cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antiviral Activity of 3-Methyleneoxindole

3-Methyleneoxindole (MO), an oxidation product of the plant auxin indole-3-acetic acid, can selectively inhibit the replication of herpes-, mengo-, polioviruses, and Sindbis virus. The antiviral action of MO, a sulfhydryl binding compound, is neutralized by 2-mercaptoethanol if the latter is added soon after exposure of infected cells to MO. If addition of 2-mercaptoethanol is delayed, the antiviral action of MO appears to be irreversible. Data are presented which indicate that the antiviral action of MO is not mediated by interferon.
Synthesis of perdeuterio-N-(1-oxyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinyl)maleimide, a highly sensitive spin probe

Perdeuterio-N-(1-oxyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinyl)-maleimide has been prepared to improve sensitivity and resolution in its ESR spectrum. The synthesis involved modifications of procedures known for the corresponding protonated analog. Spectral data are presented for the product to establish isotopic purity. A five-fold enhancement of the ESR signal for the title compound relative to the proton counterpart has been observed.
Useful Tools for Biomolecule Isolation, Detection, and Identification: Acylhydrazone-Based Cleavable Linkers

Proteomic searches using affinity-based chromatography (e.g., biotin-[strept]avidin) have been severely hampered by low protein recovery yields, protein destruction and denaturation, and the release of background proteins from the support. These limitations confound protein identification. A new acylhydrazone-based cleavable linker was developed to permit the efficient isolation of proteins with a traceable tag allowing detection and identification under mild conditions. The utility of the acylhydrazone linker was validated in a proteomic search wherein aldehyde dehydrogenase-1 was selectively captured and isolated from the mouse soluble liver proteome without interfering background proteins. The use of acylhydrazone linkers is expected to be generalized, allowing for the selective release of tagged molecules from noncovalent and covalently tagged supports.
Organic/Inorganic Langmuir−Blodgett Films Based on Metal Phosphonates: Preparation and Characterization of Phenoxy- and Biphenoxy-Substituted Zirconium Phosphonate Films

Zirconium phosphonate Langmuir−Blodgett (LB) films have been prepared where phenoxy and biphenoxy functional groups are placed in the organic tail at different positions relative to the phosphonate headgroup. The organophosphonic acids 4-octadecyloxyphenylphosphonic acid (P0), 4-(4‘-tetradecyloxyphenyl)butylphosphonic acid (P4), 4‘-octadecyloxybiphenylphosphonic acid (B0), and 4-(4‘-tetradecyloxybiphenyl)butylphosphonic acid (B4) were synthesized for this study. Pressure vs area isotherms of Langmuir monolayers are well-behaved except in the case of B0, where aggregation results in a very rigid monolayer. Using a previously developed three-step deposition procedure, both alternating layer and symmetric bilayer zirconium phosphonate films have been prepared and characterized. A combination of XPS, X-ray diffraction, and ATR-FTIR analyses indicate that organized zirconium phosphonate LB layers are formed in each case. Polarized ATR-FTIR was used to determine the orientation of the different functional group...
On convergence of computation of chemically reacting flows

The computational problems associated with high-temperature flows undergoing finite-rate ionization reactions is investigated. The conservation equations governing chemical species and vibrational and electron energies are solved simultaneously with those for overall mass, momentum, and energy for a one-dimensional subsonic flow, through a constant-area duct, originating behind a normal shock wave, using an implicit time-marching technique. Boundary conditions are imposed in the form of characteristic wave variables accounting for the effects of chemical reactions on the speed of sound. Converging solutions are obtained for cases in which chemical reactions are weak, but difficulty is encountered in other cases. The cause of the difficulty is investigated and shown to be the sharp pressure disturbances produced by such reactions.
Heavy fuel oil analysis at Iraq's Bayji refinery

This case study develops a dynamic model to analyse Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) production and distribution at Iraq's largest oil refinery. It studies the impact of instituting a more flexible export pricing model for HFO removal, which constrains production due to physical storage limitations on refined fuel production and revenue generation. The production model utilizes system dynamics concepts and incorporates six independent, uncorrelated inputs (market prices, power outages, HFO produced, HFO removed via the power plant, local and export trucking) to effectively simulate historical trends. An export pricing model was then added to optimize the production model. Various sensitivities regarding the Iraq HFO export market to price fluctuations, time lag for prices changes to take effect, and production increases resultant of HFO storage becoming a less significant constraint were explored. The analysis reveals significant increased revenue potential, ranging from $50 million USD to $1 billion USD annually, by implementing a pricing system that adjusts HFO export prices based on HFO storage levels with minimal downside risk.
Trapping of Low Frequency Oscillations in an Equatorial "Boundary Layer"

