cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Focal Neurological Deficit Secondary to Severe Hyponatraemia Mimicking Stroke

Hyponatraemia is a common electrolyte abnormality seen by internists. Clinical features of hyponatraemia are primarily related to CNS dysfunction, and depend on the severity and acuity of changes in serum sodium concentration. Neurological manifestations of hyponatraemia range from nausea and malaise, with a mild reduction in the serum sodium, to lethargy, decreased level of consciousness, headache, seizures and coma in extreme cases. Focal neurological deficits are very rare in the setting of hyponatraemia. Here, we describe a patient with acute severe symptomatic hyponatraemia presenting with focal neurological deficits that resolved after correction of acute hyponatraemia.
†Eorhopalosoma lohrmanni, a new species of Rhopalosomatidae from mid-Cretaceous amber of Northern Myanmar (Hymenoptera, Aculeata: Vespoidea)

Abstract The Rhopalosomatidae is a clade of parasitoid aculeates which consists of four extant genera and two extinct species. Its phylogenetic position has been debated, but now appears stable as sister to the Vespidae, a clade which contains eusocial wasps. Here, we describe a new species of Rhopalosomatidae from mid-Cretaceous burmite, †Eorhopalosoma lohrmanni. Contrary to the only other rhopalosomatid described from burmite, †E. gorgyra, †E. lohrmanni has paired setae at the apices of various antennomeres, a synapomorphic condition of the Rhopalosomatidae. The new species contributes to the growing knowledge of Cenomanian biodiversity provided by Kachin burmite fossils from Myanmar. Future studies combining fossil and genomic data may reveal important morphological transformation series, which will be useful for revising the definition of the Vespoidea.
Together we can live and learn: living-learning communities as integrated curricular experiences.

AbstractThis article briefly outlines the history of living-learning communities (LLC) in colleges and universities. It details conceptualization, design, implementation and assessment of such prog...
7 Li and 51 V NMR study of the heavy-fermion compound LiV 2 O 4

${}^{7}\mathrm{Li}$ and ${}^{51}\mathrm{V}$ NMR Knight shift, linewidth, spin-lattice, and spin-spin relaxation rate data are reported as a function of temperature $T$ (1.5--800 K and 74--575 K for Li and V nuclei, respectively) in the heavy fermion compound ${\mathrm{LiV}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{4}$. The ${}^{7}\mathrm{Li}$ Knight shift $K$ exhibits a broad maximum at about 25 K and is nearly constant below 4.2 K, as is the linewidth. The ${}^{51}\mathrm{V}$ Knight shift is negative at 575 K and it decreases strongly as the temperature is lowered. Above \ensuremath{\sim}80 K, both ${}^{7}\mathrm{Li}$ and ${}^{51}\mathrm{V}$ Knight shifts are proportional to the susceptibility and from the slope the hyperfine coupling constant can be obtained for both nuclei. The ${}^{7}\mathrm{Li}$ spin-lattice relaxation rate increases as the temperature is lowered below room temperature reaching a maximum at about 50 K. Below 5 K the relaxation rate decreases linearly with $T$ as for normal metals but with a very high value of the Korringa product ${(T}_{1}{T)}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. Even so, the ${}^{7}\mathrm{Li}$ Korringa ratio ${K}^{2}{T}_{1}{T/S}_{\mathrm{Li}}$ below $\ensuremath{\sim}$ 10 K is on the order of unity as in conventional metals, thus indicating heavy Fermi liquid behavior. From an analysis of the ${}^{7}\mathrm{Li}$ and ${}^{51}\mathrm{V}$ relaxation rate data we infer an approximate square root temperature dependence of the V local moment spin-relaxation rate at high temperatures $(T\ensuremath{\gtrsim}50$ K). A simplified analysis of the data yields a value of 17 meV for the magnitude of the exchange coupling constant between the local moments and the conduction electrons and 2.3 meV for that between neighboring local moments. Quantitative discrepancies in the ${}^{7}\mathrm{Li}$ and ${}^{51}\mathrm{V}$ relaxation rates at low $T$ from what is expected for a uniform heavy Fermi liquid indicate that effects such as Kondo effect screening of the V local moment and/or dynamical vanadium ${t}_{2g}$ orbital occupation correlation/fluctuation effects may be present in our system.
Susan Lee Lindquist (1949–2016)

Lindquist was a visionary and pioneer who transformed our understanding of how protein folding sculpts biology, evolution, and disease. She revealed several unanticipated mechanisms by which protein folding can buffer, release, and potentiate genetic variation in response to environmental stress, thereby enabling the rapid evolution of beneficial new traits. Her discoveries provide a rich framework for innovative therapeutic interventions in several fatal diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and cancer.
Dynamic stiffness modification by internal features in additive manufacturing

Abstract Dynamic stiffness, or the product of the modal stiffness and damping ratio, is an important consideration for the design of additively manufactured parts that will experience dynamic loading. This paper describes a demonstration component which was designed and manufactured in two configurations using a metal wire arc additive process. The first configuration was an open channel structure, while the second contained a dynamic absorber in the internal cavity. Frequency response measurements of the two components showed a significant magnitude reduction for the modified component at the original open channel structure's natural frequency and an overall increase in dynamic stiffness. Polymer damping material was then added to further increase the dynamic stiffness.
Pitolisant and Other Histamine-3 Receptor Antagonists-An Update on Therapeutic Potentials and Clinical Prospects.

