cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Impact of prostatic radiation therapy on bladder contractility and innervation.

AIMS To determine the effect of prostatic radiation therapy (RT) on bladder contractility and morphology, and axon, or neuron profiles within the detrusor and major pelvic ganglia (MPG) in male rats. METHODS Male Sprague-Dawley rats (8 weeks) received a single dose of prostatic RT (0 or 22 Gy). Bladders and MPG were collected 2- and 10-weeks post-RT. Detrusor contractile responses to carbachol and electrical field stimulation (EFS) were measured. Bladders were stained with Masson's trichrome, and antibodies for nonspecific neuronal marker, cholinergic nerve marker choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), and alpha-smooth muscle actin. MPG gene expression was assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction for ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (Uchl1) and Chat. RESULTS At 2 weeks post-RT, bladder smooth muscle, detrusor cholinergic axon profiles, and MPG Chat gene expression were increased (p < .05), while carbachol and EFS-mediated contractions were decreased (p < .05). In contrast, at 10 weeks post-RT, nerve-mediated contractions were increased compared with control (p < .05), while bladder smooth muscle, detrusor cholinergic axon profiles, MPG Chat expression, and carbachol contractions had normalized. At both 2- and 10-weeks post-RT, there was no change in detrusor nonspecific axon profiles and MPG Uchl1 expression. CONCLUSION In a rat model, RT of the prostate and MPG was associated with early changes in MPG Chat gene expression, and bladder cholinergic axon profiles and smooth muscle content which resolved over time. After RT recovery, bladder contractility decreased early and increased by 10 weeks. Long-term changes to the MPG and increased bladder cholinergic axons may contribute to RT-induced bladder dysfunction in prostate cancer survivors.
A Predictive Model of Reintubation after Cardiac Surgery Using the Electronic Health Record

Abstract Background Reintubation and prolonged intubation after cardiac surgery are associated with significant complications. Despite these competing risks, providers frequently extubate patients with limited insight into the risk of reintubation at the time of extubation. Achieving timely, successful extubation remains a significant clinical challenge. Methods Based on an analysis of 2835 patients undergoing cardiac surgery at our institution between November 2017 and July 2020, we developed a model for an individual’s risk of reintubation at the time of extubation. Predictors were screened for inclusion in the model based on clinical plausibility and availability at the time of extubation. Rigorous data reduction methods were used to create a model that could be easily integrated into clinical workflow at the time of extubation. Results In total, 90 patients (3.2%) were reintubated within 48 hours of initial extubation. Number of inotropes [1 (adjusted odds ratio (OR), 15.4; 95% confidence interval (CI) 6.5-47.6; p Conclusions An improved understanding of reintubation risk may lead to improved decision-making at extubation and targeted interventions to decrease reintubation in high-risk patients. Future studies are needed to optimize timing of extubation.
Methacrylate Star Polymers via Group Transfer Polymerization

Star polymers are highly branched polymers with linear arms radiating out from a central core. Methacrylate stars can be easily made by using Group Transfer Polymerization technology. They are made by synthesizing blocks of monofunctional (e.g. MMA) and polyfunctional methacrylates (e.g. ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate EGDM). The monofunctional monomer forms the arm of the star. The polyfunctional monomer forms a highly crosslinked core. The polyfunctional monomer is added at a higher level than the moles of initiator or living ends. A variety of compositions and sizes can be obtained by controlling both the process and the raw materials used to make them.
Effects of Epicatechin on AMPK, GLUT4 and TNF-α in the onset of Type 2 Diabetes

An abnormally high level of blood glucose is the key characteristic of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Several studies have established that this results from decreased translocation of glucose transporters...
Tumor Suppressor Role of KiSS-1 in Bladder Cancer: Loss of KiSS-1 Expression Is Associated with Bladder Cancer Progression and Clinical Outcome

The expression profiles of nine bladder cancer cell lines were compared against a pool containing equal total RNA quantities of each of them. Lower expression of KiSS-1 was revealed in cells derived from the most advanced bladder tumors. When comparing 15 primary bladder tumors versus a pool of four bladder cancer cell lines, lower transcript levels of KiSS-1 were observed in the invasive bladder carcinomas as compared to superficial tumors. KiSS-1 expression ratios provided prognostic information. The expression pattern of KiSS-1 transcripts was analyzed using in situ hybridization in nine bladder cancer cells, paired normal urothelium and bladder tumor samples (n = 25), and tissue microarrays of bladder tumors (n = 173). We observed complete loss of KiSS-1 in all invasive tumors under study as compared to their respective normal urothelium. The expression of KiSS-1 was found to be significantly associated with histopathological stage. Patients with lower KiSS-1 expression showed a direct correlation with overall survival in a subset of bladder tumors whose follow-up was available (n = 69). We did not observe any significant differential KiSS-1 expression along cell cycle by sorting analysis. A potential tumor suppressor role in bladder cancer was revealed for KiSS-1. Moreover, it showed predictive value by identifying patients with poor outcome.
Purification of recombinant proteins by fusion with thermally-responsive polypeptides

Elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs) undergo a reversible, inverse phase transition. Below their transition temperature (Tt), ELPs are soluble in water, but when the temperature is raised above Tt, phase transition occurs, leading to aggregation of the polypeptide. We demonstrate a method for purification of soluble fusion proteins incorporating an ELP tag. Advantages of this method, termed "inverse transition cycling," include technical simplicity, low cost, ease of scale-up, and capacity for multiplexing. More broadly, the ability to environmentally modulate the physicochemical properties of recombinant proteins by fusion with ELPs will allow diverse applications in bioseparation, immunoassays, biocatalysis, and drug delivery.
The primary structures of the flavodoxins from two strains of Desulfovibrio gigas. Cloning and nucleotide sequence of the structural genes.

