cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and characterization of two novel organic–inorganic hybrid solids from Keggin ions and metal coordination complexes

Abstract Two new hybrid compounds, [Co(4,4′-bpy)2(H2O)4][(4,4′-bpyH2]2[CoW12O40]·8H2O (1) and [Fe(2,2′-bpy)3]3[H2W12O40]·6H2O (2), (4,4′-bpy = 4,4′-bipyridine, 2,2′-bpy = 2,2′-bipyridine) have been hydrothermally synthesized. These solids were characterized by elemental analysis, thermogravimetric analysis, UV–Vis spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The hydrogen-bonding interactions in 1 lead to the formation of a three dimensional network consisting of [CoW12O40]6− anionic clusters, [Co(4,4′-bpy)2(H2O)4]2+ cations and lattice water molecules, while the discrete Keggin ion [H2W12O40]6− in compound 2 is surrounded by 14 [Fe(2,2′-bpy)3]2+ complexes through CH⋯O interactions (2.24–2.56 A).
Selection in heterogeneous environments maintains the gene arrangement polymorphism of Drosophila pseudoobscura.

Chromosomal rearrangements may play an important role in how populations adapt to a local environment. The gene arrangement polymorphism on the third chromosome of Drosophila pseudoobscura is a model system to help determine the role that inversions play in the evolution of this species. The gene arrangements are the likely target of strong selection because they form classical clines across diverse geographic habitats, they cycle in frequency over seasons, and they form stable equilibria in population cages. A numerical approach was developed to estimate the fitness sets for 15 gene arrangement karyotypes in six niches based on a model of selection–migration balance. Gene arrangement frequencies in the six different niches were able to reach a stable meta-population equilibrium that matched the observed gene arrangement frequencies when recursions used the estimated fitnesses with a variety of initial inversion frequencies. These analyses show that a complex pattern of selection is operating in the six niches to maintain the D. pseudoobscura gene arrangement polymorphism. Models of local adaptation predict that the new inversion mutations were able to invade populations because they held combinations of two to 13 local adaptation loci together.
POTENTIAL HAZARDS OF WIND ENERGY FOR RARE, TEREATENED, AND ENDANGERED BIRDS AND BATSIN TEXAS

The purpose of this study was to estimate relative potential hazards to birds and bats from wind developments in Texas. We compiled lists of rare, threatened, or endangered species, along with their respective ranges in Texas. Using a geographic information system (GIS), we calculated a potential hazard index (PHI) for 31 bird and ten bat species based upon the percentage of known or observed species range area (by county) within each wind speed classification. Results demonstrate considerable range in relative hazard, with the lesser prairie chicken and ferruginous hawk among the most potentially impacted birds; and the pale Townsend's bat, western small-footed bat, and big free-tailed bat among the most potentially impacted bats. While additional data are necessary to establish actual impacts of wind developments, relative potential hazard indices may help prioritize future studies.
Filter Paper Lead Testing

Lead is a common toxic metal in our environment. It is present at high concentrations (up to 600 g/kg) in some paints manufactured before 1970. Some artistic ceramic products and leaded glass contain substantial amounts of lead that can be leached by weak acids such as vinegar and fruit juices. Lead is also found in dirt from areas adjacent to buildings painted with lead-based paints and on highways, where it has accumulated from previous use of leaded gasoline in automobiles. Water transported through lead or lead-soldered pipe contains some lead, with higher concentrations found in water that is acidic. Some traditional home medicines contain lead. As a result of all of these opportunities for exposure, a person may be exposed to lead ranging from 5 to 200 μg per day in the United States, of which 1–10% is absorbed. Children may absorb as much as 50% of the dietary intake, and the fraction of lead absorbed is enhanced by nutritional deficiency. Exposure to lead from any of these sources by ingestion, inhalation, or dermal contact can contribute to significant toxicity. The finding that lead body burden contributes significantly to decreased intellectual capability in children is of considerable interest and concern (1). Young children have greater opportunity for exposure because they tend to spend time on the floor of the building they are in; in older homes previously treated with lead-based paints, lead-laden paint chips and dust accumulate on the floor where children are likely to pick them up and put them in their mouths. Guidelines published in the United States by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate that measurement of lead in whole blood is the preferred test for detecting lead effects in children (2). Chronic …
Platelet‐mediated adhesion of Staphylococcus epidermidis to hydrophobic NHLBI reference polyethylene