Background: Besides its well-known role as a peripheral chemical mediator of immune, vascular, and cellular responses, histamine plays major roles in the central nervous system, particularly in the mediation of arousal and cognition-enhancement. These central effects are mediated by the histamine-3 auto receptors, the modulation of which is thought to be beneficial for the treatment of disorders that impair cognition or manifest with excessive daytime sleepiness. Methods: A database search of PubMed, Google Scholar, and clinicaltrials.gov was performed in June 2020. Full-text articles were screened and reviewed to provide an update on pitolisant and other histamine-3 receptor antagonists. Results: A new class of drugs—histamine-3 receptor antagonists—has emerged with the approval of pitolisant for the treatment of narcolepsy with or without cataplexy. At the recommended dose, pitolisant is well tolerated and effective. It has also been evaluated for potential therapeutic benefit in Parkinson disease, epilepsy, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Alzheimer’s disease, and dementia. Limited studies have shown pitolisant to lack abuse potential which will be a major advantage over existing drug options for narcolepsy. Several histamine-3 receptor antagonists are currently in development for a variety of clinical indications. Conclusions: Although limited clinical studies have been conducted on this new class of drugs, the reviewed literature showed promising results for future additions to the clinical indications of pitolisant, and the expansion of the list of approved drugs in this class for a variety of indications.
Influence of Wind Speed on COVID-19 Transmission in Polluted Cities

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can spread through droplets of infected humans but this transmission dynamics is affected by air circulation in polluted cities. This study endeavors to explain the relation between wind speed and the diffusion of COVID-19 in polluted cities to explain viral airborne transmission. Results reveal that in Italy, polluted cities with low wind speed have higher numbers of COVID-19 related infected individuals. This finding seems to suggest that high concentrations of particulate matter in the air, in the presence of little wind can promote a longer permanence of the viral particles in polluted air, thus favoring COVID-19 airborne transmission in environments. Because of complex real-world environmental ventilation conditions, environmental policies should be directed to reduce air pollution in polluted cities with low wind speed, that added to measures of social distancing and wearing masks for both infected and healthy humans, can to reduce airborne transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 and other viral agents.
Miniaturized UV imager for heliophysics science investigations

Remote sensing of Earth at ultraviolet wavelengths offers the capability to retrieve key environmental parameters that provide remarkable insight into space weather conditions. The miniaturized UV imager (MUVI) instrument is a currently funded NASA technology development effort that expands on capability developed from recent flight experience to build and qualify a small, relatively simple UV imager that can be tuned for a range of purposes. The goal is to revisit earlier designs of suppressive imagers, obviating the need for gratings, slits, and long optical paths, redeveloping a direct imaging capability in a CubeSat type form-factor. Combining high heritage components with improved imaging technologies, MUVI provides science performance comparable to high-performance imagers developed and flown for prior research missions at much lower mass and cost points. A compelling scientific design for future missions will be to make space-based observations from multiple vantage points from one or more orbit planes. Multiple-observatory mission designs, including those implemented using the CubeSat form-factor, are more accessible now due to a great deal of research and commercial work toward miniaturization of spacecraft subsystems. It is likely that small scientific payloads will greatly benefit upcoming Heliophysics missions if appropriate technologies are developed. An overview of the MUVI instrument is described here, along with development status after year 1 of funding.
Abstract 66: Ascorbate Prevents Hypertension, Proteinuria and Concentric Hypertrophy by Balancing the Nitroso-redox System in a Model of Preeclampsia, the S-nitrosoglutathione Reductase (gsnor) Deficient Mice

Introduction: Preeclampsia (PE), a leading cause of maternal and fetal mortality and morbidity, is characterized by increased levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and S-nitrosylated protein, and...
Stochastic Subspace Identification

This chapter discusses the stochastic realization problem from both the classical and the subspace perspectives. It starts with the classical problem that mimics the deterministic approach with covariance matrices replacing impulse response matrices. The underlying Hankel matrix, now populated with covariance rather than impulse response matrices, admits a factorization leading to the fundamental rank condition. The subspace approach also follows in a development similar to the deterministic case. Starting with the multivariable output error state‐space formulation using orthogonal projection theory, both the “past input multivariable output error state‐space” and “past input/output multivariable output error state‐space” techniques evolve. Next, the numerical algorithms for state‐space system identification approach follow based on oblique projection theory. The chapter concentrates primarily on a solution to the “combined problem” that is the identification of both the deterministic and stochastic systems directly (without separation) through the estimated state vector embedded in the innovation representation of the system.
Spatial and temporal distribution of surface water contaminants in the Houston Ship Channel after the Intercontinental Terminal Company Fire.

