cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Incorporating genomic methods into contact networks to reveal new insights into animal behaviour and infectious disease dynamics

Utilization of contact networks has provided opportunities for assessing the dynamic interplay between pathogen transmission and host behavior. Genomic techniques have, in their own right, provided new insight into complex questions in disease ecology, and the increasing accessibility of genomic approaches means more researchers may seek out these tools. The integration of network and genomic approaches provides opportunities to examine the interaction between behavior and pathogen transmission in new ways and with greater resolution. While a number of studies have begun to incorporate both contact network and genomic approaches, a great deal of work has yet to be done to better integrate these techniques. In this review, we give a broad overview of how network and genomic approaches have each been used to address questions regarding the interaction of social behavior and infectious disease, and then discuss current work and future horizons for the merging of these techniques.
A New Methodological Frontier in Entrepreneurship Research: Big Data Studies:

The emergence of “big data” and related analytic techniques are creating opportunities to advance empirical entrepreneurship theory and practice. This editorial focuses on the implications for the ...
Minimal k-Connected Non-Hamiltonian Graphs

In this paper, we explore minimal k-connected non-Hamiltonian graphs. Graphs are said to be minimal in the context of some containment relation; we focus on subgraphs, induced subgraphs, minors, and induced minors. When $$k=2$$k=2, we discuss all minimal 2-connected non-Hamiltonian graphs for each of these four relations. When $$k=3$$k=3, we conjecture a set of minimal non-Hamiltonian graphs for the minor relation and we prove one case of this conjecture. In particular, we prove all 3-connected planar triangulations which do not contain the Herschel graph as a minor are Hamiltonian.
Cutting and Grinding Methods for Hard-Tissue Histology

A necessary step in the development of a new biomaterial, and an important step in evaluating the efficacy of an existing biomaterial, is to histologically evaluate the interface between the material and host tissue. Although many sophisticated and expensive techniques have emerged in recent years, conventional light microscopy has proven to be an extremely valuable and cost-effective tool that provides important information about biocompatibility and host response. However, the histologic evaluation of ossified specimens, especially those containing synthetic biomaterials, is a difficult technical challenge. Whether the sample is from a prospective experimental study involving laboratory animals or a human device retrieved at autopsy or after clinical failure, the specimens are often relatively large, and usually contain materials of different hardness, making the preparation of adequate microscope slides difficult. Many methods have been developed to meet this challenge, and some of these are described elsewhere in this volume. The purpose of this chapter is to describe how our laboratory prepares microscope slides of biomaterials, mostly those intended for use in orthopedic applications.
What is a Difference Equation

The theory of difference equations, despite its absence from the undergraduate curriculum, is an old and beautiful part of mathematics, one with diverse applications to many subjects: biology, economics, numerical analysis, etc. In a difference equation, change takes place in discrete time intervals. For example, in modeling populations of seasonally breeding animals, it is preferable to use difference equations rather than differential equations because the size of the next generation is largely determined by that of the current one.
Learning admissible heuristics while solving problems

A method is presented that causes A* to return high quality solutions while solving a set of problems using a non-admissible heuristic. The heuristic guiding the search changes as new information is learned during the search, and it converges to an admissible heuristic which 'contains the insight' of the original nonadmissible one. After a finite number of problems, A* returns only optimal solutions. Experiments on sliding tile problems suggest that learning occurs very fast. Beginning with hundreds of randomly generated problems and an overestimating heuristic, the system learned sufficiently fast that only the first problem was solved non-optimally. As an application we show how one may construct heuristics for finding high quality solutions at lower cost than those returned by A* using available admissible heuristics.
Monopoly power limits hedging

When a spot market monopolist participates in a derivatives market, she has an incentive to deviate from the spot market monopoly optimum to make her derivatives market position more profitable. When contracts can only be written contingent on the spot price, a riskaverse monopolist chooses to participate in the derivatives market to hedge her risk, and she reduces expected profits by doing so. However, eliminating all risk is impossible. These results are independent of the shape of the demand function, the distribution of demand shocks, the nature of preferences or the set of derivatives contracts.
Autophagy is Required to Regulate Mitochondria Renewal, Cell Attachment, and All- trans –Retinoic Acid–Induced Differentiation in NB4 Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia Cells

