cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of dissolved oxygen on chemical transformations of heavy metals, phosphorus, and nitrogen in an estuarine sediment

Abstract The effect of dissolved O2 on the chemical transformations of Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, NH4+ -N and P in an estuarine sediment suspension was investigated under laboratory conditions. Reduced sediment suspensions were constantly purged with a gas mixture containing 0.11%, 2.1% and 21% O2 at a flow rate of 20 ml min−1. Suspension samples were taken at various time intervals and extracted for different chemical fractions. The data indicate that increasing O2 concentrations in the gas mixture resulted in lower sediment pH and higher oxidation-reduction potential (redox potential) with time. Changes in redox potential and pH strongly modified the distribution of trace metals in various chemical fractions. The hydroxylamine hydrochloride extraction failed to selectively remove oxides and hydroxides of Mn without dissolving a substantial proportion of reactive Fe, as the recovery of Fe by this extractant was 8 to 10 orders of magnitude greater than Mn. The large recovery of Fe with Mn in this fraction makes it difficult to distinguish trace metals associated with Mn oxides from those associated with Fe oxides. A substantial fraction of total sediment Zn was associated with potentially bioavailable chemical forms, which may be mobilized to more readily available forms due to changes in the physicochemical properties of the sediment-water system. Significant correlation coefficients obtained between soluble Pb, Cd and Cu and different Fe fractions suggest a strong relationship between these trace metals and Fe compounds. Phosphorus and NH4+ -N concentrations decreased sharply with time as a result of increased redox potential levels in the 2.1% and 21% O2 levels. The effect of the 0.11% O2 treatment was negligible. This indicates that oxidized sediment conditions may be an important factor in regulating eutrophication by reducing the levels of P and N available for biota. This necessitates a careful study of changes in the dissolved O2 concentration (reflected by redox potential levels) in the sediment-water system.
Moral Growth Among Athletes and Nonathletes: A Comparative Analysis

Sport may be described as a unique moral context encouraging adaptations in participants' moral reasoning. The relation between sport participation and maturity of moral reasoning regarding general social problems and sport-specific dilemmas was investigated in two related studies. Study 1 involved 100 high school and college basketball players and nonathletes, with an equal distribution of females and males. Moral protocols were administered and scored according to Haan's (1978, 1983) interactional model of moral development. Multivariate analyses of variance revealed no moral reasoning differences between high school basketball players and nonathletes, but high school females' moral reasoning was more mature than was males'. Within the college sample, nonathletes' moral reasoning was significantly more mature than was athletes'. Also, females' moral reasoning about sport was more mature than that of their male counterparts, though no sex differences were found in general life moral reasoning. In Study 2, 20 swimmers were added to the college sample. Basketball players employed less mature moral reasoning about sport than both swimmers and nonathletes (who did not differ from each other). Results were discussed in terms of sport-specific experiences.
The extension of the heaviside expansion theorem to the equations of engineering and physics in curvilinear orthogonal coordinates

Abstract Ever since Heaviside's Expansion Theorem and his operational methods have been available for the solution of transient circuit problems, attempts have been made to extend similar operational methods to the solution of field problems. These methods have not as yet been developed to such a degree as to be employed in field problems that require partial differential equations with more than two independent variables. Such problems are those involving the propagation of electromagnetic or elastic waves, the conduction of heat through solids, the propagation of acoustic waves in air and the distribution of flux in the airgap of electrical machinery all of which may involve one, two, or three dimensions. This paper undertakes to solve such problems by operational methods similar to Heaviside's, in those types of coordinates of the greatest usefulness to engineers, namely curvilinear orthogonal coordinates. The result is given in formulae which are broader than the Expansion Theorem, being applicable to one, two, or three dimensions and include the Expansion Theorem as a special case. Four formulae are derived for the field due to a point source in a given space for the following cases 1. (1) La Place-Poisson equation for steady state conditions. 2. (2)The equation of conduction of heat. 3. (3) Maxwell's wave equation. 4. (4) The wave equation for dissipative medium. These results are very similar and have many elements in common. It is further shown that by restricting the type of problem to be solved to a certain form (the Green's Function) basic solutions of one, two, or three dimensional equations of the type specified can be expressed in the form of separate functions for each of the variables. These separate functions can be listed in tables similar to tables of integrals and will have a corresponding value in eliminating repetition in mathematical operations. From the solution given in such tables (for the Green's Function) the solution for other problems can be derived by well known theorems without the necessity of solving the differential equation again for these different conditions.
IDENTIFICATION OF MAST CELLS IN THE SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPE BY MEANS OF X-RAY SPECTROMETRY

In mixed populations of rat peritoneal fluid cells, the mast cells can be differentiated from other cell types in the scanning electron microscope by virtue of the X-ray emission referable to their sulfur content. Both stationary probe and X-ray mapping are feasible; the amount of sulfur eliciting a signal is estimated to be about 8 x 10-18 g.
Reproductive performance of synchronized beef cows as affected by inhibition of suckling with nose tags or temporary calf removal.

