cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Physiological consequences of exposure to salinized roadside ponds on wood frog larvae and adults

Abstract Aquatic organisms living adjacent to roads face many challenges posed by exposure to toxic runoff. The use of de-icing road salt across northern latitudes has salinized nearby freshwater habitats. Freshwater amphibians exposed to road salt at early life stages typically experience reduced survival; however, few studies address later-life effects. One study investigating whether populations can adapt to roadside ponds found survival in wood frog embryos raised in roadside environments was lowest in individuals with parents from roadside ponds. We investigated whether this negative response is also exhibited in late larval stages in reciprocally transplanted individuals from roadside populations and those located away from roads (‘woodland’ populations). We found reduced growth rates and more variable developmental rates in larvae raised in roadside ponds relative to woodland ponds regardless of origin, but no difference in survival between rearing environments. Laboratory exposure to road salt at relevant concentrations (0.6 ppt salinity) reduced larval activity and foraging behaviors, which may explain slower growth observed in the transplant experiment. Physiological assays of adult males migrating to breed revealed increased water retention in roadside populations. Further, these bloated males exhibited elevated resting plasma corticosterone levels and reduced capacity to secrete corticosterone when stimulated. Potential fitness consequences, such as reduced longevity and fecundity post metamorphosis through adulthood, of the roadside habitat could affect wood frog demography. Taken together, we provide evidence that the conditions experienced in the roadside environment pose challenges across life stages that have implications for persistence if populations are challenged with further stressors.
Juries and the death penalty

Sentencing is not in the exclusive province of juries in this country. Indeed, the entire federal court system and many state court systems ask judges, not juries, to prescribe punishment. The vision of the jury as a buffer between the state and the accused becomes cloudy in sentencing. When the question is whether a jury that has convicted should also be allowed to impose the sentence, concerns over competence, bias, and motive (vengeance) arise. It is important to understand the role of the jury in sentencing and consider the concerns over its role in capital sentencing. In recent capital cases, tension has resulted from attempting to achieve objective symmetrical results by limiting jury discretion while simultaneously insisting that the jury tailor its sentence to the individual circumstances of each accused. Following a review of the evolving constitutional law of capital punishment as exemplified in a number of Supreme Court cases, it becomes evident that the most effective means of guiding a jury rests with efforts to sequence its decisional process or narrowing the definition of capital murder.
Critical role of telomerase in regulating cerebral vascular function and redox environment

RationaleCerebrovascular dysfunction has been directly been linked to cerebral micro bleeds and cognitive decline in clinical settings and rodent models of stroke and dementias. Recent clinical studies suggest that oxidative stress may facilitate the development and progression of impaired Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) in patients with cerebrovascular disease. FMD is the most physiological relevant form of endothelial-mediated vasodilation. Our laboratory has previously shown that telomerase, a ribo-nucleoprotein that counteracts telomere shortening, has a protective effect on endothelial function under conditions of oxidative stress in the human microcirculation. For example, in the presence of coronary artery disease, decreased telomerase activity contributes to a shift in the mediator of FMD from atheroprotective nitric oxide (NO) to pro-inflammatory and atherogenic hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Endothelial dysfunction in the cerebral vasculature has been directly linked to cerebral microbleeds and cognitiv...
Application of Metallacycle-Mediated Annulative Cross-Coupling Chemistry to Neurotrophic seco -Prezizaane Natural Products

Abstract This chapter describes our journey associated with efforts to prepare members of the seco-prezizaane family of neurotrophic natural products. Efforts sprung from a chemical foundation consisting of a new metallacycle-mediated annulative cross-coupling suitable for the synthesis of densely functionalized hydrindanes, and traversed speculations regarding reaction mechanism, design of a strategy to alter the mechanistic course of annulation as a means to access products thought to be better suited as intermediates en route to the natural product targets, and ultimately the design and execution of a synthetic pathway to several members of the natural product class.
Particulate Matter Air Pollution and Racial Differences in Cardiovascular Disease Risk.

