cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Teaching Ethics and the Internet 2.0: pervasive computing, consumer electronics and progressive embodiment

An instructional technology grant to use hand-held devices to augment Ethics and the Internet, which the author has taught for seven years in the Department of Religion at Duke University, enabled the course to address the broader societal implications of digital technology. Using hand-held devices to experience the course on the go, in and beyond the classroom, students were encouraged to consider the pervasive computing and "progressive embodiment" metaphors. Students were prompted to think outside the deskbound Web box and to bring to bear synchronous and asynchronous consumer electronics popularly used and enjoyed today, such as MP3 players, cellular telephones and mobile messaging devices. Thereby the discussion of the ethical issues that arise from the increasing presence of the Internet in everyday life was extended to portable devices and concerns relevant in 2001-02 and beyond.
A Survey of Load Balancing Techniques for Data Intensive Computing

Data volumes have been increasing substantially over the past several years. Such data is often processed concurrently on a distributed collection of machines to ensure reasonable completion times. Load balancing is one of the most important issues in data intensive computing. Often, the choice of the load balancing strategy has implications not just for reduction of execution times, but also on energy usage, network overhead, and costs.
How Groups Merge: The Effects of Merger Integration Patterns on Anticipated Commitment to the Merged Organization1

This study examined the influence of merger integration patterns on expectations about the merger process. The integration patterns included the absorb, in which the merged organization closely resembled the acquiring company; the blend, in which features of both companies were maintained, and the combine, in which the organization resembled neither pre-merger company. Undergraduates role-played employees of a merging organization and written scenarios manipulated the integration pattern and membership in the acquired or acquiring organization. Participants' commitment to the merged organization was most favorable in the combine pattern. Path analyses indicated that the relationship between merger integration pattern and organizational commitment is mediated by the conditions of intergroup contact, perceptions of organizational support, organizational unity, and the degree of threat experienced.
A.G.C.T. Scores of Army Personnel Grouped by Occupation

When the report of the contributions made by psychologists in World War I was published (see Psychological Examining in the U. S. Army, edited by R.M. Yerkes, Memoirs of the National Academy of Sciences. Washington, 1921), the data that received most attention from persons interested in vocational adjustment were the scores made on the Army Alpha test by Army personnel grouped according to the occupations which they followed in civilian life. The number of men involved was only 18,423 and the occupational groups numbered only 68; nevertheless, the data constituted the largest sampling available and they markedly affected the practice and theory of vocational guidance and vocational selection. Because of the continuing interest in data of this sort, the publishers of Occupations take pride in presenting to their readers the present study by Naomi Stewart, based on a much larger mass of statistics gathered in World War II. We are confident that they will be welcomed in this unabridged form. We are indebted to the Adjutant General's Office of the War Department for making this material available. It is anticipated that a considerable demand for extra copies will arise. Orders (at $0.60 each) should be placed early, for the supply is limited.-The Editors
Future of end-user software engineering: beyond the silos

End-user software engineering (EUSE) is a research area that aims to invent new kinds of technologies that collaborate with end users to improve the quality of their software. The practice that EUSE research aims to support is end users using new tools and methods to improve the quality of the software that they and other end users have created. There is a need for this outcome because research shows both that the number of end users creating their own software greatly exceeds the number of professional software developers, and that the software they create is riddled with errors. In this paper, we describe the present state of EUSE, and challenges in moving forward toward a bright future. We show how the future of EUSE may become over-siloed, restricting future researchers' vision of what can be achieved. We then show that focusing on the in-the-moment intents of end-user developers can be used to derive a number of promising directions forward for EUSE researchers, and how theories can help us further de-silo future EUSE research. Finally, we discuss how overcoming challenges for the future of end-user software engineering may also bring direct benefits to the future of "classic" software engineering.
The Expanding Role of the CFO

Not so long ago, the CFO's job was limited to financial record keeping, but now he is one of the top decision-makers - often a leading member of the top management team along with the chief executive officer (CEO) and the chief operating officer (COO). More and more frequently the broad responsibilities of the CFO qualify him to become CEO. This article describes the expanding responsibilities of the modern CFO.
Prednisone pulse therapy for refractory myeloma

The utility of vindesine and a frequent prednisone schedule was evaluated in 70 patients with refractory myeloma. No patient responded to vindesine alone, but about one-fourth achieved significant tumor reductions from intermittent high-dose prednisone, either alone or in combination with vindesine. Forty-seven percent responded when prednisone pulses were combined with vincristine and doxorubicin, providing the best results yet achieved in our patients with refractory myeloma. In responding patients, remissions were of excellent quality and survival was prolonged significantly. These results supported the utility of a more frequent corticosteroid schedule with increased doxorubicin dose in patients with advanced and resistant multiple myeloma.
Antigenic structure of the fusion glycoprotein of respiratory syncytial virus.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is the major cause of lower respiratory disease in infants and young children (McIntosh and Chanock, 1985). The virus is a member of the family Paramyxoviridae, and is an enveloped single stranded RNA virus. RSV, like other paramyxoviruses, has an envelop protein called the fusion (F) protein which is responsible for fusion of the viral and cell membranes during the infectious process. Once a cell is infected, F protein in the membrane can cause the fusion of adjacent cells resulting giant cells or syncytia. Antibody to the F protein is able to block the fusion process and thereby prevent the infection of cells by virus and spread of infection between cells (Walsh and Hruska, 1983; Walsh et al., 1985).
Implementing Externally Induced Innovations: A Comparison of Rule-Bound and Autonomous Approaches

