cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Familial Hypercholesterolemia and the Founder Effect Among Franco-Americans: A Brief History and Call to Action.

Abstract Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an inherited disorder characterized by chronically elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and an increased risk of premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. FH has been shown to disproportionately affect French Canadians and other ethnic populations due to the presence of a founder effect characterized by reduced genetic diversity resulting from relatively few individuals with FH-causing genetic mutations establishing self-contained populations. Beginning in the mid-1800s, approximately 1 million French Canadians immigrated to the Northeastern United States and largely remained in these small, tight-knit communities. Despite extensive genetic- and population-based research involving the French-Canadian founder population, primarily in the Province of Quebec, little is known regarding Franco-Americans in the United States. Concurrent with addressing the underdiagnosis rate of FH in the general population, we propose the following steps to leverage this founder effect and meet the cardiovascular needs of Franco-Americans: (1) increase cascade screening in regions of the United States with a high proportion of individuals of French-Canadian descent; (2) promote registry-based, epidemiological research to elucidate accurate prevalence estimates as well as diagnostic and treatment gaps in Franco-Americans; and (3) validate contemporary risk stratification strategies such as the Montreal-FH-SCORE to enable optimal lipid management and prevention of premature atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease among French-Canadian descendants.
RKHS Embedding for Estimating Nonlinear Piezoelectric Systems

Nonlinearities in piezoelectric systems can arise from internal factors such as nonlinear constitutive laws or external factors like realizations of boundary conditions. It can be difficult or even impossible to derive detailed models from the first principles of all the sources of nonlinearity in a system. As a specific example, in traditional modeling techniques that use electric enthalpy density with higher-order terms, it can be problematic to choose which polynomial nonlinearities are essential. This paper introduces adaptive estimator techniques to estimate the nonlinearities that can arise in certain piezoelectric systems. Here an underlying assumption is that the nonlinearities can be modeled as functions in a reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS). Unlike traditional modeling approaches, the approach discussed in this paper allows the development of models without knowledge of the precise form or structure of the nonlinearity. This approach can be viewed as a data-driven method to approximate the unknown nonlinear system. This paper introduces the theory behind the adaptive estimator and studies the effectiveness of this approach numerically for a class of nonlinear piezoelectric composite beams.
Length of hospitalization and hospital readmissions among patients with substance use disorders in New York City, NY USA.

Abstract Introduction In the United States, the number of patients with substance use disorders is steadily increasing. Individuals with a substance use disorder may be more likely to experience negative hospital outcomes, including lengthier hospital stays and frequent readmissions, which is extremely costly to patients and to the government. While there are established associations between substance use disorder and hospital readmissions, the impact of substance use disorder on other outcomes such as length of stay remain unclear. We assessed whether hospital admissions diagnosed with substance use disorders experienced longer hospital stays and readmissions compared to patients without a substance use disorder diagnosis. Methods This is a retrospective study of hospital readmissions rates in three hospitals in the New York City, New York area. Data were examined over a 10-year period (from 2007 to 2016, n = 768,219). We used multilevel multivariable regression models to compare the hospital length of stay, time-to-hospital readmission, and 30-day hospital readmission among admissions with substance use disorder compared to admissions without the disorder. Results As compared to those who did not have a substance use disorder, admissions with substance use disorder had longer hospital length of stay (Regression coefficient (b) = 1.24; 95% CI: 1.15–1.33), were more likely to experience hospital readmission at any point in time (HR = 1.24; 95 % CI: 1.22–1.25), and were more likely to have a 30-day hospital readmission (RR = 1.16; 95 % CI: 1.13–1.19). Conclusions Hospital settings could potentially serve as useful venues for substance use-related interventions and could benefit from strong coordination with outpatient providers and more targeted discharge planning.
Transient rise in CA 125 in a woman with ovarian carcinoma and COVID-19 infection.

Cancer antigen 125 (CA 125) is a transmembrane glycoprotein expressed on the surface of germinal epithelium and other tissues derived from embryonic coelomic epithelium (Bischof, 1993). CA 125 is a useful biomarker to detect treatment response and recurrence of ovarian malignancy (Montagnana et al., 2017), however, its use as a diagnostic marker is precluded by its limited specificity. CA 125 can be elevated in several non-ovarian malignancies including cervical, lung, and colorectal cancers (Johnson et al., 2008), and have also been found to be elevated in benign diseases involving coelomic epithelium, such as endometriosis, fibroids, ovarian cysts, and pelvic inflammatory disease (Sevinc et al., 2007). Recently, one retrospective study found that among all admitted patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection, increases in CA 125 and other cancer biomarkers were associated with severe COVID-19 infection (Wei et al., 2020). Thus, it is important for us to understand the potential impact COVID-19 has on CA 125 which may confound the treatment team of patients with gynecologic malignancy. Here, we report the case of a women with FIGO stage IVA ovarian high grade serous carcinoma (HGSC) during the COVID-19 pandemic who had a transient increase in CA 125 without evidence of progression of disease on imaging, and who was later found to have a positive COVID-19 antibody test.
Inorganic Pyrophosphate Promotes Osteoclastogenic Commitment and Survival of Bone Marrow Derived Monocytes mediated by Egr-1 up-regulation and MITF phosphorylation

