peripheral arterial disease differentially affects the superficial femoral (SFA) and the popliteal (PA) arteries, but their morphometric, structural, mechanical, and physiologic differences are poorly understood. SFAs and PAs from 125 human subjects (age 13-92, average 52±17 years) were compared in terms of radii, wall thickness, and opening angles. Structure and vascular disease were quantified using histology, mechanical properties were determined with planar biaxial extension, and constitutive modeling was used to calculate the physiologic stress-stretch state, elastic energy, and the circumferential physiologic stiffness. SFAs had larger radii than PAs, and both segments widened with age. Young SFAs were 5% thicker, but in old subjects the PAs were thicker. Circumferential (SFA: 96→193°, PA: 105→139°) and longitudinal (SFA: 139→306°, PA: 133→320°) opening angles increased with age in both segments. PAs were more diseased than SFAs and had 11% thicker intima. With age, intimal thickness increased 8.5-fold, but medial thickness remained unchanged (620μm) in both arteries. SFAs had 30% more elastin than the PAs, and its density decreased ~50% with age. SFAs were more compliant than PAs circumferentially, but there was no difference longitudinally. Physiologic circumferential stress and stiffness were 21% and 11% higher in the SFA than in the PA across all ages. The stored elastic energy decreased with age (SFA: 1.4→0.4kPa, PA: 2.5→0.3kPa). While the SFA and PA demonstrate appreciable differences, most of them are due to vascular disease. When pathology is the same, so are the mechanical properties, but not the physiologic characteristics that remain distinct due to geometrical differences.
Thermal tolerance may slow, but not prevent, the spread of Sargassum horneri (Phaeophyceae) along the California, USA and Baja California, MEX coastline

Biological invasions have become increasingly prevalent in marine ecosystems, modifying biodiversity and altering the way ecosystems function. Understanding how variation in environmental factors influences the success of non-native species, especially their early life stages, can be a crucial step in identifying habitats that are under threat of invasion, and in predicting how rapidly and far these species may spread once they arrive in novel habitats. The invasive marine macroalga Sargassum horneri was first observed in Long Beach Harbor, CA, USA in 2003, and has since spread throughout the Southern California Bight and along the Baja California Peninsula, MEX where it now forms dense stands on subtidal rocky reefs and displaces native habitat-forming macroalgae. We examined how variation in temperature, nutrients, and irradiance affect survival, growth, and development in S. horneri early life stages over a three-week period. Our experimental treatments consisted of orthogonally crossed temperatures (10, 15, 20, and 25°C), nutrient concentrations (ambient and nutrient-enriched seawater), and irradiances (50 and 500 µmol photons · m-2 · s-1 ). Overall, temperature exerted the greatest influence on S. horneri's germling and juvenile life stages, with moderate temperatures facilitating their greatest survival, growth, and development. In contrast, fewer germlings developed fully under the lowest or highest temperatures, and juvenile survival and growth were reduced, especially when combined with low irradiances. Together, our data suggest that ocean temperatures of or below 10˚C and of or above 25°C may slow, but likely not stop, S. horneri's northward and southward expansion along the California and Baja California coasts.
Land-based wind turbines with flexible rail-transportable blades – Part 1: Conceptual design and aeroservoelastic performance

Abstract. This work investigates the conceptual design and the aeroservoelastic performance of land-based wind turbines whose blades can be transported on rail via controlled bending. The turbines have a nameplate power of 5 MW and a rotor diameter of 206 m, and they aim to represent the next generation of land-based machines. Three upwind designs and two downwind designs are presented, combining different design goals together with conventional glass and pultruded carbon fiber laminates in the spar caps. One of the five blade designs is segmented and serves as a benchmark to the state of the art in industry. The results show that controlled flexing requires a reduction in the flapwise stiffness of the blades, but it represents a promising pathway for increasing the size of land-based wind turbine rotors. Given the required stiffness, the rotor can be designed either downwind with standard rotor preconing and nacelle uptilt angles or upwind with higher-than-usual angles. A downwind-specific controller is also presented, featuring a cut-out wind speed reduced to 19 m s −1 and a pitch-to-stall shutdown strategy to minimize blade tip deflections toward the tower. The flexible upwind and downwind rotor designs equipped with pultruded carbon fiber spar caps are found to generate the lowest levelized cost of energy, 2.9 % and 1.3 %, respectively, less than the segmented design. The paper concludes with several recommendations for future work in the area of large flexible wind turbine rotors.
The Amateur Hour: A History of College Teaching in America

