cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Breeding Biology of the Savannah Sparrow on Kent Island

-I studied the breeding biology of the Savannah Sparrow (Passerculus sandwichensis) on Kent Island, New Brunswick, Canada from 1964 through 1968. I estimated the breeding population to be 125-135 pairs (412-445 individuals/kM2). The mean number of nests produced per female, including those destroyed by predators, was 2.97. Clutch size ranged from 2 to 5 The mean clutch size based on 1,142 eggs in 284 nests of known clutch size was 4.02. Not only was the four-egg clutch most numerous but a greater percentage of eggs in the four-egg clutches hatched and the mean number of young fledged per nest was also highest. The mean incubation period was 12.2 days, the mean duration of nestling life was 9 days, and the approximate length of the breeding season as 52 days. The daily mortality rate of eggs was 11.99% and of nestlings 2.1%. Predation was the major factor affecting reproductive success; 50.5% of all nests located were destroyed by predators. The main nest predators were Common Crows and Herring Gulls. Of the nests destroyed by predators, 87.8% contained eggs rather than nestlings. The intense predation necessitated high nest replacement. The mean interval between the termination of one nest and the appearance of the first egg in the succeeding nest was 6.3 days. If successive nests are destroyed on the day incubation begins, it is hypothetically possible for a pair to produce four nests during a single breeding season; many birds in the population produce at least three. Although enough time was available for birds to fledge two broods in a season, few of them fledged more than one. Thus, the nesting success was low (success from egg to hatching 18. 1%). High nest replacement compensated for high egg mortality, and an average of 2.16 young per pair were fledged per season. Received 26 June 1975, accepted 15 March 1977. KENT Island, New Brunswick, Canada (66?46'W, 44?35'N) is the outermost island in the Grand Manan archipelago, on the eastern edge of the Gulf of Maine at the entrance of the Bay of Fundy. The greatest length of this 60.7 ha island is 2.8 km and its width varies from 0.2 to 0.8 km. In the central part of the island there are approximately 10.7 ha of open grassy meadow which constitute the primary nesting area of Savannah Sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis). This paper, based on field data obtained during five breeding seasons (1964 through 1968), describes the clutch size and its variations, incubation, mortality, and breeding success of this population.
Consensus molecular subtypes (CMS), markers of systemic inflammation (SI) and clinicopathological parameters in colorectal cancer (CRC).

e15600Background: The CMS provide a representation of CRC heterogeneity. Upregulated immune pathways are suggested in CMS1 through lymphocyte (lymph) reactivity and CMS4 with an inflammatory respon...
Predicting Head-to-Head Games with a Similarity Metric and Genetic Algorithm

This paper summarizes our approach to predict head to head games using a similarity metric and genetic algorithm. The prediction is performed by simply calculating the distances of any two teams, that are set to play each other, to an ideal team. The nearest team to the ideal team is predicted to win. The approach uses genetic algorithm as an optimization tool to improve the accuracy of the predictions. The optimization is performed by adjusting the ideal team’s statistical data. Soccer, basketball, and tennis are the sport disciplines that are used to test the approach described in this paper. We are comparing our predictions to the predictions made by Microsoft’s bing.com. Our findings show that this approach appears to do well on team sports, accuracies above 65%, but is less successful for predicting individual sports, accuracies less than 65%. In our future work, we plan to do more testing on team sports as well as studying the effects of the different parameters involved in the genetic algorithm’s setup. We also plan to compare our approach to ranking and point based predictions.
Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) blood levels after contamination of a community water supply and comparison with 2013–2014 NHANES

Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), were detected in the community water supply of Paulsboro New Jersey in 2009. A cross-sectional study enrolled 192 claimants from a class-action lawsuit, not affiliated with this study, who had been awarded a blood test for 13 PFAS. Study participants provided their blood test results and completed a survey about demographics; 105 participants also completed a health survey. Geometric means, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 95th percentiles of exposure of PFNA blood serum concentrations were compared to that of the 2013–2014 NHANES, adjusted for reporting level. Associations between PFNA, PFOA, PFOS, and PFHxS and self-reported health outcomes were assessed using logistic regression. PFNA serum levels were 285% higher in Paulsboro compared with U.S. residents. PFNA serum levels were higher among older compared with younger, and male compared to female, Paulsboro residents. After adjustment for potential confounding, there was a significant association between increased serum PFNA levels and self-reported high cholesterol (OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.29). Further investigation into possible health effects of PFAS exposure in Paulsboro and other community settings is warranted. Since exposure has ceased, toxicokinetics of PFAS elimination should be explored.
Pre-clinical evaluation of cysteamine bitartrate as a therapeutic agent for mitochondrial respiratory chain disease.

