cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The determination of the nuclear charge distribution of 12C from elastic electron scattering

Abstract Using an iterative procedure previously applied to 208Pb, the static nuclear charge distribution for 12C and the error and error correlations in coordinate space implied by the experimental statistical errors are determined from experimental electron scattering data at three energies. Pseudodata generated from a known charge distribution and randomized according to the experimental errors are investigated extensively to demonstrate the validity of the method. Deformed and spherical Hartree-Fock calculations with phenomenological and realistic forces are compared with experiment, and the effect of dispersion corrections on the analysis is shown to be small. Various corrections to the experimental data are discussed, and the analysis is compared with other current approaches.
Performance Sensitive Replication in Geo-distributed Cloud Datastores

Modern web applications face stringent requirements along many dimensions including latency, scalability, and availability. In response, several geo-distributed cloud data stores have emerged in recent years. Customizing data stores to meet application SLAs is challenging given the scale of applications, and their diverse and dynamic workloads. In this paper, we tackle these challenges in the context of quorum-based systems (e.g. Amazon Dynamo, Cassandra), an important class of cloud storage systems. We present models that optimize percentiles of response time under normal operation and under a data-center (DC) failure. Our models consider factors like the geographic spread of users, DC locations, consistency requirements and inter-DC communication costs. We evaluate our models using real-world traces of three applications: Twitter, Wikipedia and Go Walla on a Cassandra cluster deployed in Amazon EC2. Our results confirm the importance and effectiveness of our models, and highlight the benefits of customizing replication in cloud datastores.
Transfer of toxic concentrations of selenium from parent to progeny in the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas)

Selenium, an essential trace element, may become concentrated in aquatic ecosystems to levels that are toxic to fish. Finley (1985) and Gillespie and Baumann (1986) have shown that selenium in overflow water from coal burning power plant settling basins contributed to a decline in fish populations. The leaching of selenium from the soil into water systems used for irrigation in highly seleniferous areas of the country poses another serious problem. Studies demonstrated that female bluegill sunfish transfer selenium to their progeny. The objective of the study was to determine whether the selenium levels within fathead minnow embryos in a semi-natural ecosystem resulted from direct uptake by the embryos following spawning, from female-to-progeny transferral, or from some combination of these two occurrences.
Academic and Social Perceptions as Predictors of Change in Middle School Students' Sense of School Belonging.

Change in middle school students' sense of school belonging was examined in relation to grade point average, motivation variables, and teachers' promotion of mutual respect in classes. Survey data from 618 students collected in three waves during the sixth and seventh grades were submitted to growth curve analysis. On average, students' sense of school belonging declined over time. Initial levels of school belonging were predicted positively by students' grade point average, academic task values, and perceived classroom task goal orientations. Teacher promotion of mutual respect had a small effect in ameliorating the decline in school belonging. The findings suggest that students' sense of school belonging is enhanced when teachers promote adaptive academic and interpersonal contexts in their classrooms.
Infection-Stimulated Fibrin Deposition Controls Hemorrhage and Limits Hepatic Bacterial Growth during Listeriosis

Bacterial infections are major causes of human mortality. The activation of coagulation pathways leading to the deposition of insoluble fibrin frequently accompanies bacterial infection, and much attention has focused upon the pathological attributes of infection-stimulated fibrin deposition. Nevertheless, here we present conclusive evidence that infection-stimulated fibrin deposition can perform critical protective functions during bacterial infection. Specifically, we demonstrate that coagulation-impaired fibrin(ogen)-deficient mice, in comparison with genetically matched control mice, display increased mortality upon peritoneal infection with the gram-positive facultative intracellular bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. To distinguish effects of fibrinogen from those of fibrin, we treat wild-type mice with warfarin, an anticoagulant that suppresses fibrin formation without impacting fibrinogen levels. Warfarin treatment exacerbates listeriosis, suggesting that fibrin is the key mediator of protection. With regard to the underlying protective mechanisms, we demonstrate that fibrin(ogen) suppresses anemia, reduces hemorrhagic pathology, and limits bacterial growth during listeriosis. Despite confirming a prior report that fibrin(ogen) promotes the peritoneal clearance of the extracellular bacterium Staphylococcal aureus, we demonstrate that fibrin(ogen) plays little role in controlling peritoneal numbers of L. monocytogenes bacteria or the dissemination of L. monocytogenes bacteria from the peritoneal cavity. Rather, fibrin(ogen) primarily limits the growth of these intracellular bacteria within hepatic tissue. While the pathological potential of excessive infection-stimulated fibrin deposition is well appreciated, our findings reveal that fibrin can function protectively, via multiple mechanisms, during bacterial infection.
Forecasting fluid milk and cheese demands for the next decade.

