cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accessibility scenario analysis of a hypothetical future transit network: Social equity implications of a general transit feed specification-based sketch planning tool

Accessibility analysis can have important implications for understanding social equity in transit planning. The emergence and the increasingly broad acceptance of the general transit feed specification (GTFS) format for transit route, stop, and schedule data have revolutionized transit accessibility research by providing researchers with a convenient, publicly available source of data interoperable with common geographic information system (GIS) software. Existing approaches to GTFS-based transit analysis, however, focus on currently operating transit systems. With major transit expansions across the nation and around the world increasing in number and ambition, understanding the accessibility impacts of proposed projects in their early planning stages is crucial to achieving the greatest possible social benefit from these massive public investments. This paper describes the development of a hypothetical transit network based on current GTFS data and proposed 2040 transit improvements for the Twin Cities ...
Protecting Unrooted Cuttings From Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera Aleyrodidae) During Propagation

In North America, the sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci Genn., is an important pest of greenhouse poinsettia. Growers have limited options to control this pest during propagation of cuttings, which are rooted under mist for several weeks. Early establishment of this pest increases the difficulty of managing the whitefly and retaining high aesthetic standard during the remaining crop production phase. We evaluated two neonicotinoids with translaminar activity, thiamethoxam (Flagship 25WG), and acetamiprid (TriStar 70 WSP), for control of B. tabaci pre-infested on unrooted cuttings propagated under mist. In an experimental greenhouse, both materials significantly reduced whitefly populations, providing an average reduction of 87.8% and 61.5% total recovered whitefly stages respectively, compared with controls. In another test, dipping cuttings in thiamethoxam (immersion treatment) did not improve control significantly, when compared with foliar sprays applied at label rate. In a commercial greenhouse operation, immersion treatments of thiamethoxam on pre-infested poinsettia cuttings maintained whiteflies at ≤ 0.02/plant, compared with up to 0.33/plant in untreated cuttings. Our data suggest that treating unrooted cuttings before or at the start of propagation can be part of an overall strategy for growers to manage whiteflies in poinsettia production.
Exponential Hierarchies from Anderson Localization in Theory Space.

We present a new mechanism for generating exponential hierarchies in four-dimensional field theories inspired by Anderson localization in one dimension, exploiting an analogy between the localization of electron energy eigenstates along a one-dimensional disordered wire and the localization of mass eigenstates along a local ``theory space'' with random mass parameters. Mass eigenstates are localized even at arbitrarily weak disorder, with exponentially suppressed couplings to sites in the theory space. The mechanism is quite general and may be used to exponentially localize fields of any spin. We apply the localization mechanism to two hierarchies in standard model parameters---the smallness of neutrino masses and the ordering of quark masses---and comment on the possible relevance to the electroweak hierarchy problem. This raises the compelling possibility that some of the large hierarchies observed in and beyond the standard model may result from disorder, rather than order.
Scaling laws for the additive manufacturing

Abstract The evaluation of simple thermal model of selective laser melting (SLM) process shows that the temperature distribution in the sample is characterized by two dimensionless parameters: normalized enthalpy and the ratio of dwell time to the thermal diffusion time. We demonstrated that the melt depth data taken for different machines for different materials collapsed in one curve, making possible to rescale the optimal processing parameters between the different materials and machines. The melt pool depth, width and the length are the universal function of these two parameters. Within the operational range of parameters for SLM these functions can be interpolated by the simple algebraic expressions given the possibility to reduce the calculation of the melt pool characteristic to spreadsheet model.
Thrombolysis in patients with WAKE-UP or unknown time of stroke onset: ready for prime time?

Endovascular therapy for emergent large vessel occlusion has proven benefit in the treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke.1–3 This benefit is time dependent, with higher rates of good outcomes in patients treated earlier after symptom onset. The efficacy of chemical or mechanical recanalization disappears after 4.5 hours4 or 7.3 hours5 in unselected patients. Results of the recently published trials Diffusion Weighted Imaging or Computerized Tomography Perfusion Assessment with Clinical Mismatch in the Triage of Wake Up and Late Presenting Strokes Undergoing Neurointervention with Trevo (DAWN) and Endovascular Therapy Following Imaging Evaluation for Ischemic Stroke 3 (DEFUSE-3)6 7 demonstrated superior outcomes in selected patients presenting beyond 6 hours of symptoms.8–11 Advanced imaging was applied to measure baseline core infarct on MRI head (diffusion weighted imaging (DWI)) or CT perfusion to identify patients with clinical or perfusion mismatch in the presence of a proximal anterior circulation large vessel occlusion. Similar efforts to identify thrombolysis candidates beyond conventional time windows have focused on the use of perfusion and/or core imaging to identify tissue at risk.12 13 No studies to date have shown the benefit of intravenous thrombolysis over medical therapy using this method14 although further efforts are ongoing. An alternative approach using MRI relies on the observation that patients demonstrating ischemic lesions on DWI, in the absence of fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) hyperintense signal, are likely within 4.5 hours of stroke onset. Utilizing this DWI-FLAIR mismatch to identify patients that fell within this time frame, investigators in the WAKE-UP trial then treated stroke patients with either alteplase or placebo.15 The investigators reasoned that the WAKE-UP MRI signature allows reclassification of patients presenting with ‘wake-up’ strokes or unwitnessed strokes as actually early time window (<4.5 hours) patients. The WAKE-UP trial was a multicenter, …
Videoteleconferencing in Forensic and Correctional Practice