All-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) is a potent inducer of cellular differentiation, growth arrest, and apoptosis as well as a front-line therapy for acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). The present study provides evidence that induction of autophagy is required for ATRA to induce differentiation of APL (NB4) cells into granulocytes. ATRA treatment causes ~12-fold increase in the number of acidic vesicular organelles and induces marked up-regulation of LC3-II, autophagy-related 5 (ATG5), and Beclin-1. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed a decrease in mitochondria and ATRA-induced differentiation. To determine the role of autophagy in the differentiation of APL, we knocked down ATG5 in NB4 cells to find that ATRA-induced differentiation is significantly inhibited during ATG5 knock down in cells, indicating the role of autophagy in differentiation of APL. Further experiments revealed restriction of autophagy during ATRA-induced differentiation and inhibition of tissue transglutaminase 2 (TG2) and phospho-focal adhesion kinase (p-FAK), which are known to have roles in differentiation and cell attachment. We examined expression of Beclin-1 and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) and levels of mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) after ATRA treatment. ATRA inhibits Bcl-2, up-regulates Beclin-1 expression, and reduces induction of mTOR activation/phosphorylation in NB4 cells. Our results reveal that autophagy has roles in regulation of differentiation, mitochondria elimination, and cell attachment during ATRA-induced APL differentiation.
Persistent Economic Burden of the Gluten Free Diet.

Gluten free (GF) products have been reported to be more expensive and less available than their gluten containing counterparts. We examined the current U.S. cost and availability of GF products and made comparisons to the marketplace over a decade ago. Cost, determined by price per ounce and availability of a “market basket” of regular and GF products across four venues and five geographic regions was compared using a student’s t test. GF products were more expensive (overall 183%), and in all regions and venues (p < 0.001). GF products from mass-market producers were 139% more expensive than the wheat-based version of the same product. Availability of GF products was greatest (66%) in the health food and upscale venues. In contrast to the results of the 2006 study, the cost of GF products has declined from 240% to 183% (adjusted for inflation). The introduction of mass-market production of GF products may have influenced the increase in availability and overall reduction of cost since 2006. The extent to which the cost of GF products impacts dietary adherence and quality of life for those on a GFD warrants exploration.
Influence of stormwater control measures on water quality at nested sites in a small suburban watershed

Stormwater control measures (SCMs) are designed to mitigate the deleterious impacts of urban runoff on the water quality of receiving waters. To assess the cumulative effects of SCMs at the watersh...
Penny Farfan. Performing Queer Modernism.

Penny Farfan’s Performing Queer Modernism reads a range of society drama, music hall performance, ballet, romantic comedy, and metatheatrical parody to illustrate how the co-production of the queer...
US Criminal Deportations and Human Capital in Central America

In this paper I ask whether peer effects generate changes in education investments in the areas where deported criminals are located in Central America using administrative data in El Salvador. I exploit the increase in criminal deportations from the United States in 1996 to analyze how individuals who grew up in municipalities affected by gangs in 1996 have fewer years of schooling when they are young adults. I find that individuals who were exposed during childhood to gang leaders have less schooling than those who were older than 16 in 1996 when the law was passed.
Margaret Kilgallen: That's Where the Beauty Is

With her interest in the handmade, concern for the alienating effects of modern technology and attention to women as subjects and not objects, Margaret Kilgallen’s (1967–2001) work remains relevant...
A Lightweight, High-Speed Kinetic Battery for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles

This paper presents the conceptual design of a lightweight and high-speed kinetic battery to capture the braking energy and provide thrust for electric or hybrid vehicles. By acting as a high-power buffer, the proposed kinetic battery is intended to improve drive range, main battery life cycles, and to downsize vehicle powertrains. It is designed to store and release braking energy of a mid-sized vehicle (573Wh), with a flywheel only weighs about 11.2 Kg. The flywheel, which has a maximum spin speed of 50,000 revolutions per minute (RPM), is composed of shells/rims of high strength steel and composite materials that are designed and validated by finite element analysis (FEA). The novel hybrid, multi-rim and multi-material rotor design yields a higher energy density and less weight than the conventional single or multi-rim design. In addition, a five-degree-of-freedom (5-DOF) magnetic bearing system is incorporated to provide frictionless support.
Ethical Principles in the Practice of Medicine

In approaching children with cancer and their caregivers, healthcare practitioners face numerous scenarios in which those involved in a child’s care come into conflict. When and how should a diagnosis of cancer be revealed to adolescents and their families and should adolescents be free to deny their parents this knowledge at certain levels of capacity? Who should have the say regarding the distribution of scarce resources? To what extent should healthcare practitioners accommodate traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines within their treatment plans?
Combining Alchemical Transformation with a Physical Pathway to Accelerate Absolute Binding Free Energy Calculations of Charged Ligands to Enclosed Binding Sites.

We present a new approach to more accurately and efficiently compute the absolute binding free energy for receptor–ligand complexes. Currently, the double decoupling method (DDM) and the potential ...
Increasing Opportunities to Respond to Intensify Academic and Behavioral Interventions: A Meta-Analysis.