Abstract A study was conducted to determine whether presence of the calf during suckling inhibition influences the response to estrus synchronization in beef cows. Angus or Hereford cows (n=89) were administered Syncro-Mate-B ® (SMB), which consisted of a 6-mg norgestomet ear implant (in situ 9 d) in conjunction with 5 mg of estradiol valerate and 3 mg (im) of norgestomet. Cows were allotted by breed, body condition, stage of the estrous cycle, parity and date of parturition to 1 of 3 treatments: 48-h calf removal; ad libitum suckling; or inhibition of suckling with a nose tag for 48 h. Calves were weighed at time of SMB implant removal, 48 h later and at weaning. Cows were mated via AI approximately 12 h after detection of estrus during a 30-d period after implant removal followed by a natural service period of 35 d. At 48 h after implant removal, calf removal and nose tag calves had lost an average of 3.6 and 0.9 kg, respectively, while the suckled calves gained 1.8 kg (P 0.10). Treatment did not affect the 30-d AI or overall 65-d pregnancy rate. In this study, there were no differences observed in the percentage of synchronized or pregnant cows following suckling inhibition by either a nose tag or calf removal. Transient reductions of calf body weight during the 48-h calf removal period did occur in both the nose tag and calf removal groups.
Equilibria among titanite, hedenbergite, fayalite, quartz, ilmenite, and magnetite; experiments and internally consistent thermodynamic data for titanite

For iron-rich compositions, reactions among titanite, clinopyroxene, olivine, quartz, magnetite, and ilmenite can constrain the conditions under which common rocks form. Phase equilibrium experiments in the system CaO-FeO-Fe2O3-TiO2-SiO2 constrain two of these reactions: clinopyroxene 1 ilmenite 5 titanite 1 olivine (1) clinopyroxene 1 ilmenite 5 titanite 1 magnetite 1 quartz (2) in the range 600‐1100 8C and ,1 bar 23.8 kbar, and under controlled f conditions. The O2 experimental results indicate that the assemblage clinopyroxene-ilmenite represents reducing conditions relative to titanite-magnetite-quartz. However, the latter is not necessarily indicative of oxygen fugacity conditions higher than that of the FMQ buffer. The data also strongly suggest that the equilibrium positions of reaction 1 and 2 reflect changes in pressure, temperature, f ,a ,mFe 21 Ti 41 Fe , and mCaFe21 in the coexisting Fe-Ti oxides and 31 O SiO 22 22 silicates. Standard state thermodynamic data and solution models for Ca-Fe olivine and clinopyroxene solid solutions, Fe-Ti ilmenite and magnetite solid solutions, and quartz (QUILF database) allow refinement of standard state thermochemical data for end-member titanite (A2/a space group): 0
PrsW Is Required for Colonization, Resistance to Antimicrobial Peptides, and Expression of Extracytoplasmic Function σ Factors in Clostridium difficile

Clostridium difficile is an anaerobic, Gram-positive, spore-forming, opportunistic pathogen that is the most common cause of hospital-acquired infectious diarrhea. In numerous pathogens, stress response mechanisms are required for survival within the host. Extracytoplasmic function (ECF) σ factors are a major family of signal transduction systems, which sense and respond to extracellular stresses. We have identified three C. difficile ECF σ factors. These ECF σ factors, CsfT, CsfU, and CsfV, induce their own expressions and are negatively regulated by their cognate anti-σ factors, RsiT, RsiU, and RsiV, respectively. The levels of expression of these ECF σ factors increase following exposure to the antimicrobial peptides bacitracin and/or lysozyme. The expressions of many ECF σ factors are controlled by site 1 and site 2 proteases, which cleave anti-σ factors. Using a retargeted group II intron, we generated a C. difficile mutation in prsW, a putative site 1 protease. The C. difficile prsW mutant exhibited decreased levels of expression of CsfT and CsfU but not of CsfV. When expressed in a heterologous host, C. difficile PrsW was able to induce the degradation of RsiT but not of RsiU. When the prsW mutant was tested in competition assays against its isogenic parent in the hamster model of C. difficile infection, we found that the prsW mutant was 30-fold less virulent than the wild type. The prsW mutant was also significantly more sensitive to bacitracin and lysozyme than the wild type in in vitro competition assays. Taken together, these data suggest that PrsW likely regulates the activation of the ECF σ factor CsfT in C. difficile and controls the resistance of C. difficile to antimicrobial peptides that are important for survival in the host.
A Synthesis of Perceptions About Physical Activity Among Older African American and American Indian Women

