cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Policy Drivers of U.S. Wetland Conversion Rates, 1955–2009

ABSTRACTWhile conversion of wetlands to nonagricultural purposes has persisted, the five U.S. national wetland inventory reports spanning 1955–2009 show a large decline in the rate of conversion of wetlands for agriculture, especially from the mid-1970s to the mid-1990s. Through regression and path analysis, this study identifies primary policy and economic drivers of this decline in wetland conversions. The Clean Water Act §404 is strongly and negatively related to conversion rates. Crop prices affect wetland conversions both directly, by influencing returns to investments for conversion, and indirectly, by influencing Conservation and Wetland Reserve Program enrollments as well as the regulatory impact of Swampbuster. Along with the proportion of wetlands remaining, these factors explain 90–94% of the annual variation in total wetland conversions, agricultural conversions, and conversion of forested and emergent wetlands.
Complete Genome Sequences of Three Outbreak-Associated Legionella pneumophila Isolates

ABSTRACT We report here the complete genome sequences of three Legionella pneumophila isolates that are associated with a Legionnaires9 disease outbreak in New York in 2012. Two clinical isolates (D7630 and D7632) and one environmental isolate (D7631) were recovered from this outbreak. A single isolate-specific virulence gene was found in D7632. These isolates were included in a large study evaluating the genomic resolution of various bioinformatics approaches for L. pneumophila serogroup 1 isolates.
A resource-efficient approach to steganography in mobile systems

With rapid development in mobile devices with high quality image and video processing capabilities, it is desirable or necessary to implement steganography technology within such devices in some applications such as source authentication. In this paper, we propose a method of implementing information hiding within a video with less processing time and memory requirement. The message to be secretly communicated is hidden in the video by modifying blocks of Discrete Wavelet Transform coefficients of feature regions. We choose corners as specific features. The localizable capability of both corner detection algorithm and the Discrete Wavelet Transform makes it possible for the entire embedding method to be localized. This makes the entire process of steganography computationally faster and memory efficient. Our simulations show that the proposed method has a processing time that is up to 2.6 times more efficient, in average, than other traditional methods without incurring memory overhead.
Adherence to GOLD Guidelines in the Inpatient COPD Population

Purpose:The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease guidelines provide recommendations to manage chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD) exacerbations. This study assessed the manage...
Rapid in Situ Generation of Benzene Diazonium Ions under Basic Aqueous Conditions from Bench-Stable Triazabutadienes

Aryl diazonium ions are useful across a range of chemical/biochemical areas. These species are generally made using strongly acidic conditions, which can be detrimental to acid-sensitive functional groups. The ability to generate benzene diazonium ions under basic aqueous conditions is reported herein along with newfound understanding on the aqueous reactivity of solubilized triazabutadienes whereby π-interactions appear to confer a large degree of stability.
Ending Poverty in Mongolia: From Socialism to Green Inclusive Growth?

This case study traces the evolution of poverty in Mongolia, a country currently developing a pluralist approach to poverty alleviation. Mongolia is unique because it transformed from nomadic pastoralism to Soviet socialism without a natural industrial development though capital markets. In the 1990s, it was one of few countries to simultaneously undertake market liberalism and multiparty democracy. Collapse of the socialist safety net increased poverty for women and rural areas. Although macroeconomic “shock therapy” reforms in the 1990s stabilized inflation, poverty estimates remained at 36% and called into question poverty alleviation strategies. In the face of severe winters, families attempt sustainable livelihoods though employment income, bartering livestock, informal trading, remittances from overseas relatives, and unlicensed mining. Current national social development strategies affirmed at Rio 20 combine a green economy for inclusive growth and poverty elimination by using redistribution from mining revenues and overseas development assistance.
On the Phenomenology of the Life-World

This essay attempts to clarify the ambiguities attached to the term ‘the life-world’ and ‘a priori of the life-world’ in the phenomenological sense. It sketches the phenomenology of the life-world with respect to everyday pre-scientific life and perception, the mathematical and geometrical sciences of the natural world, and the eidetic and phenomenological reductions of pure phenomenology and phenomenological philosophy.
Utility of prenatal Doppler ultrasound to predict neonatal impaired cerebral autoregulation.

Determine if abnormal prenatal Doppler ultrasound indices are predictive of postnatal impaired cerebral autoregulation. Prospective cohort study of 46 subjects, 240–296 weeks’ gestation. Utilizing near-infrared spectroscopy and receiver-operating characteristic analysis, impaired cerebral autoregulation was defined as >16.5% time spent in a dysregulated state within 96 h of life. Normal and abnormal Doppler indices were compared for perinatal outcomes. Subjects with abnormal cerebroplacental ratio (n = 12) and abnormal umbilical artery pulsatility index (n = 13) were likely to develop postnatal impaired cerebral autoregulation (p ≤ 0.02). Abnormal cerebroplacental ratio was associated with impaired cerebral autoregulation between 24 and 48 h of life (p = 0.016). These subjects have increased risk for fetal growth restriction, lower birth weight, lower Apgar scores, acidosis, and severe intraventricular hemorrhage and/or death (p < 0.05). Abnormal cerebroplacental ratio and umbilical artery pulsatility index are associated with postnatal impairment in cerebral autoregulation and adverse outcome.
Birthright Citizens: A History of Race and Rights in Antebellum America

