cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
GENOME-WIDE ASSOCIATION STUDY IDENTIFIES TWENTY NEW LOCI ASSOCIATED WITH BIPOLAR DISORDER

Background Bipolar Disorder (BD) is a common, complex and severe mood disorder with high heritability. Genetic analyses of bipolar disorder continue to benefit from large international cohort collections amassed by members of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. Here we describe insights into disease risk from new and existing BD risk loci and from polygenic analyses of BD and related diseases and traits. Methods We performed GWAS meta-analysis of 32 cohorts from 14 countries in Europe and North America, totaling 20,352 cases and 31,358 controls of European descent, including 6,328 case and 7,963 control samples not previously reported. We tested suggestive SNPs (P Results Bipolar disorder GWAS identified 31 genome-wide significant (P BD2, P BD1, P Discussion The PGC2 Bipolar Disorder GWAS identified twenty novel risk loci. Single gene loci include the synaptic genes ANK3, GRIN2A, SHANK2 and RIMS1. Polygenic analyses reaffirm the striking polygenicity of bipolar disorder and close relationships with schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders, and evince an affective-to-mood disorder gradient of genetic overlap from schizophrenia, to BDI, to BDII, to major depression. Bipolar disorder's positive genetic correlation with cognitive/education phenotypes stands in contrast to schizophrenia and major depression, suggesting an inroad to further dissection of genetic components specific to these major psychiatric disorders. Genetic overlaps of BD with lipid-, osteoarthritis- and immune-related traits, provide additional intriguing clinical and physiological implications.
Giant intrathoracic teratoma presenting with cachexia and severe dyspnea

This case highlights the challenges of preoperative differential diagnosis and management in a patient with an uncommon clinical presentation of giant intrathoracic teratoma. The age of the patient, location and size of the tumor, and clinical presentation makes this case unique. Typically, intrathoracic teratomas are found between the ages of 20–30, they are located in the anterior mediastinum, and tumors larger than 25 cm clinically present with cough or dysphagia. A giant intrathoracic teratoma presents in a 51-year-old female as a mid to posterior mediastinal mass compressing the whole left lung with symptoms of depression, anorexia, unintentional weight loss, and cachexia. Due to her severe deconditioning she was optimized for 1 month in a skilled nursing facility with aggressive physical therapy and enteral nutrition. She underwent left thoracotomy with complete resection of the tumor. In follow up her BMI had improved, and she was regaining strength. Complete resection was achieved via left thoracotomy after aggressive rehabilitation.
Estimating the Normal Mean and Variance Under A Publication Selection Model

Maximum likelihood estimators of the mean and variance of a normal distribution are obtained under a publication selection model in which data are reported only when the hypothesis that the mean is 0 is rejected. An approximation to the asymptotic variance-covariance matrix for these estimators is given. Also discussed are the marginal distributions of the sample mean and variance under the selection model.
Fundamental Characteristics of the Polar Oceans and Their Sea Ice Cover

The physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the oceans and their sea ice cover at high latitudes in both the northern and southern hemispheres are discussed in conjunction with the bathymetry, atmospheric and circulation patterns. The exchanges of intermediate to deep water with the World’s oceans are quite limited in the Arctic region with the relatively narrow Fram Strait as the only possibility while the World’s main oceans circulate freely from one ocean to another at all depths in the Southern Ocean through the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. The perennial sea ice is also located in deep water regions in the Arctic, while the perennial ice in the Antarctic is usually confined in shallow shelf areas. These and other environmental differences make the characteristics of Arctic Ocean very different from those of the Southern Ocean.
Characterization of xyloglucan-specific fucosyltransferase activity in Golgi-enriched microsomal preparations from wheat seedlings

Abstract Xyloglucan (XyG) is a major hemicellulosic polymer in primary cell walls of dicotyledonous plants but represents only a minor constituent of cell walls from graminaceous monocotyledons (Poaceae). Our current information on XyG biosynthesis in vitro comes exclusively from studies on dicotyledonous plants. While XyG has been reported in grass cell walls, there are no studies of XyG biosynthesis in vitro in grasses. In this report, we investigated XyG structure and biosynthesis in etiolated wheat seedlings and showed that their walls contain small amounts (4-14%) of XyG. Furthermore, structural analysis using electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and high pH anion exchange chromatography (HPAEC) revealed that wheat XyG may be of XXGGG-type. Interestingly, detergent extracts from root microsomes were able to fucosylate tamarind XyG in vitro in a similar way as fucosyltransferase activity from Arabidopsis thaliana (AtFUT1) and pea (PsFUT1). Endoglucanase digestion of the [14C]fucosylated-tamarind XyG formed by the wheat fucosyltransferase activity released radiolabeled oligosaccharides that co-eluted with authentic fucoslyated XyG oligosaccharides (XXFG and XLFG). Although wheat fucosyltransferase activity was low, it appeared to be specific to XyG and required divalent ions (Mg2+ or Mn2+) for full activity. Together, these results suggest that the XyG fucosylation mechanism is conserved between monocots and dicots.
Fair treatment in policing: testing the relationship between internal and external procedural justice

