cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Feedback Motif that Breaks the Fundamental Limit on Noise Suppression to Stabilize Fate

Diverse biological systems utilize gene-expression fluctuations (noise) to drive lineage-31 commitment decisions1-5. However, once a commitment is made, noise becomes detrimental 32 to reliable function6,7 and the mechanisms enabling post-commitment noise suppression are 33 unclear. We used time-lapse imaging and mathematical modeling, and found that, after a 34 noise-driven event, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) strongly attenuated expression 35 noise through a non-transcriptional negative-feedback circuit. Feedback is established by 36 serial generation of RNAs from post-transcriptional splicing, creating a precursor-product 37 relationship where proteins generated from spliced mRNAs auto-deplete their own 38 precursor un-spliced mRNAs. Strikingly, precursor auto-depletion overcomes the 39 theoretical limits on conventional noise suppression, minimizing noise far better than 40 transcriptional auto-repression, and dramatically stabilizes commitment to the active-41 replication state. This auto-depletion feedback motif may efficiently suppress noise in 42 other systems ranging from detained introns to non-sense mediated decay.
Temporal Trends and Clinician Variability in Potassium Monitoring of Healthy Young Women Treated for Acne With Spironolactone

Importance Although recent studies and guideline recommendations indicate that potassium level monitoring is of low usefulness for healthy young women being treated for acne with spironolactone, little is known about whether these recommendations have been implemented in clinical practice. Objective To evaluate trends in rates of potassium level monitoring among young women treated for acne with spironolactone and clinician variability in monitoring practices. Design, setting, and participants This retrospective cohort study was conducted between January 1, 2008, and June 30, 2019, using data from the Optum deidentified Clinformatics Data Mart database. Participants comprised 108 547 healthy female patients aged 12 to 45 years who were treated for acne with spironolactone. Main outcome and measures The primary outcome was the proportion of women who received a test for baseline potassium level and the proportion of women whose potassium levels were monitored in the first 180 days of being treated for acne with spironolactone. For clinicians who had prescribed at least 5 courses of spironolactone, the percentage of clinicians who ordered baseline potassium testing or monitoring and the percentage of clinicians who always monitored potassium were compared between 2008 and 2015 vs between 2016 and 2018. Results For 108 547 women included in this cohort study, the mean (SD) age at the start of treatment was 30.7 (8.6) years, and the mean (SD) course duration was 159 (218) days. Between 2008 and 2018, the percentage of women whose potassium levels were monitored within 180 days of starting spironolactone by all clinicians decreased from 41.4% to 38.5%, with a decrease from 48.9% to 41.0% among dermatologists and from 39.7% to 37.7% among internists but with an increase from 71.4% to 75.4% among advanced practice clinicians (ie, nurse practitioners and physician assistants). The proportion of dermatologists who always monitored potassium decreased from 10.6% between 2008 and 2015 to 4.2% between 2016 and 2018. There was no significant difference in the proportion of internists who always monitored potassium from 2008 to 2015 (15.8%) vs from 2016 to 2018 (17.7%). Conclusions and relevance Despite increasing evidence and guidelines supporting the elimination of potassium monitoring among healthy young women treated for acne with spironolactone, the present study findings suggest that potassium monitoring remains common, with substantial variability in clinician practices. There is a need for future implementation and dissemination research to understand underlying factors for this variation and to develop strategies to address this practice gap.
Dynamic Merger Policy and Pre-Merger Investment: Equilibrium Product Choice by an Entrant

We examine the effects of merger and merger policy on a potential entrant’s pre-merger product choice. We establish conditions under which the possibility of merger can induce an entrant to inefficiently imitate an incumbent’s product instead of innovating with a more differentiated product. Turning to policy, current practice is to evaluate a proposed merger by focusing on post-merger effects (e.g., whether the merged firm will charge higher prices or invest less in innovation than would the two firms if they remained independent of one another). We show that policies focused solely on a proposed merger’s ex post welfare effects can induce an entrant to choose an inefficient direction for its pre-merger investment decisions. We also show that, taking into account merger policy’s effects on pre-merger product choice, it can be optimal to approve mergers with a positive probability even when the post-merger welfare effects of every consummated merger are negative.
A Two-Stage Cascaded Hybrid Switched-Capacitor DC-DC Converter with 96.9% Peak Efficiency Tolerating 0.6V/μs Input Slew Rate During Startup