Before the Civil War, colonization schemes and black laws threatened to deport former slaves born in the United States. Birthright Citizens recovers the story of how African American activists remade national belonging through battles in legislatures, conventions, and courthouses. They faced formidable opposition, most notoriously from the US Supreme Court decision in Dred Scott. Still, Martha S. Jones explains, no single case defined their status. Former slaves studied law, secured allies, and conducted themselves like citizens, establishing their status through local, everyday claims. All along they argued that birth guaranteed their rights. With fresh archival sources and an ambitious reframing of constitutional law-making before the Civil War, Jones shows how the Fourteenth Amendment constitutionalized the birthright principle, and black Americans' aspirations were realized. Birthright Citizens tells how African American activists radically transformed the terms of citizenship for all Americans.
STOCHASTIC PROCESS FOR EXTRAPOLATING CONCRETE CREEP

Creep of concrete is modeled as a process with independent increments of locally gamma distribution. The process is transformed to a stationary gamma process. The mean prediction agrees with the deterministic double power law established previously. Infinite divisibility of the increment distribution is assumed. This is justified by additivity of deformations and of stresses, and also by considerations of the microscopic mechanism of creep, assuming creep to be due to migrations of widely spaced solid particles along micropore passages whose length is statistically distributed. The treatment of creep as a stochastic process allows extracting considerable information from measurements even on one specimen, although a greater number of specimens is preferable. The main use of the model is in extrapolation of short time creep data into long times, and calculation of confidence limits. Methods of determining process parameters from creep test data are given. Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate reasonable agreement with test data.
Tree-Ring Reconstruction of Single-Day Precipitation Totals over Eastern Colorado

AbstractMean daily to monthly precipitation averages peak in late July over eastern Colorado and some of the most damaging Front Range flash floods have occurred because of extreme 1-day rainfall e...
Structural basis for virulence regulation inVibrio choleraeby unsaturated fatty acid components of bile.

The AraC/XylS-family transcriptional regulator ToxT is the master virulence activator of Vibrio cholerae, the gram-negative bacterial pathogen that causes the diarrheal disease cholera. Unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) found in bile inhibit the activity of ToxT. Crystal structures of inhibited ToxT bound to UFA or synthetic inhibitors have been reported, but no structure of ToxT in an active conformation had been determined. Here we present the 2.5 A structure of ToxT without an inhibitor. The structure suggests release of UFA or inhibitor leads to an increase in flexibility, allowing ToxT to adopt an active conformation that is able to dimerize and bind DNA. Small-angle X-ray scattering was used to validate a structural model of an open ToxT dimer bound to the cholera toxin promoter. The results presented here provide a detailed structural mechanism for virulence gene regulation in V. cholerae by the UFA components of bile and other synthetic ToxT inhibitors. Justin Cruite et al. present a high-resolution crystal structure of the master virulence activator ToxT of Vibrio cholerae in the presence and absence of an inhibitor. They show that release of the inhibitor increases flexibility, leading to the active conformation needed for dimerization and DNA binding.
Work-in-Progress: Offloading Cache Configuration Prediction to an FPGA for Hardware Speedup and Overhead Reduction

In this paper, we present our cache configuration prediction methodology offloaded to an FPGA for improved performance and hardware overhead reduction, while maintaining cache configuration predictions within 5% of the optimal energy cache configuration for application phases for the instruction and data caches.
Price? Quality? Or Sustainability? Segmenting by Disposition Toward Self-other Tradeoffs Predicts Consumers’ Sustainable Decision-Making

Current research suggests consumers trade off price, quality, and sustainability attributes when making choices. Prior studies have typically focused on product attribute dyads, rather than multiattribute decision-making in the sustainability context. For scholars and practitioners, understanding which attributes are more important to consumers in tradeoff contexts has been a challenge. Self-other orientation may play a significant role in predicting consumers’ sustainable choices. We use prior research on equity sensitivity to demonstrate that segmenting consumers by their disposition to self-other tradeoffs (i.e., their self-other orientation) helps predict price–quality–sustainability tradeoffs. We hypothesize and test how members of these equity sensitivity segments tradeoff price, quality, and sustainability attributes in consumption decisions. Through four conjoint studies featuring diverse product assortments and sustainability issues, we find that price provides high utility for Entitled consumers, while sustainability provides high utility for Benevolent consumers. When product attributes are combined, Benevolents are more likely than Entitleds to purchase sustainable products. We also demonstrate that, in the absence of product choices, Equity Sensitives are more willing to choose a sustainable option over a conventional option, even when prices are high. In light of these findings, we discuss the implications for scholars looking to broadly predict consumers’ sustainable choices and for firms looking to target consumers with consumer-centric sustainability strategy.
Phylogeography of sugar kelp: Northern ice‐age refugia in the Gulf of Alaska