Objective— We aimed to assess racial differences in air pollution exposures to ambient fine particulate matter (particles with median aerodynamic diameter 2.5 ]) and black carbon (BC) and their association with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, arterial endothelial function, incident CVD events, and all-cause mortality. Approach and Results— Data from the HeartSCORE study (Heart Strategies Concentrating on Risk Evaluation) were used to estimate 1-year average air pollution exposure to PM 2.5 and BC using land use regression models. Correlates of PM 2.5 and BC were assessed using linear regression models. Associations with clinical outcomes were determined using Cox proportional hazards models, adjusting for traditional CVD risk factors. Data were available on 1717 participants (66% women; 45% blacks; 59±8 years). Blacks had significantly higher exposure to PM 2.5 (mean 16.1±0.75 versus 15.7±0.73µg/m 3 ; P =0.001) and BC (1.19±0.11 versus 1.16±0.13abs; P =0.001) compared with whites. Exposure to PM 2.5 , but not BC, was independently associated with higher blood glucose and worse arterial endothelial function. PM 2.5 was associated with a higher risk of incident CVD events and all-cause mortality combined for median follow-up of 8.3 years. Blacks had 1.45 (95% CI, 1.00–2.09) higher risk of combined CVD events and all-cause mortality than whites in models adjusted for relevant covariates. This association was modestly attenuated with adjustment for PM 2.5 . Conclusions— PM 2.5 exposure was associated with elevated blood glucose, worse endothelial function, and incident CVD events and all-cause mortality. Blacks had a higher rate of incident CVD events and all-cause mortality than whites that was only partly explained by higher exposure to PM 2.5 .
Frameworks for African-centered youth development: A critical comparison of the Nguzo Saba and the five Cs

Several African-centered theoretical models have been developed to conceptualize the process of healthy development among members of the African-American community. Within prevention-based research...
Children's mental health and its predictors in kinship and non-kinship foster care: A systematic review

Abstract The purpose of this systematic review is to compare the associations of kinship care and non-kinship care with children's mental health and to examine the factors associated with children's mental health in kinship care and non-kinship foster care. A comprehensive search was conducted in nine databases, and 237 articles were identified yielding eight studies that met criteria. Study designs, sample characteristics, methodologies, and results were collected and entered into data matrices and data was analyzed narratively. This review found that children in kinship care exhibited better mental health outcomes than children in non-kinship care in the univariate and bivariate comparisons. However, the associations between kinship care and children's mental health in regression models were mixed across studies. The associations depended on research designs (cross-sectional or prospective longitudinal design) and whether statistical models addressed selection bias and controlled for confounders. This review also identified that child maltreatment related factors, placement related factors, child level factors, foster caregiver level factors, foster family environmental level factors, and neighborhood level factors were associated with foster children's mental health. Some implications for practice and research were discussed.
Nanomechanical characterization of titanium incorporated gallium oxide nanocrystalline thin films

Abstract The effect of titanium (Ti) incorporation on the crystal structure and mechanical properties of nanocrystalline gallium oxide (Ga 2 O 3 ) films (Ga-Ti-O) is reported. Ti content was varied from 0 to ∼5 at% in the cosputter-deposited Ga-Ti-O films. The sputtering power applied to the Ti target was varied in the range of 0–100 W, while the sputtering power to Ga 2 O 3 was maintained at 100 W, to produce Ga-Ti-O films with variable Ti contents (0–5 at%). The Ti incorporation-induced effects were significant on the structural and mechanical properties. X-ray diffraction analysis indicated that structural transformation occurred with the increase in Ti content. The effect of Ti and associated microstructural changes are significant on the hardness (H) and elastic modulus (E r ). The H values increased continuously from 25 to 30 GPa as a function of Ti up to 1.5 at%, after which a decreasing trend was observed. The Ga-Ti-O films exhibited excellent mechanical characteristics: H ∼30 GPa, E r ∼310 GPa, H/E r ∼0.14, and H 3 / E r 2 ∼0.4 GPa, which are higher compared to those of intrinsic β-Ga 2 O 3 . On the basis of these results, a structure-composition-mechanical property correlation in Ga-Ti-O films is established.
Platelet and Granulocyte Transfusion

A major advance in our ability to treat patients with hematologic malignancies (particularly those with acute leukemia) has been the development of cell component transfusion support during the pancytopenia resulting from remission induction therapy and subsequent intensive consolidation and bone marrow transplantation. The first therapeutic “platelet transfusions” occurred when Duke (Duke, JAMA 55:1185–9, 1910) transfused fresh whole blood in 1910, after noting an association between thrombocytopenia and bleeding and observing that correction of bleeding was associated with an increase in platelet count. However, 50 years were required to develop the technology for separating platelets efficiently from blood and allowing their administration as a separate blood component. In 1963 Freireich et al. (Ann Intern Med 59:277–87, 1963) demonstrated the clinical effectiveness of platelet transfusions in children with acute leukemia, using platelet-rich plasma as the transfused blood product. The ability to provide platelets as a separate concentrated blood component has substantially improved the hematologic support of leukemia patients and has decreased the incidence of deaths caused by hemorrhage. Further technical advances have improved the quality of this blood product, and careful studies of transfusion practices have led to specific guidelines to optimize platelet transfusion support. The success of platelet transfusion therapy led to attempts to separate granulocytes as a blood component, to help combat the other major problem in leukemia supportive care—the management of infection.
Fast Calculation of the Magnetic Field and Loss Distributions in the Stator Core End Packets and Finger Plates of Large Synchronous Generators