Background The fire at the Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC, Deer Park, La Porte, TX, USA) from March 17 to 20, 2019 resulted in substantial releases of chemical contaminants to the environment, including the surface waters of the Houston Ship Channel. Objective To characterize spatial and temporal trends, as well as potential human health risks, from these releases. Methods Out of 433 substances with available data, seven were selected for analysis: benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, oil and grease, suspended solids, and total petroleum hydrocarbons. Spatial and temporal concentration trends were characterized, and hazard quotients and cancer risks were calculated to estimate the potential for human health impacts from these contaminants. Results Temporal analysis showed presence of these chemical contaminants in water immediately after the event; their concentrations dissipated substantially within 4 weeks. The spatial distribution of contaminants indicated the highest concentrations in the waterways within about 1 km of the ITC. The greatest potential human health risks stemmed from presence of benzene. Significance A short-term but substantial spike in the concentrations of a number of hazardous contaminants occurred near the incident, with concentrations returning to apparent baseline levels within 1 month likely due to a combination of volatization, dilution and degradation.
Does pay transparency help or hurt? Evidence on employee motivation

The prevalence of pay transparency has grown in recent years, yet there is limited empirical evidence regarding its potential motivational benefits and costs relative to pay secrecy. Using an experiment, our study investigates the effect of pay transparency on employee motivation while considering two important aspects of the context in which relative pay information is typically provided. 1) Pay transparency reveals pay dispersion which can have different causes: performance-related (endogenous) and non-performance-related (exogenous). 2) Pay transparency is embedded in a broader information environment that often includes relative performance information. Drawing on theory of social comparison and distributive fairness, we predict and find that ultimately the effect of pay transparency on employee motivation depends on the information that pay transparency reveals. Specifically, rather than finding a positive motivational benefit of transparency as anecdotal and initial research evidence suggest, we instead find there are either no meaningful positive motivational benefits or even negative motivational effects of providing pay transparency. By highlighting organizational and environmental factors that influence the effectiveness of pay transparency, our study provides insights on the potential benefits and costs of pay transparency, and thus adds value to the on-going debate over pay transparency versus pay secrecy.
Fully Integrated Electronic-Photonic Ultrasound Receiver Array for Endoscopic Imaging Applications in a Zero-Change 45nm CMOS-SOI Process

This paper presents the first fully integrated 2-D array of electronic-photonic ultrasound sensors targeting low-power miniaturized ultrasound probes for endoscopic applications. Fabricated in a zero-change 45nm CMOS-SOI technology this Electronic-Photonic System on Chip (EPSoC), utilizes micro-ring resonators (MRRs) as ultrasound sensors instead of the traditional piezoelectric or capacitive micromachined transducers (PMUTs or CMUTs). The photonic nature of the sensor enables remoting the power-hungry receive electronics outside the probe tip, lowering the power dissipation inside the human body, eliminates the electrical cabling and reduces fiber count by 4x using wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) MRR sensors coupled onto the same waveguide. The photonic sensing element demonstrates >30 MHz bandwidth, and 7.3 mV/kPa sensitivity, while consuming 0.43 mW of power.
What Makes Conscientious Refusals Concerning Abortion Different.

Fritz (2021) argues that there is an “unjustified asymmetry” in legislation that allows physicians and health care institutions to refuse to provide elective abortions and other morally contested l...
On the Determinism of Hidden Variable Theories with Strict Correlation and Conditional Statistical Independence of Observables

The main purpose of this note is to prove a lemma about random variables, and then to apply this lemma to the characterization of local theories of hidden variables by Bell (1964, 1966) and Wigner (1970), which are focused around Bell’s inequality. We use the results of the lemma in two different ways. The first is to show that the assumptions of Bell and Wigner can be weakened to conditional statistical independence rather than conditional determinism because determinism follows from conditional independence and the other assumptions that are made about systems of two spin−1/2 particles.
MOTORCYCLE HEADLIGHTING: EXPERIMENTAL AND COMPUTER SIMULATION COMPARISONS OF NIGHTTIME VISIBILITY DISTANCES OBTAINED WITH VARIOUS HEADLAMP BEAMS

The distances at which a target could be identified at night by five motorcyclists were measured using various headlamp beams. A typical Japanese symmetrical low beam (A-9200), a European asymmetrical low beam (H-1), a U.S. asymmetrical low beam (4458), and two high beams (A-9200, 4458) were used to identify a target positioned either at the right or left of the test lane. The results were compared with predictions of identification distances made by a computer simulation program. Of the low beams, those with an asymmetrical beam pattern provided overall superior performance, having visibility on the left at least equivalent to the symmetrical low beam and substantially greater visibility on the right. The H-1 beam had the best visibility to the right and left. The high beam headlamps provided the greatest visibility distances, with the A-9200 beam giving somewhat less visibility to the left than to the right, and the 4458 beam having equal right and left visibility distances. The simulation program closely predicted the low beam visibility distances, but overestimated those obtained with the high beams.
For Night To Come