Recently, several highly publicized and troubling police-citizen encounters around the United States have led many to question not only police tactics, but also, more broadly, police legitimacy. Th...
Invasive silver carp is empirically linked to declines of native sport fish in the Upper Mississippi River System

Empirical assessments of the influence of invasive species on native species are infrequent because the required long-term data are rarely available. The invasion of silver carp in the Upper Mississippi River System (UMRS) provides a unique opportunity to assess the influence of this invasive species on native fishes because a highly standardized, long-term monitoring program has been sampling the fish communities in six reaches of the UMRS for over 20 years. We analyzed fish abundance (catch per unit effort from electrofishing) and water-quality data collected from 1994 to 2013 from three reaches where silver carp populations have been established since 2000, and three reaches where they are not established. Our results provide empirical evidence of a negative effect of invasive silver carp on native sport fish in the UMRS. Although water temperature, suspended solid concentration, and flooding also differed substantially between control and invaded reaches, only silver carp abundance had a direct negative relationship with the abundance of adult sport fish. Our analyses suggest that the mechanism for this decline may be competition for zooplankton between silver carp and larval/juvenile sport fish. In reaches where silver carp is established, recruitment of juvenile sport fish appears to be constrained relative to reaches where silver carp is not established.
Chain-Based Fixed-Priority Scheduling of Loosely-Dependent Tasks

Many cyber-physical applications consist of chains of tasks. Such tasks are often loosely dependent, meaning task execution is time-triggered and independent of the update rate of input data. Since meaningful output can be obtained after processing all the intermediate tasks of a chain, the end-to-end latency of the chain is an important metric that can affect the correctness and quality of the system. In this paper, we present a chain-based fixed-priority preemptive scheduler for multicore real-time systems. The scheduler identifies effective chain instances contributing to the generation of updated output, and employs a runtime policy to improve the end-to-end latency of chains. Based on our scheduler, an analysis method is proposed with two parts: (i) bounding the start and finish time of each job, and (ii) analyzing the end-to-end latency of effective chain instances. Experimental results show that our chain-based scheduler achieves up to 83% reduction in end-to-end latency compared to the state-of-the-art and yields a significant benefit in inter-chain distance over chain-unaware schedulers. Furthermore, our analysis method can be easily adapted to chain-unaware schedulers and provides tighter bounds than prior work.
Multiscale plant modeling: from genome to phenome and beyond

Plants are complex organisms that adapt to changes in their environment using an array of regulatory mechanisms that span across multiple levels of biological organization. Due to this complexity, it is difficult to predict emergent properties using conventional approaches that focus on single levels of biology such as the genome, transcriptome, or metabolome. Mathematical models of biological systems have emerged as useful tools for exploring pathways and identifying gaps in our current knowledge of biological processes. Identification of emergent properties, however, requires their vertical integration across biological scales through multiscale modeling. Multiscale models that capture and predict these emergent properties will allow us to predict how plants will respond to a changing climate and explore strategies for plant engineering. In this review, we (1) summarize the recent developments in plant multiscale modeling; (2) examine multiscale models of microbial systems that offer insight to potential future directions for the modeling of plant systems; (3) discuss computational tools and resources for developing multiscale models; and (4) examine future directions of the field.
But they weren't being careful! Role of theory of mind in moral judgments about victim and transgressor negligence.

Abstract Previous research showed that children are influenced not only by intentions and outcomes but also by transgressor negligence in their moral judgments. The current study investigated the role of transgressor and victim negligence on children’s moral judgments. Children’s false-belief theory of mind understanding (FBU ToM) was examined as a possible factor that might shape moral judgments in contexts involving negligence. Children (N = 117, Mage = 5.41 years, range = 3–8) were presented with two stories involving property damage and physical harm where negligence was manipulated and with a series of questions assessing moral judgments regarding act acceptability of the transgressor and victim, punishment, and assessments of alternative actions. FBU ToM was measured with a false-content task. Children with higher FBU ToM were more likely to consider both transgressor and victim negligence in their moral judgments across different transgressions. The findings have implications for how social cognitive abilities interact with transgressor and victim negligence in moral decisions.
Survivors of Climate Driven Abalone Mass Mortality Exhibit Declines in Health and Reproduction Following Kelp Forest Collapse

