cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
FIBERBOTS: Design and Digital Fabrication of Tubular Structures Using Robot Swarms

Rapidly increasing demands to enhance speed and safety for on-site and site-specific construction drive the need to develop collaborative and autonomous systems. Such systems generally involve the use of retrofitted gantry and robot arm systems, which have size constraints and are computationally complex to use in collaboration with other machines. This paper describes an alternative multi-robot system built from the ground up to enable collaborative and site-specific construction. The strategy simplifies design workflows while simultaneously maintaining structural, environmental, and robot dynamic constraints. This system of ‘swarm fabricators’ enables robotic agents to operate in parallel, digitally fabricating independent tubular forms. Each robot controls its position allowing the system to effectively ‘grow’ a large-scale woven architecture. The robots fabricate by pulling fiber and resin from ground-based storage and winding a composite around their own bodies. Additional sections of a composite tube are appended upon each other, starting from a base. The system relies on an environmentally informed flocking-based strategy to design the structure and inform the robots’ trajectories.
Multifunctional Nanocomposite Sensors for Environmental Monitoring

Abstract Due to rapidly developing international globalization and industrialization, countless toxic chemicals have been released into the environment in terms of airborne, water, and solid pollutants. During the past century, waste products have risen 10-fold. And this amount will double again by 2025 according to projections. Chemical pollutants, such as heavy metals, aromatic compounds, pesticides, microorganisms, and so forth can cumulatively cause severe damage to human health and the environment. Thus, it is of great importance to have a sensitive, selective, portable, reliable, and rapid response to this issue, and cost-effective sensors for monitoring pollutants in the environment. Nanocomposites are a multiphase solid material in which at least one phase has one, two, or three dimensions less than 100 nm. Commonly seen nanocomposite matrices include ceramics, polymers, and metals. Due to the presence of nanomaterials, the mechanical, electrical, optical, electrochemical, and catalytic properties will greatly differ from bulk materials. Nanomaterials with exceptional electrochemical properties, high surface area, high adsorption, and effective catalytic activities are mostly used for fabricating nanocomposite sensors. The aforementioned properties that nanocomposites possess offer great opportunities and possibilities for fabricating portable nanosensors for successful detection of environmental pollutants present in the air, soil, and water.
Modeling and numerical simulation of the bubble cloud dynamics in an ultrasound field for burst wave lithotripsy

Modeling and numerical simulation of bubble clouds induced by intense ultrasound waves are conducted to quantify the effect of cloud cavitation on burst wave lithotripsy, a proposed non-invasive alternative to shock wave lithotripsy that uses pulses of ultrasound with an amplitude of O(1) MPa and a frequency of O(100) kHz. A unidirectional acoustic source model and an Eulerian-Lagrangian method are developed for simulation of ultrasound generation from a multi-element array transducer and cavitation bubbles, respectively. Parametric simulations of the spherical bubble cloud dynamics reveal a new scaling parameter that dictates both the structure of the bubble cloud and the amplitude of the far-field, bubble-scattered acoustics. The simulation further shows that a thin layer of bubble clouds nucleated near a kidney stone model can shield up to 90% of the incoming wave energy, indicating a potential loss of efficacy during the treatment due to cavitation. Strong correlations are identified between the far-field, bubble-scattered acoustics and the magnitude of the shielding, which could be used for ultrasound monitoring of cavitation during treatments. The simulations are validated by companion experiments in vitro.
Racemic Vinylallenes in Catalytic Enantioselective Multicomponent Processes: Rapid Generation of Complexity through 1,6-Conjugate Additions.

Racemic vinylallenes are shown to be effective substrates for catalytic multicomponent diastereo- and enantioselective 1,6-conjugate addition of multifunctional allyl moieties to easily accessible α,β,γ,δ-unsaturated diesters. Reactions may be catalyzed by 5.0 mol % of a readily accessible NHC-Cu complex at ambient temperature, and other than a vinylallene, involve B2 (pin)2 and an α,β,γ,δ-unsaturated diester. A variety of vinylallenes were converted to products bearing a Z-trisubstituted alkenyl-B(pin) moiety, a vinyl group, a β,γ-unsaturated diester unit, and vicinal stereogenic centers in up to 67 % yield, 87:13 Z/E ratio, >98:2 d.r., and 98:2 e.r. Chemoselective modifications involving the alkenyl-B(pin), the vinyl, or the 1,2-disubstituted olefin moieties were carried out to demonstrate versatility and utility. Stereochemical models, based on mechanistic and DFT studies, demonstrate the dynamic behavior of intermediated Cu-allyl species and account for various selectivity profiles.
Prognosis Following Hip Arthroscopy Varies in Professional Athletes Based on Sport.