in the right direction. He is weeping because of the sweet air, and remembering our canoe trip, and how we went swimming on Mother's Day. And I am remembering the holiness and how we stopped talking after we left Route 30. I show him the tree with the two forks and the one with the stubs and the one with the orange moss underneath, and we make our nest in a clearing where the wind makes hissing noises and the sun goes through our heavy clothes. All morning we lie on our backs, holding hands, listening to birds, and making little ant hills in the sand. He shakes a little, maybe from the cold, maybe a little from memory, maybe from dread. I think we are lost, only a hundred yards from the highway, and we will have to walk around in fear, or separate and look for signs before we find it again. We pick a small green tree, thick with needles and cones and dangling roots, and put it in the trunk on top of the blanket, and straighten the branches out, and smooth the hairs. All the way back we will be teary and helpless, loving each other in the late afternoon, and only when we have made the first cut and done the dance
Patient-perceived facilitators in the transition of care for young adult survivors of childhood cancer.

Adult survivors of childhood cancer have also reported that comprehensive survivorship care was the most beneficial part of the long-term follow-up program. Other important program components included survivors having access to resources, knowing that they were not alone, and having opportunities to network with other adult survivors [13]. When the issue of transition was studied in a similar population from the United Kingdom, oncologyled transition programs were preferred and clinical components of care were rated more highly than psychosocial/supportive care [14]. Survivor preferences for transition care may vary based on several factors. These may include the role of parents in survivorship care. One study found that 38% of adult survivors of childhood cancer had a parent regularly attend their survivorship appointments [13]. Another factor may be cultural sensitivities related to race and ethnicity. The importance of the role of the nuclear family in survivorship discussions was found to be a facilitator to transition for the Latino adolescent and young adult survivor [15]. Larger studies are needed to identify and fully characterize the self-perceived care-needs of young adult survivors of childhood Background.. A new challenge has emerged in optimizing the transition of pediatric survivorship care to similarly focused programs that are age-appropriate for young adults. The purpose of this study is to identify components of a clinical survivorship program that facilitate the transition of care for young adult survivors of childhood cancer from a pediatric to adult care-setting. Procedure.. Prior to transition, a descriptive study of childhood cancer survivors was conducted using a cross-sectional study design. A questionnaire was used to identify which clinical components of a survivorship program would most influence their decision to transition care to an adult medical center. Results.. Of 129 invited survivors, 103 participated (80%). Most survivors were age 16‐19 years (40/103, 39%) or 20‐24 years (37/103, 36%). When asked if the participant was willing to transition their survivorship care to an adult facility, 97 (95%) responded affirmatively. The clinical components most frequently rated ‘‘Very Important’’ in the decision to transition were the acceptance of insurance (80/103, 78%) followed by the presence of a provider knowledgeable in childhood cancer (68/103, 66%). The clinical components most frequently rated ‘‘Very Important’’ or ‘‘Important’’ were the availability of flexible scheduling (102/103, 99%) followed by the comprehensive nature of the care provided (101/103, 98%). Conclusions.. The decision to transition survivorship care to age-appropriate care-settings is complex and not well understood. Issues related to insurance, clinical team composition and scheduling appear to be most important for young adult survivors making this decision. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013;60:1365‐1368. 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Proposal for managing sensor selection through the integration of trust for indoor tracking systems

With the proliferation of sensors, specifically those capable of providing positional estimates, it is now possible to build large sensor networks for the purpose of tracking objects within indoor environments. A key component of building such indoor tracking systems, is the ability to properly select a subset of these available sensors for the purpose of tracking. Often sensors do not afford the luxury of a priori mapping or calibration, specifically mobile sensors, and thus the resulting positional data may prove to be untrustworthy or unreliable. Current indoor tracking efforts do not consider trust and reliability as separate criteria for the sensor selection process. This identification and further classification of both trust and reliability is a challenging task due to the unpredictable and unknown nature of both the sensors and the physical environment in which they reside. This proposal defines trust and reliability in the scope of indoor tracking, attempts to quantify both parameters, provides a framework to improve the sensor subset selection process through the inclusion of these parameters, and makes use of an objective function to evaluate the tradeoff between accuracy and cost. We will make use of an existing indoor tracking system to empirically evaluate this proposal.
Dissecting dendrite dynamics.

In his Perspective, Stephen Smith discusses findings by Maletic-Savatic and colleagues that may yield fresh clues to understanding how electrical activity results in the formation of new synaptic connections between neurons. These authors report on p. 1923 of this issue that neuronal electrical activity promotes NMDA receptor activation, which in turn (perhaps through alterations in calcium ion fluxes) stimulates the formation of slender extensions of dendrites called filopodia (the first step in the formation of new synapses).
NN-learning with backpropagation and adaptive filter techniques

Explains current attempts using Kalman filter techniques in order to develop fast learning algorithms for feedforward neural networks (NN). There are two main ingredients: Taylor-series linearization during the weight updating process and backpropagation of the output errors according to the backpropagation (BP-) algorithm. Pointing to several other filter-based algorithms, the author discusses in somewhat more detail the least-square-lattice (LSL) approach which uses QR-decomposition. The QR-LSL algorithm has several advantages which make it to a highly interesting candidate for an efficient NN-learning algorithm. >
A Comparison of Learning Experience, Workload, and Outcomes in Interior Design Education Using a Hand or Hybrid Approach

