cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
People use math as a weapon: critical mathematics consciousness in the time of COVID-19

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has brought increased attention to the critical mathematical literacy of citizens in the United States and around the world. A statistically and mathematically literate society is crucial for ensuring that citizens are able to sift through political rhetoric to maintain life-saving procedures such as social distancing and other infection dampening efforts. Additionally, recent civil unrest due to the disproportionate killings of Black men by police provokes investigation into the public’s mathematical literacy. In this paper, we investigate adolescent students’ critical mathematics consciousness and mathematics literacy as they reason through two interview tasks on the coronavirus and police shooting data. Drawing on Frankenstein’s program of Critical Mathematics Education, we introduce an analytic framework for documenting the critical mathematics consciousness of adolescent students. We interviewed fifteen 14- to 16-year-old students as they solved five tasks designed to elicit their critical and ethical mathematical awareness. Our findings indicate that students exhibit very little critical mathematics consciousness in the context of the police problem but show awareness that data can be presented in ways that manipulate the public’s emotions in the coronavirus problem. We conclude the paper with a discussion of implications for designing future instruction to support students’ growth in critical mathematics consciousness.
The Problem May Not Be as Complex as You Think: A Conversation With Joe Wehby

Dr. Joseph (Joe) Wehby currently is the Chair of the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education and Human Development. In addition, he is a researcher a...
Grey Literature in Engineering

SUMMARY Grey literature, such as meetings papers, technical reports, manufacturers' catalogs, and industry standards, are critical to engineering research. Unfortunately, this literature is often not readily available, not cited properly, and not indexed comprehensively. All of these factors make it difficult to access. This paper discusses the major areas of engineering grey literature and suggests ways that it can be acquired and used.
The first twenty years of the strategic management journal

The Strategic Management Journal (SMJ) has now entered its third decade of publication and consistently ranks among the most influential journals in management. While several authors have examined the impact of SMJ vis-a-vis other management publications, few studies have examined the internal changes in the publication over time, particularly with regard to the diversity and content of the journal. The current study finds that there has been a significant shift in the number of authors, publication lags, reference lists, and page lengths in SMJ over the past 20 years, while the diversity of authorship has stayed relatively constant. There has also been a marked rise in the proportion of empirical papers being published. The implications of these results are discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterization of a major 31-kilodalton peptidoglycan-bound protein of Legionella pneumophila.

Abstract A 31-kilodalton (kDa) protein was solubilized from the peptidoglycan (PG) fraction of Legionella pneumophila after treatment with either N-acetylmuramidase from the fungus Chalaropsis sp. or with mutanolysin from Streptomyces globisporus. The protein exhibited a ladderlike banding pattern by autoradiography when radiolabeled [( 35S]cysteine or [35S]methionine) PG material was extensively treated with hen lysozyme. The banding patterns ranging between 31 and 45 kDa and between 55 and 60 kDa resolved as a single 31-kDa protein when the material was subsequently treated with N-acetylmuramidase. Analysis of the purified 31-kDa protein for diaminopimelic acid by gas chromatography revealed 1 mol of diaminopimelic acid per mol of protein. When outer membrane PG material containing the major outer membrane porin protein was treated with N-acetylmuramidase or mutanolysin, both the 28.5-kDa major outer membrane protein and the 31-kDa protein were solubilized from the PG material under reducing conditions. In the absence of 2-mercaptoethanol, a high-molecular-mass complex (100 kDa) was resolved. The results of this study indicate that a 31-kDa PG-bound protein is a major component of the cell wall of L. pneumophila whose function may be to anchor the major outer membrane protein to PG. Finally, a survey of other Legionella species and other serogroups of L. pneumophila suggested that PG-bound proteins may be a common feature of this genus.
Effects of Presentation Modes, Explicitness, and Student Aptitudes on Learning

Research on the relationship between learner aptitudes and presentation modes has taken several approaches — and raised a number of questions. This study sought to clarify the relationships between modes of presentation (verbal vs. spatial), explicitness of presentation (little or much), and student aptitudes (verbal vs. spatial). Explicit guidance clearly was helpful in teaching the fourth-grade subjects, regardless of type of aptitude, how to compute surface areas of two- and three-dimensional objects. The relationship between mode of presentation and aptitude was less clear. The authors discuss their findings at length and suggest several areas for future aptitude-treatment-interaction research.
A Community Terrain-Following Ocean Modeling System (ROMS/TOMS)

Abstract : The long-term technical goal is to design, develop and test the next generation, primitive equation ocean model for high-resolution scientific (ROMS: Regional Ocean Modeling System) and operational (TOMS: Terrain-following Ocean Modeling System) applications. This project will improve the ocean modeling capabilities of the U.S. Navy for relocatable, coastal, coupled atmosphere-ocean forecasting applications. It will also benefit the ocean modeling community at large by providing the current state-of-the-art knowledge in physics, numerical schemes, and computational technology. The main objective is to produce a tested expert ocean-modeling framework for scientific and operational applications over a wide range of spatial (coastal to basin) and temporal (days to seasons) scales. The primary focus is to implement the most robust set of options and algorithms for relocatable coastal forecasting systems nested within basin-scale operational models for the Navy. The system includes some of the analysis and prediction tools that are available in Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP), such as: 4-dimensional variational data assimilation (4D-Var), ensemble prediction, adaptive sampling, and circulation stability and sensitivity analysis.
Abstract 19810: A Significant Decrease in Early Confirmed Left Ventricular Assist Device Pump Thrombosis: Recent Observations from a Large Multi-Institutional Experience