The application of videoteleconferencing (VTC) to individuals involved in the criminal justice system—whether at the pretrial, incarceration, or postrelease phase of the continuum—is steadily increasing. However, little is empirically known about its effectiveness as a viable tool for identifying and managing legal or treatment needs. This chapter explores the current state of VTC as a modality for providing quality mental health services to forensic and correctional populations. Applications of VTC in the legal process will also be reviewed. First, we briefly discuss the development of VTC uses in forensic and correctional settings. The rationale for applying VTC to the growing number of individuals experiencing psychological and behavioral distress within the criminal justice system is then explored by highlighting the increase in rural correctional facilities, as well as problematic trends in correctional health care. Following this, we describe the role of VTC in resolving barriers to effective treatment. Next, the extant literature on the acceptability and feasibility of VTC in conducting mental health assessments, court-related services, and rehabilitative programming is reviewed. Lastly, suggestions for future areas of research are offered. VTC is a promising alternative to alleviating an overburdened criminal justice system at all levels; however, more research is required to fully understand the benefits and limitations of VTC as a service delivery modality.
Perturbations of Sarcolemma by Lipases and Amphiphiles

Sarcolemmal integrity may be subjected to multiple metabolic perturbations during myocardial ischemia. In the present study, sarcolemma were exposed in vitro to high Ca2+ concentrations, lipolytic enzymes, amphiphilic lipid metabolites and drugs to assess the response of sarcolemmal structural and functional endpoints to these conditions. It was found that significant production of lysophospholipids could result from addition of Ca2+ to sarcolemmal membranes. Furthermore, exogenous mammalian lipases were able to differentially hydrolyze specific membrane phospholipids. Finally, the addition of exogenous amphiphilic lipids and drugs to sarcolemma both stimulated and inhibited the Na+,K+-ATPase depending upon the specific conditions. Thus, these in vitro manipulations provide a model system for assessment of sarcolemmal injury and the testing of pharmacological agents under conditions where metabolites can be altered in highly controlled fashion.
An Introduction to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

After a mere week of deliberations, the California legislature passed the Consumer Privacy Act (CPA), a sweeping, lengthy (10,000 words!), insanely complicated, and poorly drafted privacy regulation that will govern the world’s fifth largest economy. This short primer, excerpted from my Internet Law casebook, provides a relatively short overview of the law and a few of its many problems.
Physical Activity, BMI, and Risk of Fecal Incontinence in the Nurses' Health Study.

Higher body mass index (BMI) and low physical activity have been associated with increased prevalence of fecal incontinence (FI) in cross-sectional studies, but prospective studies examining the role of these factors are lacking. We sought to determine whether BMI and/or physical activity are associated with risk of FI among older women. We prospectively examined the association between BMI and physical activity and risk of FI in the Nurses’ Health Study among 51,708 women who were free of FI in 2008. We defined FI as at ≥1 liquid or solid FI episode/month during the past year reported in 2010 or 2012. We used Cox proportional hazards models to calculate multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for FI according to physical activity and BMI, adjusting for potential confounding factors. During more than 175,000 person-years of follow-up, we documented 5954 cases of incident FI. Compared with women in the lowest activity category (<3 metabolic equivalent of task (MET)-hrs/week), multivariable-adjusted HRs for FI were 0.86 (95% CI 0.80–0.93) for women doing 3–8 MET-hrs/week, 0.78 (95% CI 0.72–0.84) for 9–17 MET-hrs/week, 0.76 (95% CI 0.69–0.83) for 18–26 MET-hrs/week, and 0.75 (95% CI 0.70–0.81) for 27 + MET-hrs/week (Ptrend = <0.0001). There was no association between BMI and risk of FI. Higher levels of physical activity were associated with a modest reduction (25%) in risk of incident FI among older women. These results support a potential role of ongoing physical activity in the neuromuscular health of the anorectal continence mechanism with aging. These results support a potential role of ongoing physical activity in the neuromuscular health of the anorectal continence mechanism with aging.
Deep CNN-LSTM with Word Embeddings for News Headline Sarcasm Detection