This research analyzed how nuclear power plants implemented safety review innovations introduced by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission after the Three Mile Island accident. The findings suggested th...
L1 Adaptive Control with Output Constraints Applied to Flight Envelope Limiting

Many engineering systems are explicitly or implicitly subject to different types of output limits. The proposed paper aims to deal with a class of uncertain nonlinear systems with output constraints by using the L1 adaptive control method. Due to the output limits, the basic architecture of the L1 adaptive controller is extended. Based on the adaptive law and state predictor in the L1 adaptive controller, the time-varying boundaries of the control signal are calculated, ensuring that the constrained output remains within limits. To further explore its efficiency, we apply the L1 adaptive controller to the subscale turbine powered Generic Transport Model (GTM). The presented results are from a full nonlinear simulation of the GTM and some preliminary pilot evaluations of the L1 adaptive control law.
Stress Corrosion Cracking in Björk-Shiley Convexo-Concave Prosthetic Heart Valves Due to Random in vivo Electrochemical Pulsing:

Welded downstream struts of Bjork-Shiley Convexo-Concave heart valves show failure in vivo, but not in in vitro testing. A pyrolytic carbon pivoting disk occluder closes against a Haynes 25 alloy ring, which is electrochemically machined from solid with the upstream retaining struts. The weld area is de-alloyed, with residual porosity and carbide inclusions. The valve becomes a short-circuited electrochemical cell when fully open or closed. It is an aggressive chloride electrolyte, whose high pulsed flow (2 m/s) ensures that supply of oxygen-rich cathode reactant is not mass-transport-limited. During the flight of the occluder, the cell is randomly at open circuit. A random current pulse is applied to the metal parts on circuit closure. Failure is not from simple mechanical fatigue, but from stress-corrosion-cracking and erosion of the less noble weld area caused by these pulses. All welded valves of this type may be susceptible to ultimate in vivo failure.
Lipoprotein(a) does not show circadian variations.

It has recently been reported that lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] may decrease fibrinolytic activity. We wondered whether the concentration of Lp(a) in blood follows a circadian rhythm that might play a role in the known rhythm for fibrinolytic activity. To study this we obtained citrated plasma samples on 6 healthy males (age 34±5 years) every 2 hours for 24 hours. Lp(a) antigen was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with reagents from Biopool Inc.
Evaluation of carcass, live, and real-time ultrasound measures in feedlot cattle : II. Effects of different age end points on the accuracy of predicting the percentage of retail product, retail product weight, and hot carcass weight

Data from 970 feedlot steers and bulls were used to evaluate effects of different age end points on the accuracy of prediction models for percentage of retail product, retail product weight, and hot carcass weight. Cattle were ultrasonically scanned three to five times for fat thickness, longissimus muscle area, and percentage of intramuscular fat. Live animal measures of body weight and hip height were also taken during some of the scan sessions. Before development of prediction equations, live and ultrasound data were adjusted to four age end points using individual animal regressions. Age end points represented mean age at slaughter (448 d), mean age at the second-to-last scan before slaughter (414 d), mean age at the third-to-last scan before slaughter (382 d), and an age end point of 365 d. Ultrasound and live animal measures accounted for a large proportion of the variation in the dependent variables regardless of the age end point considered. For all three traits, final models based on independent variables adjusted to earlier ages of 365 and 382 d showed better or at least similar model R2 and root mean square errors than those based on independent variables adjusted to a mean slaughter age of 448 d. Validation of the models using independent data from 282 steers resulted in a mean across-age rank correlation coefficient of .78, .88, and .83 between actual and predicted values of the percentage of retail product, hot carcass weight, and retail product weight, respectively. Mean across-age rank correlation of breeding values for the corresponding traits were .92, .89, and .82. The results of this study suggest that live and ultrasound traits measured as early as 365 d could be used to predict end product traits as accurately as similar measures made before slaughter at age 448 d.
Renale Denervation als Therapieoption