ABSTRACT Several reports emphasized the importance of inorganic pyrophosphate (PPi) in hindering osteoblast differentiation and bone matrix mineralization. Its ubiquitous presence is thought to prevent “soft” tissue calcification, whereas its degradation to Pi in bones and teeth by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) may facilitate crystal growth. While the inhibiting role of PPi on osteoblast differentiation and function is largely understood, less is known about its effects on osteoclast determination and activity. In this study, we investigated the role of PPi in bone resorption using calverial organ cultures ex vivo. We present an evidence that PPi stimulated calvarial bone resorption marked by calcium (Ca2+) release in the condition media (CM). We then examined PPi effects on osteoclast differentiation using mouse bone marrow-derived monocytes (BMMs). Our results revealed that PPi enhanced osteoclast differentiation ex vivo, marked by increased number and size of TRAP-stained mature osteoclasts. Moreover, PPi stimulated osteoclastogenesis in BMMs co-cultured with osteoblasts. These data supported the increased osteoclast activity in bone resorption using functional osteo-assays. The finding of PU.1-Egr-1 dependent up-regulation of c-FMS and RANK receptors in BMMs supported the enhanced pre-osteoclast commitment and differentiation. Moreover, osteoclast survival was enhanced by activation of MITF-BCL-2 pathway that was mediated by MAPK-ERK1/2 signaling. Last, our data showed that PPi up-regulated ANK; PPi transporter, during osteoclast differentiation through ERK1/2 phosphorylation whereas mutation of ANK inhibited osteoclastogenesis. Collectively, our data suggest that PPi promotes osteoclast differentiation, survival, and function through PU.1 up-regulation and MITF phosphorylation whereas ANK loss-of-function inhibited osteoclastogenesis.
Abstract 14430: Effect Modification of Statin Therapy on the Relationship of Low-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol With Incident CKD in Us Veterans

Background: Studies suggests that in the general population, hyperlipidemia may confer higher risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD). But, there is conflicting data as to whether statins c...
Hydrogen peroxide vapor as an indoor disinfectant: Removal to indoor materials and associated emissions of organic compounds

Vaporous hydrogen peroxide (VHP) has been used to disinfect a wide range of biological contaminants in buildings It has attracted renewed attention for inactivation of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on N95 respirators, allowing their subsequent reuse, as well as potential use for decontamination of indoor spaces frequented by those who have COVID-19 Knowledge of VHP removal to indoor materials and associated emissions of organic compounds have not been widely reported but would be valuable for indoor disinfection planning Twenty-three building materials were individually exposed to VHP at typical disinfectant concentrations in small chamber experiments Deposition velocities for VHP and area-normalized masses of organic compound release were quantified for each material and compared with results from studies involving ozone (O3) and chlorine dioxide (OClO) at similar disinfectant concentrations using similar materials in the same experimental system Higher (typically >200 cm h-1) but relatively constant VHP deposition velocities were observed for most materials In contrast, the deposition velocity for O3 and OClO decayed when exposed to the same materials Relatively low levels (<2 mg m-2) of quantified emissions were released from materials over an approximate 6 h period following exposure to VHP, values lower than those observed for ozone © XXXX American Chemical Society
Click evoked middle ear muscle reflex: Spectral and temporal aspects.

This study describes a time series-based method of middle ear muscle reflex (MEMR) detection using bilateral clicks. Although many methods can detect changes in the otoacoustic emissions evoking stimulus to monitor the MEMR, they do not discriminate between true MEMR-mediated vs artifactual changes in the stimulus. We measured MEMR in 20 young clinically normal hearing individuals using 1-s-long click trains presented at six levels (65 to 95 dB peak-to-peak sound pressure level in 6 dB steps). Changes in the stimulus levels over the 1 s period were well-approximated by two-term exponential functions. The magnitude of ear canal pressure changes due to MEMR increased monotonically as a function of click level but non-monotonically with frequency when separated into 1/3 octave wide bands between 1 and 3.2 kHz. MEMR thresholds estimated using this method were lower than that obtained from a clinical tympanometer in ∼94% of the participants. A time series-based method, along with statistical tests, may provide additional confidence in detecting the MEMR. MEMR effects were smallest at 2 kHz, between 1 and 3.2 kHz, which may provide avenues for minimizing the MEMR influence while measuring other responses (e.g., the medial olivocochlear reflex).
The Right to Residency: Mobility, Tuition, and Public Higher Education Access.