The structural genes coding for the flavodoxin proteins from two different strains of the sulfate-reducing bacteria Desulfovibrio gigas (ATCC 19364/NCIB 9332 and ATCC 29494/DSM 496) have been identified, cloned and the nucleotide sequence established. The protein sequences derived from the gene from each strain share a sequence identity of 66% with regions directly involved in binding the flavin mononucleotide cofactor being the most homologous. Both aromatic residues that flank the flavin isoalloxazine ring in the crystal structure of the flavodoxin from D. vulgaris, i.e., Trp-60 and Tyr-98, are also present in these flavodoxin proteins. These observations stand in contrast to reports that the flavodoxin from Desulfovibrio gigas contains a single tryptophan residue which is located distant from the flavin binding site. Therefore, the FMN binding site of this flavodoxin is not distinct from the other Desulfovibrio flavodoxins in this regard.
The progesterone content of human placentas before and after the onset of labor

Abstract A method for the quantitative analysis of individual human placentas for progesterone has been presented. There was a satisfactory recovery of progesterone added to placentas. The progesterone content of normal postpartum placentas prior to the onset of labor is about twice that of normal postpartum placentas after the onset of labor. The evidence for progesterone deprivation as a cause of labor was reviewed. The findings of the study of the progesterone content of human placentas provides additional evidence that progesterone deprivation is a cause of labor.
Comparison of eotaxin-3 biomarker in patients with eosinophilic oesophagitis, proton pump inhibitor-responsive oesophageal eosinophilia and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

SummaryBackground Proton pump inhibitor-responsive oesophageal eosinophilia (PPI-REE) is a recently described entity which resembles oeosinophilic oesophagitis (EoE), yet responds to acid suppressive treatment. Aim To determine whether EoE shares similar staining features with PPI-REE or with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Methods This retrospective study consisted of patients with an established diagnosis of EoE, PPI-REE, or GERD identified from a database during a 1-year period. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis was performed specifically targeting eotaxin-3 antibodies. All sections were qualitatively (intensity) and quantitatively (percentage of cells stained) assessed independently by two blinded pathologists. Results The cohort consisted of three groups of patients: EoE (n = 22), PPI-REE (n = 23) and GERD (n = 23) for a total of 68 patients. Study demographics included mean age 39 (14) years, 75% male and 77% Caucasian. There was a significant difference in the eotaxin-3 staining among EoE, PPI-REE and GERD groups [mean score (s.d.): 1.2 (1.2), 0.8 (1.0), 0.3 (0.7), P = 0.006]. Staining scores of EoE patients were significantly higher compared with GERD (P = 0.002) and a trend towards significance was seen between EoE and PPI-REE (P = 0.054). There was also a significant difference in EoE staining intensity score among the three groups (P = 0.006). Intensity scores of EoE were significantly higher compared with GERD [1.0 (0.9) vs. 0.22 (0.52), P < 0.001]. There was no significant difference between EoE and PPI-REE groups [1.0 (0.0) vs. 0.52 (0.75) P = 0.094]. Conclusions A difference in eotaxin-3 staining was seen in the three groups of patients with oesophageal eosinophilia. Eotaxin-3 can distinguish EoE from GERD, but not from proton pump inhibitor responsive-oesophageal eosinophilia.
An Architecture for Distributed Applications on the Internet: Overview of Microsoft's .NET Platform

One of today's most pressing computing challenges is application integration: taking different applications running on different operating systems built with different object models using different programming languages and integrating them into robust systems for supporting critical business processes or scientific research programs. Application developers increasingly want and need to reach beyond tightly-coupled client-server environments to access functionality on remote systems that are very different in design and implementation, and which are owned and managed by other organizations.Because of its ubiquity, the Internet is driving this demand. Creating a viable architecture for web-based component interaction is one of the foremost challenges of distributed computing today, and is a major objective of Microsoft's .NET platform. Microsoft's strategy is to support creation of a standards-based architecture for distributed applications on the Internet, and then to enable easy application development and deployment by providing a specially adapted toolset and runtime environment for creating and running highly distributed applications.This paper describes the essential components of the new .NET framework, including the common language runtime, base class libraries, the services framework, and the programming models for building and integrating applications over the web. We will examine these components in general, but take a special look at .NET as a platform for building and supporting web-based applications of the kind now commonly called "web services".
Corn expressing Cry1Ab or Cry1F endotoxin for fall armyworm and corn earworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) management in field corn for grain production.