Die therapierefraktare arterielle Hypertonie ist eine chronische Erkrankung mit weitreichenden Folgen fur das kardiovaskulare System. Trotz vielfacher medikamentoser Optionen leiden auch heute noch ca. 5–15% aller Hypertoniker an einer therapierefraktaren Form des Bluthochdrucks. Deren Behandlung stellt sowohl den Arzt als auch den Patienten vor grose Schwierigkeiten. Mit der renalen Denervation steht uns heute ein minimal-invasives interventionelles Verfahren zur Verfugung, durch das vielen therapierefraktaren Hypertonikern geholfen werden kann. In diesem Artikel werden pathophysiologische Hintergrunde, die prozedurale Durchfuhrung und insbesondere die Indikationsstellung der renalen Denervation dargestellt. Hierfur werden Daten aus Studien, Konsensusartikeln und eigene Erfahrungen unseres Zentrums zusammengefasst.
Housing Taxation and Housing Policy

In much of the world, the supply of housing is largely determined by private investment decisions; in some other countries, housing investment decisions are public ones in large part, but housing is offered at close to economic prices, and consumer decisions as to the disposition of consumption expenditures have a bearing on the level and composition of the housing stock. In either situation — wherever private investment and/or consumption decisions heavily influence the resolution of a country’s housing ‘problem’ — governmental housing policy measures include not only the familiar positive financial inducements in the form of subsidies and favourable credit terms but also the negative instrument of taxes on housing.
Majoritarian and Proportional Systems

In the beginning is how a people is made to vote. Electoral systems determine how votes are translated into seats,1 and thereby affect the behavior of the voter. They also bear on whether the elector votes party or persons. On the first account the criterion is whether the translation of votes into seats is ‘in proportion’ or not, and the major divide among electoral systems thus is between proportional and majoritarian representation. On the second account the criterion is who controls the selection of the candidates, and the major divide is between ‘person voting’ or not. Since both criteria admit degrees and mixes, the overall classification and typology of electoral systems turns out to be — unsurprisingly — an intricate matter.
On the Study of Process in Communication Research

One of the defining characteristics of communication is that it is a process. Yet the vast majority of studies of communication do not focus on process, but rather on static models and explanations. This essay develops a conception of process research in the social scientific study of communication that distinguishes it from traditional variance based research approaches. The process approach is based on the development of theoretical narratives that explain how series of events unfold over time. Explanation in process theories is based on formal and final causality as well as on the efficient causality that is the foundation for variance explanations. Four basic types of process explanations are described. Four strategies for process research are explicated and examples of process studies in communication are used to illustrate them.
Route to Highly Substituted Pyridines

Pyridine rings are common structural motifs found in a number of biologically active compounds, including some top-selling pharmaceuticals. We have developed a new approach to access substituted pyridines. The method aims to provide a reliable synthesis of a diverse range of substituted pyridines through a three-step procedure. Readily available enones are first converted into 1,5-dicarbonyls through a two-step Hosomi–Sakurai allylation/oxidative cleavage sequence, which is followed by subsequent cyclization to the corresponding pyridine using hydroxylamine hydrochloride. A variety of substituted pyridines have been synthesized using this method.
Trial-by-trial switching between procedural and declarative categorization systems

Considerable evidence suggests that human category learning recruits multiple memory systems. A popular assumption is that procedural memory is used to form stimulus-to-response mappings, whereas declarative memory is used to form and test explicit rules about category membership. The multiple systems framework has been successful in motivating and accounting for a broad array of empirical observations over the past 20 years. Even so, only a couple of studies have examined how the different categorization systems interact. Both previous studies suggest that switching between explicit and procedural responding is extremely difficult. But they leave unanswered the critical questions of whether trial-by-trial system switching is possible, and if so, whether it is qualitatively different than trial-by-trial switching between two explicit tasks. The experiment described in this article addressed these questions. The results (1) confirm that effective trial-by-trial system switching, although difficult, is possible; (2) suggest that switching between tasks mediated by different memory systems is more difficult than switching between two declarative memory tasks; and (3) point to a serious shortcoming of current category-learning theories.
Identification and characterization of AckA-dependent protein acetylation in Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the causative agent of gonorrhea, has a number of factors known to contribute to pathogenesis; however, a full understanding of these processes and their regulation has proven to be elusive. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of bacterial proteins are now recognized as one mechanism of protein regulation. In the present study, Western blot analyses, with an anti-acetyl-lysine antibody, indicated that a large number of gonococcal proteins are post-translationally modified. Previous work has shown that Ne-lysine acetylation can occur non-enzymatically with acetyl-phosphate (AcP) as the acetyl donor. In the current study, an acetate kinase mutant (1291ackA), which accumulates AcP, was generated in N. gonorrhoeae. Broth cultures of N. gonorrhoeae 1291wt and 1291ackA were grown, proteins extracted and digested, and peptides containing acetylated-lysines (K-acetyl) were affinity-enriched from both strains. Mass spectrometric analyses of these samples identified a total of 2686 unique acetylation sites. Label-free relative quantitation of the K-acetyl peptides derived from the ackA and wild-type (wt) strains demonstrated that 109 acetylation sites had an ackA/wt ratio>2 and p-values <0.05 in at least 2/3 of the biological replicates and were designated as "AckA-dependent". Regulated K-acetyl sites were found in ribosomal proteins, central metabolism proteins, iron acquisition and regulation proteins, pilus assembly and regulation proteins, and a two-component response regulator. Since AckA is part of a metabolic pathway, comparative growth studies of the ackA mutant and wt strains were performed. The mutant showed a growth defect under aerobic conditions, an inability to grow anaerobically, and a defect in biofilm maturation. In conclusion, the current study identified AckA-dependent acetylation sites in N. gonorrhoeae and determined that these sites are found in a diverse group of proteins. This work lays the foundation for future studies focusing on specific acetylation sites that may have relevance in gonococcal pathogenesis and metabolism.
A comparison of efficient first stage decimation filters for continuous time delta sigma modulators