Introduction: Recent reports have documented an abrupt increase in 3-month confirmed HeartMate II left ventricular assist device (LVAD) thrombosis beginning in 2011 without a plateau observed to date. Because very little data exist from multi-institutional efforts, we report our experience. Methods: From January 2004 to December 2013, 516 pt underwent HeartMate II LVAD implant at three institutions (University of Michigan (n=254), Mayo Clinic Rochester (n=205), and Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute (n=57)). Median age at implant was 60 yr (range, 18-82) and 428 (83%) were male. Confirmed pump thrombosis at 3 months was defined as thrombus found in the blood-contacting surfaces of the pump at the time of urgent transplant, device exchange or autopsy. Pt without at least 3 months of follow-up were excluded. Results: Confirmed pump thrombosis occurred in 9 pt within 3 months post implant. The incidence was greatest in the year 2012 (5.3%). Following this peak, the incidence of 3-month confirmed pump th...
The Biosynthesis of Cell Wall Lipopolysaccharide in Escherichia coli III. THE ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF 3-DEOXYOCTULOSONIC ACID

Abstract An acidic component of the cell wall lipopolysaccharide of Escherichia coli 0111-B4 was isolated from mild acid hydrolysates of the polymer. It was concluded that this compound was 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid on the basis of the following criteria: (a) paper chromatography in a variety of solvent systems; (b) degradation with ceric sulfate following borohydride reduction; (c) enzymatic degradation by 3-deoxyoctulosonate (KDO) aldolase to yield pyruvate and D-arabinose; (d) the rate of liberation of β-formyl pyruvate by periodate oxidation; (e) chemical synthesis of crystalline penta-O-acetyl-KDO methyl ester, which, upon alkaline saponification, yielded KDO which corresponded chromatographically to KDO from lipopolysaccharide. Further, the product of saponification was identical with natural KDO with regard to the specificities of cytidine 5'-phosphate-KDO synthetase and KDO aldolase. The procedure employed for the chemical synthesis of KDO provides a method for the preparation of a chemically pure standard of this compound.
The Cytoskeleton Regulates Cell Attachment Strength

Quantitative information about adhesion strength is a fundamental part of our understanding of cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions. Adhesion assays should measure integrin-ECM bond strength, but reports now suggest that cell components remain behind after exposure to acute force for radial shear assays in the presence of divalent cations that increase integrin-ECM affinity. Here, we show that focal adhesion proteins FAK, paxillin, and vinculin but not the cytoskeletal protein actin remain behind after shear-induced detachment of HT1080 fibrosarcoma cells. Cytoskeletal stabilization increased attachment strength by eightfold, whereas cross-linking integrins to the substrate only caused a 1.5-fold increase. Reducing temperature-only during shear application-also increased attachment strength eightfold, with detachment again occurring between focal adhesion proteins and actin. Detachment at the focal adhesion-cytoskeleton interface was also observed in mouse and human fibroblasts and was ligand-independent, highlighting the ubiquity of this mode of detachment in the presence of divalent cations. These data show that the cytoskeleton and its dynamic coupling to focal adhesions are critically important for cell adhesion in niche with divalent cations.
Wafer bonded silicon photonics

Compound semiconductors-silicon integration has never been of such great demand until the recent difficulty to maintain Moore's law in the microelectronics industry. Recently, we have developed a hybrid silicon evanescent platform (HSEP), which enables the coherent marriage of incompatible characteristics of III-V and silicon, i.e., direct bandgap and high mobility at III-V side and mature CMOS manufacturability and low-optical loss at silicon side. A series of critical components including lasers, amplifiers, photodetectors, and modulators have been successfully implemented in this platform.
Buffer Effect on Protein Adsorption at Liquid/Solid Interface†

This work shows buffer choice and buffer concentration can drastically affect protein adsorption. We used ATR/FTIR to compare the adsorption kinetics and secondary structural evolution of BSA, IgG, fibrinogen and lysozyme on a Ge surface, buffered in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and tris(hydroxymethyl)-aminomethane hydrochloride (Tris-HCl) at pH 7.4. The adsorption behaviors of the four proteins are multilayer in nature, and all exhibit a short period of rapid initial adsorption with larger secondary structural changes, followed by a long period of quasi-linear adsorption. For BSA, IgG and fibrinogen, PBS buffer depresses the adsorption in the quasi-linear kinetic region compared with Tris-HCl buffer, whereas lysozyme adsorption is relatively insensitive to buffer choice. Buffer concentration also affects protein adsorption. BSA adsorption increases monotonically with Tris-HCl concentration while the variation with PBS concentration is nonmonotonic. The secondary structure in the adsorbed phase is in g...
Description of a New Species of Stenonema (Ephemeroptera: Heptageniidae) from Virginia