Purpose To evaluate return to play (RTP) and performance-based outcomes in professional athletes across 4 major North American team sports following hip arthroscopy. Methods Professional athletes of the National Football League, Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association, and National Hockey League (NHL) who underwent hip arthroscopy were identified using an established protocol of public reports. Sport-specific statistics were collected before and after hip arthroscopy for each athlete, leading to a performance score. RTP was defined as the first regular or postseason game played following surgery. Results A total of 151 arthroscopic hip procedures were performed on 131 professional athletes. The overall RTP rate after arthroscopic hip surgery was found to be 88.7% (134 of 151 arthroscopic hip surgeries), with no significant difference between sports. The median number of seasons played after hip arthroscopy were 2.7, 2.3, 1.1, and 0.9 for the National Football League, National Basketball Association, MLB, and NHL cohorts, respectively, with no significant difference between sports. MLB and NHL cohorts experienced a decrease in games played in the first season following hip arthroscopy (P = .04, P = .01), whereas NHL players also experienced a decrease in games played in seasons 2 and 3 postoperatively (P = .001). Performance scores decreased in the NHL cohort for all seasons postoperatively (P Conclusions Although professional athletes demonstrate a high rate of RTP following hip arthroscopy across the 4 major North American team sports, hockey players demonstrate the worst prognosis following hip arthroscopy, with sustained decreases in games played and performance in the first 3 seasons postoperatively. Level of Evidence Level III, retrospective comparative therapeutic trial.
Distributed Timing Analysis at Scale

As the design complexities continue to grow, the need to efficiently analyze circuit timing with billions of transistors is quickly becoming the major bottleneck to the overall chip design flow. In this work we introduce a distributed timer that (1) has scalable performance, (2) can be seamless integrable to existing EDA applications, (3) enables transparent resource management, (4) has robust fault-tolerant control. We evaluate the distributed timer using a set of large industry benchmarks on a cluster with 24 nodes. The results show that the proposed timer achieves full accuracy over all designs with high performance and good scalability.
Families in Later Life: A Decade in Review

Later-life families encompass the legal, biological, romantic, and kin-like relationships of persons ages 65 and older. Research on older families has flourished over the past decade, as population aging has intensified concerns regarding the capacities of families to care for older adults and the adequacy of public pension systems to provide an acceptable standard of living. Shifting patterns of family formation over the past half-century have created a context in which contemporary older adults' family lives differ markedly from earlier generations. Decreasing numbers of adults are growing old with their first and only spouse, with rising numbers divorcing, remarrying, forming non-marital romantic partnerships, or living single by choice. Remarriage and the formation of stepfamilies pose challenges and opportunities as older adults negotiate complex decisions such as inheritance and caregiving. Family relationships are consequential for older adults' well-being, operating through both biological and psychosocial mechanisms. We synthesize research from the past decade, revealing how innovations in data and methods have refined our understanding of late-life families against a backdrop of demographic change. We show how contemporary research refines classic theoretical frameworks and tests emerging conceptual models. We organize the article around two main types of family relationships: (1) marriage and romantic partnerships and (2) intergenerational relationships. We discuss how family caregiving occurs within these relationships, and offer three promising avenues for future research: ethnic minority and immigrant families; older adults without close kin ("elder orphans"); and the potentials of rapidly evolving technologies for intergenerational relationships and caregiving.
Relations Between Students’ Mathematics Anxiety and Motivation to Learn Mathematics: a Meta-Analysis

The current meta-analysis examined the association between K-12 students’ motivation to learn mathematics and mathematics anxiety, and explored the effects of potential moderating factors, including different motivation measures, dimensions of mathematics anxiety, students’ developmental stages, and cultural contexts. This meta-analysis was conducted with 73 articles (80 independent samples, total N = 95,872) and a total of 142 effect sizes. Results indicated a moderate, negative correlation between students’ motivation for mathematics and mathematics anxiety (r = − 0.42). Moreover, in accordance with the control-value theory, we classified the effect sizes into two groups: (a) correlations between mathematics anxiety and competence beliefs (i.e., self-efficacy and self-concept) and (b) correlations between mathematics anxiety and value beliefs (i.e., intrinsic value and achievement value). The strength of the correlation between students’ mathematics anxiety with competence beliefs (r = − 0.48) was stronger than the correlation with value beliefs (r = − 0.36). Moderator analyses revealed that the magnitudes of the overall effect sizes were not influenced by the dimensions of mathematics anxiety, students’ developmental stages, and cultural contexts. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
Affect or restraint: Clinical correlates of the context surrounding binge eating episodes

Abstract Although binge eating is common, limited research has investigated the context surrounding binge episodes. This study seeks to understand clinical correlates of binge characteristics to guide treatment selection and clinical targets in adolescents and young adults. Participants were 42 females (15–35 years old; M ± SD: 21.17 ± 6.39 y; BMI: 26.97 ± 7.96 kg/m2) who reported at least one binge episode in the past month. Participants completed a qualitative interview detailing the context surrounding two unique binge episodes. Participants also completed the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-I), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Pre-binge negative mood was associated with DERS Impulse and Strategies subscale scores (r's = .379–.396). Positive mood was negatively correlated with DERS Goals, Impulse, Strategies, Nonacceptance, and Total scores (r's = −.342 to − 476). Stress surrounding the binge episode was correlated with DEBQ Emotional Eating scores (r = .495). Cue-driven binge eating variables showed small effect sizes with related clinical measures. Affective measures, including emotion regulation and emotional eating, were more strongly correlated than hunger or cue-driven measures with qualitative binge episode features in this study. Obtaining detailed information about the affective components of binge eating episodes may provide additional clinical targets for intervention.
Using a Nonconcurrent Multiple-Baseline Across-Participants Design to Examine the Effects of Individualized ACT at School