Marine ecosystems are vulnerable to climate driven impacts events such as marine heatwaves yet we have a poor understanding of whether they will collapse or recover. Kelp forests are known to be susceptible, and there has been a rise in sea urchin barrens around the world. When temperatures increase so does physiologic physiological demands while food resources decline, tightening metabolic constraints. In this case study, we examine red abalone (Haliotis rufescens ) looking at sublethal impacts and their prospects for recovery within kelp forests that have shifted to sea urchin barrens. Abalone are a recreationally fished species that once thrived in northern California’s bull kelp forests but have recently suffered mass mortalities since the 2014-2016 marine heatwave. Quantitative data exist on the health and reproduction of abalone both prior to and after the collapse. The survivors of the mass mortality show a two-year lag in body and gonad condition indices. After the lag, body and gonad indexes decreased substantially, as did the relationship between shell length and body weight. Production of mature eggs per female declined by 99% (pp<0.001), and the number of eggs per gram of female body weight (2984/gm) declined to near zero (9/gm). The number of males with sperm was reduced by 33%, and the sperm abundance score was reduced by 28% (p=0.414). We observed that these reductions were for mature eggs and sperm while immature eggs and spermatids were still present in large numbers. In the lab, after reintroduction of kelp, 50% of the starved abalone died and weight gains were quickly lost following a second starvation period. This example illustrates how climate-driven declines in foundation species can suppress recovery of the system by impacting body condition and future reproduction of surviving individuals. Given the poor reproductive potential of the remaining abalone in northern California, coupled with ongoing mortality and low kelp abundances, we discuss the need to maintain the fishing moratorium and implement active abalone restoration measures. For fished species, such as abalone, this additional hurdle to recovery imposed by changes in climate is critical to understand and incorporate into resource management and restoration.
Metabolic Kinetics of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Prior to CAR-T Infusion: Prognostic Factors and Risk Stratification.

Purpose/Objective(s) Chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy is utilized for patients with active non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) refractory to recent treatments, sometimes even requiring bridging therapy during CAR-T manufacturing to maintain clinically stability for CAR-T infusion. We examined the metabolic kinetics of these patients’ lymphoma via F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) with the hypothesis that increasing metabolic disease parameters during CAR-T manufacturing are associated with increased rates of progressive disease (PD) and death after CAR-T. Materials/Methods Patients with NHL who received axicabtagene ciloleucel (axi-cel), an anti-CD19 CAR-T therapy, on a prospective registry at one institution were included. Lesions on PET/CT scans before leukapheresis (pre-leuk) and before lymphodepletion chemotherapy (pre-LD) were segmented with a fixed absolute SUV threshold of 2.5 using a semi-automated workflow with manual modification to exclude physiologic uptake as needed. Metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), SUV maximum (SUVMax), and other lesion characteristics were assessed for each PET/CT, and changes between pre-leuk and pre-LD were calculated. Univariate Cox modeling was used to associate relative and directional change in metabolic and volumetric PET/CT characteristics with PD and death, after adjusting for bridging therapy. LASSO method was used for multivariable model selection. Results Axi-cel was delivered to 69 patients with NHL (64% DLBCL) from 2018-2020. Pre-leuk and pre-LD PET/CT scans were performed a median of 46 days and 7 days prior to CAR-T infusion, respectively. Forty patients (58%) received bridging therapy between scans, including 9 (13%) receiving radiotherapy. At data cut-off of December 2020 with a median follow-up of 13 months for surviving patients, 39 (57%) had died and 46 (67%) had PD. Increases from pre-leuk to pre-LD PET/CT in total MTV, total TLG, parenchymal MTV, and nodal MTV were associated with increased risk of PD. Increases in parenchymal MTV, nodal MTV, TLG of the largest lesion, and total number of lesions were associated with increased risk of death. LASSO analysis identified increasing total extranodal MTV (≥25% increase) and increasing TLG of the largest lesion (≥10% increase) as strong predictors of death (AUC 0.74, Table). Conclusion Increasing metabolic disease burden during CAR-T manufacturing is associated with increased risk of PD and death. A two variable tool using increasing extranodal disease and increasing TLG of the largest lesion may be able to stratify prognosis prior to CAR-T and inform treatment paradigms.
Chapter 10 Large and Medium Vessel Vasculitis: Clinical Features and Treatment

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the clinical features and treatment of the large and medium vessel vasculitis. The systemic vasculitides are a heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by inflammation of blood vessels. They are typically classified according to the predominant vessel size involved, the nature of the inflammatory lesion and the organ systems that are most frequently affected. This chapter focuses on large and medium-sized vessel diseases that may lead to renal disease because of regional or global renal ischemia. Very rarely these entities may also involve glomerular capillaries. Takayasu's (TAK) is an idiopathic systemic inflammatory disease characterized by vasculitis affecting the aorta and its primary branches. TAK predominantly affects women of reproductive age, with mean age at diagnosis in the third decade in most series. There is considerable variability in the presenting symptoms in TAK patients. About half of all patients may have constitutional symptoms.
Linking volcanic tremor, degassing, and eruption dynamics via SO2 imaging

[1] Recently developed UV cameras offer improvement in remote sensing of volcanic SO2, with temporal resolutions of ∼1 Hz and synoptic plume views. Integrated UV camera and seismic measurements recorded in January 2009 at Fuego volcano, Guatemala, provide new insight into the system's shallow conduit processes. High temporal resolution SO2 data reveal patterns of SO2 emission rate relative to explosions and seismic tremor that indicate tremor and degassing share a common source process. Progressive decreases in emission rate appear to represent inhibition of gas loss from magma as a result of rheological stiffening in the upper conduit. Measurements of emission rate from two closely-spaced vents, made possible by the high spatial resolution of the camera (1024 × 1024 pixels), help constrain this model. This inter-disciplinary approach illuminates eruptive processes at Fuego and holds promise for gaining similar understanding at other volcanic systems.
Interaction of Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B with Cell Cultures of Human Embryonic Intestine