This article argues that the now-widespread US practice of residency-based tuition differentials for public higher education institutions is a twentieth-century form of higher education exceptionalism carved out in law and state policy, contradicting otherwise cherished and protected rights of free movement. This contradiction has been enabled in part by the vague standard of constitutional protection for the right to interstate mobility and in part by fiscal deference to public universities that quickly recognized the potential benefits of higher nonresident tuition rates. By both defining higher education as outside of the “necessities of life” and upholding a narrative that the children of state residents had a special entitlement to lower tuition as a kind of “legacy” taxpayer inheritance, courts, legislatures, and educational institutions built a modern higher education finance structure that discriminates against the mobility of “newcomers” and any student with a complicated family structure or residency status.
Prolyl Hydroxylase Inhibitors: a New Opportunity in Renal and Myocardial Protection

Hypoxia, via the activity of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), plays a crucial role in fibrosis, inflammation, and oxidative injury, processes which are associated with progression of cardiovascular and kidney diseases. HIFs are key transcription heterodimers consisting of regulatory α-subunits (HIF-1α, HIF-2α, HIF-3α) and a constitutive β-subunit (HIF-β). The stability of HIFs is regulated by the prolyl hydroxylases (PHDs). Specific PHD inhibitors (PHD-i) are being investigated as a therapeutic approach to modulate the cellular signaling pathways and harness the native protective adaptive responses to hypoxia. Selective inhibition of PHD leads to the stabilization of the HIFs, which is the transcriptional gatekeeper of a multitude of genes involved in angiogenesis, energy metabolism, apoptosis, inflammation, and fibrosis. PHD-i downregulate hepcidin, improve iron absorption, and increase the endogenous production of erythropoietin. Furthermore, this pharmacological group has also been proven to ameliorate ischemic injuries in several organs, opening a new and promising field in cardiovascular research.. In this review, we present the basic and clinical potential of PHD-i treatment in different scenarios, such as ischemic heart disease, cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure, and their interplay with other pharmacological agents with proven cardiovascular benefits, such as sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors.
Cytopathological characteristics of solitary fibrous tumour involving the pancreas by fine needle aspiration: Making an accurate preoperative diagnosis in an uncommon location

BACKGROUND Solitary fibrous tumour (SFT) is a unique mesenchymal neoplasm with classic features on histology and is characterised by the NAB2-STAT6 gene fusion. There are rare reports of SFTs with pancreatic involvement and only two cases in the literature reporting its features by preoperative fine needle aspiration (FNA). Herein, we characterise the cytomorphological features of four SFTs involving the pancreas by FNA to establish a preoperative diagnostic approach. METHODS The anatomic pathology archives of two academic medical centres were searched to identify patients with a pancreatic FNA cytology specimen and a confirmed diagnosis of SFT by surgical resection. The clinical history, pathological diagnosis, cytomorphological findings, and results of immunohistochemistry (IHC) were reviewed. RESULTS Four SFTs were identified from four patients with a median age of 59 years. The morphological features were variable but most frequently showed a bland spindled-to-epithelioid proliferation in fragments and single cells with small, oval, elongated, and hypochromatic nuclei in a haphazard arrangement with or without dense collagen. One tumour presented with a concurrent metastasis and showed a pure epithelioid component with necrosis and enlarged, hyperchromatic nuclei with conspicuous nucleoli and scattered mitoses. IHC was necessary for all diagnoses which were confirmed by surgical resection. CONCLUSIONS SFTs with pancreatic involvement are rare, and non-specific features and tumour heterogeneity can pose a diagnostic challenge on FNA; however, IHC can be used to make a definitive diagnosis. As a result, FNA is a simple, safe, cost-effective, and accurate approach that can be used to diagnose SFT in the pancreas.
The Politicization of Science and the Use and Abuse of Technology

This paper examines the dialectical role of science in its promotion of public policy and the manner in which scientific autonomy has been challenged to further political ambition. Various episodes in the ever expanding technological reach of the marriage of science and politics is historically recounted to demonstrate the threat to scientific self-rule and to individual scientists who have been relegated to instrumentally functional roles. It is argued that the emergent class status of scientists has been subverted by the triumvirate of technology, industry and religion. Moreover, science has met its greatest challenge from those entities which understand how the use of technology and scientific discovery translate into regulatory measures.
Slavery, Race, and Conquest in the Tropics: Antilles to Isthmus

Stephen Douglas’s historical fame before his Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 rests largely on his role as chair of the Senate Committee on Territories in navigating through Congress the “Compromise of 1850,” a group of separate laws that possibly staved off civil war over slavery for a decade. They included a new fugitive slave measure, a ban on slave trading in the federal district, federal funding of Texan bonds from Texas’s days as an independent republic, and a resolution of territorial issues arising from the recent war with Mexico. The compromise set aside both the Wilmot Proviso and previous proposals by many national figures, including Douglas, to extend the 36o30' line to the Pacific Ocean, as well as recent southern demands that slavery be legalized in all U.S. territories. Instead, the settlement allowed California outright admission to the Union as a free state (bypassing disputes over whether slavery would be permitted during California’s territorial phase), resolved Texas’s boundary issues, and wrought the territories of New Mexico and Utah from the remainder of Mexico’s cession. The laws about New Mexico and Utah, precedents for Douglas’s highly controversial later stance on slavery in Kansas, provided the new territories could eventually become states “with or without slavery, as their constitution may prescribe at the time of their admission.” While the Mexican War was in progress, Lewis Cass had championed a formula originated by New York senator Daniel Dickinson to avert congressional disputes over slavery’s extension by letting territorial residents “in their respective local governments” decide the question themselves. By applying the Dickinson-Cass solution to New Mexico and Utah, Douglas adopted “popular sovereignty” as a quintessentially American democratic solution (and thus theoretically inoffensive in either North or South) to the dangerous territorial dispute. Virtually all U.S. politicians believed at least theoretically in self-government by the vote of white males.
There Goes the Neighborhood: Environmental Equity and the Location of New Hazardous Waste Management Facilities

