cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
COVID-19 and electrophysiology procedures-review, reset, reboot!!!

Lakkireddy DR, Chung MK, Gopinathannair R, Patton KK, Gluckman TJ, Turagam M, Cheung J, Patel P, Sotomonte J, Lampert R, Han JK, Rajagopalan B, Eckhardt L, Joglar J, Sandau K, Olshansky B, Wan E, Noseworthy PA, Leal M, Kaufman E, Gutierrez A, Marine JM, Wang PJ and Russo AM. Guidance for cardiac electrophysiology during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic from the Heart Rhythm Society COVID-19 Task Force; Electrophysiology Section of the American College of Cardiology; and the Electrocardiography and Arrhythmias Committee of the Council on Clinical Cardiology, American Heart Association. Circulation. 2020. Garcia S, Albaghdadi MS, Meraj PM, Schmidt C, Garberich R, Jaffer FA, et al. Reduction in ST-segment elevation cardiac catheterization laboratory activations in the United States during COVID-19 pandemic. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2020;75:2871–2. CAS Article Google Scholar Baldi E, Sechi GM, Mare C, Canevari F, Brancaglione A, Primi R, et al. Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest during the COVID-19 outbreak in Italy. N Engl J Med. 2020;383:496–8. Article Google Scholar Download references Section of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 9 Founders Pavilion, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA Naga Venkata K. Pothineni, Pasquale Santangeli, Rajat Deo, Francis E. Marchlinski & Matthew C. Hyman You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar Correspondence to Matthew C. Hyman. Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Reprints and Permissions Pothineni, N.V.K., Santangeli, P., Deo, R. et al. COVID-19 and electrophysiology procedures—review, reset, reboot!!!. J Interv Card Electrophysiol (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10840-020-00871-2 Download citation Received: 09 July 2020 Accepted: 10 September 2020 Published: 15 September 2020 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10840-020-00871-2
The Impact of Forced Intervention on AI Adoption

This paper studies whether and how forced external interventions can catalyze long-term behavioral change, with a focus on the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Specifically, we investigate whether forcing people to use or not to use AI for a period of time can change their post-intervention AI usage, making use of a field experiment among salespeople in a major online education platform in China. This experiment involved 171 salespeople who were randomly assigned to two treatment groups and one control group. We find that forcing salespeople to use AI for a period of time increases their post-intervention AI usage by 17.9 percentage points compared to those in the control group. On the contrary, restricting salespeople from using AI decreases their post-intervention AI usage by 7.6 percentage points compared to the control group. We further show that forcing salespeople to use AI for a period of time makes them update their belief about AI positively, and as a result they not only use AI more frequently, but also become more likely to use AI on high-quality potential customers.
Scalable algorithms for designing CO2 capture and storage infrastructure

CO2 capture and storage (CCS) is a climate change mitigation strategy that aims to reduce the amount of CO2 vented into the atmosphere from industrial processes. Designing cost-effective CCS infrastructure is critical in meeting CO2 emission reduction targets and is a computationally challenging problem. We formalize the computational problem of designing cost-effective CCS infrastructure and detail the fundamental intractability of designing CCS infrastructure as problem instances grow in size. We explore the problem’s relationship to the ecosystem of network design problems, and introduce three novel algorithms for its solution. We evaluate our proposed algorithms against existing exact approaches for CCS infrastructure design and find that they all run in dramatically less time than the exact approaches and generate solutions that are very close to optimal. Decreasing the time it takes to determine CCS infrastructure designs will support national-level scenario analysis, undertaking risk and sensitivity assessments, and understanding the impact of government policies (e.g., tax credits for CCS).
Diabetes following acute pancreatitis

Diabetes represents a group of diseases involving persistent hyperglycaemia. Exocrine disorders of the pancreas are increasingly recognised to cause or precede the onset of diabetes, which in this context is referred to as pancreatogenic or type 3c diabetes. Diabetes, as a sequela of acute pancreatitis, is observed across the spectrum of severity in acute pancreatitis and can be associated with other clinical complications. The pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis-related diabetes is poorly understood, and observations suggest that it is probably multifactorial. In this Review, we discuss the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and management considerations of diabetes following acute pancreatitis, and highlight knowledge gaps in this topic.
Lessons from a mature acellular pertussis vaccination program and strategies to overcome suboptimal vaccine effectiveness.