The purpose of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of implementing acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) with three students who displayed disruptive and off-task behaviors in a classroom. A nonconcurrent multiple-baseline across-participants design with an embedded reversal was used to compare the effects of individualized ACT exercises and treatment-control conditions on classroom behaviors that included on-task behavior, vocal disruption, physical aggression, and classroom disruption. Classroom behaviors were measured during 5-min direct observations using continuous 30-s interval recording. During baseline, all participants displayed low levels of on-task engagement and high or varying rates of challenging behaviors. When the individualized ACT intervention was implemented, participants’ on-task and challenging behaviors improved compared to baseline and treatment-control conditions; treatment-control conditions produced mixed results. Implications for school-based treatment programs and collaborative transdisciplinary intervention strategies are discussed.
A Lab to Build an Altair Clone on a Breadboard

This paper describes a hardware lab where computer science students build a computer from scratch on a breadboard. The design is inspired by hobbyist-built 1970s computers, such as the Altair, and the finished computer runs the original Altair BASIC. The lab uses mostly period-appropriate but easily obtainable components, and is accompanied by a detailed writeup that takes the students step-by-step through construction. The lab was assigned to a History of Computing elective class, and every student, regardless of previous hardware experience, successfully completed it.
P88 Is it Just a Measurement? Collecting, Tracking, and Reporting BMI in Head Start

Background Head Start (HS) is required to collect height and weight data of preschoolers each year and report aggregate rates of BMI. However, limited research has been conducted to understand this process. Objective This study explored the processes HS programs in Ohio and North Carolina use to measure, track, and report children's weight status. Study Design, Setting, Participants This qualitative study utilized a phenomenological approach. Twenty-nine semi-structured interviews were conducted with Head Start Health and Nutrition Managers across Ohio (n = 14) and North Carolina (n = 15). Interviews were conducted until saturation was achieved. Measurable Outcome/Analysis Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were independently reviewed and significant statements were identified, describing what participants experienced. Patterns of meaning across interviews were assigned codes and described. Codes were compared, agreed upon, and organized into themes. Results Analysis yielded 5 themes: perceptions of BMI, measurement processes, reporting/tracking, training and resources, and additional support. Managers described a variety of concerns with the usefulness of BMI. Differences were identified in the staff responsible for measurements, as well as their expertise and training. Equipment used for measuring height and weight also varied across and within programs. Most managers reported utilizing computer programs where height and weight were entered, BMI calculated, and weight status classifications generated for reporting to parents and on the Program Information Report. Managers acknowledged inconsistencies in the persons responsible for data collection, training of collectors, and variability in the data collection process may impact accuracy of reporting. Furthermore, no consistent process was identified for the reporting and referral of at-risk children. Conclusion Training on collection of height and weight measurements is needed, as most programs described limited availability of training opportunities, resources, and time to implement internal training on growth and assessment. Additionally, clarification and standardization of the process for tracking, reporting and referring at-risk children is warranted.
FoxP3 associates with enhancer-promoter loops to regulate Treg-specific gene expression

Gene expression programs are specified by higher-order chromatin structure and enhancer-promoter loops (EPL). T regulatory cells (Treg) identity is dominantly specified by the transcription factor FoxP3, whose mechanism of action is unclear. We applied proximity-ligation with chromatin immunoprecipitation (HiChIP) in Treg and closely related conventional CD4+ T cells (Tconv). EPL identified by H3K27Ac HiChIP showed a range of connection intensity, with some super-connected genes. TF-specific HiChIP showed that FoxP3 interacts with EPLs at a large number of genes, including some not differentially expressed in Treg vs Tconv, but enriched at the core Treg signature loci that it upregulates. FoxP3 association correlates with heightened H3H27Ac looping, as ascertained by analysis of FoxP3-deficient Treg-like cells. There was marked asymmetry in the loci where FoxP3 associated at the enhancer- or the promoter-side of EPLs, with enrichment for different transcriptional cofactors. FoxP3 EPL intensity distinguished gene clusters identified by single-cell ATAC-seq as co-varying between individual Tregs, supporting a direct transactivation model for FoxP3 in determining Treg identity.
Heterogeneous Pair Approximation of MethanolOxidation on TiO2 Reveals Two ReactionPathways

