cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Problem Framing Influences Linkages Among Networks of Collective Action Situations for Water Provision, Wastewater, and Water Conservation in a Metropolitan Region

Collective action problems are linked together when the outcomes of one collective action situation affect the working components of another. In San Diego, California, solutions to the collective action dilemmas of water provisioning, conservation, and wastewater were found to have influenced each other between 1990 and 2010. Building upon a database of water management-related action situation outcomes, developed from archival documents and interviews with water managers, environmental groups, and other participants, we used McGinnis’ Network of Adjacent Action Situations framework and the Politicized IAD framework to analyze how the emergence of different problem frames affected linkages between these three collective action problems. Our research shows that newly introduced frames for thinking about these water management challenges as interconnected contributed to the progressive emergence of new governance strategies by different groups of actors.
Dynamics of shape recovery by stored red blood cells during washing at the single cell level.

Background Hypothermic storage transforms red blood cells (RBC) from smooth biconcave discocytes into increasingly spherical spiculated echinocytes and, ultimately, fragile spherocytes (S). Individual cells undergo this transformation at different rates, producing a heterogeneous mixture of RBCs at all stages of echinocytosis in each unit of stored blood. Here we investigated how washing (known to positively affect RBC properties) changes morphology of individual RBCs at the single-cell level. Study design and methods We tracked the change in shape of individual RBCs (n = 2870; drawn from six 4- to 6-week-old RBC units) that were confined in an array of microfluidic wells during washing in saline (n = 1095), 1% human serum albumin (1% HSA) solution (n = 999), and the autologous storage supernatant (control, n = 776). Results Shape recovery proceeded through the disappearance of spicules followed by the progressive smoothening of the RBC contour, with the majority of changes occurring within the initial 10 minutes of being exposed to the washing solution. Approximately 57% of all echinocytes recovered by at least one morphologic class when washed in 1% HSA (36% for normal saline), with 3% of cells in late-stage echinocytosis restoring their discoid shape completely. Approximately one-third of all spherocytic cells were lysed in either washing solution. Cells washed in their autologous storage supernatant continued to deteriorate during washing. Conclusion Our findings suggest that the replacement of storage supernatant with a washing solution during washing induces actual shape recovery for RBCs in all stages of echinocytosis, except for S that undergo lysis instead.
Enabling identity-aware tracking by vision-RFID fusion: poster abstract

Person identification and tracking (PIT) is an essential research topic in computer vision (CV). A CV-based system typically needs to identify, locate, and track persons appearing in its sight. In this work, we propose RFTrack, an RFID and CV fushion system that enables cameras in public areas (like surveillance cameras) to 'recognize' the physical-identity(ID) of persons in the fields of view and track the persons with specific IDs with no training efforts. By asking the users to perform a simple authentication, the system will be aware of the targets' IDs in its sensing range. Later through comparing the motion trajectories derived from both camera videos and RF signal, we can associate RFID-tagged human objects in videos with their physical IDs. A preliminary study conducted shows that RFTrack can actively identify and track the RFID-tagged target objects using commercial RFID devices and cameras, in complex indoor environments where various multipath reflectors exist.
Rescuing a lost damsel: a revised identity for the extinct true bug Miocoris fagi (Heteroptera)

The fossil heteropteran Miocoris fagi Cockerell, 1927 stat. rev. is redescribed and transferred from Reduviidae to the nominate tribe in Nabidae. The fossil Nabidae are surveyed and enumerated. One taxon, Sinanabis brevipes Zhang, 1986 stat. rev., is removed from Nabidae and is considered incertae familiae.
Bilateral Privacy-Utility Tradeoff in Spectrum Sharing Systems: A Game-Theoretic Approach

In spectrum sharing systems based on spectrum trading, user locations are vital for the efficiency of dynamic channel reuse. However, both primary users (PUs) and secondary users (SUs) undertake the risk of location information leakage: a malicious PU may illegally collect SUs’ location information to manipulate market decisions; a malicious SU would threat a PU’s operational privacy by inferring the PU’s location through seemingly inoffensive queries. To protect both PUs’ and SUs’ location information in spectrum trading, a bilateral privacy preservation framework is introduced in this paper. A game-theoretic approach based on the Stackelberg model is proposed to achieve the tradeoff between the privacy-preserving level and user utility. With the proposed approach, both PUs and SUs can maximize their utilities while maintaining their location privacy to desired levels. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed approach can effectively enhance user utility gain and strengthen user privacy guarantee by flexibly adjusting their privacy levels in practice.
Scott O. Lilienfeld (1960-2020).

Memorializes Scott O. Lilienfeld (1960-2020), one of the most influential figures in contemporary clinical psychology. His contributions were prodigious and spanned psychopathy and personality disorders, psychiatric classification and di agnosis, dissociation, memory and trauma, neuroscience, and cultural sensitivity. He authored, coauthored, and coed ited more than 500 articles and book chapters and 20 books, including the Encyclopedia of Clinical Psychology. His in tellectual reach extended to writing introductory psychology and graduate textbooks, to op-eds and coverage in major news outlets, TV appearances, radio programs, podcasts, and lectures across the world. He made his mark in editorial roles including as editor-in-chief of Clinical Psychological Science, and as past editor and founder of the Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Helping Children with Special Needs: Who Receives Tympanostomy Tubes?