Efficient high-conversion-ratio power delivery is needed for many portable computing applications which require sub-volt supply rails but operate from batteries or USB power sources. In such applications, the power management unit should have a small volume, area, and height while providing fast transient response. Past work has shown favorable performance of hybrid switched-capacitor (SC) converters to reduce the size of needed inductor(s), which can soft-charge high-density SC networks while supporting efficient voltage regulation [1–5]. However, the hybrid approach has its own challenges including balancing the voltage of the flying capacitor and achieving safe but fast startup. Rapid supply transients, including startup, can cause voltage stress on power switches if flying capacitors are not quickly regulated. Past approaches such as precharge networks [3] or fast balancing control [5] have startup times that are on the order of milliseconds. This paper presents a two-stage cascaded hybrid SC converter that features a fast transient response with automatic flying capacitor balancing for low-voltage applications (i.e., 5V:0.4 to 1.2V from a USB interface). The converter is nearly standalone and all gate drive supplies are generated internally. Measured results show a peak efficiency of 96.9%, $ \lt 36$mV under/overshoot for 1A$/ \mu \mathrm{s}$ load transients, and self-startup time on the order of $10 \mu \mathrm{s}($ over $100 \times$ faster than previous works).
Economics of Channels and Maneuvering Areas for Ships

One of seven reports of the Task Committee on Ship Channels, the Progress Report on Economics of Channels and Maneuvering Areas for Ships presents methodologies for estimating benefits for proposed channel improvements. Transportation cost analyses are given for vessel operation and savings due to waterway improvements. Some project benefit problems are susceptible to evaluation of tangible benefits, while solution of others depends on value judgements and discussion of intangibles, such as vessel safety and environmental considerations.
Does Publicity in the Science Press Drive Citations

We study how publicity in the science press, in the form of highlighting, affects the citations of research papers. Using multiple linear regression, we quantify the citation advantage associated with several highlighting platforms for papers published in Physical Review Letters (PRL) from 2008-2018. We thus find that the strongest predictor of citation accrual is a Viewpoint in Physics magazine, followed by a Research Highlight in Nature, an Editors' Suggestion in PRL, and a Research Highlight in Nature Physics. A similar hierarchical pattern is found when we search for extreme, not average, citation accrual, in the form a paper being listed among the top-1% cited papers in physics by Clarivate Analytics. The citation advantage of each highlighting platform is stratified according to the degree of vetting for importance that the manuscript received during peer review. This implies that we can view highlighting platforms as predictors of citation accrual, with varying degrees of strength that mirror each platform's vetting level.
Parathyroid allotransplantation for the treatment of permanent hypoparathyroidism: A systematic review.

Abstract Background Hypoparathyroidism is the most common complication of bilateral operations in the central neck. No formal guidelines exist for the management of permanent hypoparathyroidism. Current treatment involving medical supplementation increases resource utilization and patient morbidity while decreasing quality of life. Parathyroid allotransplant (PA) offers a promising therapy; however, the optimal technique and role of immunosuppression (IS) in PA remain unclear. Methods We performed a systematic search of the Embase, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library databases to identify studies investigating PA for treatment of hypoparathyroidism. Results A total of 24 studies including 186 individual allograft transplants in 146 patients were identified. Pooled graft survival for allotransplants in transplant-naive vs prior transplant recipients was 29.9% and 80%, respectively. Conclusions PA using normocellular, fresh parathyroid donor tissue that is ABO-compatible, with induction and, at minimum, short-term maintenance IS presents a potentially safe and effective therapeutic option for permanent hypoparathyroidism in patients tolerating IS.
MO-AB-210-03: Workshop

The goal of this ultrasound hands-on workshop is to demonstrate advancements in high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and to demonstrate quality control (QC) testing in diagnostic ultrasound. HIFU is a therapeutic modality that uses ultrasound waves as carriers of energy. HIFU is used to focus a beam of ultrasound energy into a small volume at specific target locations within the body. The focused beam causes localized high temperatures and produces a well-defined regions of necrosis. This completely non-invasive technology has great potential for tumor ablation and targeted drug delivery. At the workshop, attendees will see configurations, applications, and hands-on demonstrations with on-site instructors at separate stations. The involvement of medical physicists in diagnostic ultrasound imaging service is increasing due to QC and accreditation requirements. At the workshop, an array of ultrasound testing phantoms and ultrasound scanners will be provided for attendees to learn diagnostic ultrasound QC in a hands-on environment with live demonstrations of the techniques. Target audience: Medical physicists and other medical professionals in diagnostic imaging and radiation oncology with interest in high-intensity focused ultrasound and in diagnostic ultrasound QC. Learning Objectives: 1. Learn ultrasound physics and safety for HIFU applications through live demonstrations 2. Get an overview of the state-of-the art in HIFU technologies and equipment 3. Gain familiarity with common elements of a quality control program for diagnostic ultrasound imaging 4. Identify QC tools available for testing diagnostic ultrasound systems and learn how to use these tools List of supporting vendors for HIFU and diagnostic ultrasound QC hands-on workshop: 1. Philips Healthcare 2. Alpinion Medical Systems 3. Verasonics, Inc 4. Zonare Medical Systems, Inc 5. Computerized Imaging Reference Systems (CIRS), Inc. 6. GAMMEX, Inc., 7. Cablon Medical BV Steffen Sammet: NIH/NCI grant 5R25CA132822, NIH/NINDS grant 5R25NS080949 and Philips Healthcare research grant C32
Induced alteration in the biologic activity of estrogen by DDT