Research indicates that intensification in multitiered systems of support (MTSS) can prevent problem behavior and academic deficits from worsening and ensure that students with the most intensive n...
Current and Future Climate Compound-Event Flood Impact on Coastal Critical Infrastructures

Abstract. The changing climate and adverse anthropogenic activities raise the likelihood of damages due to compound flood hazards, triggered by the combined occurrence of extreme precipitation and storm surge during high tides, and exacerbated by sea-level rise (SLR). Risk estimates associated with these extreme event scenarios are expected to be significantly higher than estimates derived from a standard evaluation of individual hazards. In this study, we present case studies of compound flood hazards affecting critical infrastructure (CI) in coastal Connecticut (USA) based on actual and synthetic (that is, under future climate conditions) hurricane events, represented by heavy precipitation and surge combined with high tides and SLR conditions. We used the Hydrologic Engineering Center's River Analysis System (HEC-RAS), a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model to simulate the combined coastal and riverine flooding on selected CI sites. We forced a distributed hydrological model (CREST-SVAS) with weather analysis data from the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model for the synthetic events and from the National Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS) for the actual events, to derive the upstream boundary condition (flood wave) of HEC-RAS. We extracted coastal tide and surge time series for each event from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to use as the downstream boundary condition of HEC-RAS. The significant outcome of this study represents the evaluation of changes in flood risk for the CI sites for the various compound scenarios (under current and future climate conditions). This approach offers an estimate of the potential impact of compound hazards relative to the 100-year flood maps produced by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which is vital to developing mitigation strategies. In a broader sense, this study provides a framework for assessing risk factors of our modern infrastructure located in vulnerable coastal areas throughout the world.
Wetland Vegetation Response to Groundwater Pumping and Hydrologic Recovery

An investigation of wetland vegetation response to groundwater alteration was conducted at the J.B. Starkey Wilderness Park, a large municipal wellfield in the area of west Florida, USA. Decades of historic groundwater withdrawal had created a gradient of impacted wetlands on the wellfield, after which time the groundwater pumping rates were reduced. Nineteen cypress dome wetlands were grouped, based on their hydrologic histories, as either most-altered (least inundation), marginally-altered (intermediate inundation), or least-altered (near-normal inundation). Annual species–level monitoring data were used to evaluate understory plant community response to the hydrologic recovery that resulted from reduced groundwater pumping. Species richness, cover, prevalence index (PI), and species importance percentages were assessed during pre- (2005–2007) and post- (2012–2014) hydrologic recovery periods. The vegetation in marginally- and most-altered wetlands responded to hydrologic recovery with increased species richness and lower PI values (i.e., greater hydrophytic character). However, species importance percentages indicated greater variation in the recovery of most-altered wetlands, where species composition often remained different from least-altered wetlands. Although reductions in groundwater pumping caused sufficient passive hydrologic recovery to elicit a vegetation response, further reductions and/or more time may be needed before the vegetation of some altered wetlands can become comparable to that of least-impacted wetlands.
The effectiveness of varying techniques used in Myocardial Perfusion Imaging

2716 Objectives Myocardial Perfusion Imaging (MPI) has served as a frontline tool in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. Within MPI there are numerous techniques, software innovations, and cameras all claiming to be more beneficial than the next. The purpose of this research is to compare three available options in MPI to determine their efficacy; Astonish resolution recovery reconstruction (RRR), SPECT CT Attenuation Correction (AC), and Cadmium-zinc-telluride based detector acquisition (CZT). Methods Imaging data was collected from patients who underwent MPI from January through December of 2014. All patients followed similar dosing/imaging procedures. The patients were separated into three groups depending on the technique used; RRR, AC, CZT. Patient demographics, nuclear stress test conclusions, and cardiac catheterization lab (CC) results were collected. The false positive results were determined using the CC as the gold standard. Results Of the 116 patients that were reviewed in this study, 38 were done using RRR, 35 were done using AC , and 43 were done using CZT. Within the RRR group 21 patients had abnormal MPI followed by CC. 19 of these 21 MPI results matched the CC results, 9.52% were false-positive. Within the AC group 10 patients had abnormal MPI followed by CC. 9 of these 10 MPI results matched the CC results, 10% were false-positive. Within the CZT group 13 of these 13 MPI results matched the CC results. Only 2.58% of the 116 patients had false-positive stress tests. Conclusions The CZT based detector system yielded no false positive stress tests. This result was found even as many of the patients included in the study were imaged and read during the initial incorporation of the camera. Given its seemingly low false-positive rate the CZT detector had the best results compared to the RRR and AC techniques used in our clinics
Predicting the temperature dependence of self-diffusion behavior in Ni-Cr alloys via molecular dynamics