Many research studies have examined if hazardous waste treatment, storage, or disposalfacilities (TSDFs) tend to be located where people are disproportionately minority, low-income, and politically inactive. This article focuses on whether variables representing potential neighborhood activism were related to where new TSDFs located during the 1990s. My analyses demonstrated that there is no consistent, substantial evidence that the demographic characteristics of neighborhoods around new TSDFs affected their location decisions. The overall composition of these neighborhoods indicates that there are disproportionately high concentrations of minority and lowincome people around these TSDFs and disproportionatelyfewer people who were more likely to be politically active and concerned about new TSDFs. The skew towards more minorities was overwhelmingly due, however, to a relatively small number of TSDFs in heavily populated neighborhoods with high minority proportions. Over the last decade, concern has grown about the impact of pollution on particular population groups. Some people claim that minority and/or lowincome people bear disproportionately adverse health and environmental effects from pollution (Austin & Schill, 1991; Bullard, 1994). This belief produced the "environmental equity" movement for the fair treatment of people of all races, incomes, and cultures in developing, implementing, and enforcing environmental laws and policies. The environmental equity movement emerged in the early 1980s
Developing a Theoretical Framework for Research into Driver Control Practices in the Trucking Industry

Previous research into management control of truck driver activities, while highly valuable, has failed to provide a comprehensive framework of driver control theory. This article addresses this issue by presenting a data-driven framework of driver control based on grounded theory research methods that explore the experiences of logistics professionals. This research extends current theory from the salesperson control literature to the motor carrier industry. The findings suggest that formal and informal control methods are used in various combinations in the industry, that these control types are comprised of many forms of management activities, that no single control method is completely effective in isolation, and that a number of conditions affect what methods are used and how firms apply them.
Predicting Pre-Adjudicatory Detention Decisions

Abstract Findings from studies examining the impact of legal and extralegal characteristics in determining pre-adjudicatory detention within the juvenile justice system have been inconsistent. Logistic regression was used to examine the independent, and interaction, effects of certain legal and extralegal factors in the decision to detain juveniles in counties in two Northeastern states. The results suggest race continues to exert a significant effect on detention decisions when controlling for various legal and extralegal/nonlegal factors.
Identifying Plausible Genetic Models Based on Association and Linkage Results: Application to Type 2 Diabetes

When planning resequencing studies for complex diseases, previous association and linkage studies can constrain the range of plausible genetic models for a given locus. Here, we explore the combinations of causal risk allele frequency (RAFC) and genotype relative risk (GRRC) consistent with no or limited evidence for affected sibling pair (ASP) linkage and strong evidence for case-control association. We find that significant evidence for case-control association combined with no or moderate evidence for ASP linkage can define a lower bound for the plausible RAFC. Using data from large type 2 diabetes (T2D) linkage and genome-wide association study meta-analyses, we find that under reasonable model assumptions, 23 of 36 autosomal T2D risk loci are unlikely to be due to causal variants with combined RAFC < 0.005, and four of the 23 are unlikely to be due to causal variants with combined RAFC < 0.05. Genet. Epidemiol. 00:1‐9, 2012. C � 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Careful with composition: limitations of the indifferentiability framework

We exhibit a hash-based storage auditing scheme which is provably secure in the random-oracle model (ROM), but easily broken when one instead uses typical indifferentiable hash constructions. This contradicts the widely accepted belief that the indifferentiability composition theorem from [27] applies to any cryptosystem. We characterize the uncovered limitations of indifferentiability by showing that the formalizations used thus far implicitly exclude security notions captured by experiments that have multiple, disjoint adversarial stages. Examples include deterministic public-key encryption (PKE), password-based cryptography, hash function nonmalleability, and more. We formalize a stronger notion, reset indifferentiability, that enables a composition theorem covering such multi-stage security notions, but our results show that practical hash constructions cannot be reset indifferentiable. We finish by giving direct security proofs for several important PKE schemes.
Nineteenth Century America: Publishing in a Developing Country

An examination of publishing in nineteenth century America pinpoints many of the problems faced by a country recently freed from colonial bonds and attempting to develop an indigenous culture. The problems faced are not only those of literacy rates, distribution of books and the nature of talented native authors. Cultural heritage, economic ties, political exigencies and legal traditions bind publishers in neo-colonial countries to the former mother country. A study of nineteenth century America illustrates the complexities and strength of the relation between developing and developed countries. An understanding of the difficulties faced by Americans trying to overcome intellectual dependence on British culture may help Third World countries cut to the heart of the problem more quickly than did the United States.
Effect of image size and contrast on the recognition of insects in radiograms