A thin layer of water (thickness h ) and its spherical boundaries (mean radius R ) rotate with uniform angular velocity ω. Using an asymptotic expansion in the parameter h/R <1 we investigate the inertial oscillations of “large scale” disturbances at the equator. It is found that the vertical constraints on the motion inhibit the lateral (poleward) propagation of low frequency energy. Solutions of the non-separable eigenvalue problem give standing oscillations whose longest period is ( R/h ) 1/2 (2π/ω) and which are self-confined within a distance of order ( Rh ) 1/2 on either side of the equator. This axial symmetric calculation is probably valid for disturbances whose east-west wave-length is large compared with the width of the “boundary layer” ( Rh ) 1/2 . It is suggested that a trapped wave can transfer energy to a mean flow at the equator, as the result of the correlation between the velocity components of the eigenfunction. In the bottom water of the equatorial ocean, where, the stratification is small, there might be oscillations whose period is of the order of a month and which extended some 300 km north and south of the equator. When the static stability is appreciable the effect can only be expected if, on this time scale, the fluid dissipates temperature perturbations much more rapidly than momentum. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1963.tb01384.x
Radioenzymatic assay for reductive catalysis of N5N10-methylenetetrahydrofolate by methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase catalyzes the reduction of N(5), N(10)-methylenetetrahydrofolate to N(5)-methyltetrahydrofolate. Because this substrate is unstable and dissociates spontaneously into formaldehyde and tetrahydrofolate, the customary method to assay the catalytic activity of this enzyme has been to measure the oxidation of [14C]N(5)-methyltetrahydrofolate to N(5), N(10)-methylenetetrahydrofolate and quantify the [14C]formaldehyde that dissociates from this product. This report describes a very sensitive radioenzymatic assay that measures directly the reductive catalysis of N(5),N(10)-methylenetetrahydrofolate. The radio-labeled substrate, [14C]N(5),N(10)-methylenetetrahydrofolate, is prepared by condensation of [C(14)]formaldehyde with tetrahydrofolate and the stability of this substrate is maintained for several months by storage at -80 degrees C in a pH 9.5 buffer. Partially purified methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase from rat liver, incubated with the radio-labeled substrate and the cofactors, NADPH and FAD at pH 7. 5, generates [14C]N(5)-methyltetrahydrofolate, which is stable and partitions into the aqueous phase after the assay is terminated with dimedone and toluene. A K(m) value of 8.2 microM was obtained under conditions of increasing substrate concentration to ensure saturation kinetics. This method is simple, very sensitive and measures directly the reduction of N(5), N(10)-methylenetetrahydrofolate to N(5)-methyltetrahydrofolate, which is the physiologic catalytic pathway for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase.
Fathers with HIV Disease and Disclosure to Children: Reported Experiences and Unique Characteristics

More than 1 million persons in the United States are living with HIV disease; many are parents. HIV-positive parents' decisions about whether to disclose their HIV status to their children has been of concern to social work researchers in recent years. Studies have focused almost exclusively on mothers; however, not only do HIV-positive fathers grapple with disclosure, they may possess unique characteristics that influence their decisions. This article describes the disclosure experiences of 41 HIV-positive custodial fathers of children ages 5 to 18. Biological, psychological, and social factors are addressed in the context of current disclosure theories.
Pulse height analyzer and associated threshold detection and logic circuitry for general satellite application

Scientific satellites pulse height analyzer and associated threshold detection and logic circuitry
Voltage calibration of dual-frequency liquid crystal devices for infrared beam steering applications

This paper addresses the use of liquid crystal devices for electro-optic infrared laser beam steering, such as liquid crystal optical phased arrays (OPAs) and digital beam deflectors (DBDs). In these devices, voltages are synchronously applied to different liquid crystal pixels to steer light, either by diffraction and/or refraction using birefringent prisms. Dual frequency liquid crystals provide an order of magnitude higher speed as compared to conventional nematic liquid crystals, at the cost of more complex addressing algorithms and control circuits. In order to optimize the optical performance of a liquid crystal device, the control voltages must be calibrated. This procedure involves adjustment of the control voltages while monitoring the optical efficiency, and must be done for both steady-state phase levels as well as transitions between phase levels. Manual voltage calibration is unrealistically time consuming for multi-channel beam steering devices. Computer based calibration algorithms for dual frequency liquid crystal devices are discussed, and results are presented for both steady state and dynamic voltage calibration procedures.
Dynamics of poliovirus-specific RNA synthesis and the effects of inhibitors of virus replication.

Abstract The time course and rate of formation of the three species of poliovirus-specific RNA extracted from infected HeLa cells has been studied with the aid of polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, which permits the accurate determination of replicative intermediate (RI), replicative form (RF), and single-stranded (SS) viral RNA. The pattern of labeling of RI is in keeping with its postulated role as an intermediate in the synthesis of SS RNA. The addition of guanidine preferentially inhibits the appearance of SS RNA, while permitting continued synthesis of RF and RI at reduced rates. Cycloheximide also permits limited synthesis of virus-specific RNA for an extended interval. The significance of these observations with respect to the mode of action of the inhibitors is discussed.
CHILDHOOD FAMILY DISRUPTIONS AND ADULT WELL-BEING: THE DIFFERENTIAL EFFECTS OF DIVORCE AND PARENTAL DEATH

This study draws on attachment theory and social learning theory and uses data from the National Survey of Families and Households to examine the differential effects of childhood family disruptions on adult well-being. Comparisons are made between adults who experienced parental divorce, adults who experienced parental death, and adults who were raised in intact families (N = 4,341). The present study differs from previous research by making direct comparisons between different family disruption groups, assessing the effects of family disruptions that occur before age 19, and including multiple measures of adult well-being as dependent variables. Consistent with hypotheses and inferences made from comparisons with adults from intact families, adults who experienced parental divorce report lower levels of parent-child relationship quality, higher levels of self-confidence, and lower levels of depression than adults who experienced parental death during childhood. Therefore, studies that fail to take type of childhood family disruption into account will lead to inaccurate and misleading conclusions about the effects of these experiences on adult outcomes.
Spatial and temporal characteristics of moose highway crossings during winter in the Buffalo Fork Valley, Wyoming.