The significant eddy current losses in the stator core end packets and finger plates of large synchronous generators due to the end leakage fluxes may lead to partial overheating and predicting the relevant loss distributions is crucial for their design. Compared to the accurate but extremely time-consuming three-dimensional (3D) finite-element analysis (FEA), quasi-3D simulations can provide acceptable solutions of the magnetic field in the generator end region within a short period of time and is thus a proper tool at the initial design stage. This paper proposes a method to estimate the eddy current distributions in the stator end core and finger plates based on a novel quasi-3D finite-difference (FD) scheme. To compensate the errors caused by the inherent assumption of classical quasi-3D formulation that the geometries of end components are peripherally consistent, regional conformal mappings based on Schwarz-Christoffel transformation are adopted to incorporate the impacts of the cross flux caused by the local armature windings and slot/tooth geometry. The corresponding 3D FEAs, which are verified by the agreement between their results and the measured temperatures, are used as the benchmark for this study. The proposed method is validated by the agreement between the results generated by the proposed fast method and 3D FEAs.
Mechanisms Underlying Normal Fracture Healing and Risk Factors for Delayed Healing

Substantial advances have been made in understanding the biological basis of fracture healing. Yet, it is unclear whether the presence of osteoporosis or prior or current osteoporosis therapy influences the healing process or is associated with impaired healing. This review discusses the normal process of fracture healing and the role of osteoporosis and patient-specific factors in relation to fracture repair. The definitive association of osteoporosis to impaired fracture healing remains inconclusive because of limited evidence addressing this point. eStudies testing anabolic agents in preclinical models of ovariectomized animals with induced fractures have produced mostly positive findings showing enhanced fracture repair. Prospective human clinical trials, although few in number and limited in design and to testing only one anabolic agent, have similarly yielded modestly favorable results. Interest is high for exploring currently available osteoporosis therapies for efficacy in fracture repair. Definitive data supporting their efficacy are essential in achieving approval for this indication.
Socioeconomic and usage characteristics of transportation network company (TNC) riders

The widespread adoption of smartphones followed by an emergence of transportation network companies (TNC) have influenced the way individuals travel. The authors use the 2017 National Household Travel Survey to explore socioeconomic, frequency of use, and spatial characteristics associated with TNC users. The results indicate that TNC riders tend to be younger, earn higher incomes, have higher levels of education, and are more likely to reside in urban areas compared to the aggregate United States population. Of the TNC users, 60% hailed a ride three times or less in the previous month, indicating that TNC services are primarily used for special occasions. TNC users use public transit at higher rates and own fewer vehicles compared to the aggregate United States population. In fact, the TNC user population reported similar frequencies of use for both TNC services and public transit during the previous month. Approximately 40% of TNC users reside in regions with population densities greater than 10, 000 persons per square mile compared to only 15% for non-TNC users. Lastly, reported use of public transit for TNC users living in large cities (> 1 million) with access to heavy rail was almost three times greater when compared to similar sized cities without heavy rail. The average monthly frequency of TNC use was also elevated when heavy rail was present.
A convenient method for the production of 6-oxopenicillinates and 7-oxocephalosporinates

Abstract A convenient and economical method for the preparation of 6-oxopenicillinates and 7-oxocephalosporinates from the corresponding amines is presented. These ketones arekey intermediates in the synthesis of inhibitors of β-lactamase elastase.
Cyclin D1 protein in multiple myeloma and plasmacytoma: An immunohistochemical study using fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections

In this study, we analyzed 69 plasma cell neoplasms, including 54 multiple myelomas (MMs), 3 cases of plasma cell leukemia, and 12 plasmacytomas, for expression of cyclin D1 protein using an immuno-histochemical method applied to routinely fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections. Cyclin D1 was expressed in 18 (26%) of 69 plasma cell neoplasms, including 16 (30%) of 54 MMs and 2 (17%) of 12 plasmacytomas. Three cases of plasma cell leukemia were negative. Cyclin D1 expression correlated with the cytologic differentiation and histologic stage of MM. Twelve (75%) of 16 MMs had intermediate or immature cytologic features and were histologic Stage III. With use of a polymerase chain reaction assay, we also analyzed six cases (three cyclin D1 positive, three cyclin D1 negative) for the t(11;14); one MM carried the t(11;14) and expressed cyclin D1 protein. We conclude that cyclin D1 expression occurs in approximately one-quarter of plasma cell neoplasms and correlates with the degree of cytologic differentiation and histologic stage. The relatively high frequency of cyclin D1 expression, compared with the less than 5% incidence of the t(11;14) detected by conventional cytogenetics reported in the literature, suggests that upregulation of cyclin D1 protein might be the result of mechanisms other than the t(11;14).
3 – Computed Tomography Screening for Lung Cancer