Jonathan Zimmerman is a highly esteemed professor of the History of Education at the Graduate School of Education of the University of Pennsylvania. He has written columns for some of the most pres...
Shelter-in-Place Orders, Loneliness, and Collaborative Behavior

The outbreak of COVID-19 resulted in numerous jurisdictions instituting "shelter-in-place'' orders (SPOs). While designed to restrict or impede normal levels of social proximity, SPOs altered the way or degree to which workers interact with each other and have likely imposed a toll on employee well-being. The authors exploit the temporal and geographic variation in U.S. SPOs to investigate their effect on loneliness among online workers. Variation in loneliness is then linked to worker behavior in a simple two-person, collaborative task (a framed stag hunt). The analysis reveals a strong positive relationship between SPOs and loneliness on average, peaking during the wave associated with the most prolonged duration of isolation. SPOs disproportionately impacted workers in occupations not substantially involving teamwork or collaboration. As reported loneliness increases, the probability of an individual collaborating in a simple interactive workplace scenario decreases significantly. In the final survey wave, SPOs are scarcer, loneliness subsides, and cooperative behavior increases dramatically.
ATM phosphorylates PP2A subunit A resulting in nuclear export and spatiotemporal regulation of the DNA damage response

Abstract Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) is a serine-threonine protein kinase and important regulator of the DNA damage response (DDR). One critical ATM target is the structural subunit A (PR65) of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A), known to regulate diverse cellular processes such as mitosis and cell growth as well as dephosphorylating many proteins during the recovery from the DDR. We generated mouse embryonic fibroblasts expressing PR65-WT, -S401A (cannot be phosphorylated), and -S401D (phosphomimetic) transgenes. Significantly, S401 mutants exhibited extensive chromosomal aberrations, impaired DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair and underwent increased mitotic catastrophe after radiation. Our study demonstrates that the phosphorylation of a single, critical PR65 amino acid (S401) by ATM fundamentally controls the DDR, and balances DSB repair quality, cell survival and growth by spatiotemporal PR65 nuclear-cytoplasmic shuttling mediated by the nuclear export receptor CRM1.
"Off-Label" use of DNS

DNS is one of the most widely abused protocols that threat actors use to hide traffic. DNS is also actively used, or rather misused, by other service providers, vendors, etc., to provide enhanced services. An in-depth examination of DNS logs revealed several very interesting legitimate use cases of the DNS protocol, apart from the usual name resolution service function. We coined the term ?Off-label? use of DNS to represent those use cases. Legitimate here simply means using DNS for non-malicious purposes other than what it was traditionally designed for, providing domain name resolution; a dictionary service mapping domain names to corresponding IP addresses. One of the main reasons DNS is used, or possibly misused, for these off-label use cases is data transfer speed and reduced overhead. These use cases can often reveal important information about the clients and software they are running and can be leveraged by network security analysts to improve their defense of the network. This research will detail some of those legitimate off-label use cases and how analysts can use them to detect malware trends in the network and much more just by analyzing an enterprise?s DNS logs.
Methods of Calibration at a National Laboratory

Methods used in the Metrology Research and Development Laboratory at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory for calibration of radiation thermometers are described. Sample calibration procedures are included as well as a description of the calibration information system.
Intracranial Pressure versus Phase-Contrast MR Imaging for Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

The article by Ringstad et al,[1][1] in this issue of the American Journal of Neuroradiology suggests that invasive intracranial pressure monitoring is a better way to select patients for shunting for normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) than phase-contrast MR imaging. The authors advocated placing
When a White Dwarf Explodes

Type Ia supernova explosions are caused by the complete thermonuclear disruption of a white dwarf. Model studies attempting to elucidate the explosion mechanism have been limited to spherically symmetric one-dimensional models. In his Perspective, [Branch][1] highlights the three-dimensional model reported by [Gamezo][2] et al . Despite its limitations, the study heralds a new era of model complexity in supernova studies. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/299/5603/53 [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/299/5603/77
The Propagation of Solar Energetic Particles in the Interplanetary Medium