Nymphal and adult stages of a new species of Stenonema from western Virginia are described. Useful characterististics for determining the new species are summarized. Species of Heptageniidae sympatric with the new species are reported in addition to the known ecology and distribution of the new species.
Dutra's World: Wealth and Family in Nineteenth-Century Rio de Janeiro

The relation of slavery to Brazil's economic and social history has long fascinated researchers. Zephyr Frank focuses on nineteenth-century Rio de Janeiro, where almost half of the city's residents laboured as slaves of diverse owners in a complex urban setting. Slavery persisted in the Brazilian city, in part, because it was entrenched among upwardly mobile entrepreneurs who hired their slaves out for wages, employed them in family businesses, and bought and sold them for profit. Changes in the institution of slavery and the economy of the city gradually limited access to slaves, constricting avenues of social mobility for slaveholders and transforming the lives of the slaves themselves. Frank uses the experiences of one person, Antonio Jose Dutra, as an example of a middling urban slaveholder. Dutra, a former slave himself, owned thirteen slaves whom he employed in his barbering business and musical band. Dutra's story is part of the larger picture Frank paints of those who owned slaves, how they fit into the social and economic development of Brazil, and what slaves and their owners did as slavery rose and then gradually declined in Rio de Janeiro. Frank traces social mobility, race, class, and slaveholding patterns, basing his analysis on inheritance records. Rich in detail, these records reveal layers of historical meaning regarding the accumulation of wealth, social mobility, family ties, and the social and cultural practices surrounding death.
Establishing guidelines for pharmacotherapy trials in bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa.

Objective This paper addresses the lack of a standard protocol for pharmacotherapy trials for patients with bulimia nervosa (BN) and anorexia nervosa (AN). Method Twenty-two surveys were sent to established researchers in the field of eating disorders to elicit their opinions regarding medication trials, including baseline laboratory tests, the optimal length/frequency of medication management sessions, and the information that should or should not be included in these sessions. Results Sixteen of 22 researchers completed and returned the survey. Their answers are the basis of the data presented. Discussion We propose a battery of screening laboratory tests for both conditions. We suggest 30–45-min initial medication management sessions in both AN and BN trials with 15-min follow-ups to be held weekly for AN subjects, and weekly for 2 weeks, then biweekly for 2 weeks, then monthly, for BN subjects. We also recommend that published trials should include explicit details of medication management. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 28: 1–7, 2000.
The American Private Golf Club: Its Golden Age and After

This essay considers the history of the American private golf club with special emphasis on the period between 1880 and 1930. It argues that the private club movement was uniquely strong in the 1920s and particularly strong for the period between 1923 and 1930. This is true for a number of reasons, one of which was the dramatic rise in private debt. The private golf club lost its hold on American golf and golfers after 1930. The essay suggests a number of reasons why this should be so. But clearly American golf turned steadily to public courses as its main venue after 1930.
caste/class and child‐rearing in a changing Indian town

An investigation of child-rearing practices among a stratified sample of households in an Indian town indicates that there are some significant differences in parent-child behavior between lower socioeconomic status households and higher status ones. Certain economic factors are identified as affecting how adults handle children, and these are in turn related to differences in children's behavior. Some intra-cultural diversity along one dimension, socioeconomic status, is demonstrated.
Structure of the Alanine Dipeptide in Condensed Phases Determined by 13C NMR

We report solution-state and solid-state 13C NMR data for the alanine dipeptide (N-acetyl-l-alanine-N‘-methylamide, AcAlaNHMe) in polycrystalline, lyophilized, and solvated states. Changes in the 1...
Oscillations in Lotka-Volterra systems of chemical reactions

For a chemical reaction system modeled byx =k1Ax −k2x2 −k3xy +k4y2,y =k3xy −k4y2 −k5y +k6B, it is shown that for each positive choice of parameterskiA, B there exists a unique stationary state which is globally asymptotically stable in the positive quadrant. A criterion for the non-existence of periodic solutions is given for the generalized Lotka-Volterra system:x = f(x)h(x, y),y.
Correlation of Serum and Salivary Cortisol Levels in Prepubertal School-Aged Children

Abstract The dexamethasone suppression test (DST) is useful in assessing major depression in children, but it requires blood sampling, which is unpleasant. Two studies have demonstrated strong correlations between serum and salivary cortisol levels in combined samples of children and adolescents administered DSTs. The present study replicated these findings in 15 prepubertal children. Overall, serum and salivary samples were significantly correlated, as were those from specific time periods ( r = 0.86 to 0.97). A salivary cortisol level of 0.14 μg/dl separated DST nonsuppressors from suppressors. Salivary cortisol samples could be used in place of serum samples when performing the DST.
Cadmium and manganese flux in eelgrass Zostera marina I. Modelling dynamics of metal release from labelled tissues