Detecting sarcasm has been a problem in Artificial Intelligence (AI) because it is highly dependent on context and a human agent’s knowledge of the world. This means that for conventional AI, a large number of rules must be hard coded. Furthermore, naive machine learning methods such as logistic regression simply generate lists of words that are frequently associated and dissociated with sarcasm. Thus, logistic regression is unable to take groupings of words into account in sentiment analysis problems. In this paper, we design a deep neural network that leverages the advantages of convolutional neural networks (CNN) and Long Short-term Memory layers. This CNN-LSTM neural network with word embeddings is then trained 21,709 on word vector encodings of news headlines to determine whether a headline is sarcastic or genuine. We then applied this neural network to a corpus of 5000 test examples of real and sarcastic news headlines. This Deep CNN-LSTM neural network architecture can classify whether a news headline is real or satirical with 86.16% accuracy.
The Typhoid Toxin Produced by the Nontyphoidal Salmonella Serovar Javiana Can Utilize Multiple Binding Subunits, which Compete for Inclusion in the Holotoxin

Abstract Salmonella enterica encodes a wide array of virulence factors. One novel virulence factor, a DNA-damaging toxin known as the typhoid toxin (TT), was recently characterized in >40 nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) serovars. Interestingly, these NTS serovars, including S. enterica subsp. enterica serovar Javiana, also encode artB, a homolog of the binding subunit (PltB) of the TT. Here, we show that ArtB and PltB compete for inclusion in the pentameric binding subunit of the TT. Using a combination of in silico modeling, a bacterial two-hybrid system expressed in S. Javiana, and tandem affinity purification (TAP) of the holotoxin subunits, we show that ArtB and PltB interact in vivo. Furthermore, binding subunits composed of homo- and heteropentamers of ArtB and PltB are able to associate with CdtB and PltA to form biologically active toxins. As artB was, (i) conserved among S. Javiana isolates, and (ii) co-expressed with pltB and cdtB under Mg2+-limiting conditions, we hypothesized that ArtB and PltB compete for inclusion in the binding subunit. Using a novel competition assay, we show that PltB outcompetes ArtB for inclusion in the binding subunit, when cultured at neutral pH. Together, our results suggest that the TT produced by S. Javiana utilizes multiple configurations of the binding subunit, representing a novel toxin form and adaptation mechanism for the AB5 toxin family. Our work suggests that Salmonella serovars, including S. Javiana, evolved to encode and maintain multiple binding subunits that can be used to form an active toxin, which may enhance the variety of cells, tissues, or hosts susceptible to this novel form of the TT.
Why Not Have a Calculator Tournament

554 The Arithmetic Teacher not have a calculator tournament? We did and in a matter of a few weeks had 128 participants from 28 schools registered for the Saturday morning competition. Registration began at 9:00, but contestants and their school sponsors began arriving well before 8:30. The contestants compared notes, calculators, individual preparations, and generally sized up the competition. The calculators they brought varied from the simple $10 variety with 8 digits to sophisticated programmable calculators. The competition started at 9:30 with students being asked to solve as many of the problems as they could in the 45 minutes allotted. Their score was simply the number correctly solved. During the interim between the competition and an awards luncheon, while the committee was frantically scoring the results, participants and sponsors were involved in a variety of activities. These included movies; how-to-solve-it sessions, which reviewed the tests to provide insights to efficient solutions; and demonstrations
Considerations on the Use of a Temporary Anchorage Device for Improving Longevity and Success

Controlled movement of teeth is both a science and an art that relies on applied forces and anchoring or resistance points. The temporary anchorage device (TAD) is a mini-implant that is used as an anchoring point. Applied to appropriate cases with optimal technique, TAD can enhance results. This article discusses the considerations behind increasing longevity of an implant in use and improving its success. Such considerations include implant placement, time before loading, amount of loading, and patient habits.
Use of antifungals and outcomes among inpatients at risk of invasive aspergillosis or mucormycosis in the USA: a retrospective cohort study.

Prophylaxis and treatment of invasive aspergillosis (IA) and mucormycosis (IM) within a real-world US inpatient setting is undocumented since the introduction of isavuconazole. This retrospective medical record review aimed to describe characteristics, triazole use, and outcomes among inpatients across the USA who initiated antifungal monotherapy (AFMT) as prophylaxis or treatment of IA/IM. A convenience sample of US physicians abstracted data from randomly selected records of hospitalized patients aged ≥ 18 years initiating AFMT (amphotericin B, isavuconazole, voriconazole, or posaconazole) as prophylaxis or treatment of IA/IM between 2013 and 2017. Retrieved data included background characteristics, dosage and duration of AFMT, healthcare resource use, and survival. Characteristics and outcomes were compared (prophylaxis vs treatment) using Fisher’s exact and one-way analysis of variance tests where applicable. Exploratory Kaplan–Meier analyses described overall and inpatient survival. Physicians (n = 23) retrieved 124 patient records (43 prophylaxis; 81 treatment). Median duration of first-line AFMT was 14 days (range 1–603 days) and 19 days (range 3–351 days) in the prophylaxis and treatment groups, respectively. One patient received second-line therapy. Median duration of hospitalization was 29 days (range 4–259 days) and 31 days (range 6–980 days) in the prophylaxis and treatment groups, respectively. Admission to intensive care occurred in 14% and 52% of patients in the prophylaxis and treatment groups, respectively. At the time of data retrieval, overall and inpatient survival rates in the prophylaxis group were 88% and 87%, respectively, and in the treatment group were 66% and 76%, respectively. This study documented real-world prophylactic and therapeutic AFMT use for IA/IM and associated outcomes among hospitalized patients in the USA since approval of isavuconazole. IA/IM were associated with lengthy hospital stays commonly requiring intensive care. Prophylactic and therapeutic AFMT dosages and duration generally followed recommendations and switching between agents was rare. Astellas Pharma Global Development, Inc., Northbrook, IL, USA.
Autism and Assisted Suicide