Cysteamine bitartrate is a US Food and Drug Administration-approved therapy for nephropathic cystinosis also postulated to enhance glutathione biosynthesis. We hypothesized this antioxidant effect may reduce oxidative stress in primary mitochondrial respiratory chain (RC) disease, improving cellular viability and organismal health. Here, we systematically evaluated the therapeutic potential of cysteamine bitartrate in RC disease models spanning three evolutionarily distinct species. These pre-clinical studies demonstrated the narrow therapeutic window of cysteamine bitartrate, with toxicity at millimolar levels directly correlating with marked induction of hydrogen peroxide production. Micromolar range cysteamine bitartrate treatment in Caenorhabditis elegans gas-1(fc21) RC complex I (NDUFS2-/-) disease invertebrate worms significantly improved mitochondrial membrane potential and oxidative stress, with corresponding modest improvement in fecundity but not lifespan. At 10 to 100 μm concentrations, cysteamine bitartrate improved multiple RC complex disease FBXL4 human fibroblast survival, and protected both complex I (rotenone) and complex IV (azide) Danio rerio vertebrate zebrafish disease models from brain death. Mechanistic profiling of cysteamine bitartrate effects showed it increases aspartate levels and flux, without increasing total glutathione levels. Transcriptional normalization of broadly dysregulated intermediary metabolic, glutathione, cell defense, DNA, and immune pathways was greater in RC disease human cells than in C. elegans, with similar rescue in both models of downregulated ribosomal and proteasomal pathway expression. Overall, these data suggest cysteamine bitartrate may hold therapeutic potential in RC disease, although not through obvious modulation of total glutathione levels. Careful consideration is required to determine safe and effective cysteamine bitartrate concentrations to further evaluate in clinical trials of human subjects with primary mitochondrial RC disease.
Influence function-based empirical likelihood for inference of quantile medical costs with censored data:

In this paper, we propose empirical likelihood methods based on influence function and Jackknife techniques to construct confidence intervals for quantile medical costs with censored data. We show ...
The Clp System in Malaria Parasites Degrades Essential Substrates to Regulate Plastid Biogenesis

The human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, contains an essential plastid called the apicoplast. Most of apicoplast proteins are encoded by the nuclear genome and it is unclear how the plastid proteome is regulated. Here, we study an apicoplast-localized caseinolytic-protease (Clp) system and how it regulates organelle proteostasis. Using null and conditional mutants, we demonstrated that the Clp protease (PfClpP) has robust enzymatic activity that is essential for apicoplast biogenesis. We developed a CRISPR/Cas9 based system to express catalytically-dead PfClpP, which showed that PfClpP oligomerizes as a zymogen and matured via trans-autocatalysis. The expression of a Clp chaperone (PfClpC) mutant led to the discovery of a functional chaperone-protease interaction essential for plastid function. Conditional mutants of the substrate-adaptor (PfClpS) demonstrated its essential function in plastid biogenesis. A combination of multiple affinity purification screens identified the Clp complex composition as well as putative Clp substrates. This comprehensive study reveals the molecular composition and interactions influencing the proteolytic function of the apicoplast Clp system and demonstrates its central role in the biogenesis of the plastid in malaria parasites.
Anthropogenic and lightning‐started fires are becoming larger and more frequent over a longer season length in the U.S.A.

AIM: Over the past several decades, wildfires have become larger, more frequent, and/or more severe in many areas. Simultaneously, anthropogenic ignitions are steadily growing. We have little understanding of how increasing anthropogenic ignitions are changing modern fire regimes. LOCATION: Conterminous United States. TIME PERIOD: 1984–2016. MAJOR TAXA STUDIED: Vegetation. METHODS: We aggregated fire radiative power (FRP)‐based fire intensity, event size, burned area, frequency, season length, and ignition type data from > 1.8 million government records and remote sensing data at a 50‐km resolution. We evaluated the relationship between fire physical characteristics and ignition type to determine if and how modern U.S.A. fire regimes are changing sensu stricto given increased anthropogenic ignitions, and how those patterns vary over space and time. RESULTS: At a national scale, wildfires occur over longer fire seasons (17% increase) and have become larger (78%) and more frequent (12%), but not necessarily more intense. Further, human ignitions have increased 9% proportionally. The proportion of human ignitions has a negative relationship with fire size and FRP and a positive relationship with fire frequency and season length. Areas dominated by lightning ignitions experience fires that are 2.4 times more intense and 9.2 times larger. Areas dominated by human ignitions experience fires that are twice as frequent and have a fire season that is 2.4 times longer. The effect of human ignitions on fire characteristics varies regionally. Ecoregions in the eastern U.S.A. and in some parts of the coastal western U.S.A. have no areas dominated by lightning ignitions. For the remaining ecoregions, more intense and larger fires are associated with lightning ignitions, and longer season lengths are associated with human ignitions. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Increasing anthropogenic ignitions – in tandem with climate and land cover change – are contributing to a ‘new normal’ of fire activity across continental scales.
Introduction to Part IV: What Is Innovation?