To accommodate increases in traffic volume and to address highway safety concerns, transportation managers often need to expand existing travel corridors which may result in increased risk of wildlife-vehicle collisions. By understanding the spatial and temporal characteristics of wildlife crossings, managers can apply appropriate mitigation techniques to reduce collision risk while maintaining habitat linkages. The U.S. Highway 287/26 reconstruction project in northwest Wyoming provided an opportunity to examine the influence of habitat, landscape, and anthropogenic features that influence highway crossing locations of Shiras moose (Alces alces shirasi). A model developed to estimate adult (≥ 2 years) female moose winter habitat selection was used at a smaller spatial scale to determine if it could accurately identify moose crossing locations along a 9.7-km section of U.S. Highway 287/26 that bisects a high-density moose winter range in the Buffalo Fork Valley. To test our model’s predictive capability, we used 201 moose crossing locations collected previously by independent researchers using snow-track survey techniques. The majority (81%) of moose crossing events occurred in areas classified as high or medium-high relative probability of use. We also examined temporal patterns of moose crossings and the influence of fence types in influencing crossing location. Moose crossed the highway more frequently during early to mid-evening and less frequently during mid-day. Our findings indicate that preferred habitat and landscape features such as relatively flat, low elevation habitats dominated by deciduous shrubs/trees interspersed with conifers had a stronger influence on crossing location than fences.
Probabilistic Analysis of Large Finite State Machines

Regarding finite state machines as Markov chains facilitates the application of probabilistic methods to very large logic synthesis and formal verification problems. Recently, we have shown how symbolic algorithms based on Algebraic Decision Diagrams may be used to calculate the steady-state probabilities of finite state machines with more than 108 states. These algorithms treated machines with state graphs composed of a single terminal strongly connected component. In this paper we consider the most general case of systems which can be modeled as state machines with arbitrary transition structures. The proposed approach exploits structural information to decompose and simplify the state graph of the machine.
Detoxification of molinate sulfoxide: comparison of spontaneous and enzmatic glutathione conjugation using human and rat liver cytosol.

Previous lab studies implicated the sulfoxidation pathway of molinate metabolism to induce testicular toxicity. Once molinate is metabolized to molinate sulfoxide, it undergoes further phase II metabolism either spontaneously, enzyme catalyzed, or both to form glutathione-conjugated molinate. This study compared the metabolic capability of rat and human liver cytosol to form a glutathione (GSH)-conjugated metabolite of molinate. The GSH conjugation of molinate sulfoxide in rat cytosol was described by the constants Km of 305 μM and Vmax of 4.21 nmol/min/mg cytosol whereas the human values were 91 μM and 0.32 nmol/min/mg protein for Km and Vmax, respectively. At the same 1 mM GSH concentration, the in vitro bimolecular nonenzymatic rate constant of 3.02 × 10−6 μM −1 min−1 was calculated for GSH conjugation of molinate sulfoxide. Specific activity for rat and human glutathione transferase was calculated to equal 1.202 ± 0.25 and 0.809 ± 0.45 μmol/min/mg protein, respectively by 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (...
Gender and social environment modulate the effects of testosterone on social behavior: comment on Eisenegger et al.

Eisenegger and colleagues [1] recently published in this journal an important review on the role of testosterone (T) in social interaction. We agree with the main premise of the article that T is related to status-seeking (see [2] for a previous review that drew a similar conclusion). The authors, however, overlooked the important roles of gender and social environment in moderating testosteronebehavior associations. Also, some of the references were incorrectly cited, and correcting these in fact bolsters the authors’ theoretical position.
Freedom and international marketing : Janis Joplin's candidacy as Patron of the field

The role of international marketing in society as perceived by the public is under attack. The discipline has progressively been linked to exploitation, increases in poverty, and special interests. The appeal of the discipline has declined, academics have switched fields, and its domain has shrunk severely from its heyday in the 1970s. This article presents a call for a new breadth of thinking in the discipline. The concept of freedom offers international marketing a key change agent in times of global adjustment. Â© 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Lived Body: The Essential Dimension in Social Work Practice

Through conducting a phenomenology of phenomenology — -reflection on and association to the lived experience of conducting a phenomenological study in which fifteen older women engaged in reflectio...
Critical Role of Transmembrane Segment Zinc Binding in the Structure and Function of Rhodopsin