Objectives:Tympanostomy tubes can prevent sequelae of otitis media that adversely affect long term hearing and language development in children. These negative outcomes compound the existing diffic...
Exploring Definitions of Consent and Healthy Relationships Among College Students with Disabilities: “I think it’s fuzzy”

College students with disabilities (SWDs) experience elevated rates of sexual violence and intimate partner violence compared with their non-disabled peers. While tailored interventions for these pressing health issues are needed, current research lacks investigation into how SWDs conceptualize relevant key concepts, such as consent and healthy relationships. This descriptive qualitative study explored these concepts through semi-structured interviews with college SWDs (n = 49), 18–24 years old, in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The results culminated in six rich, descriptive themes addressing: 1) interpersonal and intrapersonal skills necessary for relationship health; 2) normalization of unhealthy treatment by a partner due to manipulation, denial, and love for the partner; 3) how dichotomous definitions of consent interfere with practical application in lived experiences; 4) how active consent can be both facilitated and hindered within the context of a romantic relationship; 5) perceptions that healthcare providers aim to elicit disclosures of abuse rather than initiate a discussion about relationship health; and 6) students' reticence to disclose abuse to healthcare providers due to mistrust and fear over loss of agency. These results contradict historic narratives that SWDs do not have the same sexual and relationship beliefs and experiences as other students and highlight the perspectives of this marginalized population. Implications for campus prevention programming and healthcare practices include incorporating intersections of disability and violence, discussing the nuances of consent and substance use, and creating conversations about relationship health that are transparent, non-judgmental, and include a broad range of types of abuse.
Endothelial Focal Adhesion Kinase Transcriptionally Regulates S1P1 to Maintain Lung Vascular Barrier Function

Formation of leaky blood vessels remains a persistent pathology in several diseases including acute lung injury. We recently demonstrated that focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a non-receptor tyrosine kinase, canonically known to regulate focal adhesion formation plays a fundamental role in forming stable vasculature in adult mice lungs. We showed using a mouse model in which FAK was conditionally deleted only in endothelial cells (ECs), that loss of EC-FAK spontaneously destabilized vessel formation in adult mice leading to diffuse lung hemorrhage, increased transvascular albumin influx, edema, and neutrophil accumulation in the lung mimicking acute lung injury (ALI). Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a lipid mediator well known for its ability to strengthen endothelial barrier function. S1P binding to the S1P1 receptor is predominantly responsible for its barrier strengthening effect. Intriguingly, my Preliminary Data showed that S1P1 expression at the level of mRNA and protein was markedly suppressed in FAK ...
Communication Infrastructure Theory and Reproductive Health Disparities: Enhancing Storytelling Network Integration by Developing Interstitial Actors

This article reports on a multiyear intervention to address a key factor in African American women’s underutilization of reproductive health-care services in a small city: a communicative disjuncture between residents and community-based organizations (CBOs). Through the lens of communication infrastructure theory, we explicate processes through which the intervention reduced the communication disconnect between individual and organizational community actors. Analyses of interviews with community residents and CBOs show how the research team and an emergent group of residents working as peer health advocates functioned as interstitial actors who helped bridge the gap between micro- and meso-level actors. We discuss pragmatic implications of this research for health communication interventions and ways in which the study extends communication infrastructure theory.
Detection and Characterization of Plasmids in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strain PAO

Using a variety of techniques, it has been established that the sex factor FP2 has a density of 1.717 g/cm(3) (corresponding to a guanine plus cytosine [G + C] content of 58%) and a mean circular contour length of 28.5 +/- 0.6 mum (corresponding to a molecular weight of 59 x 10(6)). Another sex factor FP39 has a density of 1.719 g/cm(3) (corresponding to a G + C content of 60%) and a mean circular contour length of 26.5 +/- 0.5 mum (corresponding to a molecular weight of 55 x 10(6)). It appears that all, or nearly all, of the FP sex factor deoxyribonucleic acid occurs as covalent circular molecules under the conditions employed. In addition, these procedures have been used to demonstrate that strain PAO, a naturally occurring female (i.e., FP(-)) strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, harbors a number of cryptic plasmids having similar densities to the bulk of the cell deoxyribonucleic acid (1.726 g/cm(3)) and occurring as covalent circular molecules.
The Right to Evidence

Although a defendant has a right to present a defense, gaining access to evidence to prove that defense may be futile. As we have seen, constitutional protections for access to evidence often are nonexistent or of limited utility. The aspiration of our adversary system to be a Search for the Truth theoretically may be attainable, but practically may be a mirage.
How the Separation of Powers Doctrine Shaped the Executive