We propose a novel method to simulate the chemical kinetics of methanol oxidation on the rutile TiO2(110) surface. This method must be able to capture the effects of static disorder (site-to-site variations in the rate constants), as well as dynamic correlation (interdependent probabilities of finding reactants and products next to each other). Combining the intuitions of the mean-field steady state (MFSS) method and the pair approximation (PA), we consider representative pairs of sites in a self-consistent bath of the average pairwise correlation. Pre-averaging over the static disorder in one site of each pair makes this half heterogeneous pair approximation (HHPA) efficient enough to simulate systems of several species and calibrate rate constants. According to the simulated kinetics, a static disorder in the hole transfer steps suffices to reproduce the stretched exponentials in the observed kinetics. The identity of the dominant hole scavenger is found to be temperature-dependent -- the methoxy anion at 80 K and the methanol molecule at 180 K. Moreover, two distinct groups of 5-coordinate titanium (Ti5c) sites emerge -- a high-activity group and a low-activity group -- even though no such division exists in the rate constants. Since the division is quite insensitive to the type of static disorder, the emergence of the two groups might play a significant role in a variety of photocatalytic processes on TiO2.
Bonding strain gages in small openings

Narrow openings have often complicated the bonding of strain gages because of the physical restrictions of the working area. A simple method has been devised to overcome this limitation by using a mock-up of the surface to which the gages will be bonded. The gages are bonded to the mock-up and then transferred to the surface of the member to be stressed. The technique was developed for use inisde pipes; however, it is directly applicable to many types of irregular configurations with limited access.
KNOWLEDGE, BELIEFS, AND RISK FACTORS FOR OSTEOPOROSIS AMONG AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND HISPANIC WOMEN

The purpose of this work was to develop and conduct a needs and risk instrument to assess knowledge of osteoporosis risk factors, identify beliefs and attitudes about this disease, and delineate the presence and/or absence of healthy behaviors associated with osteoporosis among African American and Hispanic women. The survey findings suggest that African-American and Hispanic women are not well-versed in behaviors that would promote and maintain optimal bone mass. Consequently, they are not practicing appropriate lifestyle and dietary habits to decrease their risk of osteoporosis. Such behaviors include inadequate physical activity, inadequate calcium intake, cigarette smoking, and long-term steroid use. Less than 10% of women in the study were getting adequate daily dietary calcium intake, with only 13% taking daily calcium supplements to augment this deficit and less than one-half of women exercising at a minimal level (20 minutes/3 times a week). Women in this study also had limited knowledge about osteoporosis, perceived this condition to be less of a health threat as compared to breast cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease, and very few had the perception that being Hispanic or African American was a factor to consider in assessing their risk of osteoporosis. Our findings suggest that osteoporosis education and prevention initiatives are needed, specifically for African-American and Hispanic women, to promote healthy behaviors, identify women at-risk, and encourage early diagnosis and treatment.
Looking for non-Gaussianity in all the right places: A new basis for nonseparable bispectra

Non-Gaussianity in the distribution of inflationary perturbations, measurable in statistics of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and large scale structure fluctuations, can be used to probe nontrivial initial quantum states for these perturbations. The bispectrum shapes predicted for generic non-Bunch-Davies initial states are nonfactorizable (``nonseparable'') and are highly oscillatory functions of the three constituent wave numbers. This can make the computation of CMB bispectra, in particular, computationally intractable. To efficiently compare with CMB data one needs to construct a separable template that has a significant similarity with the actual shape in momentum space. In this paper we consider a variety of inflationary scenarios, with different nonstandard initial conditions, and how best to construct viable template matches. In addition to implementing commonly used separable polynomial and Fourier bases, we introduce a basis of localized piecewise spline functions. The spline basis is naturally nearly orthogonal, making it easy to implement and to extend to many modes. We show that, in comparison to existing techniques, the spline basis can provide better fits to the true bispectrum, as measured by the cosine between shapes, for sectors of the theory space of general initial states. As such, it offers a useful approach to investigate nontrivial features generated by fundamental properties of the inflationary Universe.
Lateral inhibition in the inner retina is important for spatial tuning of ganglion cells

The center–surround receptive-field organization in retinal ganglion cells is widely believed to result mainly from lateral inhibition at the first synaptic level (in the outer retina). Inhibition at the second synaptic level (in the inner retina) is thought to mediate more complex response properties. Here we show that much of the sustained surround antagonism in certain on-center ganglion cells results from lateral inhibition in the inner retina, via GABAergic amacrine cells, and that the lateral conduction of this signal requires voltage-gated sodium currents. Blocking lateral inhibition in the inner retina eliminates the preference of small-center ganglion cells for small stimuli but has little effect on ganglion cells with large receptive-field centers. These results illustrate how lateral inhibition at successive synaptic stages can selectively control the size of neural receptive-field centers.
Three-Dimensional virtual anatomic fit study for an implantable pediatric ventricular assist device