Abstract Fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith), and corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea (Boddie), perennially cause leaf and ear damage to corn in the southeastern United States. Transgenic hybrids expressing the Cry1Ab (MON810 event) or Cry 1F (TC1507 event) insecticidal endotoxin from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) were evaluated for management of fall armyworm and corn earworm in central Georgia during 2006 and 2007. Corn was planted at the recommended time in mid-Apr and in late Jun to simulate a double-crop corn planting. Both Bt events reduced whorl infestation and damage by fall armyworm, but TC1507 provided greater protection from whorl injury than MON 810 under severe fall armyworm infestations. Hybrids with the MON810 event usually had less ear infestation by corn earworm than susceptible hybrids, whereas the TC1507 event usually did not reduce ear infestations. Nevertheless, both events prevented ear damage, but there was no consistent difference between the two Bt traits in preventing ear ...
Cost concerns for robotic thoracic surgery.

In an era of increasing scrutiny of expenditure on healthcare, the cost of technological developments such as robotic surgery is an important consideration. Prior studies have shown that robotic thoracic procedures can be performed safely with perioperative results that are comparable to thoracotomy and VATS approaches (1-3). Whether this technology adds benefit at a cost that is reasonable is an unanswered question. Given the high capital and maintenance costs of these systems, it is necessary to analyze their cost to the healthcare system. Assessing the cost and value of robotic surgery is, however, a complex undertaking.
On the use of extended grammars

Extended context free grammars (ECFG) are context free grammars (CFG) in which the right side or each production may be an arbitrary finite state machine. There are ECFG subsets, ELR(k) and ELALR(k) which correspond to the context free subsets, LR(k) and LALR(k).Although ECFGs recognize the same set of languages as CFGs, ECFGs have some important advantages over CFGs. They tend to be smaller and more readable, containing fewer productions and non-terminals than their context free counterparts. In addition, they allow for a degree of separation of syntax and semantics which is probably impossible to obtain with CFGs.This paper briefly describes ELR parsing and then discusses PEG, a ELALR(1) parser generator currently under development at University of Alabama in Birmingham.
Characterization of Blood-Containing Aerosol Generated during Canine Total Hip Replacement Surgery

Abstract Blood-containing aerosols generated during eight total hip replacement procedures conducted on dogs at Colorado State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital were characterized. Aerosol hemoglobin mass, mass concentration, and particle size distribution were examined. Hemoglobin was collected with a membrane filter cassette and a high flow air pump (15 L/min) and the concentration was estimated with Hemastix reagent strips. The mean hemoglobin aerosol mass was 133 ng [standard deviation (SD) = 105 ng] and the range was from 65 to 372 ng. Particle size distribution was determined through use of a laser aerosol spectrometer. The mean count median diameter was 0.18 μm and the geometric standard deviations were from 1.03 to 1.56 μm. The mass median diameter was 0.89 μm and the mean number of particles was 5.45 × 108 particles/m3 (SD = 3.54 × 108 particles/m3). The highest aerosol hemoglobin mass (372 ng) generated exposed the surgeon to about 0.0018 μL of aerosolized blood. If the surgery were conduc...
Use of a Telephone Screener to Identify a Probability Sample of Gays, Lesbians, and Bisexuals

Abstract Objectives. To examine public response to a telephone screener used to identify a probability sample of lesbians, gays, and bisexuals. Methods.A telephone screener was designed to provide a representative sample of self-identified lesbians, gays, and bisexuals (LGB) in the 30 central cities of the 15 largest Consolidated Metropolitan Areas. Results. Of 14,458 households contacted, 11,612 completed at least part of the survey. Of these, only 2.6% refused or responded “don't know” to the sexual orientation screener question. Respondents from the northeast were more reluctant to answer than respondents from the west. Conclusions. The use of a screener on a national telephone survey to screen households for self-identified lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults was a successful way to generate a representative sample.
Protection against cytotoxicity of endogenous copper in the requirement for mercaptoethanol by a lymphoma in primary culture.

Abstract A specific copper chelator, 2,9-dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthrolinedisulfonic acid substituted for mercaptoethanol to support growth of a L1210 lymphoma in primary culture. Added Cu++, but not Zn++ or Fe++ interfered with growth promotion by the chelator. It also can protect an established L1210 culture, which does not require mercaptoethanol, from cytotoxicity of two bis-thiosemicarbazones. Since these are known to require copper for cytotoxicity, the results indicate that 2,9-dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthrolinedisulfonic acid acts by removing a source of endogenous copper in the tissue culture medium which prevents growth of the primary culture.
Conformational analysis of substituted dibenzo-14-crown-4 ethers in solution by 1D and 2D NMR

The preferred conformations in solution for substituents onsym-dibenzo-14-crown-4 ethers are shown by NMR to depend on the atom, carbon or oxygen, linking the substituent to the crown ring.
Overhearing Ireland: Mediatized personae in Irish accent culture