Many Northeast (NE) Pacific fishes and invertebrates survived Pleistocene glaciations in northern refugia, but the extent that kelps survived in northern areas is uncertain. Here, we test the hypothesis that populations of sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) persisted in the Gulf of Alaska during ice-age maxima when the western margin of the Cordilleran ice sheet covered coastal areas around the NE Pacific Ocean. We estimated genetic diversities within and phylogeographical relationships among 14 populations along 2,800 km in the NE Pacific and Bering Sea with partial sequences of mitochondrial DNA 5'-cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI, bp = 624, n = 543), chloroplast DNA ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase large subunit-3' (rbcL, bp = 735, n = 514), and 11 microsatellite loci. Concatenated sequences of rbcL and COI showed moderate levels of within-population genetic diversity (mean h = 0.200) but substantial differences among populations (ΦST = 0.834, p < .0001). Microsatellites showed moderate levels of heterozygosity within populations (mean HE = 0.391). Kelps in the same organellar lineage tended to cluster together, regardless of geographic origins, as indicated in a principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) of microsatellite genotypes. The PCoA also showed evidence of nuclear hybridizations between co-occurring organellar lineages. Individual admixture plots with population clusters of K = 2, 6, and 9 showed increasing complexity with considerable historical admixture between some clusters. A time-calibrated phylogeny placed divergences between rbcL-COI lineages at 1.4 million years at most. The time frames of mutation in the rbcL-COI lineages and microsatellite population clusters differed among locations. The existence of ancient lineages in the Gulf of Alaska, moderate levels of genetic diversity, and the absence of departures from neutrality are consistent with northern refugia during multiple Croll-Milankovitch climate cycles in the Pleistocene Epoch.
Primordial black hole formation in α -attractor models: An analysis using optimized peaks theory

In this paper, the formation of primordial black holes (PBHs) is reinvestigated using inflationary $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ attractors. Instead of using the conventional Press-Schechter theory to compute the abundance, the optimized peaks theory is used, which was developed in Yoo et al. [Prog. Theor. Exp. Phys. (2018), 123E01; Prog. Theor. Exp. Phys. (2021), 013E02]. This method takes into account how curvature perturbations play a role in modifying the mass of primordial black holes. Analyzing the model proposed in Mahbub [Phys. Rev. D 101, 023533 (2020)], it is seen that the horizon mass of the collapsed Hubble patch is larger by $\mathcal{O}(10)$ compared to the usual computation. Moreover, PBHs can be formed from the curvature power spectrum, ${\mathcal{P}}_{\ensuremath{\zeta}}(k)$, peaked at lower values using numerically favored threshold overdensities. As a result of the generally larger masses predicted, the peak of the power spectrum can be placed at larger $k$ modes than what is typical with which potential future constraints on the primordial power spectrum through gravitational waves can be evaded.
Social media analytics of the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things technology offers convenience and innovation in areas such as smart homes and smart cities. Internet of Things solutions require careful management of devices and the risk mitigation of potential vulnerabilities within cyber-physical systems. The Internet of Things concept, its implementations, and applications are frequently discussed on social media platforms. This research illuminates the public view of the Internet of Things through a content-based and network analysis of contemporary conversations occurring on the Twitter platform. Tweets can be analyzed with machine learning methods to converge the volume and variety of conversations into predictive and descriptive models. We have reviewed 684,503 tweets collected in a 2-week period. Using supervised and unsupervised machine learning methods, we have identified trends within the realm of IoT and their interconnecting relationships between the most mentioned industries. We have identified characteristics of language sentiment which can help to predict the popularity of IoT conversation topics. We found the healthcare industry as the leading use case industry for IoT implementations. This is not surprising as the current COVID-19 pandemic is driving significant social media discussions. There was an alarming dearth of conversations towards cybersecurity. Recent breaches and ransomware events denote that organizations should spend more time communicating about risks and mitigations. Only 12% of the tweets relating to the Internet of Things contained any mention of topics such as encryption, vulnerabilities, or risk, among other cybersecurity-related terms. We propose an IoT Cybersecurity Communication Scorecard to help organizations benchmark the density and sentiment of their corporate communications regarding security against their specific industry.
Non-coding RNAs in Necrotizing Enterocolitis- a New Frontier?

With the recognition that only 2% of the human genome encodes for a protein, a large part of the "non-coding" portion is now being evaluated for a regulatory role in cellular processes. These non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) are subdivided based on the size of the nucleotide transcript into microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), but most of our attention has been focused on the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) in human health and disease. Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), inflammatory bowel necrosis affecting preterm infants, has a multifactorial, unclear etiopathogenesis, and we have no specific biomarkers for diagnosis or the impact of directed therapies. The information on ncRNAs in NEC, in general, and particularly in NEC, is limited. Increasing information from other inflammatory bowel disorders suggests that these transcripts may play an important role in intestinal inflammation. Here, we review ncRNAs for definitions, classifications, and possible roles in prematurity and NEC using some preliminary information from our studies and from an extensive literature search in multiple databases including PubMed, EMBASE, and Science Direct. miRNAs will be described in another manuscript in this series, hence in this manuscript we mainly focus on lncRNAs.
Mass action model of solution activity via speciation by solvation and ion pairing equilibria