Abstract Schaeffer, W. I. (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge), J. Gabliks, and R. Calitis. Interaction of staphylococcal enterotoxin B with cell cultures of human embryonic intestine. J. Bacteriol. 91:21–26. 1966.—The cytotoxic effect of staphylococcal enterotoxin B upon human embryonic intestine cell cultures is characterized by retraction of cells from the monolayer. This is followed by clumping of the retracted cells to form clear areas in the monolayer and finally by sloughing of the clumps from the glass surface. The 50% effective dose of the toxin, determined by protein analysis of the cultures used in titration studies, was found to be between 40 and 60 μg/ml. The cytotoxic property of the enterotoxin was completely neutralized by 3.9 × 10−5 ml of specific antitoxin per μg of toxin. The cytotoxicity was found to be slightly enhanced by 2.2 g of bicarbonate per liter of Eagle's basal medium (Earle's salt solution level), the absence of serum, the absence of penicillin and streptomycin, and the presence of 2.8 mmoles of calcium in the medium. The cytotoxicity was profoundly influenced by the age of the culture. No cytotoxicity was evident until after 2 days of growth had taken place, when the cell number was approximately 4.0 × 105 cells per culture.
Making E.T. Perfectly Queer: The Alien Other and the Science Fiction of Sexual Difference

In the wake of E.T.'s 1982 debut, film critics Marina Heung and Vivian Sobchack established that the enduring appeal of E.T. inheres in the dissolution of the nuclear heterosexual family over the latter half of the twentieth century and the film's “fairy tale” stand-in for the “mythology of family relations” that Dana Cloud terms “conservative familialism.” As Carl Plantinga puts it, E.T. offers a “virtual solution … to [a] traumatic problem.” Despite this, however, E.T. remains for many an inconsolable tragedy. Approaching E.T. from the perspective of the queer child who grows “more sideways than up,” in the real absence of a fairy tale solution to the traumatic problem of conservative familialism, I here seek to identify and celebrate E.T.'s “complex range of queerness” that has until now remained largely closeted.
Evidence of fertility regulation among rural French villagers, 1749-1789: a sequential econometric model of birth-spacing behavior (Part 1).

In this first part an econometric model describing the sequences of live births to individual couples is developed and estimated, using data for a sample of married women in rural French communes during the period 1749–1789. The main methodological objective is to devise a means of controlling for unobserved heterogeneities that result in the endogeneity of variables describing a couple's accumulated demographic experience. Without such controls it is not possible to secure unbiased estimates of responses to familial demographic events, such as the births and deaths of children. Such estimates are sought here as indirect indicators of the existence and nature of deliberate fertility control.
A new method of secondary structure assignment based on the Delaunay tessellation of protein structures

A five element descriptor derived from the Delaunay tessellation of a protein structure can be assigned to each residue in the protein. The descriptor characterizes main chain topology in the neighborhood of the residue. Rules which accurately map it to the DSSP secondary structure assignment can be devised, which is surprising because the descriptor does not explicitly depend on any angles, lengths, areas, or putative hydrogen bonds, nor does it contain information on internal residue geometry.
Flying Laser Spot thermal Wave IR Imaging of Horizontal and Vertical Cracks

As an extension of the work of Kuo et al[1], we have developed a “Flying-Spot” lasersource/IR-detector camera in which the focal point of an unmodulated heating laser is moved at constant velocity across the sample while the image point of an IR detector is scanned at the same speed at a point just behind the laser beam. The detector is thus looking at the “thermal wake” of the heated spot. The time delay between heating and detection is determined by the speed of the laser spot and the distance between it and the detector image. Since this distance can be made arbitrarily small (Actually it can be made negative; the detector can lead the heated spot.), the camera is capable of making thermal wave images of phenomena which occur on a very short time scale. In addition, because the heat source is a very small spot, the heat flow is fully three-dimensional. This makes the camera system sensitive to features like tightly closed vertical cracks which are invisible to imaging systems which employ full-field heating.
Modeling interconnection networks using a hardware description language

Using a hardware descriptive language, it is possible to develop simulation models for processor interconnection networks which take hardware considerations into account during simulation. Models were produced for nine interconnection networks, specialized first for a simple algorithm, then adapted for a more complex task. Simulations were conducted to ensure the correctness of the models, and the complexities involved in expanding the simple example into the more complex one were considered. In particular, simulation results obtained with the DABL (Daisy Behavioral Language) model are presented. The DABL models were capable of providing more insight into hardware-related issues than simulations conducted in conventional programming languages. >
Designing And Managing Programs: An Effectiveness-based Approach, by Peter M. Kettner, Robert M. Moroney, and Lawrence L. Martin

