cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Single Case Evaluation of a Mindfulness-Based Mobile Application with a Substance Abuse Counselor

We implemented an exploratory A-B single case research design with a phenomenological lens to analyze journal entries to assess the effectiveness of a 12-week mindfulness-based mobile intervention ...
Development and simulation of fully glycosylated molecular models of ACE2-Fc fusion proteins and their interaction with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binding domain

We develop fully glycosylated computational models of ACE2-Fc fusion proteins which are promising targets for a COVID-19 therapeutic. These models are tested in their interaction with a fragment of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the Spike Protein S of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, via atomistic molecular dynamics simulations. We see that some ACE2 glycans interact with the S fragments, and glycans are influencing the conformation of the ACE2 receptor. Additionally, we optimize algorithms for protein glycosylation modelling in order to expedite future model development. All models and algorithms are openly available.
Temporal Differential Expression of Physiomarkers Predicts Sepsis in Critically Ill Adults.

BACKGROUND Sepsis is a life-threatening condition with high mortality rates. Early detection and treatment are critical to improving outcomes. Our primary objective was to develop artificial intelligence capable of predicting sepsis earlier using a minimal set of streaming physiological data in real time. METHODS AND FINDINGS A total of 29,552 adult patients were admitted to the intensive care unit across five regional hospitals in Memphis, Tenn, over 18 months from January 2017 to July 2018. From these, 5,958 patients were selected after filtering for continuous (minute-by-minute) physiological data availability. A total of 617 (10.4%) patients were identified as sepsis cases, using the Third International Consensus Definitions for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3) criteria. Physiomarkers, a set of signal processing features, were derived from five physiological data streams including heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure (systolic, diastolic, and mean), captured every minute from the bedside monitors. A support vector machine classifier was used for classification. The model accurately predicted sepsis up to a mean and 95% confidence interval of 17.4 ± 0.22 h before sepsis onset, with an average test accuracy of 83.0% (average sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristics curve of 0.757, 0.902, and 0.781, respectively). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates that salient physiomarkers derived from continuous bedside monitoring are temporally and differentially expressed in septic patients. Using this information, minimalistic artificial intelligence models can be developed to predict sepsis earlier in critically ill patients.
Novel Obesity Treatment Using Metformin Transdermal Patch

Objectives Metformin is the most commonly used FDA approved antidiabetic drug. Emerging evidence suggest that metformin can induce browning of white adipose tissue (WAT). However, oral administration of metformin has a low level of oral bioavailability, a high level of gastrointestinal side effects, and fast renal clearance, these lower its browning WAT efficacy. Hence, localized delivery of metformin directly to subcutaneous WAT (SubQ WAT) using transdermal delivery approach is an attractive alternative. The objectives of this study are to develop metformin transdermal patch and to evaluate its anti-obesity effects in mice.
True partial diphallia with associated penoscrotal transposition of two hemi-scrotums.

Abstract Diphallia or duplication of penis is extremely rare condition with a reported incidence of 1 in 5-6 million live births. Approximately around 100 cases of diphallia have been described in literature, each case have a unique presentation from associated anomalies. Clinically these patients can be classified into complete (true diphallia) or partial duplication. In true diphallia, each penis has 2 corpora cavernosa and 1 corpus spongiosum. If the duplicate penis is smaller or rudimentary with complete structure, it is described as true partial diphallia. The term bifid phallus is used if there is only one corpus cavernosum in each penis. Due to low incidence and varied presentation, not much is known about the underlying pathophysiology, management options, and outcomes. Here, we report a case of partial diphallia with associated penoscrotal transposition of 2 hemi-scrotums.
Performance of Unobserved Self-Collected Nasal Swabs for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR Utilizing a Remote Specimen Collection Strategy

Background The use of a remote specimen collection strategy employing a kit designed for unobserved self-collection for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) can decrease the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and exposure risk. To assess the impact of unobserved specimen self-collection on test performance, we examined results from a SARS-CoV-2 qualitative RT-PCR test for self-collected specimens from participants in a return-to-work screening program and assessed the impact of a pooled testing strategy in this cohort. Methods Self-collected anterior nasal swabs from employee return-to-work programs were tested using the Quest Diagnostics Emergency Use Authorization SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR. The cycle threshold (Ct) values for the N1 and N3 N-gene targets and a human RNase P (RP) gene control target were tabulated. For comparison, we utilized Ct values from a cohort of health care provider-collected specimens from patients with and without coronavirus disease 2019 symptoms. Results Among 47 923 participants, 1.8% were positive. RP failed to amplify for 13/115 435 (0.011%) specimens. The median (interquartile range) Cts were 32.7 (25.0-35.7) for N1 and 31.3 (23.8-34.2) for N3. Median Ct values in the self-collected cohort were significantly higher than those of symptomatic but not asymptomatic patients. Based on Ct values, pooled testing with 4 specimens would have yielded inconclusive results in 67/1268 (5.2%) specimens but only a single false-negative result. Conclusions Unobserved self-collection of nasal swabs provides adequate sampling for SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR testing. These findings alleviate concerns of increased false negatives in this context. Specimen pooling could be used for this population, as the likelihood of false-negative results is very low when using a sensitive, dual-target methodology.
The impact of covid-19 related school closures and sport cancellations on the health of adolescent athletes