Solutes and their concentrations influence many natural and anthropogenic solution processes. Electrolyte and solution models are used to quantify and predict such behavior. Here we present a mechanistic solution model based on mass action equilibria. Solvation and ion pairing are used to model speciated solute and solvent concentrations such that they correlate to a solution’s vapor pressure (solvent activity) according to Raoult’s law from dilute conditions to saturation. This model introduces a hydration equilibrium constant (Kha) that is used with either an ion dissociation constant (Kid) or a hydration modifier (m) with an experimentally determined ion dissociation constant, as adjustable parameters to fit vapor–liquid equilibrium data. The modeled solvation equilibria are accompanied by molecular dynamics (MD) studies that support a decline in the observed degree of solvation with increased concentration. MD calculations indicate this finding is a combination of a solvent that solvates multiple solutes, and changes in a solute’s solvation sphere, with the dominant factor changing with concentration. This speciation-based solution model is lateral to established electrostatics-based electrolyte theories. With its basis in mass action, the model can directly relate experimental data to the modeled solute and solvent speciated concentrations and structures. Solution activity is commonly modelled empirically or using electrostatic models. Here a mass-action solution model with defined equilibria is used to describe solution activity of neutral, symmetric, and asymmetric salt solutions over a wide range of concentrations.
A Foundation for Props, Algebras, and Modules

Wheeled graphs and pasting schemes: Wheeled graphs Special sets of graphs Basic operations on wheeled graphs Graph groupoids Graph substitution Properties of graph substitution Generators for graphs Pasting schemes Well-matched pasting schemes Generalized PROPs, algebras, and modules: Generalized PROPs Biased characterizations of generalized PROPs Functors of generalized PROPs Algebras over generalized PROPs Alternative descriptions of generalized PROPs Modules over generalized PROPs May modules over algebras over operads Bibliography Index
Patient-Reported Outcomes in Male and Female Collegiate Soccer Players During an Athletic Season

Context: Clinicians are urged to document patient-based outcomes during rehabilitation to measure health-related quality of life (HRQOL) from the patient's perspective. It is unclear how scores on...
French DNA: Trouble in Purgatory

French DNA: Trouble in Purgatory. Paul Rabinow. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1999. 201 pp.
Synergistic Antibacterial Effect of Silver Nanoparticles Combined with Ineffective Antibiotics on Drug Resistant Salmonella typhimurium DT104

Synergistic antibacterial activity of combined silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) with tetracycline (polykeptide), neomycin (aminoglycoside), and penicillin (β-lactam) was tested against the multidrug resistant bacterium Salmonella typhimurium DT104. Dose-dependent inhibition of Salmonella typhimurium DT104 growth is observed for tetracycline-AgNPs and neomycin-AgNPs combination with IC50 of 0.07 μg/mL and 0.43 μg/mL, respectively. There is no inhibition by the penicillin-AgNPs combination. These results suggest that the combination of the ineffective tetracycline or neomycin with AgNPs effectively inhibits the growth of this bacterium. The synergistic antibacterial effect is likely due to enhanced bacterial binding by AgNPs assisted by tetracycline or neomycin, but not by penicillin.
Realism in the Twentieth-Century Indian Novel: Colonial Difference and Literary Form, by Ulka Anjaria

The 1930s was a significant decade for Indian letters, witnessing the publication of the controversial short story collection Angarey in 1932 and the formation of progressive writers’ associations ...
Affective Computing for Future Agents

To the extent that future agents will interact with people and with one another via text, speech, and other modes that suggest social interaction, they may benefit from having certain skills of social-emotional intelligence, such as the ability to see if they have annoyed a person. Already, many animated characters have the ability to express emotion (give the appearance of having emotions via facial expressions, gestures, and so forth) but few can recognize any aspects of the emotional response communicated by a user. The agent may sense that you’re clicking on a button, and how many times you have clicked on it, but cannot tell if you’re clicking with interest or boredom, pleasure or displeasure. Agents are therefore handicapped when it comes to responding to affective information, limiting their ability to engage in successful interactions.
Geologic and hydrologic controls on the movement of water through a thick, heterogeneous unsaturated zone underlying an intermittent stream in the western Mojave Desert, southern California

[1] A two-dimensional, axially symmetric, unsaturated flow model was developed to test hypotheses about geologic and hydrologic controls on the movement of water through the thick, heterogeneous, unsaturated zone underlying Oro Grande Wash in the Mojave Desert, California. Heterogeneity within the unsaturated zone was simulated with multiple realizations of subsurface geology estimated on the basis of transition probability/Markov chain statistics. Model results show lateral spreading of water away from the wash was best approximated by realizations that include thin, horizontally extensive clay layers that impede the downward movement of water. There was a wide range in model responses for these realizations, and the movement of water through unsaturated zones containing thin, horizontally extensive clay layers may be more difficult to predict than water movement through unsaturated zones where clay layers are less extensive. For realizations having less extensive clay layers, the range of model responses decreased with time, and model results became increasingly similar as water encountered larger volumes of material.
Remote Data acquisition and Instrument Control Using Labview and Appletview