The dynamics of solar particle events provide a direct link to the understanding of wave-particle interactions, and to the nature of solar wind fluctuations. Depending on their energy, the often simultaneously observed electrons, protons and ions interact with different wavenumber ranges of the fluctuations, and are sensitive to various aspects of the dynamical nature of the solar wind turbulence. In general, the evolution of particle events is also sensitive to the spatial variation of the transport parameters between the Sun and a few AU. Together with in-situ plasma and magnetic field observations this information can be used to extrapolate the properties of transport parameters into the more distant Heliosphere. Recent developments in the theory of parallel transport of energetic particles, and examples for the modeling of solar particle events and the derivation of transport parameters are considered. A dynamical quasi-linear theory is presented which gives special emphasis to the geometry and dynamic nature of the fluctuations, and which is able to provide particle mean free paths solely from observed plasma parameters, in good agreement with those derived by the modeling. Possibilities to apply the above results to the study of other energetic particle populations in the Heliosphere are discussed.
HTLV-1 Tax-associated hTid-1, a Human DnaJ Protein, Is a Repressor of IκB Kinase β Subunit

Abstract hTid-1, a human DnaJ protein, is a novel cellular target for HTLV-1 Tax. Here, we show that hTid-1 represses NF-κB activity induced by Tax as well as other activators such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) and Bcl10. hTid-1 specifically suppresses serine phosphorylation of IκBα by activated IκB kinase β (IKKβ), but the activities of other serine kinases including p38, ERK2, and JNK1 are not affected. The suppressive activity of hTid-1 on IKKβ requires a functional J domain that mediates association with heat shock proteins and results in prolonging the half-life of the NF-κB inhibitors IκBα and IκBβ. Collectively, our data suggest that hTid-1, in association with heat shock proteins, exerts a negative regulatory effect on the NF-κB activity induced by various extracellular and intracellular activators including HTLV-1 Tax.
Corey–Seebach reaction

Dithiane as a nucleophile, serving as a masked carbonyl equivalent. This is an example of umpolung.
Effect of the brachypod mutation on cell adhesion and chondrogenesis in aggregates of mouse limb mesenchyme

Twelve-day normal and brachypod mouse limb mesenchyme was studied in rotation culture. Over a 3½ h period the rate of decline of single cells was significantly greater in mutant than in normal cultures, probably because the brachypod cells were more adhesive. However, the final size of the aggregates and their cell densities were the same by 24 h of incubation. On the other hand their pattern of chondrogenesis was different. Normal aggregates contained condensations with typical histotypic cartilage by 24 h of incubation, and were entirely chondrifled by 4 days in culture. The condensations in brachypod aggregates were fewer, smaller, and delayed in their chondrogenesis. Never more than 50% of the brachypod aggregate exhibited chondrogenesis. The importance of cell contact and cell density to the chondrogenic process are discussed.
Designing qbox: a tool for sorting things out in digital spaces

This poster introduces Qbox, a flexible tool developed by the Communicative Practices in Virtual Workspaces research group at the University of Washington to support traditional and innovative forms of analysis for web-based and digital material. Qbox integrates three functional areas of work associated with content analysis: consolidating and presenting source data, performing coding or classification work, and analyzing results. Developed using an iterative user-centered design approach to support ongoing research, this tool enhances research protocol by providing a flexible application to organize digital spaces, and demonstrates the power of productivity associated with agile, user-based development.
Selective growth on facets and in situ mask removal for regrowth

A variety of unique processing capabilities can be achieved if the use of photoresist can be avoided during wafer patterning. Two such processes are reported here, based on the resistless patterning technique in which ultra-violet light is used to modify the surface native oxide on GaAs into a more stable gallium oxide suitable for use as a mask. First, we report the easy, in situ removal of the masking gallium oxide after selective growth and then regrowth to form embedded structures without additional process steps. Second, a non-planar GaAs wafer was exposed to ultra-violet light at an angle so that the gallium oxide is formed everywhere except in the shadowed sidewall areas where the native oxide remains intact. Upon thermal desorption of the native oxide, selective growth of InAs was achieved on the previously shadowed sidewalls only.
Conflicts of interest between the sexes: a study of mating interactions in a semiaquatic bug