Abstract DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane Cl 3 CCH (C 6 H 4 Cl) 2 ) accelerates hepatic microsomal enzyme activity in sexually mature female rats and reduces the effectiveness of endogenous and exogenous estrogen in uterine maintenance. Administration of this drug increases significantly the rate of hepatic demethylation of aromatic amines and causes reduction in uterine weight and alkaline phosphatase activity. Hepatic enzymatic induction capacity of DDT in sexually mature animals is reduced by ovariectomy.
Classification of jobs with risk of low back disorders by applying data mining techniques

Work related low back disorders (LBDs) continue to pose significant occupational health problem that affects the quality of life of the industrial population. The main objective of this study was to explore the application of various data mining techniques, including neural networks, logistic regression, decision trees, memory-based reasoning, and the ensemble model, for classification of industrial jobs with respect to the risk of work-related LBDs. The results from extensive computer simulations using a 10-fold cross validation showed that memory-based reasoning and ensemble models were the best in the overall classification accuracy. The decision tree and memory-based reasoning models were the most accurate in classifying jobs with high risk of LBDs, whereas neural networks and logistic regression were the best in classifying jobs with low risk of LBDs. The decision tree model delivered the most stable results across 10 generations of different data sets randomly chosen for training, validation, and testing. The classification results generated by the decision tree were the easiest to interpret because they were given in the form of simple 'if-then' rules. These results produced by the decision tree method showed that the peak moment had the highest predictive power of LBDs.
A study of the modified parallel realizations of second order switched capacitor filters

A modified parallel realization for switched capacitor filters is presented. Error analysis is performed on this realization for four second-order filter types (lowpass, highpass, bandpass, and band-reject) with various pole locations. It is shown that the modified parallel realization presented can be made superior, in general, to the cascade realization when the proper criteria are met.
The taxation of cloud computing and digital content

“Cloud computing” raises important and difficult questions in state tax law, and for Federal taxes, particularly in the foreign tax area. As cloud computing solutions are adopted by businesses, items we view as tangible are transformed into digital products. In this article, I will describe the problems cloud computing poses for tax systems. I will show how current law is applied to cloud computing and will identify the difficulties current approaches face as they are applied to this developing technology. My primary interest is how Federal tax law applies to cloud computing, particularly as the new technology affects international transactions. I am not so interested in the current state of the law as I am in identifying the problems confronting tax administrators as technology creates a changed economic system. After identifying the problems, I will suggest that cloud computing (like other technological changes) is not always compatible with current rules for taxing activities in multiple jurisdictions. Therefore, tax fairness may require that new standards be used to allocate income among jurisdictions. But beyond that, I hope to explain some of the particulars of the cloud structure. In doing so, it will become apparent that the significance of cloud computing goes beyond the local and international tax areas that have been identified as problem areas in the past.
The Team Physician: Ethical and Legal Issues

I have asked Gayle Spill, MD, to guest edit this Ethical Legal column. Dr Spill is a physiatrist and clinical ethicist who has been in practice for more than 20 years and has written on topics including cancer prognosis disclosure and quality of life considerations. She and I invited 3 experts to respond to a general query about the ethical and legal issues surrounding the team physician. Our first columnist, Cheri Blauwet, MD, is a physiatrist at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, a Paralympic gold medallist, and chairperson of the Medical Committee of the International Paralympic Committee. Our second
The design of a microcontroller-based panel measurement and control system

A system called the panel measurement and control device (PMCD) is discussed. The PMCD provides a remote control access to a residential electrical circuit breaker panel box. The PMCD communicates through two optical fiber cables. The executable commands include (1) turning a specified circuit breaker on or off, (2) measuring the current flowing through a specified circuit breaker, and (3) measuring the line voltages. There are 20 controllable breakers in the panel, which can be easily expanded to 40. Because of its compact design, the PMCD can be an ideal universal peripheral for home electrical energy management applications. The design problems discussed involve sensors, controllable breakers, and measurement algorithms, such as RMS-to-DC conversion, sampling control and drift compensation. >
Whose Fertility Preferences Matter? Women, Husbands, In-laws, and Abortion in Madhya Pradesh, India

Few studies investigate the influence of husbands’ or others’ fertility preferences on women’s abortion behavior, in spite of longstanding recognition that women are seldom the sole decision-makers governing reproductive behavior. This study uses survey data detailing women’s reproductive histories in Madhya Pradesh, India to analyze the role of women’s fertility preferences, their perceptions of their husbands’ and in-laws’ preferences, and empowerment in two aspects of abortion behavior: the decision to attempt an abortion (n = 8852 pregnancies) and to seek a surgical abortion with a medical provider (n = 752 abortion attempts). The latter is estimated using a Heckman’s selection model. Women are most likely to attempt an abortion and to do so via surgical abortion when they and their husbands agree that they do not want another child. Husbands’ fertility preferences exercise a strong, independent effect on both outcomes, while the effect of in-laws’ preferences is weaker. However, the strongest influence on abortion behavior is women’s own fertility preferences: the odds of attempting abortion decrease by a factor of 0.06 (p value <0.001) among women who wanted a pregnancy compared to those who did not. The magnitude of this effect does not diminish when controlling for others’ fertility preferences. Restrictions on women’s mobility increase the odds of attempting an abortion, but significantly reduce the odds of a surgical abortion.
An urban warfare application of systems engineering for the first derivative