Predictions of future market demands and farm prices for dairy products are important determinants in developing marketing strategies and farm-production planning decisions. The objective of this report was to use current aggregate forecast data, combined with existing econometric models of demand and supply, to forecast retail demands for fluid milk and cheese and the supply and price of farm milk over the next decade. In doing so, we can investigate whether projections of population and consumer food-spending patterns will extend or alter current consumption trends and examine the implications of future generic advertising strategies for dairy products. To conduct the forecast simulations and appropriately allocate the farm milk supply to various uses, we used a partial equilibrium model of the US domestic dairy sector that segmented the industry into retail, wholesale, and farm markets. Model simulation results indicated that declines in retail per capita demand would persist but at a reduced rate from years past and that retail per capita demand for cheese would continue to grow and strengthen over the next decade. These predictions rely on expected changes in the size of populations of various ages, races, and ethnicities and on existing patterns of spending on food at home and away from home. The combined effect of these forecasted changes in demand levels was reflected in annualized growth in the total farm-milk supply that was similar to growth realized during the past few years. Although we expect nominal farm milk prices to increase over the next decade, we expect real prices (relative to assumed growth in feed costs) to remain relatively stable and show no increase until the end of the forecast period. Supplemental industry model simulations also suggested that net losses in producer revenues would result if only nominal levels of generic advertising spending were maintained in forthcoming years. In fact, if real generic advertising expenditures are increased relative to 2005 levels, returns to the investment in generic advertising can be improved. Specifically, each additional real dollar invested in generic advertising for fluid milk and cheese products over the forecast period would result in an additional $5.61 in producer revenues.
Studies of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor protein from rat brain.

Abstract Specific binding of 125 I-labeled α-bungarotoxin to a 34 800 × g pellet of a whole rat brain homogenate has been obtained at levels 2 pmol toxin per g of whole brain with a K d of 8·10 −9 M. Binding is reduced 90% by 10 −5 M (+)- tubocurarine chloride and 10 −4 M nicotine, whereas concentrations of 10 −4 M choline chloride, atropine sulfate and eserine sulfate have essentially no effect on toxin binding. These results compare closely with those obtained from binding studies with 125 I-labeled α-bungarotoxin and soluble acetylcholine receptor protein preparations form Torpedo nobiliana ; suggesting that this mammalian receptor protein is nicotinic in character. Extraction of the 34 800 × g pellet with 1% Emulphogene yields a soluble fraction with specifically binds 125 I-labeled α-bungarotoxin with a K d of 5·10 −9 M. Nicotine and α-bungarotoxin at concentrations of 10 −5 M abolish toxin- receptor complex formation and carbachol and (+)-tubocurarine chloride reduce complex formation 35–40% at similar concentrations. Eserine sulfate, atropine sulfate, decamethonium, and pilocarpine had no effect on complex formation at concentrations of 10 −5 M.
The future of research funding in academic medicine.

Today, with the funding for biomedical research dwindling, the current structure of the enterprise is unsustainable. Eric Campbell argues that the fiscal and operational models must be restructured if the stability of academic institutions is to be maintained.
Speak No Evil: The Triumph of Hate Speech Regulation. By Jon B. Gould

Speak No Evil: The Triumph of Hate Speech Regulation. By Jon B. Gould. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2005. Pp. 241. $48.00 cloth. Reviewed by Ryan D. King, State University of New York at Albany In Speak No Evil, Gould goes beyond politicized and partisan debates concerning hate speech regulation to provide a theoretically rich and empirically driven account of the rise, persistence, and impact of hate speech regulation on U.S. colleges and universities. Gould introduces some puzzling questions at the outset. Why did campus speech regulation arise when it did? And more intriguingly, how did hate speech triumph in academia in the wake of contrary constitutional precedent? As the author discovers, not only did many universities retain hate speech policies following a series of appellate court decisions ruling them unconstitutional, but some actually defied these decisions by adopting new hate speech codes. In related fashion, the author asks how nearly unenforceable hate speech codes became fairly effective? And why have appellate courts validated speech restrictions in the workplace (e.g., hostile work environments) while they have limited restrictions in educational settings? These questions motivate a well-researched and lucidly written book. Gould positions his theoretical argument against that presented by hate speech critics. In this sense, he partly constructs an intellectual nemesis from a collection of columnists (e.g., George Will) and interest groups, few of which identify as social movement theorists per se. Gould labels this the "traditionalist" explanation, which claims that the creation and diffusion of hate speech policies reflected liberal activism pervading higher education in conjunction with organized advocacy group mobilization from marginalized communities. Gould maintains that the traditionalist argument is plagued by reliance on case studies and limited empirical data. Indeed, prior to his endeavor, little reliable data existed on the prevalence and nature of hate speech regulation. Gould fills this informational lacuna by collecting data from a stratified random sample of U.S. colleges and universities accompanied by in-depth interviews with administrators and active players in the hate speech movement at strategically selected universities. While the analysis clearly takes us beyond prior work, the data have limitations. The survey data rely heavily on proxy indicators and suffer from thorny collinearity issues, which might have been dealt with more effectively. These limitations aside, the analysis suggests that group mobilization and identity politics had only limited influence on speech code adoption. Gould then turns to the interview data and delivers his theoretical punch. He finds that high-level administrators acting on instrumental, utilitarian concerns instigated hate speech regulation. Administrators sought to diffuse racial unrest on campus and deliver "symbolic, perhaps even cynical" (p. 89) gestures to appease marginalized groups and keep pace with what they perceived as "mainstream" academic administration. …
Physical examination for partial tears of the biceps tendon