The energy sector is experiencing a rapid growth in innovations, both directly and indirectly. Innovation in general can be divided into three broad regimes. Micro-innovations are process improvements that squeeze out efficiencies from existing methods. They are rules based and function as routines. Meso-innovations emerge from combining the rules of different methods to redefine the system boundaries and create new frames of reference. Revolutionary ideas usually begin as the innocent merging of two seemingly disparate ideas. Macro-innovations scale adoption of the new frame of reference to society at large, creating new relationships between suppliers and buyers. This process includes creating new boundaries or barriers to market entry. Each innovation method is appropriate under different circumstances. Part IV explores the multiple facets of innovation in four chapters.
Regulation of vascular tone by transient receptor potential ankyrin 1 channels

The Ca2+-permeable, non-selective cation channel, TRPA1 (transient receptor potential ankyrin 1), is the sole member of the ankyrin TRP subfamily. TRPA1 channels are expressed on the plasma membrane of neurons as well as non-neuronal cell types, such as vascular endothelial cells. TRPA1 is activated by electrophilic compounds, including dietary molecules such as allyl isothiocyanate, a derivative of mustard. Endogenously, the channel is thought to be activated by reactive oxygen species and their metabolites, such as 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE). In the context of the vasculature, activation of TRPA1 channels results in a vasodilatory response mediated by two distinct mechanisms. In the first instance, TRPA1 is expressed in sensory nerves of the vasculature and, upon activation, mediates release of the potent dilator, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). In the second, work from our laboratory has demonstrated that TRPA1 is expressed in the endothelium of blood vessels exclusively in the cerebral vasculature, where its activation produces a localized Ca2+ signal that results in dilation of cerebral arteries. In this chapter, we provide an in-depth overview of the biophysical and pharmacological properties of TRPA1 channels and their importance in regulating vascular tone.
Antimuscarinic Discontinuation in Patients with Overactive Bladder in Nursing Homes: A Retrospective Study of Medicare Beneficiaries

Although antimuscarinics form the first-line therapy in overactive bladder (OAB), little is known regarding antimuscarinic discontinuation among OAB patients in nursing homes. This study examined treatment patterns and predictors of antimuscarinic discontinuation among long-term nursing home (LTNH) residents with OAB. The study cohort included LTNH residents (defined as residents staying ≥ 101 consecutive days) from the Minimum Data Set linked 2013–2015 Medicare claims data. Patients with OAB were defined by OAB-related claims and medication codes. Treatment patterns and discontinuation (medication gap ≥ 30 days) were characterized by examining OAB-specific antimuscarinics prescribed during LTNH stays. The Andersen Behavioral Model was used to identify predisposing, enabling and need factors that predict discontinuation. Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model were used to assess the unadjusted and adjusted times to discontinuation, respectively, among different antimuscarinics. The mean age of the study cohort (n = 11,012) was 81.6 years (± 8.5), 74.6% were female, and 89.8% were non-Hispanic White. The mean duration of nursing home stay was 530.1 (± 268.4) days. The most commonly prescribed OAB-specific antimuscarinic was oxybutynin (69.8%). Overall, 66.5% of the study cohort discontinued the index antimuscarinic. Multivariable Cox PH regression analysis revealed that compared to LTNH residents who initiated treatment with oxybutynin, treatment discontinuation was lower with solifenacin or fesoterodin and discontinuation was more frequent when treatment was initiated with tolterodine, darifenacin or trospium compared with oxybutynin. In addition, several need factors (comorbidities, medication use and anticholinergic burden, etc.) were associated with antimuscarinic discontinuation. About two-thirds of LTNH residents with OAB discontinued their index antimuscarinic during their nursing home stay. There was significant variation in discontinuation based on the index antimuscarinic agent with lowest risk of discontiuation with solifenacin and fesoterodin. Concerted efforts to optimize antimuscarinic use are needed to improve the management of OAB in nursing homes.
Impact of Health-related Quality of Life and Prediagnosis Risk of Major Depressive Disorder on Treatment Choice in Low- and Intermediate-Risk Prostate Cancer.

Abstract Background Treatment for low-risk (LR), favorable intermediate-risk (FIR), and unfavorable intermediate-risk (UIR) prostate cancer (PC) is complicated by clinical equipoise between multiple options. It is unknown how prediagnosis health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and major depressive disorder (MDD) risk impact treatment decisions. Objective To analyze associations of patient-reported HRQoL and MDD risk with treatment for LR, FIR, and UIR PC patients. Design, setting, and participants Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results and Medicare Health Outcomes Survey–linked database, we identified 1678 PC patients (498 with LR, 685 with FIR, and 495 with UIR) aged ≥65 yr and diagnosed between 2004 and 2015, who completed the health outcomes survey ≤24 mo before diagnosis. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis HRQoL was measured by physical (PCS) and mental (MCS) component summaries of the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36) and Veterans RAND 12-item (VR-12) health survey instruments. MDD risk was derived from survey items screening for depressive symptoms. Associations with treatment choice were assessed by multivariable multinomial logistic regression. Results and limitations LR patients with higher PCS scores were more likely to receive radiation than surgery (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.5 [95% confidence interval {CI}: 1.1–2.1; p = 0.02]). FIR patients with MDD risk were more likely to receive neither treatment than surgery or radiation (surgery: AOR 2.6 [95% CI: 1.1–6.2; p = 0.03]; radiation: AOR 2.2 [95% CI: 1.2–4.2; p = 0.01]). UIR patients with MDD risk were more likely to undergo radiation than surgery (AOR 2.3 [95% CI: 1.0–4.9; p =0.04]). Additionally, higher PCS scores were associated with receipt of surgery compared with neither treatment (AOR 1.5 [95% CI: 1.1–2.0; p =0.01]). This study is limited by its retrospective design. Conclusions Older PC patients with MDD risk received less invasive treatments in the FIR and UIR groups. Higher PCS scores were associated with treatment modality in LR and UIR patients. HRQoL and MDD risk impact treatment choice, warranting additional study. Patient summary Treatment of prostate cancer requires thoughtful decision-making processes. This study shows that both pretreatment mental status and pretreatment physical status affect treatment decisions, and should be considered during counseling.
Training and Supporting of Journalism Faculty to Teach Online: A Multiple Case Study