This exploratory study examined interior design projects developed using conventional hand techniques and a hybrid tool set of digital and nondigital media for differences in the learning experience, workload, and design outcomes. Two groups of students were randomly assigned to either a hand-generated section or a hand-and-digital section. They were asked to design a residential unit within a given village site. Following presentation of the designs, students rated the effectiveness of visualization and the workload of using each tool set, and professional evaluators rated the design solutions on esthetical, functional, environmental, and viewing aspects. Overall, the performance outcomes were ranked higher for the hybrid group on three of four outcomes. The evaluators also rated the combined use group outcomes higher than the hand-only group. These findings suggest that the hybrid design approach has a productive place in the interior design curriculum and practice. Future research with larger samples and more sophisticated technology is needed to fully examine the potential for integrating mediated tools into the interior design profession.
Getting “Beyond the Barriers” in Reforming Osteopathic Medical Education

As the healthcare needs of the United States change, some leaders at colleges of osteopathic medicine and osteopathic graduate medical education programs have embraced one very important and timeless goal: to prepare future physicians to meet society's health needs. These medical educators have made significant strides toward moving "beyond the barriers" to effect curricular reform and quality improvement at their institutions. Some of the barriers to osteopathic medical education reform are addressed in this article, which recommends allowing curricular evolution and faculty development; expanding clinical learning and teaching; breaking down departmental walls; integrating osteopathic principles and practice; reevaluating admission requirements of colleges of osteopathic medicine; and eradicating the unspoken and, ironically, often detrimental culture of medicine, which can be contrary to compassionate patient care and healing.
The transcriptome of Toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasma gondii gives rise to toxoplasmosis, among the most prevalent parasitic diseases of animals and man. Transformation of the tachzyoite stage into the latent bradyzoite-cyst form underlies chronic disease and leads to a lifetime risk of recrudescence in individuals whose immune system becomes compromised. Given the importance of tissue cyst formation, there has been intensive focus on the development of methods to study bradyzoite differentiation, although the molecular basis for the developmental switch is still largely unknown. We have used serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) to define the Toxoplasma gondii transcriptome of the intermediate-host life cycle that leads to the formation of the bradyzoite/tissue cyst. A broad view of gene expression is provided by >4-fold coverage from nine distinct libraries (~300,000 SAGE tags) representing key developmental transitions in primary parasite populations and in laboratory strains representing the three canonical genotypes. SAGE tags, and their corresponding mRNAs, were analyzed with respect to abundance, uniqueness, and antisense/sense polarity and chromosome distribution and developmental specificity. This study demonstrates that phenotypic transitions during parasite development were marked by unique stage-specific mRNAs that accounted for 18% of the total SAGE tags and varied from 1–5% of the tags in each developmental stage. We have also found that Toxoplasma mRNA pools have a unique parasite-specific composition with 1 in 5 transcripts encoding Apicomplexa-specific genes functioning in parasite invasion and transmission. Developmentally co-regulated genes were dispersed across all Toxoplasma chromosomes, as were tags representing each abundance class, and a variety of biochemical pathways indicating that trans-acting mechanisms likely control gene expression in this parasite. We observed distinct similarities in the specificity and expression levels of mRNAs in primary populations (Day-6 post-sporozoite infection) that occur prior to the onset of bradyzoite development that were uniquely shared with the virulent Type I-RH laboratory strain suggesting that development of RH may be arrested. By contrast, strains from Type II-Me49B7 and Type III-VEGmsj contain SAGE tags corresponding to bradyzoite genes, which suggests that priming of developmental expression likely plays a role in the greater capacity of these strains to complete bradyzoite development.
Iron Translocation II. Citrate/Iron Ratios in Plant Stem Exudates

Stem exudates of sunflower, soybean, cucumber, and tomato were analyzed for citrate and iron content. Generally, the lowest iron treatments given at decapitation were associated with lowest citrate levels in the exudate and intermediate treatments with the highest citrate levels. Citrate reached 6.2 × 10 −4 m in sunflower exudate. 7.3 × 10 −4 m in soybean, 9.4 × 10 −4 m in cucumber, and 1.8 × 10 −4 m in tomato. Some of these values represent a doubling or tripling of citrate when compared to the lowest ones obtained. High Fe depressed the citrate content of exudate in some cases. As iron was raised in the nutrient, the increases of iron in the exudate were proportionately greater than those of citrate. The highest Fe treatments led to exaggerated uptake of iron by sunflower. In some cases iron was translocated in molar excess of citrate. A time-response experiment with tomato showed a rapid flooding of iron into the roots but a relatively slow release of iron into xylem exudate. Similar electrophoretic patterns of iron were obtained despite changes in citrate and iron with time. Exudates from sunflower, cucumber, and tomato gave iron concentrations in the position of iron-citrate.
An information-space model for the development and application of computer-based tools in information creation and dissemination