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews several prior studies on screening for lung cancer. One of the studies, the Mayo Lung Project (MLP), recruited male smokers, older than 45, who had an estimated survival of no less than 5 years, no evidence of lung cancer on initial evaluation, and sufficient lung function to tolerate lobectomy. Of 10,933 people enrolled, 91 were diagnosed with lung cancer as a result of baseline screening. Another 1631 people who did not have lung cancer were excluded after baseline screening because they either were ineligible for lobectomy or had a life expectancy of <5 years. Another study, the Czechoslovakia study, recruited men who were 40-64 years of age and currently smoking. Randomization was performed after baseline screening, excluding those diagnosed with lung cancer. Those in the screening arm had chest radiography and sputum examination every 6 months for 3 years. In another study, the Early Lung Cancer Action Project (ELCAP), researchers hold that a sharp distinction has to be made between diagnostic testing and the intervention that follows. A diagnostic test provides information regarding the person undergoing it, but without an associated intervention, the test has no effect on the subsequent course of health. An intervention, by contrast, is intended to improve the course of health to have effectiveness. In another study in the Nagano Prefecture, screening with computed tomography (CT) and chest radiography was performed in a mobile CT van. Baseline screenings on 5483 men and women were followed by a total of 7303 annual repeat screenings.
Adaptive Multi-scale Prognostics and Health Management for Smart Manufacturing Systems.

The Adaptive Multi-scale Prognostics and Health Management (AM-PHM) is a methodology designed to enable PHM in smart manufacturing systems. In application, PHM information is not yet fully utilized in higher-level decisionmaking in manufacturing systems. AM-PHM leverages and integrates lower-level PHM information such as from a machine or component with hierarchical relationships across the component, machine, work cell and assembly line levels in a manufacturing system. The AM-PHM methodology enables the creation of actionable prognostic and diagnostic intelligence up and down the manufacturing process hierarchy. Decisions are then made with the knowledge of the current and projected health state of the system at decision points along the nodes of the hierarchical structure. To overcome the issue of exponential explosion of complexity associated with describing a large manufacturing system, the AM-PHM methodology takes a hierarchical Markov Decision Process (MDP) approach into describing the system and solving for an optimized policy. A description of the AM-PHM methodology is followed by a simulated industry-inspired example to demonstrate the effectiveness of AM-PHM.
Clinical predictors of COVID-19 mortality

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected over millions of individuals and caused hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide. It can be difficult to accurately predict mortality among COVID-19 patients presenting with a spectrum of complications, hindering the prognostication and management of the disease. Methods: We applied machine learning techniques to clinical data from a large cohort of 5,051 COVID-19 patients treated at the Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, the global COVID-19 epicenter, to predict mortality. Predictors were designed to classify patients into Deceased or Alive mortality classes and were evaluated in terms of the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC score). Findings: Using a development cohort (n=3,841) and a systematic machine learning framework, we identified a COVID-19 mortality predictor that demonstrated high accuracy (AUC=0.91) when applied to test sets of retrospective (n= 961) and prospective (n=249) patients. This mortality predictor was based on five clinical features: age, minimum O2 saturation during encounter, type of patient encounter (inpatient vs. various types of outpatient and telehealth encounters), hydroxychloroquine use, and maximum body temperature. Interpretation: An accurate and parsimonious COVID-19 mortality predictor based on five features may have utility in clinical settings to guide the management and prognostication of patients affected by this disease.
Model Reduction of Power System Dynamics using a Constrained Convex-optimization Method

This paper discusses methods for model reduction of power system dynamics. Dynamical models for realistic power-systems can very easily contain several thousands of states. The dimensionality increases further when considering the dynamics of distributed energy resources; these systems are typically smaller in power rating, so many more are installed at the grid edge to scale capacity. Computationally efficient models that capture the dominant modes of the system are important for all aspects of power-system operation, control, and analysis. In this paper, we analyze two data-driven methods for model reduction of power systems: i) proper orthogonal decomposition, which is based on singular value decomposition, and ii) a constrained convex-optimization framework with stability guarantees. Advantages and disadvantages of both of these methods are discussed. Exhaustive numerical simulations for a low-inertia system with mixed synchronous generator and wind energy conversion system resources are provided to verify the accuracy of the model-reduction methods.
Ablation of nodal and atrioventricular accessory pathways