Limited leisure research exists on minorities1,2 and particularly women of color.3,4 Researchers in leisure studies1,5–8 and in physical, activity, and exercise areas9–12 have begun to examine activity participation among ethnic groups more extensively than in the past. Yet, researchers and practitioners are only beginning to uncover the complexities and the sociocultural contexts that may affect involvement in, attitudes toward, and commitment to active lifestyles. Research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that fewer than 30% of minority women in the United States obtain moderate activity in amounts sufficient to derive health benefits.13 More than half of all women lead sedentary lives, and among women of color this percentage is even higher. Being at risk for premature death, some chronic diseases, and obesity is associated with physical inactivity. Therefore, it is important to understand physical activity patterns and how they occur so that effective interventions might be devised and encouraged.14 If behavioral changes, health improvement, and an enhanced quality of life are to be achieved, researchers must understand how individuals perceive physical activities. Because of the dearth of information about women of color and their health needs, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded several projects in the 1990s to examine minority racial groups and their physical activity involvement. One project was initiated through the Prevention Research Center of the University of South Carolina School of Public Health. The Cross-Cultural Activity Participation Study (CAPS) was designed to measure the physical activity habits in a sample of African American and American Indian women and to develop and validate a set of surveys to measure moderate physical activity. Part of the study was focused on measuring physical activity patterns through surveys, daily physical activity records, and mechanical devices (e.g., Caltrac™ energy expenditure measurement equipment, pedometers).15 In addition, 56 women participated in in-depth qualitative interviews. This qualitative component was included as part of the larger study to obtain additional information about the psychosocial context and sociocultural meanings of physical activity and leisure.16 The purpose of this article is to retrospectively summarize and synthesize the broad findings discussed in more detail in other publications16–21 related to the CAPS qualitative data. As researchers, we were not necessarily concerned with drawing conclusions, but rather with discovering perspectives that could shed light on the physical activity attitudes, behaviors, and experiences of these women. The data collection, analyses, and reporting of the qualitative findings, as well as the development and validation of quantitative measurement instruments, raised methodological issues and theoretical concerns for future research.
Analysis of activation energy of grouped parallel reactions

The effect of temperature on the reaction rate of grouped species which are consumed by parallel nth order irreversible reactions is investigated. It is shown that when the activation energies of the individual reacting species is aboput equal the temperature effect can be described by an Arrhenius expression. However, when the activation energies of the various reactions are widely spread the Arrhenius dependence may not be adequate unless one assumes that the activation energy of the lump may be temperature and conversion dependent. Unter these conditions the Arrhenius temperature dependence is at best a rough approximation and it is very important to define exactly the experimental method of determining the activation energy. Widely different activation energies for the pseudocomponent may be obtained from different experimental techniques which yield the same value for a single reactant.
Standardization of a Volumetric Displacement Measurement for Two-Body Abrasion Scratch Test Data Analysis

A limitation has been identified in the existing test standards used for making controlled, two-body abrasion scratch measurements based solely on the width of the resultant score on the surface of the material. A new, more robust method is proposed for analyzing a surface scratch that takes into account the full three-dimensional profile of the displaced material. To accomplish this, a set of four volume- displacement metrics was systematically defined by normalizing the overall surface profile to denote statistically the area of relevance, termed the Zone of Interaction. From this baseline, depth of the trough and height of the plowed material are factored into the overall deformation assessment. Proof-of-concept data were collected and analyzed to demonstrate the performance of this proposed methodology. This technique takes advantage of advanced imaging capabilities that allow resolution of the scratched surface to be quantified in greater detail than was previously achievable. When reviewing existing data analysis techniques for conducting two-body abrasive scratch tests, it was found that the ASTM International Standard G 171 specified a generic metric based only on visually determined scratch width as a way to compare abraded materials. A limitation to this method was identified in that the scratch width is based on optical surface measurements, manually defined by approximating the boundaries, but does not consider the three-dimensional volume of material that was displaced. With large, potentially irregular deformations occurring on softer materials, it becomes unclear where to systematically determine the scratch width. Specifically, surface scratches on different samples may look the same from a top view, resulting in an identical scratch width measurement, but may vary in actual penetration depth and/or plowing deformation. Therefore, two different scratch profiles would be measured as having identical abrasion properties, although they differ significantly.
Reduction mappings and control policies for intervention in Boolean Networks

Finding the control policies for intervention for large PBNs is a serious computational challenge. We study the effects of reduction mappings on the policy design. Our results suggest that for a specific class of network models, one can use the control policy designed on the reduced net work to approximate the control policy for the original model. The approximation fails only for intervention policies where the cost of applying control is small.
Imaging of Acute Invasive Fungal Rhinosinusitis in a Patient with Gorlin Syndrome and Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia

Gorlin Syndrome (GS), also known as nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome, is a rare autosomal dominant condition characterized by developmental abnormalities and predisposition to certain neoplasms. Acute invasive fungal rhinosinusitis (AIFRS) is an uncommon clinical entity characterized by high morbidity and mortality. In immunocompromised patients, computed tomography plays a critical role in screening for suspected AIFRS. However, due to the association between exposure to ionizing radiation and subsequent development of malignancies in patients with GS, patients with GS and suspected AIFRS present a unique and challenging clinical scenario. We present a case of a pediatric patient with GS and acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) diagnosed with AIFRS; to the best of our knowledge, it is the only case described in the literature.
What do exploratory searchers look at in a faceted search interface