Release of cadmium and manganese radionuclides from eelgrass leaves and root-rhizomes into seawater and seawater plus 1×10-4 disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (EDTA) was monitored over periods of 6 h following incubations of 1 to 98 h. Flux of both isotopes from tissues is initially rapid and enhanced by the addition of EDTA. The initial release rate is independent of incubation time, indicating desorption of metals from exterior tissue surfaces. High initial release rates become rapidly attenuated. Fitting a power curve to the data proved valuable in inferring uptake capacity of tissues from observed metal release characteristics. In addition to desorption, and diffusion from intercellular spaces, diffusion from cells and biologically controlled release could be described with the aid of curve fits. Manganese apparently is released more slowly during later phases of release than is cadmium, pointing to greater biological accumulation potential.
Nanoporous membrane-encapsulated feeder cells for culture of human embryonic stem cells

Current methods for the extended culture of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are far from optimal. Therefore, we proposed to use nanoporous membrane for the co-culture of feeder cells and hESCs. In this proof-of-concept study, we first studied the stability, biocompatibility and permeability of an alginate-poly-L-lysine-alginate membrane. This membrane was then used to encapsulate feeder cells to examine the cell viability and TGF-β secretion. Finally, the encapsulated feeder-conditioned media were used to culture hESCs. The data indicate that nanoporous membrane is a potential tool for the co-culture of feeder cells and hESCs in a safe, efficient, and continuous manner.
Applicability of Pattern-based sparse matrix representation for real applications

Pattern-based representation (PBR) is a novel sparse matrix representation that reduces the index overhead for many matrices without zero-filling and without requiring the identification of dense matrix blocks. The PBR analyzer identifies recurring block nonzero patterns, represents the submatrix consisting of all blocks of this pattern in block coordinate format, and generates custom matrix-vector multiplication kernels for that submatrix. In this way, PBR expresses matrix structure in terms of specialized inner loops, thereby creating locality for repeating structure via the instruction cache, and reducing the amount of index data that must be fetched from memory. In this paper we evaluate the applicability of PBR by testing it on a large set of matrices from the University of Florida sparse matrix collection. We analyze PBR’s suitability for a wide range of problems and identify underlying problem and matrix characteristics that suggest good performance with PBR. We find that PBR is especially promising for problems with underlying 2D/3D geometry.
Synthetic supercontainers exhibit distinct solution versus solid state guest-binding behavior.

The phase-dependent host–guest binding behavior of a new family of synthetic supercontainers has been probed in homogeneous solution and at liquid–liquid, solid–liquid, and solid–gas interfaces. The synthetic hosts, namely, type II metal–organic supercontainers (MOSCs), are constructed from the assembly of divalent metal ions, 1,4-benzenedicarboxylate (BDC) linker, and sulfonylcalix[4]arene-based container precursors. One member of the MOSCs, MOSC-II-tBu-Ni, which is derived from Ni(II), BDC, and p-tert-butylsulfonylcalix[4]arene (TBSC), crystallizes in the space group R3 and adopts pseudo face-centered cubic (fcc) packing, whereas other MOSCs, including TBSC analogue MOSC-II-tBu-Co, p-tert-pentylsulfonylcalix[4]arene (TPSC) analogues MOSC-II-tPen-Ni/Co, and p-tert-octylsulfonylcalix[4]arene (TOSC) analogues MOSC-II-tOc-Ni/Mg/Co, all crystallize in the space group I4/m and assume a pseudo body-centered cubic (bcc) packing mode. This solid-state structural diversity is nevertheless not reflected in their ...
Reading Between the Lines: The Lay Assessment of Subclinical Depression From Written Self-Descriptions

This study investigated how laypersons assess subclinical depression in others from 2 forms of written self-descriptions: personal diaries and online blogs. Fifty-seven target participants wrote essays describing their personality as they would in each context. Naive judges then rated targets' depression from the 2 sets of self-descriptions. The judges achieved high and comparable levels of accuracy in the 2 self-descriptions by basing their impressions on linguistic cues indicative of depression-related emotional, cognitive, temporal, and social processes. Consistent with the idea that diaries particularly afford the disclosure of socially sensitive concerns whereas online blogs particularly afford the disclosure of socially acceptable concerns, several cues were indicative of depression only in the targets' diaries (sadness words, cognitive mechanism words, metaphysical references) or their online blogs (e.g., swear words, references to sleep). For most of these cues, judges were implicitly aware of their context-specific diagnosticity.
969-96 Arterial-Ventricular Elastance Uncoupling in Hypertensive Cardiac Transplant Recipients is Improved by Vasodilator Therapy