An innovative pediatric ventricular assist device (PVAD) is being developed to treat young patients (2.5kg-15kg) with severe heart failure that otherwise have very few options due to their small size. To optimize the design of the PVAD for the target patient population, three-dimensional anatomical compatibility studies must be conducted. The aim of this project was to evaluate the utility of three dimensional reconstructions to obviate fit studies in human subjects. Serial CT scans of the thorax of one child were obtained as part of routine treatment. The images were enhanced by adjusting the contrast of the images and segmented semi-automatically prior to 3-D reconstruction. The results were visualized as surface renderings of the rib cage and heart. This data was then amended with solid models of the implantable hardware, including the PVAD and cannulae. Manipulation of the relative orientation of the components revealed surgical challenges that may be anticipated and motivated design modifications to improve the anatomic compatibility. Unique challenges associated with these data sets include the availability of pediatric CT images and difficulty of segmentation due to the small scale of the anatomic features as compared to the resolution of the images.
Ice hockey injuries among United States high school athletes from 2008/2009-2012/2013

AbstractBackground. The popularity of ice hockey has grown in recent years and injuries are a concern given the physical nature of the sport. We sought to report the rates, mechanisms, and severity of boys’ US high school ice hockey injuries. We hypothesized that body checking would be a major source of injury and that concussions would be common. We also expected to find that competition would have a higher rate of injury than practice. Design. Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods. Boys’ US high school ice hockey injury data from 2008/2009 through 2012/2013 academic years were obtained from the National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance System, High School Reporting Information Online database. The primary outcome was rate of injury per 10,000 athlete exposures (AEs). Results. Overall, 724 boys ice hockey injuries occurred during 311,817 AEs for an injury rate of 23.2 per 10,000 AEs. Injury rates were significantly higher during competition compared to practice (rate ratio = 7.8, 95% conf...
Vasopressin-mediated regulation of epithelial sodium channel abundance in rat kidney

Sodium transport is increased by vasopressin in the cortical collecting ducts of rats and rabbits. Here we investigate, by quantitative immunoblotting, the effects of vasopressin on abundances of the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) subunits (alpha, beta, and gamma) in rat kidney. Seven-day infusion of 1-deamino-[8-D-arginine]-vasopressin (dDAVP) to Brattleboro rats markedly increased whole kidney abundances of beta- and gamma-ENaC (to 238% and 288% of vehicle, respectively), whereas alpha-ENaC was more modestly, yet significantly, increased (to 142% of vehicle). Similarly, 7-day water restriction in Sprague-Dawley rats resulted in significantly increased abundances of beta- and gamma- but no significant change in alpha-ENaC. Acute administration of dDAVP (2 nmol) to Brattleboro rats resulted in modest, but significant, increases in abundance for all ENaC subunits, within 1 h. In conclusion, all three subunits of ENaC are upregulated by vasopressin with temporal and regional differences. These changes are too slow to play a major role in the short-term action of vasopressin to stimulate sodium reabsorption in the collecting duct. Long-term increases in ENaC abundance should add to the short-term regulatory mechanisms (undefined in this study) to enhance sodium transport in the renal collecting duct.
Exploiting availability prediction in distributed systems

Loosely-coupled distributed systems have significant scale and cost advantages over more traditional architectures, but the availability of the nodes in these systems varies widely. Availability modeling is crucial for predicting per-machine resource burdens and understanding emergent, system-wide phenomena. We present new techniques for predicting availability and test them using traces taken from three distributed systems. We then describe three applications of availability prediction. The first, availability-guided replica placement, reduces object copying in a distributed data store while increasing data availability. The second shows how availability prediction can improve routing in delay-tolerant networks. The third combines availability prediction with virus modeling to improve forecasts of global infection dynamics.
Association between milk production and treatment response of ovarian cysts in lactating dairy cows using the Ovsynch protocol.

Abstract The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between the level of milk production on the day of diagnosis of ovarian cysts and treatment response using the Ovsynch protocol. On the day of cyst diagnosis (Day 0), 260 lactating dairy cows with ovarian cysts were treated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), PGF2α on Day 7, GnRH on Day 9, and timed inseminated 16–20 h later (Ovsynch protocol). Pregnancy was determined (by transrectal palpation) between 42 and 49 days after insemination. On Day 0, data for milk production (kg/day), parity, days in milk (DIM), and body condition score (BCS) were recorded. Using the median value for milk production on the day of diagnosis, cows were classified as high producers (>28.5 kg) and low producers (≤28.5 kg). Cows were classified as primiparous (first lactation) or multiparous (second or more lactations). Data for conception rate (CR) were analyzed using logistic regression accounting for milk production on the day of diagnosis, parity, DIM, and BCS. The CR for low and high producers was 6 and 16%, respectively. There was no association between DIM and BCS with the other variables (P ≥ 0.05). Primiparous cows were more likely (adjusted odds ratio: AOR = 3.63; 95% CI: 95% confidence intervals = 1.28–10.30; P ≤ 0.01) to become pregnant than multiparous cows, and low producers were less likely (AOR = 0.31; 95% CI = 0.11–0.85; P ≤ 0.02) to become pregnant than high producers. It was concluded that cows with high milk production on the day of cyst diagnosis were more likely to become pregnant following treatment than cows with low milk production. It appears paradoxical that high milk production predisposes to the occurrence of ovarian cysts, but that high-producing cows respond better to treatment compared to low-producing cows. It is hypothesized that the level of milk production on the day of cyst diagnosis could be an additional potential predictor of success to treatment of lactating cows with ovarian cysts using the Ovsynch protocol.
Determining the Effects of Antioxidants on Oxidative Stress Induced Carbonylation of Proteins