This study examined how searchers interacted with a web-based, faceted library catalog when conducting exploratory searches. It applied eye tracking, stimulated recall interviews, and direct observation to investigate important aspects of gaze behavior in a faceted search interface: what components of the interface searchers looked at, for how long, and in what order. It yielded empirical data that will be useful for both practitioners (e.g., for improving search interface designs), and researchers (e.g., to inform models of search behavior). Results of the study show that participants spent about 50 seconds per task looking at (fixating on) the results, about 25 seconds looking at the facets, and only about 6 seconds looking at the query itself. These findings suggest that facets played an important role in the exploratory search process.
Survey of inward ionic currents acquired by the cochleovestibular ganglion of the early-aged embryonic chick.

The acquisition of ion channels is critical to the formation of neuronal pathways in the peripheral and central nervous systems. This study describes the different types of inward currents (I i ) recorded from the soma of isolated cochleovestibular ganglion (CVG) cells of the embryonic chicken, Gallus gallus. Cells were isolated for whole-cell tight-seal recording from embryonic day (ED) 3, an age when the CVG is a cell cluster, to ED 9, an age when the cochlear and vestibular ganglia (CG, VG) are distinct structures. Results show Na + and Ca + currents (I Na and I Ca ) are acquired by ED 3, although / Na dominates with greater density levels that peak by ED 6-7 in VG neurons. In the CG, / Na acquisition is slower, reaching peak values by ED 8-9. Isolation of I Ca , using Ba 2+ as the charge carrier, showed both transient (I BaT )- and sustained (I BaL )-type currents on ED 3. Unlike I Na , I Ba density varied with age and ganglion. Total I Ba increased steadily, showing a decline only in CG cells on ED 8-9 as a result of a decrease in I BaT . I BaL density increased over time, reaching a maximum on ED 6-7 in VG cells, followed by a decline on ED 8-9. In comparison, I BaL in CG neurons, did not increase significantly beyond mean values measured on ED 5. The early onset of these currents and the variations in Ca 2+ channel expression between the ganglia suggests that intracellular signals relevant to phenotypic differentiation begin within these early time frames.
American options from MARS

We develop a class of control variates for the American option pricing problem that are constructed through the use of MARS -- multivariate adaptive regression splines. The splines approximate the option's value function at each time step, and the value function approximations are then used to construct a martingale that serves as the control variate. Significant variance reduction is possible even in high dimensions. The primary restriction is that we must be able to compute certain one-step conditional expectations.
Exercise augments the acute anabolic effects of intradialytic parenteral nutrition in chronic hemodialysis patients

Decreased dietary protein intake and hemodialysis (HD)-associated protein catabolism are among several factors that predispose chronic hemodialysis (CHD) patients to uremic malnutrition and associated muscle wasting. Intradialytic parenteral nutrition (IDPN) acutely reverses the net negative whole body and forearm muscle protein balances observed during the HD procedure. Exercise has been shown to improve muscle protein homeostasis, especially if performed with adequately available intramuscular amino acids. We hypothesized that exercise performance would provide additive anabolic effects to the beneficial effects of IDPN. We studied six CHD patients at two separate HD sessions: 1) IDPN administration only and 2) IDPN + exercise. Patients were studied 2 h before, during, and 2 h after an HD session by use of a primed constant infusion of l-[1-(13)C]leucine and l-[ring-(2)H(5)] phenylalanine. Exercise combined with IDPN promoted additive twofold increases in forearm muscle essential amino acid uptake (455 +/- 105 vs. 229 +/- 38 nmol.100 ml(-1).min(-1), P < 0.05) and net muscle protein accretion (125 +/- 37 vs. 56 +/- 30 microg.100 ml(-1).min(-1), P < 0.05) during HD compared with IDPN alone. Measurements of whole body protein homeostasis and energy expenditure were not altered by exercise treatment. In conclusion, exercise in the presence of adequate nutritional supplementation has potential as a therapeutic intervention to blunt the loss of muscle mass in CHD patients.
Follicular origins of modern reproductive endocrinology

This essay looks at the historical significance of the APS Classic Paper: Allen E, Doisy EA. The induction of a sexually mature condition in immature females by injection of the ovarian follicular ...
Fate of atrazine in sandy soil cropped with sorghum.