The effects of platelets and plasma proteins on the adhesion of Staphylococcus epidermidis strain RP62A to hydrophobic NHLBI reference polyethylene was quantitatively studied using a rotating disk system to generate well-defined shear conditions simulating the hemodynamics of human blood circulation. Bacterial adhesion was quantified by adhesive coefficient, the percentage of bacteria transported to the surface that becomes adherent. The results showed that surface modification by adsorption of plasma proteins reduced the adhesion of S epidermidis as compared to the bare polymer surface. This surface modification was not sufficient to eliminate completely bacterial adhesion, even at the highest physiologic shear stress level. S epidermidis did adhere strongly to polyethylene surface modified by platelets. This is readily evident as approximately 50% of the adherent S epidermidis were bound to contact-activated platelets which occupied only 4% of the surface area. Adhesive coefficients to platelets were significantly greater than to the protein-adsorbed polyethylene surface by at least one order of magnitude (P ≤ .01) across the range of physiological shear conditions investigated. These studies show that it is biologic surface modification by contact-activated platelets, and not plasma proteins, which mediates S epidermidis adhesion to polyethylene. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Efficient collaboration in opportunistic networks

Content sharing, dissemination and collaboration in open environments require the ability to send and combine data packets across network even in the absence of an end-to-end connected path [1]. User mobility plays a fundamental role in selection of intermediate relays for multi-hop communication [2]. Current schemes do not take into account the effect of power law distribution of inter-contact times, flight lengths and pause duration between flights that are shown to be statistically significant in real traces [3]. We analyze how these properties can be utilized for forwarding data and composition of services available at devices in an open environment (parks, malls, streets in a city etc.) where citizens interact. Contributions of this dissertation include: i) an analytical model to infer user's location over time; ii) a distributed algorithm with low overhead and complexity to infer network topology; iii) a scheme for efficient route discovery between mobile users; and iv) a scheme for scheduling requests to compose services available across the network to provide enhanced functionality in minimal time. Initial simulations on simple forwarding in real environments show improved delivery ratios and reduced delays in comparison to existing schemes.
Learning object motion patterns for anomaly detection and improved object detection

We present a novel framework for learning patterns of motion and sizes of objects in static camera surveillance. The proposed method provides a new higher-level layer to the traditional surveillance pipeline for anomalous event detection and scene model feedback. Pixel level probability density functions (pdfs) of appearance have been used for background modelling in the past, but modelling pixel level pdfs of object speed and size from the tracks is novel. Each pdf is modelled as a multivariate Gaussian mixture model (GMM) of the motion (destination location & transition time) and the size (width & height) parameters of the objects at that location. Output of the tracking module is used to perform unsupervised EM-based learning of every GMM. We have successfully used the proposed scene model to detect local as well as global anomalies in object tracks. We also show the use of this scene model to improve object detection through pixel-level parameter feedback of the minimum object size and background learning rate. Most object path modelling approaches first cluster the tracks into major paths in the scene, which can be a source of error. We avoid this by building local pdfs that capture a variety of tracks which are passing through them. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of actual surveillance videos proved the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
A high-speed silicon FET for efficient DC-DC power conversion

A novel silicon device architecture for DC-DC power conversion is reported. Efficient switching at high frequencies (1–5 MHz) is achieved by simultaneously reducing gate charge, reverse capacitance, and gate resistance while still maintaining good on-state resistance and off-state breakdown voltage. Power efficiencies in excess of 88% were realized in a synchronous buck converter running at 1.3 MHz.
A heater made from graphite composite material for potential deicing application

A surface heater was developed using a graphite fiber-epoxy composite as the heating element. This heater can be thin, highly electrically and thermally conductive, and can conform to an irregular surface. Therefore it may be used in an aircraft's thermal deicing system to quickly and uniformly heat the aircraft surface. One-ply of unidirectional graphite fiber-epoxy composite was laminated between two plies of fiber glass-epoxy composite, with nickel foil contacting the end portions of the composite and partly exposed beyond the composites for electrical contact. The model heater used brominated P-100 fibers from Amoco. The fiber's electrical resistivity, thermal conductivity and density were 50 micro ohms per centimeter, 270 W/m-K and 2.30 gm/cubic cm, respectively. The electricity was found to penetrate through the composite in the transverse direction to make an acceptably low foil-composite contact resistance. When conducting current, the heater temperature increase reached 50 percent of the steady state value within 20 sec. There was no overheating at the ends of the heater provided there was no water corrosion. If the foil-composite bonding failed during storage, liquid water exposure was found to oxidize the foil. Such bonding failure may be avoided if perforated nickel foil is used, so that the composite plies can bond to each other through the perforated holes and therefore lock the foil in place.
Slacking by the human motor system: Computational models and implications for robotic orthoses

Recent experimental evidence suggests that a fundamental property of the human motor system is that it “slacks”; that is, that it continuously attempts to decrease levels of muscle activation when movement error is small during repetitive motions. This paper reviews several computational models of slacking, and discusses implications of slacking for the design of robotic orthoses. For therapeutic applications of robotic orthoses, slacking may reduce human effort during rehabilitation training, with negative consequences for use-dependent motor recovery. For assistive applications of robotic orthoses, slacking may allow the motor system to learn to take advantage of force amplification provided by an orthosis, with positive consequences for human energy efficiency.
Sex Determination of Turkey Poults