Low power, high signal to noise ratio, analog-to-digital converters are frequently required for biomedical applications. In addition, many such biomedical applications require high decimation rate digital filters; however, these digital filters demand significant power and circuit resources. Traditional multiplier-less cascaded integrated-comb (CIC) filter structure may be used but require large word lengths for high decimation rates. Alternatively, a cascaded minimum polyphase (CMP) structure provides a non-recursive multiplier-less decimation filter at reduced word lengths but additional filter sections. This work compares the circuit resource utilization and power consumption of the recursive and non-recursive structures. Considering small input word widths, single synchronous clock design, and hardware description synthesis, the CIC structure is more efficient than the CMP in the configurations tested.
The widening spectrum of immunological memory

Immunological memory is broadly understood as the underlying mechanism by which an organism remembers previous encounters with pathogens, aberrant cells, or self-antigens to produce a more rapid or robust secondary response upon re-encounter. This phenomenon is widely accepted as the hallmark feature of the adaptive immune system. However, work within the last decade has continuously challenged this viewpoint and opened up the idea that immunological memory extends beyond just conventional B cells and T cells. Along with critical studies on natural killer cells, recent evidence suggest that innate B and T cells, innate lymphoid cells, and even myeloid cells are capable of varying degrees of immune memory. In this article, we review recent work describing memory-like features within the innate immune system, and provide evidence that immunological memory may be more nuanced than previously appreciated.
Sustainable Agriculture and Soybean Breeding: Contribution of Soybean Yield Increase to Sustainable Agriculture

Soybean production has increased steadily in the USA since the beginning of twentieth century due to increases in yield (23.4 kg ha−1 year−1) and total area for soybean production (0.41 million ha year−1). This chapter discusses factors that influenced the increase in soybean production and its association with yield as an important contributor to sustainable agriculture. Four distinct eras for soybean production have been identified. The first era (prior to 1942) was characterized by adaptation of soybean land races introduced to the USA. The second era (1943–1977) was defined by cultivars that resulted from public breeding programs, followed by predominantly private sector breeding effort during the third era (1978–1998). The fourth era (1999–now) is defined by introduction of biotechnology traits. Yield increase was observed throughout this 87-year period, with the greatest rate of increase (31.8 kg ha−1 year−1) associated with the biotechnology trait era. Soybean yield improvements were generally due to breeding effort, optimization of agronomic practices, increased investment in research, and advances in biotechnology. Farmland used for soybean production increased during the first two eras, showed fluctuations during the third era, and stayed generally flat for the fourth era. Greater yield allowed for less farmland required for soybean production. It has been estimated that if US farmers were to grow low yielding soybean cultivars from 1924, they would need to plant almost four times as many hectares to achieve 2010 soybean production. In that respect, the continual effort of modern agriculture towards increasing soybean yield is one of the most important contributors to sustainable agriculture.
Cyst forming nematodes in Libya

Plant nematology only became established in Libya in the late 1970s but surveys and identifications of several plant parasitic nematodes associated with different crops in Libya were made by foreign scientists, mainly Italians, before then. Carraro (1959) recorded the beet cyst nematode, Heterodera schachtii Schmidt on sugar beet at Sidi El-Mesri Agricultural Station. Pucci (1965) listed all the common diseases encountered in the Tripolitania region but the only cyst nematode he recorded was H. goettingiana Liebscher on broad bean (Vicia faba) at Tripoli and Ben-Ghasheer. Later, Pucci (1969) reported the presence of H. goettingiana and H. avenae Woll. on barley at Azizia.
Quantitative analysis of transcript accumulation from genes duplicated by polyploidy using cDNA-SSCP.