BackgroundThe accuracy of the physical examination for tears of the long head of the biceps remains controversial.PurposeThe goals were 1) to characterize the occurrence of partial tears of the long head of the biceps tendon in a group of consecutive patients, and 2) to analyze the diagnostic value of various clinical tests for pathologic lesions of the proximal biceps tendon.Study DesignCohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.MethodsOf 847 consecutive patients who underwent arthroscopic procedures for a variety of shoulder conditions, 40 were found at the time of arthroscopy to have partial biceps tendon tears. The average age of these 24 men and 16 women was 59 years (range, 18-83). Preoperative physical examinations had included 9 commonly used tests for shoulder examination. Statistical analysis included sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value, and likelihood ratios for these tests.ResultsThe prevalence rate of partial tears was 5% (40/847) of all arthrosc...
Flow cytometric analysis of malignant pleural mesotheliomas

Abstract Forty-six cases of malignant pleural mesothelioma were analyzed for histologic subtype, DNA content, and cell cycle characteristics. Sixty-five percent of cases were diploid in DNA content, with intermediate to low proliferative rates. Thirty-one nonmesothelial malignant neoplasms of the lung, of histologic types most easily confused with malignant mesothelioma, were also examined. In contrast to the mesotheliomas, 85% of these nonmesothelial malignant neoplasms of the lung were aneuploid; the aneuploid neoplasms exhibited higher mean proliferative rates (S = 10.6%) than diploid nonmesothelial neoplasms of the lung (S
Forgetting of a CS attribute in a conditioned suppression paradigm.

Although a number of studies have demonstrated nearly complete retention of fear in a conditioned suppression task, they provide little information about the nature of the memory for the CS. The purpose of the present experiment was to investigate the retention of an attribute of a tonal CS that had been paired with shock and was thus capable of eliciting a conditioned emotional response (CER) in rats. The Kamin blocking effect was utilized to detect changes in the memory of CS attributes. Either 1 or 21 days following conditioning to a tone, separate groups of rats received compound conditioning in which either the original or a novel tone was combined with a light. Subsequent measurement of suppression to the added element (light) indicated that only the original CS produced blocking at the short delay, but that both original and novel tones resulted in blocking at the 21-day interval. This increase in the extent of blocking suggests that memory for specific attributes of the CS does diminish as a function of time.
Cerebrospinal Fluid Biogenic Amine Metabolites in Children during Treatment for Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia

Cerebrospinal Fluid Biogenic Amine Metabolites in Children during Treatment for Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
Biology of ductal carcinoma in situ classification based on biologic potential

Incidence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) has increased significantly during the last decade, comprising almost 20% of all breast cancers diagnosed today. DCIS is composed of malignant breast duct epithelial cells that have clonally proliferated and accumulated within the mammary duct lumen. It comprises a group of heterogeneous tumors with varying biologic behavior rendering its classification and management challenging. By definition, DCIS does not invade through the basement membrane; it is a preinvasive malignancy and systemic disease is nonexistent. The basis of treatment is to prevent progression into an invasive cancer such as ductal carcinoma. Most current DCIS classification schemes do not predict its potential to progress to invasive disease. In this review the natural history of DCIS, as it relates to its biologic potential to progress to invasive disease, is summarized, and a broad classification system that may provide a guideline for patient management is proposed.
Maternal dietary sodium chloride levels affect the sex ratio in rat litters

Eighty-eight adult female rats were fed diets containing either 0.08, 0.12, 1, 3, or 4% NaCl for at least one week prior to breeding and throughout gestation. Within 24 hours of birth, all pups were sexed based on anogenital distance, and the number of males and females were recorded. The amount of sodium chloride in mother rats' diets was inversely related to the proportion of phenotypic males in the litter. As dietary salt increased, the proportion of males decreased. These alterations in dietary NaCl affected the sex ratio without disrupting litter size or the general health of the offspring. Dietary mineral content may affect the phenotypic sex ratio through changes in the genotypic sex ratio, or alternatively, via changes in the environment in which the genes are expressed. These findings are important for basic research concerning maternal nutrition and development.
YAP Regulates S-Phase Entry in Endothelial Cells