Abstract HAMMOND and Marsden (1937) described a method for determining the sex of day old turkey poults by cloacal examination. They also prepared wax models, one illustrating a common male type and the other an obvious female. Marsden and Martin (1946) presented photographs of more detailed drawings illustrating one male and one female type. The above were of great value since they demonstrated for the first time that the principles underlying the sexing of day old chicks could also be applied to poults. The demand for sexed poults among commercial growers is increasing as some operators find it advantageous to raise operators find it advantageous to raise the males and females separately or occasionally, as in the case of specialty producers, only one sex is desired. As a consequence of this demand many chick sexers are being called upon to work on poults as well. To aid in this transition it . . .
Heavy Rainfall: Contrasting Two Concurrent Great Plains Thunderstorms

Abstract Measurement and forecasting of heavy rainfall requires interpretation of the small differences in the storm environment that distinguish a major flood-producing rainfall event from a relatively harmless storm system. This case study will examine some of the small differences in the storm environment that lead to a heavy rainfall event. On 8 July 1994 two storm systems developed in close proximity to each other in central Oklahoma. One of the storms developed into a squall line and produced low storm total precipitation accumulations. The other was a slow-moving multicellular storm that produced storm total precipitation of more than 130 mm and small stream flooding. The storms exhibited contrasting measurement errors in the operational WSR-88D rainfall products, with underestimation for the heavy rain event and overestimation for the squall line. The interactions of synoptic, mesoscale, and storm-scale processes for the 8 July storms are examined through analyses of WSR- 88D reflectivity and Dopp...
Muscle cell peeling from micropatterned collagen: direct probing of focal and molecular properties of matrix adhesion.

To quantitatively elucidate attributes of myocyte-matrix adhesion, muscle cells were controllably peeled from narrow strips of collagen-coated glass. Initial growth of primary quail myoblasts on collagen strips was followed by cell alignment, elongation and end-on fusion between neighbors. This geometric influence on differentiation minimized lateral cell contact and cell branching, enabling detailed study of myocyte-matrix adhesion. A micropipette was used to pull back one end of a quasi-cylindrical cell while observing in detail the non-equilibrium detachment process. Peeling velocities fluctuated as focal roughness, microm in scale, was encountered along the detachment front. Nonetheless, mean peeling velocity (microm/second) generally increased with detachment force (nN), consistent with forced disruption of adhesion bonds. Immunofluorescence of beta1-integrins correlated with the focal roughness and appeared to be clustered in axially extended focal contacts. In addition, the peeling forces and rates were found to be moderately well described by a dynamical peeling model for receptor-based adhesion (Dembo, M., Torney, D. C., Saxman, K. and Hammer, D. (1988). Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 234, 55–83). Estimates were thereby obtained for the spontaneous, molecular off-rate (kooff, (less than or equal to)10/seconds) and the receptor complex stiffness (kappa, approx. 10(−5)-10(−6) N/m) of adherent myocytes. Interestingly, the local stiffness is within the range of flexible proteins of the spectrin superfamily. The overall approach lends itself to elucidating the developing function of other structural and adhesive components of cells, particularly skeletal muscle cells with specialized components, such as the spectrin-homolog dystrophin and its membrane-linked receptor dystroglycan.
Violence, Law, and Basic Rights

Our subject, ‘Law and the Legitimation of Violence’, is a large and convoluted one. Only collectively can we hope to illuminate it to any significant degree. A single contributor, like myself, would do best to confine himself to some small portion of the philosophical issues involved. Because the only thing I know very much about is the theory of rights, I shall explore the relations between violence and basic rights.
The DSMC-IP Simulation of Microchannel Cross Flow Over a Staggered Array of Square Cylinders

A numerical simulation is performed to study two-dimensional cross flow over a staggered array of square cylinders in a microchannel using the non-isothermal Information Preservation (IP) method. The IP method works concurrently with the Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) eliminating statistical noise from the DSMC results at low flow speeds. Pressure boundary conditions at the inlet and outlet based on the characteristic theory implemented. This study will form a base for our future particle-atomistic hybrid computations.© 2008 ASME
Nonactin Biosynthesis: Unexpected Patterns of Label Incorporation from 4,6-Dioxoheptanoate Show Evidence of a Degradation Pathway for Levulinate through Propionate in Streptomyces griseus

The polyketide nonactin, a polyketide possessing antitumor and antibacterial activity, is produced by an unusual biosynthesis pathway in Streptomyces griseus that uses both enantiomers of the nonactin precursor, nonactic acid. Despite many studies with labeled precursors, much of the biosynthesis pathway remains unconfirmed, particularly the identity of the last achiral intermediate in the pathway, which is believed to be 4,6-diketoheptanoyl-CoA. We set out to confirm the latter hypothesis with feeding studies employing [4,5-13C2]-, [5,6-13C2]-, and [6,7-13C2]-4,6-diketoheptanoate thioester derivatives. In each case the isotopic label was incorporated efficiently into nonactin; however, at positions inconsistent with the currently accepted biosynthesis pathway. To resolve the discrepancy, we conducted additional feeding studies with a [3,4-13C2]levulinate thioester derivative and again observed efficient label incorporation. The latter result was intriguing, as levulinate is not an obvious precursor to no...
Case records of the Massachusetts General Hospital. Case 33-2008. A 63-year-old woman with dyspnea on exertion.