Metapragmatic representations of ‘accent’ in Irish English over a 400-year period are examined, identifying the phonological shibboleths that have remained in place as emblems of ‘Irishness’ over the whole period. A textual structure based on direct quotation is shown to have supported a brisk trade in commodified text-artifacts (joke-books, pamphlets, a web site) that present amusing anecdotes of Irish English speech. These narrational miniatures vivify a wide range of recognizable personae, inviting readers to align (or dis-align) themselves with the Irish ‘characters’ represented. The figure of the overhearer as reporter has been central to the genre ever since a shift to realist reportage around 1800.
Energy losses of 2D electron gas due to near-surface acoustic phonon scattering

Abstract We have shown that for quantum wells placed close to the stress-free surface of the semiconductor heterostructure, the energy relaxation rate of two-dimensional electrons interacting with acoustic phonons at low temperatures (Bloch–Gruneisen regime) is changed considerably in comparison with that of a two-dimensional electron gas placed in a bulk of semiconductor. The relaxation rate is enhanced in the case of a semiconductor–vacuum system and is suppressed in the case of the surface covered by a thin metal film. The enhanced energy loss is caused by additional scattering at localized and reflected acoustic waves, and the decrease appears due to suppression of piezoelectric scattering in the vicinity of the metal.
Homodimerization and internalization of galanin type 1 receptor in living CHO cells

Galanin is a 29- to 30-aa-long neuropeptide affecting feeding, cognitive, and sexual behavior. It exerts its effects through galanin receptors 1, 2 and 3, which are all seven transmembrane domain G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). The GPCRs have been shown to function as monomers, homodimers, heterodimers and oligomers. In this study, we examined the extent of galanin receptor 1 (GalR1) dimerization and internalization in living CHO cells using fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and time lapse confocal imaging. Ratio imaging analysis and emission spectral analysis revealed substantial homodimerization of GalR1. In addition, internalization of GalR1 after 1h of agonist stimulation with the GalR1 agonist galanin (1-29) was observed with time lapse fluorescence imaging, whereas stimulation with the GalR2 specific agonist galanin (2-11) did not lead to internalization. Treatment of GalR1 transfected cells with the non-selective adenylyl cyclase activator forskolin influenced the rate of internalization when administered together with galanin (1-29). These results indicate that GalR1 can act as a dimer on the cell surface and that receptor desensitization and internalization was observed after stimulation with the agonist galanin (1-29). Western blots further confirm the FRET data that GalR1-XFP dimerizes and can be detected in the cell as a monomer or dimer using antibodies to XFP. Internalization and dimerization of GalR1 is shown, contributing to the regulation of galanergic signaling.
Diversity and Performance: A Shotgun Marriage?

Books and articles promoting “diversity” abound. Many of their authors are not clear what they mean by diversity. Many seem to be naive about the amount of conflict “diversity” can engender. And almost all authors assume–without presenting any meaningful evidence–that diversity is somehow good for organizations. This article attempts to define diversity, suggest the conflict that is often associated with it, and then investigate the conditions (if any) under which diversity with its attendant conflict can benefit the organization.
Social Environment and Sexual Risk-Taking among Gay and Transgender African American Youth

More prevention effort is required as the HIV epidemic increases among gay and transgender African American youth. Using ecological systems theory and an integrative model of behaviour change, this study examines the sexual behaviour of gay and transgender African American young people as embedded within the unique social and structural environments affecting this population. Also examined is the important role played by mobile technology in the social and sexual lives of individuals. Seven focus groups were conducted with 54 African American young adults in a northeastern US city. The findings provide a rich examination of the social and sexual lives of gay and transgender African American youth, focusing on the social environment and the impact of the environment on sexual-risk behaviour.
A pseudospectral approach for scattering of water waves

Wave propagation models for scattering of water waves are developed based on the mild-slope equation. The pseudospectral Fourier approach is used to reduce the mild-slope equation to a set of ordinary differential equations for the modified potential, $\phi \sqrt{CC_{g}}$, at collocation points in the alongshore direction. The wave field is then decoupled into a series of wave modes including all forward and backward propagating modes. Ignoring the backward wave field as a first approximation, a wide-angle parabolic model is derived. When the backward wave field is important, both forward and backward wave fields are obtained by constructing the Bremmer series solution. A small-angle parabolic model is also developed for comparison. Numerical results are presented for wave refraction over an equilibrium beach profile and wave focusing over a submerged circular shoal on a flat bottom. The importance of the backward scattering is illustrated by the latter example.
Downward closure of depth in countable Boolean algebras

We study the set of depths of relative algebras of countable Boolean algebras, in particular the extent to which this set may not be downward closed within the countable ordinals for a fixed countable Boolean algebra. Doing so, we exhibit a structural difference between the class of arbitrary rank countable Boolean algebras and the class of rank one countable Boolean algebras.
Effects of Orlistat on Fat-Soluble Vitamins in Obese Adolescents