INTRODUCTION Despite high vaccination coverage among children and adolescents, pertussis remains a public health problem, with large outbreaks occurring periodically in the US and other developed countries. AREAS COVERED We examine lessons learned more than 20 years after implementation of programs which use only acellular pertussis vaccines and propose avenues for possible effective use of acellular pertussis vaccine to prevent large outbreaks. EXPERT OPINION Acellular pertussis vaccines were introduced more than 20 years ago, yet the incidence of pertussis has been increasing over the past decade, with periodic large outbreaks marked by notable shifts in disease burden from infants and young children toward fully vaccinated adolescents and young adults. This age shift is mainly driven by the waning of vaccine immunity. To better protect adolescents against pertussis, modification of the current acellular pertussis vaccination schedule or adoption of new vaccination strategies should be considered. For infants not yet eligible to be vaccinated, maternal vaccination against pertussis during pregnancy is an effective way to protect infants from infection, severe disease and death. Implementation of maternal vaccination programs should be encouraged in countries without one or efforts to improve coverage should be supported in countries with existing program.
Exploring energy harvesting and vibration mitigation in tall buildings accounting for wind and seismic loads

Abstract With the changing climate and the limited supply of fossil fuels available for global energy use, much research has been done to develop innovative methods of producing clean and renewable energy. Out of the various energy sources, wind forces can cause tall buildings to undergo significant vibrations presenting a potential source of clean and renewable energy for buildings and the power grid. To mitigate wind-induced vibrations in tall buildings, viscous dampers have been widely utilized, which, unlike tuned-mass dampers, are also effective in mitigating earthquake-induced vibrations. Contrary to conventional designs, this research explores the use of energy harvesting transducers, in place of viscous dampers, as a means of not only mitigating vibrations under extreme loading conditions (e.g. earthquakes), but also harvesting energy from wind induced vibrations during service conditions and converting it to electricity. This research demonstrates the often conflicting requirements for supplemental damping related to energy harvesting (EH) from wind loads under service conditions vs. vibration mitigation (VM) under extreme events (e.g., earthquakes). Specifically, this research shows that large damping is usually required for VM, whereas small or moderate damping is often required to maximize EH. In doing so, this research develops, and validates using test data, a nonlinear model for an electromagnetic EH transducer, quantifies the EH potential of a selected tall building as a function of the supplemental damping and wind speed showing that EH power generation can reach kWs (as opposed to W), and assesses the seismic performance of the same building as a function of the supplemental damping for two seismic hazard levels. The findings of this research will support future studies pursuing the concept of energy harvesting in structural design.
Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of Fritrace

Denial-of-Service attacks are more prevalent than ever, despite the loss of media attention after the infamous attacks that shut down major Internet portals such as Yahoo, eBay and E*Trade in February 2000. In these flood-style denial-of-service attacks, attackers send specially formatted IP packets with forged or true IP source addresses at potentially high packet rates in order to overload/waste the resources of the routers or servers they are attacking. Determining the true sources of an attack stream, depending on the DDoS attack types, is a difficult problem given the nature of the IP protocol however it is often beneficial for the victims to acquire this information in a timely manner in order to stop the attack from further denying service to legitimate users. FRiTrace (Free ICMP Traceback) is an IP traceback implementation that can provide victims of flood-style denial-of-service attacks with sufficient information to determine the true sources of an attack, despite forged IP headers and varying attack architectures. In this paper, we present our design, implementation, and evaluation about FRiTrace.
Modeling of Lamb Waves in Composite Structures

An overview of the modeling aspects of Lamb waves in composite structure is presented. Lamb wave modes are computed using two methods: one by directly solving the two-dimensional elasticity equation and the second by using various higher order beam theories. The performance of different beam theories is discussed in comparison to the solution of the original equation. Relative merits and demerits of each method are discussed. Along with the mode computation, a procedure is also outlined to obtain the simulation of propagating Lamb wave modes. The method also includes the solution of the governing elastodynamic equation for layered media subjected to arbitrary loading and boundary conditions. Lamb wave modes are provided for unidirectional laminated plies, and the procedure for general ply stacking is outlined. Keywords: Fourier transform; frequency–wavenumber domain; partial wave; spectral finite element; nonlinear optimization
Analyzing temperature dependence of Electrical Impedance Myography parameters using finite element model

Electrical Impedance Myography (EIM) is a non-invasive electrophysiological approach for the assessment of neuromuscular diseases. Finite element model of the EIM experiment has been proposed recently which can predict the actual model results. EIM parameters depend on various factors such as fat thickness, muscle thickness, inter electrode distances etc. In this study, we attempt to analyze the changes in EIM parameters due to ambient temperature with different subcutaneous fat thickness. We observe that resistance and reactance increases with increase in fat thickness and decreases with temperature increment. For example, with 10mm fat thickness, due to temperature variation, percentage changes in resistance is 0.32% and percentage changes in reactance is 1.50%. Further simulation shows that percentage changes in resistance increase with the fat thickness and percentage changes in reactance decrease with fat thickness due to increase in temperature.
A Monte Carlo study of depth of interaction in PET

In this work, we present a Monte Carlo simulation program for the investigation of reconstruction of the entrance point and angle of incidence of /spl gamma/-rays incident on a crystal by using the light output from the adjacent crystals. Initially, the Monte Carlo simulator was used to obtain the light response function (LRF) of each crystal in a detector array with respect to the entrance position and angle of incidence of the incident /spl gamma/-rays. Later, the simulator was used to determine the spatial resolution of a 3-layer detector ring consisting of 200 crystals per layer.
Using the MetaCyc Pathway Database and the BioCyc Database Collection