Abstract Abstract. Mating behaviour can be expected to reflect a compromise between the conflicting interests of the two sexes. Adults of the water strider, Aquarius remigis, mate many times over a period of several months, and males often remain mounted for several hours following sperm transfer. Conflict between the sexes is indicated by both pre-mating and post-mating struggles. To determine the relative influence of males and females on the frequency and duration of mating, 548 mating interactions were videotaped in the laboratory and an additional 140 interactions were observed under more natural, field conditions. Mating attempts were initiated by males, but most of these attempts were resisted by females. The duration of pre-mating struggles initially increased and then declined as the number of mating attempts increased, suggesting possible mate assessment by females at low levels of harassment, but convenience polyandry at higher levels. Long pre-mating struggles were associated with unsuccessful matings. Matings that were long enough to allow sperm transfer were characterized by short pre-mating struggles and long post-mating struggles. Post-mating struggles invariably resulted in the male being dislodged. Depriving males of mates for 7 days prior to the trials increased the number of mating attempts and the durations of the pre- and post-mating struggles, but did not significantly influence the frequency or duration of mating. These results confirm male incentive to increase the frequency and duration of mating, but indicate that female resistance effectively limits both parameters.
A non imaging approach to solar oblateness measurements

A design is presented for an instrument to measure solar oblateness without forming a solar image and having two identical prisms as the only optical elements. Feasibility calculations indicate that this might be sensitive and quite free from instrumental induced errors.
Osseous metaplasia associated with amyloid-producing plasmacytoma of bone : a report of two cases

Amyloid-producing plasmacytoma of bone is a rare myeloma variant. We describe two patients with plasmacytomas of bone with extensive amyloid deposition and metaplastic bone formation which can be confused on imaging with osteosarcoma. Histologic confirmation was obtained in both cases. Metaplastic new bone formation was identified within these lesions and appears to be responsible for the radiographic appearances.
Robustness of Inference for One-sample Problem with Correlated Observations

Abstract The inference about the population mean based on the standard t-test involves the assumption of normal population as well as independence of the observations. In this paper we examine the robustness of the inference in the presence of correlations among the observations. We consider the simplest correlation structure AR(1) and its impact on the t-test. A modification of the t-test suitable for this structure is suggested, and its effect on the inference is investigated using Monte Carlo simulation.
An evaluation of concepts related to iron‐deficiency chlorosis

Abstract The essential role of Fe in the biological world is impressive and the manner in which the Fe supply is controlled to the plant or organism is unique in making Fe available for use. Each investigator has pursued specific approaches to answer detailed objectives in a designated line of research; these have primarily dealt with the Fe‐stress response mechanism of dicotyledonous plants. These plants respond to Fe‐deficiency stress by (a) release of hydrogen ions and (b) release of reducing compounds from their roots, (c) reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+ by their roots, and (d) increases in organic acids (particularly citrate) in their roots. Each of these factors will be discussed in view of existing hypotheses emphasizing reduction by roots at the plasma membrane and with regard to how these factors may compliment each other in the absorption process. Mugeneic acid has been isolated from roots of iron‐deficiency stressed barley and oats and dlbutyl phthalate from sorghum. In each case iron was made availa...
Fixation patterns and reading rates in eyes with central scotomas from advanced atrophic age-related macular degeneration and Stargardt disease.

Purpose: To study fixation patterns and reading rates in eyes with central scotomas from geographic atrophy (GA) of age-related macular degeneration and to compare fixation patterns with those of patients with Stargardt disease. Methods: Scanning laser ophthalmoscope analysis of fixation patterns in eyes with 20/80 to 20/200 visual acuity. Included were 41 eyes of 35 patients with GA and 10 eyes of 5 patients with Stargardt disease. The patients with GA also were tested for maximum reading rate, and the size of the areas of atrophy were measured by fundus photograph analysis. Results: Sixty-three percent of GA eyes fixating outside the atrophy placed the scotoma to the right of fixation in visual field space, 22% placed the scotoma above fixation, and 15% placed it to the left, regardless of the laterality of the GA eye. Fixation was stable in subsequent years of testing for scotoma placement to the right of or above fixation. All GA eyes fixated immediately adjacent to the atrophy. In contrast, seven of ten eyes with Stargardt disease fixated at a considerable distance from the scotoma border, with the dense scotoma far above the fixation site in visual field space. For the patients with GA, the maximum reading rate was highly correlated with size of the atrophic area, but not with age or visual acuity within the limited visual acuity range tested. There was a trend to more rapid reading with the scotoma above fixation and slower reading with the scotoma to the left. Conclusion: There is a preference for fixation with the scotoma to the right in eyes with GA. Patients with Stargardt disease use different strategies for fixation, perhaps due to subdinical pathology adjacent to the atrophic regions. The size of the atrophic area in GA plays the predominant role in reading rate for eyes that have already lost foveal vision.
Extracorporeal blood volume in coil dialyzers