A 63-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital because of a 3-week history of dyspnea on exertion, associated left subscapular burning pain, and a mild dry cough. She had a history of ulcerative colitis, which was most recently treated with azathioprine and infliximab. On examination, there were inspiratory wheezes and rales, without expiratory wheezes. Chest imaging showed ground-glass opacities in both lower lobes. A diagnostic procedure was performed.
A User-friendly Introduction to Lebesgue Measure and Integration

* Review of Riemann integration* Lebesgue measure* Lebesgue integration $L^p$ spaces* General measure theory* Ideas for projects* References* Index
The Life and Death of the Psittacosis Virus

A name may be more than a name: The reclassification of the psittacosis agent and related microorganisms as bacteria rather than viruses has clinical as well as taxonomic significance. The diseases the “chlamydiae” produce, for example, differ fundamentally from viral disorders in epidemiology, pathogenesis, and management, and the organisms themselves are sensitive to drugs that are ineffective against viruses.
“Present Through It All”: A Qualitative Exploration of Psychotherapy and Psychosis:

This article provides an overview of a qualitative study that focused on psychotherapists’ experiences of working with people struggling with psychosis. I interviewed four therapists in private pra...
Los bandidos y la identidad california en la segunda mitad del XIX: Tiburcio Vasquez

The bandit Tiburcio Vasquez developed his career at a time of political and social struggle for California and the Californios, given that they became part of the United States of America after 1848. This paper examines the bilingual interview that Vasquez gave the day before his death sentence, together with other documentary sources about him in English and Spanish. I use the conceptual frame of liminality in order to expose the tools used to folklorize the past of the Californios. I examine conceptualizations about Vasquez, and who defined them, and the conclude that the Californio bandits, and especially Vasquez, represent the partial dissolution of the Californio identity, under pressure from the new social and political framework imposed by the United States.
Landscape Architects as Related to the Landscape/Nursery Industry: III. Sources of Plant Material Information

Abstract The top five sources of information that Georgia landscape architects use to determine which plants to specify are botanical and public gardens (86.9%), landscape architects (81.6%), grower exhibits at professional meetings (69.0%), producer trade shows (68.3%), and university personnel (67.8%). The sources of information vary by size of firm with large firms having a strong preference for botanical and public gardens (58.3%) followed by producer sponsored trade journals (36.4%), producer trade shows (33.3%), and other landscape architects (25.0%). Medium sized firms have a preference for landscape architects (63.2%) and botanical and public gardens (60.0%) followed by producer trade shows (26.3%), whereas small firms are more evenly divided among information sources. The top four journals or books that landscape architects use as a source of information concerning plants vary by size of firm. The larger firms prefer two journals: (a) American Nurseryman (16.7%) and (b) Horticulture—The Magazine ...
The Political Ecology of the Water Scarcity/Security Nexus in the Indus Basin: Decentering Per Capita Water Supply

The connection between water scarcity and water security in the Indus Basin is often understood through attention to the decline of physical water supply per capita. But water insecurity at the individual and regional scales is as much about political and social structures as it is about the absolute (or physical) availability of a natural resource. Drawing on insights from the interdisciplinary tradition of political ecology, this chapter highlights the importance of examining the interaction of absolute and structural scarcity in the historically and geographically specific context of the Indus Basin in northwest South Asia (and especially Pakistan and India). This chapter first evaluates the Indus Basin’s ability to meet the basic physiological needs of the human population in terms of absolute supplies of water. The next section argues that the fundamental sociopolitical structures that shape the structural scarcity of water in the Indus can be rooted in the agroecological transformations of the basin since the late nineteenth century. The final section analyzes Indus Basin water security in the context of climate change through attention to the interaction of absolute and structural water scarcity.
Photoproduction of K + mesons at 3.4 and 5.0 GeV

Abstract Measurements of the photoproduction from hydrogen of single K + mesons at gamma ray energies of 3.4 and 5.0 GeV and at laboratory angles of 5.1°, 7.1°, 9.9° and 15.1° are reported. The s dependence at fixed t is derived for momentum transfers of −0.25 and −0.37 (GeV) 2 .
Numerosity representation is encoded in human subcortex