The third edition of this classic text on program design and management is sure to replace itself on the shelves of practitioners and academics alike. In the turbulent environment in which all huma...
Arms production in developing nations: The relation to industrial structure, industrial diversification, and human capital formation

This paper presents empirical research on physical capital, industrial diversification, and human capital developments in arms‐producing and non‐arms producing developing nations from the mid‐1970s to the mid‐1980s. Drawing on data from the United Nations and the World Bank, a close relation between arms production potential and actual arms production is found which evokes concern about policy‐directions for successful arms control in the third world. The paper closes with brief reflections on third world arms production incentives.
Bernoulli actions of sofic groups have completely positive entropy

We prove that every Bernoulli action of a sofic group has completely positive entropy with respect to every sofic approximation net. We also prove that every Bernoulli action of a finitely generated free group has the property that each of its nontrivial factors with a finite generating partition has positive f-invariant.
Point Process Modeling of Interbreath Interval: A New Approach for the Assessment of Instability of Breathing in Neonates

Interbreath interval (IBI), the time interval between breaths, is an important measure used to analyze irregular breathing patterns in neonates. The discrete bursts of neural activity generate the IBI time series, which exhibits stochastic as well as deterministic dynamics. To quantify the irregularity of breathing, we propose a point process model of IBI using a comprehensive stochastic dynamic modeling framework. The IBIs of immature breathing patterns exhibit a long tail distribution and within a point process model, we have considered the lognormal distribution to represent the stochastic IBI characteristics. An autoregressive (AR) function is embedded within the model to capture the short-term IBI dynamics including abrupt IBI prolongations related to sporadic and periodic apneas that are common in neonates. We tested the utility of our paradigm for depicting the respiratory dynamics in neonatal rats and in preterm infants. Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) and independence tests reveal that the model accurately tracks the dynamic characteristics of the signals. In preterm infants, our model-derived indices of IBI instability strongly correlate with clinically derived indices of maturation. Our results validate a new class of algorithms, based on the point process theory, for defining instantaneous measures of breathing irregularity in neonates.
The buckling of a simply supported elliptic plate under uniform compression

Abstract An exact solution for the buckling of a simply supported elliptic plate under uniform compression is obtained by means of Mathieu functions and modified Mathieu functions. The method of Rayleigh-Ritz is used to find an approximate solution of the problem. It is found that the results from the determinantal calculation checks consistently with those from the Rayleigh-Ritz method. The error is generally less than 0.27%.
Speculations concerning a fermionic substructure of space-time

The possibility of obtaining the co-ordinates of space-time as « composites » of more fundamental fermionic co-ordinates is explored. It is suggested that the required algebraic structure may be derived from an action whose equations of motion define suitable constraints. The program is incomplete and very speculative. Some of the problems that remain to be solved are indicated.
Oxidation of monoglyceride, diglyceride, and triglyceride monolayers by aqueous potassium permanganate solution

Abstract Studies were carried out on the oxidative degradation of monoolein, monolinolein, diolein, dilinolein, triolein and trilinolein monolayers by injecting KMnO4 solution under the monolayers. The effect of the initial surface pressure on oxidative degradation was also studied by measuring changes in the surface pressure and surface potential with time. The surface shear viscosities of these six lipids were measured in order to predict their molecular interactions at the air/water interface. The rates of oxidation for these lipids were found to be in the following order: dilinolein > monolinolein > monoolein > trilinolein > diolein > triolein. Interestingly, the surface shear viscosities of these six lipids were found to decrease in the same order. In the present study, an attempt has been made to correlate the effect of the initial surface pressure, the number of double bonds and the number of hydroxyl groups with the oxidation of these lipids by potassium permanganate solution.
Situational Aspects of Sexual Offending: Implications for Residence Restriction Laws:

Residence restriction laws, which aim to restrict known sex offenders from residing near child-dense community structures, appear, in part, to be based on the assumption that sex offenders are likely to seek out their victims in public places where children congregate. The current study examined the locations where offenders first came into contact with their victims and the locations where offenders perpetrated offenses. Archival case files (N = 405) of adult male sex offenders were analyzed to determine the frequency with which sex offenders met their victims and offended in public, semi-public, or private locations. Descriptive analyses revealed that 76.5% of the sex offenders in this sample met their victims in private locations, while 7.7% met their victims in semi-public settings, and 15.8% met their victims in public settings. Similarly, 82.2% of index offenses took place in private locations, while 10.9% and 6.9% occurred in semi-public and public locations, respectively. Given that a minority of ...
IMMUNOLOGIC AGING IN ADULTS WITH CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE: DOES INFANT STERNOTOMY MATTER?