In an effort related to urban operations, the United States Army has funded a research project for the University of Virginia (UVA) that includes the design and development of a reconfigurable information management system (RIMS) mission-specific deployments of unattended sensors. Using a highly flexible networking technology called HyperCast, the RIMS project hopes to provide information in a dynamic and adaptable fashion over disparate networks (Liebeherr 1999). As an early step in the RIMS, project, an experiment was performed to evaluate the prototype system's ability to be reconfigured and setup in different scenarios. By testing the time to configure and install the prototype, this experiment helps indicate the current system's ability to rapidly adjust. These results will act as an initial indication that the application of the reconfigurable concept can enhance the ability to rapidly set-up systems on a mission-specific basis.
Internal structure of magnetic clouds: Plasma and composition

[1] A comprehensive analysis of magnetic clouds observed by the Advanced Composition Explorer (ACE) spacecraft from February 1998 to July 2001 is presented. The magnetic field data from the MAG instrument is fit with the cylindrically symmetric, linear force-free model and the fit parameter distributions are examined. This magnetic field model enables us to map plasma data from the SWEPAM and SWICS instruments to a position within the model cylinder. A superposed epoch analysis of all our magnetic cloud events is used to construct diameter cuts through an “average” cloud profile in any desired plasma, elemental composition, or charge state quantity. These diameter cuts are found to have nontrivial structure and there appears to be significant composition and structural differences between clouds of different speeds. The slow magnetic clouds (〈Vrad〉 < 500 km/s) have an almost constant proton density profile whereas the fast magnetic cloud (〈Vrad〉 ≥ 500 km/s) profile is depleted throughout with symmetric dips and a local maximum at the cloud center. The fast magnetic clouds have a slightly higher Nα/Np ratio than the slow clouds. Both the fast and slow events have enhanced oxygen and iron charge states compared to the slow solar wind. The fast events have a slightly increased O7+/O6+ average profile and a much stronger Fe≥16+/Fetotal profile than the slow events. We briefly discuss the implications for physical conditions at the Sun, the role these coronal mass ejections (CMEs) may play in transporting magnetic flux, and the application of our structure results to the current flux rope CME modeling effort.
Effects of Orbital Ordering on Electronic Communication in Multiporphyrin Arrays

The rational design of molecular photonic devices requires a thorough understanding of all factors affecting electronic communication among the various constituents. To explore how electronic factors mediate both excited- and ground-state electronic communication in multiporphyrin arrays, we have conducted a detailed static spectroscopic (absorption, fluorescence, resonance Raman, electron paramagnetic resonance), time-resolved spectroscopic (absorption, fluorescence), and electrochemical (cyclic and square-wave voltammetry, coulometry) study of tetraarylporphyrin dimers. The complexes investigated include both zinc-free base (ZnFb) and bis-Zn dimers in which the porphyrin constituents are linked via diphenylethyne groups at the meso positions. Comparison of dimeric arrays containing pentafluorophenyl groups at all nonlinking meso positions (F30ZnFbU and F30Zn2U) with nonfluorinated analogs (ZnFbU and Zn2U) directly probes the effects of electronic factors on intradimer communication. The major findings o...
MBE growth of single crystal α-Fe films on ZnSe (001) and (110)

Abstract We report the growth by molecular beam epitaxy oh high quality single crystal films of ferromagnetic α-Fe on ZnSe (001) and (110) epilayers grown on chemically etched and annealed GaAs wafers. The films were characterized by reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-ray diffraction (θ-2θ), ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and vibrating sample magnetometry. RHEED demonstrates single crystal Fe film growth in registry with the ZnSe surface, and indicates that the surface order of the Fe (110) films is superior to that of the Fe (001) films. The FMR linewidth and measured coercive fields are significantly smaller than previously reported for similar Fe films grown directly on the GaAs substrates. Room temperature FMR spectra (35 GHz) of thin Fe (001) films (∼140 A) exhibit symmetric Lorentzian lineshapes with a linewidth of 45 Oe, which represents the narrowest 35 GHz FMR linewidth ever measured in single crystal iron, and approaches the theoretical lower limit set by Landau-Lifschitz broadening.
Gender Related Differences in Career Patterns of Principals in Alabama

The purpose of this research was to determine the status of women administrators in the Alabama in terms of demographic and career patterns. A survey was sent to all principals in Alabama. Five hundred-fifty, or 42% of the principals responded. In Alabama, women principals are generally more recent in their position, are somewhat more likely to have come directly from the classroom, and have less mobility in acquiring the position.
Electrolytic entorhinal lesions cause seizures