A field study was conducted to determine the fate of atrazine (6-chloro-N2-ethyl-N4-isopropyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diamine) within the root zone (0 to 90 cm) of a sandy soil cropped with sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] in Gainesville, Florida. Atrazine was uniformly applied at a rate of 1.12 kg ai. ha(-1) to a sorghum crop under moderate irrigation, optimum irrigation, and no irrigation (rainfed), 2 d after crop emergence. Bromide as a tracer for water movement was applied to the soil as NaBr at a rate of 45 kg Br ha(-1), 3 d before atrazine application. Soil water content, atrazine, and Br concentrations were determined as a function of time using soil samples taken from the root zone. Atrazine sorption coefficients and degradation rates were determined by depth for the entire root zone in the laboratory. Atrazine was strongly adsorbed within the upper 30 cm of soil and most of the atrazine recovered from the soil during the growing season was in that depth. The estimated half-life for atrazine was 32 d in topsoil to 83 d in subsoil. Atrazine concentration within the root zone decreased from 0.44 kg ai. ha(-1) 2 days after application (DAA) to 0.1 kg a.i. ha(-1) 26 DAA. Negligible amounts of atrazine (approximately 5 microg kg(-1)) were detected below the 60-cm soil depth by 64 DAA. Most of the decrease in atrazine concentration in the root zone over time was attributed to degradation. In contrast, all applied bromide had leached past the 60-cm soil depth during the same time interval.
Unique games on expanding constraint graphs are easy: extended abstract

We present an efficient algorithm to find a good solution to the Unique Games problem when the constraint graph is an expander. We introduce a new analysis of the standard SDP in this case that involves correlations among distant vertices. It also leads to a parallel repetition theorem for unique games when the graph is an expander.
Prostate-specific Antigen Values in Diabetic and Nondiabetic US Men, 2001–2002

Recent studies have shown that diabetic men have a lower risk of prostate cancer and that this association may be related to time since diagnosis. The authors examined the association between diabetes and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels, controlling for potential confounders, in a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of the US population (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001-2002). Diabetes classification was self-reported, and undiagnosed diabetes was determined with fasting plasma glucose measurements. Controlling for age, men with self-reported diabetes had a 21.6% lower geometric mean PSA level than men without diabetes. The difference increased with years since diagnosis (>10 years: 27.5% lower geometric mean PSA level). Overweight men who had had diabetes for more than 10 years had a predicted geometric mean PSA level 40.8% lower than that of nondiabetic, normal-weight men. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that long-term diabetes is associated with a lower risk of prostate cancer. The mechanism of this association may involve the regulation of PSA by androgens, although the authors are unable to confirm this assertion. Better understanding of the determinants of PSA level is needed to make the distinction between factors affecting the PSA test's accuracy and those altering the risk of prostate cancer.
Evidence of multistability in a realistic computer simulation of hippocampus subfield CA1

The manner in which hippocampus processes neural signals is thought to be central to the memory encoding process. A theoretically oriented literature has suggested that this is carried out via "attractors" or distinctive spatio-temporal patterns of activity. However, these ideas have not been thoroughly investigated using computational models featuring both realistic single-cell physiology and detailed cell-to-cell connectivity. Here we present a 452 cell simulation based on Traub et al.'s pyramidal cell [Traub RD, Jefferys JG, Miles R, Whittington MA, Toth K. A branching dendritic model of a rodent CA3 pyramidal neurone. J Physiol (Lond) 1994;481:79-95] and interneuron [Traub RD, Miles R, Pyramidal cell-to-inhibitory cell spike transduction explicable by active dendritic conductances in inhibitory cell. J Comput Neurosci 1995;2:291-8] models, incorporating patterns of synaptic connectivity based on an extensive review of the neuroanatomic literature. When stimulated with a one second physiologically realistic input, our simulated tissue shows the ability to hold activity on-line for several seconds; furthermore, its spiking activity, as measured by frequency and interspike interval (ISI) distributions, resembles that of in vivo hippocampus. An interesting emergent property of the system is its tendency to transition from stable state to stable state, a behavior consistent with recent experimental findings [Sasaki T, Matsuki N, Ikegaya Y. Metastability of active CA3 networks. J Neurosci 2007;27:517-28]. Inspection of spike trains and simulated blockade of K(AHP) channels suggest that this is mediated by spike frequency adaptation. This finding, in conjunction with studies showing that apamin, a K(AHP) channel blocker, enhances the memory consolidation process in laboratory animals, suggests the formation of stable attractor states is central to the process by which memories are encoded. Ways that this methodology could shed light on the etiology of mental illness, such as schizophrenia, are discussed.
Measured mutual coupling between linearly tapered slot antennas

Mutual coupling between two linearly tapered slot antennas arranged in coplanar as well as stacked configurations has been measured. Results indicate that mutual coupling level generally decreases with antenna separations and varies with dielectric constant, and antenna lengths.
Comparative Studies of Net Photosynthesis and Transpiration of Some Citrus Species and Relatives