Autistic people have died by euthanasia and assisted suicide (EAS) in Belgium and the Netherlands. While these countries’ laws allow EAS for patients suffering from nonterminal psychological disord...
Comparison of Yersinia enterocolitica DNA methylation at ambient and host temperatures

Pathogenic bacteria recognize environmental cues to vary gene expression for host adaptation. Moving from ambient to host temperature, Yersinia enterocolitica responds by immediately repressing flagella synthesis and inducing the virulence plasmid (pYV)-encoded type III secretion system. In contrast, shifting from host to ambient temperature requires 2.5 generations to restore motility suggesting a link to the cell cycle. We hypothesized that differential DNA methylation contributes to temperature-regulated gene expression. We tested this hypothesis by comparing single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing of Y. enterocolitica DNA from cells growing exponentially at 22°C and 37°C. The inter-pulse duration ratio rather than the traditional QV scoring was the kinetic metric to compare DNA from cells grown at each temperature. All 565 YenI restriction sites were fully methylated at both temperatures. Among the 27,118 DNA adenine methylase (Dam) sites, 42 had differential methylation patterns while 17 remained unmethylated regardless of temperature. A subset of the differentially methylated Dam sites localized to promoter regions of predicted regulatory genes including LysR-type and PadR-like transcriptional regulators, and a cyclic-di-GMP phosphodiesterase. The unmethylated Dam sites localized with a bias to the replication terminus, suggesting they were protected from Dam methylase. No cytosine methylation was detected at Dcm sites.
Meeting myself: race-gender oppression and a genre study of Black men teachers’ interactions with Black boys

Increasing the number of Black men teachers and single-sex schooling options have been heralded as necessary to reverse trends in the failure of US education institutions to adequately educate Blac...
A social network study of transformational teacher influence

The purpose of this research was to explore the construct of teacher influence and consider it in the context of transformational leadership. Furthermore, it also investigates how to more broadly d...
Demand and Supply of Face Masks during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Healthcare workers caring for sick patients are exposed to biological aerosols or droplets generated from sneezing, coughing, breathing, and speaking that may include normal oral, nasopharyngeal, or skin bacteria along with infectious ones such as coronavirus disease (COVID-19) It therefore follows that one of the main aspects of personal protective equipment against COVID-19 is the mask It has now been conclusively shown that use of surgical masks by general public and health care personnel have helped to prevent the spread of infection, particularly COVID-19 In this brief technical note, we address the urgency in meeting the increasing demands of masks as the first line of defense in the ongoing pandemic © 2020 by ASTM International
Partitioning metabolism between growth and product synthesis for coordinated production of wax esters in Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1.

Microbial storage compounds, such as wax esters (WE), are potential high-value lipids for the production of specialty chemicals and medicines. Their synthesis, however, is strictly regulated and competes with cell growth, which leads to trade-offs between biomass and product formation. Here, we use metabolic engineering and synergistic substrate cofeeding to partition the metabolism of Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 into two distinct modules, each dedicated to cell growth and WE biosynthesis, respectively. We first blocked the glyoxylate shunt and upregulated the WE synthesis pathway to direct the acetate substrate exclusively for WE synthesis, then we controlled the supply of gluconate so it could be used exclusively for cell growth and maintenance. We show that the two modules are functionally independent from each other, allowing efficient lipid accumulation while maintaining active cell growth. Our strategy resulted in 7.2- and 4.2-fold improvements in WE content and productivity, respectively, and the product titer was enhanced by 8.3-fold over the wild type strain. Notably, during a 24-hour cultivation, a yield of 18% C-WE/C-total-substrates was achieved, being the highest reported for WE biosynthesis. This work provides a simple, yet powerful, means of controlling cellular operations and overcoming some of the fundamental challenges in microbial storage lipid production. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Evidence-Based Perioperative Analgesia for Urologic Surgery

Despite advancements in medical technology and improved methods of pain control administration, pain persists as the most common patient complaint with surgical procedures. It is estimated that 75% of urologic postoperative complaints in patients is pain and that approximately 80% of these patients complain of moderate to severe pain (Gould, J Clin Nurs 10:697–706, 2001; Peng et al. Pain Res Manag 12:85–92, 2007).
Uncertainty Reasoning in Object Recognition by Image Processing