The MetaCyc database (http://metacyc.org) is a collection of more than a thousand metabolic pathways from a wide variety of organisms, collected from the literature by manual curation. BioCyc contains more than 370 Pathway/Genome Databases, each of which describes the genome and predicted metabolic pathways of a single organism, as computationally predicted from the annotated genomes, using MetaCyc data as a reference. The protocols in this unit introduce the user to the extensive data content available in MetaCyc and BioCyc, and to mechanisms for querying, visualizing, and analyzing these data using the Pathway Tools software. Curr. Protoc. Bioinform. 20:1.17.1-1.17.51. © 2007 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Keywords: metabolism; pathways; omics viewer; expression analysis tools; pathway comparison; genomics
Alteration in the Amino Acid Content of Yeast During Growth Under Various Nutritional Conditions

Yeast cells grown under optimal and suboptimal concentrations of biotin were analyzed for the amino acid content of their soluble pool and cellular protein. Optimally grown yeast cells exhibited a maximum amino acid content after 18 hr of growth. Biotin-deficient cells were depleted of all amino acids at 26 and 43 hr, with alanine, arginine, aspartate, cysteine, glutamate, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, serine, threonine, and valine being present in less than half the concentration observed in biotin-optimal cells. At early time intervals, the amino acid pool of biotin-deficient yeast contained lower concentrations of all amino acids except alanine. After more prolonged incubation, several amino acids accumulated in the pool of biotin-deficient yeast, but citrulline and ornithine accumulated to appreciable levels. The addition of aspartate to the growth medium resulted in a decrease in the amino acid content of biotin-optimal cells but caused a marked increase in the concentration of amino acids in biotin-deficient cells. The pools of biotin-deficient yeast grown in the presence of aspartate displayed a marked reduction in every amino acid with the exception of aspartate itself. These data provide evidence that the amino acid content of yeast cells and their free amino acid pools are markedly affected by biotin deficiency as well as by supplementation with aspartate, indicating that aspartate plays a major role in the nitrogen economy of yeast under both normal as well as abnormal nutritional conditions.
Transit temperatures experienced by fresh-cut leafy greens during cross-country shipment

Abstract There have been very limited time and temperature profiles published for the United States indicating the conditions experienced by fresh-cut, bagged leafy greens during U.S. cold chain transport and distribution. The objective of this study was to monitor and fully characterize truck trailer temperatures during the transport of fresh-cut leafy greens shipped from Salinas, CA and Yuma, AZ, to distribution centers across the United States. A total of sixteen shipments were monitored for trailer temperature from June, 2010 to May, 2011, utilizing trailers provided by multiple major Western processor/shippers. Twenty-four or thirty temperature loggers, total, were placed on six pallets and along the sidewalls during the loading of each trailer. Sensors were placed on pallet stacks at the front, middle and rear of each trailer. Two pallet stacks positioned side-by-side were monitored at each location. Additional sensors were placed 4 feet above the floor on each sidewall adjacent to the monitored stacks. In five of the sixteen shipments, an additional sensor with a probe was placed in each monitored stack at the middle position and the probe was inserted 24 inches into the center of the stack. Data was analyzed for the effect of location within a trailer, on a sidewall, or on or within a pallet; and on a pass/fail basis where any sensor in a trailer recording temperatures above 5 °C subjected the entire load to rejection. Analyzing sensor data on a pass/fail basis yielded highly skewed results as the analysis indicated all trailers failed to maintain adequate temperature during transit. However, only 16.7% of the 431 sensors used in the study recorded temperatures greater than 5 °C and nearly twice as many (47) were found on sidewalls than pallets (25). The FDA standard for pre-cut leafy greens appears to overestimate high temperature abuse as it does not consider where the abuse is occurring in a trailer. Cold temperature abuse was less extensive with only 39 of 431 sensors recording temperatures below −0.17 °C. The data suggests that the product was also under-heated in fall as 22 of 39 sensors recording temperatures
Some Aspects of the Reactions of Highly Excited Molecules

Reactions that proceed by vibrational energization and where more than 3 or 4 atoms are present are beginning to be explored. Both unimolecular and bimolecular behavior patterns are important in understanding these, and rules based on simpler (“A + BC”) systems do not at present seem to be applicable. Types of experimental information sources are discussed: single and multiple quantum laser experiments, photochemistry, and high-pressure unimolecular studies. The relevant trajectory calculations, which are surveyed, are on the CH5, HCCCl, CH3NC, and C2H6 systems. Es werden Reaktionen von Systemen mit mehr als 3 oder 4 Atomen untersucht, die uber Schwingungsanregung ablaufen. Sowohl unimolekulare wie bimolekulare Verhaltensmuster sind zum Verstandnis wichtig. Regeln, die aus einfacheren „A + BC” Systemen her bekannt sind, scheinen bisher noch nicht ubertragbar zu sein. Verschiedene Experimente werden diskutiert: Einzel- und Mehrphotonen-Laserexperimente, photochemische Versuche und unimolekulare Reaktionen bei hohen Drucken. Die entsprechenden, hier diskutierten Trajektorienrechnungen beziehen sich auf die CH5, HCCCl, CH3NC und C2H6 Systeme.
Restoring rape survivors: justice, advocacy, and a call to action