Zinc deficiency and retinitis pigmentosa are both important factors resulting in retinal dysfunction and night blindness. In this study, we address the critical biochemical and structural relevance of zinc ions in rhodopsin and examine whether zinc deficiency can lead to rhodopsin dysfunction. We report the identification of a high-affinity zinc coordination site within the transmembrane domain of rhodopsin, coordinated by the side chains of two highly conserved residues, Glu122 in transmembrane helix III and His211 in transmembrane helix V. We also demonstrate that this zinc coordination is critical for rhodopsin folding, 11-cis-retinal binding, and the stability of the chromophore-receptor interaction, defects of which are observed in retinitis pigmentosa. Furthermore, a cluster of retinitis pigmentosa mutations is localized within and around this zinc binding site. Based on these studies, we believe that improvement in zinc binding to rhodopsin at this site within the transmembrane domain may be a pharmacological approach for the treatment of select retinitis pigmentosa mutations. Transmembrane coordination of zinc may also be an important common principle across G-protein-coupled receptors.
What is a planet

Atmospheric scientists, forensic scientists, life scientists, neuroscientists, ocean scientists, plant scientists, and almost all other scientists know what lies at the heart of their respective fields, but planetary scientists do not. The last generally accepted definition of a planet, a "wanderer," comes from the ancient Greeks.Although the need for an updated definition has existed since the discovery of the asteroid belt two centuries ago, recent discoveries of objects in the KUiper belt and in orbit around other stars have reminded planetary scientists of this unsatisfactory situation.
Diabetes self-management in African Americans: an exploration of the role of fatalism.

PURPOSEThis study was conducted to explore the concept of fatalism in relation to diabetes self-management behavior in African Americans with type 2 diabetes.METHODSParticipants (n=39) were recruited from a clinic sample of African Americans with type 2 diabetes. Seven focus groups were conducted; the sessions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed to identify themes related to fatalism and diabetes self-management. The ISAS paradigm (individual, symbols, audience, situation), a social psychology theory, provided the theoretical framework for the study.RESULTSFour dimensions of fatalism were identified: the meaning of diabetes, the illness experience, the individual's coping response, and the individual's religious and spiritual beliefs. For the participants in this study, fatalism seemed to characterize the nature of the interaction between the individual with diabetes and others, the meanings they attached to such interactions, and the decision to adopt an effective or ineffective diabetes self-manage...
Outcomes of Therapy for Cushing’s Disease due to Adrenocorticotropin-Secreting Pituitary Macroadenomas

We reviewed our experience with 21 patients who had Cushing's disease due to ACTH-secreting macroadenomas to clarify the natural history of this disease. All patients had typical clinical and biochemical features of ACTH-dependent hypercortisolism. Their mean maximal tumor diameter was 1.6 +/- 0.1 cm, and the range was 1.0-2.7 cm. Six patients had cavernous sinus invasion, three had invasion of the floor of their sella, and nine had suprasellar extension. The observed remission rate was significantly lower in macroadenoma patients than in microadenoma patients (67% vs. 91%; chi 2 = 5.7; P < 0.02). Cavernous sinus invasion (odds ratio, 35; 95% confidence interval, 2.6-475; P < 0.008) and presence of a maximum tumor diameter 2.0 cm or more (odds ratio, 12.9; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-124; P < 0.02) emerged as the only predictors of residual disease after surgery. The observed recurrence rate was significantly higher in macroadenoma patients than in microadenoma patients (36% vs. 12%; chi 2 = 4.2; P < 0.05). Macroadenoma patients tended to suffer from recurrences earlier than did microadenoma patients (16 vs. 49 months). Stepwise multiple logistic regression did not identify any predictors of disease recurrence in macroadenoma patients. Eight macroadenoma patients underwent a total of nine repeat surgical procedures, but none of these resulted in clinical remissions. Only four of seven (57%) patients followed for a sufficient period of time achieved normal urinary free cortisol levels after conventional radiotherapy. Three (75%) of these four patients had re-recurrent hypercortisolism after brief periods of eucortisolism. Pharmacological agents and adrenalectomy were effective in the management of hypercortisolism in patients with residual and recurrent disease. Our results indicate that ACTH-secreting macroadenomas are more refractory to conventional treatments than are ACTH-secreting microadenomas.
Two Languages are Better than One (for Syntactic Parsing)

We show that jointly parsing a bitext can substantially improve parse quality on both sides. In a maximum entropy bitext parsing model, we define a distribution over source trees, target trees, and node-to-node alignments between them. Features include monolingual parse scores and various measures of syntactic divergence. Using the translated portion of the Chinese treebank, our model is trained iteratively to maximize the marginal likelihood of training tree pairs, with alignments treated as latent variables. The resulting bitext parser outperforms state-of-the-art monolingual parser baselines by 2.5 F1 at predicting English side trees and 1.8 F1 at predicting Chinese side trees (the highest published numbers on these corpora). Moreover, these improved trees yield a 2.4 BLEU increase when used in a downstream MT evaluation.
Isozymes of the Na-K-ATPase: heterogeneity in structure, diversity in function