Object recognition in digital images is a primary issue in robotics. We consider the model-based vision problem, where objects to be recognized come from a database of geometrically precise models. However, the modeling process involves uncertainties, and thus predicted collections of features will be subject to possible variations. Likewise, the image analysis problem using digital images must deal with sensor noise and ambiguity in the imaging process. Accordingly, object recognition is not a simple matter of matching features sets, but must deal with variabilities in the models and in the extracted features in the scenes. In this paper, we consider how these uncertainties should be handled. We describe how predicted variability can be used to compute a match metric, in order to assess the quality of possible models. We discuss two methods for dealing with extracted uncertainty. Finally, we speculate on other methods of assessing uncertainty in the recognition process.
Superheroes in Popular Culture: Of Community, Identity and Media

Mediated superheroes have grown up, no longer relegated to serving as adolescent power fantasies or mindless diversions. Superheroes in comics and other forms of media carry with them rhetorical power and significance that deserve exploration. The purpose of this paper is to examine new and meaningful ways in which mediated superheroes are redefining popular culture, identity and conversations in what we call new communities of dreamers.
Perception and Performance in the Heat

This study reports an evaluation of the effects of heat exposure on human subject's abilities to estimate their physiological responses, perceptual-motor performance and thermal comfort. The differ...
The Ideological Reproduction: (Free) Labouring and (Social) Working within Digital Landscapes

The present paper explores the role of (neo-)liberal ideology in reproducing digital labour. Drawing on Terranova’s concept of “free labour”, and Fuchs and Sevignani’s distinction between “work” and “labour”, the author claims that theorization of Web 2.0 practices requires the exploration of ideology as a material force and a contradictory phenomenon. More specifically, the paper considers the capability of ideology to mediate between the valorization and exploitation of user-generated content and the utopian thrust that re-signifies unpaid labour into apparently engaged practices resonating with liberal ideology. In the last section, the paper takes Facebook as an exemplification of such an ideological synthesis of exploitative and normative aspects.
Quality in Education Defines ESD

Education has a central role to play in attaining sustainable development—by inculcating values that encourage sustainable practices. To play this role effectively, education should go beyond developing cognitive understanding and ability, and address the economic, social and other dimensions of learning as well. Quality education and education for sustainable development (ESD) seek to achieve similar learning outcomes—those that enable learners to make decisions and choices that foster sustainable development—and thus are complementary. This paper presents a frame-work for understanding educational quality, showing how education for sustainable development can and should be a part of every aspect of a quality education rather than being presented as only a standalone subject. This framework is relevant for both industrialised and less industrialised countries. It is also relevant for all organised learning opportunities—it is not limited to schooling.
In vivo pharmacological manipulation of small conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels influences motor behavior, object memory and fear conditioning

Small conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) channels (SK, K(Ca2.1), K(Ca2.2), K(Ca2.3)) are expressed at high levels in brain regions critical for learning and memory. The activation of dendritic SK channels limits the induction of synaptic plasticity that may underlie hippocampal and amygdala dependent memory. EBIO facilitates SK channel activation by increasing their sensitivity to calcium. The compound CyPPA selectively activates SK2 and SK3 channels in a similar manner. To date there has been no report of the effects of SK channel activators on memory. Therefore, the present study examined the effects of systemic EBIO on mice in a behavioral task battery. Significant effects of EBIO on memory and motor activity were validated and extended by examining the effects of systemic CyPPA. Systemic EBIO and CyPPA both produced a transient decline in locomotor behavior. Neither SK channel activator affected anxiety. EBIO (17.5 mg/kg) impaired the encoding, but not retrieval, of object memory in a spontaneous object recognition task. A similar impairment of object memory encoding was observed in CyPPA (15 mg/kg)-treated mice. These memory-impairing effects were not due to changes in motivation, attention or movement. Systemic EBIO did not affect contextual or cued fear memory after conditioning with a 3 tone (CS)-footshock (US) pairing protocol or a 1 CS-US pairing protocol. Interestingly, apamin (0.4 mg/kg) enhanced contextual fear memory in mice conditioned with a 1 CS-US pairing protocol. These results suggest that SK channel activation impairs the encoding of non-aversive memory but not memory for aversive events. These data support converging evidence that SK channels regulate cellular mechanisms of memory encoding.
Pigmented Maize Seed via Tissue-specific Expression of Anthocyanin Pathway Gene Transcription Factors

A visual marker genetically linked to a trait of interest would enable the unequivocal identification of transgenic seed containing the trait and ensure that genetically modified material could be easily differentiated from non-transgenic grain. Genes from maize that regulate the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway, and are therefore responsible for directing the pattern of purple pigmentation, can be used to generate transgenic plants with unique, easily recognizable phenotypes. In the present study, a seed-specific maize globulin promoter was used to drive the expression of two transcription factor genes (Bp and C1) regulating the anthocyanin biosynthetic pathway in embryo and aleurone tissues resulting in maize seed with a distinct purple pigmentation. The following report describes the construction of expression vectors containing these two genes and an herbicide resistance selectable marker gene, the generation and characterization of transgenic cultures, the induction of pigmentation in somatic embryos, the regeneration of transgenic plants with pigmented seed and the co-segregation of integrated DNA with seed pigmentation and herbicide resistance. The co-segregation of seed pigmentation and herbicide resistance confirms the feasibility of using the expression of these genes in a ‘molecular stack’ for visual transgene identification.
Echinocandin-Resistant Candida: Molecular Methods and Phenotypes