This Article examines the debates of the Founders over the separation of powers doctrine as it relates to the executive branch. After surveying the experience in the colonies and under the post-Revolutionary state constitutions, it analyzes the relevant issues at the Constitutional Convention. Rather than focusing on abstract discussions of political theory, the article examines specific decisions and controversies in which separation of powers was a concern. The Article offers a detailed recounting of those debates. At the Convention, separation of powers arose most prominently in the arguments over nine issues: choosing the Executive, permitting the Executive to stand for second term, removing the Executive, devising the Executive veto, requiring legislative advice and consent for executive appointments, authorizing the Executive to grant reprieves and pardons, and making the Vice President the President of the Senate.The Article demonstrates that much of the discussion centered on allocating power between the Legislative and Executive branches and thus really amounted to a struggle over defining the nascent office of the Executive. It thus offers the historical background for today's debates over separation of powers. For the Founders, separation of powers served not as a rigid rule, but as a functional guide, designed to help construct a working constitution with a workable executive branch.
Neurophysiological and biochemical properties of the goldfish optic tectum maintained in vitro.

Abstract The physiology and biochemistry of the in vitro goldfish optic tectum are examined. Following surgical removal of the intact optic tectum by severing its connectives, the tectal explant is maintained in a brain slice chamber in a specified medium for up to 24 hours. Electrophysiological studies show that the in vitro tectum displays the same response properties to optic nerve stimulation as does an in vivo tectum. Concurrent biochemical studies indicate that RNA and protein synthesis is actively maintained for at least 17 hrs in vitro . Thus both biochemical and electrophysiological measurements indicate that the integrity of the tectal explant can be maintained in vitro making it a suitable model system for investigations of a variety of neurobiological questions.
Cytochrome b5 reductase–cytochrome b5 as an active P450 redox enzyme system in Phanerochaete chrysosporium: Atypical properties and in vivo evidence of electron transfer capability to CYP63A2

Two central redox enzyme systems exist to reduce eukaryotic P450 enzymes, the P450 oxidoreductase (POR) and the cyt b₅ reductase-cyt b₅. In fungi, limited information is available for the cyt b(5) reductase-cyt b(5) system. Here we characterized the kinetic mechanism of (cyt b₅r)-cyt b₅ redox system from the model white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium (Pc) and made a quantitative comparison to the POR system. We determined that Pc-cyt b₅r followed a "ping-pong" mechanism and could directly reduce cytochrome c. However, unlike other cyt b₅ reductases, Pc-cyt b₅r lacked the typical ferricyanide reduction activity, a standard for cyt b₅ reductases. Through co-expression in yeast, we demonstrated that the Pc-cyt b₅r-cyt b₅ complex is capable of transferring electrons to Pc-P450 CYP63A2 for its benzo(a)pyrene monooxygenation activity and that the efficiency was comparable to POR. In fact, both redox systems supported oxidation of an estimated one-third of the added benzo(a)pyrene amount. To our knowledge, this is the first report to indicate that the cyt b₅r-cyt b₅ complex of fungi is capable of transferring electrons to a P450 monooxygenase. Furthermore, this is the first eukaryotic quantitative comparison of the two P450 redox enzyme systems (POR and cyt b₅r-cyt b₅) in terms of supporting a P450 monooxygenase activity.
Urban gardens: lead exposure, recontamination mechanisms, and implications for remediation design.

Environmental lead contamination is prevalent in urban areas where soil represents a significant sink and pathway of exposure. This study characterizes the speciation of lead that is relevant to local recontamination and to human exposure in the backyard gardens of Roxbury and Dorchester, MA, USA. One hundred forty-one backyard gardens were tested by X-ray fluorescence, and 81% of gardens have lead levels above the US EPA action limit of 400 μg/g. Raised gardening beds are the in situ exposure reduction method used in the communities to promote urban gardening. Raised beds were tested for lead and the results showed that the lead concentration increased from an initial range of 150±40 μg/g to an average of 336 μg/g over 4 years. The percent distribution of lead in the fine grain soil (<100 μm) and the trace metal signature of the raised beds support the conclusion that the mechanism of recontamination is wind-transported particles. Scanning electron microscopy and sequential extraction were used to characterize the speciation of lead, and the trace metal signature of the fine grain soil in both gardens and raised gardening beds is characteristic of lead-based paint. This study demonstrates that raised beds are a limited exposure reduction method and require maintenance to achieve exposure reduction goals. An exposure model was developed based on a suite of parameters that combine relevant values from the literature with site-specific quantification of exposure pathways. This model suggests that consumption of homegrown produce accounts for only 3% of children's daily exposure of lead while ingestion of fine grained soil (<100 μm) accounts for 82% of the daily exposure. This study indicates that urban lead remediation on a yard-by-yard scale requires constant maintenance and that remediation may need to occur on a neighborhood-wide scale.
The senescence of detached leaves of tropaeolum.