Extensive research has been published on pedagogical approaches for online courses across traditional, theory-based curricula within business, education, and health care. However, there has been le...
A statistical analysis of the correlates of compliance and defiance of seatbelt use

Abstract With the intent to frame policy recommendations for enhancing the state of road safety, this study employed a binary logit regression approach to examine the factors associated with the compliance/defiance of seatbelt use among drivers of different vehicle types in Islamabad. To this end, a questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data on the respondents’ seatbelt use, demographic characteristics, driving behavior, past penalization history, and perceived effectiveness of enforcement of seatbelt laws. The study results revealed that there is a lower likelihood of wearing seatbelt among male drivers, taxi drivers, drivers with a low level of education, drivers with no crash or injury history, drivers that violate speed limits and are never penalized on seatbelt violation, and drivers with no seatbelt reminder installed in their vehicles. Respondents who believed that there is low effectiveness of the enforcement of seatbelt laws had the highest impact on seatbelt use whereas, the presence of seatbelt reminders in the vehicle had the least impact on seatbelt use. The findings of this study suggest the need for awareness campaigns for taxi drivers with the intent to educate them about the potential benefits of using a seatbelt in the case of a crash event; improved awareness and strict vigilance of male drivers; strict enforcement of posted speed limits and seatbelt laws; legislation for the mandatory installation of a seatbelt in all the new vehicles, and organizing mass outreach campaigns to improve the overall safety environment. Most importantly and widely applicable to the developing world, this study necessitates a depiction of strong resolve on the part of government agencies regarding the strict enforcement of seatbelt laws. Given a substantial difference in the social, cultural, and legislative outfit of the developed and developing worlds, factors influencing the compliance/defiance of seatbelt use among drivers differ significantly. It is, therefore, important to explore the local contributory factors as the results are not necessarily transferable across the regions.
Lost in Translation? Constructing Ancient Roman Martyrs in Baroque Bavaria

Over the course of the early modern period, parish, monastic, and pilgrimage churches across Catholic Europe and beyond eagerly sought to acquire the relics of ancient Roman martyrs excavated from the Eternal City's catacombs. Between 1648 and 1803, the duchy of Bavaria welcomed nearly 350 of these “holy bodies” to its soil. Rather than presenting the remains as fragments, as was common during the medieval period, local communities forged catacomb saint relics into gleaming skeletons and then worked to write hagiographical narratives that made martyrs’ lives vivid and memorable to a population unfamiliar with their deeds. Closely examining the construction and material presentation of Bavarian catacomb saints as well as the vitae written for them offers a new vantage point from which to consider how the intellectual movement known as the paleo-Christian revival and the scholarship it produced were received, understood, and then used by Catholic Europeans in an everyday religious context. This article demonstrates that local Bavarian craftsmen, artists, relic decorators, priests, and nuns—along with erudite scholars in Rome—were active in bringing the early Christian church to life and participated in the revival as practitioners and creative scholars in their own right.
An ultrasensitive method for analysis of viral spike N-glycoforms

Abstract Viruses can evade the host immune system by displaying numerous glycans on their surface “spike-proteins” that cover immune epitopes. We have developed an ultrasensitive “single pot” method to assess glycan occupancy and the extent of glycan processing from high-mannose to complex forms at each N-glycosylation site. Though aimed at characterizing glycosylation of viral spike proteins as potential vaccines, this method is applicable for analysis of site-specific glycosylation of any glycoprotein.
227-LB: GLP-1 Activation of HCN Channels Increases Glucose-Stimulated β- and δ- Cell Ca2+ Oscillation Frequency

Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels control human β-cell insulin secretion. Here, we examined if HCN channels impact glucagon-like-peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor modulation of islet Ca2+ handling. We found that Liraglutide (100nM LIRA), a GLP-1 analog, increased mouse β-cell Ca2+ oscillation frequency and cAMP levels in high (11 mM) but not low glucose. Similarly, a subset of human β-cells (65%) show LIRA-induced elevations in Ca2+ oscillation frequency (by 70%, P Disclosure K. E. Zaborska: None. K. L. Jordan: None. P. Dadi: None. M. Dickerson: None. S. M. Graff: None. D. Jacobson: None.
New options in herpes management.