Certain numerical abilities appear to be relatively ubiquitous in the animal kingdom, including the ability to recognize and differentiate relative quantities. This skill is present in human adults and children, as well as in nonhuman primates and, perhaps surprisingly, is also demonstrated by lower species such as mosquitofish and spiders, despite the absence of cortical computation available to primates. This ubiquity of numerical competence suggests that representations that connect to numerical tasks are likely subserved by evolutionarily conserved regions of the nervous system. Here, we test the hypothesis that the evaluation of relative numerical quantities is subserved by lower-order brain structures in humans. Using a monocular/dichoptic paradigm, across four experiments, we show that the discrimination of displays, consisting of both large (5-80) and small (1-4) numbers of dots, is facilitated in the monocular, subcortical portions of the visual system. This is only the case, however, when observers evaluate larger ratios of 3:1 or 4:1, but not smaller ratios, closer to 1:1. This profile of competence matches closely the skill with which newborn infants and other species can discriminate numerical quantity. These findings suggest conservation of ontogenetically and phylogenetically lower-order systems in adults' numerical abilities. The involvement of subcortical structures in representing numerical quantities provokes a reconsideration of current theories of the neural basis of numerical cognition, inasmuch as it bolsters the cross-species continuity of the biological system for numerical abilities.
Specific Central-Place Models for an Evolving System of Market Towns on the Changhua Plain, Taiwan

Publisher Summary This chapter presents specific central-place models for an evolving system of market towns on the Changhua Plain, Taiwan, and describes the emergence and development of a system of market towns on the Changhua Plain, Taiwan. The method developed for constructing the specific central-place models for the Changhua Plain at various periods in its development can be used to weaken other general central-place models to fit other real marketing systems about which the necessary facts are known. To produce informative deductive analogues for some kinds of central-place systems, it can be necessary to construct new general models that reflect relevant aspects of particular cultural or geographical features and depart from patterns created by Christaller's marketing, traffic, or administrative principles. The specific models for Changhua at any of the time periods clearly display structural features that can be accounted for by the traffic principle. The infinitude of individual decisions affecting retail purchases, entrepreneurial ventures, administrative structures, and bureaucratic programs on the Changhua Plain during the 20th century have created a system of central places.
Pharmacological augmentation of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) protects against paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) arises from collateral damage to peripheral afferent sensory neurons by anticancer pharmacotherapy, leading to debilitating neuropathic pain. No effective treatment for CIPN exists, short of dose-reduction which worsens cancer prognosis. Here, we report that stimulation of nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (NAMPT) produced robust neuroprotection in an aggressive CIPN model utilizing the frontline anticancer drug, paclitaxel (PTX). Daily treatment of rats with the first-in-class NAMPT stimulator, P7C3-A20, prevented behavioral and histologic indicators of peripheral neuropathy, stimulated tissue NAD recovery, improved general health, and abolished attrition produced by a near maximum-tolerated dose of PTX. Inhibition of NAMPT blocked P7C3-A20-mediated neuroprotection, whereas supplementation with the NAMPT substrate, nicotinamide, potentiated a subthreshold dose of P7C3-A20 to full efficacy. Importantly, P7C3-A20 blocked PTX-induced allodynia in tumored mice without reducing antitumoral efficacy. These findings identify enhancement of NAMPT activity as a promising new therapeutic strategy to protect against anticancer drug-induced peripheral neurotoxicity.
The GIS Behind iMapInvasives: The “Open Source Sandwich”

Invasive species can be considered an ecological “time bomb” that contributes to a number of human and environmental problems, including reduced crop and livestock production and biodiversity loss. It is estimated that 5,000 acres of western lands become infested each day (North American Weed Management Association 2002). Westbrooks assesses the financial costs to Americans at $138 billion per year. Of the current methods for treating invasive species, Early Detection and Rapid Response (ED/RR) is highly ranked because it is cost-effective and environmentally sound and it increases the possibility of successful eradication (ibid).
Financial Behaviors, Couple‐Level Conflict, and Adolescent Relationship Abuse: Longitudinal Results From a Nationally Representative Sample

Financial disagreements have been identified as a severe source of discord in adult relationships, yet limited work has considered whether financial considerations contribute to conflict among younger samples. Drawing on longitudinal data from a nationally representative sample of adolescents, the current investigation examined the extent to which money lending practices, feelings of financial resentment, and exposure to economic control contribute to couple-level interactions, and in turn, to conflict that escalates to the point of violence. Findings provide evidence of an association between adolescent financial behaviors and concurrent conflict due to economic considerations. Moreover, conflict due to economic considerations was an important predictor of future adolescent relationship abuse perpetration. We discuss the implications of our findings for intervention/prevention efforts.
Design and Performance of Microwave Components for ECH and ECE Applications at General Atomics