Rape results in mental and physical health, social, and legal consequences. For the latter, restorative justice-based programs might augment community response, but they generate controversy among advocates and policy makers. This article identifies survivors' needs and existing community responses to them. Survivors feel their legal needs are most poorly met due to justice system problems that can be summarized as attrition, retraumatization, and disparate treatment across gender, class, and ethnic lines. Empirical data support each problem and the conclusion that present justice options are inadequate. The article concludes by identifying common ground in advocacy and restorative justice goals and calls for a holistic approach to the needs of rape survivors that includes advocating for expanded justice alternatives. A call to action is issued to implement restorative alternatives to expand survivor choice and offender accountability. Conventional and restorative justice are often viewed as mutually exclusive whereas the author argues they are complementary.
Fast Ion Conduction in Layer-By-Layer Polymer Films

The layer-by-layer (LBL) deposition technique has been applied to the design of polymer electrolyte films appropriate for electrochemical applications such as sensors and electrochromic cells. In this work, we describe the properties of three LBL polymer electrolyte systems assembled from cationic layers of linear poly(ethylene imine) (LPEI), with anionic layers of Nafion, poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid) (PAMPS), and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). The assembly behavior of these systems was carefully examined, and ionic conductivity was determined using impedance spectroscopy. The influences of assembly conditions and water plasticization on ion conduction were elaborated. Room-temperature ionic conductivity greater than 10-5 S/cm can be achieved within LPEI/PAMPS and LPEI/PAA films, which is 2 orders of magnitude greater than the highest values previously described in LBL films. By manipulating a unique assembly mechanism, high ionic conductivity can be achieved in LPEI/PAMPS films at low pl...
Figures of the text

"Hieroglyphes tout purs" - representations of writing book, brain, body - citation and the scene of reading bodies and souls - the intertextual corpus making the difference - textuality and sexuality inscribing the voice - oral performance and the written text description, representation and interpretation reading (through) the veil.
Typing of strains of Coxsackie virus of the A group isolated in Germany between 1951 and 1954

Von 48 in den Jahren 1951–1954 im virologischen Laboratorium der Universitatskinderklinik isolierten Coxsackievirusstammen der A-Gruppe gehorten nach vorausgegangenen und den hier mitgeteilten Untersuchungen 15 zum Typ A 2, 18 zum Typ A 4, 3 zum Typ A 5 und 9 zum Typ A 10. Bei den 3 verbleibenden Virusstammen handelte es sich um Mischstamme, von denen 2 die Typen A 4 und A 5 und 1 die Typen A 4 und A 10 enthielten. Ein vonHenneberg aus Berlin eingesandter Stamm entsprach dem Typ A 10.
Evaluation of powdered pine bark for control ofMeloidogyne arenaria andHeterodera glycines on soybean

Commercially avaiable pine bark nuggets (composted) and fresh pine bark were ground into powders and added at rates of 0 to 50 g kg−1 to field soil infested withMeloidogyne arenaria andHeterodera glycines. The treated soil was maintained moist in the greenhouse for 2 weeks, sampled, and planted with ‘Davis’ soybean (Glycine max.). Eight weeks after planting, numbers ofM. arenaria andH. glycines in soil decreased with increasing amounts of composted or fresh pine bark. No juveniles were present in soil treated with 5% pine bark. The number of galls and cysts g−1 root decreased in proportion to the amount of pine bark added to soil. Gall and cyst formation was completely eliminated at the 5% rate. Numbers of saprophagous nematodes were highest in soil with 4–5% pine bark. The activity of several soil enzymes was correlated with the addition of both composted and fresh pine bark. Fresh pine bark powder caused an increase in soil enzyme activity compared to composted pine bark, but did not provide consistent control of gall and cyst formation.
Behavioral pharmacology of the gamma carboline Wy 47,384: A potential antipsychotic agent

Wy 47,384 was examined in an extensive series of in vivo preclinical behavioral tests to determine its possible efficacy and side effect liability as a novel antipsychotic agent. Wy 47,384 was found to suppress avoidance responding following both i.p. and p.o. administration at doses that did not generally impair escape performance. Wy 47,384 also was found to be considerably more potent in antagonizing climbing behavior than stereotyped behavior produced by apomorphine. However, this compound demonstrated some cataleptogenic potential in catalepsy and global behavioral assessment tests. Wy 47,384 also produced limited sedation in motor activity, conflict, and rotorod ataxia tests, but the compound did not interact with ethanol. Wy 47,384 did not demonstrate preclinical anxiolytic activity in conflict behavior tests, and it did not show antidepressant effects in tests designed to assess beta-adrenergic sensitivity. These studies show that Wy 47,384 is a specific putative antipsychotic agent with limited extrapyramidal and sedative side effect potential.
Studies on Incubator Hygiene VIII. The Resistance of S. Aertrycke, S. Anatum, and Salmonella from Quail to Formaldehyde Fumigation