Herpesviruses in the alpha group--HSV-1, HSV-2, and VZV (i.e., HSV-3)--are ubiquitous in American society. HSV-1 is associated primarily with herpes labialis, while HSV-2 is involved in about 70% of cases of genital herpes. Varicellazoster virus causes chickenpox in unvaccinated children and others, and latent virus produces shingles later in life. Since many patients with HSV-1 and HSV-2 infections are asymptomatic, testing is important in determining presence of the viruses. Several antiviral agents effective against HSV have been marketed. While the infection cannot be cured, the available medications are effective for reducing the duration of outbreaks, recurrences, and possibly viral transmission.
Building an E-Business from Enterprise Systems

Building their companies into successful e-businesses has become an important objective for today’s enterprises. Conceptually, it embodies the enabling of the business with such capabilities as global networking, streamlining business processes, sharing information, agility in responding to the market, and intelligent decision making. But how can these concepts be implemented in actual enterprises? Why do these desirable attributes of business systems suddenly become the definition of competency of companies large and small? This paper describes the framework for building an e-business from the enterprise information systems’ perspective. Increasingly enterprise systems have extended beyond the traditional business functions and include such new features as supply-chain management, customer relationship management and electronic commerce. The shifting focus is driven by the adoption of the Web as a new channel for product distribution, marketing, and interacting with customers. The integration of the traditional as well as the Web-oriented functions is the cornerstone for a successful e-business. This paper presents a framework for e-businesses that on one hand build on the enterprise systems but on the other hand encompasses the new e-business dimensions.
Structural Features of and Cholesterol Distribution in M-Cell Membranes in Guinea Pig, Rat, and Mouse Peyer's Patches

Evidence suggests that M cells, which are antigen-sampling epithelial cells that overlie the domes of Peyer's patches, have an apical plasma membrane that differs from that of absorptive cells. We examined the structural features of rat, mouse, and guinea pig M-cell apical membranes and compared them with those of dome and villus absorptive cell apical membranes using electron microscopy of thin sections and freeze-fracture replicas. We also determined the distribution of morphologically detectable cholesterol in M-cell plasma and intracellular membranes in dome epithelium exposed to the polyene antibiotic, filipin. The area] density of P-face intramembrane particles was significantly less on M-cell microvilli than on microvilli of dome absorptive cells and villus absorptive cells. Areal densities of E-face intramembrane particles were similar on M-cell and absorptive-cell microvilli. M-cell apical plasma membranes were rich in cholesterol, displaying numerous filipin-induced membrane lesions in thin sections and freeze-fracture replicas. In contrast, apical membrane endocytic pits and coated vesicles in M cells failed to show filipin-induced membrane lesions. These findings suggest that, compared with the apical membranes of absorptive cells, those of M cells have a low protein to lipid ratio and an abundance of morphologically detectable cholesterol except in domains involved in endocytosis. Additionally, a subpopulation of dome epithelial cells displayed distinctive tight junctions with high strand counts and unusual depth. Although the cell type associated with these modified tight junctions could not be identified with certainty, their interspecies frequency paralleled the interspecies frequency of M cells in dome epithelium. These expanded tight junctions may result from physical tension caused by epithelial shape changes induced by intraepithelial lymphoid trafficking or, alternatively, may help buttress M cells that have attenuated cytoplasmic processes due to the presence of central hollows.
SIMPLE SHEARING FLOW OF A 3D FOAM

Foams, like most highly structured fluids, exhibiting rheological behavior that is both fascinating and complex. We have developed microrheological models for uniaxial extension and simple shearing flow of a `dry`, perfectly ordered, three-dimensional foam composed of thin films with uniform surface tension T and negligible liquid content. We neglect viscous flow in the thin films and examine large elastic-plastic deformations of the foam. The primitive undeformed foam structure is composed of regular space-filling tetrakaidecahedra, which have six square and eight hexagonal surfaces. This structure possesses the film-network topology that is necessary to satisfy equilibrium: three films meet at each edge, which corresponds to a Plateau border, and four edges meet at vertex. However, to minimize surface energy, the films must meet at equal angles of 120{degrees} and the edges must join at equal tetrahedral angles of cos{sup {minus}1}({minus}1/3) {approx} 10.947{degree}. No film in an equilibrium foam structure can be a planar polygon because no planar polygon has all angles equal to the tetrahedral edge. In the equilibrium foam structure known as Kelvin`s minimal tetrakaidecahedron, the `squares` are planar quadrilateral surfaces with curved edges and the `hexagons` are non-planar saddle surfaces with zero mean curvature. As the foam structure evolves withmore » the macroscopic flow, each film maintains zero mean curvature because the pressure is the same in every bubble. In general, the shape of each thin film, defined by z = h(x,y), satisfies R{sub 1}/1 + R{sub 2}/1 = {del}{center_dot} (1 + {vert_bar}{del}h{vert_bar}){sup {1/2}} = O where R{sub 1}{sup {minus}1} and A{sub 2}{sup {minus}1} are the principal curvatures. The appropriate boundary conditions correspond to three films meeting at equal angles. For the homogeneous deformations under consideration, the center of each film moves affinely with the flow. 5 refs« less
Echovirus 1 Interaction with the Isolated VLA-2 I Domain