The senescence of detached Tropaeolum majus leaves was compared with that described earlier for Avena. Tropaeolum was chosen as being not only a dicot but also as having a nearly circular leaf, thus needing only the smallest minimum of wounding, since wounding delays the loss of chlorophyll and protein in darkness. Tropaeolum resembles Avena in that closing the stomata osmotically or with ABA causes rapid senescence in light. As in Avena also, n -hexanol and α,α′-dipyridyl delay senescence in darkness but cause `bleaching9 of chlorophyll in light. Unlike Avena , however, kinetin and gibberellic acid, which delay senescence in the dark in both species, do so in Tropaeolum without causing any significant stomatal opening. The senescence of Tropaeolum leaves is actually promoted by fusicoccin, which powerfully delays senescence in Avena , although fusicoccin does cause stomatal opening in darkness in both species. Thus, many of the phenomena of senescence are alike in the monocot and dicot, but there are several significantly different responses to the senescence-modifying reagents. It is concluded that while stomatal closure accelerates senescence in both species, stomatal opening is not directly linked to the prevention of leaf senescence.
Increased expression of the insulin-like growth factor I receptor gene, IGF1R, in Wilms tumor is correlated with modulation of IGF1R promoter activity by the WT1 Wilms tumor gene product.

Abstract Wilms tumor is a pediatric neoplasm that arises from the metanephric blastema. The expression of the gene encoding insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) is often elevated in these tumors. Since many of the actions of IGF-II are mediated through activation of the IGF-I receptor (IGF-IR), we have measured the levels of IGF-IR mRNA in normal kidney and in Wilms tumor samples using solution hybridization/RNase protection assays. IGF-IR mRNA levels in the tumors were 5.8-fold higher than in adjacent normal kidney tissue. Among the tumors themselves, the levels of IGF-IR mRNA in those containing heterologous stromal elements were 2-fold higher (P < 0.01) than in tumors without these elements. IGF-IR gene (designated IGF1R) expression in the tumors was inversely correlated with the expression of the Wilms tumor suppressor gene WT1, whose inactivation appears to be a key step in the etiology of Wilms tumor. Cotransfection of Chinese hamster ovary cells with rat and human IGF-IR gene promoter constructs driving luciferase reporter genes and with WT1 expression vectors showed that the active WT1 gene product represses IGF-IR promoter activity in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that underexpression, deletion, or mutation of WT1 may result in increased expression of the IGF-IR, whose activation by IGF-II may be an important aspect of the biology of Wilms tumor.
Sterba on Affirmative Action, or, it Never was the bus, it was Us!

Professor Sterba argues for two interesting and provocative positions regarding affirmative action. First, affirmative action programs are still needed to ensure diversity in educational institutions of higher learning. Secondly, the proponents and opponents of affirmative action are not as far apart as they seem to think. To this end, he proposes a position that would give weight to race as a category for affirmative action that can withstand the challenges of affirmative action opponents while giving the needed support for affirmative action proponents. It is his contention that both sides can support arguments for diversity affirmative action. This paper raises concerns about the ability of arguments for racial diversity to resolve or bring together opponents and proponents of affirmative action. It is argued that the negative social climate, regarding the social and intellectual merits of black Americans, works against the acceptance of affirmative action programs. In sum, it is argued that Professor Sterba’s position continues to put the social onus of changing racial attitudes on blacks with little or no effort on the part of whites other than allowing blacks admittance to formerly segregated educational institutions to interact with white students.
Localization of β-endorphin in rabbit pancreatic islets☆

To determine whether beta-endorphin might play a physiological role in regulating insulin secretion, we examined the rabbit pancreas for an endogenous source of beta-endorphin. Specific antibodies to beta-endorphin were used together with anti-insulin, anti-glucagon, and anti-somatostatin in single-labeled and double-labeled indirect immunofluorescence and in sequential avidin-biotin-peroxidase immunohistochemistry. Light microscopic examination of rabbit islets revealed beta-endorphin immunoreactivity primarily in the beta cells. Approximately 97% of the cells exhibiting beta-endorphin immunoreactivity contained immunoreactive insulin; whereas many, but not all, of the insulin-containing cells contained immunoreactive beta-endorphin. Strongly beta-endorphin-positive cells were usually weakly insulin-positive; and strongly insulin-positive cells were often beta-endorphin-negative. The beta-endorphin-positive cells that were insulin-negative were identified as immunoreactive glucagon- or somatostatin-containing cells. The intensity of the immunoreactive beta-endorphin appeared to be more heterogeneous than the staining intensities of other hormones. Together with the previously reported data on the effects of beta-endorphin on pancreatic hormone secretion, the results of this investigation suggest that beta-endorphin may play an important autocrine or paracrine role in the pancreatic islets.
Degradable poly(amino alcohol esters) as potential DNA vectors with low cytotoxicity.