Having the capability to control and observe experiments from a remote location has several benefits, including the ability to track and to assist in solving a problem that might arise. The best way to remotely control and monitor activity during an irradiation experiment is via the World Wide Web, using a method that is browser and computer independent and with software easily available on the market. The Michigan Ion Beam Laboratory (MIBL) at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor has developed the remote monitor and control capability by using a combination of commercial software packages (Labview and Appletview). During an experiment, all the parameters could be accessed and monitored remotely by simply reaching a web site. A specific description will be given of the way in which this procedure was implemented at MIBL
Token coherence: a new framework for shared-memory multiprocessors

Commercial workload and technology trends are pushing existing shared-memory multiprocessor coherence protocols in divergent directions. Token coherence provides a framework for new coherence protocols that can reconcile these opposing trends. The token coherence framework directly enforces the coherence invariant by counting tokens (requiring all of a block's tokens to write and at least one token to read). This token-counting approach enables more obviously correct protocols that do not rely on request ordering and can operate with alternative policies that seek to improve the performance of future multiprocessors.
Spin Currents and Polarization Textures in Optically Created Indirect Excitons

We report the observation of spin currents and spin polarization textures in opti- cally generated indirect excitons. The textures are observed in linear and circular polarizations and are controlled by magnetic fields.
Gelatin-sealed polyester resists Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm infection.

Abstract Background. The purpose of this study was to show that gelatin-impregnated polyester grafts inhibit Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilm infection in a canine model of aortic graft interposition. A clinically native species and two engineered strains, which differed in slime and adhesin antigen components, were compared to determine differential gelatin and slime interactions. Methods. In vitro bacterial graft colonization was validated by immersion of graft segments in inoculating solutions (10 6 colony forming units/ml) of a clinically native species RP62A and two genetically engineered S. epidermidis species, M187sn3 (SN3: slime and adhesin negative) or M187sp11 (SP11: slime and adhesin positive), for 18 h at 23°C. The grafts were washed, sonicated, and cultured to assess in vitro bacterial graft adherence. Grafts similarly inoculated were placed as aortic interposition grafts in dogs. Three sterile grafts were implanted as controls. Grafts were excised after 6 weeks and cultured for bacterial growth as in the in vitro study. Infection was defined by a positive culture in the excised grafts. Data were analyzed with nonparametric statistical methods. Results. In vitro bacterial graft adherence in colony forming units per milliliter was similar at 18 h postsonication for RP62A (8 × 10 4 ± 1 × 10 4 ), SN3 (7 × 10 4 ± 2 × 10 4 ), and SP11 (6 × 10 4 ± 2 × 10 4 ) ( P = NS). Only one of five grafts inoculated with RP62A was culture positive after 6 weeks. No grafts inoculated with the engineered strains SN3 or SP11 were culture positive after explanation. Conclusion. In vitro bacterial inoculation of gelatin-impregnated polyester was similar among the species and not dependent upon the presence of slime and adhesin components. Gelatin-impregnated polyester grafts demonstrated in vivo resistance to coagulase-negative staphylococcal biofilm infection.
Cyclic AMP Induces Apolipoprotein E Binding Activity and Promotes Cholesterol Efflux from a Macrophage Cell Line to Apolipoprotein Acceptors

RAW 264 mouse macrophage cells were stably transfected with human apolipoprotein E (apoE) expression vectors. Clonal derivatives were characterized for expression of the human apoE2, apoE3, and apoE4 isoforms. An apoE4-expressing clonal cell line and a non-expressing clonal control cell line were loaded overnight with either [3H]cholesterol or [3H]choline. The cells were washed and incubated for 24 h in serum-free medium with or without the addition of 8-bromo-cyclic AMP (8-Br-cAMP). Only the apoE-secreting cells and only in the presence of 8-Br-cAMP released large amounts of labeled cholesterol or phosphatidylcholine into the medium. Mass analyses of cellular free and esterified cholesterol confirmed the results of the labeling studies; a decrease in cellular cholesterol content was observed in the 8-Br-cAMP-treated apoE-secreting cells, concurrent with an increase in cholesterol found in the medium. FPLC analysis of the medium demonstrated that 8-Br-cAMP treatment of the apoE-secreting cells led to an increased size fraction and amount of a peak of secreted cholesterol which comigrated with apoE. The 8-Br-cAMP-mediated increase in cholesterol efflux was also observed in non-apoE-secreting cells incubated with exogenous apoE or apoAI, and the effect of apoE was saturable. The apoE2, apoE3, and apoE4 isoforms were equally efficient in promoting 8-Br-cAMP-dependent cholesterol efflux. Reductive methylation of apoE abolished its ability to promote 8-Br-cAMP-dependent cholesterol efflux. Brefeldin A and monensin, inhibitors of protein processing through the Golgi, both blocked the 8-Br-cAMP stimulation of cholesterol efflux to exogenous apoE. 8-Br-cAMP induced specific apoE and apoAI binding, but not apoE degradation, by the RAW cells. We present a model wherein cAMP induces a membrane apolipoprotein receptor that does not lead to endocytosis and degradation, but instead promotes the transfer of lipids to apolipoproteins, which can then be released from the cell.
Association of the pitch canker fungus, Fusarium subglutinans f.sp. pini, with Monterey pine seeds and seedlings in California