Abstract Wolff–Parkinson–White (WPW) syndrome constitutes arrhythmias occurring in the presence of accessory pathways (APs). Orthodromic reciprocating tachycardias form the majority of arrhythmias seen in WPW syndrome. Sudden cardiac death is a serious concern in patients with WPW. In this chapter, we elucidate the key epidemiological features, sex differences in manifestations of APs. Subsequently, we describe the general features of mapping and ablating the different anatomic variations of APs—free wall, septal, and epicardial pathways.
Negative torque and many-body non-conservative dynamics in optical matter systems

Electrodynamic interactions among nano-particle constituents of optical matter (OM) systems (in solution) formed in optical traps can exhibit dynamics arising from asymmetric center-of-mass forces and torques due to broken symmetry or through many body interactions. This talk will describe the origins of negative torque in 3-or more nano-particle OM arrays and the spin-to-orbital angular momentum conversion that drives the mechanical motion. The scattered fields can be exploited to create self-assembling optical matter machines. Understanding these systems and their dynamics requires close interaction of specialized electrodynamics-Langevin dynamics simulations with field strength and spatial phase that match the experimental conditions.
Establishing and Maintaining Inclusive Pipelines

Establishing and maintaining student pipelines is an important and challenging endeavor. We discuss how to create an inclusive environment, make connections to build pipelines, and provide continuing maintenance. The emphasis is on pipelines between undergraduate and graduate programs; however, analogous strategies can be employed between high schools and undergraduate programs.
Classical zeta functions

In this chapter, we prove the Eichler mass number for a definite quaternion order over a totally real field using classical analytic methods.
A Combinatorial PCR Method for Efficient, Selective Oligo Retrieval from Complex Oligo Pools

ABSTRACT With the rapidly decreasing cost of array-based oligo synthesis, large-scale oligo pools offer significant benefits for advanced applications, including gene synthesis, CRISPR-based gene editing, and DNA data storage. Selectively retrieving specific oligos from these complex pools traditionally uses Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), in which any selected oligos are exponentially amplified to quickly outnumber non-selected ones. In this case, the number of orthogonal PCR primers is limited due to interactions between them. This lack of specificity presents a serious challenge, particularly for DNA data storage, where the size of an oligo pool (i.e., a DNA database) is orders of magnitude larger than it is for other applications. Although a nested file address system was recently developed to increase the number of accessible files for DNA storage, it requires a more complicated lab protocol and more expensive reagents to achieve high specificity. Instead, we developed a new combinatorial PCR method that outperforms prior work without compromising the fidelity of retrieved material or complicating wet lab processes. Our method quadratically increases the number of accessible oligos while maintaining high specificity. In experiments, we accessed three arbitrarily chosen files from a DNA prototype database that contained 81 different files. Initially comprising only 1% of the original database, the selected files were enriched to over 99.9% using our combinatorial primer method. Our method thus provides a viable path for scaling up DNA data storage systems and has broader utility whenever scientists need access to a specific target oligo and can design their own primer regions.
A Review of: “Engaging Theories in Family Communication: Multiple Perspectives, edited by D. O. Braithwaite and L. A. Baxter”

In their preface to Engaging Theories in Family Communication: Multiple Perspectives, Dawn O. Braithwaite and Leslie A. Baxter explain that the question of whether family communication has “its own...
Citizen complaints as environmental indicators : evidence from China

The complaints process in China provides useful information and helps encourage community participation in environmental policy. But it also directs a big share of inspection resources to areas where people tend to complain. After analyzing provincial data for 1987-93, the authors find the subsequent allocation of resources biased, in terms of social welfare. The incidence of complaints reflects potential abatement benefits and the intensity of exposure to highly visible pollutants. However, citizen complaints seem not to be affected by harmful pollutants that are less visible. Basic education seems to have a strong independent effect on propensity to complain. Relying on complaints alone would lead to inappropiately low allocation of inspection resources to less-educated, relatively silent regions. To compensate for incomplete information upon which regulators must rely, the authors say that agencies should invest in public environmental education targeted especially to poorly-educated communities and consider outreach to encourage better communication. The authors also recommend giving priority to technical risk assessments in determining resource allocation.
Experimental evidence for the contractile activities of Acanthamoeba myosins IA and IB