The entorhinal cortex is a key site of interneuronal communication between a variety of cortical and subcortical areas and hippocampal formation. Lesioning the entorhinal cortex is commonly used in studies of the hippocampal formation, animal behavior and neuronal plasticity. We have found that electrolytic destruction of the entorhinal cortex consistently produces limbic seizure activity in rats. The propensity of lesions in this area for producing seizure activity may facilitate insights into the normal function of this network of neural connections. This unexpected phenomenon represents a potential confounding variable for all researchers using this method for making brain lesions.
Modeling the Past for Scholars and the Public

The research and educational project, Modeling the Past, aims to create virtual 3-D walkthroughs of buildings found in the Princeton University excavations at Polis Chrysochous, Cyprus. Going beyond static models, the challenge is to find appropriate visual metaphors for conveying uncertainty and change that are understandable by the public and useful for scholars. The four structures modeled so far date from the Cypro-Archaic period beginning in the 7th century BCE to the Late Antique period of the 7th century CE. The impetus for the project was a special exhibition about the excavations. Work completed so far is the result of a joint Computer Science and Art and Archaeology seminar in the spring of 2012. Students created digital reconstructions, which included 3-D scans of objects, for a computer-animated movie displayed at the exhibition. Long-term goals are to complement the permanent exhibition of objects in Cyprus and to create interactive web applications.
Application of bead-based assays for flow cytometry analysis

Abstract To date microsphere-based assays in flow cytometry have focused on the detection of antibody or antigen. Most studies have been research based to evaluate the performance of the technique relative to conventional techniques. However, there have not been any carefully controlled studies of the sensitivity and specificity, as well as analytic sensitivity of the FMIA technique. As such, it is difficult to document advantages of this tecnique clearly. The data suggest that FMIA is considerably more sensitive than conventional techniques, and the ability to analyze for multiple analytes in one sample dilution is attractive. This ability to simultaneously analyze for multiple samples is primarily dependent upon the size difference as sensed by FALS of the microspheres. However, it is also possible to use microspheres of the same size but that differ in either fluorescence or RALS signal. If microspheres of the same size are used but one fluoresces red and the signal in the assay uses a green fluorochrome, then the two microspheres can be separated by their red fluorescence. Using this technique, one can increase the number of microspheres that can be used in an assay. It is also possible to use microspheres of the same size but with different abilities to scatter the incident light at right angles. The use of these microspheres is then similar to the nonfluorescent versus red microspheres. By the judicious combination of microsphere size, it is possible to easily differentiate eight different microspheres. With the addition of a fluorescebt dye and/or differences in right-angle light-scatter capabilities, the number of different microspheres that can be used simultaneously becomes quite large. In practice, the number of microspheres that can be differentiated is no doubt greater than the number of analytes that need to be assayed in one assay. Although the apparent increase in sensitivity and the ability to simultaneously detect and quantitate numerous analytes are important attributes of FMIA, there are drawbacks to this method. Although the FMIA lends itself well to one-step no-wash procedures, when wash steps are necessary they are time-consuming and ineffecient. Most wash steps in FMIA use centrifugation of the microspheres to remove them from the reagent. There is a significant loss of microspheres in these wash steps, which are time-consuming. There are studies ussing vacuum filtration of the suspension to separate the microspheres from the reagents. A number of different groups are pursuing an automated or semiautomated method for the efficient washing and reagent delivery system for FMIA. Commercial systems are being developed that may allow for the easier handling of these reagents. Numerous groups are investigating the use of microspheres and flow cytometry primarily in immunoassay development. The procedure has the advantages of the simultaneous yet discrete analysis of multiple analytes and the inherent increase in sensitivity using fluorescence over other signals. There will no doubt be wider applications
Spinal cord malfunction after anterior cervical discectomy.

Six cases of myelopathy following anterior operations for removal of disc and fusion of the cervical spine are briefly summarized. Preexisting myelopathy or stenosis of the spinal canal may predispose to this complication. Paralysis may be immediate or delayed for hours. The amount of neural dysfunction is variable, and may fluctuate. Some cases are clearly due to intraoperative trauma caused, for instance, by dowel impaction or by use of the osteotome or drill; some are clearly due to clot. Other more arcane occurrences may be caused by edema, treated with hyperosmotic agents and steroids; or vascular disorder, treated with steroids and a deliberate increase in blood pressure and volume in a manner comparable to the treatment of postangiography or posteraniotomy hemiplegia. In some cases, rough instrumentation in the intervertebral foramen may be implicated. Some cases may be aggravated or induced by manipulation of the neck during intubation or change of position for operation. The risks are calculated as less than 2 per thousand but should be explained to the patient or the patient's family in obtaining consent for operation, since it would appear that even the most careful operation may be followed by this complication.
Production of Enterotoxin-B in Cured Meats