Background:In March 2020, schools were closed to in-person teaching and interscholastic sports cancelled in an attempt to slow the spread of the COVID-19. Child health experts have stated that scho...
Robotic-Assisted Ovarian Transposition

Study Objective To identify indications and proper patient selection for ovarian transposition and to demonstrate surgical techniques of the procedure. Design Video demonstration of the ovarian transposition procedure with narrated discussion. Setting Tertiary academic teaching hospital. Patients or Participants N/A. Interventions This video demonstrates the steps and techniques for performing safe and efficient ovarian transposition. The goal of ovarian transposition is to fix the ovaries to a location that is outside of the field of radiation; this should be at least 1.5 centimeters above the iliac crest. Higher trocar placement is important for successful transposition of the ovaries out of the pelvis. Measurements and Main Results N/A. Conclusion Ovarian transposition allows for ovarian function preservation for reproductive-aged women undergoing pelvic radiation for cancer treatment. This procedure may be performed minimally invasively and requires thorough knowledge of pelvic anatomy with comfort entering the retroperitoneal space.
AMOEBA: Designing for collaboration in computer science classrooms through live learning analytics

AMOEBA is a unique tool to support teachers’ orchestration of collaboration among novice programmers in a non-traditional programming environment. The AMOEBA tool was designed and utilized to facilitate collaboration in a classroom setting in real time among novice middle school and high school programmers utilizing the IPRO programming environment. AMOEBA’s key affordance is supporting teachers’ pairing decisions with real time analyses of students’ programming progressions. Teachers can track which students are working in similar ways; this is supported by real-time graphical log analyses of student activities within the programming environment. Pairing students with support from AMOEBA led to improvements in students’ program complexity and depth. Analyses of the data suggest that the data mining techniques utilized in and the metrics provided by AMOEBA can support instructors in orchestrating cooperation. The primary contributions of this paper are a set of design principles around and a working tool for fostering collaboration in computer science classes.
Non-insulin-dependent diabetes in older patients: Complications and risk factors

Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus is predominantly a disease of aging, with more than 70 percent of non-insulin-dependent (type II) diabetic patients older than 55 years of age. The prevalence of macrovascular, microvascular, and neurologic complications in outpatients with type II diabetes between the ages of 55 and 74 was compared with that in a similarly aged nondiabetic group of patients. The association between duration of diabetes, hypertension, age, and other putative risk factors that are prevalent in this elderly diabetic population and the occurrence of complications was explored. This cross-sectional survey confirmed a significant increase in retinopathy, neuropathy, impotence, and macrovascular complications in patients with type II diabetes. Within the diabetic population, duration of disease was associated with the occurrence of retinopathy and neuropathy, but not associated with such macrovascular complications as coronary artery disease. Gender, type of therapy, and previously identified risk factors for vascular disease such as hypertension had little impact on the prevalence of complications in this population. The notion that type II diabetes in the elderly represents “mild” diabetes with regard to complications must be discarded. Further identification of risk factors within this diabetic population may suggest therapeutic approaches that will prevent or ameliorate the development of complications.
Determination of crystalline content gradients in cold-drawn poly-L-lactic acid films by DSC

Poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) is a semi-crystalline, optically active, biodegradable, and biocompatible polymer that has been utilized extensively in biomedical applications as an implantable artificial cell scaffold material. In its crystalline form, PLLA is piezoelectric and it has been implicated in the enhancement of electromechanically induced osteogenesis in vivo. In its amorphous state, however, PLLA does not exhibit piezoelectricity. By uniaxially cold-drawing the polymer, PLLA can be endowed with varying degrees of piezoelectricity. It is important to understand the crystalline architecture of drawn PLLA so that the osteogenic potential imparted by piezoelectricity, if any, can be differentiated from the effects of sample crystallinity. In our work we investigate the induced crystallinity for samples of drawn PLLA at draw ratios between 1.0 and 5.5 by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). As long-range molecular ordering occurs along the draw axis, we observe an increase in the average percent crystallinity up to a draw ratio of 5.0 and a slight decrease at a draw ratio of 5.5. More importantly, we observe significant heterogeneity in the crystalline content along the draw axis of standard dumbbells cut from PLLA and cold-drawn to representative draw ratios of 2.5 and 4.0. On average, the highest percent crystallinity occurs nearest the dumbbell center, but the maximum crystallinity is independent of draw ratio. Therefore, the draw ratio should not be considered a semi-quantitative estimate of localized PLLA crystallinity and point-to-point analysis of crystallinity in PLLA samples is required for constructing scaffolds with enhanced cell growth properties.
Alternative strategies of recurrent selection for seed yield of soybean