The low-shear viscosity of 5-30 microM F-actin was greatly increased by the addition of 0.1-0.5 microM unphosphorylated Acanthamoeba myosins IA and IB. The increase in viscosity was about the same in 2 mM ADP as in the absence of free nucleotide but was much less in 2 mM ATP. The single-headed monomolecular Acanthamoeba myosins were as effective as an equal molar concentration of two-headed muscle heavy meromyosin and much more effective than single-headed muscle myosin subfragment-1. These results suggest that Acanthamoeba myosins IA and IB can cross-link actin filaments as proposed in the accompanying paper (Albanesi, J. P., Fujisaki, H., and Korn, E. D. (1985) J. Biol. Chem. 260, 11174-11179) to explain the actin-dependent cooperative increase in actin-activated Mg2+-ATPase activity as a function of the concentration of myosin I. Superprecipitation occurred when phosphorylated myosin IA or IB was mixed with F-actin. In addition to myosin I heavy chain phosphorylation, superprecipitation required Mg2+ and ATP. ATP hydrolysis was linear during the time course of the superprecipitation, and inhibitors of ATP hydrolysis inhibited superprecipitation. A small, dense contracted gel was formed when the reaction was carried out in a cuvette, and a birefringent actomyosin thread resulted from superprecipitation in a microcapillary. The rate and extent of superprecipitation depended on the actin and myosin I concentrations with maximum superprecipitation occurring at an actin:myosin ratio of 7:1. These results provide strong evidence for the ability of Acanthamoeba myosins IA and IB to perform contractile and motile functions.
The California Railroad Commission Has Jurisdiction over Intrastate Rates and Charges of Air Lines

portation?"' In this article the writer concluded that the Railroad Commission has no jurisdiction over air transportation companies unless that jurisdiction is specifically provided for by the state legislature, and he further concluded that, at the present time, said Commission has no jurisdiction over air transportation companies under any provision of law. He contends that the term "transportation company" appearing in the constitutional grant of power to the Railroad Commission does not comprehend air transportation companies for the reason that when said term was incorporated in the state constitution air commerce was not in existence or even imagined. With this conclusion I disagree. The California constitution grants jurisdiction to the Railroad Commission over the rates and charges of all transportation companies and no legislation is necessary to enable the Railroad Commission to exercise that jurisdiction. Briefly, section 20 of Article XII of the state constitution provides that no transportation company shall raise any rate of charge under any circumstances whatsoever except upon a showing before the Railroad Commission that such increase is justified. Also section 21 of that Article provides that a transportation company, upon authorization by the Railroad Commission, may charge less for a longer than for a shorter haul and this section further provides that the Railroad Commission may order any transportation company to make reparation to any shipper on account of excessive rates charged to such shipper. Specifically, in section 22 of said Article of the state constitution we find this provision:
Posttranscriptional Regulation of mRNAs Important in T Cell Function

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses how post-transcriptional gene regulation, especially alterations in mRNA stability, contributes to the ultimate phenotype of a T lymphocyte. It also deals with the measurement of mRNA decay rates within cells. The rate of mRNA decay is equal to the production rate (transcription) minus net accumulation. All the methods for the measurement of mRNA decay must quench ongoing transcription or mask its presence. Some of these methods include—pulse chase, transcriptional blockade, and a variety of inducible promoter systems. The ability to rapidly modulate cytoplasmic mRNA quantity and translatability is critical for T lymphocytes to effectively respond to environmental change. A large number of T lymphocyte and other cell mRNAs are dominantly controlled by alterations in their stability and/or translatability rather than by transcriptional control. A large and growing number of human genes are regulated at the level of mRNA stability. This pathway can rapidly and effectively increase or decrease the levels of coding mRNA, modulating gene expression as needed. The underlying mechanism for these effects relies on cis-trans interactions that identify and target particular mRNAs. A large number of important mRNAs are regulated in this way, including cytokines, protooncogenes, and cell surface receptors.
Evolution of Patient Decision-Making Regarding Medical Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objective The migration of health care toward a consumer-driven system favors increased patient participation during the treatment decision-making process. Patient involvement in treatment decision discussions has been linked to increased treatment adherence and patient satisfaction. Previous studies have quantified decision-making styles of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA); however, none of them have considered the evolution of patient involvement after living with RA for many years. We conducted a qualitative study to determine the decision-making model used by long-term RA patients, and to describe the changes in their involvement over time. Methods Twenty participants were recruited from the ongoing Silicone Arthroplasty in Rheumatoid Arthritis study. Semistructured interviews were conducted and data were analyzed using grounded theory methodology. Results Nineteen out of 20 participants recalled using the paternalistic decision-making (PDM) model immediately following their diagnosis. Fourteen of the 19 participants who initially used PDM evolved to shared decision-making (SDM). Participants attributed the change in involvement to the development of a trusting relationship with their physician, as well as to becoming educated about the disease. Conclusion When initially diagnosed with RA, patients may let their physician decide on the best treatment course. However, over time patients may evolve to exercise a more collaborative role. Physicians should understand that even within SDM, each patient can demonstrate a varied amount of autonomy. It is up to the physician to have a discussion with each patient to determine his or her desired level of involvement.
Development of a high-order solver for blood flow