Study Objectives. To determine whether orlistat causes fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies in African-American and Caucasian adolescents. Design. Prospective, open-label pilot study. Setting. Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center of the National Institutes of Health. Patients. Seventeen adolescents with body mass indexes above the 95th percentile for age, race, and gender who also had at least one obesity-related comorbid condition. Intervention. Subjects received orlistat 120 mg 3 times/day and a daily multivitamin supplement containing vitamin A 5000 IU, vitamin D 400 IU, vitamin E 300 IU, and vitamin K 25 μg. Measurements and Main Results. During 3–6 months of orlistat treatment, acute absorption of retinol (vitamin A) was not significantly altered, but absorption of α-tocopherol (vitamin E) was significantly reduced compared with baseline levels (p<0.001). Serum levels of vitamins A and E did not change significantly; however, there was a nonsignificant decrease in vitamin K. Mean vitamin D levels were significantly reduced compared with baseline (p<0.02) after 1 month of orlistat, despite multivitamin supplementation. Conclusion. It may be prudent to monitor vitamin D concentrations in adolescents who take orlistat, even when a multivitamin is prescribed.
Ringtail: a generalized nowcasting system

Social media nowcasting--using online user activity to describe real-world phenomena--is an active area of research to supplement more traditional and costly data collection methods such as phone surveys. Given the potential impact of such research, we would expect general-purpose nowcasting systems to quickly become a standard tool among noncomputer scientists, yet it has largely remained a research topic. We believe a major obstacle to widespread adoption is the nowcasting feature selection problem. Typical nowcasting systems require the user to choose a handful of social media objects from a pool of billions of potential candidates, which can be a time-consuming and error-prone process.We have built RINGTAIL, a nowcasting system that helps the user by automatically suggesting high-quality signals. We demonstrate that RINGTALL can make nowcasting easier by suggesting relevant features for a range of topics. The user provides just a short topic query (e.g., unemployment) and a small conventional dataset in order for RINGTALL to quickly return a usable predictive nowcasting model.
Saving Academic Sociology

In this paper, the author argues that academic sociology threatens to slip into the very limited relevance of scholasticism. Saving it from such a fate will require less academic interest in textual or epistemological analysis and more academic interest in the contributions to empirical understanding that applied sociology can make.
A Nanosecond Neutron Time-of-Flight Spectrometer Using Avalanche Transistors

A neutron time-of-flight spectrometer has been constructed and used to measure the energy of inelastically scattered 14.6-Mev neutrons. Neutrons were produced by the T(d, n) He4 reaction and flight time was measured using the associated particle method. Both neutrons and associated alpha particles were detected with plastic scintillators and photomultipliers. The transit time difference in the neutron photomultiplier was minimized with the aid of a nanosecond flash lamp that could be placed at various spots on the photocathode. Inexpensive avalanche transistors were used as time markers, pulse amplifiers, and in pulse-height discriminators to provide a "fast-fast" coincidence system. Time-of-flight was resolved (FWHM) to 0.95 and 1.6 nanoseconds with 20 percent and 86 percent energy windows, respectively, on the neutron detector.
Generalized Nonlinear Modeling With Multivariate Free-Knot Regression Splines

A Bayesian method is presented for the nonparametric modeling of univariate and multivariate non-Gaussian response data. Data-adaptive multivariate regression splines are used where the number and location of the knot points are treated as random. The posterior model space is explored using a reversible-jump Markov chain Monte Carlo sampler. Computational difficulties are partly alleviated by introducing a random residual effect in the model that leaves many of the posterior conditional distributions of the model parameters in standard form. The use of the latent residual effect provides a convenient vehicle for modeling correlation in multivariate response data, and as such our method can be seen to generalize the seemingly unrelated regression model to non-Gaussian data. We illustrate the method on a number of examples, including two previously unpublished datasets relating to the spatial smoothing of multivariate accident data in Texas and the modeling of credit card use across multiple retail sectors.
The importance of sea spray to the cation budget of a coastal Hawaiian soil: a strontium isotope approach

Soil nutrients such as Ca, Mg, and K are traditionally thought to be derived primarily from rock weathering. Here we show that sea spray is a significant source of nutrient elements to modern and buried soils developed on <30,000-year-old Pahala Ash deposits 50 m from the coast at South Point, Hawaii. The soil profiles evolved in a semi-arid climate and have always been above sea level and the water table. Rhizoliths (fossilized root traces) and horizontal laminated carbonate sheets found in buried soils are composed of high-Mg calcite (up to 14 mol% MgCO3). Differences in strontium isotopic composition between marine aerosols (87Sr/86Sr=0.7092) and tephra parent material (∼0.7035) allow quantification of cation sources to the labile soil reservoir and to pedogenic carbonate. Mixing equations indicate that 50–80% of labile soil Sr and approximately half of carbonate Sr was derived from marine sources. Using the Sr isotopic signatures and Sr/Ca ratios of seawater and tephra as end members, we determined that up to 2/3 of the Ca in the labile reservoir and up to 1/3 of Ca in the carbonates has a marine origin. Carbonate 87Sr/86Sr ratios are fairly constant with depth, but labile 87Sr/86Sr ratios indicate decreasing sea spray aerosol influence with depth. This trend could be due either to sequestering of aerosol-derived Sr in the upper part of the profile or to lower aerosol input in the past due to lower sea level. The unusual occurrence of high-Mg pedogenic calcite probably results from high labile Mg/Ca ratios during earlier stages of weathering, coupled with rapid calcite precipitation during soil pore water evaporation.
Alcohol-assisted room temperature synthesis of different nanostructured manganese oxides and their pseudocapacitance properties in neutral electrolyte