There is potential that the pathological effects of oxidative stress (OS) associated diseases such as diabetes could be ameliorated with antioxidants, but this will require a clearer understanding of the pathway(s) by which proteins are damaged by OS. This study reports the development and use of methods that assess the efficacy of dietary antioxidant supplementation at a mechanistic level. Data reported here evaluate the impact of green tea supplementation on oxidative stress induced post-translational modifications (OSi-PTMs) in plasma proteins of Zucker diabetic fatty (ZDF) rats. The mechanism of antioxidant protection was examined through both the type and amount of OSi-PTMs using mass spectrometry based identification and quantification. Carbonylated proteins in freshly drawn blood samples were derivatized with biotin hydrazide. Proteins thus biotinylated were selected from plasma samples of green tea fed diabetic rats and control animals by avidin affinity chromatography, further fractionated by rev...
Inner tolerance limits controlling tail proportions for the normal distribution

Inner tolerance limits are defined to be statistics based on a random sample which lie between certain quantiles of the distribution sampled with a certain confidence. Assuming an underlying normal distribution, tables are presented which allow inner limits to be implemented over a range of sample sizes, quantiles, and confidences.
The benzodiazepine triazolam phase-shifts circadian activity rhythms in a diurnal primate, the squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus)

Abstract Triazolam can shift the phase of circadian rhythms in hamsters recorded in constant light or dark. This effect is apparently mediated by physical activity stimulated by the drug. We examined whether triazolam can shift the phase of circadian rhythms in a diurnal primate, the squirrel monkey, that is sedated by triazolam. Single injections of triazolam at 0.15–0.20 mg/kg induced phase advances or delays of monkey activity rhythms recorded in constant light. The phase-response curve is similar to that obtained for hamsters. Behavioral activation is evidently not necessary for a phase-shifting action of triazolam in this primate. A companion study in which triazolam was administered to squirrel monkeys in the dark in a light-dark cycle reentrainment paradigm failed to find evidence for a phase shifting action of triazolam. Shifts induced by triazolam in monkeys recorded in constant light may thus reflect changes in light exposure as a consequence of sedation or altered retinal processing of light.
Urological Manifestations of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Purpose: Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a dystrophinopathy affecting males that is associated with multiple organ system complications. To our knowledge urological complications of Duchenne muscular dystrophy have been described only anecdotally to date.Materials and Methods: We reviewed the medical charts of 135 patients with Duchenne or Duchenne-Becker muscular dystrophy for demographics and disease progression, urological diagnoses, intervention and followup.Results: Of 135 patients 67 (50%) had at least 1 documented urological diagnosis and 38 (28%) had multiple manifestations. Lower urinary tract symptoms were the most common urological diagnosis (32% of patients). Survival analysis revealed a median age at onset of lower urinary tract symptoms of 23 years (95% CI 17.7-23.9). Intervention was required in 12 patients (9%), most commonly due to nephrolithiasis. Urological morbidity increased with Duchenne muscular dystrophy progression when stratified by clinical progression. Lower urinary tract sympto...
Effects of angiographic contrast medium on left ventricular function: evaluation by contrast angiography and radionuclide angiography

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of angiographic contrast medium on left ventricular (LV) function in 26 patients undergoing diagnostic cardiac catheterization. Beat-by-beat analysis during contrast ventriculography showed that the ejection fraction (EF) was lower in the last beats than in the first beats (P less than .02). Radionuclide angiograms were obtained the day before, as well as 15 to 65 minutes after catheterization, which included contrast ventriculography and coronary anteriography. The EF by radionuclide angiography was lower after catheterization than before (43 +/- 14% vs 47 +/- 17%, P less than .01). The EF decreased by greater than or equal to 5% in 11 of the 26 patients (42%) after catheterization. The decrease in EF in some patients was observed up to 65 minutes after catheterization and was not associated with symptoms or ST-T changes. The EF decreased in only one of nine patients who received nitroglycerin during catheterization, whereas it decreased in 10 of 17 patients who did not receive nitroglycerin (P less than .05). The EF decreased in 9 of 14 patients (64%) who had normal resting LV function, whereas it decreased in only 2 of 12 patients (17%) who had abnormal resting function (P less than .05). Thus, contrast material may depress LV function up to 1 hr and is more frequent in patients with normal resting EF. The use of nitroglycerin during catheterization may mask this effect.
The role of customer expectations in name-your-own-price markets