Thymectomy is preformed routinely in infants during cardiothoracic surgery to enable repair of congenital heart disease (CHD). Prior work has shown that children post-sternotomy have decreased T-lymphocyte levels, without proven compromise in immune function. Long-term assessment of immune function
A note on monte carlo primality tests and algorithmic information theory

Solovay and Strassen, and Miller and Rabin have discovered fast algorithms for testing primality which use coin-flipping and whose con
Portrait of an executioner: the molecular mechanism of Fas/APO-1-induced apoptosis

Fas/APO-1 is a member of the TNF receptor family and plays a dominant role in the immune system, down-regulating the immune response and contributing to T-cell-mediated cytotoxicity. Activation of Fas/APO-1 by either natural ligand or agonist antibody initiates apoptosis. Until recently, however, the mechanism by which Fas/APO-1 engages the cell death machinery has been an enigma. Here we describe a proposed molecular mechanism by which this cell surface death receptor signals the suicide response.
Factors Related to Commercial Production of the Walleye in Red Lakes, Minnesota

Abstract Growth of the walleye (Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) in Red Lakes, Minnesota, over a 17-year period was slower than in other waters of the Great Lakes region and fluctuated annually from 30.7 percent above to 42.2 percent below mean growth. Individual year classes varied considerably in growth rate. Age distribution in 3 1/2-inch stretch-measure commercial nets varied extremely in 9 years' collections and was related to year-class strength and fishing intensity during periods when classes were available for catch. Abundance of different classes varied 23-fold. Annulus formation and resumption of growth occurred from mid-June to late July. Effective growing season did not exceed 4 months and for some individuals in some years was 2 months or less. The catch contained age-groups II-XII but consisted principally of groups IV-VIII. Seasonal changes in age distribution were dependent on growth rate and fishing effort. Total catch was strongly influenced by growth and seasonal distribution of fishing e...
Librarians as Partners in the Classroom: An Increasing Imperative

For over 25 years, the need for bibliographic instruction by librarians has been thoroughly studied, guidelines have been provided, publications have been expanded, and workshops and conferences have been held. Increasing efforts have been made to incorporate library instruction into general education and other programs and courses. Despite the success of individual programs, there still remains no widespread acceptance of the librarian’s role in curriculum planning and course‐integrated instruction. As Winner writes, library and university administrators, teaching faculty, and librarians should assume a greater leadership role in encouraging librarians to teach library skills, research strategies, and methodologies for life long learning. Librarians should form partnerships with classroom faculty and be encouraged to teach both subject content and research methodologies courses.
High temperatures alter physiological properties of pyramidal cells and inhibitory interneurons in hippocampus

Temperature has multiple effects on neurons, yet little is known about the effects of high temperature on the physiology of mammalian central neurons. Hyperthermia can influence behavior and cause febrile seizures. We studied the effects of acute hyperthermia on the immature hippocampus in vitro by recording from pyramidal neurons and inhibitory oriens-lacunosum moleculare (O-LM) interneurons (identified by green fluorescent protein expression in the GIN mouse line). Warming to 41°C caused depolarization, spontaneous action potentials, reduced input resistance and membrane time constant, and increased spontaneous synaptic activity of most pyramidal cells and O-LM interneurons. Pyramidal neurons of area CA3 were more strongly excited by hyperthermia than those of area CA1. About 90% of O-LM interneurons in both CA1 and CA3 increased their firing rates at hyperthermic temperatures; interneurons in CA3 fired faster than those in CA1 on average. Blockade of fast synaptic transmission did not abolish the effect of hyperthermia on neuronal excitability. Our results suggest that hyperthermia increases hippocampal excitability, particularly in seizure-prone area CA3, by altering the intrinsic membrane properties of pyramidal cells and interneurons.
Electron-Beam Modification of GaAs Surface-Potential - Measurement of Richardson Constant

The surface potential of GaAs is strongly modified in the presence of a high‐energy electron beam due to the creation of electron‐hole pairs in the depletion region and the subsequent drift of the holes to the surface where they neutralize surface states. This effect is modeled in terms of a parameter K=A*T2/Ib(dE/dz)η, where Ib is the beam current density, A* is the effective Richardson constant, dE/dz is the beam energy loss per unit length, and η−1 is the average energy required to create an electron‐hole pair. For the sample studied here, an 0.25‐μm layer with n≂3×1017 cm−3, we obtain a value K≂(7.5±0.8)×104 cm at T=296 K and Ib=0.33 μA/cm2, which gives A*≂0.44 A/cm2 K2. Although this value of A* is much lower than the theoretical estimate of 8 A/cm2 K2, it is in good agreement with other recent results.
aGVHDAI: escape from the silo

Comment on Leisenring et al, page [749][1] A new dynamic tool for acute GVHD assessments opens a number of possibilities for use in observational and interventional clinical trials and in clinical care. The “silo effect” is a term for a lack of communication between components of an
How Waterlogged Microsites Help an Annual Plant Persist Among Salt Marsh Perennials