Radiograms of individual wheat kernels some of which contained immature insects (weevils moths or borers) were captured using microscopy into a 512x512x8 frame buffer 16. 4 pm/pixel. The resulting image was reduced repeatedly to half-size to produce collages containing 4 16 64 and 256 reduced images. Half the collages contained one and half no insect. Subjects were shown sets of 500 images on a 13 " monitor and were asked to determine whether an insect was present. Since hidden insects are typically characterized by a light insect inside a dark ring (the hole) inside a light kernel we measured the size of the recognizable region as the length (major diameter) and width of the hole in pixels in the reduced image. Contrast was represented as the square root of the variance of the pixel intensity along length or width. We find that recognition can be predicted to 80-90 by length alone contrast or width add little. The length for 50 recognition amounts to 12. 20. 6 22. 10. 7 and 19. 80. 6 pixels for weevils moths and borers resp. It is suggested that insect recognition depends on recognizing as yet unknown image features which are lost when images are reduced beyond this size. 1."
Parallel processing techniques for hidden surface removal

Previous work in the hidden-surface problem has revealed two key concepts. First, the removal of non-visible surfaces is essentially a sorting problem. Second, some form of coherence is essential for the efficient solution of this problem.In order to provide real-time simulations, it is not only the amount of sorting which must be reduced, but the total time required for computation. One potentially economic strategy to attain this goal is the use of parallel processor systems. This approach implies that the computational time will no longer be dependent on the total amount of sorting, but more on the appropriate division of responsibility.This paper investigates two existing algorithmic approaches to the hidden-surface problem with a view towards their applicability to implementation on a parallel machine organization. In particular, the statistical results of a parallel processor implementation indicate the difficulties stemming from a loss of coherence and imply potentially important design criteria for a parallel configuration.
Protein-protein interactions in the allosteric regulation of protein kinases.

Protein–protein interactions involving the catalytic domain of protein kinases are likely to be generally important in the regulation of signal transduction pathways, but are rather sparsely represented in crystal structures. Recently determined structures of the kinase domains of the mitogen-activated protein kinase Fus3, the RNA-dependent kinase PKR, the epidermal growth factor receptor and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II have revealed unexpected and distinct mechanisms by which interactions with the catalytic domain can modulate kinase activity.
Plasma-induced charging damage to MOS capacitor structures in electron-cyclotron-resonance plasmas

Summary form only given. As critical device dimensions shrink and gate-oxide thicknesses decrease, ULSI yields after processing in electron-cyclotron-resonance (ECR) and other high-density sources will be increasingly limited by plasma-induced damage. The purpose of this work is to investigate the effects of plasma parameter variations on charging damage to polysilicon-gate MOS capacitor test structures upon exposure to O/sub 2/ ECR plasmas. The test structures are designed as "antennas" with a gate-oxide thickness of 10 nm antenna ratios of from 16 to 11,111. An electrode assembly, consisting of both a ring and a grid electrode, was mounted in the ECR system directly over the wafer stage. The radial plasma uniformity above the surface of the wafer was then varied by independently biasing the ring and grid electrodes relative to the chamber ground. The effect of this variation on the radial plasma profile was characterized with Langmuir and emissive probes. Test wafers containing the MOS capacitor antenna structures were then exposed to the ECR plasma under varying plasma-uniformity conditions, and the damage was subsequently characterized with ramp-voltage breakdown measurements. The degree of plasma-induced damage in the MOS capacitor test structures was found to correlate with the degree of, non-uniformity in the radial plasma potential.
Model studies directed toward the avermectins: A route to the oxahydrindene subunit

Abstract A Mlchael-Aldol sequence of an enoate-ketone triggered by the action of an aluminum thiophenoxy “ate” complex leads to the oxahydrindene subunit of the avermectins.
1514 PROGNOSTIC SIGNIFICANCE OF NEONATAL INTRAVENTRICULAR HEMORRHAGE: FOLLOW-UP RESULTS FROM DISCORDANT TWINS

During a 3-year period, our newborn service admitted 13 pairs of twins, at least one of whom weighed 1250g or less at birth, and who both survived. All infants were scanned for germinalmatrix hemorrhage (GMH) and intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). Of the 13 pairs, 11 were discordant for GMH/IVH. Among the 11 pairs, one pair included a child blinded by retinopathy who required special developmental tests; another pair was lost to follow-up after the second visit. The nine remaining discordant pairs received blind administrations of the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at 3, 6, 12, and 18 months corrected age (ie, age calculated from the maternal due date). The mean Bayley Mental Indices were: Thus, cases with a history of GMH/IVH fell progressively further behind their twins with negative scans; the discrepancy at 18 months corrected age was more than half a standard deviation (t = 3.35; p ≃ 0.01, two-tailed paired comparison).
Nutrient Accumulation and Removal by Sugarcane Grown on Everglades Histosols