Abstract This research analyzes how consumers' bidding costs and expectations about the threshold price impact a Name-Your-Own-Price (NYOP) retailer. We find that an NYOP retailer's profit may increase if consumers learn the product's true price threshold distribution. Inaccurate expectations can be detrimental to the firm either if consumers are too optimistic (i.e., expect the threshold price to be lower, on average, than really is) OR if consumers are overly pessimistic (i.e., expect the price threshold to be much higher than it is in reality). Furthermore, if customers accurately anticipate the true distribution of threshold prices, a seller may benefit from either (1) rejecting profitable bids in order to induce higher expectations of the threshold price (and thus higher bids) or (2) accepting bids below its costs (in order to raise participation rates). Using data from a real-world NYOP retailer, we find that bidding behavior is consistent with our analytical predictions.
Temperature Dependence of Electric Field Noise above Gold Surfaces

Electric field noise from fluctuating patch potentials is a significant problem for a broad range of precision experiments, including trapped ion quantum computation and single spin detection. Recent results demonstrated strong suppression of this noise by cryogenic cooling, suggesting an underlying thermal process. We present measurements characterizing the temperature and frequency dependence of the noise from 7 to 100 K, using a single Sr+ ion trapped 75 mum above the surface of a gold plated surface electrode ion trap. The noise amplitude is observed to have an approximate 1/f spectrum around 1 MHz, and grows rapidly with temperature as T;{beta} for beta from 2 to 4. The data are consistent with microfabricated cantilever measurements of noncontact friction but do not extrapolate to the dc measurements with neutral atoms or contact potential probes.
The Use of Osazones as Matrices for the Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization Mass Spectrometry of Carbohydrates

Fifteen sugar osazones were synthesized and evaluated for their use as matrix-assisted laser desorption/ ionization matrices. Various carbohydrate samples were analyzed, indicating that D- or L-arabinosazone, prepared from D- or L-arabinose and phenylhydrazine, gave the overall best performance. The arabinosazones facilitated superior analyses in providing a highly uniform distribution of sample molecules within the matrix microcrystals, and a possibility of using low laser energy for irradiation, leading to high spectral resolution and low matrix background. The arabinosazones with a moderate content of sodium ions promoted specific fragmentation for certain carbohydrates tested. The 50 fmol amounts of maltohexaose and maltoheptaose (present in 0.1 microliter of sample/matrix solution) were detected at a signal-to-background ratio of 3:1.
Main Chain Polyrotaxanes by Threading Crown Ethers onto A Preformed Polyurethane: Preparation and Properties

A new method for preparation of crown ether-based polyrotaxanes is described; stirring a solution of the melt of an aliphatic crown ether and a polyurethane afforded the corresponding polypseudorotaxane with hydrogen bonding between the NH groups of the polymer and the ether oxygen atoms of the cyclic species as the driving force. The degree of threading (m/n, the average number of cyclics per repeat unit) increased with increasing molar feed ratio of crown ether to polymeric NH groups. The degree of threading was reduced by simple dilution with a cosolvent, or threading was prevented by use of a competitive hydrogen-bonding solvent such as DMSO. The polyrotaxanes had higher intrinsic viscosities but lower shape-dependent Huggins constants than the backbone; this was attributed to their greater hydrodynamic volumes and more expanded chain conformations. Moreover, all the polyrotaxanes had only one glass transition temperature; the values depending on m/n agreed with the Fox equation using a Tg of −22 °C f...
Nest Clustering as a Means of Managing Osmia sanrafaelae (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)

Small populations of the megachilid bee Osmia sanrafaelae Parker were managed in domiciles. The bees began to emerge from their overwintering cells on the same day they were removed from the cold room (3°C). Nesting began within 24 h. Fewer new bee cells (60%) were produced than were originally placed in the domiciles, perhaps because of mechanical problems with the temperature room during cold storage as indicated by 10% of the overwintering adults dying within their cocoons. Adults lived for about 30 d and provisioned their cells mostly with pollen from legumes (99% alfalfa and sweet clover). Immature mortality during the egg stage was higher in shorter nests (6 mm wide) than in longer nests (9 mm wide), but the wider nests contained more dead adults that failed to emerge. Loss of cell contents from nest associates and diseases was <2%. Female bees did not display aggressive behavior when nesting adjacent to one another.
Evidence for metal to solvent charge transfer photooxidation of iron, cobalt, nickel and copper dithiocarbamato derivatives in poly(vinylchloride) matrices at ca. 90 K: New insights into the bonding of late transition metals with dithiocarbamate ligands through DFT modeling

Abstract Photolysis of FeL 3 , CoL 3 , NiL 2 , CuL 2 and ZnL 2 , where L = S 2 CNEt 2 , in PVC matrices at ca. 90 K results in photooxidation of the metal complexes through irreversible metal to solvent charge transfer. DFT quantum mechanical studies of the S 2 CNMe 2 anion and the Ni, Cu and Zn derivatives were carried out, providing a more nuanced understanding of the bonding of the dithiocarbamate ligand than suggested by classical resonance arguments.
Electron and proton fluxes in the tail of the magnetosphere