Annual plants that coexist among perennial dominants might persist in microsites that are stressful to their competitors. In Californian salt marshes, where cover of annual and perennial Salicornia species are negatively correlated, we hypothesized that waterlogged depressions support the annual (Salicornia bigelovii) but not the region’s dominant perennial (Salicornia virginica). In a large restoration site, S. virginica cover was low in naturally formed pools, and our 10-cm depressions decreased its cover by approximately 30% compared to the controls. S. bigelovii grew taller and produced more flowers in waterlogged sites with low soil redox potential, and it completed its life cycle in the 5-cm-deep depressions that we created. Experimentally reducing S. virginica canopy cover in shallow depressions also increased the survival of the annual. In the greenhouse, rhizosphere oxidation was indicated as a mechanism for tolerating waterlogging, as S. bigelovii elevated the soil redox potential by 50 mV more than S. virginica did. Also, in the greenhouse, S. bigelovii seedlings actually suppressed the growth of S. virginica seedlings under increased flooding. We conclude that waterlogged microsites help sustain S. bigelovii in Californian salt marshes and that this increasingly rare plant could be managed by adding shallow depressions to restoration sites.
Basketball Shoe Height and the Maximal Muscular Resistance to Applied Ankle Inversion and Eversion Moments

To determine if the height of a basketball shoe alters the maximal inversion and eversion moment that can be actively resisted by the ankle in the frontal plane, we tested 20 healthy, young adult men with no recent ankle injuries. Subjects underwent unipedal functional ankle strength testing under weightbearing conditions at 0°, 16°, and 32° of ankle plantar flexion using a specially designed testing apparatus. Testing was performed with the subject wearing either a low- or a three quarter- top basketball shoe. Shoe height did not significantly affect an individual's ability to actively resist an eversion moment at any angle of ankle plantar flexion. However, tests at 0° of ankle plantar flexion demonstrated that the three quarter-top basketball shoe we tested significantly increased the maximal resistance to an inversion mo ment by 29.4%. At 16° of ankle plantar flexion, inversion resistance was also significantly improved by 20.4%. These results show that athletic shoe height can signifi cantly increase...
Neoadjuvant therapy for pancreatic cancer: A current review

The optimal therapy for pancreatic cancer continues to evolve. Neoadjuvant chemoradiation is a key component of current treatment regimens, and evaluation of previous treatment options will help guide future trials. Here the authors present a review of the current literature with discussion of future directions. J. Surg. Oncol. 2010;101:315–320. 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Silver staining of phosphoserine and phosphothreonine in nucleolar and other phosphoproteins

Abstract The present study was designed to determine the amino acids responsible for silver staining of nucleolar and other phosphoproteins on acetic acid urea gels. With the phosphoproteins, α -casein and phosvitin, the same golden-brown to yellow color was produced that was previously found with the nucleolar organizer region (NOR) specific proteins, B23 and C23, of Novikoff hepatoma cells (Lischwe et al., 1979). Phosphoserine- and phosphothreonine-bound glycogen polymers stained golden-brown. Dephosphorylation of α -casein by calf intestine alkaline phosphatase blocked the reaction almost completely. Proteins which were insensitive to the staining reaction were stained golden-brown by binding to CNBr-activated α -D,L-glycerophosphate.
A STEREOCHEMICAL MODEL FOR THE ACTIVE SITE OF PHOTOSYSTEM II HERBICIDES

Photosystem II herbicides act by blocking electron transport at the secondary electron acceptor ‘QB’, thought to be a non-covalently bound plastoquinone. Recent evidence suggests that these compounds work by displacing the plastoquinone from its site in the thylakoid. Since the herbicides cannot act as electron carriers, electron transport is then blocked. In this report a model is presented for the site of action of Photosystem II herbicides that encompasses biochemical, biophysical, and structure-activity considerations. The essence of the model is that Photosystem II herbicides are non-reducible analogues of plastoquinone or its semiquinone anion. As examples of the ways in which known herbicidal classes fit the model, the possible interactions of diuron, atrazine, the putative urea-triazine hybrid MBAT (the a-methylbenzyl analogue of atrazine), and dinoseb with the active site are discussed. This model provides a stereochemical basis for herbicidal activity and offers a qualitative approach for the design of novel Photosystem II herbicides.
Characterization of male reproductive tract degenerative syndrome in captive penaeid shrimp (Penaeus setiferus)

Abstract An experiment was conducted to examine the condition of the penaeid reproductive tract at various times after introduction into indoor tanks. Penaeus setiferus were collected off the coast of Corpus Christi during June and placed in 3.7-m diameter fiberglass holding tanks. After 1, 35, 49, 53, 76, and 131 days, the reproductive tracts were removed and compared using a combination of microscopical techniques. By day 35, the ampoules (segment 4 of the vas deferens) lacked turgidity, were slightly brown and contained little secretory product. Experimental spermatophores exhibited darkening and progressive loss of the wing. The ventral wall of the sperm sac was partially lost by day 35 and missing by day 49. The sperm mass of experimental spermatophores contained dead sperm by day 35 and numerous bacteria by day 49. Only the glutinous mass of the spermatophore appeared normal, although sometimes reduced in size, at all experimental times. In most day-35 and day-49 males, segments 1–3 of the vas deferens appeared normal with the dissecting microscope. However, when examined with phase contrast microscopy or scanning electron microscopy, sperm from segment 2B were dead, and the sperm mass contained bacteria. By 76 and 131 days, all tracts showed yellow discoloration of the sperm mass in segment 2. The testes in day-1 males were white and turgid; at all other times they were either partially or completely translucent. All males were infertile by day 35, our earliest experimental time, even though the vas deferens usually appeared normal at the level of the dissecting microscope.
Modeling of Free Surface Effects Via Subgrid Scale Models