Sugarcane (interspecific hybrids of Saccharum spp.) is Florida's most valuable agronomic crop. Recently, sugarcane production has come under scrutiny because of concerns regarding the impact of nutrient-rich drainage water on the ecology of adjoining bodies of water and wetlands. The objective of our research was to define the N, P, K, Ca, and Mg seasonal accumulation patterns in the aerial portion of sugarcane grown on organic soils of the Everglades Agricultural Area. Sugarcane fields were sampled on 30 to 60 d intervals during the plant-cane and first-ratoon crops. Dry weight, N, P, K, Ca, and Mg accumulation were determined and characterized by logistic growth models. Dry weight accumulation averaged 0.15 t ha −1 d −1 during the grand growth period [...]
The effects of periurethral muscle-derived stem cell injection on leak point pressure in a rat model of stress urinary incontinence

Our goal was to determine whether periurethral injection of allogenic muscle-derived stem cells (MDSC) could increase the leak point pressure (LPP) in a denervated female rat model of stress urinary incontinence. Cells isolated from the gastrocnemius muscle of normal female rats were purified for a myogenic population by the preplate technique. Three experimental groups were established: a control group (C) had a sham operation without injections; a sciatic nerve transection group (D) had periurethral saline injections; and a sciatic nerve transsection group had periurethral MDSC injections (M). One week following treatment the LPP of groups C, D and M were 25.2±1.9 cmH2O, 28.6±0.8 cmH2O and 36.7±2.3 cmH2O, respectively. At 4 weeks the LPP of groups C, D and M were 25.8±2.5 cmH2O, 18.6±5.2 cmH2O and 44.1±6.6 cmH2O, respectively. Allogenic MDSC significantly improved the LPP in sciatic nerve-transected animals after both 1 and 4 weeks compared to denervated animals injected with saline.
Information design to promote better nutrition among pantry clients: four methods of formative evaluation.

Objective To demonstrate the use of four different qualitative methods in creating content, including text and graphic design for print interventions to support better nutrition in low-income households that rely on charitable pantries. Design Four methods were used for measuring household cooks' responses to the content and design of recipes and food-use tips especially designed for low-income households: (i) focus groups with pantry clients; (ii) questionnaires administered at sites where the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) programme beneficiaries gather, to survey cooks' judgements about the appeal of recipes; (iii) recruitment of WIC clients to prepare recipes at home, followed by phone interviews about the cooks' actual experiences preparing and serving dishes; and (iv) a new technique to gauge pantry clients' preferred ordering of print information, using bits of content backed by Velcro strips that participants applied to felt boards. Ten sets of illustrated recipes and food-use tips were prepared, each set focusing on a different fresh vegetable that is periodically available from charitable sources. Subjects Low-income recipients of food from community pantries in the USA, and beneficiaries of the WIC programme. Results Illustrative findings show how the four types of qualitative evaluations can inform decisions about content and about graphic design. Discoveries from this formative research illuminate challenges of supporting better nutrition among households that depend on charitable sources of food supply. Conclusions These multi-method evaluation techniques can be adapted to the development of any print material, whether intended for widespread dissemination or for field research into nutrition behaviour.
Effects of a GnRH cytotoxin on reproductive function in peripubertal male dogs

Methods for long-term or permanent disruption of reproductive function via nonsurgical techniques are needed for a variety of species, including companion animals. In a previous study, we demonstrated the ability of a cytotoxin (pokeweed antiviral protein-PAP) conjugated to d-Lys(6)-GnRH, to disrupt reproductive function in adult male dogs. The objective of the present study was to examine the ability of a d-Lys(6)-GnRH-PAP conjugate to disrupt reproductive function in peripubertal male dogs. Peripubertal male dogs (n=15; approximately 16-32 weeks old) were treated with d-Lys(6)-GnRH-PAP as follows: dogs (n=7; Group I) received GnRH-PAP (0.1 mg/kg SQ) with a second treatment (0.25 mg/kg) 20 weeks later. An additional group (n=3; Group II) of peripubertal dogs was treated with GnRH-PAP (0.25 mg/kg) twice (20 weeks apart). Control dogs (n=5) received d-Lys(6)-GnRH analog (0.0045 mg/kg SQ) without PAP. Efficacy was assessed by monitoring testis size, serum concentrations of testosterone and LH, as well as LH release subsequent to a GnRH (5 microg/kg) stimulus. Dogs in Group I (n=5) that did not respond to the initial two treatments were given a third GnRH-PAP injection (0.25 mg/kg), 12 months after the initial treatment. The initial GnRH-PAP treatment in peripubertal male dogs did not affect testis growth, LH release or serum testosterone concentrations; however, administration of a higher dose of GnRH-PAP after puberty resulted in a marked and rapid decline in testis size, serum testosterone concentrations and LH responsiveness to GnRH stimulation in 9 of 10 dogs. Suppression of reproductive function was maintained in treated dogs for 18-50 weeks; four dogs had suppression of reproductive activity through the end of the study. In conclusion, GnRH-PAP given after puberty markedly suppressed reproductive activity. Due to variability in the response and duration of suppression after treatment with GnRH-PAP, more research is required to determine its efficacy for nonsurgical sterilization of the male dog.
Vector analyzing power and cross section for (d, t) and (d, 3He) reactions on 64Zn at Ed = 13 MeV