The isolated I domain of the integrin VLA-2, produced as a bacterial fusion protein, specifically bound echovirus 1 and prevented virus attachment to cells. These results demonstrate that the receptor structures critical for virus attachment are contained solely within the VLA-2 I domain and that soluble receptor fragments are capable of preventing infection.
Structural analysis and expression of human desmoglein: a cadherin-like component of the desmosome.

Desmosomes are adhesive cell junctions found in great abundance in tissues that experience mechanical stress. The transmembrane desmosomal glycoproteins have been proposed to play a role in cell adhesion; desmoglein I (DGI) is a major member of this class of desmosomal molecules. However, evidence supporting a role for DGI in cell adhesion or in the plaque is lacking. In order to begin to understand DGI function we have identified human cDNA clones encoding the entire mature polypeptide of 1000 amino acids. Our data suggest that like the bovine DGI molecule human DGI is highly related to the calcium-dependent class of cell adhesion molecules known as cadherins. Four related extracellular domains located in the amino-terminal domain of the molecule contain putative calcium binding sites originally identified in the cadherins. The highest degree of similarity between human N-cadherin and human DGI, and likewise between bovine DGI and human DGI, is greatest in the most amino-terminal extracellular domain. This suggests a conserved functional role for the extracellular domains, perhaps in calcium-mediated cell adhesion. The cytoplasmic portion of the molecule contains a cadherin-like region and, like bovine DGI, a carboxy-terminal tail that is not present in the cadherins, comprising three additional domains. One of these contains a novel repeating motif of 29 +/− 1 residues, first identified in bovine DGI. Each of the highly homologous repeating units is likely to consist of two beta-strands and two turns with special characteristics. Five amino acids that are identical in bovine and human DGI lie in the second of the two predicted beta-strands, and intriguingly contain putative target sites for protein kinase C. On the basis of structural analysis, a model predicting the disposition of human DGI domains in the desmosome is proposed. Northern analysis suggests that unlike bovine epidermis, which expresses a single mRNA of reported size approximately 7.6 kb, human foreskin and cultured keratinocytes display a complex pattern with bands of approximately 7.2, 4.0 and 3.0 kb. Each of these cross-hybridizing mRNAs is coordinately expressed in normal human keratinocytes in response to long-term culture and increased calcium.
Thin-film NaI(Tl) scintillators for high-resolution large-area imaging of soft x rays

We are developing NaI(Tl) phosphors to use on large-area, photon-counting imaging photomultiplier tubes. An x-ray absorption uniformity of 99% is expected over an area of 133 cm2 at a film thickness of 38 +/- 1.5 micrometers . The spatial resolution of the scintillator films, up to 61 micrometers thick, is consistent with a total detector resolution of less than 92 micrometers , given a phototube resolution of 65 micrometers fwhm. The fwhm for 8 keV spots is presented as a function of angle up to 40 degrees off-incidence and a simple model for the broadening of the fwhm due to parallax is presented. Improvements of 20% in the light- collection efficiency were observed for fiber optic disks coated with potassium silicate before vapor-depositing the NaI(Tl). We also present absolute scintillation energy efficiency measurements by comparing our films to the scintillation of single crystal NaI(Tl).© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Hemorrhagic complications of enoxaparin and aspirin in patients with kidney transplants.

Study Objective. To evaluate the frequency of early posttransplant hemorrhagic complications in patients with kidney and kidney-pancreas transplants who received thromboprophylaxis with enoxaparin and aspirin. Design. Retrospective chart review. Setting. University-based tertiary care center. Patients. Thirteen patients who had received enoxaparin within 10 days of kidney or kidney-pancreas transplantation. Intervention. Medical records were reviewed, and data from patients who had received low-dose aspirin 81 mg once/day and enoxaparin within 10 days of transplantation were collected. Measurements and Main Results. Major bleeding events were defined as intracranial or retroperitoneal bleeding, or a decrease in hemoglobin of greater than 2 g/dl that was confirmed on repeat evaluation. Nine (69%) of the 13 patients had confirmed major bleeding events and required blood transfusions. Six of the nine patients had elevated serum creatinine levels. Conclusion. The combination of enoxaparin and low-dose aspirin early after kidney or kidney-pancreas transplantation was associated with a high frequency of hemorrhagic events. Further evaluation is needed to determine the safety of enoxaparin in combination with aspirin after transplantation.
Polymer-Induced Heteronucleation of Tolfenamic Acid: Structural Investigation of a Pentamorph