Cardiac transplant recipients (CTR) on cyclosporine often develop systemic arterial vasoconstriction and hypertension with limited exercise tolerance despite normal LV systolic function. The lack of cardiac autonomic innervation may contribute to the presence of arterial-venlricular elastance uncoupling in this situation. To assess arterial-ventricular coupling in hypertensive CTR. LV micromanometer pressure and simultaneous radionuclide volume were measured at baseline and during nitroprusside (NTP) infusion titrated to lower systolic pressure to ≤ 120 mmHg (dose: 96 ± 15 μg/min. mean ±SEM) in 10 hypertensive CTR (age 43 ± 4 years) 20 ± 4 months after transplantation. Ventricular elastance (E es ) was calculated from the slope of the end-systolic pressure-volume relation (ESPVR) and arterial elastance (E a ) from the ratio end-systolic pressure/stroke volume. Arterial-ventricular elastance coupling was assessed as the ratio E a /E es . Ventricular efficiency (EFF) is represented by the ratio stroke work/pressure volume area (PVA), where PVA is the area circumscribed by the ESPVR. diastolic pressure-volume relation and the systolic pressure-volume trajectory. HR MAP LVEDP Cl E a /E es EFF Baseline 91 ± 4 125 ± 4 12 ± 1 2.4 ± 0.1 5.9 ± 1.7 0.32 ± 004 NTP 103 ± 4 * 90 ± 6 * 7 ± 1 5 ± 0.1 2.4 ± 0.9 * 0.46 ± 0.06 * * p l 0.05 Conclusions (1) Arterial-ventricular elastance uncoupling occurs in hypertensive CTR. (2) Acute vasodilator therapy improves but does not normalize arterial-ventricular coupling and LV efficiency.
Effects of carrier phase on reflection of optical narrow-extent pulses from axially excited chiral sculptured thin films

Abstract Using a numerical time-domain method, we studied the reflection and refraction of optical narrow-extent pulses by linear and cubically nonlinear chiral sculptured thin films (STFs). The incident signal consisted of a carrier plane wave whose amplitude was modulated by a pulse envelope. The carrier phase and the nonlinearity of the chiral STF were found to have significant effects on both the shape and magnitude – as described by the instantaneous Poynting vector – of the reflected pulses, particularly with respect to the circular Bragg phenomenon exhibited by chiral STFs. The provided results point towards uses of the nanoengineered STFs in optical communication and sensing devices.
Ferry Parking and Landside Access Study: implementing public outreach and impact assessment

Through federal regulations, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) are mandated to perform public outreach and impact assessment. Although there are some established parameters, the quality and effectiveness of public outreach efforts vary widely, and in many instances information dissemination becomes the central focus of public outreach efforts. However, information dissemination, although essential, is not as effective as a two-way process of public involvement in which members of the public may provide feedback to shape agency initiatives. Research conducted for the Ferry Parking and Landside Access Study is used to describe best practices in public outreach, focusing on socio-economic and community impact assessment. The landside access study represents a dedicated effort by the New York MPO to approach planning for waterborne services by using a comprehensive approach based on land use. With emphasis on land-use criteria, the focus is on people and impact, unlike the traditional demand analysis...
The 4',4'-difluoro analog of 5'-noraristeromycin: a new structural prototype for possible antiviral drug development toward orthopoxvirus and cytomegalovirus.

Abstract As a surrogate for 4′-hydroxy-5′-noraristeromycin and related carbocyclic nucleosides, an efficient, enantiodivergent synthetic route to both enantiomers of 5-(6-amino-9H-purin-9-yl)-3,3-difluorocyclopentane-1,2-diol (6 and ent-6) has been developed from a common starting material ((+)-(1R,4S)-4-hydroxy-2-cyclopenten-1-yl acetate, 10). Both compounds were assayed versus a series of viruses. The only response found was for compound 6 toward vaccinia and cowpox (EC50 of 143 and 94 μM, respectively) and human cytomegalovirus (EC50 of 6.2 μM). Both compounds were non-cytotoxic. While not as active as cidofovir toward the orthopox viruses and ganciclovir toward cytomegalovirus, compound 6 offers a new structural prototype upon which to build for uncovering new agents effective against these viral types.
CHARGE TRANSFER DYNAMICS OF LOW ENERGY OXYGEN ION BEAMS SCATTERED FROM CU(001)

Abstract We have studied the scattering of low energy O− and O+ ions off a clean Cu(0 0 1) surface in order to gain further insight into nonadiabatic electron transfer processes during reactive ion–surface collisions. For incident energies of 0.4–5 keV, we have measured O+/O− ratios and the absolute yields of positive, negative, and neutral oxygen atoms in the scattered flux over a wide range of scattering geometries. We have determined the extent to which memory loss occurs by comparing O+/O− ratios for single scattering events, obtained with incident O− ions and identified with a classical trajectory simulation, to those made in a similar study [C.A. Keller, A.C. Lavery, B.H. Cooper, Phys. Rev. B. 58 (1998) 10959] that was performed using incident O+ ions. The neutral and negative ions observed in the scattered flux can be explained with a simple model based on the energetics of resonant charge exchange. The presence of scattered positive ions, however, is explained by invoking a collisional mechanism for their production.
Generation of nuclear transfer-derived pluripotent ES cells from cloned Cdx2 -deficient blastocysts