Recurrent selection programs can be manipulated by varying either the extensiveness of testing used to identify superior lines or the number of intermating generations conducted among the superior lines between cycles of selection. The research was conducted to compare the performance of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) lines derived from populations developed by recurrent selection for seed yield using a factorial arrangement that combined one or two stages of replicated yield testing to identify superior lines with one or three generations of intermating among the selected lines. The base population AP6, which was used for this evaluation of alternative strategies of recurrent selection, was derived from 40 high-yielding strains of Maturity Groups 0 to IV. For this study, the 40 original parents of AP6 and the lines used as the parents for the most advanced cycle of selections for each of the strategies were evaluated in four Iowa environments. The number of cycles of selection completed for the strategies under evaluation varied from two to five. Strategies with two stages of replicated yield testing to select superior lines resulted in a larger number of high-yielding lines than when only one stage of testing was conducted. A larger number of high-yielding lines was obtained from strategies with one generation of intermating than when three generations were used. With the procedures used for the one-stage and two-stage tests in this study, the results indicated that an appropriate strategy for recurrent selection of seed yield in soybean would involve two stages of replicated yield testing to identify superior lines and one generation of intermating among the selected lines to form a new population.
Advancing immunosuppression in heart transplantation: "one step forward, two steps back.

Diligent anecdotal experiencewith cyclosporine in themid1980s, established heart transplantation as a therapeutic reality. Over a decade later, 1998 marked a watershed moment when cardiac allograft immunosuppression took a vivid step forward. Compelling evidence indicated that mycophenolate mofetil improved cardiac allograft survival by affecting hemodynamically compromising rejection, an event signaling demise of azathioprine as an adjunctive immunosuppressant of choice (1). In tandem, tacrolimus became the more dominant calcineurin inhibitor for use, instead of cyclosporine. Investigations of various immunosuppression combinations, including proliferation signal inhibitors such as sirolimus, suggested that tacrolimus and mycophenolate mofetil together provided the most optimal risk-benefit ratio (2). The first large-scale attempt to investigate the superiority of 2 doses of everolimus (1.5 mg and 3.0 mg daily) against azathioprine demonstrated improved histological rejection profiles but worse renal function with full dose cyclosporine. Increased rates of bacterial infections, nonspecified pulmonary complications and cardiometabolic adverse events were noted (3). A glimmer of hope appeared when attenuation of progressive intimal thickening by intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) was demonstrated in a subset of patients able to undergo this procedure. Unfortunately, controversy marred this surrogate finding due to the highly selective performance of ultrasound in only a small study subset and no convincing evidence for improved cardiac allograft outcomes in longterm follow-up (4). During this time, monoclonal antibodies supplanted older induction agents like OKT3, but use of these agents persisted unfettered even when evidence for clinical benefit was not forthcoming (5).
Neutrophil Elastase Induces MUC5AC Mucin Production in Human Airway Epithelial Cells via a Cascade Involving Protein Kinase C, Reactive Oxygen Species, and TNF-α-Converting Enzyme

Mucus hypersecretion is a prominent manifestation in patients with chronic inflammatory airway diseases and contributes to their morbidity and mortality by plugging airways and causing recurrent infections. Human neutrophil elastase (HNE) exists in high concentrations (1-20 microM) in airway secretions of these patients and induces overproduction of MUC5AC mucin, a major component of airway mucus. Previous studies showed that HNE induces MUC5AC mucin production involving reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and TGF-alpha-dependent epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) activation in human airway epithelial cells. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in these responses are not defined. TNF-alpha-converting enzyme (TACE) cleaves pro-TGF-alpha into soluble TGF-alpha and can be activated by ROS. We hypothesize that HNE activates TACE via ROS generation, resulting in cleavage of pro-TGF-alpha, EGFR activation, and MUC5AC mucin expression in airway epithelial cells. Here we show that in human airway epithelial cells HNE increases TGF-alpha release, EGFR phosphorylation, and MUC5AC mucin expression, effects that were attenuated by TACE inhibitor TAPI-1 and by specific knockdown of TACE expression with small interfering RNA, implicating TACE in HNE-induced responses. These responses to HNE were also reduced by pretreatment with ROS scavengers, implicating ROS. Furthermore, we show that HNE causes protein kinase C (PKC) activation and translocation from cytosol to plasma membrane; blockade of this effect by PKC inhibitors reduced HNE-induced ROS generation and other responses, implicating PKC. We conclude that HNE induces MUC5AC mucin expression via a cascade involving PKC-ROS-TACE in human airway epithelial cells.
Overlaying Surface Meshes: Extension and Parallelization