The synthesis of a new degradable polymer system, poly(amino alcohol esters) and the resulting polymers' potential for use in gene transfection vectors are reported. The polymerization proceeded in...
Biosynthetic response of passaged chondrocytes in a type II collagen scaffold to mechanical compression

To investigate the potential utility of mechanical loading in articular cartilage tissue engineering, porous type II collagen scaffolds seeded with adult canine passaged chondrocytes were subjected to static and dynamic compressions of varying magnitudes (0-50% static strain) and durations (1-24 h), and at different times during culture (2-30 days postseeding). The effects of mechanical compression on the biosynthetic activity of the chondrocytes were evaluated by measuring the amount of (3)H-proline-labeled proteins and (35)S-sulfate-labeled proteoglycans that accumulated in the cell-scaffold construct and was released to the medium during the loading period. Similar to published results on loading of articular cartilage explants, static compression decreased protein and proteoglycan biosynthesis in a time- and dose-dependent manner (each p < 0.005), and selected dynamic compression protocols were able to increase rates of biosynthesis (p < 0.05). The main difference between the results seen for this tissue engineering system and cartilage explants was in the amount of newly synthesized matrix molecules that accumulated within the construct under dynamic loading, with less accumulating in the type II collagen scaffold. In summary, the general biosynthetic response of passaged chondrocytes in the porous type II collagen scaffolds is similar to that seen for chondrocytes in their native environment. Future work needs to be directed to modifications of the cell-seeded construct to allow for the capture of the newly synthesized matrix molecules by the scaffold.
Methods of Measuring and Evaluating Yarn Irregularity

The problem of yarn irregularity has been studied over the world for 30 years. In the following articles the authors describe briefly the causes of yarn irregularity and introduce 13 methods of measurement and eight methods of evaluation referring to literatures published in various countries.
Do antidepressants reduce the effectiveness of tamoxifen

Because of the relatively significant incidence of both clinical depression and debilitating hot flashes (20%–30%), clinicians caring for women with breast cancer who are taking tamoxifen for the treatment or prevention of cancer recurrence are often faced with the need to prescribe antidepressant medications concurrently with tamoxifen. Over the past 5 years, a growing number of studies have raised questions regarding the interaction of antidepressants and tamoxifen, particularly the following question: ‘Do antidepressants reduce the effectiveness of tamoxifen treatment?’ At issue is the extent of the clinical impact of cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) inhibitors, in the form of several antidepressants (particularly several of the serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs) on the effectiveness of tamoxifen.
Natural radionuclides in waters of the New York Bight

The half removal time of228Th from the surface waters by settling particles,tc, does not change much with season, except in the winter when regenerated228Th as well as210Pb and210Po were transported back to the surface water from the bottom water and/or near-shore sediments. The removal of228Th and210Pb from the surface waters of New York Bight by phytoplankton-zooplankton-fecal pellet route is not important in the shelf but is important in the slope areas. The removal of210Po is almost entirely associated with the phytoplankton-zooplankton-fecal pellet pathway throughout the New York Bight.
Probabilistic model-based diagnosis system

Diagnosis of a malfunctioning physical system is the task of identifying those component parts whose failures are responsible for discrepancies between observed and correct system behavior. The goal of interactive diagnosis is to repeatedly select the best information- gathering action to perform until the device is fixed. We developed a probabilistic diagnosis theory that incorporates probabilistic reasoning into model-based diagnosis. In addition to the structural and functional information normally used in model-based diagnosis, probabilities of component failure are also used to solve the two major subtasks of interactive model-based diagnosis: hypothesis generation and action selection. This paper describes a model-based diagnostic system built according to our probabilistic theory. The major contributions of this paper are the incorporation of probabilistic reasoning into model-based diagnosis and the integration of repair as part of diagnosis. The integration of diagnosis and repair makes it possible to effectively troubleshoot failures in complex systems.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Fast-Switching, High-Contrast Electrochromic Thin Films Prepared Using Layer-by-Layer Assembly of Charged Species

Thin films were prepared by depositing alternating layers of tungstate anion $$\left( {{\text{WO}}_4^{2 - }} \right)$$ and poly(4-vinylpyridine-co-styrene) (PVP-S) onto an electrode from aqueous solutions. These films have very high contrast (CR > 8) relative to equivalent films prepared using poly(ethylene dioxythiophene) (PEDOT), but suffer from slow color change due to poor electrical conductivity. The switching time of the tungstate-based films was decreased by an order of magnitude, from 30 seconds down to three, by adding layers of indium tin oxide (ITO) particles stabilized with poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA). In this case, a four-layer repeating structure was created (i.e., PVP-S and PDDA-ITO were each deposited every fourth layer). Unlike tungstate, ITO has a high intrinsic conductivity (~ 104 S/cm) that accounts for the dramatic increase in the switching speed. It is only through the nanometer-scale control of film architecture, provided with the layer-by-layer (LbL) deposition process, that switching speed and contrast ratio can be optimized simultaneously.
Amino acid facilitates absorption of copper in the Caco-2 cell culture model.