The Na-K-ATPase is characterized by a complex molecular heterogeneity that results from the expression and differential association of multiple isoforms of both its α- and β-subunits. At present, a...
Observations on Madagascan Amyrea Leandri and Tannodia Baill. (Euphorbiaceae)

Abstract Mcpherson, G. (2015). Observations on Madagascan Amyrea Leandri and Tannodia Baill. (Euphorbiaceae). Candollea 70: 141–144. In English, English and French abstracts. Seven names for currently recognized taxa within Madagascan Amyrea Leandri and Tannodia Baill. (Euphorbiaceae) are discussed and reduced to synonymy, and in some cases in a different genus. Amyrea celastroides Radcl.-Sm. is synonymized under Amyrea humbertii Leandri, Amyrea eucleoides Radcl.-Sm. under Cleistanthus occidentalis (Leandri) Leandri, Amyrea maprouneifolia Radcl.-Sm. under Tannodia cordifolia Baill., Amyrea myrtifolia Radcl.-Sm. under Thecacoris perrieri Leandri, Amyrea stenocarpa Radcl.-Sm. under Amyrea humbertii Leandri, Tannodia grandiflora var. myrtifolia Radcl.-Sm. under Tannodia cordifolia Baill., and Tannodia nitida Radcl.-Sm. under Tannodia perrieri Baill.
Yes, I Did it, but Don't Blame Me: Perceptions of Excuse Defenses

According to some, it is increasingly common for defendants to admit they committed an offense but to argue that they shouldn't be held legally responsible because they have an excuse. The present ...
ARGIOLESTES KULA, A NEW SPECIES OF DAMSELFLY FROM EASTERN NEW GUINEA (ODONATA: MEGAPODAGRIONIDAE)

Abstract Argiolestes kula n. sp. is described from eastern New Guinea and nearby offshore islands (Sariba, Basilaki, Fergusson), and a comparison is provided to the closely related species Argiolestes sidonia Martin. Figures of the male abdominal appendages, wing venation and breeding habitat are provided, accompanied by a distribution map. A checklist of Argiolestes species is also included.
Counteracting effects of a non-native prey on the demography of a native predator culminate in positive population growth.

Identifying impacts of non-native species on native populations is central to conservation and ecology. While effects of non-native predators on native prey populations have recently received much attention, impacts of introduced prey on native predator populations are less understood. Non-native prey can influence predator behavior and demography through direct and indirect pathways, yet quantitative assessments of the relative impacts of multiple, potentially counteracting, effects on native predator population growth remain scarce. Using ≈20 years of range-wide monitoring data, we tested for effects of a recently introduced, rapidly spreading non-native prey species (Pomacea maculata) on the behavior and demography of the endangered Snail Kite (Rostrhamus sociabilis). Previous studies found that food-handling difficulties caused by the large size of P. maculata (relative to the native P. paludosa) can lead to energetic deficiencies in juvenile kites, suggesting the potential for evolutionary traps to occur. However, high densities of P. maculata populations could facilitate kites by providing supplemental food resources. Contrary to prior hypotheses, we found that juvenile apparent survival increased ≈50% in wetlands invaded by non-native snails. Breeding rates and number of young fledged/successful nests were also positively associated with non-native snail presence, suggesting direct trophic benefits to kites. We found no direct effects of the invasive snail on adult survival or daily nest survival rates. Kite movements and breeding distribution closely tracked the spread of non-native snail populations. Since 2005, kites have been heavily concentrated in northern regions where non-native snails have established. This geographic shift has had hidden costs, as use of northern regions is associated with lower adult survival. Despite negative impacts to this key vital rate, matrix population modeling indicated that the multifarious effects of the non-native snail invasion on kites culminated in increased population growth rates, likely lowering short-term extinction risks. Results suggest that considering only particular components of behavior or demography may be inadequate to infer the population-dynamic importance of non-native prey on native predators, including their role in creating potential evolutionary traps. Our findings provide information pertinent to Everglades restoration, highlighting potential management trade-offs for non-native species that may aid imperiled species recovery yet disrupt other native communities.
Analyzing Change in Yellowstone's Terrestrial Emittance with Landsat Imagery

Yellowstone National Park (YNP) contains the world's largest concentration of geothermal features and is legally mandated to protect and monitor these natural features. Remote sensing is a component of the current geothermal monitoring plan. Landsat satellite data have a substantial historical archive and will continue to be collected into the future, making it the only available thermal imagery for historical analysis and long-term monitoring of geothermal areas in the entirety of YNP. Landsat imagery from Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) sensors was used to examine change trajectories for terrestrial emittance among spatial groupings from 1986 to 2007. Trajectories of locations with known change events were also examined. Relationships between the spatial groupings and several change vectors (distance to geologic faults, distance to large water bodies, and distance to earthquake swarms) were explored. The analysis showed the strongest relationship between absolute difference...
Early information processing in schizophrenia.

In summary, approaches from various sensory modalities indicate a similar processing deficit for various schizophrenics occurring at approximately 100 milliseconds during or post-stimulus presentation. This deficit occurs during the time period that has been associated with a dysfunctional inhibitory mechanism that is maximally activated during the 100 millisecond time period (e.g., during the period of temporal integration). The inhibitory mechanism is presently conceptualized as being a "transient" or "fast" system involved in the serial/sequential processing of information. The inability of certain schizophrenics to serially process may suggest a dysfunctional inhibitory mechanism for which GABA is a potential candidate.
Common miscoceptions concerning the skin.