We now have a decade of experience with echinocandin drugs. Large-scale epidemiologic antifungal surveillance studies have demonstrated that caspofungin, micafungin, and anidulafungin retain high potency on clinical isolates of Candida, and resistance remains relatively low. Yet reports of breakthrough infections involving strains with a high minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) are mounting. Mechanism-specific resistance involving amino acid substitutions in the Fks subunit(s) of the drug target glucan synthase results in reduced enzyme sensitivity to drug and high MICs. The mechanism affects all three drugs and is encountered in all Candida species, as well as in Aspergillus. An initial susceptibility testing breakpoint failed to adequately distinguish wild-type susceptible isolates from fks mutant resistant strains. Considering data from epidemiologic, microbiologic, pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic, biochemical, and genetic studies that better capture resistant isolates with fks genotypes has resulted in a proposed new breakpoint which provides a more reliable measure of probable therapeutic success.
Deinking xerographic and laser-printed paper using block copolymers

Abstract The deinking of various types of paper has been necessitated by governmental regulations as well as increasing public interest in recycling materials taken from our natural environment. The increasing volume of office waste makes it an important class of paper available for deinking. It presents unique difficulties for ink removal because of the manner in which ink is applied to the paper in photocopiers and laser-printers. In this study, we develop a simple deinking process for office waste using a block copolymer as the only deinking agent and employing the two-step process involving pulping and froth flotation. The block copolymers tested are commercially available triblock copolymers composed of polyethylene oxide (PEO) and polypropylene oxide (PPO), known as Pluronics. A variation in the relative proportions of PEO and PPO results in copolymers of different hydrophobic character and, consequently, variations in colloidal and surface chemical properties such as detergency, wetting, emulsification and foaming. For a number of block copolymer systems, we report the brightness of handsheets formed of deinked fiber, the amount and size distribution of residual ink specks on the handsheets, and the amount of fiber lost in the operations. The novelty of the process lies in the simplicity of the deinking chemical formulation (a single compound), the low concentrations at which the deinking agent is employed, and the good biodegradability characteristics of the block copolymers. Both from an economic point of view (the amount of chemicals consumed is 20 to 30 times smaller than that in conventional deinking chemical formulations) and from an environmental point of view (because of the reduced need to treat process water from deinking operations), this process appears attractive.
T Cell Activation Causes Little Upregulation of Orai Gene Expression and Reduction in Functional CRAC Channel Density

Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channel-mediated Ca2+ entry regulates multiple T lymphocyte functions. T cells activated by crosslinking of T cell receptors display enhanced Ca2+ signaling compared with resting T cells; this can be caused by activation-induced upregulation of CRAC channel expression. However, studies of the expression of Orai and Stim family genes encoding CRAC channel structural elements and regulatory proteins, respectively, produced controversial results. Using quantitative RT-PCR assay we re-examined Orai and Stim gene expression relative to the stably expressed B2M and RPL13a reference genes in resting, activated, and Jurkat T cells. Relative levels of Orai1 transcripts encoding the human T cell CRAC channel pore-forming subunit were not significantly different between primary resting T cells and 5-day activated T cells. The relative amount of all Orai transcripts (Orai1, Orai2, and Orai3) was significantly (2-fold) higher in 5-day activated T cells than that in resting T cells. Orai1 and total Orai transcript levels were significantly higher in Jurkat T cells than those in resting T cells. Stim expression did not vary significantly among cell types. Maximal whole-cell CRAC current amplitudes were 1.4- and 2.3-fold higher in activated and Jurkat T cells, respectively, than in resting T cells. However, due to the small size of resting T cells, the surface CRAC channel densities were 2.5- and 1.6-fold lower in activated and Jurkat T cells, respectively, than in resting T cells. Analysis of the predicted rates of cytosolic Ca2+ elevation evoked by Ca2+ entry via CRAC channels calculated using the average CRAC current amplitude and cell volume values revealed that activation-induced upregulation of CRAC channel expression cannot account for the enhanced store-operated Ca2+ entry in activated T cells compared with resting T cells.
Personality, stress, and social support in cocaine relapse prediction

This study identified prospective psychosocial predictors of relapse status and drug abuse severity in male subjects in the first year after residential treatment for cocaine dependence. Personality, stress, and social support measures from an intake assessment, and stress and support measures reflecting status during the three-month period prior to the one in which relapse was identified were used as predictors. A number of hypotheses were confirmed. Detached personality and stress predicted both cocaine relapse and outcome drug abuse severity. Perceived social support quality and social network size predicted cocaine relapse. Implications for relapse prevention are presented.
Using Green's Functions to Calibrate an Ocean General Circulation Model