Abstract WHILE incubator disseminated Salmonella infections of chicks, other than S. pullorum has not been recognized, an occasional serious loss in chicks associated with S. aertrycke and S. anatum has been reported in literature. A Salmonella type distinct from S. pullorum has also been noted in baby quail. The spontaneous occurrence of S. aertrycke in chicks has been reported by different investigators in this and other countries. Doyle (1927) studied two out-breaks in baby chicks. All the birds in one flock of 60 died, and 50 percent of another flock succumbed. Adult fowls were found to be resistant to S. aertrycke infection and agglutination tests on these birds were negative. In autopsy, organs appeared normal. Edwards (1929) reported an epizootic of baby chicks from which S. aertrycke and S. anatum could be regularly isolated. During and after the outbreak, agglutination tests failed to reveal any carriers among the breeding flock or . . .
Corn Residue Effect on the Yield of Corn and Soybean Grown in Rotation

(…) There was a significant effect of previous crop (rotation effect) on the yield of both corn and soybean, but the removal or addition of corn residue had no effect on the yield of either crop. This indicates that the yield response of corn and soybean to rotation is not due to beneficial or negative effects of decomposing above-ground residue
Self-similar scaling and angular momentum relationships in stellar and atomic systems

Stellar and atomic systems obey analogous angular momentum/mass relationships and analogous angular momentum/magnetic dipole moment relationships. The dimensional constants in both pairs of angular momentum laws appear to be related by a simple set of self-similar scaling equations, suggesting that atomic and stellar systems may be self-similar.
Comparison of acrylamide intake from Western and guideline based diets using probabilistic techniques and linear programming

Abstract Western and guideline based diets were compared to determine if dietary improvements resulting from following dietary guidelines reduce acrylamide intake. Acrylamide forms in heat treated foods and is a human neurotoxin and animal carcinogen. Acrylamide intake from the Western diet was estimated with probabilistic techniques using teenage (13–19 years) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) food consumption estimates combined with FDA data on the levels of acrylamide in a large number of foods. Guideline based diets were derived from NHANES data using linear programming techniques to comport to recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005. Whereas the guideline based diets were more properly balanced and rich in consumption of fruits, vegetables, and other dietary components than the Western diets, acrylamide intake (mean ± SE) was significantly greater ( P
Ingestive behavior in adult rats with dorsomedial hypothalamic lesions

Abstract Large lesions in the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) resulted in transient hypophagia that produced a significant weight loss. Energy intake per g of body weight returned to normal levels within 2 weeks after surgery but the body weight loss incurred during the immediate postoperative period was not compensated in 3 months of observation. The experimental animals responded poorly, if at all, to 2-deoxy-D-glucose induced cellular glucoprivation but ate normally after 2 doses of insulin and compensated appropriately for 24 hours of food deprivation. Rats with DMH lesions also displayed persisting hypodipsia (even when the animals' reduced body weights were taken into account) but responded normally, or nearly so, to water deprivation (with and without food), cellular dehydration, or extracellular hypovolemia. (Rats with DMH lesions drank slightly less than controls on most of these tests even when their chronically lowered body weights were taken into account but the impairment was small and, in most instances, not statistically reliable.)
Amino Acids as Nitrogen Sources for the Growth of Euglena gracilis and Astasia longa

SYNOPSIS. Euglena gracilis (bacillaris variety, strain SM-L1, streptomycin-bleached) used the following amino adds (10−3 M) as sole nitrogen source for growth on a defined medium: glycine, alanine, valine, leucine, isoleucine, serine, threonine, and glutamic acid. Aspartic acid was used at 10−2 M. Glutamine and asparagine were used at 10−3 M and were better N sources than their parent dicarboxylic amino acids. Not used as sole N source for growth were phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, cysteine, cystine, methionine, proline, hydroxyproline, histidine, arginine, lysine, and taurine. Astasia longa (Jahn strain) was more restricted than Euglena and used only asparagine and glutamine as N sources for growth.
Advancing monosaccharides as biomarkers: part I. Development of fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate-electrophoresis in Chironomus riparius.

Fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate-electrophoresis (FACE) was developed as a bioassay for environmental stressors in larval Chironomus riparius. This quantitative technique involved acid hydrolysis and 2-aminoacridone labeling of monosaccharides followed by carbohydrate gel electrophoresis. Methods for carbohydrate isolation from whole tissue homogenates as well as migration distances for 23 different monosaccharides and 4 disaccharides were established. Sensitivity of the technique (5 μg/ml saccharide) exceeded those of other detection methods. Results showed seven distinct bands in larvae. Four migrated distances similar to those of ribose, glucose, galactose, and fructose. Three proved to be alternative reaction products (ARP). Experiments determined that two of the ARPs were primarily from glucose and one was from glycogen. FACE allowed different saccharides from multiple larval samples to be analyzed in parallel. Effects of toxicants and diet on bioenergetics could be studied using this technique.
State of Condom Use in HIV Prevention Science and Practice