A high-order solver for the blood flow is developed and analyzed using a two-dimensional backward-facing step. In the first part, a Newtonian steady code to solve the incompressible Navier---Stokes (N---S) equations has been developed. The accuracy of the code is verified by comparing the results to the experimental results. An exact projection method/fractional-step scheme is used to solve the incompressible N---S equations. Convective terms of the N---S equations are solved using fifth-order WENO spatial operators, and for the diffusion terms, a sixth- order compact central difference scheme is employed. The third-order Runge---Kutta (R---K) explicit time-integrating scheme with total variation diminishing (TVD) is adopted for time discretization. In the second part, the pulsatile behavior of the Newtonian blood flow has been added to the initial program. Thirdly, the numerical code has been extended to include the steady and pulsatile effects in non-Newtonian blood flow. Finally, a practical example of bend tube has been analyzed by extending the two-dimensional code to 3D and the results are compared to already published data.
An Experimental Study of Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Operation at Sub-Freezing Temperatures

Author(s): Mishler, J; Wang, Y; Lujan, R; Mukundan, R; Borup, RL | Abstract: The ability of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) to startup at subfreezing temperatures is governed by whether it is able to overcome the freezing point (0°C) before product ice prevents the electrochemical reactions. In this work, we experimentally investigated the coulombs of charge Qc transferred in PEFCs under subfreezing operation before the output voltage drops to 0.0V. PEFCs with various membranes and catalyst-layer thicknesses, ionomer-carbon ratios, operating current density, and initial hydration of PEFCs were studied, and their influences on cold-start performance and coulombs of charge were experimentally measured. We find that subfreezing temperature, ionomer-catalyst ratio, and catalyst-layer thickness, significantly affect the amount of charge transferred before operational failure, whereas the membrane thickness and initial hydration level have limited effect for the considered cases. © 2013 The Electrochemical Society.
Determining Divergence Times of the Major Kingdoms of Living Organisms with a Protein Clock

Amino acid sequence data from 57 different enzymes were used to determine the divergence times of the major biological groupings. Deuterostomes and protostomes split about 670 million years ago and plants, animals, and fungi last shared a common ancestor about a billion years ago. With regard to these protein sequences, plants are slightly more similar to animals than are the fungi. In contrast, phylogenetic analysis of the same sequences indicates that fungi and animals shared a common ancestor more recently than either did with plants, the greater difference resulting from the fungal lineage changing faster than the animal and plant lines over the last 965 million years. The major protist lineages have been changing at a somewhat faster rate than other eukaryotes and split off about 1230 million years ago. If the rate of change has been approximately constant, then prokaryotes and eukaryotes last shared a common ancestor about 2 billion years ago, archaebacterial sequences being measurably more similar to eukaryotic ones than are eubacterial ones.
Disk Colorimetry; Including a Comparison of Methods for Computing Tristimulus Values for Certain Disks

This report provides a certain amount of information necessary for careful work with the disk method of colorimetry. Color temperatures are given for lamp and filter combinations of available instruments. Tristimulus specifications are given: for several Munsell papers under I. C. I. standard illuminants; for certain glossy papers under diffuse and 45° directional illumination; for colors made in the Munsell laboratory to match other colors when it was necessary to use different pigments; for several methods of computation, by summation for 5 and 10 mμ intervals, and by 10 and 30 selected ordinates; for curves differing slightly from each other; and for color differences significant in cotton grading. These last-mentioned figures are given as a basis for the comparison of the significance of all of the other differences.
When financial work incentives pay for themselves: evidence from a randomized social experiment for welfare recipients

Abstract This paper summarizes early findings from a social experiment that provided financial incentives for new welfare recipients to leave welfare and work full time. The financial incentive was essentially a negative income tax with a requirement that people work at least 30 h/week. Early results show that the financial incentive increased full-time employment, earnings, and income, and reduced poverty. Furthermore, at the end of the period discussed in this paper, the program was paying for itself through increased tax revenues.
Model for shape and motion perception

In this paper we describe an efficient system for recovering the 3-D motion and structure of visual systems from an evolving image sequence. The technique utilizes the image flow velocities in order to recover the 3-D parameters. We develop a real-time algorithm for recovering the 2-D flow vectors on the image plane with sub-pixel accuracy. The flow estimates are then examined for the possibility of errors, mistakes, and uncertainties in the visual system. Uncertainty models are developed for the sensor and for the image processing techniques being used. Further filtering and a rejection mechanism are then developed to discard unrealistic flow estimates. The 2-D flow models are then converted into 3-D uncertainty models for motion and structure. We further develop an algorithm which iteratively improves the 3-D solution given two successive image frames and then discuss a multiframe algorithm that improves the solution progressively by using a large number of image frames.© (1992) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Transplanted seed bank response to drawdown time in a created wetland in East Texas