Abstract The vector analyzing power iT 11 ( θ ) and absolute cross section σ(θ) for 64 Zn ( d , t ) 63 Zn and 64 Zn ( d , 3 He ) 63 Cu have been measured at a deuteron energy of 13.0 MeV. Transitions to three states of 63 Zn ( E x = 0.0, 0.19 and 0.25 MeV), and to the g.s. of 63 Cu were studied. Measurements of σ(θ) and iT 11 ( θ ) were also made for deuteron elastic scattering from 64 Zn. The analysis of the elastic scattering data provided deuteron optical-model parameters that were used in DWBA calculations. Comparison of the data with DWBA predictions permits the unambiguous determination of J π for the four transitions studied.
A new distance metric on strings computable in linear time

Abstract We describe a new metric for sequence comparison that emphasizes global similarity over sequential matching at the local level. It has the advantage over the Levenshtein metric that strings of lengths n and m can be compared in time proportional to n + m instead of nm . Various mathematical properties of the metric are established.
An inner-ear drug delivery platform with fully integrated control, actuation, and fluidics hardware

Here we report on advances toward a miniaturized, fully-integrated intracochlear drug-delivery micropump and controller. Our device is designed to be worn as a head mount for guinea-pig animal models (with the ultimate goal of generating an implantable device for humans) that delivers liquid-solubilized drug through a cannula to the inner ear. Our completed platform will have infuse-withdraw capabilities, and an integrated drug reservoir. Here we present experimental data demonstrating the performance of a simplified version of the device, which has no drug reservoir and is operated only in infusion mode (though it is capable of withdrawing fluid as well). We show that our device successfully delivers the desired infusion profile in a guinea pig model.
Computing Associated Orders and Galois Generating Elements of Unit Lattices

Abstract LetMbe either the field of rationals Q or a quadratic imaginary number field. We denote byNan abelian number field extension ofM, which is supposed to be real ifM= Q . We putΓ=Gal(N/M) and letUNbe the unit lattice ofN. We describe an algorithm that first computes the associated order A N/M={λ∈ Q [Γ]/(∑γ∈Γ γ) ∣ λ(UN)⊆UN} ofUNand then answers the question of whether or notUNis a free, rank one module over A N/M. If the answer is positive a generator also is computed. In particular, we can computationally decide whether a Minkowski unit exists.
Energy dissipation in sloshing waves in a rolling rectangular tank—I. Mathematical theory

Abstract The hydrodynamic aspects of the motion of a viscous fluid having a free surface in a rolling tank have been investigated. In a sequence of three papers, an analytical technique together with a numerical solution method will be presented to describe the sloshing phenomenon accurately and efficiently. This first paper introduces a linear theory of viscous liquid sloshing and formulates a boundary value problem subject to appropriate conditions. Viscosity is included in the problem formulation and its effects are properly accounted for. The second paper will describe a solution of the problem in function space by the truncation of infinite series. Boundary conditions are satisfied through the use of Fourier series expansions. However, the no-slip condition at the side walls can also be treated in a least-squares sense. Among the results that will be reported in the third paper are the effects of viscosity on liquid sloshing phenomenon and the dependence of viscous dissipation on the Reynolds and Froude numbers. Furthermore, the influence of the tank aspect ratio on viscous dissipation has been explored. These results demonstrate some unknown features of the functional relationships that exist between the dissipated energy and the Reynolds and Froude numbers. Similarly, the dependence of the dissipated energy on the aspect ratio has been analytically studied. The results obtained agree with the physical laws for the range of parameters investigated.
Effects of varying austenitizing temperature and cooling rate on the ability of HSLA-80 steel to achieve impact properties comparable to HSLA-100 steel

Heat treating experiments, where the austenitizing temperature was varied, were conducted on HSLA-80 steel in order to determine if the impact properties, particularly at −17.8° C and −84° C, could be increased to those of HSLA-100. The impact properties were found to decrease as the austenitizing temperature increased and were dependant upon plate thickness. Selected heat treatments conducted on the 19 mm, 32 mm, and 51 mm thick plates produced acceptable impact results. The trend observed in the 19 and 32 mm thick plates was not as pronounced in the 51 mm thick plate due to its inability to attain a sufficient cooling rate. Impact tests were also conducted on specimens taken from the 19 mm thick plate and given a double austenitizing treatment. The effects of E-copper and niobium carbide precipitates on the impact strength are discussed.
Presenilins, β-amyloid precursor protein and the molecular basis of Alzheimer's disease ☆