Comparisqns were made between ‘Campbell Valencia’ orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck), and ‘Gabon Cherry-orange’ (Citropsis gabunensis (Engl.) Swing.), ‘Frost Lisbon’ lemon (Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f.) and ‘Eremolemon’ (Eremocitrus glauca (Lindl.) Swing. ×Citrus limon (L.) Burm. f.) and between diploid and autotetraploid ‘Lisbon’ lemons with respect to the influences of temperature and humidity on net photosynthesis and transpiration. Net photosynthesis, leaf conductance to water vapor and water-use-efficiency of Citropsis gabunensis were lower than with Citrus sinensis.‘Eremolemon’ had higher net photosynthesis and higher water-use-efficiency than ‘Lisbon’ lemon, but only small differences were observed between the two species in leaf conductance to water vapor. Small, nonsignificant, differences were observed between diploid and tetraploid ‘Lisbon’ lemons in responses of net photosynthesis and leaf conductance to temperature and humidity. Temperatures above 30°C and increases in vapor pressure difference caused declines in net photosynthesis and increases in vapor pressure difference resulted in decreases in leaf conductance to water vapor by all of the species used in these studies.
Region-of-interest MRI: k-space sampling conditions

In several MR applications one is interested in reconstructing only a certain region-of-interest (ROI) of the field-of-view (FOV) that is of anatomical or functional importance for the study. However, according to the Nyquist criterion, one is still forced to acquire Fourier (k-space) samples at a rate determined by the FOV instead of the ROI. In this paper we derive necessary and sufficient sampling conditions for recovering the ROI, for uniform and periodic non-uniform sampling, and obtain bounds on the minimal sampling density for arbitrary sampling patterns. We also extend the analysis to parallel MR imaging. The results can be applied to functional MRI, cardiac MRI, etc to reduce the total acquisition time or increase the spatial and temporal resolution, or SNR of the reconstructions.
Structural Characterization of a Dibenzylated-CGRP(8–37), a Byproduct from N-α-Benzylation of CGRP(8–37)

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a 37-residue peptide with a C-terminal amide group and disulfide bridge between positions 2 and 7 (Figure 1). CGRP is a potent vasodilator that is distributed throughout the peripheral and central nervous systems. The N-truncated fragment CGRP(8–37), which lacks the disulfide bridge, is a competitive antagonist. Recently, we reported that blocking the N-terminus of CGRP(8–37) resulted in a series of antagonists that have higher affinity for CGRP receptors than CGRP(8–37) [1]. During solid phase synthesis of N-α-benzyl-CGRP(8–37) a dibenzyl-ated CGRP(8–37) analogue was isolated as a minor byproduct that also possessed high affinity for CGRP receptors. We report here the structural characterization of this analogue.
Minor Loops in Major Folds: Enhancer-Promoter Looping, Chromatin Restructuring, and Their Association with Transcriptional Regulation and Disease.

The organization and folding of chromatin within the nucleus can determine the outcome of gene expression. Recent technological advancements have enabled us to study chromatin interactions in a genome-wide manner at high resolution. These studies have increased our understanding of the hierarchy and dynamics of chromatin domains that facilitate cognate enhancer–promoter looping, defining the transcriptional program of different cell types. In this review, we focus on vertebrate chromatin long-range interactions as they relate to transcriptional regulation. In addition, we describe how the alteration of boundaries that mark discrete regions in the genome with high interaction frequencies within them, called topological associated domains (TADs), could lead to various phenotypes, including human diseases, which we term as “TADopathies.”
Alteration of information in channels: a cross-level analysis

In Living Systems,1 Miller has presented a general theory which views the increasing complexities of living systems as existing at seven discrete levels, namely, the cell, organ, organism, group, organization, society, and supranational system. For every system, regardless of its level of complexity, nineteen critical processes must be carried out or it will not survive. Examples of these nineteen critical subsystems include the ingestor, which transports matter-energy into the system, and the memory, which stores information in the system. General living systems theory has suggested that system structure and process at these various levels are similar in many respects. That is, given comparable variable definitions across the various levels, interrelationships among these variables can be shown to have formal identities across levels. Various ‘cross-level hypotheses’ of this sort have been proposed.2
A media campaign to promote pneumococcal vaccinations: is a telephone survey an effective evaluation strategy?

PURPOSE Media campaigns are used to achieve public health goals but few studies have documented whether the goals were met. METHODS Two communities received community-wide efforts to increase the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) rate in defined pneumococcal disease-risk groups. One community also received a media campaign consisting of television and newspaper advertisements. A random-digit-dial telephone survey was conducted before and after the media campaign in both of the designated media markets. In addition to direct mailings to a sample of Medicare beneficiaries whose Medicare billing records did not indicate a PPV billing claim after 1991, community-wide campaigns consisting of table tents, brochures, flyers, and posters occurred in both markets. A 29-day television campaign and a 5-week newspaper campaign occurred in one of the markets. RESULTS We were unable to detect a significant effect of the media campaign on either PPV awareness or self-reported receipt of pneumococcal vaccine. CONCLUSION While it is important to evaluate community health intervention efforts, evaluations can be very difficult. Because of financial and other limitations, most feasible evaluation methods will not have the power to detect changes attributable to the intervention nor to provide confidence that there was no important change.
Viruses and Mammalian Chromosomes. III. Effect of Herpes Zoster Virus on Human Embryonal Lung Cultures.