Abstract Defect-mediated mass transport is a critical phenomenon for many material performance and degradation issues. In the area of stress corrosion cracking, a predictive model of mass transport under realistic, elevated temperatures would be instrumental in predicting crack initiation and propagation tendencies. Molecular simulations can address some of these gaps about underlying processes. In that context, this study presents a robust model that describes self-diffusion at high temperatures in Ni-xCr alloys with varying Cr concentrations. We show that by using a vacancy concentration rescaling factor, it is possible to properly estimate diffusion coefficients in Ni-5Cr, Ni-10Cr and Ni-20Cr. The model reaches its upper limit at 1600 K for Ni-20Cr, because it has been fitted on dilute solute concentrations. Extrapolations at low temperature match experimental trend. Simulations with a theoretical number of vacancies give results comparable to the diffusion coefficients with the rescaling factor. In further simulations of more complex systems, efforts should be made in interstitial formation and migration barrier energy description.
When are Sanctions Effective? A Bargaining and Enforcement Framework

A considerable literature identifies the conditions under which sanctions are more likely to be successful. However, few studies examine the question of when senders are willing to enforce sanctions laws against their firms. Using a game theoretic model, we argue that the imposition of sanctions creates an enforcement problem for sender states. We demonstrate that senders have disincentives to enforce their sanctions policies, given that the restriction of business transactions with target states may undermine their firms' competitiveness relative to foreign firms. Specifically, the model indicates that sanctions are more likely to succeed when the sender firms' strength in the target's market is moderately strong, that is, it is not too weak or too strong. On the flipside, it also shows that senders are less likely to impose sanctions when their firms' strength is moderate. In essence, due to both economic and political incentives, senders are less likely to impose sanctions when they are more likely to be successful. The model's empirical implications are tested using the Threat and Imposition of Sanctions (TIES) dataset.
Influence of Sequential and Simultaneous Bilingualism on Second Grade Dual Language Students’ Use of Syntax in Reading

This study integrated reading and bilingual theories to examine the reading behaviors of second grade Latinx students in a Dual Language program. It explored how the students’ differing language ba...
Mechanical Performance and Mesostructure Analysis of Proton-Irradiated Fused Filament Fabrication Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene Material

The use of fused filament fabrication (FFF) acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and other thermoplastics in radiation environments is beginning to be studied as possible replacements for traditionally manufactured parts and tools. Interlayer adhesion within the mesostructure has been shown in published literature to be an integral component in the strength of FFF ABS. Research of irradiated 3D printed polymers has primarily focused on the influence of gamma irradiation on the mechanical properties of FFF ABS samples, without evaluating its impact on the mesostructure of the samples. The purpose of this paper is to understand the mechanical damage caused by proton radiation on FFF ABS samples through the evaluation of the mesostructure of the ABS samples. To achieve this objective, proton radiation at 40 MeV was applied to FFF ABS samples at radiation doses up to 1.0 MGy at a dose rate of 1 MGy/hr. Following the irradiation, tensile testing was performed on the samples. The fractured surfaces of the tested samples were subsequently observed using a scanning electron microscope. The mechanical test results show an increase in the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and a decrease in the ductility of the irradiated samples. Statistical analysis on the results shows that there is a statistically significant difference in the UTS and the ductility of unirradiated and 1.0 MGy irradiated samples and between irradiated samples and 1.0 MGy samples. In addition, the percentage elongation at break has statistically significant differences in the means between irradiated samples and 1.0 MGy samples. The UTS has statistically significant differences in the means between 0.1 and 1.0 MGy. The difference in the means between the unirradiated and the 1.0 MGy samples is the most significant for both the UTS and elongation at break. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results indicated that interlayer adhesion improved as a function of radiation dose corresponding to the increase in tensile strength. The SEM results also showed that crazing and plastic deformation were reduced; aligning with the loss in ductility observed in the tensile tests results. The proton radiation is causing these mechanical and physical changes through two mechanisms: (1) dose rate effects on ionizing radiation-induced oxidative degradation; and (2) radiation heating effects of high-energy (>1 MeV) charged particles.
Plastic Surgery amidst the Pandemic: The New York University Experience at the Epicenter of the COVID-19 Crisis.