Abstract Progressive cerebral deposition of the 40- and 42-residue amyloid β-proteins is an early and invariant event in all forms of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aβ proteins are generated from the β-amyloid precursor protein (APP) via two sequential cleavages by proteases designated β-secretase and γ-secretase and are constitutively secreted by essentially all cells throughout life. APP can undergo these cleavages during its secretory trafficking to the cell surface, yet much of Aβ appears to be generated after APP reaches the surface, i.e. in the endosomal pathway. Presenilin (PS) 1 and 2, homologous proteins with eight transmembrane (TM) domains, play a critical role in the γ-secretase cleavage of APP. Deletion of presenilin 1 (PS1) in mice markedly decreases Aβ production, whereas AD-causing PS1 mutations selectively increase Aβ42 production, thereby markedly accelerating amyloid plaque formation, both in humans and transgenic mice. Small amounts of APP and PS can be co-immunoprecipitated from cells, suggesting a direct role of PS1 in the cleavage of APP by γ-secretase. We recently observed and mutated two unusual intramembranous aspartate residues in TM6 and TM7 of each presenilin, resulting in complete blockage of the γ-secretase cleavage of APP, with no detectable Aβ production by cells. Because our protease inhibitor studies suggest that γ-secretase is an aspartyl protease, we hypothesize that these two key aspartates serve as the active site of an unprecedented intramembranous aspartyl protease (i.e. γ-secretase). The recent discovery that Notch, a protein critical for cell fate determination during development, also undergoes an intramembranous cleavage mediated by PS suggests that presenilin may be a key regulatory enzyme for several vital proteolytic events. Thought of in this context, AD may arise late in the post-reproductive life of humans as an ancillary metabolic consequence of a proteolytic mechanism which confers strong evolutionary advantage. Specific and potent inhibitors of γ-secretase/presenilin or of the recently cloned β-secretase may well prove useful for the treatment and the prevention of AD.
Ultrastructure of lizard ventricular muscle.

The ultrastructure of the ventricular myocardium of the lizard Anolis carolinensis was examined using two aldehyde fixatives, including glutaraldehyde. The lanthanum hydroxide method of Revel and Karnovsky also was used to trace those spaces continuous with the interstitial space. The extracellular gap at the intercalated discs varies from about 150 to 800 A. Desmosomes are present at the discs and at lateral cell borders. However, semitight or gap junctions are only rarely observed at the intercalated discs, lanthanum colloid readily penetrating throughout the entire intercalated disc cleft. Longitudinally running structures are seen, continuous with the interstitial space as evidenced by lanthanum penetration, which may be narrow intercellular clefts at regions close to discs. The numerous micropinocytotic vesicles which occur in association with the sarcolemma also become filled with lanthanum. Transverse tubules are not observed, and lanthanum does not penetrate intracellularly. However, the sacroplasmic reticulum is well developed. Two types of close neuromuscular junctions are observed with respect to the synaptic vesicles: those containing larger diameter vesicles with electron-dense cores and those containing smaller vesicles with transparent cores. Cross sections of myofibrils reveal that 7 to 10 thin filaments surround each thick filament. In conclusion, semitight junctions are essentially absent at the intercalated discs and T tubules are lacking in the myocardial cells of this animal.
Thermal expansion and magneto striction in Pr/sub 5/Ni/sub 2/Si/sub 3/ compounds

Thermal expansion and magnetostriction of polycrystalline Pr/sub 5/Ni/sub 2/Si/sub 3/ and Pr/sub 15/Ni/sub 7/Si/sub 10/ samples are investigated over the temperature range of 5 to 300 K. The results indicate that there are two kinds of magnetic phase transitions in the material, one corresponding to the Curie temperature (49 K) and the other at a lower temperature (26 K) exhibiting characteristics of a spin reorientation transition. The higher transition temperature marks the onset of ferromagnetic order. The second transition is associated with the appearance of an inflection point in both the magnetization (M) vs magnetic field (H) and /spl lambda/ vs H curves. Positive magnetostriction at all temperatures and the inflection point in the /spl lambda/-H curve is observed at the same magnetic field and temperature as in the M vs. H curve.
Misconstruing the First Image: The Fallacy of US Vulnerability

Recently this journal published a psychotherapist's view of the arms race. The author, Francoise Hall, argued that the US is objectively confronted with increasing problems with the Third World, but has displaced these to the sphere of East-West relations. In the latter sphere, however, the US's hostile perception is not buttressed by objective evidence. This analysis fails on two grounds. First, it is unable to surmount the theoretical problem of how to explain macrolevel phenomena from microlevel theories. Second, the author misinterprets empirical data. The US is not very vulnerable to the Third World. North-South relations still remain asymmetically skewed in favor of the US. The example of OPEC is an anomaly. Overall, this psychological approach is symptomatic of paradigms which neglect systemic analysis. As a consequence, the proposed solution, for increased monitoring of global trends, is idealistic and does not alter structural relations.
Cool spectroscopy using high resolution fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

The PNNL FTIR-jet spectrometer system incorporates a continuous expansion, 12 cm x 50 micron expansion source pumped by a high throughput (6000 liter/sec) system of Roots blowers. The interaction region between the supersonic expansion and infrared radiation has been multi passed to increase the signal to noise. Rotational cooling temperatures of 10-15 K are routinely achieved. The FTIR-jet spectrometer has extensive spectral coverage form 4000 to 400 cm−1. To demonstrate the system’s performance, a number of test cases including fluorocarbons, nitrous oxide monomer, nitrous oxide dimer, carbon dioxide monomer, carbon dioxide dimer, and other weakly bonded molecules will be presented.