Abstract Different nanostructured manganese oxides have been synthesized by a simple precipitation technique using KMnO 4 and different alcohols. The synthesized manganese oxides were extensively studied using TEM, XRD, XPS, surface area measurements and electrochemical studies. TEM observations showed a range of nanostructures from nanowiskers to nanoparticles. This synthesis method promises the tuning of electronic and structural properties of the nanostructured manganese oxides by simply varying the alcohols used in the reactions. MnO 2 shows more whisker-like morphology while the Mn 2 O 3 shows particle morphology. The nanostructured manganese oxides showed excellent performance as a pseudocapacitor electrode in a neutral electrolyte.
Specific protein recognition of an mRNA cap through its alkylated base

The specific binding of N7-methylguanine cap analogues to the RNA methyltransferase VP39 was observed through X-ray crystallography, providing a prototypical structure for a complex between a protein and an mRNA 5′ cap.
Survival of Apache Trout Eggs and Alevins under Static and Fluctuating Temperature Regimes

Abstract Increased stream temperatures due to global climate change, livestock grazing, removal of riparian cover, reduction of stream flow, and urbanization will have important implications for fishes worldwide. Information exists that describes the effects of elevated water temperatures on fish eggs, but less information is available on the effects of fluctuating water temperatures on egg survival, especially those of threatened and endangered species. We tested the posthatch survival of eyed eggs and alevins of Apache Trout Oncorhynchus gilae apache, a threatened salmonid, in static temperatures of 15, 18, 21, 24, and 27°C, and also in treatments with diel fluctuations of ±3°C around those temperatures. The LT50 for posthatch survival of Apache Trout eyed eggs and alevins was 17.1°C for static temperatures treatments and 17.9°C for the midpoints of ±3°C fluctuating temperature treatments. There was no significant difference in survival between static temperatures and fluctuating temperatures that share...
Moderate-Reynolds-number flow in a wall-bounded porous medium

The transition to unsteady flow and the dynamics of moderate-Reynolds-number flows in unbounded and wall-bounded periodic arrays of aligned cylinders are examined using lattice-Boltzmann simulations. The simulations are compared to experiments, which necessarily have bounding walls. With bounding walls, the transition to unsteady flow is accompanied by a loss of spatial periodicity, and the temporal fluctuations are chaotic at much smaller Reynolds numbers. The walls, therefore, affect the unsteady flows everywhere in the domain. Consistency between experiments and simulations is established by examining the wake lengths for steady flows and the fundamental frequencies at higher Reynolds numbers, both as a function of the Reynolds number. Simulations are used to examine the velocity fluctuations, flow topologies, and the fluctuating forces on the cylinders.
On the Solvolysis Kinetics of Amidoesters Derived from β-Aminoalcohols

Abstract To better understand reactivity in such systems, fifteen amidoesters derived from β-aminoalcohols were solvolyzed at the ester group in mildly basic methanol- d 4 . All trials showed pseudo-first-order kinetics by 1 H NMR. The rate constants are about 2 to 140-fold larger than those found with simple alkyl esters. The least bulky N -acyl groups generally sponsor the largest rate constants, and strongly so in two cases, but apparently not as a result of lesser steric crowding between the amide and ester groups. Rate constants are also greater for those amidoesters favoring an anti conformation at the amide linkage.
Earthquake analysis of a class of torsionally‐coupled buildings

An effective procedure is summarized without derivation for estimating the maximum response of a class of torsionally-coupled, multi-storey buildings due to earthquake ground motion characterized by response spectra. The analysis procedure is shown to be efficient and to provide insight into torsional coupling effects because the maximum response of such a torsionally-coupled, N-storey building in its njth mode of vibration is determined exactly by analysing (i) the response in the jth vibration mode (j = 1,2, N) of the corresponding torsionally-uncoupled, N-storey system; and (ii) the response in the nth vibration mode (n = 1, 2 for a one-way symmetric plan) of an associated torsionally-coupled, one-storey system. It is also demonstrated that an earlier, simpler approach in which the total (considering all vibration modes) response of the building is determined from the total response of the two simpler systems is strictly valid only under restrictive conditions, which are identified, but the simpler approach leads to results that are accurate to a useful degree.
A correlation of intracellular cerebroside sulfatase activity in fibroblasts with latency in metachromatic leukodystrophy.