Boisot’s I‐space is used as a framework to explain the comparative success of computer‐based tools in information scanning and dissemi‐ nation, and the failure to support problem areas in the process of knowledge creation, especially where this involves interactions within user groups. Recent research indicates that process‐based studies are likely to be productive, and that there is a useful overlap between information science and computer science interests and methods.
Constitutive Modeling of Rate-Dependent Stress–Strain Behavior of Human Liver in Blunt Impact Loading

An understanding of the mechanical deformation behavior of the liver under high strain rate loading conditions could aid in the development of vehicle safety measures to reduce the occurrence of blunt liver injury. The purpose of this study was to develop a constitutive model of the stress–strain behavior of the human liver in blunt impact loading. Experimental stress and strain data was obtained from impact tests of 12 unembalmed human livers using a drop tower technique. A constitutive model previously developed for finite strain behavior of amorphous polymers was adapted to model the observed liver behavior. The elements of the model include a nonlinear spring in parallel with a linear spring and nonlinear dashpot. The model captures three features of liver stress–strain behavior in impact loading: (1) relatively stiff initial modulus, (2) rate-dependent yield or rollover to viscous “flow” behavior, and (3) strain hardening at large strains. Six material properties were used to define the constitutive model. This study represents a novel application of polymer mechanics concepts to understand the rate-dependent large strain behavior of human liver tissue under high strain rate loading. Applications of this research include finite element simulations of injury-producing liver or abdominal impact events.
Predicting hepatic steatosis in a racially and ethnically diverse cohort of adolescent girls.

Objective To develop a risk assessment model for early detection of hepatic steatosis using common anthropometric and metabolic markers. Study design This was a cross-sectional study of 134 adolescent and young adult females, age 11-22 years (mean 13.3 ± 2 years) from a middle school and clinics in Madison, Wisconsin. The ethnic distribution was 27% Hispanic and 73% non-Hispanic; the racial distribution was 64% Caucasian, 31% African-American, and 5% Asian, Fasting glucose, fasting insulin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and other metabolic markers were assessed. Hepatic fat was quantified using magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (MR-PDFF). Hepatic steatosis was defined as MR-PDFF >5.5%. Outcome measures were sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value (PPV) of BMI, WC, ALT, fasting insulin, and ethnicity as predictors of hepatic steatosis, individually and combined, in a risk assessment model. Classification and regression tree methodology was used to construct a decision tree for predicting hepatic steatosis. Results MR-PDFF revealed hepatic steatosis in 16% of subjects (27% overweight, 3% nonoverweight). Hispanic ethnicity conferred an OR of 4.26 (95% CI, 1.65-11.04; P = .003) for hepatic steatosis. BMI and ALT did not independently predict hepatic steatosis. A BMI >85% combined with ALT >65 U/L had 9% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and 100% PPV. Lowering the ALT value to 24 U/L increased the sensitivity to 68%, but reduced the PPV to 47%. A risk assessment model incorporating fasting insulin, total cholesterol, WC, and ethnicity increased sensitivity to 64%, specificity to 99% and PPV to 93%. Conclusion A risk assessment model can increase specificity, sensitivity, and PPV for identifying the risk of hepatic steatosis and guide the efficient use of biopsy or imaging for early detection and intervention.
Targeting empowerment in community development: a community psychology approach to enhancing local power and well-being

This article proposes psychological empowerment as an orientation and targeted outcome for community development efforts. Psychological empowerment has been the focus of many studies in community psychology, where it has been defined as the psychological aspects of processes through which people, organizations, and communities take greater control over their affairs. Psychological empowerment has been found to increase with greater levels of community participation, and to have protective mental health effects. Community and organizational processes that are psychologically empowering are promising as approaches to sustainably promote both subjective well-being and objective changes in local systems. The case is made in this article for more widespread use of empowerment theory, at multiple levels of analysis, in community development processes. Participatory development is viewed as a particularly promising approach for the promotion of psychological empowerment, yet more thorough consideration and assessment of psychological empowerment holds promise for achieving the full potential of participatory approaches.
Constitutive production of nonenveloped human immunodeficiency virus type 1 particles by a mammalian cell line and effects of a protease inhibitor on particle maturation.

Abstract A stable cell line encoding the sequences of all the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 proteins, with the exception of the gp160 envelope glycoprotein, was derived from transfection of monkey COS-7 cells. This cell line, referred to as CH-1, produces active viral protease that correctly processes its natural substrates and yields capsid particles. These particles contain reverse transcriptase activity and packaged viral RNA but are noninfectious. The level of expression of viral proteins is not toxic to the cells, yet it is comparable to that observed for chronically infected lymphocytes. These constitutively synthesized viral proteins provide a consistent system for the analysis of potential inhibitors of late viral functions. The lack of gp160 increases the biosafety of this assay system, while it allows the measurement of the effects on the production and release of capsid particles. A human immunodeficiency virus type 1 protease inhibitor was used to confirm the viral polyprotein maturation pathway in this system. Particles from cells treated with this protease inhibitor contain unprocessed p55gag precursor and have the same density as the mature particles. These immature particles contain viral RNA, but reverse transcriptase activity is significantly reduced. This cell line may serve to identify compounds that are able to affect viral assembly and maturation as well as to identify the interactions between the viral and cellular proteins involved in these essential processes.
Differing responses of the two forms of photosystem II carbonic anhydrase to chloride, cations, and pH.