The causal agent of pitch canker disease of pines, Fusarium subglutinans f.sp. pini, is a recent introduction to California. The work presented here demonstrates that this pathogen is seed-borne in Monterey pine (Pinus radiata). The pathogen was isolated from up to 83% of seeds collected from cones on recently infected branches. Seedling emergence from infested Monterey pine seeds was 9%, compared with 67% for uninfested seeds. The fungus was isolated more frequently from seedlings originating from diseased branches than from symptomless branches. However, more than 50% of seeds from symptomless Monterey pine branches produced symptomless seedlings from which the pathogen was isolated. It is hypothesized that F. s. pini is carried within the seeds, where it may remain dormant until germination. The implications of these findings for the regeneration of native and landscape-planted Monterey pines, and for the transport of this non-native pathogen in pine seeds and seedlings to previously uninfested areas, are discussed.
The depth of rings of invariants over finite fields

We study the depth of S(V)G, the ring of elements in the symmetric algebra of an n-dimensional vector space over a finite field Open image in new window which are invariant under the action of a subgroup G≤GL(V). The ring S(V)G is a finite extension of the ring of invariants S(V)GL(V), which is a polynomial ring Open image in new window on the Dickson invariants ur=cn,n−r ([2], [12]). We conjecture that the depth of S(V)G is the largest r such that u1,...,ur is a regular sequence on S(V)G, and show this to be true if depth S(V)G is 1, 2, n−1 or n. We also give a proof, using Steenrod operations, that over a prime field Open image in new window , depth S(V)G≥3 implies u1, u2, u3 is a regular sequence on S(V)G.
Reduced regulatory capacity of low density lipoproteins from patients with coronary artery disease

Abstract To test the hypothesis whether low density lipoprotein (LDL) poor in cholesteryl ester from patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) express reduced capacity to regulate cellular sterol and lipoprotein metabolism, we compared the abilities of CAD-LDL and control-LDL to suppress receptor-mediated LDL degradation; activate acyl-CoA : cholesterol acyltransferase (ACAT); and regulate sterol synthesis rates in HL-60 promyelocytic leukemic cells. The ratio of apolipoprotein B to cholesteryl ester was 23% higher for CAD-LDL than control-LDL ( P 125 I-LDL degradation rates were 43% higher for cells pre-incubated with CAD-LDL than with control-LDL ( P P = 0.002), suggesting that the entry of cholesterol into the ACAT substrate pool was lower in cells pre-incubated with CAD-LDL. There was no significant difference in the rate of sterol synthesis from [ 14 C]acetate between cells pre-incubated with CAD-LDL versus control-LDL. The data support the hypothesis that LDL from CAD patients exhibit a decreased ability to down-regulate apo BE receptor activity which could in part account for the previously observed increase in LDL degradation by mononuclear leukocytes from CAD patients
Mesoporous Manganese Oxide Nanowires for High-Capacity, High-Rate, Hybrid Electrical Energy Storage

Arrays of mesoporous manganese dioxide, mp-MnO2, nanowires were electrodeposited on glass and silicon surfaces using the lithographically patterned nanowire electrodeposition (LPNE) method. The electrodeposition procedure involved the application, in a Mn(ClO4)2-containing aqueous electrolyte, of a sequence of 0.60 V (vs MSE) voltage pulses delineated by 25 s rest intervals. This “multipulse” deposition program produced mp-MnO2 nanowires with a total porosity of 43–56%. Transmission electron microscopy revealed the presence within these nanowires of a network of 3–5 nm diameter fibrils that were X-ray and electron amorphous, consistent with the measured porosity values. mp-MnO2 nanowires were rectangular in cross-section with adjustable height, ranging from 21 to 63 nm, and adjustable width ranging from 200 to 600 nm. Arrays of 20 nm × 400 nm mp-MnO2 nanowires were characterized by a specific capacitance, Csp, of 923 ± 24 F/g at 5 mV/s and 484 ± 15 F/g at 100 mV/s. These Csp values reflected true hybrid e...
Esophageal adenocarcinoma in a patient with surgically treated achalasia.

Although squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus occurs with increased incidence in primary achalasia, esophageal adenocarcinoma has been considered rare in this condition. We report a patient with long-standing achalasia in whom adenocarcinoma of the esophagus occurred many years after Heller esophagomyotomy, presumably related to Barrett's esophagus complicating gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Inelastic Bending of Beams Under Time-Varying Moments—A State Variable Approach

The inelastic response of a beam to several time-varying moments is presented. The constitutive equations used to describe the beam material are due to Hart. This is one of several state variable theories of inelastic deformation that have been proposed recently. Hart's equations have been previously shown to accurately predict the response of uniaxial specimens to time-varying loads. It is seen that Hart's theory is able to qualitatively simulate various phenomena in creep and plasticity such as the effect of previous deformation history, yielding, strain recovery, material hardening and strain rate sensitivity in this case of bending of a beam. The computational scheme used to integrate the equations is very efficient.
Long-term follow-up studies of prematurely born infants. II. Influence of birth weight and gestational age on sequelae.