The Hippo pathway regulates cell proliferation and apoptosis through the Yes-associated protein (YAP) transcriptional activator. YAP has a well-described role in promoting cell proliferation and survival, but the precise mechanisms and transcriptional targets that underlie these properties are still unclear and likely context-dependent. We found, using siRNA-mediated knockdown, that YAP is required for proliferation in endothelial cells but not HeLa cells. Specifically, YAP is required for S-phase entry and its absence causes cells to accumulate in G1. Microarray analysis suggests that YAP mediates this effect by regulating the transcription of genes involved in the assembly and/or firing of replication origins and homologous recombination of DNA. These findings thus provide insight into the molecular mechanisms by which YAP regulates cell cycle progression.
Quantifying hydrate formation and kinetic inhibition

In the Prausnitz tradition, molecular and macroscopic evidence of hydrate formation and kinetic inhibition is presented. On the microscopic level, the first Raman spectra are presented for the formation of both uninhibited and inhibited methane hydrates with time. This method has the potential to provide a microscopic-based kinetics model. Three macroscopic aspects of natural gas hydrate kinetic inhibition are also reported: (1) The effect of hydrate dissociation residual structures was measured, which has application in decreasing the time required for subsequent formation. (2) The performance of a kinetic inhibitor (poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) or PVCap) was measured and correlated as a function of PVCap molecular weight and concentrations of PVCap, methanol, and salt in the aqueous phase. (3) Long-duration test results indicated that the use of PVCap can prevent pipeline blockage for a time exceeding the aqueous phase residence time in some gas pipelines.
Reactions of Naphthyl Tellurium Trihalides with Some Dithiocarbamates and Xanthates: X-Ray Structure of “T-Shaped” Naphthyl Tellurium 1-Pyrrolidinecarbodithioate

The reaction of naphthyl tellurium trihalides, ArTeX3 (X = Br, Cl; Ar = naphthyl) with several salts of dithiocarbamate and xanthate ligands (L) have been investigated by metathesis in tetrahydrofu...
New areas of theory development and practice in patient education

Patient education, which is central to nursing practice, is evolving as a body of theory and in its application to groups of clients. This paper outlines a new body of theory known as self-efficacy theory, which has considerable potential to improve patient outcomes from teaching. This theory posits that patient belief that he can perform a necessary behaviour (self-efficacy) can be affected by four principal sources of information: performance attainments, vicarious experience, verbal persuasion, and perceived physiological states. This paper also describes new applications of patient education for psychiatric patients and notes the potential for the expanded educational services for geriatric patients. These programmes have the potential to save hospital costs and to improve quality of life but appear to be in early stages of programme development. Active development and management of a field's theory base and practice applications is fragmented in the patient education field but important to the field's continued relevance and vigour.
The prevalence of weight loss maintenance among American adults.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies suggest that few individuals achieve long-term weight loss maintenance. Because most of these studies were based on clinical samples and focused on only one episode of weight loss, these results may not reflect the actual prevalence of weight loss maintenance in the general population. DESIGN: A random digit dial telephone survey was conducted to determine the point prevalence of weight loss maintenance in a nationally representative sample of adults in the United States. Weight loss maintainers were defined as individuals who, at the time of the survey, had maintained a weight loss of ≥10% from their maximum weight for at least 1 y. The prevalence of weight loss maintenance was first determined for the total group (n=500), and then for the subgroup of individuals who were overweight (body mass index BMI≥27kg/m2 at their maximum (n=228). RESULTS: Weight loss was quite common in this sample: 54% of the total sample and 62% of those who were ever overweight reported that they had lost ≥10% of their maximum weight at least once in their lifetime, with approximately one-half to two-thirds of these cases being intentional weight loss. Among those who had achieved an intentional weight loss of ≥10%, 47–49% had maintained this weight loss for at least 1 y at the time of the survey; 25–27% had maintained it for 5 y or more. Fourteen percent of all subjects surveyed and 21% of those with a history of obesity were currently 10% below their highest weight, had reduced intentionally, and had maintained this 10% weight loss for at least 1 y. CONCLUSIONS: A large proportion of the American population has lost ≥10% of their maximum weight and has maintained this weight loss for at least 1 y. These findings are in sharp contrast to the belief that few people succeed in long-term weight loss maintenance.
Nanorods formed from a new class of peptidomimetics

Although peptide amphiphiles have been explored as nanomaterials for different applications, nanostructures formed by hierarchical molecular assembly of sequence-specific peptidomimetics are much less developed. Such protein-like nanomaterials could enhance the current application of peptide-based amphiphiles by enriching the diversity of nanostructures, increasing in vivo stability for biomedical applications, and facilitating the understanding of biomacromolecular self-assembly. Herein we present a biomimetic γ-AApeptide amphiphile which forms nanorods. Our results demonstrate the capability of γ-AApeptide amphiphiles as a potential scaffold for the preparation of biomimetic and bioinspired nanostructures. The programmability and biocompatibility of γ-AApeptides could lead to novel nanomaterials for a wide variety of applications.
Effect of low concentrations of carbon black in organic solar cells