Summary Despite the absence of cerebroside sulfatase activity in cellfree preparations, fibroblasts in culture derived from patients with metachromatic leukodystrophy were capable of hydrolyzing exogenous cerebroside sulfate. Moreover, the degree of whole-cell sulfatase activity was directly correlated to the age of onset of clinical symptoms in the patients from whom the fibroblasts were derived. Intact fibroblasts from patients with the earliest manifesting form, late infantile metachromatic leukodystrophy, did not hydrolyze any cerebroside sulfate, while fibroblasts from patients with later manifesting forms hydrolyzed appreciable amounts of the sulfolipid.
Assessing Air Medical Crew Real-Time Readiness to Perform Critical Tasks

AbstractBackground. Air medical transport has had problems with its safety record, attributed in part to human error. Flight crew members (FCMs) must be able to focus on critical safety tasks in the context of a stressful environment. Flight crew members’ cognitive readiness (CR) to perform their jobs may be affected by sleep deprivation, personal problems, high workload, and use of alcohol and drugs. Objective. The current study investigated the feasibility of using a computer-based cognitive task to assess FCMs’ readiness to perform their job. Methods. The FCMs completed a short questionnaire to evaluate their physiologic and psychological state at the beginning and end of each shift. The FCMs then performed 3 minutes of a computer-based cognitive task called synthetic work environment (SYNWIN test battery). Task performance was compared with the questionnaire variables using correlation and regression analysis. Differences between the beginning and end of each shift were matched and compared using a pa...
Pharmacokinetics of methotrexate in leukemia cells: Effect of dose and mode of injection

A lumped compartmental model has been derived to predict methotrexate concentration as a function of time for L1210 cells in BD2F 1 female mice at doses ranging from 3 mg/kg to 400 mg/kg. Using standard methods of parameter estimation as well as experimental determinations, an integrated approach was derived to account for the differences between the subcutaneous (s.c.) and intraperitoneal (i.p.) modes of injection. It was found that a single generalized forcing function can be used to fit plasma concentration after s.c. injection for all doses. Adequate fits (average error<20% while the standard deviation of experimental determinations was±22%) of L1210 cell data after s.c. injection were obtained. The best results were for a maximum facilitated influx constant Vmax of 0.424 Μg/min/ml, a Michaelis influx constant Km of 1,42 Μg/ml, and a first-order efflux constant α of 0.047 min−1.The model simulations were not sensitive to Vmax, Km,and αso long as the ratio Vmax/αwas approximately 9Μg/ml. The values of V max ,K m ,and α which were obtained from our analysis of the in vivodata can be explained on the basis of previously performed in vitroexperiments. The parameters obtained from modeling the s.c. data were then applied for i.p. injection data. The resulting fits were adequate (average error<20% while the standard deviation of experimental determinations was±22%). A single generalized forcing function for drug concentration in the peritoneal cavity after i.p. injection for all doses was derived. The application of these results enables the prediction of methotrexate concentration in neoplastic cells at other doses after either s.c. or i.p. injection.
Quantitation of phosphatidyl N-methyl-and N,N-dimethylaminoethanol in rat liver.

The contents of phosphatidyl N-methyl-and N,N-dimethylaminoethanol were determined in the liver of rats injected with (Me-C14) methionine. Total phospholipids were extracted from aliquots of the liver and fractionated by two-dimensional thin layer chromatography after addition of carrier phosphatidyl-N-methyl-and N,N-dimethylaminoethanol. The radioactivity present in the two phosphatide spots was determined and used to calculated total disintegrations per min/100 g body wt. The remainder of the livers was pooled, and total phospholipids were isolated and subjected to acid hydrolysis. N-methyl- and N,N-dimethylaminoethanol were purified by thin layer chromatography, and their specific activity was determined after quantitation by gas liquid chromatography and radioactivity measurement. The liver contents of phosphatidyl N-methyl- and N,N-dimethylaminoethanol were determined by dividing disintegrations per min/100 g body wt by the specific activity of N-methyl- or N,N-dimethylaminoethanol.
Accumulation of cadmium by channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus): influx from environmental solutions.

1. The accumulation of cadium (Cd) from external environmental solutions was measured in channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) with the aid of 109Cd and by direct analysis of tissues. 2. Acute uptake (with 109Cd) was concentration dependent and was increased by changing the external pH from 7.3 to 5.0 and decreased by raising the Ca concentration from 0.1 mM to 3.0 mM. 3. The presence of external Zn did not change the uptake of the Cd. 4. In chronic 7-day experiments, fasted catfish were found to accumulate the toxic metal in their liver and kidneys from external media with Cd concentrations as low as 10−9 M (about 0.1 μg/1). 5. Concentrations were greater in the kidneys than the liver. 6. Detectable amounts of Cd (< 0.03 μg/g net wt) were not found in muscle in this time at ext concentrations of Cd < 10−5 M (< 1.0 mg/1).
MODEL-INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS OF INELASTIC ELECTRON SCATTERING FROM NUCLEI. II. MONOPOLE EXCITATIONS AT ARBITRARY MOMENTUM TRANSFER.