The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) tolfenamic acid (TA), previously thought to be dimorphic, is demonstrated to have at least five polymorphs. The new forms were uncovered through the emerging screening technique of polymer-induced heteronucleation (PIHn). The presence of conformational changes among forms, whole molecule disorder, space group diversity, and varying number of molecules in the asymmetric unit occurring within a very narrow free energy window (approximately 0.3 kcal/mol) make the solid-state chemistry of this molecule uniquely complex among pharmaceuticals. These aspects make it a particularly suitable benchmark compound for crystal structure prediction methods.
Photoemission and photoluminescence studies of catalyzed photoelectrode surfaces for hydrogen production

Abstract Discontinuous metal layers in the form of microislands on semiconductor photoelectrode surfaces are known to catalyze reactions for hydrogen production in photoelectrochemical cells. In an effort to determine how the metal islands can be made to improve the photoelectrode efficiency, we have applied photoemission and photoluminescence techniques to investigate the size effect of the metal islands on: (1) the generation of the open-circuit photovoltage at the surface; and (2) the surface recombination loss of the photoexcited electrons. The photoemission results indicate that the optimal photovoltage could be produced for a discontinuous metal layer on a suitable semiconductor surface. In the photoluminescence study, the emission due to surface recombination was found to be affected by the metal microislands.
Revised U.S. federal ocean research plan released

A revised ocean research plan issued by the White House on 7 February lays out priorities for scientific research in support of the U.S. National Ocean Policy goal of balancing productive use of the marine environment with stewardship and protection. The report, “Science for an Ocean Nation: Update of the Ocean Research Priorities Plan,” focuses on six societal themes and research priorities within each of them.
A study of personal computing in education

This paper summarizes a study which was made by the authors on the various roles of personal computing in early education, college education and continued education of the individual. The role of personal computing in continued education is decomposed into its specific roles in the re-education of business persons (especially small businesses), of computer professionals, and of educators and other users of personal computing. It is pointed out that among many professional societies today, as well as within the total education of the individual, personal computing is an essential topic of national and international concern.
Possible formation and development of spirochaete attachment sites found on the surface of symbiotic polymastigote flagellates of the termite Reticulitermes flavipes

We propose that spirochaete attachment sites arise from peripheral protrusions which appear on the surface of polymastigote flagellates. These protrusions develop into bracket-shaped structures which then form the mature attachment site. Next the site becomes detached from the surface of the cell; this latter process may be facilitated by the fusion of vesicles located in the region immediately beneath the spirochaete attachment site. This theory could explain the variability in the number and distribution of attachment sites on the surface of the flagellates.
Nanostructured Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Electrodes

The infiltration (impregnation) of nanoscale particles, forming connected networks, into solid oxide fuel cell electrodes, has been shown to lead to considerable benefit in performance. Porous electrode skeletons (backbones), consisting of electrolyte material such as YSZ, when infiltrated, delivered results comparable to those of the standard Ni-YSZ and LSM-YSZ electrode configurations. Additionally, the performances of both single component mixed ionic electron conductor and of composite electrodes have been significantly enhanced by the connected nanoscale particle networks formed by infiltration.
The nucleus of Comet P/Encke

We present charge-coupled device (CCD) images and spectra of P/Encke taken near aphelion in August and September 1988. The CCD photometry shows the brightness of the comet varying in a cyclic fashion about a mean apparent red magnitude mR − 19.8, with a photometric range Δm = 0.62 ± 0.04 mag. The periods T0 = 15.08 ± 0.08 hr, T0/2, 3T0/2 are consistent with the photometry; we argue that the nucleus synodic rotation period is equal to T0. The cyclic variations, the conformation of the photometry to the inverse square law, and the absence of resolvable coma are all consistent with the detection of an aspherical rotating nucleus. CCD spectra of the nucleus reveal a reddened continuum with a reflectivity gradient S′ = 11 ± 2%/103 A. The compatibility of the observations with the published pole directions of P/Encke is discussed.
Improved sector-scan motion tracking using joint azimuthal-elevational estimation

Ultrasound-based motion tracking is widely used to estimate both tissue motion, for diagnostic purposes, and to estimate bulk transducer motion relative to tissue in freehand 3D imaging, where successive 2D ultrasound scan planes are registered in a 3D volume. Speckle-tracking and decorrelation-based methods are used to estimate motion in the azimuthal and elevational planes. However, the performance of speckle-tracking is significantly degraded in sector-scan systems due to point spread function (PSF) rotation with lateral motion. In these systems, when there is both azimuthal and elevational motion, the accuracy of estimates in both planes are reduced. In this paper, we develop a new method for joint azimuthal-elevational motion estimation based on the complex correlation of individual IQ-demodulated sector-scan A-lines arising from tissue motion in 3D space. Using a new statistical model, we show that the phase of per-line decorrelation is linearly related to the dot product of the tissue motion vector and each A-line's direction unit vector. Motion-tracking efficacy is demonstrated by improved freehand imaging of a known target (anatomically accurate 3D-printed lumbar spine model) in a tissue-mimicking phantom, with a root mean squared (RMS) surface distance error of 1.2 mm, compared to 2.43 mm using a conventional approach. These data indicate that the new algorithm is capable of improved tracking performance for sector-scan systems, enabling effective freehand 3D scanning.
Primary Electronic Thermometry Using the Shot Noise of a Tunnel Junction