Abstract We demonstrate for the first time the efficiency improvement of poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)-fullerene (C 60 ) bulk heterojunction photovoltaic cells by the introduction of trace concentrations of carbon black (CB) into the photoactive layer. As compared to control devices with only C 60 , the addition of low concentration (12.5 ppm) of CB resulted in 35% improvement in short circuit current density ( J sc ), and 79% improvement in power conversion efficiency (PCE). CB served the dual function of enhancing electron transport as well as optimizing phase separation leading to high current density and PCE. The results indicate that CB is a promising additive for the performance enhancement of polymer photovoltaic cells and may work with diverse donor–acceptor systems.
Hypothalamo-adenohypophyseal-thyroid interrelationships in the chick embryo. I TRH and TSH sensitivity.

The capabilities of the thyroid and adenohypophysis of the developing chick embryo to respond to exogenous thyrotropin (TSH) and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), respectively, were evaluated by means of radioimmunoassay measurements of plasma total thyroxine (T4) levels. Chick embryos were treated with bovine TSH (2.5 mIU) on Days 6.5, 7.5, and 8.5 of incubation. The embryonic chick thyroid was shown to be sensitive to TSH as early as Day 6.5, as evidenced by an increase in plasma T4 levels (P < 0.05). Additionally, the adenohypophyses of 6.5-day-old chick embryos were shown to respond to synthetic TRH (400 μg/100 g body weight) as indicated by a statistically significant rise in circulating thyroxine levels (P < 0.05). Possible underlying mechanisms to explain the increase in thyroidal activity that normally occurs during the Day 10.0–12.0 incubation interval in the chick embryo are discussed.
Rapid methods for the conformal mapping of multiply connected regions

Abstract We present fast methods for the conformal mapping of simply, doubly and multiply connected regions onto certain canonical regions in the plane. Our mapping procedure consists of two parts. First we solve an integral equation on the boundary of the region we wish to map. The solution of this integral equation is needed to determine the boundary correspondence. We have chosen to use the integral equation formulation of Mikhlin. Although it is not widely used, this formulation has the advantage that it leads to integral equations of the second kind with unique solutions and bounded kernels. The solutions are also periodic, allowing for effective use of the trapezoid rule. Once we have solved the integral equation we use a rapid method we have previously developed to determine the mapping function in the interior of the region. This method makes use of fast Poisson solvers, and thereby circumvents the difficulties associated with computing integrals at points near the boundary of the region, and avoids the expense of computing many integrals. We also provide results of numerical experiments.
Stimulus selection in adaptive psychophysical procedures.

In adaptive psychophysical procedures, the stimulus should be presented at a relatively high level rather than near the middle of the psychometric function, which is often defined as the ‘‘threshold’’ value. For some psychometric functions, the optimal stimulus placement level produces 84% to 94% correct responses in a two‐alternative forced‐choice task. This result is disquieting because the popular two‐down one‐up rule tracks a relatively low percentage of correct responses, 70.7%. Computer simulations and a variety of psychometric functions were used to confirm the validity of this analysis. These simulations also demonstrate that the precise form of the psychometric function is not critical in achieving the high efficiencies. Finally, data from human listeners indicate that the standard deviation of threshold estimates is indeed larger when the stimulus presented on each trial is at a stimulus level corresponding to 70.7% rather than 94% correct responses.
Bax activators potentiate coated-platelet formation.

Summary. Background: Activation of platelets with collagen plus thrombin produces a subset of cells known as coated-platelets. Coated-platelets retain several α-granule proteins on their surface, express phosphatidylserine (PS), lose mitochondrial potential and release microparticles. Objective: A number of these characteristics are also observed in apoptotic cells, and this similarity leads to the hypothesis that mechanisms controlling initiation of apoptosis might also affect generation of coated-platelets. Results: In this report, we demonstrate that BH3 mimetics, molecules that facilitate apoptosis by releasing pro-apoptotic Bax from its antiapoptotic partner Bcl-2, are able to promote coated-platelet formation as monitored by several different markers of these cells. Specifically, gossypol and methoxy-antimycin (MAM) promote fibrinogen retention, mitochondrial depolarization, and PS exposure upon activation with thrombin plus convulxin, a ligand of the glycoprotein VI collagen receptor. Gossypol also potentiates microparticle release by convulxin plus thrombin activated platelets although MAM does not. In addition, Bax activators together with thrombin generate coated-platelets, effectively bypassing the requirement for convulxin. Conclusion: These findings further support a close relationship between apoptotic-like events and the production of coated-platelets.
Fish reproduction: An ecologically relevant indicator of endocrine disruption