The effect of gestational age and birth weight on the outcome of children of very low birth weight was studied in 91 surviving infants with birth weights of 1,500 Gm. or less, who were examined at approximately 10 years of age. The over-all incidence of handicaps was 66 per cent; 50 per cent had moderate to severe handicaps. The highest incidence of moderate to severe handicaps (85 per cent), occurred in the smallest infants of shortest gestational age, and the lowest incidence (20 per cent), in infants of 1,450 Gm. and 33 weeks' gestation. The importance of using gestational age as well as birth weight in the selection of newborn populations for study is stressed.
Retrocyclin RC-101 blocks HIV-1 transmission across cervical mucosa in an organ culture.

Background Cervical tissue-based organ cultures have been used successfully to evaluate microbicides for toxicity and antiviral activity. The antimicrobial peptide retrocyclin RC-101 has been shown to have potent anti-HIV activity in cell culture. Objective To evaluate RC-101 in organ culture for toxicity and its ability to block HIV-1 transmission across cervical mucosa. Methods A cervical tissue-based organ culture was used to measure antiviral activity of RC-101. Cytotoxicity in tissues was determined by immunostaining of cellular proteins and by measuring inflammatory cytokines using real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Luminex technology. Results RC-101 blocked transmission of both R5 and X4 HIV-1 across cervical mucosa in this organ culture model. Furthermore, film-formulated RC-101 exhibited potent antiviral activity in organ culture. Such antiviral activity of RC-101 was retained in the presence of semen and vaginal fluid. RC-101 showed no cytotoxicity in cervical tissue. Furthermore, RC-101 did not induce proinflammatory cytokine response in tissues. RC-101 also did not have any effect on natural killer cell activity and proliferation of CD4 and CD8 cells and did not show chemotactic activity. Conclusions Therefore, because of strong antiviral activity and low cytotoxicity in cervical tissues, RC-101 should be considered as an excellent microbicide candidate against HIV-1.
Evaluation of a spiral nitinol temporary inferior vena caval filter.

Abstract Rationale and Objectives The authors performed this study to evaluate the (a) ability of a prototype temporary inferior vena caval (IVC) filter to trap and retain emboli in an ex vivo flow circuit, (b) feasibility of filter placement and removal via a superficial vein in sheep, and (c) intermediate-term effects of the filter on the insertion vein and at the filter site. Materials and Methods In an iliocaval circuit, embolus capture with the prototype filter was compared to that with a Greenfield filter. In addition, prototype filters were placed into the infrarenal IVC in six sheep. Placement via a superficial venous route was initially attempted. Inferior vena cavography was performed weekly, and filters were removed after 2, 3, or 4 weeks (n = 2 each). Two weeks after the filters were removed, vena cavograms were obtained, the animals were sacrificed, and the IVC was evaluated at pathologic examination. Results The prototype filter captured all emboli, and the Greenfield filter captured 70%–100% of emboli. Successful placement via a superficial venous route was accomplished in only two sheep owing to small vein caliber; four filters were placed via a deep vein. Adverse events included perifilter thrombus, insertion site infection, and caudal migration. Two sheep died before filter removal owing to sepsis and anesthetic complications. The filters in the remaining four sheep were easily and successfully removed. Five sheep had stenosis at the filter site, and fibrosis with acute and chronic inflammation was seen at microscopic examination. Conclusion The prototype filter trapped emboli as well as the Greenfield filter. Insertion via a superficial route, however, is possible only if the access vein is of an adequate size.
Effect of γ-hydroxybutyrate on the release of monoamines from the rat striatum

A simple in vitro system was developed to study the effect of gamma-hydroxybutyrate on nerve cell depolarization-induced release of labelled DA and 5-hydroxytryptamine. The release of (3)H-dopamine formed in rat striatal slices incubated with (3)3H-tyrosine was followed. A three minute exposure to K+ (53.0 mM) caused a thirty-fold increase in the release of newly synthesized (3)H-dopamine. This K + -induced release was antagonized when gamma-hydroxybutyrate (1 mM) was present in the medium. Potassium (53.0 mM) increased (eighteen-fold) the release of (3)H-dopamine from striatal slices initially loaded by preincubation with (3)H-dopamine. The K + -induced release of this pool of DA was, however, not antagonized by gamma-hydroxybutyrate.Potassium (53.0 mM) also increased the release from striatal slices of (3)H-5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) newly synthesized from (3)H-tryptophan. This K + -induced release of 5-HT was also not inhibited by gamma-hydroxybutyrate. The ability of gamma-hydroxybutyrate to antagonize only the K + -induced release of newly formed DA may explain why this agent causes a rapid and selective increase in brain dopamine.
Isolation of membrane associated immunoglobulins from T lymphocytes by non-ionic detergents.