Repeated rounds of polyploidy have been commonplace in the lineages leading to modern eukaryotic genomes, giving rise to widespread gene duplication. Genes duplicated by polyploidy, or "homoeologs," may continue to be expressed at equal levels following polyploidization or their expression may be dramatically altered. In this report, we describe how SSCP analysis of RT-PCR products can be used to evaluate the expression status (presence and relative quantity) of highly similar homoelogous gene pairs from an allotetraploid genome. This cDNA-SSCP approach was used to evaluate transcript abundance in "synthetic tetraploid" mRNA pools (i.e., mixtures of diploid products) and three natural homoeologous gene pairs expressed in tetraploid cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) ovules. Results from replicated tests show that cDNA-SSCP reliably separates duplicated transcripts with 99% sequence identity. Most significantly, the method yields quantitative estimates of transcript ratios in template pools that range from equimolar to approximately 100:1.
Enhancing Food Security in a Warmer and More Crowded World: Factors and Processes in Fragile Zones

World food security is largely a problem of poor people and poor areas that do not have the resources to ensure dependable access to sufficient quantity and quality of food through production or exchange (Wisner, 1988). This is more so in areas with fragile and marginal natural resources that offer limited and undependable agricultural production and exchange opportunities for people to acquire command over their food requirements (Sen, 1981). The bulk of the mountain/hill regions and dry tropical areas in the developing countries qualify for this status. In fact, if one excludes the political strife-torn areas with high food potential, most charitable donations of food are directed to such areas
Nut Consumption in Relation to Cardiovascular Disease Incidence and Mortality Among Patients With Diabetes Mellitus

Rationale: The evidence regarding the potential health benefits of nut consumption among individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus is limited. Objective: To examine intake of total and specific typ...
Association Between Medicare and FDA Policies and Prior Authorization Requirements for Buprenorphine Products in Medicare Part D Plans.

This study describes changes in the proportion of Medicare Part D plans requiring prior authorization for buprenorphine products before and after a 2017 FDA rquirement that the drug’s label emphasize the importance of drug treatment of opioid use disorder.
A continuum framework for modeling liquid-vapor interfaces out of local thermal equilibrium

Abstract Continuum numerical methods modeling liquid-vapor phase change processes typically assume local thermal equilibrium at the liquid-vapor interface – continuity of temperature at phase interfaces, and a relation between interfacial saturation pressure and temperature based on phase co-existence curves. Several standard macroscopic problems have been solved accurately by adhering to this assumption. However, in micro-scale and certain non-standard macro-scale applications, significant jumps in temperature are observed at liquid-vapor interfaces during phase change, and vapor pressure can be far from equilibrium values. In this paper, we present a locally discontinuous arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian finite element formulation with temperature discontinuities at interfaces. A penalty-based approach is used to weakly enforce the temperature jump condition. Furthermore, we use kinetic-theory-based Schrage relationship to evaluate the rate of phase change. We apply our methodology to solve the problem of flowing vapor in a planar heat pipe. The flow rates predicted by our continuum simulations are in excellent agreement with recently published molecular dynamics simulation results of the same problem. Interestingly, accounting for temperature discontinuities leads to only a slight improvement in the prediction of mass fluxes as compared to the case when temperature continuity is assumed. This is in contrast to the large improvement in the prediction of temperature profiles and is a consequence of a weak dependence of the evaporation/condensation rates on the vapor temperature.
Aircraft Noise Effects on Sleep—Results of a Pilot Study Near Philadelphia International Airport

Current objective data on aircraft noise effects on sleep are needed in the US to inform policy. In this pilot field study, heart rate and body movements were continuously measured during sleep of residents living in the vicinity of Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and in a control region without aircraft noise with sociodemographic characteristics similar to the exposed region (N = 40 subjects each). The primary objective was to establish the feasibility of unattended field measurements. A secondary objective was to compare objective and subjective measures of sleep and health between control and aircraft noise exposed groups. For all measurements, there was less than 10% of data loss, demonstrating the feasibility of unattended home measurements. Based on 2375 recorded aircraft noise events, we found a significant (unadjusted p = 0.0136) exposure-response function between the maximum sound pressure level of aircraft noise events and awakening probability inferred from heart rate increases and body movements, which was similar to previous studies. Those living near the airport reported poorer sleep quality and poorer health than the control group in general, but when asked in the morning about their last night’s sleep, no significant difference was found between groups. Neither systolic nor diastolic morning blood pressures differed between study regions. While this study demonstrates the feasibility of unattended field study measurements, for a national study around multiple US airports refinements of the study design are necessary to further lower methodological expense and increase participation rates.
An in-situ movable calibration source for cryogenic particle detectors

Abstract A prototype device capable of moving a radioactive calibration source to multiple positions was operated at millikelvin temperatures using a modified commercial stepper motor. It was developed as an in-situ calibration strategy for cryogenic dark matter detectors. Data taken by scanning a calibration source across multiple radial positions of a prototype dark matter detector demonstrated its functionality. Construction, heat load, and operation of the device are discussed, as is the effect of the motor on the detector operation. A sample dataset taken over multiple positions of a SuperCDMS detector is presented as an example of the utility of such a device.
Bimanual visually guided movements are more than the sum of their parts: Evidence from optic ataxia.