One important characteristic of a dialyzer is the volume of the extracorporeal circuit and its component parts. Reported coil volumes have often been measured with ultrafilterable aqueous solutions [1, 2]. Descriptions of coil volumes (including those packaged with commercial coils) may not specify whether volumes listed include tubing [1–3]. Reported coil volumes have been related to variables such as blood flow rate or outlet pressure [2, 3] rather than to mean intracoil hydrostatic coil pressure (MCP), with which we have found coil volume to be more highly correlated. It is generally not clear whether the volume measurement was made in the presence or absence of dialysate flow, thus neglecting the effects of dialysate hydrostatic pressure on coil distensibility at any given MCP. As a result of these many differences in technique, there has been no common reference with which to compare the operating extracorporeal blood volumes of available coil types. In this study we measured intracoil and tubing volumes under standard conditions using kerosene, a nonultrafilterable solution. High correlations of coil volumes with MCP provide an improved technique for obtaining and relating information relative to coil volumes.
1-(2-Phenoxyphenyl)methanamines: SAR for dual serotonin/noradrenaline reuptake inhibition, metabolic stability and hERG affinity

A novel series of 1-(2-phenoxyphenyl)methanamines is disclosed, which possess selective dual 5-HT and NA reuptake pharmacology. Analogues with good human in vitro metabolic stability, hERG selectivity and passive membrane permeability were identified.
The assay of red cell galactokinase

Abstract A method for the assay of red cell galactokinase is presented. Commercially available 14 C-galactose is purified by incubating with ATP, magnesium, and hexokinase and passed through a small DEAE column. Hemolysate is mixed with a reaction mixture, incubated, and the 14 C-galactose which has been phosphorylated is trapped on DEAE paper. The reactivity of unlabeled galactose solutions was found to change for a considerable period of time, not only because of mutarotation, but also because of the formation of a keto sugar. Glucose was found to exert a stabilizing effect on the enzyme when stored in intact cells. The enzyme activity of the red cells of children aged 4–16 were not found to be significantly higher than those of adults. Galactose intake did not appear to influence the level of the enzyme in red cells, but blood samples containing a high percentage of reticulocytes tended to have somewhat higher levels of enzyme than the blood of normal subjects.
A computer graphics system for modular building elevation design

This paper describes a computer graphics system which has been developed to produce Modular Building Elevation Designs (MODBED) in support of the architectural designer in a time sharing environment. This system is only a small part of a Master Control System in Architecture (MCSA), see Fig. 1, which will benefit the architectural profession and construction industry by cutting time and cost on construction projects.Also discussed are the advantages and disadvantages of various input-output environments; batch processing and interactive display devices are compared.
The relationship of schedule flexibility and outcomes via the work‐family interface

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship of schedule flexibility with performance and satisfaction in the work and family domains, and whether these associations are mediated by the work‐family interface. Possible gender differences in the putative benefits of schedule flexibility are also to be explored.Design/methodology/approach – Using a sample of 607 full‐time employees in either schedule flexibility or traditional working arrangements the authors tested a moderated‐mediation model. Regression was used to test the mediation of work‐family and the moderation of gender to the schedule flexibility to work‐family path.Findings – Both work‐to‐family conflict and work‐to‐family enrichment are mediating mechanisms in the relationship of schedule flexibility with outcomes. More specifically, full mediation was found for job satisfaction and family performance for both enrichment and conflict while partial mediation was found for family satisfaction with enrichment only and mediation...
Visual Alchemy: Stereoscopic Adaptation Produces Kinetic Depth from Random Noise

Observers perceive incoherent motion and no hint of depth when viewing stochastic motion, in which stimulus elements move in all possible directions. As earlier work has shown, depth can be specifi...