Abstract Aim Copper deficiency could cause fatal hematological and neurological disorders or other diseases. Amino acids are involved in the absorption of copper ions. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the absorption of copper in amino acid complex forms and determine its mechanism in the Caco-2 cell culture model. Main methods The human colonic adenocarcinoma cell line Caco-2 culture model was used to determine the permeability of copper ions in inorganic form (CuSO4) and the amino acid complex forms. Lysine and methionine, as well as carboplatin were used to determine the possible involvement of amino acid transporters or copper transporter 1 (CTR1). Key findings The results showed that all of the amino acid complex forms facilitated copper absorption. The apparent permeabilities of copper ions in these complex forms were at least 7.6 fold higher than those in the CuSO4 form. The permeability rank order of copper in various amino acid complex forms was Cu-glutamate Significance Enhanced absorption of copper ions in amino acid complex appears to be mediated by amino acid transporters.
Gender Differences in Constituency Service Among State Legislators

Do female state legislators differ from men in constituency service? Using a four-state survey of state legislators, we find that women receive more casework requests, are twice as likely to believ...
Thermal characterization of TSV based 3D stacked ICs

This paper studies the thermal impact and characterization of Through Silicon Vias (TSVs) in stacked three dimensional (3D) integrated circuits (ICs) through finite-element based numerical analysis. Realistic 3D stacked ICs are built using a commercial finite-element based modeling and analysis tool, COMSOL. Thermal profiles along with thermal impact of TSVs are studied for two layer and three layer stacked IC structures under practical power inputs. Experimental results show that there is a significant temperature gradient across the stacked dies for both two layer and three layer structures. The cross-layer temperature is seen to grow rapidly from two layer structures to three layer structures with the same power and TSV densities. As a result, stacking of active layers will not be scalable as the maximum temperature can quickly reach the 105 degree Centigrade limit for CMOS technology. Elevated temperatures can make thermal-sensitive reliability issues a major challenge for 3D stacked ICs. Advanced cooling, low power design, better thermal management and new architecture techniques are hence required to keep the temperature in a safe range for stacking more layers onto the chip.
Static strain aging and dislocation–impurity interactions in irradiated mild steel

Abstract Interactions between dislocations and interstitial impurity atoms lead to strain aging phenomenon in ferritic steels that are affected by the defects produced during neutron radiation exposure. We present here results on static strain aging in a silicon-killed mild steel before and after neutron irradiation. It is noted that the degree of strain aging (as measured by the yield point following restraining) decreased with increasing neutron dose resulting in essentially non-aging type at the highest dose (∼1019 n/cm2). The strain aging kinetics were investigated using data at various aging temperatures and were found to be unaffected by the neutron radiation exposure. These experimental results are compared to those observed in dry hydrogen treated (partially denitrided) samples and are correlated with models on Cottrell locking.
KCNJ10 determines the expression of the apical Na-Cl cotransporter (NCC) in the early distal convoluted tubule (DCT1)

The renal phenotype induced by loss-of-function mutations of inwardly rectifying potassium channel (Kir), Kcnj10 (Kir4.1), includes salt wasting, hypomagnesemia, metabolic alkalosis and hypokalemia. However, the mechanism by which Kir.4.1 mutations cause the tubulopathy is not completely understood. Here we demonstrate that Kcnj10 is a main contributor to the basolateral K conductance in the early distal convoluted tubule (DCT1) and determines the expression of the apical Na-Cl cotransporter (NCC) in the DCT. Immunostaining demonstrated Kcnj10 and Kcnj16 were expressed in the basolateral membrane of DCT, and patch-clamp studies detected a 40-pS K channel in the basolateral membrane of the DCT1 of p8/p10 wild-type Kcnj10(+/+) mice (WT). This 40-pS K channel is absent in homozygous Kcnj10(-/-) (knockout) mice. The disruption of Kcnj10 almost completely eliminated the basolateral K conductance and decreased the negativity of the cell membrane potential in DCT1. Moreover, the lack of Kcnj10 decreased the basolateral Cl conductance, inhibited the expression of Ste20-related proline-alanine-rich kinase and diminished the apical NCC expression in DCT. We conclude that Kcnj10 plays a dominant role in determining the basolateral K conductance and membrane potential of DCT1 and that the basolateral K channel activity in the DCT determines the apical NCC expression possibly through a Ste20-related proline-alanine-rich kinase-dependent mechanism.
Chemical Warfare Among Invaders: A Detoxification Interaction Facilitates an Ant Invasion

As tawny crazy ants (Nylanderia fulva) invade the southern United States, they often displace imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta). After exposure to S. invicta venom, N. fulva applies abdominal exocrine gland secretions to its cuticle. Bioassays reveal that these secretions detoxify S. invicta venom. Further, formic acid from N. fulva venom is the detoxifying agent. N. fulva exhibits this detoxification behavior after conflict with a variety of ant species; however, it expresses it most intensely after interactions with S. invicta. This behavior may have evolved in their shared South American native range. The capacity to detoxify a major competitor's venom probably contributes substantially to its ability to displace S. invicta populations, making this behavior a causative agent in the ecological transformation of regional arthropod assemblages.
Development of embedded CAPTCHA elements for bot prevention in fischer random chess