SUMMARY: The coronavirus disease of 2019 pandemic became a global threat in a matter of weeks, with its future implications yet to be defined. New York City was swiftly declared the epicenter of the pandemic in the United States as case numbers grew exponentially in a matter of days, quickly threatening to overwhelm the capacity of the health care system. This burgeoning crisis led practitioners across specialties to adapt and mobilize rapidly. Plastic surgeons and trainees within the New York University Langone Health system faced uncertainty in terms of future practice, in addition to immediate and long-term effects on undergraduate and graduate medical education. The administration remained vigilant and adaptive, enacting departmental policies prioritizing safety and productivity, with early deployment of faculty for clinical support at the front lines. The authors anticipate that this pandemic will have far-reaching effects on the future of plastic surgery education, trends in the pursuit of elective surgical procedures, and considerable consequences for certain research endeavors. Undoubtedly, there will be substantial impact on the physical and mental well-being of health care practitioners across specialties. Coordinated efforts and clear lines of communication between the Department of Plastic Surgery and its faculty and trainees allowed a concerted effort toward the immediate challenge of tempering the spread of coronavirus disease of 2019 and preserving structure and throughput for education and research. Adaptation and creativity have ultimately allowed for early rebooting of in-person clinical and surgical practice. The authors present their coordinated efforts and lessons gleaned from their experience to inform their community's preparedness as this formidable challenge evolves.
A Randomized Control Trial of Working Memory Training With and Without Strategy Instruction Effects on Young Children’s Working Memory and Comprehension

Researchers are increasingly interested in working memory (WM) training. However, it is unclear whether it strengthens comprehension in young children who are at risk for learning difficulties. We conducted a modest study of whether the training of verbal WM would improve verbal WM and passage listening comprehension and whether training effects differed between two approaches: training with and without strategy instruction. A total of 58 first-grade children were randomly assigned to three groups: WM training with a rehearsal strategy, WM training without strategy instruction, and controls. Each member of the two training groups received a one-to-one, 35-min session of verbal WM training on each of 10 consecutive school days, totaling 5.8 hr. Both training groups improved on trained verbal WM tasks, with the rehearsal group making greater gains. Without correction for multiple group comparisons, the rehearsal group made reliable improvements over controls on an untrained verbal WM task and on passage listening comprehension and listening retell measures. The no-strategy-instruction group outperformed controls on passage listening comprehension. When corrected for multiple contrasts, these group differences disappeared but were associated with moderate to large effect sizes. Findings suggest-however tentatively-that brief but intensive verbal WM training may strengthen the verbal WM and comprehension performance of young children at risk. Necessary caveats and possible implications for theory and future research are discussed.
The Association Between Substance Use and Risky Sexual Behaviors Among Incarcerated Adolescents

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between substance use and risky sexual behaviors and having acquired a sexually transmitted disease. Methods: The sample consisted of 210 incarcerated adolescents ages 12–17. Data were collected through 40-min interviews administered by trained research assistants. Multivariate analysis was used to examine the relationship between risky sexual behaviors and substance use when adjusting for other covariates. Results: Almost three-quarters (70.6%) of these incarcerated adolescents regularly use one or more substances. Inconsistent condom use and sex with multiple partners (>2) was reported by approximately 70% of those surveyed. The regular use of substances elevated the odds of having sex with multiple partners (OR = 11.88), exchanging sex for money or drugs (OR = 4.64), and inconsistent condom use (OR = 3.06). Conclusion: Given strong associations between risky sexual behavior and substance use, interventions should be more multiproblem-focused. Health interventions should attempt to address common causes of both behaviors. Effective interventions will be those that can successfully demonstrate effects on outcomes that measure both the intervention effects on substance use and risky sexual behaviors.
The generation of energy by the arginine dihydrolase pathway in Mycoplasma hominis 07.

Abstract The nature of the energy source for a representative nonfermenting Mycoplasma, Mycoplasma hominis type II, strain 07, has been studied. The results indicate that this microorganism can obtain energy from the metabolism of arginine by the arginine dihydrolase pathway. The conversion of arginine to ornithine, with the concomitant formation of an equimolar amount of adenosine triphosphate, is quantitatively sufficient to account for the estimated energy required for synthesis of macromolecules in growing cells. Thus the results indicate that arginine may be the major source of energy, but they cannot rule out contributions to energy generation from other unknown sources. Extracts of M. hominis 07 are exceedingly rich in the three enzymes of the arginine dihydrolase pathway. Purifications and characterizations of the three enzymes have been undertaken. Arginine deiminase and ornithine transcarbamylase have been purified to an essentially homogeneous state, and have been found to constitute approximately 10 and 4% respectively, of the soluble protein of cell extracts. The physical and kinetic properties are similar to those reported for the enzymes obtained from Streptococcus.
The Brucella abortus Lon functions as a generalized stress response protease and is required for wild-type virulence in BALB/c mice