ABSTRACTMany reaching actions involve both hands. An open question is whether two-handed reaching involves two simultaneous, independent unimanual reaches, or recruits additional or different proce...
Discovery of antitumor lectins from rainforest tree root transcriptomes.

Glycans are multi-branched sugars that are displayed from lipids and proteins. Through their diverse polysaccharide structures they can potentiate a myriad of cellular signaling pathways involved in development, growth, immuno-communication and survival. Not surprisingly, disruption of glycan synthesis is fundamental to various human diseases; including cancer, where aberrant glycosylation drives malignancy. Here, we report the discovery of a novel mannose-binding lectin, ML6, which selectively recognizes and binds to these irregular tumor-specific glycans to elicit potent and rapid cancer cell death. This lectin was engineered from gene models identified in a tropical rainforest tree root transcriptome and is unusual in its six canonical mannose binding domains (QxDxNxVxY), each with a unique amino acid sequence. Remarkably, ML6 displays antitumor activity that is >105 times more potent than standard chemotherapeutics, while being almost completely inactive towards non-transformed, healthy cells. This activity, in combination with results from glycan binding studies, suggests ML6 differentiates healthy and malignant cells by exploiting divergent glycosylation pathways that yield naive and incomplete cell surface glycans in tumors. Thus, ML6 and other high-valence lectins may serve as novel biochemical tools to elucidate the glycomic signature of different human tumors and aid in the rational design of carbohydrate-directed therapies. Further, understanding how nature evolves proteins, like ML6, to combat the changing defenses of competing microorganisms may allow for fundamental advances in the way we approach combinatorial therapies to fight therapeutic resistance in cancer.
Controlling the particle size of aqueous conjugated polymer colloids and impact on transistor performance

Abstract Herein, aqueous suspensions of poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) colloids with tunable particle size were fabricated using a miniemulsion process followed by solvent evaporation. The effects of solvent evaporation temperature, sonication time and surfactant amount on colloid properties and field effect transistor performance were investigated. The particle size distribution and morphology of the colloids were characterized by dynamic light scattering and atomic force microscopy. It was found that increasing solvent evaporation temperature leads to larger particle size; longer sonication leads to smaller particle size and careful selection of these variables along with controlled surfactant amount can be used to tune colloid sizes. Organic field-effect transistors (FETs) prepared using P3HT colloids displayed increasing hole mobility and decreasing threshold voltage as the colloidal particle size decreased. The trend in performance can be explained by considering the geometric factors governing carrier density and carrier transport.
Ten years post-GAO assessment, FDA remains uninformed of potentially harmful GRAS substances in foods

It has been approximately 10 years since the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published its report to Congress entitled, FDA Should Strengthen Its Oversight of Food Ingredients Determined to ...
Synthesis: A framework for predicting the dark side of ecological subsidies

In this chapter, we synthesize the state of the science regarding ecological subsidies and contaminants at the land-water interface and suggest research and management approaches for linked freshwater-terrestrial ecosystems. Specifically, we focus on movements of animals with complex life histories and the detrital inputs associated with animal and plant matter delivered to freshwaters. We present a framework based on the physicochemical parameters of contaminants and how they shape the relationship between contaminant persistence within resource subsidies (“dark side” of subsidies) and movement of resource subsidies (“bright side” of subsidies) across ecosystem boundaries. This relationship between the “dark side” and “bright side” of subsidies defines an important parameter space that allows researchers and practitioners to predict the potential impacts of aquatic contaminants on resource subsidies and their interaction with other stressors on consumers. Ecological factors such as ecosystem productivity, community composition, and consumer prey preference shape the ecotoxicological outcomes of aquatic contamination on subsidies. Landscape factors such as lithology, hydrogeomorphology, hydroperiod, and land use underlie chemical, toxicological, and ecological patterns and provide the context within which effects of contaminants play out. Finally, effects of contaminants combine with effects of other global stressors on timing, quality, and quantity of subsidies that drive responses to contaminants at the land-water interface. Understanding the “dark side” of ecological subsidies requires expertise from multiple disciplines. We attempt to synthesize current knowledge from those disciplines and generate conceptual models that ecologists can use to guide future research in understanding cross-ecosystem subsidies and contaminant fate and effects.
Untargeted Chemometrics Evaluation of the Effect of Juicing Technique on Phytochemical Profiles and Antioxidant Activities in Common Vegetables

This study used ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography combined with ion-trap time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTOF-MS) and complementary metabolomics approaches to investigate the eff...
Hemophagocytosis of Sickle Cells.

Hemophagocytosis of Sickle Cells A 60-year-old man with sickle cell disease presented with fatigue and shortness of breath. He was found to have anemia, and bone marrow biopsy revealed hemophagocyt...
Smart MALT: lymphoma with a superior predilection.