Condom use remains as the frontline defense against the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Fortunately, an ever-expanding body of empirical literature is currently guiding improvements in use of this prevention strategy. Recent advances include improved measurement of condom use behaviors, advances in condom effectiveness research, innovations in the design of condoms, and greater intervention efficiency for high-risk populations. After reviewing each of these four areas of research, this article will offer speculation about the future of condom use for HIV prevention.
Near-infrared spectral monitoring of Pluto’s ices: Spatial distribution and secular evolution

Abstract We report results from monitoring Pluto’s 0.8 to 2.4 μm reflectance spectrum with IRTF/SpeX on 65 nights over the dozen years from 2001 to 2012. The spectra show vibrational absorption features of simple molecules CH4, CO, and N2 condensed as ices on Pluto’s surface. These absorptions are modulated by the planet’s 6.39 day rotation period, enabling us to constrain the longitudinal distributions of the three ices. Absorptions of CO and N2 are concentrated on Pluto’s anti-Charon hemisphere, unlike absorptions of less volatile CH4 ice that are offset by roughly 90° from the longitude of maximum CO and N2 absorption. In addition to the diurnal variations, the spectra show longer term trends. On decadal timescales, Pluto’s stronger CH4 absorption bands have been getting deeper, while the amplitude of their diurnal variation is diminishing, consistent with additional CH4 absorption at high northern latitudes rotating into view as the sub-Earth latitude moves north (as defined by the system’s angular momentum vector). Unlike the CH4 absorptions, Pluto’s CO and N2 absorptions appear to be declining over time, suggesting more equatorial or southerly distributions of those species. Comparisons of geometrically-matched pairs of observations favor geometric explanations for the observed secular changes in CO and N2 absorption, although seasonal volatile transport could be at least partly responsible. The case for a volatile transport contribution to the secular evolution looks strongest for CH4 ice, despite it being the least volatile of the three ices.
Enthalpy-entropy compensation reveals solvent reorganization as a driving force for supramolecular encapsulation in water.

A chiral self-assembled M4L6 host assembly has been shown to be a suitable host for the supramolecular encapsulation of a series of guests in polar solvents, ranging from simple organic ammonium cations to more complex organometallic species. This molecular recognition process creates highly selective reactivity within the host cavity. In order to understand the factors driving the molecular recognition process, the standard thermodynamic parameters for encapsulation were determined for a series of protiated and fluorinated iridium guests in a variety of polar solvents using van't Hoff analysis. The encapsulation process for these guests exhibited enthalpy−entropy compensation effects. In solvents such as water and methanol, error analysis suggests a chemical origin for this behavior. In contrast, error analysis of this compensation behavior in polar aprotic solvents such as dimethyl sulfoxide reveals that this correlation is due to an artifact inherent in the intrinsic correlation between the enthalpy an...
Purification of measles virus glycoproteins and their integration into artificial lipid membranes

We report a simple method for the isolation of the measles virus glycoproteins, and their subsequent incorporation into artificial lipid bilayers. The two viral glycoproteins, HA and F, were isolated in preparative amounts from disrupted purified virus by lentil lectin affinity chromatography. The proteins were reconstituted into single bilayer lipid vesicles by: (i) exchanging the non-dialysable detergent Nonidet P40 (NP40) for a dialysable one, octylglucoside, while the proteins were immobilized on the lectin column and (ii) co-dialysis of the eluted glycoproteins in octylglucoside with phosphatidylcholine. The resultant 'virosomes' had visible 'spikes' and possessed haemagglutinating activity. These measles virosomes should provide a useful reagent for studying immune responses to measles virus, independent of the immunosuppressive effects of the whole virus.
A Multi-objective Generic Algorithm Approach for Optimization of Building Energy Performance

This paper presents the results of a pilot study conducted to optimize building energy performance using a Multi-objective Generic Algorithm (MOGA), an evolutionary adoptive approach. In this study, a Building Information Modeling (BIM) model was built to provide design data, such as building form and space layout, and site and building orientation to IES , a building energy simulation software. Energy performance of design options was evaluated. The optimal settings of the design parameters were then obtained using a MOGA approach. This study indicates that the MOGA approach (1) enables continuous investigation of design parameters over their entire spectrum, (2) accounts for that fact that design parameters dynamically, not statically, impact energy performance, and (3) optimizes multiple design criteria simultaneous. This study concluded that MOGA is an appropriate approach that can better ensure a global optimal solution for design of energy efficient buildings.
Fast food restaurants and food stores: longitudinal associations with diet in young to middle-aged adults: the CARDIA study.