Abstract Green's functions provide a simple yet effective method to test and to calibrate general circulation model (GCM) parameterizations, to study and to quantify model and data errors, to correct model biases and trends, and to blend estimates from different solutions and data products. The method is applied to an ocean GCM, resulting in substantial improvements of the solution relative to observations when compared to prior estimates: overall model bias and drift are reduced and there is a 10%–30% increase in explained variance. Within the context of this optimization, the following new estimates for commonly used ocean GCM parameters are obtained. Background vertical diffusivity is (15.1 ± 0.1) × 10−6 m2 s−2. Background vertical viscosity is (18 ± 3) × 10−6 m2 s−2. The critical bulk Richardson number, which sets boundary layer depth, is Ric = 0.354 ± 0.004. The threshold gradient Richardson number for shear instability vertical mixing is Ri0 = 0.699 ± 0.008. The estimated isopycnal diffusivity coeff...
Output Feedback Stabilizing Control With an H∞ Bound on Disturbance Attenuation

This paper considers the design of direct output static and dynamic stabilizing controllers for linear systems. Here, the controllers that stabilize the closed-loop system must satisfy an H ∞ disturbance attenuation constraint. Sufficient conditions for the existence of such controllers are presented in the form of two coupled nonlinear matrix equations. These conditions are derived by solving a mixed-norm H 2 /H ∞ optimal control problem. The solution of these equations via a continuation method is also presented. Using the solution algorithm, a fixed order stabilizing controller gain matrix that minimizes the H ∞ norm of the closed-loop transfer function can be computed. The controller design technique is applied to the vertical dynamics of an aircraft
Update on Zinc Deficiency and Excess in Clinical Pediatric Practice

The critical importance of adequate zinc status to human health, including normal growth and development, is indisputable. The high prevalence of zinc deficiency on a global basis and its importance to public health have been well documented through large-scale randomized controlled zinc supplementation trials. Similar evidence in the clinical setting, however, is much less widely available due to the nonspecific features of zinc deficiency and to the lack of sensitive biomarkers to detect zinc deficiency, especially that of a mild degree of severity. The current understanding of zinc homeostasis indicates that the primary determinants of zinc absorption are the amount of zinc ingested and dietary phytate, the latter having a major effect on zinc bioavailability. In normal as well as in many pathologic conditions, the gastrointestinal tract is the major site of zinc losses resulting from secretion of endogenous zinc into the lumen and subsequent excretion in the feces. The amount excreted is dependent on host status, the amount reabsorbed, and sometimes the presence of pathophysiologic conditions, including diarrhea and steatorrhea. Assessment in the clinical setting dictates that the clinician obtain a careful medical and diet history, recognize clinical presentations in which zinc adequacy may be compromised, and link this risk with nonspecific but plausible manifestations of deficiency. Examples discussed in this article include primary zinc deficiency due to dietary inadequacy (older breastfed infants or toddlers without zinc-rich complementary foods); genetically based deficiency (acrodermatitis enteropathica, acquired zinc deficiency of lactogenic origin), and acquired secondary deficiency in low birth weight and prematurity, gastrointestinal and hepatic disease, and cystic fibrosis. Evidence for efficacy of zinc therapy with pharmacologic doses for two conditions, Wilson's disease and viral upper respiratory infections, is also discussed.
Bilateral interdigital CPW phase shifter using BaSrTiO3 thin film on poly-Si/Si substrate for electronically steerable antenna architecture

In this paper the design and development of a planar phase shifter on poly-Si/high resistivity silicon is presented. A new bilateral interdigital coplanar waveguide (BI-CPW) configuration has been developed to get higher effective dielectric constant than normal CPW having same dimensions. This design makes use of BaSrTiO 3 thin film effectively. A new process flow has been developed to enable full compatibility with emerging SiGe/Si technology. Another important feature of this design is the inclusion of a poly-Si layer for lowering operation voltage.
Depressive symptoms and heart failure: examining the sociodemographic variables.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in depressive symptoms among a sample of heart failure outpatients by examining sociodemographic and clinical variables: sex, race, marital status, living arrangement/status, heart failure severity, and age. The most frequently reported depressive symptoms were also examined. DESIGN A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used. SETTING Patients were enrolled in a larger research study from 5 clinics in the Midwest (1 adult primary care medicine clinic, 1 heart clinic, and 3 heart failure clinics). SAMPLE The sample included 150 patients with mean age of 61.3 years; 88 (59%) were men, and 62 (41%) were women; 47 (31%) were African American, 101 (67%) were white, and 2 (2%) were Asian patients. Forty-seven percent of the patient sample were New York Heart Association class III. Approximately half (51%) of the patient sample were married. METHODS The Patient Health Questionnaire 8 was used to measure depressive symptoms. Heart failure severity was assessed using the New York Heart Association classification. FINDINGS Patients with class III and IV had significantly more depressive symptoms than patients with class I and II (P < .0001). Age was negatively correlated with depressive symptoms scores (P < .0002). There were no significant differences in depressive symptoms among the variables of sex, race, marital status, or living arrangement. The most frequently reported depressive symptom was "feeling tired/no energy." CONCLUSIONS The findings from this study may contribute to the development of a broader knowledge base regarding depressive symptoms and its correlates in heart failure and may be used as a foundation for further research.
Kv1.1 takes a deTOR from the axon to the dendrite.