A 52-year-old female presented with a two-month history of diplopia (A) left ptosis, proptosis and infraduction restriction. (B) Post-contrast coronal T1W fat saturation demonstrates enlargement an...
Bone morphogenic protein-2 signaling in human disc degeneration and correlation to the Pfirrmann MRI grading system.

Abstract BACKGROUND CONTEXT Back and neck pain secondary to disc degeneration is a major public health burden. There is a need for therapeutic treatments to restore intervertebral disc (IVD) composition and function. PURPOSE To quantify ALK3, BMP-2, pSMAD1/5/8 and MMP-13 expression in IVD specimens collected from patients undergoing surgery for disc degeneration, to correlate ALK3, BMP-2, pSMAD1/5/8 and MMP-13 expression in IVD specimens to the 5-level Pfirrmann MRI grading system, and to compare ALK3, BMP-2, pSMAD1/5/8 and MMP-13 expression between cervical and lumbar degenerative disc specimens. STUDY DESIGN An immunohistochemical study assessing ALK3, BMP-2, pSMAD1/5/8, and MMP-13 expression levels in human control and degenerative IVD specimens. METHODS Human IVD specimens were collected from surgical patients who underwent discectomy and interbody fusion at our institution between 1/2015 and 8/2017. Each patient underwent MRI prior to surgery. The degree of disc degeneration was measured according to the 5-level Pfirrmann MRI grading system. Patients were categorized into either the 1) control group (Pfirrmann grades I-II) or 2) degenerative group (Pfirrmann grades III-V). Histology slides of the collected IVD specimens were prepared and immunohistochemical staining was performed to assess ALK3, BMP-2, pSMAD1/5/8, and MMP-13 expression levels in the control and degenerative specimens. Expression levels were also correlated to the Pfirrmann criteria. Lastly, the degenerative specimens were stratified according to their vertebral level and expression levels between the degenerative lumbar and cervical discs were compared. RESULTS Fifty-two patients were enrolled; however, 2 control and 2 degenerative patients were excluded due to incomplete data sets. Of the remaining 48 patients, there were 12 control and 36 degenerative specimens. Degenerative specimens had increased expression levels of BMP-2 (p=.0006) and pSMAD1/5/8 (p .05). Stratifying the degenerative specimens according to their vertebral level showed no significant differences in expression levels between the lumbar and cervical discs (p>.05). CONCLUSIONS BMP-2 and pSMAD1/5/8 signaling activity was significantly upregulated in the human degenerative specimens, while ALK3 and MMP-13 expression were not significantly changed. The expression levels of BMP-2 and pSMAD1/5/8 correlate positively with the degree of disc degeneration measured according to the Pfirrmann MRI grading system. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE BMP-SMAD signaling represents a promising therapeutic target to restore IVD composition and function in the setting of disc degeneration.
Perceptions of nonopioid treatment for pain in a homeless population.

Background Opioid abuse has developed into a public health emergency within the last decade because opioid medications, while addictive, are effective and commonly used for pain management. In 2016, over 42,000 deaths were attributed to opioids. Chronic pain affects about 50% of people experiencing homelessness in the US, and they have a higher overall rate of chronic pain than the general population; opioids are among the methods they might use to manage that pain. Complementary and alternative therapies for pain management have largely gone unexplored in the homeless population. Objectives To determine, among people experiencing homelessness, the willingness to use and current use of complementary and alternative treatments (physical and massage therapy, chiropractic treatments). A secondary objective was to investigate awareness and perception of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) as a complementary treatment for chronic pain among the homeless population. Methods A 32 question survey was administered verbally to guests of True Worth Place Homeless Shelter in Fort Worth, Texas in three 4 hour sessions from February 2019 to April 2019. If participants gave verbal consent, a researcher read the questionnaire, one question at a time, and recorded the participant's responses. The survey included queries for opioid and nonopioid treatment modalities (physical and massage therapy, chiropractic, and OMT) to assess the perception of and current use of each among the population. Appropriate nonparametric statistical analysis was conducted to assess significance and correlations among the treatment groups. Results Of the 200 survey participants, 126 (91.3%) reported a history of opiate use for pain, but 136 (68.0%) believed that a nondrug pain intervention could better treat their pain. Additionally, 150 participants (75.0%) believed that regular manipulation, including OMT, would decrease their need for pain medications. Participants with a history of opioid use for pain were more likely to believe that the availability of regular manipulation, including OMT, at True Worth Place could decrease their need for pain medication (odds ratio=3.7143; 95% confidence interval=1.6122-8.5572; p=0.0009). Moreover, some participants (141; 70.5%) were already pursuing nondrug pain management modalities such as PT, massage therapy, and chiropractic care. The greatest barriers to receiving OMT were transportation and cost. Conclusions This survey study was conducted to determine whether a homeless population would be willing to use nonopioid treatment, particularly OMT, for chronic pain management. Results revealed both a willingness to use and a previous use of nonopioid treatments for pain, along with a high prevalence of opiate use. Despite limited exposure to OMT, this population reported being potentially willing to pursue manipulation, including OMT, as a complementary treatment for pain relief alongside opioids if readily available.
Firm management of scientific information: an empirical update