SummaryHuman embryo lung fibroblasts infected with herpes zoster virus reacted as though they had been treated with colchicine. Most of the infected cells were arrested in metaphase and contained overcontracted chromosomes. Formation of multinucleated cells and micronuclei was also observed.Many chromatid and chromosome breaks were seen during the early stages of infection.
Stimulus intensity dynamism with stimuli equal decibel distances above and below background

The discriminated lever-press shock-avoidance performance of four rats was observed to two white noise warning signals, one 5 dB above and the other 5 dB below the white noise background level. Although the warning signals might be expected to elicit equal generalized inhibitory tendencies and might be viewed as involving equal stimulus change from background, three of the four Ss each showed significantly greater performance to the higher intensity warning signal and the fourth significantly poorer performance to that stimulus.
Localized reconnection in the magnetotail driven by lobe flow channels: Global MHD simulation

Recent ionospheric measurements suggest polar cap flow channels often trigger nightside auroral brightening. However, measurements were limited to the ionosphere, and it was not understood if such flow channels can exist in the lobe and can trigger magnetotail reconnection in a localized cross-tail extent. We examined if localized flow channels can form self-consistently in a global MHD regime, and if so, how such flow channels originate and relate to localized magnetotail reconnection. We show that lobe convection became nonuniform with azimuthally narrow flow channels (enhanced dawn-dusk electric fields) of ~3 RE cross-tail width. The flow channels propagated from the dayside toward the plasma sheet as an interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) discontinuity swept tailward. The plasma sheet around the lobe flow channels became thinner with a similar cross-tail extent and then localized reconnection occurred. These results suggest that localized flow channels can propagate tailward across the lobe and drive localized magnetotail reconnection, that the cross-tail width of reconnection and resulting plasma sheet flow channels and dipolarization fronts are related to the width of inflow from the lobe, and that IMF discontinuities drive lobe flow channels.
Application effect of systematic nursing intervention in patients with orthopedic surgery

Objective To study and analyze the application effect of systematic nursing intervention in patients with orthopedic surgery.Methods 80 patients treated with orthopedic surgery were selected and divided into 2 groups randomly,the observation group for 40 cases and the control group for 40 cases.The observation group received systematic nursing intervention,and the control group were given conventional nursing intervention.The incidence rate of complications and the satisfaction of patients on nursing intervention in operation for 2 groups were compared.Results In operation,the patients of the observation group had less complications and had higher safety,and had higher satisfaction on nursing intervention than the patients in the control group.The comparison between 2 groups had evident difference(P 0.05).Conclusion Applying systematic nursing intervention patients with orthopedic surgery not only has higher clinical application value,but also is worthy to be implemented and promoted in clinical practice.
The Molecular Atlas Project

The promise of super-resolution microscopy is a technology to discover new biological mechanisms that occur at smaller length scales then previously observable. Indeed, the core enabling methods were recently awarded a Nobel Prize in chemistry, and such discoveries are reported with increasing frequency in high-impact journals. However, almost every month, another op-ed appears in those very same journals declaring that a major challenge for modern biology is understanding heterogeneity, in all its forms. This realization that “context matters” has led to innovations in patient-specific treatments, individualized gene screening and next-generation therapeutics. While these shifting views are leading to progress in otherwise stagnant fields of science and medicine, the drive to visualize smaller scale detail and the need to understand larger context are diametrically opposed forces. One pushes for smaller scale information at the expense of larger spatial context, while the other strives for a broader picture at the expense of nuanced details. These technological and scientific frontiers, at the moment, are mutually exclusive.The Molecular Atlas Project (MAP) directly asks how these competing interests between super-resolution imaging and broader spatially contextualized information can be reconciled. MAP enables us to acquire, visualize, explore, and annotate proteomic image data representing 7 orders of magnitude in length ranging from molecular (nm) to tissue (cm) scales. This multi-scale understanding is made possible by combining multiplexed DNA-PAINT, a DNA nanotechnology approach to super-resolution imaging, with “big-data” strategies for information management and image visualization. With these innovations combined, MAP enables us to explore cell-specific heterogeneity in ductal carcinoma for every cell in a cm-sized tissue section, analyze organoid growth for advances in high-throughput tissue-on-a-chip technology, and examine individual synapses for connectome mapping over extremely wide areas. Ultimately, MAP is a fundamentally new way to interact with biologically and medically relevant proteome data.
Tunable hygromorphism: structural implications of low molecular weight gels and electrospun nanofibers in bilayer composites