The gene encoding a Lon protease homologue has been cloned from Brucella abortus. The putative Brucella abortus Lon shares > 60% amino acid identity with its Escherichia coli counterpart and the recombinant form of this protein restores the capacity of an Escherichia coli lon mutant to resist killing by ultraviolet irradiation and regulate the expression of a cpsB::lacZ fusion to wild-type levels. A σ32 type promoter was identified upstream of the predicted lon coding region and Northern analysis revealed that transcription of the native Brucella abortus lon increases in response to heat shock and other environmental stresses. ATP-dependent proteolytic activity was also demonstrated for purified recombinant Lon. To evaluate the capacity of the Brucella abortus Lon homologue to function as a stress response protease, the majority of the lon coding region was removed from virulent strain Brucella abortus 2308 via allelic exchange. In contrast to the parent strain, the Brucella abortus lon mutant, designated GR106, was impaired in its capacity to form isolated colonies on solid medium at 41°C and displayed an increased sensitivity to killing by puromycin and H2O2. GR106 also displayed reduced survival in cultured murine macrophages and significant attenuation in BALB/c mice at 1 week post infection compared with the virulent parental strain. Beginning at 2 weeks and continuing for 6 weeks post infection, however, GR106 and 2308 displayed equivalent spleen and liver colonization levels in mice. These findings suggest that the Brucella abortus Lon homologue functions as a stress response protease that is required for wild-type virulence during the initial stages of infection in the mouse model, but is not essential for the establishment and maintenance of chronic infection in this host.
Homogeneous glycogen synthetase b from rat liver.

Abstract Glycogen synthetase b has been purified about 2,000-fold from a crude extract of rat liver. The purification procedure consisted of the separation of the glycogen pellet by centrifugation, solubilization of the synthetase by phosphorolysis of the glycogen by endogenous phosphorylase, and adsorption and elution from Ca3(PO4)2 gel. The final material appears homogeneous on gel electrophoresis. A subunit molecular weight of 85,000 was obtained from electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate. The oligomer appears to have a molecular weight of 260,000 as isolated, suggesting that it is a trimer. On storage in solution in the cold, a species twice this size appears. The peak absorbance of the enzyme was at 278 nm with a value of E1%1 cm at this wave length of 14.5. The spectrum showed no evidence of conjugated chromophores. Determinations of alkali-labile phosphate and reactive sulfhydryl groups gave values of 12.4 and about 6, respectively. Activity decreased linearly to zero with the titration of the first three sulfhydryl groups (or the first two when glycogen was present), indicating that at least one of the most reactive groups is essential for activity. Incubation of the purified synthetase at 0° led to inactivation which was reversed on rewarming. Glycogen protected against this cold inactivation.
Analysis of Walking Speeds Involving Individuals with Disabilities in Different Indoor Walking Environments

AbstractWalking facilities are important infrastructures in communities. These facilities should be designed to accommodate the needs of all types of pedestrians. Unfortunately, existing design guidelines fail to offer adequate consideration for individuals with disabilities owing to a lack of empirical data. To address this knowledge gap, a controlled large-scale research project was conducted at Utah State University (USU) to study the walking behavior of people with various types of disabilities in various indoor walking facilities. These facilities included a passageway, different types of angles (right and oblique), bottleneck, and stairwells. The purpose of this paper is twofold: to examine the impacts of individuals with disabilities on crowd walking speed, and to study the impacts of different indoor walking facilities on the movements of various pedestrian groups. Results show that the presence of individuals with disabilities in a crowd significantly reduces the overall crowd speed. Statistical ...
Generating FPGA accelerators for chemical similarity assessment

Numerical measures of similarity/distance between objects represented by binary vectors are common in a wide range of disciplines. Searching in large-scale chemical databases requires billions of comparisons between molecules that are represented by binary fingerprints to capture the atomic structure. The performance bottleneck here is the enumeration of set bits in vectors (population count). Due to the discrete representation, similarity measures between binary fingerprints should fit well to FPGAs. We present an architecture to accelerate binary similarity assessment, evaluate various design points, and compare performance to highly optimized CPU and GPU implementations. We implement an RTL generation software, SimGenRTL, to generate accelerators of various sizes based on the proposed architecture. We find that accelerators with fewer and wider population counters allow better distribution of the hardware resources, outperforming significantly accelerators with more and narrower bit-enumeration components. SimGenRTL is available for download to allow rapid design space exploration of the computational core ahead of a full custom system implementation.
Effects of luminal gastrin on the growth of rat intestinal mucosa