SUMMARY— A variety of laboratory cured hams were inoculated with 103−106 cells of S. aureus strain S-6 and incubated at 10, 22 and 30°C anaerobically for up to 16 weeks. Enterotoxin-B was detected by gel-diffusion in hams with original pH over 5.30, up to 9.2% NaCl (brine) and 0.54 ppm undissociated nitrous acid. There was better toxin production at 30° than at 22° or 10°C. Toxin was detected at 10°C after at least 2 weeks incubation and in most samples after 8 weeks when pH was greater than 5.6. Toxic hams had more than 4 × 106 cells/g. Contaminants were always less than 105/g. Tween 80 inhibited toxin production at 30° but not at 10°C. Toxic hams looked normal even after 2 months incubation at 10°C.
Protein database searching with MS n spectra of polypeptides

Database searching with tandem mass spectra has been demonstrated as a powerful method to correlate peptides and proteins to gene sequences for identification. In this study preliminary data is shown for extending the cross-correlation database searching method to multi-stage mass spectra of polypeptides. This method may provide a means to directly identify large polypeptides or proteins without the necessity of proteolytic hydrolysis to produce peptides amenable to tandem mass spectrometry.
Preschool for All? Examining the Current Policy Context in Light of Genishi's Research:

Within United States policymaking, there is widespread recognition that universal preschool works towards a societal good, advancing children's social and academic needs while expanding the economic landscape for a nation. However, in trying to deliver these benefits, all too often educational policies apply a rigid format that overemphasizes academic readiness and demonstrates an incomplete understanding of the many ways in which children learn. This review draws on the seminal work of Genishi to stress that educational policy must incorporate the diverse perspectives of the primary stakeholders — young children and educators — to be successful.
Significance of Signet-Ring Cells in Patients with Colorectal Cancer

Purpose We performed a retrospective study to determine the pattern of metastases and overall outcome of patients with tumors exhibiting a component of signet-ring cells comprising < 50 percent of the tumor mass.
A Passive Islanding Detection Method for Grid-Connected Renewable Generation System

This study proposes an islanding detection method for use of grid-connected inverter of renewable generation system. The proposed method is based on an index: the change of power factor (COPF). When an inverter is grid-connected, the COPF is lower than the threshold values. In contrast, as an islanding occurs, the COPF becomes much higher than the threshold value. Detection systems monitor the terminal voltage and load current at the grid-connected point to calculate COPF, and issue an operating signal when the value of COPF exceeds a given threshold. In this study, experiments are conducted to illustrate the principles of the proposed technique for a prototype grid-connected inverter. The test results show that the proposed method is reliable, economical, and easy to implement for islanding detection of grid-connected inverter.
Does the metal content in soil around a pregnant woman’s home increase the risk of low birth weight for her infant?

Low birth weight (LBW) is associated with a number of maternal environmental exposures during pregnancy. This study explored the association between soil metal concentrations around the home where the mother lived during pregnancy and the outcome of LBW. We used a retrospective cohort of 9,920 mother–child pairs who were insured by Medicaid during pregnancy and lived in ten residential areas, where we conducted soil sampling. We used a grid that overlaid the residential areas and collected soil samples at the grid intersections. The soil was analyzed for the concentration of eight metals [arsenic (As), barium (Ba), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), and mercury (Hg)], and we then used Bayesian Kriging to estimate the concentration at the actual maternal addresses, since we had the GIS coordinates of the homes. We used generalized additive modeling, because the metal concentrations had nonlinear associations with LBW, to develop the best fitting multivariable model for estimating the risk of LBW. The final model showed significant associations for female infants, maternal smoking during pregnancy, non-white mothers, Cu, and As with LBW. The As variable was nonlinear in relation to LBW, and the association between higher concentrations of As with LBW was strong (p = 0.002). We identified a statistically significant association between soil concentrations of arsenic around the home of pregnant women and an increased risk of LBW for her infant.
Gene nomenclature recommendations for green photosynthetic bacteria and heliobacteria.

Recommendations are given for naming of genes coding for reaction center, antenna and electron transport proteins in green photosynthetic bacteria and heliobacteria
Extreme Cognitive Interviewing: A Blueprint for False Memories Through Imagination Inflation

Abstract This article examines a 3-decades-old unsolved homicide, where the victim's 4-year-and-9-month-old daughter was deemed the only eyewitness ( State of Nebraska v. Donald J. Sykora, 2008). The authors critique the investigative methods employed over 33 years, with particular emphasis on the final “extreme” cognitive interview of the daughter, which persisted for days and incorporated various imaginative techniques. Adverse circumstances pervade the case: (a) the young age of the presumed witness when the murder occurred; (b) the vulnerability of memory to suggestion and revision over time; (c) the possible earlier use of hypnosis to refresh recall; and (d) implementing a poorly documented, 31-hour cognitive interview that encouraged repetition and fantasy. In this case, the prolonged cognitive interview is perilously hypnotic-like, yielding evidence that must be regarded as a product of imagination inflation—defective for sustaining veridical testimony.
Can dexrazoxane reduce myocardial injury in anthracycline-treated children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia?