Many computational applications involve multiple physical components and require exchanging data across the interface between them, often on parallel computers. The interface is typically represented by surface meshes that are non-matching, with differing connectivities and geometry. To transfer data accurately and conservatively, it is important to construct a common refinement (or common tessellation) of these surface meshes. Previously, Jiao and Heath developed an algorithm for constructing a common refinement by overlaying the surface meshes. The original algorithm was efficient and robust but unfortunately was complex and difficult to implement and parallelize. In this paper, we present a modified algorithm for overlaying surface meshes. Our algorithm employs a higher-level primitive, namely face-face intersection, to facilitate easy parallelization of mesh overlay while retaining the robustness of the original algorithm. We also introduce a safeguarded projection primitives to improve the robustness against non-matching features and potential topological inconsistencies. We present numerical examples to demonstrate the robustness and effectiveness of the new method on parallel computers.
Long periodic shadowing

A general theorem for establishing the existence of a true periodic orbit near a numerically computed pseudoperiodic orbit of an autonomous system of ordinary differential equations is presented. For practical applications, a Newton method is devised to compute appropriate pseudoperiodic orbits. Then numerical considerations for checking the hypotheses of the theorem in terms of quantities which can be computed directly from the pseudoperiodic orbit and the vector field are addressed. Finally, a numerical method for estimating the Lyapunov exponents of the true periodic orbit is given. The theory and computations are designed to be applicable for unstable periodic orbits with long periods. The existence of several such periodic orbits of the Lorenz equations is exhibited.
Nanodomain control in copolymer thin films

Diblock copolymers are composed of two chemically distinct chains covalently bonded together at one end. We have discovered how to control the orientation of diblock copolymer microdomains (made up of nanoscopic cylinders, or lamellae) in thin films. To do this, we eliminated all preferential interfacial segregation of the components by anchoring random copolymers, composed of identical monomers to the diblock copolymer, to both interfaces of the film. The composition of the random copolymer is tailored to balance interactions between the segments of the copolymer and the interfaces.
Multi-symplectic spectral methods for the sine-gordon equation

Recently it has been shown that spectral discretizations provide another class of multi-symplectic integrators for Hamiltonian wave equations with periodic boundary conditions. In this note we develop multi-symplectic spectral discretizations for the sine-Gordon equation. We discuss the preservation of its phase space geometry, as measured by the associated nonlinear spectrum, by the multi-symplectic spectral methods.
Three Cs of Translating Evidence‐Based Programs for Youth and Families to Practice Settings

Despite the growing number of evidence-based programs (EBPs) for youth and families, few are well-integrated in service systems or widely adopted by communities. One set of challenges to widespread adoption of EBPs relates to the transfer of programs from research and development to practice settings. This is often because program developers have limited guidance on how to prepare their programs for broad dissemination in practice settings. We describe Three Cs of Translation, which are key areas that are essential for developers to translate their EBPs from research to practice settings: (1) Communicate the underlying theory in terms easily understandable to end users, (2) Clarify fidelity and flexibility, and (3) Codify implementation lessons and examples. Program developers are in the best position to describe their interventions, to define intervention core components, to clarify fidelity and flexibility, and to codify implementation lessons from intervention studies. We note several advantages for developers to apply the Three Cs prior to intervention dissemination and provide specific recommendations for translation.
Lithium-containing semiconductor crystals for radiation detection

Semiconductor materials have shown promise as ionizing radiation detection devices; however, to be used as a neutron detector, these materials require the addition of a nucleus with a large neutron absorption cross section (such as 10B or 6Li) to capture thermal neutrons and convert them into directly detectable particles. A semiconducting material that contains the neutron absorber within its regular stoichiometry has the potential to be more efficient than a layered or heterogeneous device at transferring the kinetic energy of the charged particle into the semiconducting material. One class of materials that has shown promise is Li-containing AIBIIIXVI 2 compounds such as LiGaTe2, LiGaSe2, and LiInSe2. These materials have band gaps (2-3.5 eV) appropriate for room-temperature detection of thermal neutrons and would be the first detection material that is simultaneously, exquisitely sensitive to thermal neutrons; is insensitive to gammas; and acts as a direct conversion device. A vacuum distillation process provided high-purity lithium metal for AIBIIIXVI 2 synthesis. Single crystals of sufficient bulk resistivity (grown for LiGaSe2 and LiInSe2LiInSe2) showed a distinct photo response as well as a clear response to alpha particles. Additional radiation measurements indicated that a 6 mm x 7 mm x 1.33 mm crystal of LiInSe2 detected gamma rays, and despite being composed of natural abundance lithium, responded to thermal neutrons as well.
Isospin relaxation time in heavy-ion collisions at intermediate energies