This paper provides an overview of high power components for the application of Electron Cyclotron Heating transmission lines, and broadband devices for Electron Cyclotron Emission detection systems. The unique fabrication and assembly challenges are discussed, particularly in the context of ITER. The ITER ECH system will require robust, vacuum-compatible components such as polarizers, dummy loads, and switches that are sufficiently cooled to withstand 1 MW for 3,600 seconds. These elements, along with overmoded corrugated waveguide, are necessary to form transmission lines with efficiencies of 90%, and 90% transmitted HE11 mode purity. Recent high power test results are summarized and scaled from the 63.5 mm internal diameter design to the 50 mm diameter version that will be used for ITER. Elements designed for Electron Cyclotron Emission detection and reflectometry systems are discussed, such as frequency filters and polarization rotators. The large frequency operating range of corrugated waveguide is exploited for such applications. The application of additive manufacturing technology towards both low and high power components is considered as a promising new area of development.
Combinatorial biosynthesis and the basis for substrate promiscuity in class I diterpene synthases

Terpene synthases are capable of mediating complex reactions, but fundamentally simply catalyze lysis of allylic diphosphate esters with subsequent deprotonation. Even with the initially generated tertiary carbocation this offers a variety of product outcomes, and deprotonation further can be preceded by the addition of water. This is particularly evident with labdane-related diterpenes (LRDs) where such lysis follows bicyclization catalyzed by class II diterpene cyclases (DTCs) that generates preceding structural variation. Previous investigation revealed that two diterpene synthases (DTSs), one bacterial and the other plant-derived, exhibit extreme substrate promiscuity, but yet still typically produce exo-ene or tertiary alcohol LRD derivatives, respectively (i.e., demonstrating high catalytic specificity), enabling rational combinatorial biosynthesis. Here two DTSs that produce either cis or trans endo-ene LRD derivatives, also plant and bacterial (respectively), were examined for their potential analogous utility. Only the bacterial trans-endo-ene forming DTS was found to exhibit significant substrate promiscuity (with moderate catalytic specificity). This further led to investigation of the basis for substrate promiscuity, which was found to be more closely correlated with phylogenetic origin than reaction complexity. Specifically, bacterial DTSs exhibited significantly more substrate promiscuity than those from plants, presumably reflecting their distinct evolutionary context. In particular, plants typically have heavily elaborated LRD metabolism, in contrast to the rarity of such natural products in bacteria, and the lack of potential substrates presumably alleviates selective pressure against such promiscuity. Regardless of such speculation, this work provides novel biosynthetic access to almost 19 LRDs, demonstrating the power of the combinatorial approach taken here.
Territories of Contested Womanhood: Pussyhats, the Pachamama, and Embodying Resistance in the Era of Hashtag Feminism

In response to a recent surge of openly misogynistic political discourses at the highest levels of government, a vibrant wave of hashtag feminism across the Americas evidences women’s widespread concerns over their bodily and territorial rights. Engaging Twitter and Facebook as digital archives-of-the-present, in conjunction with ethnographic interviews and surveys conducted in Peru and in the United States, we analyze protest symbols in two high-profile women’s rights movements: the United States #WomensMarch and the Peruvian #NiUnaMenos March. For Native women in both movements, the land grabs perpetrated by state and corporate actors factored as heavily into their resistance motivations as did their concerns over bodily rights and reproductive justice, which were the central concerns of non-Native women respondents. In the United States, the majority of protesters used the pussyhat as an organizing principle to react against politicians’ allusions to the physical abuse of women and their policy-driven threats to reproductive choice; meanwhile, some Native women donned the warbonnet scarf to recognize their intersectional oppressions under Donald Trump. In the Peruvian context, women across the nation took to city streets with blood red paint dripping down their thighs to provoke social memory of a recent era of forced sterilizations under Alberto Fujimori. In the Andean highlands, Aymara and Quechua women invoked the Pachamama, or Earth Mother, as a vibrant ally to aid in their battle against threats to their bodily sovereignty and the ongoing destruction of indigenous landscapes. Within these two hashtag movements, we find a pattern of mainstream communications that emphasize body as territory, while indigenous protest symbols focus not only on who is being grabbed—but where.
Current Status of the Catalytic Decomposition of NO

Except at very high temperatures, NO is thermodynamically unstable relative to N2 and O2. Simple cleavage of the N-O bond is all that should be necessary for its decomposition. However, to date no solid catalyst has been developed that will effect this direct decomposition rapidly in an oxidizing atmosphere under relatively mild conditions. This paper will review the types of materials that have been tested, the factors that limit their activity, and the kinetics and mechanism of the reaction. Noble metals (mainly platinum, rhodium, and ruthenium) either in pure or alloyed states, as well as pure and mixed oxides (e.g. cobalt oxide, nickel oxide, zirconia, certain perovskites, etc.) will be discussed. It appears that most of these materials are active in a reduced state, but the oxygen released from the decomposed NO remains strongly attached to the surface and poisons the activity. High temperatures and/or gaseous reductants are required to remove the surface oxygen and regenerate the catalytic activity. Furthermore, oxygen from the gas phase competes with NO for the adsorption sites, and the kinetics over many of these catalysts can be adequately described by simple Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics involving competition between NO and O2.
Compressed Sensing MIMO Radar System for Extended Target Detection