Can dexrazoxane reduce myocardial injury in anthracycline-treated children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia?
Evaluating Sodium Salts as Pushing Agents on High‐Performance Anion‐Exchange Chromatography with Pulsed Amperometric Detection for Maltodextrin Analysis

Sodium hydroxide and sodium salts of acetate, nitrate and sulfate were chosen as pushing agents for maltodextrin analysis by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD). Different concentrations of sodium hydroxide solution, 100 mM to 500 mM, were used for direct detection of maltodextrins on a set of gold working and saturated calomel reference electrodes. Chromatographic capacity factors, k′, of maltodextrins increased as molecular size increased. Sodium hydroxide alone was not adequate for an optimal maltodextrin separation. Sodium salts of acetate, nitrate, and sulfate were tested as pushing agents. The salts were compatible with the system, increased the separation selectivity and enhanced the detector response of PAD. The ability of pushing agents to decrease k′ followed the order of sulfate > nitrate > acetate > hydroxide. After being eluted with pushing agents, the column regeneration time of CarboPac PA1 was 180, 240 and 360 min for the acetate, nitrate, and sulfate salts, respectively. An alternate process to shorten the regeneration time for maltodextrin separation was demonstrated. Sodium azide, as a preservative, did not affect the separation and quantification of the analysis. Sodium nitrate was the best pushing agent for the homologous maltodextrin separation.
Hydrate morphology: Physical properties of sands with patchy hydrate saturation

[1] The physical properties of gas hydrate-bearing sediments depend on the volume fraction and spatial distribution of the hydrate phase. The host sediment grain size and the state of effective stress determine the hydrate morphology in sediments; this information can be used to significantly constrain estimates of the physical properties of hydrate-bearing sediments, including the coarse-grained sands subjected to high effective stress that are of interest as potential energy resources. Reported data and physical analyses suggest hydrate-bearing sands contain a heterogeneous, patchy hydrate distribution, whereby zones with 100% pore-space hydrate saturation are embedded in hydrate-free sand. Accounting for patchy rather than homogeneous hydrate distribution yields more tightly constrained estimates of physical properties in hydrate-bearing sands and captures observed physical-property dependencies on hydrate saturation. For example, numerical modeling results of sands with patchy saturation agree with experimental observation, showing a transition in stiffness starting near the series bound at low hydrate saturations but moving toward the parallel bound at high hydrate saturations. The hydrate-patch size itself impacts the physical properties of hydrate-bearing sediments; for example, at constant hydrate saturation, we find that conductivity (electrical, hydraulic and thermal) increases as the number of hydrate-saturated patches increases. This increase reflects the larger number of conductive flow paths that exist in specimens with many small hydrate-saturated patches in comparison to specimens in which a few large hydrate saturated patches can block flow over a significant cross-section of the specimen.
The immunomodulatory effects of two plant growth regulators, cycloheximide and maleic hydrazide, in white mice.

The immunomodulatory effects of two plant regulators, cycloheximide and maleic hydrazide, were investigated by injecting the compounds twice weekly for 4 weeks in female Swiss Webster white mice. The animals were antigenically challenged with sheep red blood cells on day 24 of the study. Although humoral immunity was the primary system examined, analysis included all of the following parameters: spleen plaque forming cells (PFC's), lymphocyte viability, spleen lymphocyte counts, hemolysin titers, total plasma proteins, total white blood cells counts, hematocrit, total body weight, and liver, thymus and spleen weights. Cyclophosphamide and physiological saline were used as the respective positive and negative control substances. The dosing was as follows: cyclophosphamide at 50 mg/kg/injection, cycloheximide at 12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg/injection and maleic hydrazide at 125 and 250 mg/kg/injection. Cycloheximide significantly (P less than .05) reduced, in a dose-dependent fashion, the thymus wt/gram of body weight, the number of PFC's/gram of spleen, total lymphocytes/gram of spleen, PFC's per 10(6) viable spleen lymphocytes and the hemolysin antibody titer levels. Maleic hydrazide significantly reduced thymus weights and moderately lowered the ratio of PFC's per 10(6) viable spleen lymphocytes. Maleic hydrazide significantly elevated total lymphocytes per gram of spleen and the hemolysin titer (up to 133% over saline control values). There was an elevation in the number of PFC's per gm of spleen by maleic hydrazide and the overall effects were dose related. Cycloheximide, a known inhibitor of protein synthesis, was distinctly the most suppressive of the two plant growth regulators. Both agents are widely utilized on agricultural products and the results suggest the need for care in their application and residue removal. Used properly, the plant growth regulators may pose little or no human health hazard, but this report documents a new biological activity for these agents.
Influence of Silicon Nanoscale Building Blocks Size and Carbon Coating on the Performance of Micro-Sized Si–C Composite Li-Ion Anodes