Abstract The effects of Cl−, Mn2+, Ca2+, and pH on extrinsic and intrinsic photosystem II carbonic anhydrase activity were compared. Under the conditions of our in vitro experiments, extrinsic CA activity, located on the OEC33 protein, was optimum at about 30 mM Cl−, and strongly inhibited above this concentration. This enzyme is activated by Mn2+ and stimulated somewhat by Ca2+. The OEC33 showed dehydration activity that is optimum at pH 6 or below. In contrast, intrinsic CA activity found in the PSII complex after removal of extrinsic proteins was stimulated by Cl− up to 0.4 M. Ca2+ appears to be the required cofactor, which implies that the location of the intrinsic CA activity is in the immediate vicinity of the CaMn4 complex. Up to now, intrinsic CA has shown only hydration activity that is nearly pH independent.
A phase I study of capecitabine, oxaliplatin, and lapatinib in metastatic or advanced solid tumors.

Abstract Background Metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States, and new treatment options are needed. This phase I study investigated a novel regimen combining 2 chemotherapy drugs with proven efficacy in mCRC (capecitabine and oxaliplatin) with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor (lapatinib). Lapatinib has already been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of selected cases of breast cancer. Patients and methods: Patients with solid tumors responsive to fluoropyrimidines or oxaliplatin were eligible for enrollment. Treatment was given over a 21-day cycle with a fixed dosing of intravenous oxaliplatin of 130 mg/m2 on day 1. Capecitabine and lapatinib were given orally at escalating doses, starting at capecitabine 1500 mg/m2/day on days 1-14 and lapatinib 1000 mg daily on days 1-21. Results Ten patients received treatment per study protocol. All had received previous systemic treatment. Diarrhea was one of the most common side effects and accounted for nearly all grade 3/4 toxicity. The starting dose level was determined to be the maximum tolerated dose. One patient with pancreatic cancer had evidence of a partial response. Three other patients demonstrated stable disease. There were no complete responses. Conclusion Results of this study suggest the regimen of capecitabine, oxaliplatin, and lapatinib has some efficacy in types of advanced or metastatic solid malignancies with known responsiveness to fluoropyrimidines or oxaliplatin. Further research may help determine whether this regimen can improve on the response rates seen with current standard regimens for mCRC.
Linewidth and dephasing of THz-frequency collective intersubband transitions in a GaAs/AlGaAs quantum well

Abstract Terahertz-frequency intersubband (ISB) transitions in semiconductor quantum wells are of interest due to the potential for making devices that operate at THz frequencies, and the influence of many-body interactions on the intersubband dynamics. We present measurements of the linear absorption linewidth of ISB transitions in a single 40 nm delta-doped GaAs/Al 0.3 Ga 0.7 As square quantum well, with a transition energy of order 10 meV (3 THz). Separate back- and front-gates allow independent control of charge density (0.1– 1×10 10 cm −2 ) and DC bias (−2.5– 0.5 mV / nm ). A picture of scattering of the intersubband plasmon into single-particle excitations qualitatively explains the DC bias dependence of the line-width data.
Stabilization of solutions for a class of degenerate equations in divergence form in one space dimension

Abstract By extending the concept of the Liapunov functional and an idea due to Dafermos we establish an Invariance Principle for a class of (not necessarily strongly) monotone systems. This principle is then applied to continuous contraction, strongly monotone systems on a Hubert space and to a class of L 1 contraction monotone semigroups generated by degenerate equations in divergence form in one space dimension.
Effects of caffeine on rats’ barpress and maze performance

The effects of caffeine ingestion on rats were tested through barpress and maze performance. Four adult male and 4 adult female rats were bred, yielding 39 offspring (18 control, 21 experimental). The experimental pups received .50 mg/ml of caffeine in drinking water throughout gestation, weaning, and early adulthood; the control group received plain tap water. At 21 days of age, the pups began barpress and maze learning. The subjects were allowed a total of 8 min for each test on alternate days. The results were characterized by the presence of several reliable caffeine × trials interactions. Inspection of the interactions prompted the generalization that although caffeine may facilitate performance early in training, it hinders performance on later trials.
Selected AB42−/− (A = C, Si, Ge; B = Al, Ga, In) ions: a battle between covalency and aromaticity, and prediction of square planar Si in SiIn42−/−