Using an isospin-dependent transport model, we have studied the isospin and momentum relaxation times in the heavy residues formed in heavy-ion collisions at intermediate energies. It is found that only at incident energies below the Fermi energy can chemical or thermal equilibrium be reached before dynamical instability is developed in the heavy residues. Also, the isospin relaxation time is shorter (longer) than that for momentum at beam energies lower (higher) than the Fermi energy. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
Automated content analysis of multiple-choice test item banks

Test item review is a specialized type of content analysis conducted to identify and correct test item flaws early in the test development process. Test item reviewers not only examine the targeted content of a test but also remove inappropriate content and balance various types of incidental content. An automated content analysis implementation of Hiller’s verbal ambiguity scales and Laffal’s General Concept Dictionary of English was used to examine 576 multiple-choice test items before and after test item review and revision by experienced item editors. Hiller’s scales detected some problems with item clarity. Laffal’s categories detected content imbalance between test forms but not inappropriate item content.
Elastic behavior, brittle failure and plastic flow of filamentary materials

Abstract The general features of elastic behavior, brittle failure, and plastic yielding are investigated under plane stress for a material composed of arrays of elastic-brittle or elastic-plastic filaments. Filamentary material linear elastic constitutive relations are derived and conditions for planar elastic isotropy are explored. Initial and subsequent fracture surfaces (which are generally anisotropic) and stress-strain behavior are computed for brittle filament materials. The form of incremental plastic stress-strain laws, initial yield surfaces, and subsequent yield surfaces are presented for general filament work-hardening. Examples are presented for brittle, perfectly plastic, and kinematic linear work hardening filaments, illustrating application of the analysis and the main results.
Bargaining power and the arbitration and adjudication of territorial claims

To examine the political factors that influence the use of legal mechanisms to resolve territorial disputes, we model the decision to pursue arbitration and adjudication as part of a bargaining process in the shadow of war. We find that arbitration and adjudication can help prevent bargaining breakdown, but states only pursue and comply with such measures when the expected ruling reflects the balance of power between them. To test the theory, we examine compliance with arbitral and adjudicated rulings on territorial claims. In line with our expectations, states are less likely to comply when the stronger disputant is asked to make greater concessions. We conclude that power politics constrains the conditions under which legal mechanisms can be used to successfully manage contentious claims over territory.
Improving the economics of biodiesel production through the use of low value lipids as feedstocks: vegetable oil soapstock

Semirefined and refined vegetable oils are the predominant feedstocks for the production of biodiesel. However, their relatively high costs render the resulting fuels unable to compete with petroleum-derived fuel. We have investigated the production of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME; biodiesel) from soapstock (SS), a byproduct of edible oil refining that is substantially less expensive than edible-grade refined oils. Multiple approaches were taken in search of a route to the production of fatty acid methyl esters from soybean soapstock. The most effective method involved the complete saponification of the soapstock followed by acidulation using methods similar to those presently employed in industry. This resulted in an acid oil with a free fatty acid (FFA) content greater than 90%. These fatty acids were efficiently converted to methyl esters by acid-catalyzed esterification. The fatty acid composition of the resulting ester product reflected that of soy soapstock and was largely similar to that of soybean oil. Following a simple washing protocol, this preparation met the established specifications for biodiesel of the American Society for Testing and Materials. Engine emissions and performance during operation on soy soapstock biodiesel were comparable to those on biodiesel from soy oil. An economic analysis suggested that the production cost of soapstock biodiesel would be approximately US$ 0.41/l, a 25% reduction relative to the estimated cost of biodiesel produced from soy oil.
Changes in geotechnical properties of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in bioreactor landfill with degradation

The objectives of the research described in this paper are to: study the composition of fresh Municipal Solid Waste (MSW); study the effects of decomposition on physical characteristics of MSW in bioreactor landfill. Initially, composition of the fresh MSW constituents was determined based on 14 bag MSW samples. Then, four small-scale bioreactor landfills were simulated in laboratory and samples were prepared to represent each phase of decomposition. Laboratory tests were conducted to determine the changes in physical characteristics (moisture content, organic content, specific gravity, density and permeability) of MSW at each phase of decomposition and presented in this paper.
Teacher–Child Interactions in Infant/Toddler Child Care and Socioemotional Development