BACKGROUND: A growing body of cross-sectional, small-sample research has led to policy strategies to reduce food deserts -neighborhoods with little or no access to healthy foods-by limiting fast food restaurants and small food stores and increasing access to supermarkets in low-income neighborhoods. METHODS: We used 15 years of longitudinal data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, a cohort of US young adults (aged 18-30 years at baseline) (n = 5115), with linked time-varying geographic information system-derived food resource measures. Using repeated measures from 4 examination periods (n = 15 854 person-examination observations) and conditional regression (conditioned on the individual), we modeled fast food consumption, diet quality, and adherence to fruit and vegetable recommendations as a function of fast food chain, supermarket, or grocery store availability (counts per population) within less than 1.00 km, 1.00 to 2.99 km, 3.00 to 4.99 km, and 5.00 to 8.05 km of respondents' homes. Models were sex stratified, controlled for individual sociodemographic characteristics and neighborhood poverty, and tested for interaction by individual-level income. RESULTS: Fast food consumption was related to fast food availability among low-income respondents, particularly within 1.00 to 2.99 km of home among men (coefficient, 0.34; 95% confidence interval, 0.16-0.51). Greater supermarket availability was generally unrelated to diet quality and fruit and vegetable intake, and relationships between grocery store availability and diet outcomes were mixed. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide some evidence for zoning restrictions on fast food restaurants within 3 km of low-income residents but suggest that increased access to food stores may require complementary or alternative strategies to promote dietary behavior change.
World production and consumption of millet and sorghum

Millet and sorghum are important food grains in many foreign countries, but they are almost unknown for this purpose in the United States. World production of these two grains averages almost a third of the production of wheat, almost half of the production of rice, and slightly more than the production of rye. Asia, Africa and the Soviet Union produce most of the millet and sorghum grown in the world.
Worries over legal drugs

Summary Mediawatch: Bernard Dixon looks at the reaction to the death of two British teenagers last month linked to the consumption of a legal drug labelled as plant food.
On quadratic derivative Schrödinger equations in one space dimension

We consider the Schrodinger equation with derivative perturbation terms in one space dimension. For the linear equation, we show that the standard Strichartz estimates hold under specific smallness requirements on the potential. As an application, we establish existence of local solutions for quadratic derivative Schrodinger equations in one space dimension with small and rough Cauchy data.
Exploring the Impact of School Discipline on Racial Disproportion in the Juvenile Justice System

It is widely recognized that African-American youth are significantly overrepresented in many juvenile justice systems relative to their population percentages. Research has also determined that similar disproportion exists in school discipline and speculated about a “school-to-prison pipeline” for minority youth. Objective. This study explores empirically the degree to which disciplinary decisions made in schools can help to explain observed rates of disproportionate minority contact with juvenile courts. Methods. It does so in an assessment of education and justice system data from a sample of counties in Missouri. Results. The findings suggest that racial disproportion in out-of-school suspensions, which cannot be explained solely by differences in delinquent behavior, is strongly associated with similar levels of disproportion in juvenile court referrals. The association between disproportionate patterns of school discipline and court referrals persists after controlling for poverty, urbanization, and other relevant factors. Conclusions. The implication is that school-based programs that offer alternatives to suspension and expulsion and promote disciplinary equity may help alleviate racial disproportion in the juvenile justice system.
Factors affecting the immobilisation of plant cells on reticulated polyurethane foam particles

Factors affecting the immobilisation and subsequent growth of plant cells in reticulated polyurethane foam particles have been studied using three plant species. Polyurethane foam from a number of commercial sources has been screened and a foam having a low phytotoxicity and good retention of plant cells selected for use. Particles (8×8×8 mm) of the material were seeded with plant cells from suspension culture and cells grown immobilised in particles until they occupied >80% of the available volume. For all species, foams containing small pores (60–80 ppi) were most effective in immobilising and retaining cells. For efficient use of the inoculum, high partial volumes of foam particles are required; with partial volumes above 40%, over 80% of the inoculum is taken up by the particles. While the initial immobilisation process presumably involves weak interactions between cells and the support material, factors such as inoculum size and the length of the loading period have been found to affect the immobilisation of cells and their subsequent growth within the matrix. A preliminary study of the requirements for the maintenance of viability of immobilised cultures at high cell densities has been made.
Expression of sarcomeric tropomyosin in striated muscles in axolotl treated with shz-1, a small cardiogenic molecule.

We evaluated the effect of shz-1, a cardiogenic molecule, on the expression of various tropomyosin (TM) isoforms in the Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) hearts. qRT-PCR data show a ~1.5-fold increase in cardiac transcripts of the Nkx2.5 gene, which plays a crucial role in cardiogenesis in vertebrates. Shz-1 augments the expression of transcripts of the total sarcomeric TPM1 (both TPM1α & TPM1κ) and sarcomeric TPM4α. In order to understand the mechanism by which shz-1 augments the expression of sarcomeric TPM transcription in axolotl hearts, we transfected C2C12 cells with pGL3.axolotl. We transfected C2C12 cells with pGL3-axolotl TPM4 promoter constructs containing the firefly luciferase reporter gene. The transfected C2C12 cells were grown in the absence or presence of shz-1 (5 μM). Subsequently, we determined the firefly luciferase activity in the extracts of transfected cells. The results suggest that shz-1 activates the axolotl TPM4 promoter-driven ectopic expression in C2C12 cells. Also, we transfected C2C12 cells with a pGL3.1 vector containing the promoter of the mouse skeletal muscle troponin-I and observed a similar increase in the luciferase activity in shz-1-treated cells. We conclude that shz-1 activates the promoters of a variety of genes including axolotl TPM4. We have quantified the expression of the total sarcomeric TPM1 and observed a 1.5-fold increase in treated cells. Western blot analyses with CH1 monoclonal antibody specific for sarcomeric isoforms show that shz-1 does not increase the expression of TM protein in axolotl hearts, whereas it does in C2C12 cells. These findings support our hypothesis that cardiac TM expression in axolotl undergoes translational control.
Functional significance of cortical NMDA receptors in somatosensory information processing