Sediment was transplanted from a 13-yr-old created wetland on a nonacid mine in east Texas into a constructed experimental basin to examine seed bank response to 4 drawdown regimes. The experimental basin was flooded following sediment transplantation in February, and surface water was later removed in April, June, and August. The success of the transplanted seed bank in vegetating the experimental wetland was assessed by measuring species richness, seedling density, and above-ground biomass. April drawdown produced the greatest species richness (29), stem density (1851.0 stems m−2), and above-ground biomass (769.3 g m−2), followed by the unflooded water regime. June and August drawdowns produced less emergent vegetation than the other treatments, but 3 submergent species were produced prior to drawdowns. Results indicate that use of transplanted species-rich wetland soil subjected to early spring drawdown is a very effective technique for establishing wetland vegetation on disturbed sites in east Texas. In addition, reestablishment of vegetation in the donor wetland was assessed by comparing percent cover in disturbed plots to undisturbed plots. Disturbed plots achieved 66.0 percent cover after 10 months following soil removal compared to 96.3 percent cover in undisturbed plots. Disturbed plots were dominated by vegetatively reproducing species and contained very few annuals. Excavating relatively few widely-spaced narrow strips of soil from the donor wetland caused only slight decreases in vegetative cover during the subsequent growing season.
Micropatterned surfaces for understanding and influencing interactions of biological systems with optical devices

This paper reviews methods for forming micropatterned surfaces of self-assembled monolayers of alkylthiolates on gold and their use in studying and manipulating interactions of biological systems with solid surfaces. Optics-based biosensor arrays are an example of a technology where it is desirable to prepare microscopic patterns of well-defined surfaces that contain regions with specific bioactivity or that resist nonspecific biointeraction (e.g., nonspecific protein adsorption and cellular attachment). Several simple patterning techniques are described including photopatterning, monolayer displacement, microinjection, and electrochemical patterning. The relative merits of these techniques are discussed with regard to maintenance of bioactivity of immobilized chemical species, resistance to nonspecific bioactivity, and application to rapid, large- scale patterning. The use of electrochemical patterning is also described in the creation of a model microsensor array.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
The resource regulation hypothesis and positive feedback loops in plant–herbivore interactions

Resource regulation occurs when herbivory maintains or increases plant susceptibility to further herbivory by the same species. A review of the literature indicates it is a widespread plant–animal interaction involving a diverse array of herbivores. At least three mechanisms can produce this positive feedback cycle. First, phytophagous insect and mammalian herbivore damage can stimulate dormant buds to produce vigorous juvenile growth, which is preferred for further attack. Juvenilization cycles may have repeatedly evolved because herbivores are able to take advantage of a generalized plant compensatory response to any type of damage. Second, herbivores can manipulate plant source–sink relationships to attain more resources, and this alteration of plant growth may benefit subsequent herbivore generations. Third, herbivory can alter plant nutrition or defensive chemistry in a way that makes a plant susceptible to more herbivory. Resource regulation probably occurs because damage to resources preferred by the herbivores induces a generalized plant response that produces more preferred resources. Alternatively, manipulation of plant resources to induce resource regulation may have evolved in herbivores with a high degree of philopatry due to selection to alter plant resources to benefit their offspring. Resource regulation can stabilize insect population dynamics by maintaining a supply of high-quality plant resources. It can also increase the heterogeneity of host-plant resources for herbivores by altering the physiological age structure and the distribution of resources within plants. Resource regulation may have strong plant-mediated effects on other organisms that use that host plant, but these effects have not yet been explored.
Immunologic response of atopic and normal individuals to keyhole limpet hemocyanin

Abstract Groups of atopic and normal individuals were immunized intranasally with aerosolized keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), a purified high-molecular weight protein known to be highly immunogenic in man. A high percentage of atopic, as opposed to normal, individuals demonstrated immediate wheal and flare skin reactivity to KLH during the process of patient selection prior to initiation of the study. We divided 65 subjects with negative KLH wheal and flare skin tests into "normal," "atopic," and "family history" groups. KLH was administered: (1) by weekly nasal aerosol (0.3 mg. per week for 2 months followed by a 0.6 mg. aerosol "booster"); (2) by monthly intracutaneous injection of 22 μg. At 2 months, wheal and flare skin reactivity appeared with greater frequency in atopic individuals irrespective of immunization route. By 212 months, group differences were no longer evident. Many subjects developed large delayed skin reactions to KLH after one month, and these were usually followed by the appearance of immediate reactions at the 2 month testing. Low level mercaptoethanol (ME) — sensitive (IgM) anti-KLH hemagglutinating antibody coincided with appearance of delayed skin reactions early in the course of the study and was followed sequentially by wheal and flare skin reactivity and IgG hemagglutinating antibody. IgG anti-KLH titers and wheal and erythema skin reactivity were greatest at the termination of the study.