Research Findings: The teacher–child relationships that develop in infant/toddler child care provide a critical caregiving context for young children’s socioemotional development. However, gaps remain in researchers’ understanding of the individual-level processes that facilitate socioemotional development, specifically in center-based child care programs. Guided by ecological theory, this article offers a review of the current literature on this topic, including influential factors and developmental outcomes associated with teacher–child interaction quality, the teacher–child relationship as a compensatory mechanism for children facing risk, and differential susceptibility to caregiving experiences. Practice or Policy: Within the context of infant/toddler child care, many opportunities exist for researchers to refine the measurement of individual teacher–child interactions, test young children’s self-regulation as an outcome variable, and develop understanding of compensatory and differential susceptibil...
Nd-Sr isotopic, geochemical, and petrographic stratigraphy and paleotectonic analysis: Mesozoic Great Valley forearc sedimentary rocks of California

Measurements of Nd-Sr isotopes, major and trace elements, and model mineralogy were made on Upper Jurassic and Cretaceous Great Valley forearc sedimentary rocks to test models for the temporal and spatial evolution of Sierra Nevada arc sources. Isotopes and major and trace elements are sensitive provenance indicators because of the large west-east isotopic, geochemical, and age gradients in the plutonic rocks of the Sierra Nevada batholith, and because petrographic models indicate that source areas moved east during the Cretaceous. Isotopic and chemical variations are correlated in the forearc sandstone; as ϵNd decreases, Th, U, La, Nb, Zr, Hf, Pb, Rb, SiO2, and K2O concentrations increase, and FeO, MgO, TiO2, Ni, and Cr concentrations decrease. This relation is the same as that observed in the plutonic rocks and indicates that the arc was the primary source of sediment and that the sandstone chemistry was not disturbed by sedimentary processes. The ϵNd-ϵSr relation of San Joaquin Valley sandstone is the same as the plutonic rocks, but Sacramento Valley sandstone is elevated in ϵSr because of seawater exchange, weathering, and diagenesis. Whole-rock sandstone decreases in ϵNd from +7 to -5 and increases in 87Sr/86Sr from 0.7045 to 0.7073 with decreasing stratigraphic age. The Nd-Sr isotopic composition is correlative with the plagioclase to feldspar ratio and indicates that source areas moved inland during the Cretaceous. Upper Cretaceous San Joaquin Valley shale is similar in ϵNd to the sandstone, indicating that sandstone and shale were derived from the same source and that the Nd isotopic composition is independent of grain size. The shale is higher in 87Sr/86Sr than the sandstone, possibly due to concentration of biotite in the fine fraction during transport and subsequent Rb loss during diagenesis. Nd-Sr isotopes were used to construct models to locate source areas. Parameters include lithology, drainage basin geometry, and erosion rate. The age and isotopic compositions of the calculated igneous component of the sandstone correspond to the age and isotopic compositions of the plutonic rocks of the batholith; this correspondence indicates that (1) the isotopic composition of the plutonic rocks and the coeval volcanic cover were similar, (2) the volcanic front was denuded within a few million years, and (3) the sediment was derived from the head of the drainage basin, located at the migrating volcanic front.
Quantum electrodynamics in the infinite energy limit

Abstract The spectral form of the single particle Green's functions of charged fields are derived for spin zero and spin one-half fields. The restrictions imposed on the spectral weight functions by the commutation relations and the “kinematic” coupling of the charged field to the electromagnetic field are studied. It is shown that they require extremely slow convergence of the infinite integrals over the weight functions. In fact, the commonly made assumptions of uniform convergence of all such integrals with respect to any parameter of interest would lead to a contradiction of the consistency of the theory. However, it is pointed out that “reasonable” solutions of the theory could exist with the requisite convergence properties.
Adaptations of neurotransmitter synthesis to chronic hypoxia in cell culture

Tyrosine hydroxylase and tryptophan hydroxylase are widely held to be rate-limiting for the synthesis of the catecholamines and serotonin, respectively. Both enzymes are oxygen-requiring and kinetic properties suggest that oxygen availability may limit synthesis of these neurotransmitters in the brain. Using pheochromocytoma cells as a cell culture model for catecholamine synthesis, and neuroblastoma cells as a model for serotonin synthesis, enzyme activity was measured under control and hypoxic conditions. Both tyrosine hydroxylase and tryptophan hydroxylase activity increased substantially with chronic exposure but not with acute exposure. In the case of tyrosine hydroxylase, increased enzyme content with hypoxia accounts for increased activity. This suggests a mechanism for the maintenance of neurotransmitter synthesis with chronic hypoxia. Measurement of intracellular metabolites revealed no change in dopamine or norepinephrine in hypoxic pheochromocytoma cells, consistent with a simple adaptive mechanism. However, in neuroblastoma cells, hypoxia was associated with an increase in serotonin concentration. The reasons for this are still unclear.
Myogenic and chondrogenic lineages in developing limb buds grown in vitro