CAl42−/− (D4h, 1A1g) is a cluster ion that has been established to be planar, aromatic, and contain a tetracoordinate planar C atom. Valence isoelectronic substitution of C with Si and Ge in this cluster leads to a radical change of structure toward distorted pentagonal species. We find that this structural change goes together with the cluster acquiring partial covalency of bonding between Si/Ge and Al4, facilitated by hybridization of the atomic orbitals (AOs). Counter intuitively, for the AAl42−/− (A = C, Si, Ge) clusters, hybridization in the dopant atom is strengthened from C, to Si, and to Ge, even though typically AOs are more likely to hybridize if they are closer in energy (i.e. in earlier elements in the Periodic Table). The trend is explained by the better overlap of the hybrids of the heavier dopants with the orbitals of Al4. From the thus understood trend, it is inferred that covalency in such clusters can be switched off, by varying the relative sizes of the AOs of the main element and the dopant. Using this mechanism, we then successfully killed covalency in Si, and predicted a new aromatic cluster ion containing a tetracoordinate square planar Si, SiIn42−/−.
COSMIC-RAY NEUTRON ENERGY SPECTRUM

The cosmic-ray neutron energy spectrum in the equilibrium region of the atmosphere was measured with several different calibrated detectors from thermal energies to about 1 Bev at 44 deg north magnetic latitude and up to 40,000 feet. By combination of the data from these measurements with those from other experiments, a complete differential energy spectrum is obtained which shows the characteristic maximum near thermal energies and a roughly 1/E variation up to about 100 kev. The presence of a second maximum in the spectrum near 1 Mev is attributed to the evaporation neutrons from stars, and above this energy up to 800 Mev the spectrum falls off as E/sup -1.4/. (auth)
A lysine conserved in the monoamine oxidase family is involved in oxidation of the reduced flavin in mouse polyamine oxidase

Lysine 315 of mouse polyamine amine oxidase corresponds to a lysine residue that is conserved in the flavoprotein amine oxidases of the monoamine oxidase structural family. In several structures, this lysine residue forms a hydrogen bond to a water molecule that is hydrogen-bonded to the flavin N(5). Mutation of Lys315 in polyamine oxidase to methionine was previously shown to have no effect on the kinetics of the reductive half-reaction of the enzyme (M. Henderson Pozzi, V. Gawandi, P.F. Fitzpatrick, Biochemistry 48 (2009) 1508-1516). In contrast, the mutation does affect steps in the oxidative half-reaction. The k(cat) value is unaffected by the mutation; this kinetic parameter likely reflects product release. At pH 10, the k(cat)/K(m) value for oxygen is 25-fold lower in the mutant enzyme. The k(cat)/K(O2) value is pH-dependent for the wild-type enzyme, decreasing below a pK(a) of 7.0, while this kinetic parameter for the mutant enzyme is pH-independent. This is consistent with the neutral form of Lys315 being required for more rapid flavin oxidation. The solvent isotope effect on the k(cat)/K(O2) value increases from 1.4 in the wild-type enzyme to 1.9 in the mutant protein, and the solvent inventory changes from linear to bowed. The effects of the mutation can be explained by the lysine orienting the bridging water so that it can accept the proton from the flavin N(5) during flavin oxidation. In the mutant enzyme the lysine amine would be replaced by a water chain.
Differential response of neuroblastoma cells to TRAIL is independent of PI3K/AKT.

Abstract Background In many human tumor cells, tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis–inducing ligand (TRAIL) induces apoptosis through caspase activation, whereas activation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway prevents apoptosis. We hypothesized that inhibition of PI3K/Akt would increase TRAIL-induced apoptosis in neuroblastoma cells. Methods SK-N-AS, SH-SY5Y, and IMR-32 neuroblastoma cells were cultured with either standard media or media with PI3K/Akt inhibitor for 24 hours. These cells were then exposed to 100 ng/mL of TRAIL for 90 minutes and harvested. Cells either underwent flow cytometric analysis of apoptosis, had protein extracted for Western blot, had RNA extracted for reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction, or had cell lysates analyzed for caspase-3, -8, and -9. Results Baseline expression of TRAIL receptors and Akt varied among the cell lines. Inhibition of PI3K/Akt decreased caspase-3 activation in the AS and SY cells, but did not alter TRAIL-induced apoptosis in any of the cell lines. Activity of caspase-8 and -9 was also unaffected by PI3K/Akt attenuation. Conclusions Inhibition of the PI3K/Akt pathway does not increase the sensitivity of neuroblastoma cell lines to TRAIL-induced apoptosis. Neuroblastoma is unique in that activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway is either not essential to its TRAIL resistance or counteracted because of the multiple repetitive pathways of TRAIL resistance.
National ocean institutions: Research needs

Abstract U.S. ocean institutions and decision‐making processes merit careful study and attention. Given the economic and strategic importance of the oceans to the United States, such research would be valuable if it contributed to a more effective ocean policy process and an improved policy product. Moreover, findings with regard to the ocean policy process could be relevant to other high‐technology, transnational policy areas. Four aspects of ocean institutions and policy making merit priority attention: (1) current institutions and processes compared with alternative modes of organization and process; (2) the premises on which the present policy process is based; (3) the generation and utilization of policy‐relevant data; and (4) the operation of U.S. ocean institutions transnationally.