Abstract In some species a considerable amount of gastrin is released into the lumen of the stomach. The purpose of these experiments was to test the hypothesis that luminal gastrin might be responsible for stimulating, in part, the growth of intestinal mucosa. A catheter was placed in the ileum of 16 rats 10 cm from the ileal-cecal junction. The rats drank equal amounts of a liquid diet for 10 days. During the first 5 days a solution of amino acids was continuously infused into the ileum. On day 6 one-half the rats received 240 μg/day gastrin-17 instead of amino acids; the other 8 rats continued to receive amino acids. The rats were killed and four segments of ileum, 2–4 and 6–8 cm above and below the catheter, were excised. In all segments mucosal DNA synthesis was statistically increased in the gastrin animals by at least threefold. Total mucosal RNA and DNA content were also significantly increased over control levels. Serum gastrin was not increased in the animals receiving gastrin. In a second similar experiment luminal gastrin stimulated growth of mucosa from the midgut and ileum, that is, near the catheter, but not in mucosa from the oxyntic gland area and duodenum. In a third experiment the catheter was placed in the stomach, and either G-17 or Freamine (control) was infused. In this study gastrin caused no increases in any of the measured growth indices. These studies indicate that (a) gastrin can increase growth of intestinal mucosa when topically applied to it, (b) the effect is not mediated by absorption and subsequent recirculation of the hormone, and (c) under the conditions of our experiment we could obtain no evidence that the trophic effect of topical gastrin originating from the antrum was physiologic.
Pitfalls of International Cooperative Education Programs in Vietnam

Globalization has significantly influenced the increasing international cooperative education programs between Vietnamese and foreign institutions in the last decade. For various reasons depending upon the goals and the details of these cooperative programs, the degree of success varies broadly. Some languished, some fell apart, and others required further negotiations.
Pulmonary fibrosis is increased in mice carrying the factor V Leiden mutation following bleomycin injury.

Increased fibrin deposition following inflammatory lung injury has been proposed to facilitate the development of pulmonary fibrosis. Therefore, factors predisposing to thrombosis may affect the fibrotic response to injury. Activated protein C (aPC) resistance due to the factor V Leiden mutation (FvL) is a common genetic risk factor for vascular thrombosis. To examine the relationship between aPC resistance and the development of pulmonary fibrosis, lung inflammation was induced by bleomycin in mice carrying the FvL mutation. Three weeks following the instillation of 0.0375 U of bleomycin, the lungs of mice homozygous and heterozygous for FvL contained significantly more hydroxyproline (35 ± 4 and 36 ± 7 ug hydroxyproline/ mg total protein, respectively) than wild-type mice (26 ± 6 ug/mg protein, p
"I can't be what I want to be": children's narratives of chronic pain experiences and treatment outcomes.

Background. Chronic or recurrent nonmalignant pain is a significant problem for many children and adolescents and often limits the child's participation in normal physical, academic, and social activities. Objective. To better understand the impact of chronic or recurrent pain on children within the context of their own lives and experiences, using qualitative analysis, and to suggest the applications of the narrative method to clinical practice. Design. Grounded theory and narrative analysis of in-depth semi-structured interviews conducted at baseline and 6–12 months following clinic intake. Setting. Subject homes. Patients. Fifty-three children ages 10–17 presenting with recurrent pain to a university-based pain clinic. This sample did not differ significantly from the overall clinic population during the study period. Results. Five common themes were identified; these suggested that isolation, changed self-perception, activity limitations, concerns about barriers to future goals, and lack of medical validation were important to the children's perceived impact of pain on their lives. Five narratives were identified, each of which provided a coherent, integrated description of the factors and perspectives presented by a specific subset of children at baseline. These narratives were then compared against the children's reports of improvement in pain and functioning at 6–12 months; from this comparison, a sixth narrative of therapeutic change emerged for some of the children. Conclusions. The authors suggest that physicians and parents who take the initiative to elicit the child's narrative can help the child to rewrite the story to promote therapeutic change, a better outcome, and higher satisfaction.
The Interdepartmental Committee on Nutrition for National Defense Surveys: Lasting Impacts

The Interdepartmental Committee on Nutrition for National Defense (ICNND) Surveys provided previously unavailable representative information on the food and nutrition situations of military or civilian populations in 33 developing countries. Information on related social and economic conditions also were assessed. These data provided a framework for planning follow-up programs to correct problems identified and to prevent them from recurring, such as fortification of salt with iodine and sugar with vitamin A. Educational materials specific to the nutrient content of local foods, dietary patterns, and availability within countries and cultures were also developed, such as food composition tables and dietary guidelines. In-country scientists were motivated to continue nutrition research, and, in several countries, institutes and departments of nutrition evolved. Impact was documented by improved nutritional status in several countries, although success is not always attributed directly to the impetus provided through the ICNND Surveys. Furthermore, the surveys and their leaders provided inspiration and role models for aspiring young nutritionists both within their own countries and internationally.
Effects of the Communities That Care system on cross-sectional profiles of adolescent substance use and delinquency.