Embryonic chick leg bud mesoderms from stages 17 through 25 were cultured from 1 to 3 weeks as explants or as monolayers (1×104 to 2×106 cells per 35 mm dish). Differentiation of muscle and cartilage was exmained in living and fixed cultures. In media known to permit either type of terminal differentiation, first myotubes and later chondrified clusters of cells appeared in all explant cultures. However, stage 21 was the earliest these cell types were obtained in low and high density monolayers. Myogenic clones were derived from stage 21–22 cells; “mixed clones,” with muscle and cartilage, did not occur. Only a small percentage of cells in any one cultured population terminally differentiated. The small percentage of cells whose progeny terminally differentiated increased with culture of older stages. These results are consistent with mesoderm development by means of distinct and multicompartmented lineages, the cells of which are asynchronously distributed in vivo and in vitro. Alternatives for myogenic and chondrogenic lineages are discussed.
Habit and Orientation in Electron Diffraction

Electron diffraction patterns of etched tungsten surfaces apparently indicate a preferred orientation of the crystallites, with [100] \ensuremath{\perp} surface. Actually, the etching leaves, on grains of a certain orientation, a structure exceptionally favorable for diffraction, and these selected grains dominate in the scattering. Analogous examples of weighted sampling, rather than random sampling, appear in studies of clays and of graphite. We suggest that crystal habit may frequently replace preferred crystal orientation as the cause of arcing in reflection patterns.
Persistent IR hole burning in crystals and glasses

Abstract Persistent IR spectral holes have been generated in the electronic ground state inside the inhomogeneously broadened vibrational absorption bands of various defect-host combinations. Four different kinds of vibrational hole burning spectra are described: 1) the hole and antihole in the same absorption line, 2) the antihole removed in frequency from the inhomogeneously broadened line, 3) multiple antiholes and 4) the burning at one vibrational mode frequency while monitoring the persistent changes produced in the other internal (IR) or external (FIR) modes with a high resolution FT interferometer. All molecule: chalcogenide glass combinations show persistent IR spectral holes and spontaneous hole filling at low temperatures. Persistence appears to be produced by molecular reorientation and/or local host restructuring.
A framework for the role of acute inflammation in tumor progression

Breast cancer remains the second leading cancer-related death in women in the United States. Despite improvements in early detection, prevention, and treatment, the mortality rate in breast cancer remains high secondary to the potential for cancer recurrence and the development of metastasis. To minimize breast cancer-related morbidity and mortality, understanding the factors leading to an increased risk of metastasis and developing clinical interventions that reduce this risk is essential. While the association between chronic inflammation and cancer progression is well documented in the literature, the role of acute inflammation and its impact on tumor proliferation and metastasis is less well understood. Here, we will review recently published preclinical studies in mouse models indicating that acute inflammation caused by clinical interventions plays an important role in the risk of peripheral metastases. In addition, we will address the potential impact that these findings may have on the clinical management of breast cancer.
XCMS2: Processing Tandem Mass Spectrometry Data for Metabolite Identification and Structural Characterization

Mass spectrometry based metabolomics represents a new area for bioinformatics technology development. While the computational tools currently available such as XCMS statistically assess and rank LC-MS features, they do not provide information about their structural identity. XCMS(2) is an open source software package which has been developed to automatically search tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) data against high quality experimental MS/MS data from known metabolites contained in a reference library (METLIN). Scoring of hits is based on a "shared peak count" method that identifies masses of fragment ions shared between the analytical and reference MS/MS spectra. Another functional component of XCMS(2) is the capability of providing structural information for unknown metabolites, which are not in the METLIN database. This "similarity search" algorithm has been developed to detect possible structural motifs in the unknown metabolite which may produce characteristic fragment ions and neutral losses to related reference compounds contained in METLIN, even if the precursor masses are not the same.
New experiments on quantization of circulation in superfluid 4 He

We measure circulation in superfluid4He around a thin vibrating wire which can serve as the core of a vortex. As well as confirming earlier measurements of the quantum of circulation, our data yield new information on the dynamics of transitions between stable circulation states. A situation in which a vortex line partially detaches from the wire, with the free end precessing about the wire, is observed.
JMV Marek's disease tumor cells have B-cell characteristics.