Cheating in chess can take many forms and has existed almost as long as the game itself. The advent of computers has introduced a new form of cheating into the game. Thanks to the computational power of modern-day computers, a player can use a program to calculate thousands of moves for him or her, and determine the best possible scenario for each move and countermove. These programs are often referred to as "bots," and can even play the game without any user interaction. In this paper, we describe a methodology aimed at preventing bots from participating in online chess games. The proposed approach is based on the integration of a CAPTCHA protocol into a game scenario, and the subsequent inability of bots to accurately track the game states. This is achieved by rotating the images of the individual chess pieces and adjusting their resolution in an attempt to render them unreadable by a bot. Feedback from users during testing shows that there is minimal impact on their ability to play the game. Players rated the difficulty of reading the pieces on a scale of one to ten, with an average rank of 6.5. However, the average number of moves to adjust to the distorted pieces was only 3.75. This tells us that, although it is difficult to read the pieces at first, it is easy to adjust quickly to the new image.
Excitation-transfer reaction of N2(A 3Σu+) with SO(X 3Σ−) and S2(X 3Σg−) and quenching rate constants of some sulfur- and halogen-containing molecules

The reaction between N2(A 3Σu+, υ′ = 0) and SO(X 3Σ−) has been studied at room temperature. The total quenching rate constant is (1.2±0.2)×10−10 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 and the SO(A 3Π) excitation rate constant is (0.5±0.2)×10−10 cm3 molecule−1 s−1. Although these rate constants have some absolute uncertainty because of the difficulty of measuring [SO], the SO+N2(A) excitation-transfer reaction appears to be an efficient system for utilizing the energy of the metastable N2(A) state. Less extensive results also are presented for excitation transfer between N2(A) and S2(X). The total quenching rate constant is ⋍6×10−11 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 and the branching fraction for S2(B 3Σu−) formation is ⋍0.3. Total quenching rate constant is are reported for SO2, SOCl2, S2Cl2, Cl2, Br2, I2 and ICl.
Aeroelastic stability of composite hingeless rotor blades in hover-Part II: Results

In Part I of this two-part paper, an aeroelastic stability analysis was presented for isolated hingeless, composite rotor blades in the hovering flight condition, which was based on a mixed finite element method. Herein, the focus is to present numerical results obtained from this analysis. First, certain of these results are compared with those of existing aeroelastic stability analyses for validation. Next, the numerical accuracy and convergence characteristics of the current approach are quantified. Finally, parametric studies are performed to investigate the effects of composite elastic coupling and thrust condition on the blade's aeroelastic stability, especially that of the lightly damped lead-lag mode. The stability of some of the elastically coupled cases studied was sensitive to the nonclassical couplings; indeed, in one case a significant error appeared, accentuated at high thrust levels, when bending-shear coupling was neglected. Another significant effect stems from changes in the equilibrium solution for elastic twist due to extension-twist coupling. The necessity of including such effects in the blade model for general-purpose analysis is noted.
Quality assessment of SRTM C- and X-band interferometric data: Implications for the retrieval of vegetation canopy height

Abstract The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission distinguished itself as the first near-global spaceborne mission to demonstrate direct sensitivity to vertical vegetation structure. Whether this sensitivity is viewed as exploitable signal or unwanted bias, a great deal of interest exists in retrieving vegetation canopy height information from the SRTM data. This study presents a comprehensive application-specific assessment of SRTM data quality, focusing on the characterization and mitigation of two primary sources of relative vertical error: uncompensated Shuttle mast motion and random phase noise. The assessment spans four test sites located in the upper Midwestern United States and examines the dependence of data quality on both frequency, i.e., C-band vs. X-band, and the number of acquired datatakes. The results indicate that the quality of SRTM data may be higher than previously thought. Novel mitigation strategies include a knowledge-based approach to sample averaging, which has the potential to reduce phase noise error by 43 to 80%. The strategies presented here are being implemented as part of an ongoing effort to produce regional- to continental-scale estimates of vegetation canopy height within the conterminous U.S.
Primary and Secondary Infiltration of Wetting Liquid Sessile Droplet into Porous Medium

The infiltration of a wetting droplet into the porous medium is a two-step process referred to as primary and secondary infiltration. In the primary infiltration there is a free liquid present at the porous medium surface, and when no fluid is left on the surface, the secondary infiltration is initiated. In both situations the driving force is the capillary pressure that is influenced by the local medium heterogeneities. A capillary network model based on the micro-force balance is developed with the same formulation applied to both infiltrations. The only difference between the two is that the net liquid flow into the porous medium in the secondary infiltration is equal to zero. The primary infiltration starts as a single-phase (fully saturated) flow and may proceed as a multiphase flow. The multiphase flow emerges as the interface (flow front) becomes irregular in shape. The immobile clusters of the originally present phase can be locally formed due to entrapment. Throughout the infiltration, it was found that portions of the liquid phase can be detached from the main body of the liquid phase forming some isolated liquid ganglia that increase in number and decrease in size. The termination of the secondary infiltration occurs once the ganglia become immobile due to their reduction in size. From the transient solution, the changes in the liquid saturation and capillary pressure during the droplet infiltration are determined. The solution developed in this study is used to investigate the droplet infiltration dynamics. However, the solution can be used to study the flow in fuel cell, nano-arrays, composites, and printing.
The complement component C5a receptor mediates pain and inflammation in a postsurgical pain model