Abstract Lactoperoxidase-catalyzed radioiodination was employed to incorporate 125 I into membrane proteins of living thymocytes or splenic lymphocytes. Radiolabelled cells were lysed in Triton X-100 and Triton X-100 soluble membrane proteins were mixed with rabbit antiserum to murine Ig light chains and sheep anti-rabbit Ig serum to precipitate radiolabelled membrane Ig. T cell membrane Ig was detected when 1 × 10 7 cells were lysed with 1 ml of 0.01–0.1% Triton X-100, 0·05–0.1% being optimal. T cell Ig was not detected when thymocytes were lysed with detergent concentrations exceeding 0.1%. The loss in detectability of T cell Ig at high detergent concentrations was reversible upon dilution of the detergent and correlated with the critical micelle concentration (CMC) of the detergent. Detection of B cell membrane Ig was not significantly affected by detergent concentrations above the CMC. PAGE analysis of reduced and alkylated membrane Ig of spleen cells revealed light chains and heavy chains with the mobility of Ig μ chains and heavy chains with an apparent mol. wt of 60–65,000 daltons. T cell Ig isolated by detergent alone possessed light chains and heavy chains with an apparent mol. wt of 45,000 daltons. The heavy and light chains were not linked by interchain disulfide bonds. The results suggest that membrane immunoglobulins of T and B lymphocytes are structurally distinct and that T cell Ig may be more hydrophobic than its B cell counterpart.
LOW TEMPERATURE OXIDATION OF LOW RANK COALS

The low temperature oxidation of a Montana subbituminous coal was investigated using round bottom 100 ml flasks in constant temperature baths. The experiments were carried out in normal and oxygen enriched air at 30°C, 45°C and 70°C with particle sizes ranging from 4 mesh to 100 mesh. Periodic analysis of gas samples from the flasks provided the rate data. The reactivity of the as received coal was compared with that of the same coal dried (i) in high pressure steam and (ii) in hot water A rate equation has been proposed incorporating the effects of oxygen diffusion and surface reaction. For higher oxygen concentration and smaller particle sizes, the zero order surface reaction was found to be controlling. The temperature dependency of the reaction rate was found to be well represented by the Arrhenius equation. The activation energy varied slightly under various conditions between 15 to 20 kca)/g mole The reactivity of the hot water dried coal was found to be similar to that of the as received coal. Stea...
An electrochemical study of the mixed beta-vanadium bronzes LiyNaxV2O5 and LiyKxV2O5

It has been found that lithium may be rapidly inserted into ..beta..-phase sodium and potassium vanadium bronzes to yield phases of composition Li /SUB y/ Na /SUB x/ V/sub 2/O/sub 5/ and Li /SUB y/ K /SUB x/ V/sub 2/O/sub 5/. For (x + y) values less than about 2/3, a single phase region is found. For higher lithium contents two additional narrow phases are formed; the maximum alkali metal content appears to correspond to a vanadium oxidation state of 4. The reversibility of the insertion reactions and x-ray powder diffraction indicate that the structures of the higher lithium content phases are closely related to the ..beta..-phase. Thermodynamic data have been derived from the electrochemical results.
Nelarabine use in leukemias

Drug discovery and development over the past 60 years has played a central role in the continuous improvement in survival rates of patients undergoing treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It has recently been suggested that in children and adolescents diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, an overall cure rate of 90% may be achieved (1, 2). Cure rates in adults, typically less than 40%, are considerably lower than in the younger populations, even in the face of currently prescribed optimal drug therapy and supportive care (3-5). The search for more effective and safer anti-leukemia therapy continues to identify agents and combinations of agents that have activity against specific types of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (1). This review presents a new compound, nelarabine, that has shown efficacy in treating patients with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia or T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma.
A validity study of the Working Group's Autobiographical Memory Test for individuals with moderate to severe intellectual disability

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the validity of the Working Group's Autobiographical Memory Test as a dementia screening tool for individuals with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities (ID). Twenty-one participants with Dementia of Alzheimer's Type (DAT) and moderate to severe ID and 42 controls with similar levels of ID were tested. The majority were re-tested one year after the initial evaluation. The DAT group scored considerably lower than the control group on the initial evaluation. The controls with DS exhibited a considerable decline on the follow-up evaluation whereas other participants exhibited little changes. This demonstrates an insignificant overall difference between the DAT group and the control group on the follow-up evaluation. Virtually all participants exhibited the same scores on 3 out of 6 test items and the percentage of participants who correctly answered the remaining three test items were not significantly different from the DAT or control groups. In conclusion, the Working Group's Autobiographical Memory Test may be useful as a dementia screening tool for individuals with moderate to severe ID from DS when validated with a large sample size study. However, it is questionable whether this test is a reliable dementia screening tool for individuals with moderate to severe ID from non-DS etiologies. This test has a significant psychometric weakness because of the restricted score variability among the participants.