Abstract In vivo and in vitro methods were used to determine whether JMV Marek's disease (MD) tumor cells have B-cell or T-cell characteristics. JMV tumor cells were treated with anti-T-cell serum (ATS) and complement (C) or anti-B serum (ABS) and C and then inoculated into 1-day-old chickens. Within 2 weeks of inoculation, 95% of chickens inoculated with ATS- and C-treated cells died of JMV-induced leukemia, whereas only 10% of chickens inoculated with ABS- and C-treated cells succumbed. This in vivo result indicated that the malignant cells may be B cells. In vitro studies corroborated this conclusion. ABS and C killed 99 to 100% of cultivated JMV cells, whereas little or no killing of JMV cells was achieved by ATS and C, as demonstrated by trypan blue dye exclusion or by release of 51Cr from labeled JMV cells. Furthermore, after staining of JMV cells with fluorescein-conjugated rabbit anti-chicken immunoglobulin, all cells fluoresced, indicating that JMV cells have surface immunoglobulin. With support of these lines of evidence, we conclude that JMV Marek's disease tumor cells have B-cell characteristics.
Adaptive linear filtering when signal distributions are unknown

This paper considers the problem of linear signal estimation when the time-discrete data consists of signal plus additive independent noise. The signal probability distributions are completely unknown but the noise mean and covariance properties are known. The paper considers two main problems. The first is the definition of an adaptive procedure for filtering. The second is the analysis of the procedure for the special case of stationary Gaussian data with zero mean and square integrable spectral density. It is believed that the procedure defined has a wider applicability than other methods and that the analytical approach is entirely new.
Large Deviations and Scaling Limit

We explore the behavior under scaling limits of large systems using methods from the theory large deviations. This is carried out through the examination of a few examples.
GaN/AlGaN MODFET with 80 GHz fmax and >100 V gate-drain breakdown voltage

The authors report on the characteristics of 0.25 /spl mu/m gate-length GaN/AlGaN modulation doped field effect transistors grown by MOCVD on sapphire. A record combination of high breakdown voltage (>100 V) and high frequency performance (f/sub T/=27 GHz, f/sub max/=80 GHz) was achieved, which demonstrates the excellent potential of these devices for microwave power applications.
Origins of the universal binding-energy relation.

The universality of the relation between binding energy and interatomic separation occurs for metallic and covalent bonds in a wide range of situations, spanning diatomic-molecule energetics, chemisorption, bimetallic adhesion, cohesion in solids, and even interactions in nuclear matter. This has intrigued physicists for some time, and here we provide some insights into its origin. We considered the electron density distribution as the variable linking the total energy and interparticle separation. In the spirit of effective-medium theory, a host electron density as seen by each atom was computed. We found that in every case (cohesion, chemisorption, and diatomic molecules), the host electron density was, to a good approximation, a simple exponential function of interparticle separation. This arises primarily because of the essentially exponential decay of the electron density into vacancy sites, into interstitial regions, into the vacuum from surfaces, or into the vacuum from isolated atoms. This suggested a scaling of the electron density which provides a universal relationship between the scaled interatomic separation and the scaled electron density.This density scaling is key. We applied the scaling of the electron density to impurity-binding-energy--host-electron-density curves computed via the effective-medium approximation. A universal energy--electron-density relationship resulted. This could be combined with the previously noted universal relation between scaled electron density and interparticle separation to yield the universal binding-energy--distance relation. First-principles values of cohesive energies of solids and the energetics of certain diatomic molecules were also correlated with host electron densities, despite the fact that these types of energies are fundamentally different from each other and from impurity binding energies. We found a universal relationship between energies and host electron densities for cohesion and certain diatomic molecules which was the same as the one discovered for impurity binding energies. This, together with the universal relationship between electron density and interatomic separation, helps one to understand how a single energy-distance relation could describe chemisorption and cohesion as well as diatomic energetics.
Acting Authentically: Performance and Transnational Authenticity in Tchicaya U Tam'si's The Glorious Destiny of Marshall Nnikon Nniku

This article discusses Tchicaya U Tam’si’s The Glorious Destiny of Marshall Nnikon Nniku ( Le Destin glorieux du Marechal Nnikon Nniku, prince qu’on sort ) as a satirical response to the dictatorship of Joseph-Desire Mobutu and his policy of authenticity. I examine Mobutu’s authenticity campaign as a transnational phenomenon that involves accepting and performing international perceptions of Africa as “traditional” and suggest that Tchicaya’s play uses this transnationality to both critique and resist policies such as Mobutu’s. Furthermore, I claim that “authentic” power such as Mobutu’s is primarily a transnational performance and that Tchicaya’s resistance—embodied in the play by Lheki—is equally transnational and performative.
Valve sparing operation in a child with aneurysmal disease of the ascending aorta

We describe an aortic valve-sparing operation in a small child with an ascending aortic aneurysm and root dilatation. The operation avoids the need for a prosthetic valve and long-term anticoagulation. Thus, the procedure is an attractive alternative for young children in whom a Ross procedure is not feasible.