N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-mediated activity is required for whisker-related neural patterning in the rodent brain. Deletion of the essential NMDAR subunit NR1 gene in excitatory cortica...
Advanced database concepts for undergraduates: experience with teaching a second course

This paper describes the development of a second database course for undergraduates, preparing students for the advanced database concepts they will experience in industry. Assuming an introductory course on relational database systems as a prerequisite, the topics addressed in the course include object-oriented data modeling, object-oriented database systems, object-relational database systems, Web access to databases, and professionalism and ethics. We present our experience with teaching the course, elaborating on the topics and assignments. We also present feedback from students and industry partners as well as our own assessment of future course refinements.
Ligand Specificity of Brain Lipid-binding Protein

Abstract Brain lipid-binding protein (BLBP) is a member of the fatty acid-binding protein (FABP) family. Although BLBP expression in the developing central nervous system is complex, a close correlation between its expression and radial glial differentiation has been observed. Furthermore, antibodies to BLBP can block glial cell differentiation in mixed primary cell cultures. Here we describe the ligand binding properties of BLBP. The binding affinities of BLBP for oleic acid (Kd ~ 0.44 μM) and arachidonic acid (Kd ~ 0.25 μM) are similar to those reported for other FABPs, but BLBP does not bind to palmitic acid or arachidinic acid. These and other experiments establish that BLBP has a strong preference for binding long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. A probable in vivo ligand for BLBP is docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), since its binding affinity (Kd ~ 10 nM) is the highest yet reported for an FABP/ligand interaction, exceeding even the affinity of retinoic acid for its binding proteins. Furthermore, the requirement of DHA for nervous system development and the coincident expression of BLBP during these developmental stages suggest that the physiologic role of BLBP may involve DHA utilization. Finally, we present a structural model of BLBP/DHA interaction that provides insight into both the structural characteristics important for ligand binding and the effects of specific mutations upon BLBP/ligand interactions.
Triflic Acid Mediated Ligand Fragmentation. Transfer of an Isopropyl Group from Triisopropyl Phosphite to Iridium

Trifluoromethanesulfonic acid (HOTf) reacts with Cp*Ir(P(OiPr)3)(CH3)2 to form methane and the allyl complex [Cp*Ir(η3-C3H5)(P(OH)(OiPr)2)]OTf (2). Mechanistic studies show that the phosphite dealkylation is preceeded by protonation of an Ir−C bond to give Cp*Ir(CH3)OTf(P(OiPr)3), then cyclometalation of the ligand, resulting in a pair of diastereomeric metallacyles which decompose to give 2.
MRI Enhancement in Stromal Tissue Surrounding Breast Tumors: Association with Recurrence Free Survival following Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

Rationale and Objectives Normal-appearing stromal tissues surrounding breast tumors can harbor abnormalities that lead to increased risk of local recurrence. The objective of this study was to develop a new imaging methodology to characterize the signal patterns of stromal tissue and to investigate their association with recurrence-free survival following neoadjuvant chemotherapy.
Sn-alloying as a means of increasing the optical absorption of Ge at the C- and L-telecommunication bands

The optical properties of Ge1−ySny alloys (y ~ 0.02) grown by chemical vapor deposition on Si substrates have been studied using spectroscopic ellipsometry and photocurrent spectroscopy. The system shows a 10-fold increase in optical absorption, relative to pure Ge, at wavelengths corresponding to the C-telecommunication band (1550 nm) and a 20-fold increase at wavelengths corresponding to the L-band (1620 nm). Measurements on a series of samples with different thicknesses reveal nearly identical dielectric functions, from which the composition reproducibility of the growth method is estimated to be as good as 0.1%. It is shown that a model that includes excitonic effects reproduces the measured onset of absorption using the direct band gap E0 as essentially the only adjustable parameter of the fit.
Ischemic strokes in children.

Ischemic stroke is an uncommon, but significant cause of disability in childhood. Children with strokes present with predictable deficits as adults do; however, fever and seizures at stroke onset are more common in children than in adults. Strokes in children have diverse etiologies and require extensive evaluation. Etiology remains obscure in up to half of the patients. Prognosis in childhood stroke is not benign and up to 50% of Pediatric stroke patients have chronic sequelae. Emerging therapies may alter prognosis in certain populations of children at risk for stroke, but more research is necessary.