The derivation of embryonic stem (ES) cells by nuclear transfer holds great promise for research and therapy but involves the destruction of cloned human blastocysts. Proof of principle experiments have shown that 'customized' ES cells derived by nuclear transfer (NT-ESCs) can be used to correct immunodeficiency in mice. Importantly, the feasibility of the approach has been demonstrated recently in humans, bringing the clinical application of NT-ESCs within reach. Altered nuclear transfer (ANT) has been proposed as a variation of nuclear transfer because it would create abnormal nuclear transfer blastocysts that are inherently unable to implant into the uterus but would be capable of generating customized ES cells. To assess the experimental validity of this concept we have used nuclear transfer to derive mouse blastocysts from donor fibroblasts that carried a short hairpin RNA construct targeting Cdx2. Cloned blastocysts were morphologically abnormal, lacked functional trophoblast and failed to implant into the uterus. However, they efficiently generated pluripotent embryonic stem cells when explanted into culture.
Thermoanalytical and FT-IR Characteristics of Fabrics Finished with BTCA / Chloroacetates: Part II: FT-IR Identification of Volatile Decomposition Products

Cotton fabrics esterified with polycarboxylic acids possess excellent smooth drying properties and have good strength retention. The best results have been obtained with catalysts of inorganic phos...
High conductivity, shallow doping in silicon by ion implantation and furnace annealing

Abstract High dose, shallow implants (~0.2 μm) were furnace annealed. As expected, As + and P + implants showed the same annealing characteristics. Both can be activated to their maximum levels at 550°C; but P + implant gave higher conductivity than As + implant. BF + 2 implant gave better activation than B + implant at anneal temperatures below 900°C; but both require additional moderate dose Si + implant with proper energy and implant sequence to achieve maximum activation at these low temperatures. Maximum activation with minimum diffusion and acceptable junction leakage for VLSIC applications can be achieved by conventional furnace annealing technology.
Novel nuclear markers inform the systematics and the evolution of serpentine use in Streptanthus and allies (Thelypodieae, Brassicaceae).

Abstract Streptanthus is a genus of ca. 35 species in the tribe Thelypodieae (Brassicaceae) that has remarkable morphological and ecological diversity, a large number of species in the group being edaphic specialists endemic to unusual soils such as serpentine. While ecological research has shed some light on adaptation to serpentine in Streptanthus, there have been few insights on the origins and evolution of serpentine tolerance in this group, largely due to limited success in resolving the phylogenetic relationships among Streptanthus and allied genera of the Thelypodieae (Streptanthoid complex). We present a well-resolved phylogenetic hypothesis for the Streptanthoid complex, based on three newly identified and highly variable single copy nuclear regions (AT4G34700, AT1G61620, and AT1G56590, and three others that are widely used (ITS, phyA, and PEPC). We also include data for two chloroplast regions (trnL and trnH-psbA). Collectively, our new markers provide 75% of the nuclear parsimony informative characters in our data. Taxonomically, our sampling is the most inclusive of any study of the Streptanthoid Complex to date, including 46 out of the 53 species of Streptanthus and Caulanthus, as well as representatives of several closely allied genera in the Thelypodieae. Our results reveal that Streptanthus, Caulanthus, and Thelypodium are not reciprocally monophyletic as currently defined. The species of Streptanthus form two rather distantly related clades. One clade (SC-I) is comprised of species with bilateral flowers and urn-shaped calyces that occur mainly within the California Floristic Province (CFP) hotspot; the other clade (SC-II) is composed of species with extant ranges mainly outside the CFP. Our data indicate that serpentine tolerance has evolved between eight and ten times in this group, of which between four and five have resulted in endemism. While serpentine endemism has been rarely lost, large and diverse clades composed mainly of serpentine endemics indicate that serpentine endemics in this group are more than mere ‘dead-ends’.
Prosody as a genre-distinguishing feature in Ahtna: A quantitative approach

This article is a quantitative examination of the function of prosody in distinguishing between the genres of oral performance and expository discourse in Ahtna, an Athabascan language of south-central Alaska. Within the framework of the intonation unit (e.g., Chafe 1987) I examine features of prosody related to both timing (intonation unit length and duration, pause duration and distribution, and syllable pacing) and pitch (pitch reset, boundary tones, and intonational phrasing). I show to a statistically significant degree that most of the prosodic burden of distinguishing genre is carried by a particular intonation contour that is associated with Ahtna oral performance and causes several measurable distinctions between genres.
Treatment of chromomycosis with ketoconazole and 5-fluorocytosine

Chromomycosis is a disfiguring cutaneous mycosis that is often recalcitrant to therapy. We describe a case of chromomycosis of the lower extremities that is being successfully treated with ketoconazole and 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) after treatment with ketoconazole alone had failed. In vitro studies showed that the drugs acted synergistically against the strain of Fonsecaea pedrosoi which was isolated from the patient's lesion.
Endogenous opioid inhibition of chronic low-back pain influences degree of back pain relief after morphine administration.