Endocrine-disrupting compounds have the potential to alter hormone pathways that regulate reproductive processes. With the exception of endocrine effects leading to reproductive impairment and population declines in a few wildlife species (e.g., Great Lake [USA] bald eagles, Lake Apopka [Florida, USA] American alligators), the ecological implications of exposure to endocrine disrupting compounds has not been adequately investigated. For example, male fish exposed to estrogenic compounds show induced production of vitellogenin, an egg yolk precursor, but the biological significance of elevated vitellogenin levels is speculative. The development of techniques to predict and more accurately assess the ecological relevance of exposure to endocrine-disrupting compounds is needed. In this review, we focus on fish reproduction as an ecologically relevant indicator of endocrine disruption, specifically estrogenic activity. The following will provide a brief review of gonochoristic reproductive and endocrine physiology, as well as outline some of the commonly used techniques to screen for estrogenic activity in fish. Last, a proposed model reproductive assay using Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) is presented.
Effects of relativistic electrons on the calculated collective Thomson scattered spectra.

The effects of relativistic electrons on the spectral density function {ital S}({bold k},{omega}) are evaluated in the collective Thomson scattering regime for ion diagnostics. An electromagnetic code that calculates the electron density fluctuation term of {ital S}({bold k},{omega}) has been modified by treating the electrons with a relativistic Maxwellian susceptibility tensor. Results are presented for calculated scattered spectra representative of the International Thermonuclear Engineering Reactor plasma parameters. Minor effects of relativistic electrons can be seen in the {ital S}({bold k},{omega}) spectra only in scattering regimes where plasma resonances are present. Relativistic effects in {ital S}({bold k},{omega}) are negligible in other scattering regimes where plasma resonances are not observable in the spectra. Relativistic effects are more dramatic at higher fluctuation frequencies ({similar_to}100 GHz), where the electron Bernstein resonances and electron plasma frequency resonances can be observed. Significant broadening of Bernstein resonance features toward lower frequencies and overlapping of resonance harmonic features at high electron temperatures were noted in the calculated scattered spectra.
Modeling sensitivity and specificity with a time-varying reference standard within a longitudinal setting

Diagnostic tests are used in a wide range of behavioral, medical, psychosocial, and healthcare-related research. Test sensitivity and specificity are the most popular measures of accuracy for diagnostic tests. Available methods for analyzing longitudinal study designs assume fixed gold or reference standards and as such do not apply to studies with dynamically changing reference standards, which are especially popular in psychosocial research. In this article, we develop a novel approach to address missing data and other related issues for modeling sensitivity and specificity within such a time-varying reference standard setting. The approach is illustrated with real as well as simulated data.
Ankle injuries in distal tibial spiral shaft fractures: results from an institutional change in imaging protocol.

Introduction Posterior malleolus and other articular ankle injuries are known to concomitantly occur with tibial shaft fractures, especially spiral fractures of the distal one-third diaphysis. Due to our heightened awareness of this combined injury, our department instituted a new preoperative ankle imaging protocol for all distal one-third spiral tibia shaft fractures. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an imaging protocol involving radiographs, CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a distal one-third spiral tibia fracture cohort.
Relay neurons mediate collateral inhibition of the goldfish Mauthner cell.

Abstract The relay neurons which excite cranial motoneurons involved in the Mauthner reflex also act to relay the collateral inhibition of the Mauthner cell. An impulse in a single cranial relay neuron (CRN) evokes both the electrically and chemically mediated synaptic inhibition through a disynaptic pathway.
Kidney cancer: Is incomplete renal ablation linked to tumour progression?

Radiofrequency ablation and cryoablation of the small renal mass have emerged as treatment options for patients who are not surgical candidates or who elect not to undergo surgery. Besides concerns regarding the definition of treatment success and the difficulty of salvage procedures, incomplete ablation might potentially create a tumour microenvironment that promotes cancer progression.
Differential patterns of dynamic cardiovascular regulation as a function of task

In cardiovascular reactivity studies, interpretations of the processes supporting the blood pressure response may become problematic when systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate all increase in response to a behavioral challenge. Therefore, in addition to evaluating these cardiovascular responses, this study examined cardiac output, total peripheral resistance and systolic time intervals derived from impedance cardiogram, electrocardiogram and phonocardiogram recordings during a speech stressor, a mirror tracing task, and a foot cold pressor test. All of the behavioral stressors elicited increases in blood pressure and heart rate, with the largest changes occurring during the overt speech. Based on the examination of the response patterns of the underlying hemodynamic variables it would appear that, in both men and women, the blood pressure increase during the speech preparation period was supported by increased cardiac output; the speech itself resulted in a mixed pattern of increased cardiac output and total peripheral resistance; whereas, the mirror tracing and cold pressor tasks produced increased total peripheral resistance. Although men and women produced similar response patterns to the behavioral challenges, sex differences in the estimates of myocardial contractility were observed during rest. These results provide evidence that different behavioral stressors can produce a distinct yet integrated pattern of responses, whose differences may be revealed, when impedance cardiography is used, to derive sufficient response measures for assessing dynamic cardiovascular processes.
Salmacisia, a new genus of Tilletiales: reclassification of Tilletia buchloëana causing induced hermaphroditism in buffalograss.