Silicon has been intensively pursued as the most promising anode material for Li-ion batteries due to its high theoretical capacity of 3579 mAh/g. Micro-sized Si–C composites composed of nanoscale primary building blocks are attractive Si-based anodes for practical application because they not only achieve excellent cycling stability, but also offer both gravimetric and volumetric capacity. However, the effects of key parameters in designing such materials on their electrochemical performance are unknown and how to optimize them thus remains to be explored. Herein, the influence of Si nanoscale building block size and carbon coating on the electrochemical performance of the micro-sized Si–C composites is investigated. It is found that the critical Si building block size is 15 nm, which enables a high capacity without compromising the cycling stability, and that carbon coating at higher temperature improves the first cycle coulombic efficiency (CE) and the rate capability. Corresponding reasons underlying electrochemical performance are revealed by various characterizations. Combining both optimized Si building block size and carbon coating temperature, the resultant composite can sustain 600 cycles at 1.2 A/g with a fixed lithiation capacity of 1200 mAh/g, the best cycling performance with such a high capacity for micro-sized Si-based anodes.
E1 and M2 transitions in the neon isoelectronic sequence

Using relativistic and nonrelativistic Hartree-Fock methods we have calculated some E1 and M2 transition probabilities for 2p/sup 5/3d ..-->.. 2p/sup 6/ + ..gamma.. and 2p/sup 5/3s ..-->.. 2p/sup 6/ + ..gamma.. in the Ne isoelectronic sequence. The heaviest ion considered is U. The relativistic effects on both the photon energies and the transition amplitudes are discussed. A comparison of our calculated M2 lifetimes with experimental results for the 2p/sup 5/3s-2p/sup 6/ transition in Ne-like Cu shows significant differences, while the calculated E1 lifetimes for Ne-like Cl indicates good agreement with experiment.
Ratio representations of specific dynamic action (mass-specific SDA and SDA coefficient) do not standardize for body mass and meal size.

Specific dynamic action (SDA) is generally defined as the total energy expenditure associated with digestion and assimilation of ingested food and related biosynthesis (Brody 1945; Kleiber 1961). Contributing factors to SDA include secretion of digestive materials into the gastrointestinal tract, energy expended in peristalsis, upregulation and growth of relevant organs, costs of active transport, and energetic cost of intermediary metabolism and growth (Lusk 1931; Wilhelmj et al. 1931; Tandler and Beamish 1979; Wieser 1994; Secor and Diamond 2000; Starck and Beese 2001). Studies of SDA have classically focused on the role of cost of digestion in affecting potential for growth and reproduction (Brody 1945; Kleiber 1961) and on mechanisms producing SDA (Lusk 1931; Wilhemj et al. 1931). More recently, investigators have shifted some attention to the ecological and evolutionary determinants of the magnitude of SDA (Secor and Nagy 1994; Secor and Diamond 1995, 2000; Andrade et al. 1997; Secor 2001; Starck and Beese 2001; Overgaard et al. 2002). Notably, sufficient data now exist for some groups of organisms (e.g., snakes) to investigate specific hypotheses in a phylogenetic context (Secor and Diamond 2000; Secor 2001). Clearly, the present and future value of these studies finds its foundation in the methods used to represent and analyze SDA. SDA manifests itself as an increase in metabolic rate following feeding that, in some species, may last for several days. Researchers have quantified SDA using several variables, including peak metabolic rate following feeding, time to peak metabolic rate, duration of elevated metabolism, factorial scope (peak
Are depression and cognitive performance related in temporal lobe epilepsy

Summary Purpose: The degree to which depression interacts with the cognitive deficits of epilepsy to alter cognitive skill and general functioning is unknown. Depression has significant negative effects on adaptive functioning including cognitive skills. Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients are known to possess cognitive dysfunction. Thus, TLE patients who are depressed may suffer a double burden of cognitive deficits. Methods: We examined whether depressed patients show increased cognitive deficits relative to nondepressed TLE patients (n = 59). We then sought to determine if this effect varied for left versus right TLE patients utilizing preoperative depression and neuropsychological data. To accurately study the lateralization of any observed effects, we selected only patients with definitive evidence of unilateral pathology and seizure focus and utilized a two-year seizure-free postsurgical outcome to capture this. Results: The data suggested that cognitive performance was not related to depression, and that depression did not reliably mediate the cognitive presentation of either our left or right TL patients. The notion of a double burden on cognition did not receive support from our data. The data did produce the expected advantage on verbal memory measures for right TLE patients. Conclusions: The reasons for the limited statistical effects are discussed and issues in unraveling the causal relationships between depression, cognition, and TLE are considered. We discussed the potential role depression may play in the cognitive skills of TLE patients, but the major implication is that depression and neurocognitive performance appear to bear a limited relationship in the context of TLE.