Background and Objectives Factors underlying differential responsiveness to opioid analgesic medications used in chronic pain management are poorly understood. We tested whether individual differences in endogenous opioid inhibition of chronic low-back pain were associated with the magnitude of acute reductions in back pain ratings after morphine administration. Methods In randomized counterbalanced order over three sessions, 50 chronic low-back pain patients received intravenous naloxone (8 mg), morphine (0.08 mg/kg), or placebo. Back pain intensity was rated predrug and again after peak drug activity was achieved using the McGill Pain Questionnaire–Short Form (Sensory and Affective subscales, VAS Intensity measure). Opioid blockade effect measures to index degree of endogenous opioid inhibition of back pain intensity were derived as the difference between predrug to postdrug changes in pain intensity across placebo and naloxone conditions, with similar morphine responsiveness measures derived across placebo and morphine conditions. Results Morphine significantly reduced back pain compared with placebo (McGill Pain Questionnaire–Short Form Sensory, VAS; P Conclusions Morphine appears to provide better acute relief of chronic back pain in individuals with lower natural opioidergic inhibition of chronic pain intensity. Possible implications for personalized medicine are discussed.
Microwave-assisted synthesis of corroles

The recently developed Gross's method for the synthesis of corroles has been modified and successfully applied to the preparation of new free base tris-aryl- and tris-pyrimidyl-corroles using solvent-free conditions and microwave irradiation. Compared to conventional heating, the microwave technique afforded an increase in corrole yields of ca. 30% and led to noticeably cleaner reaction mixtures. It is demonstrated that short reaction times and high temperatures are required to afford optimum yields.
Body Size Satisfaction and Physical Activity Levels Among Men and Women

Body size satisfaction may be an important factor associated with physical activity. We analyzed data from the 2002 National Physical Activity and Weight Loss Survey (NPAWLS), a population-based cross-sectional telephone survey of US adults. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the association of body size satisfaction on being regularly active. Participants were aged ≥18 years with complete data on weight, race/ethnicity, physical activity level, and body size satisfaction (n = 10,021). More than half of men (55.8%) and women (53.3%) who reported being very satisfied with the body size were regularly active. After adjustment for covariates, participants who reported being somewhat or not satisfied with their body size had a 13 and 44% lower odds of being regularly active, respectively, compared with those very satisfied with their body size. When stratified by race/ethnicity, this association remained in whites (P for trend <0.001), but became weaker and nonsignificant in blacks, Hispanics, or other racial/ethnic groups. Irrespective of actual weight, those who were satisfied with their body size were more likely to engage in regular physical activity than those less satisfied. Further research is needed to explore predictors of physical activity to reduce health disparities.
Regulation of a cyclin-CDK-CDK inhibitor complex by inositol pyrophosphates.

In budding yeast, phosphate starvation triggers inhibition of the Pho80-Pho85 cyclin–cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) complex by the CDK inhibitor Pho81, leading to expression of genes involved in nutrient homeostasis. We isolated myo-d-inositol heptakisphosphate (IP7) as a cellular component that stimulates Pho81-dependent inhibition of Pho80-Pho85. IP7 is necessary for Pho81-dependent inhibition of Pho80-Pho85 in vitro. Moreover, intracellular concentrations of IP7 increased upon phosphate starvation, and yeast mutants defective in IP7 production failed to inhibit Pho80-Pho85 in response to phosphate starvation. These observations reveal regulation of a cyclin-CDK complex by a metabolite and suggest that a complex metabolic network mediates signaling of phosphate availability.
Computational assessment of 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions to graphene

The 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of azomethine ylide and carbonyl ylide to models of graphene have been investigated with density functional theory. Reaction energetics have been obtained and show that edge areas of graphene are much more favourable reaction sites than the centre sites. Azomethine ylide cannot directly react at the centre area, while carbonyl ylides are promising reagents for functionalization of graphene. The influence of some 1,3-dipole substituents is also evaluated.
Early Postnatal Astroglial Cells Produce Multilineage Precursors and Neural Stem Cells In Vivo

To identify the fates that astroglial cells can attain in the postnatal brain, we generated mice carrying an inducible Cre recombinase (Cre-ERT2) controlled by the human GFAP promoter ( hGFAP ). In mice carrying the GCE (hGFAP-Cre-ERT2) transgene, OHT (4-hydroxy-tamoxifen) injections induced Cre recombination in astroglial cells at postnatal day 5 and allowed us to permanently tag these cells with reporter genes. Three days after recombination, reporter-tagged cells were quiescent astroglial cells that expressed the stem cell marker LeX in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and dentate gyrus (DG). After 2–4 weeks, the tagged GFAP lineage included proliferating progenitors expressing the neuronal marker Dcx (Doublecortin) in the SVZ and the DG. After 4 weeks, the GFAP lineage generated mature neurons in the olfactory bulb (OB), DG, and, strikingly, also in the cerebral cortex. A major portion of all neurons in the DG and OB born at the end of the first postnatal week were generated from GFAP+ cells. In addition to neurons, mature oligodendrocytes and astrocytes populating the cerebral cortex and white matter were also the progeny of GFAP+ astroglial ancestors. Thus, genetic fate mapping of postnatal GFAP+ cells reveals that they seed the postnatal brain with neural progenitors/stem cells that in turn give rise to neural precursors and their mature neuronal and oligodendrocytic progeny in many CNS regions, including the cerebral cortex.
Subtle hemorrhagic brain injury is associated with neurodevelopmental impairment in infants with repaired congenital heart disease