The purpose of this paper is to extend and test a model proposed by McMillan and colleagues in 1995. That model posited that research-intensive firms that are more ‘cooperative’ or open in publishing their scientific findings will have higher research and development (R&D) productivity than more secretive firms. In addition, four possible predictors of this scientific information openness are proposed in lieu of two in the 1995 article. Our current effort includes an empirical examination of twenty pharmaceutical firms over thirteen years, and finds substantial support for many of the proposed relationships. In addition, interviews with field practitioners independently confirmed many of the findings. The managerial implications are also discussed.
Biliary tract malformations of infancy

Abstract Biliary malformations in children are rare, but important to recognize. Diagnostic delay compromises outcomes. Some may be diagnosed prenatally, others in the newborn period, usually with clinical presentation of jaundice, with or without abdominal pain and fever. A strong level of suspicion is needed with any patient. Abdominal ultrasound, which is widely available, is an excellent initial imaging tool. Further work up may include magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) to completely define the biliary tree. Surgical management is the primary treatment for many biliary disorders.
Per-Pixel Analysis of Forest Structure

For more than 30 years, analysis of image pixels has been central to the interpretation of multi-spectral remote sensing imagery of the Earth and celestial bodies. In the context of optical remote sensing of terrestrial ecosystems, “per-pixel analysis” focuses on the process of estimating biophysical and geophysical properties from the radiation reflected off materials found on the land surface. This reflected radiation occurs in five optical domains: spectral, angular, temporal, spatial and polarization. These optical domains are not independent, yet they are often considered individually during the development and use of per-pixel analytical techniques. The polarization domain is not covered in this Chapter. Some studies indicate the potential importance of polarization for estimating properties of plant foliage and canopies (e.g., Rondeaux and Herman 1991), and those were reviewed by Vanderbilt et al. (1991).
Diffuser Efficiency of Free-Jet Supersonic Wind Tunnels at Variable Test Chamber Pressure

The flow process occurring in the diffuser of a supersonic wind tunnel with free jet and its efficiency have been previously investigated by the author (see Air Force Technical Report No. 6334, December, 1950) for the special case, where the pressure in the test chamber surrounding the jet is equal to the pressure in the exit cross section of the Laval nozzle. The present analysis deals with the general case, where the test chamber pressure is different from the nozzle exit pressure. By using the basic equations of continuity, energy, and momentum flow through a control surface, an exact solution for one-dimensional, nonviscous, steady flow is obtained. One of the basic results is that the flow—after the transformation process in the diffuser is completed—is subsonic if the test chamber pressure is above, equal to, or below the nozzle exit pressure. A supersonic flow is possible, too, if the test chamber pressure is smaller than a certain finite limit below the equilibbrium. The results are presented in eight graphs over a Mach Number range from 1 to 10, showing velocity and pressure after the transformation, diffuser efficiency, total pressure ratio, and diffuser throat area at variable chamber pressure. The analysis also shows, for the first time, the exact mechanism of test chamber pressure control for the subsonic solution by means of an adjustable diffuser throat and the quantitative description of a "slow starting" process of the tunnel.
Role of bestatin-sensitive exopeptidases in the intracellular degradation of hepatic proteins.

Injection of bestatin into intact mice produces accumulation of di- and tripeptide intermediates in the degradation of short- and long-lived hepatic proteins, whereas lysosomal breakdown of endocytosed plasma asialoglycoproteins is not affected. The majority of the peptides are found in the liver cytosol, but a minor portion appears in a sedimentable fraction containing mitochondria and lysosomes (Botbol, V., and Scornik, O. A. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 1942–1949). We now report that (a) the primary location of the intermediates is the cytosol. The particulate fraction represents cytosolic peptides trapped within mitochondria, as evidenced by sedimentation equilibrium in sucrose gradients after loading lysosomes with Triton WR1339 and by the sensitivity of the particles to lysis by digitonin. (b) In isolated hepatocytes, where we can measure simultaneously protein breakdown and bestatin-induced peptides, the accumulation of intermediates parallels protein degradation of analog-containing, short- and long-lived proteins, even after stimulation of the latter by amino acid deprivation. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that bestatin inhibits cytosolic exopeptidases that complete the intracellular breakdown to amino acids of the major classes of hepatic proteins. The role of cytosolic exopeptidases is expected in the rapid degradation of abnormal proteins, a demonstrated cytosolic process. In stimulated degradation of long-lived proteins, the importance of cytosolic exopeptidases implies either that this process is largely cytosolic or, more likely, that peptides escape from autophagic organelles.