In large eddy simulation, the key to the reliability of the solution with relatively large mesh size (this is unavoidable for high Re flows) is to develop effective and physically correct subgrid-scale (SGS) models. The behavior of various SGS models in large eddy simulations (LES) of free surface turbulent flows is investigated. The anisotropy of the turbulence observed near a free surface even a sub-grid scales can not be realized by a standard Smagorinsky model (SMG). The SMG model is improved with free surface modifications. This model is verified on an open channel flow benchmark and then applied to the simulation of a surface ship wake. The turbulence features are studied and compared with the results of a simulation without free surface effects. The modifications in the SGS model damps the vertical velocity fluctuations as desired. This study provides a better understanding of SGS models, when applied to the case of the wake of a turning surface ship.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Nanotechnology and Active Thin Films for Compact RF Components and Agile Systems

The development of compact sensor and agile communications equipment together with electronically steerable antenna arrays for high mobility, on-the-move networking can be enhanced by use of nanoscale active thin film resonators, high stability frequency sources, integrated on-chip filters and complementary radiating structures supported by agile frequency selective surfaces. For mobile uses such as cell phones and highly mobile tactical communications, size and cost are severe additional constraints. Such systems also require miniaturized, high-Q passive components and interconnects which allow for high performance, including low noise, reduced coupling and reduced out-of-band interference, small volume and high-density. Active thin films can also be used to implement high quality resonators and tunable filters for use in high-density chip-based RFICs. Advanced filter technology using active thin films will enable a high level of integration. Such components would enable a system-on-a-chip architecture. ...
Chemical processes in the interstellar medium: on the nature of the carrier of the diffuse interstellar bands

The great progress of the past decade in molecular astronomy, primarily by millimetre radio observations, has focused attention upon the synthesis of observed gas-phase species. We briefly discuss chemical modelling of the gas phase. The major portion of this article is devoted to the discussion of the nature of the carrier of the diffuse interstellar bands. The detailed observational study by G. H. Herbig (Astrophys. J. 196, 129 (I 975)) provides a quantitative basis against which suggestions for the nature of the carrier of the diffuse bands may be tested. The present paper suggests that the carrier is transition metal ions interacting with the polysulphide ions S- and S3 in oxidic lattices. The nature of chemical processes in the interstellar medium is a topic with considerable history. Since species observed by sharp line spectra are most positively identified, the most discussed chemistries involve mechanisms for the formation of these gas-phase species. The past decade of millimetre radio astronomy has emphasized this point. In discussing chemistries appropriate to the interstellar medium it is perhaps worthwhile asking what is wanted. The list of interstellar species observed is striking in its preponderance of organic molecules (Thaddeus, this symposium). In its own right this is important since it clearly establishes that selective molecular order is the rule under non-biotic conditions. It is of course the goal of the analyst to show that this order is simply the result of natural laws. The simplest chemistries are, in our opinion, essentially gas-phase processes of a low density, cold (i.e. 20 K) medium with an elemental composition similar to cosmic abundance (for reviews see Watson (I978) and Dalgarno & Black (I976)). The observation of ionic species in dense molecular clouds shows clearly that equilibrium thermodynamical arguments are poor tools upon which to base chemistries. Likewise, even for neutral species, the reaction CO + 3H2 = CH4 + H20 has at 20 K an equilibrium constant
Hemispheric processing of form versus texture at the local level of hierarchical patterns

Abstract Kimchi (Kimchi, R., 1992. Primacy of wholistic processing and global/local paradigm: A critical review. Psychological Bulletin 112, 24–38) proposed that the perception of hierarchical stimuli is dependent on the number of local elements. The local level of stimuli with smaller numbers of elements is perceived as discrete forms, and irrelevant form information at the global level affects processing of the local level; with larger numbers of local elements, however, the local level is seen as being comprised of a texture, and interlevel interaction is eliminated. The current study provides a test of Kimchi's hypothesis for left versus right cerebral hemispheric (LH vs. RH) processing, employing a stimulus set that sampled the critical range of a number of local elements more thoroughly than previous studies. Results indicate that (i) increasing the number of local elements reduces and eventually eliminates interlevel interference, (ii) the crossover point between perception of local elements as form vs. texture does not differ for LH vs. RH processing, and (iii) hemispheric differences in local-global processing of stimuli comprised of geometric shapes are not robust, although an LH advantage for local targets was obtained for stimuli with few local elements.