The common opinion concerning the benign nature of diseases of the skin is erroneous. Many serious systemic diseases have cutaneous manifestations. Numerous misconceptions exist regarding diagnosis and treatment of acne, plant and contact dermatitides, warts, psoriasis, etc. Steroids should be used with caution in managing diseases of the skin.
Ionic Requirements of Blue Crabs (Callinectes sapidus) in Environments Containing Low Concentrations of Total Dissolved Solids

ABSTRACT Blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) landings along Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts have been decreasing for several years. Given the euryhaline nature of blue crabs, culture in inland ponds may provide a means of meeting demand. The goal of this study was to develop an ionic environment containing 1 g/l total dissolved solids (TDS) that would support the survival and growth of juvenile blue crabs. The 1 g/l TDS level was selected to minimize the cost of preparing ponds, and potentially to reduce the need for effluent permitting in inlands areas. The general approach was to provide selected ions in approximate concentrations found in 1 g/l dilute seawater. In a series of four 3-wk experiments, beginning with ∼20-mm carapace width crabs, it was observed that blue crabs can survive and grow in a simple aqueous solution containing 1 g/l TDS (0.445 g/l sodium chloride, 0.120 g/l sodium sulfate, 0.022 g/l potassium chloride, 0.045 g/l calcium chloride dihydrate, 0.349 g/l magnesium chloride hexahydrate,...
Predictors of radiation exposure to providers during percutaneous nephrolithotomy

Background: Limited studies have reported on radiation risks of increased ionizing radiation exposure to medical personnel in the urologic community. Fluoroscopy is readily used in many urologic surgical procedures. The aim of this study was to determine radiation exposure to all operating room personnel during percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL), commonly performed for large renal or complex stones. Materials and Methods: We prospectively collected personnel exposure data for all PNL cases at two academic institutions. This was collected using the Instadose™ dosimeter and reported both continuously and categorically as high and low dose using a 10 mrem dose threshold, the approximate amount of radiation received from one single chest X-ray. Predictors of increased radiation exposure were determined using multivariate analysis. Results: A total of 91 PNL cases in 66 patients were reviewed. Median surgery duration and fluoroscopy time were 142 (38–368) min and 263 (19–1809) sec, respectively. Median attending urologist, urology resident, anesthesia, and nurse radiation exposure per case was 4 (0–111), 4 (0–21), 0 (0–5), and 0 (0–5) mrem, respectively. On univariate analysis, stone area, partial or staghorn calculi, surgery duration, and fluoroscopy time were associated with high attending urologist and resident radiation exposure. Preexisting access that was utilized was negatively associated with resident radiation exposure. However, on multivariate analysis, only fluoroscopy duration remained significant for attending urologist radiation exposure. Conclusion: Increased stone burden, partial or staghorn calculi, surgery and fluoroscopy duration, and absence of preexisting access were associated with high provider radiation exposure. Radiation safety awareness is essential to minimize exposure and to protect the patient and all providers from potential radiation injury.
Learning Ranking Functions For Information Retrieval Using Layered Multi-Population Genetic Programming

Ranking plays a key role in many applications, such as document retrieval, recommendation, question answering, and machine translation. In practice, a ranking function (or model) is exploited to determine the rank-order relations between objects, with respect to a particular criterion. In this paper, a layered multipopulation genetic programming based method, known as RankMGP, is proposed to learn ranking functions for document retrieval by incorporating various types of retrieval models into a singular one with high effectiveness. RankMGP represents a potential solution (i.e., a ranking function) as an individual in a population of genetic programming and aims to directly optimize information retrieval evaluation measures in the evolution process. Overall, RankMGP consists of a set of layers and a sequential workflow running through the layers. In one layer, multiple populations evolve independently to generate a set of the best individuals. When the evolution process is completed, a new training dataset is created using the best individuals and the input training set of the layer. Then, the populations in the next layer evolve with the new training dataset. In the final layer, the best individual is obtained as the output ranking function. The proposed method is evaluated using the LETOR datasets and is found to be superior to classical information retrieval models, such as Okapi BM25. It is also statistically competitive with the state-of-the-art methods, including Ranking SVM, ListNet, AdaRank and RankBoost.
Traffic signal control by distributed Reinforcement Learning with min-sum communication

Reinforcement learning (RL) is a promising technique for adaptive signal control based on real-time traffic data. However, the implementation of RL in large-scale traffic signal network remains an open challenge due to the extremely high computational cost. In this paper, we integrate a distributed communication technique into RL so that the learning and searching cost of large-scale multi-agent system can be significantly reduced. In particular, we first decompose the global Q-function into local Q-functions, so each local signal agent can compute its own optimal policy based on local observations. We then apply the max-sum message passing algorithm to share information among agents, for finding a stable and optimal global policy that is accepted by all agents. Due to this information sharing characteristic, our approach is more optimal than decentralized RL, and it is much more efficient than centralized RL. Further, we perform realistic simulation to demonstrate that this distributed RL approach outperforms decentralized RL algorithm, as well as some typical heuristic decentralized control methods.
Gender and Weight among Thoroughbred Jockeys: Underrepresented Women and Underweight Men:

Discrimination can damage health by limiting an occupation to persons who are physically unsuited to it. In thoroughbred racing, male jockeys damage their health to reach racing weights, while wome...
Im Wettstreit mit den Nachbarn

Nicht alle im Sonnensystem vorkommende Materie ist in der Sonne und ihren neun Planeten konzentriert. Sechs dieser Planeten werden von Monden umkreist. Ein Ring von 10 Mrd. Asteroiden liegt zwischen den Umlaufbahnen von Mars und Jupiter. Myriaden von Kometen schwirren um die Sonne, und ihre Umlaufbahnen sind weitaus groβer als die des Pluto.
The impact of the bovine faecal microbiome on Escherichia coli O157:H7 prevalence and enumeration in naturally infected cattle.

AIMS: The objective of this study was to determine if the faecal microbiome has an association with Escherichia coli O157:H7 prevalence and enumeration. METHODS AND RESULTS: Pyrosequencing analysis of faecal microbiome was performed from feedlot cattle fed one of three diets: (i) 94 heifers fed low concentrate (LC) diet, (ii) 142 steers fed moderate concentrate (MC) diet, and (iii) 132 steers fed high concentrate (HC) diet. A total of 322 585 OTUs were calculated from 2,411,122 high‐quality sequences obtained from 368 faecal samples. In the LC diet group, OTUs assigned to the orders Clostridiales and RF39 (placed within the class Mollicutes) were positively correlated with both E. coli O157:H7 prevalence and enumeration. In the MC diet group, OTUs assigned to Prevotella copri were positively correlated with both E. coli O157:H7 prevalence and enumeration, whereas OTUs assigned to Prevotella stercorea were negatively correlated with both E. coli O157:H7 prevalence and enumeration. In both the MC diet group and the HC diet group, OTUs assigned to taxa placed within Clostridiales were both positively and negatively correlated with both E. coli O157:H7 prevalence and enumeration. However, all correlations were weak. In both the MC diet group and the HC diet group, stepwise linear regression through backward elimination analyses indicated that these OTUs were significantly correlated (P < 0·001) with prevalence or enumeration, explaining as much as 50% of variability in E. coli O157:H7 prevalence or enumeration. CONCLUSIONS: Individual colonic bacterial species have little impact on E. coli O157:H7 shedding but collectively groups of bacteria were strongly associated with pathogen shedding. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Bacterial groups in the bovine colon may impact faecal shedding of the zoonotic pathogen E. coli O157:H7, and manipulation of the intestinal microbiota to alter these bacteria may reduce shedding of this pathogen and foodborne illnesses.
Experimental Characterization of a Butterfly in Climbing Flight

An optical tracking facility was used to record the free flight of the Monarch butterfly for a large number of sequential flaps. The system automatically tracked reflective markers, which were modi...
Virtual Serendipity: Preserving Embodied Browsing Activity in the 21st Century Research Library

Abstract As academic library collections are moved off site to make room for learning commons-type collaboration spaces, exploratory research processes (e.g. stacks browsing activities) are threatened. Given the range of benefits associated with chance information encounters in the physical book stacks, the disappearance of accessible collections is problematic. Fortunately, by focusing on embodied aspects of the physical browsing experience we can leverage emerging technologies to preserve instances of serendipitous information retrieval. Virtual reality, in this case, provides a browsing platform that allows for the type of search activity typically associated with research in the physical books stacks and preserves the benefits thereof.
Leisure and Recreation Concepts: A Critical Analysis. Jay S. Shivers

(1986). Leisure and Recreation Concepts: A Critical Analysis. Jay S. Shivers. Journal of Leisure Research: Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 337-339.
Oxidation of Titanium

The rate of oxidation of titanium in the temperature range 650° to 950°C has been measured. The linear rate law obtained is explained by interface reaction control of the process. Tracer experiments indicate the oxygen diffuses in at least one phase of the scale.
Assessing High School Students' Cost Concerns about Pursuing STEM: "Is It Worth It?".

Women and ethnic minorities (e.g., Latinos) continue to be underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In an attempt to understand why these STEM minorities are un...
Rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing by VITEK®2 directly from blood cultures in patients with Gram-negative rod bacteremia.