For 119 y the fungal parasite Tilletia buchloeana has been known to induce female sex organs (pistils) in male plants of buffalograss, making them hermaphrodite. Here we report the life cycle characteristics and phylogeny for T. buchloeana based on morphology and large subunit region of nuclear ribosomal RNA gene (nLSU-rDNA) to accurately place pistil smut within order Tilletiales. We found that T. buchloeana induces hermaphroditism in not only male sex forms of buffalograss by inducing the development of otherwise vestigial pistils but also in female sex forms by inducing hypertrophy of otherwise vestigial stamens (male sex organs). The fungus also induces the development of additional pistillate flowers in both infected male and female plants. Due to its pistil inducing effects we refer to T. buchloeana as pistil smut. Pistil smut exhibits a combination of morphological and life cycle characteristics that are unique among species of order Tilletiales. Phylogenetic analyses of nLSU-rDNA sequences using m...
Immediate and short-term effects of three commercial wrist extensor orthoses on grip strength and function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective. To investigate the immediate and shortterm effects of 3 commercial wrist orthoses on grip strength and function. Methods. Thirty-six patients with definite rheumatoid arthritis participated in the randomized, controlled, cross-over design study of 3 commercial wrist extensor orthoses. Dominant-hand dynamometric grip strength was assessed at both initial and followup sessions while splinted and nonsplinted. Functional impact was assessed using a written questionnaire. Results. All 3 commercial orthoses reduced grip strength when first donned. After a 1-week adjustment period, one orthosis, the Smith and Nephew Roylan D-Ring® (Roylan), afforded splinted grip strength equal to that of the nonsplinted grip strength. The other 2 orthoses continued to reduce grip strength, and afforded splinted grip strength significantly below that of the Roylan. The Roylan was deemed comfortable by more subjects than the other orthoses. Conclusions. The belief that commercial orthotic use increases grip strength, either immediately or after 1 week, is not supported by this study's data. Different styles of commercial wrist orthoses appear to have differing influence on splinted grip strength.
Bisaryl Hydrazones as Exchangeable Biocompatible Linkers

The selective enrichment of tagged molecules from complex biological mixtures is of primary importance for methods in chemical biology and proteomics. Affinity purification on (strept)avidin beads using biotin as an affinity tag is one of the most widely applied methods to achieve this, fully utilizing the high affinity of biotin for (strept)avidin (Ka ≈ 1.7 × 1015 M−1)[1]. However, the method is limited by the harsh, denaturing conditions required for elution, such as an SDS boil or treatment with 8 M Guanidine (pH 1.5). Protein structure and function are lost and target-proteins may be contaminated with proteins nonspecifically bound to the beads. Two strategies have been explored to elute under mild conditions: i) weakening of the biotin-(strept)avidin interaction by modulating the Ka[2] and ii) introduction of a proteolytically[3] or chemically[4] cleavable linker. While the first strategy does improve the release of biotinylated proteins from (strept)avidin beads, it adversely affects the stringency of the immobilization. The second strategy enables site-specific cleavage, but premature cleavage has been reported and cleavage conditions have no demonstrated compatibility with active biomolecules. In addition, the general applicability of the cleavable linkers is often limited by the need for multistep organic synthesis before implementation.
Conservative Polarimetric Scatterers and Their Role in Incorrect Extensions of the Cameron Decomposition

The properties of conservative symmetric polarimetric scatterer scattering matrices are examined. It is shown that the unambiguous rotation angle for "conservative" symmetric polarimetric scatterers is the interval (-pi/4,+pi/4] as compared with (-pi/2,+pi/2] for nonconservative symmetric scatterers. Errors relating to the Cameron decomposition, which are recently introduced into the literature, are discussed. It is demonstrated that these errors arise from a faulty symmetric scatterer scattering matrix distance measure. This, in turn, leads to an improper mapping of the symmetric scatterer unit disk to a hemisphere. The correct mapping of the symmetric scatterer unit disk to the symmetric scatterer unit sphere is described
Simulation of Charge Transport in Disordered Assemblies of Metallic Nano-Islands: Application to Boron-Nitride Nanotubes Functionalized with Gold Quantum Dots