In the October 6th issue of Science , Raab-Graham et al. described two surprising findings. They discovered that local dendritic translation of Kv1.1 occurs in CA1 dendrites of rat hippocampal slices and in cultured neurons. This local translation is inhibited by NMDA receptor-mediated synaptic signaling acting through the mTOR kinase.
On micromechanical modeling of particulate composites with inclusions of various shapes

Abstract The effective elastic properties of statistically homogeneous two-phase particulate composites are considered. Several first-order micromechanical models are re-written in terms of the inclusion compliance contribution tensor ( H -tensor). This tensor is a convenient tool to evaluate contribution of arbitrarily shaped inclusions and cavities to the overall composite properties. For any inclusion shape, the procedure starts with calculation of the H -tensor for a single inclusion. The non-interaction approximation is obtained by direct summation. More advanced micromechanical schemes are derived by substituting the non-interaction inclusion compliance contribution tensor into the formulae provided in the paper. The proposed procedure is illustrated by considering several two-dimensional and three-dimensional examples.
Analytical expression for the optimized stop bands of fcc photonic crystals in the scalar-wave approximation.

We present an analytical model based on scalar-wave approximation to study the stop bands of face-centered-cubic photonic crystals with dielectric spheres at lattice sites. An analytical expression is obtained for the normalized stop band widths along the [111] and [100] directions as a function of volume fraction and relative dielectric contrast. These calculations enable us to map out the dielectric constants and volume fractions which results in overlapping L and X stop bands. From this map, it is possible to extract the optimum volume fraction that results in the widest overlapping stop band for a given dielectric contrast. We find that the relation between the optimum volume fraction and the dielectric contrast can be approximated by a simple power-law behavior for fcc photonic crystals. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Intrauterine hypoxia upregulates proinflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases in fetal guinea pig hearts.

Objective Intrauterine infection increases proinflammatory cytokines in the fetus. We hypothesize that proinflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are upregulated in fetal hearts in response to hypoxic stress. Study Design Timed-pregnant guinea pigs were exposed to either hypoxia (10.5% O2, 14 day) or normoxia (room air). Left ventricles of fetal hearts were excised from anesthetized age-matched fetuses and frozen until ready for study. Messenger RNA of pro- (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β) and anti- (IL-4, TGF, IFN-γ) inflammatory cytokines and MMP2 and 9 was quantified by real-time PCR, MMP proteins by Western analysis, and MMP activity by gel zymography. Results Chronic hypoxia increased (P Conclusion Intrauterine hypoxia may be an important stimulus in local generation of selected proinflammatory cytokines and MMPs in fetal hearts.
Review of preventive dentistry research

Development of effective means to prevent dental caries is expected within the next ten years. Research in caries prevention and periodontal disease control is reviewed in a summary of 126 research reports.
N -butyl Cyanoacrylate Glue Embolization of Arterial Networks to Facilitate Hepatic Arterial Skeletonization before Radioembolization

Purpose Avoidance of nontarget microsphere deposition via hepatoenteric anastomoses is essential to the safety of yttrium-90 radioembolization (RE). The hepatic hilar arterial network may remain partially patent after coil embolization of major arteries, resulting in persistent risk. We retrospectively reviewed cases where n-butyl cyanoacrylate (n-BCA) glue embolization was used to facilitate endovascular hepatic arterial skeletonization before RE.
A temperature regulating circuit for experimental localized current field hyperthermia systems

Interest in localized current field (LCF) hyperthermia tumor therapy is rapidly increasing. As yet, however, there is no integral LCF system commercially available. An experimental LCF system may be readily assembled from discrete, general purpose components, except for the tumor temperature regulating circuitry. In this article we present an LCF system designed around general purpose components and a simple circuit for temperature regulation. Comments on system safety, calibration, and performance are also included.
Explicit Convection over the Western Pacific Warm Pool in the Community Atmospheric Model

Abstract This paper reports on the application of the cloud-resolving convection parameterization (CRCP) to the Community Atmospheric Model (CAM), the atmospheric component of the Community Climate System Model (CCSM). The cornerstone of CRCP is the use of a two-dimensional zonally oriented cloud-system-resolving model to represent processes on mesoscales at the subgrid scale of a climate model. Herein, CRCP is applied at each climate model column over the tropical western Pacific warm pool, in a domain spanning 10°S–10°N, 150°–170°E. Results from the CRCP simulation are compared with CAM in its standard configuration. The CRCP simulation shows significant improvements of the warm pool climate. The cloud condensate distribution is much improved as well as the bias of the tropopause height. More realistic structure of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) during the boreal winter and better representation of the variability of convection are evident. In particular, the diurnal cycle of precipitation ha...