Abstract Objective Optimizing therapy for bacteremia is currently limited by the 1–2-day turnaround time required for antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST). Here, we assess a rapid AST method with VITEK®2 (bioMerieux, France) directly from positive blood cultures. Methods Patient-derived positive blood cultures with Gram-negative rods identified as Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were prospectively tested, and other blood culture bottles were spiked with carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE). Positive cultures were subjected to red blood cell lysis and centrifugation, and setup on VITEK®2. Results A total of 109 patient blood cultures and 52 spiked blood cultures were tested. Overall, essential agreement was 97.7% [95% confidence interval (CI) 96.4–99.0], and categorical agreement was 96.8% (95% CI 95.0–98.6). Mean turnaround time from setup to susceptibility results for Enterobacteriaceae in the clinical cultures was 9.0 (±1.3) h. Conclusions Direct susceptibility testing of blood cultures by VITEK®2 for Enterobacteriaceae is an accurate, practical, and inexpensive diagnostic strategy for rapid automated AST.
Parametric Study of Micro Ultrasonic Machining Process of Hybrid Composite Stacks using Finite Element Analysis

Abstract Hybrid composites stacks are multi-material laminates which find extensive applications in industries such as aerospace, automobile, and electronics and so on. Most hybrid composites consist of multiple layers of fiber composites and metal sheets stacked together. These composite stacks have excellent physical and mechanical properties including high strength, high hardness, high stiffness, excellent fatigue resistance and low thermal expansion. Micromachining of these materials require particular attention as conventional methods such as micro-drilling is extremely challenging considering the non-homogeneous structure and anisotropic nature of the material layers. Micro Ultrasonic Machining (μUSM) is a manufacturing process capable of machining such difficult-to-machine materials with ultraprecision. Experimental study showed that μUSM process could successfully machine hybrid composite stacks at micron scale with a relatively good surface finish. This research uses finite element simulation technique to investigate the material removal during the μUSM process for micromachining hybrid composite stacks. The effects of critical process parameters including the amplitude of vibration, feed rate and tool material on the cavity depth and cutting force are studied. The study results could be used to meet the industry needs of performing precision machining on hybrid composite stacks.
Integrating Collaborative Reasoning and Strategy Instruction to Improve Second Graders' Opinion Writing.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an approach to teaching opinion writing in the primary grades that combined collaborative reasoning with strategy instruction. Four teachers ...
Electromechanical Dyssynchrony and Clinically Silent Ventricular Dysfunction in Young Subjects with Ventricular Pacing for Congenital and Early Acquired Av Block

Hematopoietic growth factors (HGFs) are a group of glycoproteins, termed colony stimulating factors (CSFs) or interleukins (ILs) that are believed to control the proliferation, differentiation and survival of hematopoietic stem and/ or progenitor cells
Expanding Curriculum-Based Measurement in Written Expression for Middle School.

This study provides significant advances in the understanding and utility of writing assessment for progress monitoring writing instruction. We explored the validity of a new writing tool that asks...
Toll-like Receptor 4 Signaling in Neurons Enhances Calcium-Permeable α-Amino-3-Hydroxy-5-Methyl-4-Isoxazolepropionic Acid Receptor Currents and Drives Post-Traumatic Epileptogenesis.

Objective Traumatic brain injury is a major risk factor for acquired epilepsies, and understanding the mechanisms underlying the early pathophysiology could yield viable therapeutic targets. Growing evidence indicates a role for inflammatory signaling in modifying neuronal excitability and promoting epileptogenesis. Here we examined the effect of innate immune receptor Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) on excitability of the hippocampal dentate gyrus and epileptogenesis after brain injury. Methods Slice and in vivo electrophysiology and Western blots were conducted in rats subject to fluid percussion brain injury or sham injury. Results The studies identify that TLR4 signaling in neurons augments dentate granule cell calcium-permeable α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptor (CP-AMPAR) currents after brain injury. Blocking TLR4 signaling in vivo shortly after brain injury reduced dentate network excitability and seizure susceptibility. When blocking of TLR4 signaling after injury was delayed, however, this treatment failed to reduce postinjury seizure susceptibility. Furthermore, TLR4 signal blocking was less efficacious in limiting seizure susceptibility when AMPAR currents, downstream targets of TLR4 signaling, were transiently enhanced. Paradoxically, blocking TLR4 signaling augmented both network excitability and seizure susceptibility in uninjured controls. Despite the differential effect on seizure susceptibility, TLR4 antagonism suppressed cellular inflammatory responses after injury without impacting sham controls. Interpretation These findings demonstrate that independently of glia, the immune receptor TLR4 directly regulates post-traumatic neuronal excitability. Moreover, the TLR4-dependent early increase in dentate excitability is causally associated with epileptogenesis. Identification and selective targeting of the mechanisms underlying the aberrant TLR4-mediated increase in CP-AMPAR signaling after injury may prevent epileptogenesis after brain trauma. ANN NEUROL 2020;87:497-515.
Correlation Between N95 Extended Use and Reuse and Fit Failure in an Emergency Department.

This cross-sectional study examines prevalence of fit test failure of 2 types of N95 mask (dome-shaped and duckbill) during extended use or reuse among health care workers over 2 days in April 2020 in the UCSF emergency department.
The German Nuclear Program: The Third Reich and Atomic Energy

The success of the Manhattan Project makes it easy to overlook the fact that there was a German nuclear program during World War II, and that for some time it ran ahead of its Allied counterpart. For various reasons, the German effort began to lose steam in the summer of 1942, just as the Manhattan Engineer District was coming into existence. But by no means did it die out. Working feverishly in the last weeks of the war in Europe in April, 1945, German scientists came close to creating a self-sustaining chain reaction in a heavy-water-moderated pile.