This investigation highlights the potential for electrospun nanofiber mats and self-assembled nanofiber networks to be interfaced synergistically to induce hygromorphic behaviour. Control poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) electrospun active layers and 1,3:2,4-di-p-methylbenyliedene sorbitol (MDBS) self-assembled passive layers encapsulated in an ethylene oxide-epichlorohydrin (EO-EPI) copolymer matrix were fabricated to examine the influence of composition on the properties guiding hygromorphism, such as water transport, layer thickness, and layer modulus. Experimentally determined material constants were utilized in conjunction with mathematical modeling to determine ideal layer properties. It was revealed that the active layer with the highest PVA content exhibited the fastest water transport, and the passive layer with the highest MDBS content displayed the slowest water transport. However, the hygromorphic bilayer fabricated utilizing the lowest PVA content and the highest MDBS fraction was predicted to induce the highest change in curvature due to the lower modulus and thickness of the PVA nanofiber active layer. Decreasing the MDBS content reduced the passive layer modulus while increasing water transport, which theoretically reduced the overall bilayer curvature. The hygromorphic bilayer composites fabricated using these ideal control layers exhibited folding bias and response variations dependent upon active layer composition and imposed folding directions. By utilizing the favorable force balances between the active layer with the lower PVA content and the passive layer with the highest MDBS amount in conjunction with folding bias in a non-preferential direction, it was possible to achieve hygromorphic unfolding and refolding with hydration. Through modelling and individual layer examination, a unique platform built on two independent fiber networks has been designed to achieve biomimetic hygromorphism in synthetic bilayer composites.
Alterations in Prefrontal Cortical Circuitry and Cognitive Dysfunction in Schizophrenia

Deficits in working memory, a core disturbance of schizophrenia, appear to emerge from an impaired capacity to generate gamma oscillations in the neural networks of the prefrontal cortex. Cortical gamma oscillations arise principally in layer 3 where strong inhibitory inputs from the parvalbumin (PV) basket cell class of GABA neurons synchronize the activity of local groups of pyramidal neurons which in turn send excitatory inputs to PV basket cells. Schizophrenia is associated with deficits in markers of excitatory activity of layer 3 pyramidal cells and multiple pre- and postsynaptic abnormalities consistent with weaker inhibitory inputs to pyramidal cells from PV basket cells. These findings suggest that prefrontal cortical dysfunction in schizophrenia results from an “upstream” deficit in pyramidal cell excitation and that inhibition from PV basket cells is downregulated to compensate for this low network activity. This compensation is thought to rebalance cortical excitation and inhibition, but at a level insufficient to generate the gamma oscillation power in prefrontal neural networks required for optimal working memory performance.
Patents and Early‐Stage Financing: Matching versus Signaling

This paper investigates the role of patents on early‐stage financing. We consider two questions: are patents signals of quality and why do patents relate to venture capital (VC) financing but not a...
Mobility measures differentiate falls risk status in persons with multiple sclerosis: An exploratory study

BACKGROUND: Falls are of great concern among persons with multiple sclerosis (MS). OBJECTIVE: To examine differences in metrics of mobility, postural control, and cognition in persons with MS with distinct fall risk status; and to investigate predictors of fall risk group membership using discriminant analysis. METHODS: Forty-seven persons with MS completed the Activities-Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale and underwent a battery of assessments of mobility, balance, and cognition. Participants further wore an accelerometer for 7 days as an assessment of steps/day. Participants were allocated into fall risk groups based on ABC scale scores (increased fall risk (IFR); and normal fall risk (NFR)). We examined univariate differences between groups using ANOVA, and discriminant function analysis (DFA) identified the significant multivariate predictors of FR status. RESULTS: After controlling for disability level, the IFR group had significantly (p<0.05) worse scores on measures of mobility (i.e., MSWS-12, 6MW, and steps/day) compared to the NFR group. DFA identified MSWS-12 and 6MW scores as significant (p<0.05) predictors of fall risk group membership. Those two variables collectively explained 55 of variance in fall risk grouping. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that mobility should be the focus of rehabilitation programs in persons with MS, especially for those at IFR.
U.S. Regulatory Approaches: A Critical Appraisal

The American approach to environmental regulation is characterized by fragmentation of responsibilities, primary reliance on command and control regulations, extraordinary complexity, a preference for identifiable standards, and heavy resort to litigation. This system has provided important benefits, including significant reduction of environmental contamination, substantial use of science in decision-making, broad participatory rights, and the stimulation of new treatment technologies. However, these gains have been achieved at excessive cost. Too much reliance is placed on command and control methods and especially on technology-based standards. There is too much resort to litigation, and inadequate input from science. Participatory rights are being undermined, and there is a poor allocation of decision-making among the federal agencies and the states. Over-regulation sometimes leads to under-regulation, and insufficient attention is given to the impact on small entities. The responsibility for these difficulties rests with everyone, including the federal agencies, the Congress, the general public and the courts. Changes in the regulatory system are needed. We should abandon the use of technology-based standards to control toxic substances under the Clean Water Act in favor of strong health- and environmentally based standards, coupled with taxes on toxic substances in wastewater.