We present a thermometer based on the electrical noise from a tunnel junction. In this thermometer, temperature is related to the voltage across the junction by a relative noise measurement with only the use of the electron charge, Boltzmann's constant, and assumption that electrons in a metal obey Fermi-Dirac statistics. We demonstrate proof-of-concept operation of this primary thermometer over four orders of magnitude in temperature, with as high as 0.1% accuracy and 0.02% precision in the range near 1 kelvin. The self-calibrating nature of this sensor allows for a much faster and simpler measurement than traditional Johnson noise thermometry, making it potentially attractive for metrology and for general use in cryogenic systems.
The Combined Effects of Sublethal Damage Repair, Cellular Repopulation and Redistribution in the Mitotic Cycle. II. The Dependency of Radiosensitivity Parameters α, β and t0 on Biological Age for Chinese Hamster V79 Cells

In this paper, an analytical formalism, designated the R3 model, is applied to the problem of understanding changes in cellular radiosensitivity as a function of the position of the cell in the generation cycle. The model describes the survival probability for cells exposed to ionizing radiation and incorporates the effects of sublethal damage repair, repopulation and redistribution in the cell cycle. The importance of this problem stems in part from the increasing reliance on in vitro, single-cell model systems to design optimal radiotherapy treatment protocols, and in particular from the fact that arguments used to justify newer methodologies often bear quite heavily on descriptors (e.g. alpha and beta) meant to be employed for cells homogeneous in radiosensitivity--a situation hardly applicable to tissues. From the analysis of two sets of data for Chinese hamster V79 cells (Sinclair and Morton, Nature 205, 247-250, 1964; Gillespie et al., Radiat. Res. 64, 353-364, 1975) the linear-quadratic parameters (alpha, beta) are obtained as a function of cell cycle age. The results indicate substantial variation of these parameters inside each phase of the cycle. Moreover, it is noticeable that alpha and beta show different patterns of variation during the cycle and therefore the ratio alpha/beta will also change. At the regions of the cycle where beta is large (the beginning of G1 phase, at the G1/S-phase border and during G2 phase) dose-rate effects would be expected to be important. The data for V79 cells are consistent with the view that sublethal damage repair occurs predominantly in S phase, with very little (if any) repair in the other phases of the cycle.
Two New Mammal Records from Kentucky

It has long been suspected that Bachman's Shrew, Sorex longirostris occurred in western Kentucky, but there appears to be no definite locality record of its occurrence within the state. On February 2, 1953, I trapped an individual of this species near the museum on the Bernheim Forest, Bullitt County, Kentucky. This …
The synthesis, purification, and evaluation of a chromophoric substrate for pepsin and other aspartyl proteases: design of a substrate based on subsite preferences.

Abstract A convenient chromophoric assay for porcine pepsin has been developed using a new synthetic substrate. The sequence of this substrate was chosen based on the known subsite preferences for this enzyme. The peptide contains a phenylalanyl-p-nitrophenylalanine sequence at the reactive site. Cleavage of this bond yields a change in absorbance at 310 nm of between 1700 and 2000 per mole. This allows kinetic data to be obtained readily and accurately. The products of cleavage have been identified by isolation of a peptide fragment by high-performance liquid chromatography. Values of kcat, Km, and k cat K m of 94 ± 6 s−1, 0.13 ± .04 m m , and 815 ± 210 s−1/m m −1 were obtained at pH 3.0 and 37°C. The peptide is soluble over the pH range from 2 to 7, thus facilitating determination of the pH dependence of the kinetic parameters. The substrate is also valuable in studying the inhibition of pepsin.
The response of terrestrial ecosystems to global climate change: Towards an integrated approach

Accumulating evidence points to an anthropogenic 'fingerprint' on the global climate change that has occurred in the last century. Climate change has, and will continue to have, profound effects on the structure and function of terrestrial ecosystems. As such, there is a critical need to continue to develop a sound scientific basis for national and international policies regulating carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions. This paper reflects on the nature of current global change experiments, and provides recommendations for a unified multidisciplinary approach to future research in this dynamic field. These recommendations include: (1) better integration between experiments and models, and amongst experimental, monitoring, and space-for-time studies; (2) stable and increased support for long-term studies and multi-factor experiments; (3) explicit inclusion of biodiversity, disturbance, and extreme events in experiments and models; (4) consideration of timing vs intensity of global change factors in experiments and models; (5) evaluation of potential thresholds or ecosystem 'tipping points'; and (6) increased support for model-model and model-experiment comparisons. These recommendations, which reflect discussions within the TERACC international network of global change scientists, will facilitate the unraveling of the complex direct and indirect effects of global climate change on terrestrial ecosystems and their components.