A partial-wave calculation of inelastic electron scattering from nuclei is carried out analytically to second order in $\ensuremath{\alpha}Z$. The calculation is performed in a model-independent way, and it is therefore possible to display explicitly the connection between the differential cross section and the transition charge, as well as the ground-state charge distribution. Inelastic monopole cross sections are derived for both high and low energies and for arbitrary momentum transfers. The results are compared with the results of exact numerical calculations for given nuclear models. Good agreement is found for medium-heavy ($Z=38$) and heavy ($Z=38$) nuclei. It is also found that our results agree with the results of a WKB approximation, which has been obtained for a simple nuclear model and for high momentum transfer.
Sexual Attractiveness: Sex Differences in Assessment and Criteria

Abstract Two studies of university undergraduates used novel measures to explore sex differences and intrasexual variation in mate preferences and sexual behavior. Study 1 used photographs of models to assess the effects of sex of subject and target persons' ambition/income on judgments of dating, sexual, and marital desirability, and analyzed these effects' associations with subjects' sexual attitudes and behavior (Simpson's and Gangestad's Sociosexual Orientation Inventory [SOI]). Results were consistent with the proposed model of mate selection: for men, potential partners' physical attributes establish a pool of coitally acceptable partners, some of whom may merit long-term investment. When women choose partners, nonphysical characteristics such as ambition, status, and dominance establish a pool of partners who are potentially acceptable for sexual relations and higher-investment relationships. Target persons' ambition/income strongly affected women's, but not men's, reported willingness to date and have sex with target persons, and the effects on women were not associated with their SOI scores. Study 2 used photographs of models in bathing suits to explore sex differences in the capacity to determine coital acceptability by means of a visual scan, what types of information men and women need in addition to a visual scan in order to determine coital acceptability, and whether these variables are associated with subjects' SOI scores. Results were consistent with the hypotheses. Women with high SOI scores require fewer signs of male willingness to invest in order to engage in sexual relations than do women with low scores. Nevertheless, the two groups have essentially the same perceptual filters and criteria in mate selection, and these differ dramatically from those of men. A "tradeoff-threshold" model of mate evaluation is described, and its compatibility with Singh's models is discussed.
Complex repetitive discharges in the external urethral sphincter in a pediatric population

Complex repetitive discharges (CRDs) were seen in 26 patients undergoing urodynarnic studies. Eleven patients had myelodysplasia, 12 patients had urinary incontinence and/or urgency and/or recurrent urinary tract infections without evident neurologic abnormality, and 3 patients had spinal cord tumors. All exhibited abnormalities on urodynamic evaluation, either upper or lower motor neuron in type. Six girls with incontinence and CRDs had positive family histories, and these features define a possible genetic syndrome of delayed maturation of control over micturition.
Observation of Radiation Pressure Shot Noise on a Macroscopic Object

The quantum mechanics of position measurement of a macroscopic object is typically inaccessible because of strong coupling to the environment and classical noise. In this work, we monitor a mechanical resonator subject to an increasingly strong continuous position measurement and observe a quantum mechanical back-action force that rises in accordance with the Heisenberg uncertainty limit. For our optically based position measurements, the back-action takes the form of a fluctuating radiation pressure from the Poisson-distributed photons in the coherent measurement field, termed radiation pressure shot noise. We demonstrate a back-action force that is comparable in magnitude to the thermal forces in our system. Additionally, we observe a temporal correlation between fluctuations in the radiation force and in the position of the resonator.
Monstrous Methods for Teaching Central Tendency Concepts

Summary This article describes an interactive way to help students learn to evaluate central tendency measures using a fictional story. The use of humour and fictional dire consequences may increase student understanding and engagement while reducing anxiety.
Prediction of Juvenile-Onset Myopia

Importance Myopia (nearsightedness) has its onset in childhood and affects about one-third of adults in the United States. Along with its high prevalence, myopia is expensive to correct and is associated with ocular diseases that include glaucoma and retinal detachment. Objective To determine the best set of predictors for myopia onset in school-aged children. Design, Setting, and Participants The Collaborative Longitudinal Evaluation of Ethnicity and Refractive Error (CLEERE) Study was an observational cohort study of ocular development and myopia onset conducted at 5 clinical sites from September 1, 1989, through May 22, 2010. Data were collected from 4512 ethnically diverse, nonmyopic school-aged children from grades 1 through 8 (baseline grades 1 through 6) (ages 6 through 13 years [baseline, 6 through 11 years]). Main Outcomes and Measures We evaluated 13 candidate risk factors for their ability to predict the onset of myopia. Myopia onset was defined as −0.75 diopters or more of myopia in each principal meridian in the right eye as measured by cycloplegic autorefraction at any visit after baseline until grade 8 (age 13 years). We evaluated risk factors using odds ratios from discrete time survival analysis, the area under the curve, and cross validation. Results A total of 414 children became myopic from grades 2 through 8 (ages 7 through 13 years). Of the 13 factors evaluated, 10 were associated with the risk for myopia onset ( P P C statistic) ranging from 0.87 to 0.93 (95% CI, 0.79-0.99). Conclusions and Relevance Future myopia can be predicted in a nonmyopic child using a simple, single measure of refractive error. Future trials for prevention of myopia should target the child with low hyperopia as the child at risk.