The complement system is an important part of innate immunity. Complement activation generates a set of effector molecules with diverse biological functions. C5a is a crucial terminal component of the complement cascade. Several reports suggest that C5a can support nociceptive sensitization and inflammation in various models, including models of incisional pain. However, information concerning the differential effects of C5a on specific modalities of nociception, the role of C5a in supporting neutrophil infiltration, secondary nociceptive mediator generation, and the location of the relevant populations of C5a receptors supporting incisional sensitization are needed. In these studies we utilized C5a receptor-null mice (C5aR(-/-)) and matched controls to study nociceptive changes after hind paw incision. Heat hyperalgesia and mechanical allodynia were measured for 4 days after incision. We also followed hind paw edema, wound area neutrophil infiltration using the myeloperoxidase assay, and interleukin-1β and nerve growth factor levels using both enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunohistochemical techniques. The main findings were: (1) Heat vs mechanical nociceptive sensitization after incision were differentially reduced in C5aR(-/-) mice, with thermal sensitization affected throughout the postincisional period but mechanical sensitization affected only at later time points; (2) Edema developed after incision in wild-type mice but only slightly and transiently in C5aR(-/-) mice, and (3) Deletion of C5aR blocked interleukin-1β and nerve growth factor production near the wound site. These findings demonstrate that the complement system component C5a is a novel biomarker and mediator associated with postsurgical nociceptive processing. C5aR may provide a novel target for the control of pain and inflammation after surgery.
Nanog, Pou5f1 and SoxB1 activate zygotic gene expression during the maternal-to-zygotic transition

After fertilization, maternal factors direct development and trigger zygotic genome activation (ZGA) at the maternal-to-zygotic transition (MZT). In zebrafish, ZGA is required for gastrulation and clearance of maternal messenger RNAs, which is in part regulated by the conserved microRNA miR-430. However, the factors that activate the zygotic program in vertebrates are unknown. Here we show that Nanog, Pou5f1 (also called Oct4) and SoxB1 regulate zygotic gene activation in zebrafish. We identified several hundred genes directly activated by maternal factors, constituting the first wave of zygotic transcription. Ribosome profiling revealed that nanog, sox19b and pou5f1 are the most highly translated transcription factors pre-MZT. Combined loss of these factors resulted in developmental arrest before gastrulation and a failure to activate >75% of zygotic genes, including miR-430. Our results demonstrate that maternal Nanog, Pou5f1 and SoxB1 are required to initiate the zygotic developmental program and induce clearance of the maternal program by activating miR-430 expression.
Near-fields and linear transformations of finite fields

A question about near-fields suggests the following problem: If F is a finite field, K is a finite extension of F, and H is a multiplicative subgroup of K∗, describe the F-linear maps φ: K → K which fix F and leave each coset of H invariant. A plausible conjecture would seem to be that φ must be a field automorphism. This is confirmed here in the case that |H| and |F| satisfy a certain numerical relation (and, in particular, when K/F is quadratic). The bulk of the argument consists of showing that an F-linear transformation of K which preserves F-conjugacy is almost always an automorphism.
Excitation spectrum and T = 0 dynamics of the one-dimensional anisotropic antiferromagnet

Recent low-temperature inelastic neutron scattering data on the quasi-one-dimensional (1D) Heisenberg-Ising antiferromagnet (AFM) CsCo${\mathrm{Cl}}_{3}$ call for new theoretical efforts, for the available theories fail to explain the observed line shapes. In this paper we initiate a detailed study of the dynamical properties of the 1D spin-\textonehalf{} anisotropic $\mathrm{XYZ}$ AFM with emphasis on the dynamic structure factor ${S}_{\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\mu}}(q,\ensuremath{\omega})$ at $T=0$. The structure of ${S}_{\ensuremath{\mu}\ensuremath{\mu}}(q,\ensuremath{\omega})$ is determined by the combined effects of the density of states and the matrix elements. Both effects are discussed for selected cases: the $\mathrm{XY}$-Heisenberg AFM (planar system), the Heisenberg-Ising AFM (uniaxial system), and the $\mathrm{XY}$-Ising AFM (biaxial system). The exact solution for ${S}_{\mathrm{zz}}(q,\ensuremath{\omega})$ of the $\mathrm{XY}$-Ising AFM has already many features in common with the experimental data on CsCo${\mathrm{Cl}}_{3}$. It is an ideal starting point for a perturbation approach to the Heisenberg-Ising AFM.