In this study, we investigate the charge-transport behavior in a disordered one-dimensional (1D) chain of metallic islands using the newly developed multi-island transport simulator (MITS) based on semi-classical tunneling theory and kinetic Monte Carlo simulation. The 1D chain is parameterized to model the experimentally-realized devices studied by Lee et al. [ Advanced Materials 25 , 4544-4548 (2013)], which consists of nano-meter-sized gold islands randomly deposited on an insulating boron-nitride nanotube. These devices show semiconductorlike behavior without having semiconductor materials. The effects of disorder, device length, temperature, and source-drain bias voltage ( V SD ) on the current are examined. Preliminary results of random assemblies of gold nano-islands in two dimensions (2D) are also examined in light of the 1D results. At T = 0 K and low source-drain bias voltages, the disordered 1D-chain device shows charge-transport characteristics with a well-defined Coulomb blockade (CB) and Coulomb staircase (CS) features that are manifestations of the nanometer size of the islands and their separations. In agreement with experimental observations, the CB and the blockade threshold voltage ( V th ) at which the device begins to conduct increases linearly with increasing chain length. The CS structures are more pronounced in longer chains, but disappear at high V SD . Due to tunneling barrier suppression at high bias, the current-voltage characteristics for V SD > V th follow a non-linear relationship. Smaller islands have a dominant effect on the CB and V th due to capacitive effects. On the other hand, the wider junctions with their large tunneling resistances predominantly determine the overall device current. This study indicates that smaller islands with smaller inter-island spacings are better suited for practical applications. Temperature has minimal effects on high-bias current behavior, but the CB is diminished as V th decreases with increasing temperature. In 2D systems with sufficient disorder, our studies demonstrate the existence of a dominant conducting path (DCP) along which most of the current is conveyed, making the device effectively quasi-1-dimensional. The existence of a DCP is sensitive to the device structure, but can be robust with respect to changes in V SD .
Near-Source Ground Motions from Simulations of Sustained Intersonic and Supersonic Fault Ruptures

We examine the long-period near-source ground motions from simulations of M 7.4 events on a strike-slip fault using kinematic ruptures with rupture speeds that range from subshear speeds through intersonic speeds to supersonic speeds. The strong along-strike shear-wave directivity present in scenarios with subshear rupture speeds disappears in the scenarios with ruptures propagating faster than the shear-wave speed. Furthermore, the maximum horizontal displacements and velocities rotate from generally fault-perpendicular orientations at subshear rupture speeds to generally fault-parallel orientations at supersonic rupture speeds. For rupture speeds just above the shear-wave speed, the orientations are spatially heterogeneous as a result of the random nature of our assumed slip model. At locations within a few kilometers of the rupture, the time histories of the polarization of the horizontal motion provide a better diagnostic with which to gauge the rupture speed than the orientation of the peak motion. Subshear ruptures are associated with significant fault-perpendicular motion before fault-parallel motion close to the fault; supershear ruptures are associated with fault-perpendicular motion after significant fault-parallel motion. Consistent with previous studies, we do not find evidence for prolonged supershear rupture in the long-period (>2 sec) ground motions from the 1979 Imperial Valley earthquake. However, we are unable to resolve the issue of whether a limited portion of the rupture (approximately 10 km in length) propagated faster than the shear-wave speed. Additionally, a recording from the 2002 Denali fault earthquake does appear to be qualitatively consistent with locally supershear rupture. Stronger evidence for supershear rupture in earthquakes may require very dense station coverage in order to capture these potentially distinguishing traits.
Antituberculosis therapy for 2012 and beyond.

Introduction: In terms of human suffering, tuberculosis has a huge impact on global society, making it arguably the most important infectious disease in history. Despite the devastating impact on society, the tools to fight tuberculosis are very limited. Current standard therapy has been used for over 40 years and threats, such as the HIV epidemic and drug-resistant strains, undermine efforts to control the disease. New drugs are needed to address the challenges faced globally. Areas covered: Current therapy is briefly reviewed in this paper and then new doses and combinations of existing drugs are presented. New candidate drugs are also discussed, along with the potential benefits and pitfalls of each of the compounds and approaches to therapy. Expert opinion: Despite the need to develop new drugs, the ability of programs to deliver existing therapies must not be neglected. Directly observed therapy and a standard basic level of care for all patients with tuberculosis, regardless of where they reside, is...
Moniliophthora perniciosa produces hormones and alters endogenous auxin and salicylic acid in infected cocoa leaves.

Moniliophthora perniciosa is the causative agent of witches’ broom disease in Theobroma cacao. Exogenously provided abscisic acid (ABA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), jasmonic acid (JA), and salicylic acid (SA) promoted mycelial growth, suggesting the ability of the pathogen to metabolize plant hormones. ABA, IAA, JA, and SA were found endogenously in the mycelium and in the fruiting body of the pathogen. The pathogen contained high amounts of SA in the mycelium (0.5 0.04m gg 1 DW) and IAA (2 0.6m gg 1 DW) in the basidiocarps. Growth of the mycelium in the presence of host leaves for 10 days did not affect ABA or JA content of the leaves but IAA and SA increased 2.5- and 11-fold, respectively. The amounts of IAA and SA in infected leaves increased beyond the levels of the uninfected leaves and suggest a synergistic response to host–pathogen interaction. The ability of M. perniciosa to produce and sustain growth in the presence of elevated endogenous IAA and SA levels during colonization indicates that these phytohormones contribute to its pathogenicity.