Observation and energy spectra of electrons and protons in islands at the back of the magnetosphere are presented. It is shown that typically for electrons J(> 20 kev) 125 kev) 125 kev, the spectra display e-folding energies in the range from 20 to 40 kev and γ between 7.8 and 4.9 for differential power law spectra. The electron spectrum in the islands shows a characteristic softening with time. A comparison is made with electron fluxes observed with the Alouette, IMP 1, and Vela satellites. The similarity between particles in the islands and those observed in the aurora is discussed.
Interpretation of lunar heat flow data

Lunar heat flow observations at the Apollo 15 and 17 sites can be interpreted to imply bulk U concentrations for the moon of 5 to 8 times those of normal chondrites and 2 to 4 times terrestrial values inferred from the earth's heat flow and the assumption of thermal steady state between surface heat flow and heat production. A simple model of nearsurface structure that takes into account the large difference in (highly insulating) regolith thickness between mare and highland provinces is considered. This model predicts atypically high local values of heat flow near the margins of mare regions - possibly a factor of 10 or so higher than the global average. A test of the proposed model using multifrequency microwave techniques appears possible wherein heat flow traverse measurements are made across mare-highland contacts. The theoretical considerations discussed here urge caution in attributing global significance to point heat-flow measurements on the moon.
Proliferative and differentiative response of corneal and limbal epithelium to extracellular calcium in serum‐free clonal cultures

An increasing concentration of extracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]e) consistently induces epithelial differentiation, but its effect on proliferation remains variable. We investigated the effect of [Ca2+]e on two different cell populations: the peripheral corneal (PC) and limbal (L) epithelia, the latter containing corneal stem cells. Primary clonal (18 cells/cm2) cultures from rabbit limbal and peripheral corneal epithelia were established in serum-free MCDB 151 medium containing growth-promoting agents and 0.03, 0.3, or 1.8 mM Ca2+. During early culture life, colony size and the BrdU labelling-index of L and PC, assayed on day 6, increased in response to increasing [Ca2+]e; cell attachment and colony-forming efficiency remained unchanged for both L and PC epithelia. These results indicate that increasing [Ca2+]e, under these defined conditions, stimulates the proliferation of transient amplifying cells, but does not stimulate the differentiation of stem cells into clonal proliferation. A 10-fold increase of the seeding density or prolongation of the culture up to day 14 or 21 changed the response to [Ca2+]e allowing better proliferation in lower [Ca2+]e. Only cells grown as a monolayer in 0.03 mM Ca2+ could still be passaged on day 14, whereas cells in higher [Ca2+]e showed increasing stratification and cell detachment and could not be passaged. Normal cellular differentiation accessed by the expression of a cornea-type K3 keratin, recognized by the monoclonal antibody AE-5, was enhanced by increasing [Ca2+]e. Abnormal differentiation featured by the formation of cornified envelopes was only observed in higher [Ca2+]e. These results indicate that [Ca2+]e promotes the proliferation of relatively undifferentiated transient amplifying cells under clonal, serum-free culture conditions. Factors that enhance differentiation, such as seeding density or prolonged culture life, can modify this response and allow better proliferation in low [Ca2+]e. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A Facile Method to Synthesize Histones with Posttranslational Modification Mimics

Using an evolved pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase-tRNAPyl pair, a Se-alkylselenocysteine was genetically incorporated into histone H3 with a high protein expression yield. Quantitative oxidative elimination of Se-alkylselenocysteine followed by Michael addition reactions with various thiol nucleophiles generated biologically active mimics of H3 with posttranslational modifications including lysine methylation, lysine acetylation, and serine phosphorylation.
DNA Damage Recognition of Mutated Forms of UvrB Proteins in Nucleotide Excision Repair

The DNA repair protein UvrB plays an indispensable role in the stepwise and sequential damage recognition of nucleotide excision repair in Escherichia coli. Our previous studies suggested that UvrB is responsible for the chemical damage recognition only upon a strand opening mediated by UvrA. Difficulties were encountered in studying the direct interaction of UvrB with adducts due to the presence of UvrA. We report herein that a single point mutation of Y95W in which a tyrosine is replaced by a tryptophan results in an UvrB mutant that is capable of efficiently binding to structure-specific DNA adducts even in the absence of UvrA. This mutant is fully functional in the UvrABC incisions. The dissociation constant for the mutant-DNA adduct interaction was less than 100 nM at physiological temperatures as determined by fluorescence spectroscopy. In contrast, similar substitutions at other residues in the beta-hairpin with tryptophan or phenylalanine do not confer UvrB such binding ability. Homology modeling of the structure of E. coli UvrB shows that the aromatic ring of residue Y95 and only Y95 directly points into the DNA binding cleft. We have also examined UvrB recognition of both "normal" bulky BPDE-DNA and protein-cross-linked DNA (DPC) adducts and the roles of aromatic residues of the beta-hairpin in the recognition of these lesions. A mutation of Y92W resulted in an obvious decrease in the efficiency of UvrABC incisions of normal adducts, while the incision of the DPC adduct is dramatically increased. Our results suggest that Y92 may function differently with these two types of adducts, while the Y95 residue plays an unique role in stabilizing the interaction of UvrB with DNA damage, most likely by a hydrophobic stacking.