Objective Perioperative stroke and periventricular leukomalacia have been reported to occur commonly in infants with congenital heart disease. We aimed to determine the incidence and type of brain injury in infants undergoing 2-ventricle repair in infancy and to determine risk factors associated with such injury. Methods Forty-eight infants enrolled in a trial comparing 2 different hematocrits during surgical repair of congenital heart disease underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging scans and neurodevelopmental testing at 1 year of age. Results Eighteen (38%) of our subjects had tiny foci of hemosiderin by susceptibility imaging, without evidence of abnormalities in corresponding regions on conventional magnetic resonance imaging sequences. Subjects with foci of hemosiderin had a significantly lower Psychomotor Developmental Index at 1 year of age (79.6 ± 16.5, mean ± standard deviation) compared with subjects without these foci (89.5 ± 15.3; P = .04). Older age at surgery and diagnostic group were significantly associated with the presence of hemosiderin foci. Only 1 subject had a small stroke (2%), and 2 subjects had periventricular leukomalacia (4%). Conclusion Foci of hemosiderin without radiologic evidence of ischemic brain injury are an abnormality associated with adverse neurodevelopmental outcome not previously described in magnetic resonance imaging studies of children with surgically repaired congenital heart disease. The association of hemosiderin foci with older age at surgery and cardiac diagnosis, and not with risk factors associated with brain injury, in previous studies suggests that the cause and pathogenesis of this abnormality are different from ischemic brain lesions reported previously.
Polarization divergence in driven charge-density waves.

We report the first direct measurement of the polarization divergence associated with charge-density-wave depinning in ${\mathrm{K}}_{0.3}$${\mathrm{MoO}}_{3}$ at low temperatures. The field-dependent remanent polarization diverges as P(E)=${\mathrm{P}}_{0}$(1-E/${\mathrm{E}}_{\mathrm{T}}$${)}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\gamma}}$ with ${\mathrm{E}}_{\mathrm{T}}$ the threshold field and the ``critical exponent'' \ensuremath{\gamma}l1. We discuss the novel effects associated with the polarization divergence and the inherent difficulties of the analysis.
Loss of IGF-IEa or IGF-IEb impairs myogenic differentiation.

Myoblast differentiation is sensitive to loss of IGF-I splice variants, but in a manner consistent with the level of total reduced IGF-I mRNA.
Irritable bowel syndrome: what do patients really want?

Knowing what patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) want or expect from their medical care is critical in helping them manage the symptoms of this common, chronic gastrointestinal condition. Failure to identify patient expectations can lead to patient dissatisfaction with care, lack of compliance with prescribed treatments, and the inappropriate use of medical resources. Surprisingly little is known about what patients with IBS really want. Several studies suggest that IBS patients value the relational aspects of medical care as highly as technical skills and knowledge. There seems to be a significant communication gap between health care providers and patients regarding IBS care. This article reviews what is known about IBS patients’ expectations and needs.
Evaluation of three peripheral arteriovenous fistulas for hemodialysis access in dogs.

Objective— To design and create 3 types of arteriovenous fistulas (AVF) in normal dogs, to monitor the dogs for secondary cardiovascular complications, and to verify adequacy of these fistulas for hemodialysis vascular access. Study design— Experimental study. Animals— Four normal adult dogs. Methods— Cadaveric dissections were performed, and surgical protocols were generated for carotid-jugular (CJ), brachial-cephalic (BC), and distal caudal femoral-lateral saphenous anastomosis (DCFLS) AVF. Each surgical procedure was then performed in 2 live dogs. Echocardiography was performed at days 0, 1, 3, 7, 14, 28, and 56 to evaluate the dogs for evidence of volume overload secondary to AVF formation. Estimation of luminal diameter and confirmation of fistula patency were performed using percutaneous color Doppler ultrasound. At day 56, hemodialysis was performed using each fistula as a vascular access. Results— No significant changes occurred in the echocardiographic variables over time. All fistulas were patent at day 56 with mean luminal diameters of 4.5 mm (CJ), 4 mm (BC), and 1.5 mm (DCFLS). The BC fistula was superior for ease of needle placement and stabilization and provided adequate blood flow for clinical hemodialysis. Conclusions— Based on this short-term study, arteriovenous fistulas appear to be a safe and effective means for hemodialysis access in dogs. Clinical relevance— The arteriovenous fistulas described provide an alternative to the central venous catheters currently used for chronic hemodialysis access in dogs.
13C nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation studies on the structure of mixed micelles of the nonionic surfactant triton X-100 and phospholipids☆

Abstract Natural abundance 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance studies on dimyristoyl phosphatidylcholine in CD 3 OD and on dimyristoyl and dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine in mixed micelles with the nonionic surfactant Triton X-100 are reported. In the 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum of mixed micelles, resolution of several individual phospholipid resonance lines is possible. The phospholipid shows similar T 1 values to phospholipid in unsonicated multibilayer and sonicated vesicle structures, and presumably similar segmental motions of the phospholipid fatty acid chains occur in all of these systems. The phospholipid in mixed micelles, however, appears to exhibit narrower lines and longer T 2 ∗ relaxation times than it does in the bilayer preparations and this suggests that less motional restrictions occur for phospholipids in mixed micellar structures than in bilayer structures.