The article presents a multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) radar system for which transmit-receive beamforming in conjunction with a compact frequency domain representation of the radar signals yields a sparse representation of the radar scene. Compressed sensing (CS) methods are then applied to design the radar waveforms for detecting the presence within the radar scene of multiple extended targets with known impulse responses, as well as for designing the receiver filters to reconstruct the radar scene. The detection performance of the MIMO radar system based on noisy scene reconstruction is illustrated with numerical examples obtained from simulations. These show that the receiver operating characteristic curves obtained using the MIMO radar waveforms and receiver filters designed based on CS methods outperform those obtained when statically defined waveforms and receiver filters are used for target detection in the reconstructed scene.
Health Equity, Culture, and Cancer-American Society of Preventive Oncology (ASPO)'s 2021 Annual Meeting.

Health inequities are not new. However, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and recent death of George Floyd among many other people of color has brought the issues of structural racism and discrimination and health inequity into the forefront of American consciousness. Communities of color, and people
Phase Stability and Raman/IR Signatures of Ni-Doped MoS2 from Density Functional Theory Studies

Ni-doped MoS$_2$ is a layered material with useful tribological, optoelectronic, and catalytic properties. Experiment and theory on doped MoS$_2$ has focused mostly on monolayers or finite particles: theoretical studies of bulk Ni-doped MoS$_2$ are lacking and the mechanisms by which Ni alters bulk properties are largely unsettled. We use density functional theory calculations to determine the structure, mechanical properties, electronic properties, and formation energies of bulk Ni-doped 2H-MoS$_2$ as a function of doping concentration. We find four meta-stable structures: Mo or S substitution, and tetrahedral (t-) or octahedral (o-) intercalation. We compute phase diagrams as a function of chemical potential to guide experimental synthesis. A convex hull analysis shows that t-intercalation (favored over o-intercalation) is quite stable against phase segregation and in comparison with other compounds containing Ni, Mo, and S; the doping formation energy is around 0.1 meV/atom. Intercalation forms strong interlayer covalent bonds and does not increase the $c$-parameter. Ni-doping creates new states in the electronic density of states in MoS$_2$ and shifts the Fermi level, which are of interest for tuning the electronic and optical properties. We calculate the infrared and Raman spectra and find new peaks and shifts in existing peaks that are unique to each dopant site, and therefore may be used to identify the site experimentally, which has been a challenge to do conclusively.
Soft Consolidation In Medicare ACOs: Potential For Higher Prices Without Mergers Or Acquisitions

Antitrust guidance specifies that participation in Medicare accountable care organizations (ACOs) is sufficient to meet clinical integration standards for separately owned providers to jointly nego...
Mapping the genetic landscape of biomineralization in Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1 with RB-Tnseq

Magnetotactic bacteria (MTB) are a phylogenetically diverse group of bacteria remarkable for their ability to biomineralize magnetite (Fe3O4) or greigite (Fe3S4) in organelles called magnetosomes. The majority of genes required for magnetosome formation are encoded by a magnetosome gene island (MAI). Most previous genetic studies in MTB have focused on the MAI, using screens to identify key MAI genes or targeted genetics to isolate specific genes and their function in one specific growth condition. Here, we conducted random barcoded transposon mutagenesis (RB-TnSeq) in Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1 to identify the global genetic requirements for magnetosome formation under different growth conditions. We generated a library of 184,710 unique strains in a wild-type background, generating ~34 mutant strains for each gene. RB-TnSeq also allowed us to determine the essential gene set of AMB-1 under standard laboratory growth conditions. To pinpoint novel genes that are important for magnetosome formation, we subjected the library to magnetic selection screens in varied growth conditions. We compared biomineralization in standard growth conditions to biomineralization in high iron and anaerobic conditions, respectively. Strains with transposon insertions in the MAI gene mamT had an exacerbated biomineralization defect under both high iron and anerobic conditions compared to standard conditions, adding to our knowledge of the role of MamT in magnetosome formation. Mutants in amb4151, a gene outside of the MAI, are more magnetic than wild-type cells under anaerobic conditions. All three of these phenotypes were validated by creating a markerless deletion strain of the gene and evaluating with TEM imaging. Overall, our results indicate that growth conditions affect which genes are required for biomineralization and that some MAI genes may have more nuanced functions than was previously understood.
THEODORE H. LEWIS AND HIS NORTHEASTERN NEBRASKA "FORTS"1

The inveterate fieldman and surveyor, T. H. Lewis, visited northeastern Nebraska in his quest for archaeological sites in the fall of 1890. He recorded four earthworks there, only one of which (Pon...
Philosophical, theoretical and empirical foundations of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy

This article has two main purposes. The first one is to present the philosophical, theoretical, and empirical underpinnings of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The second is to outline the importance of philosophy and theory in order to build an empirical clinical psychology that copes progressively with the needs of the field. To accomplish these purposes, we have structured the article in three distinct sections. In the first one, we will explore the philosophical assumptions of ACT, known as Functional Contextualism. In the second section, we will offer a brief history of the appliedand theoretical tradition of ACT, Behavior Analysis, and Relational Frame Theory (RFT), a modern account of human language and cognition. Finally, we will present some clinical outcomes that, although preliminary, exemplify the broad range of health problems and psychological disorders for which the ACT model has shown to have positive results. Overall we will offer a unified version of the ACT/RFT model that interconnects its multiple dimensions.
Crisis Management and Strategic Orientation in Small and Medium‐Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Peru, Mexico and the United States

This study addresses the link between management concern for organizational crises and competitive strategy in small and medium-sized enterprises in Peru, Mexico and the United States. Surveys were completed by 270 Peruvian, 218 Mexican and 256 American managers. Strategic orientation in Peru did not mirror the broad pattern found in Mexico and in the United States. Levels of concern for crises were significantly higher in both Mexico and Peru than in the United States for 12 of 21 crises. The level of concern for crises tended to increase with management level more in Mexico and Peru than in the United States. Correlations between competitive strategy and crisis concern were significant in 26 of 126 instances.
Hepadnaviruses: current models of RNA encapsidation and reverse transcription.

Publisher Summary Progress in the field of hepadnaviral research has advanced considerably through the use of tissue culture systems for viral expression and the development of systems for the in vitro expression of the polymerases. Although the essential similarities between hepadnaviruses and the classically studied retroviruses have been confirmed, differences between the two groups of viruses have become strikingly apparent. Synthesis of the hepadnaviral polymerase as a distinct translation product and the central role played by this protein in directing RNA encapsidation may be contrasted with the retroviral model in which polymerase is expressed as a gag-pol fusion protein and the major determinants of RNA packaging specificity reside on the gag protein. Whereas retroviruses typically carry out both proteolytic processing and RNA splicing, there is no evidence for either protein processing or splicing in hepadnaviruses. The use of a protein primer for the synthesis of minus strand DNA is without precedent among the retroviruses, which employ a host cell tRNA for this function. In both cases, strand transfer is mediated through the use of terminal sequence similarities. However, the plus and minus strand primer translocations intrinsic to hepadnaviral reverse transcription are very different from the strongstop DNA translocations that occur in retroviruses. A characteristic feature of hepadnaviral replication is transcription from the unintegrated CCC DNA and the maintenance of this DNA through a pathway of intracellular amplification, whereas retroviral expression and persistence depend on a mechanism of genomic integration.
Monopoles, Muons, Neutrinos, and Cygnus X−3

The deep underground Large Area Scintillation Detector and the surface air shower array at the Homestake Gold Mine are now in operation. Beginning in January 1985, the underground detector has been searching for muons from Cygnus X−3; we have seen no excess signal with the characteristic 4.8 hour period from the direction of Cygnus X−3, with an upper limit below that of the NUSEX result. The surface array has been collecting high energy cosmic ray data, in coincidence with the underground detector, since July of 1985. We describe the initial surface-underground data, and discuss the experiments to search for magnetic monopoles at the level of the Parker limit, neutrinos, and high energy cosmic ray air showers with these instruments and with a new atmospheric Cerenkov detector.
Abelian varieties and the general Hodge conjecture

We investigate the relationship between the usual and general Hodgeconjectures for abelian varieties. For certain abelian varieties A, weshow that the usual Hodge conjecture for all powers of A implies thegeneral Hodge conjecture for A.
Materials composed of the Drosophila melanogaster protein ultrabithorax are cytocompatible.

The Drosophila melanogaster Hox protein ultrabithorax (Ubx) has the interesting ability to hierarchically self-assemble in vitro into materials that have mechanical properties comparable to natural elastin. Ubx materials can be easily functionalized by gene fusion, generating potentially useful scaffolds for cell and tissue engineering. Here, we tested the cytocompatibility of fibers composed of Ubx or an mCherry-Ubx fusion protein. Fibers were cultured with three primary human cell lines derived from vasculature at low passage: umbilical vein endothelial cells, brain vascular pericytes, or aortic smooth muscle cells. No direct or indirect toxicity was observed for any cell line, in response to fibers composed of either plain Ubx or mCherry-Ubx. Cells readily adhered to Ubx fibers, and cells attached to fibers could be transferred between tissue cultures without loss of viability for at least 96 h. When attached to fibers, the morphology of the three cell lines differed somewhat, but all cells in contact with Ubx fibers exhibited a microtubular network aligned with the long axis of Ubx fibers. Thus, Ubx fibers are cytocompatible with cultured primary human vascular cells. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 102A: 97–104, 2014.
Reconsidering Intrinsic Religion as a Source of Universal Compassion

Several studies have considered the ability of devout Christians to accept homosexual persons while rejecting homosexual behavior. Batson, Floyd, Meyer, and Winner (1999) found that intrinsic Chris...