INTRODUCTION: Adolescent substance use and delinquency are major public health problems. Although community-based prevention strategies have been recommended to produce population-level reductions in rates of substance use and delinquency, few models show evidence of effectiveness. PURPOSE: To test the efficacy of a community-based prevention system, Communities That Care (CTC), in reducing community rates of problem behaviors, particularly effects on specific profiles of adolescent substance use and delinquency in eighth- and tenth-graders. METHODS: Twenty-four communities were randomized to CTC intervention or control groups. Data were collected from 14,099 8th- and 10th-grade students in these communities using anonymous cross-sectional surveys in 2004 and 2010 and analyzed in 2012. Outcomes were four different profiles of self-reported substance use and delinquency in 8th grade and five profiles in 10th grade. RESULTS: In the cross-sectional 2010 data, there was no intervention effect on the probability of experimenting with substances or of substance use coupled with delinquent activities for either grade. However, tenth-graders in intervention communities were significantly less likely to be alcohol users than those in control communities (OR=0.69, CI=0.48, 1.00). CONCLUSIONS: Cross-sectional population surveys showed evidence of CTC effects in reducing tenth-grade alcohol users but not experimenters. A community-wide reduction in adolescent alcohol use is important because alcohol is the most commonly used illicit substance during adolescence, and early initiation of alcohol use has been associated with alcohol-related disorders in adulthood. Failure to find hypothesized effects on experimenters qualifies these results. Language: en
Stress Field in Finite Width Axisymmetric Wound Rolls

A model is developed for predicting the stress field within a wound roll of web material, in which the radial, circumferential, transverse, and shear stresses can vary in both the roll's radial and cross-web (transverse) directions. As has been the case in previous wound roll stress analyses based on one-dimensional models, the present approach accounts for the anisotropic and nonlinear material properties of the layered web material, and the incremental manner in which the roll is wound. In addition, the present development accounts for arbitrary cross-sectional geometry and material of the core, and the presence of nonuniform tension across the web's width during winding. The solution is developed through an axisymmetric, two-dimensional, finite element analysis which couples individual models of the core and layered web region substructures. The core's stiffness matrix at the core-web interface provides a mixed boundary condition for the web region's first layer. In several parameter studies, variations of the stress components in the roll's radial and cross-width directions are discussed and compared with predictions of the simpler companion one-dimensional model. The character of the stress field at the web region's free edges and along the core-web interface, and the possibility of stress concentration or singularity existing there, are also discussed. ©2002 ASME
Pathwise uniqueness for solutions of systems of stochastic differential equations

Abstract A general theorem which obtains pathwise uniqueness for solutions of systems of Ito stochastic differential equations is given. It is shown that this theorem contains as special cases basic criteria which generalize Ito's result in which the coefficients satisfy Lipschitz conditions in the second variable. Also some new results which assume t -dependent modulus of continuity conditions on the coefficients are given as corollaries. The main result is established by means of Lyapunov type functions and comparison principle techniques.
Thresholds for mictic female production in the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis (Muller)

Food concentration, free ammonia, and population density thresholds for mictic female production were characterized for the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis (Muller). Mictic female production ceased at 15.3 × 103Dunaliella cells · ml−1 (5.7 μg dry weight · ml−1) while amictic female production continued at 0.1 this food level. Free ammonia also repressed mictic and amictic female production differentially. A free ammonia threshold of 24.4 was recorded for mictic female production. Increasing population density over the range of 140–7400 females · 1−1 promoted mictic female production. The percentage of mictic daughters produced at 260 females · 1−1 was 20 times less than that at 7400 females · 1−1. The threshold population density for mictic female production was 147 females · 1−1. The rate of amictic female production strongly correlated with mictic female production. Most mictic female production occurred when the rate of amictic female production exceeded 5.2 females · day−1. A hypothesis is proposed that high rates of amictic female production trigger mixis in B. plicatilis.
Experimental Study of the Combustion Processes in Granular Propellant Beds

Catastrophic failure of propulsion and gun systems has been attributed to abnormal combustion within granular propellant charges. The effects of igniter strength, propellant type, deterrent concentration, and projectile motion on the overall transient combustion processes in granular propellant beds were studied experimentally. The results show that igniter strength significantly affects the duration of the induction period and the accelerative behavior of the pressure front traveling through the bed; a weaker igniter causes a more pronounced pressure front acceleration. A large igniter volume was found to reduce the rate of flame-spreading and pressurization processes. Combustion of slightly deterred propellants produced very rapid flame spreading, higher peak pressures, and higher pressurization rates than regularly deterred propellants. Propellant particle geometry was found to greatly affect the rate of total mass consumption within a propellant bed and thereby influence the peak pressures and pressure wave phenomena within the bed.
Growth of Oxide Nanorod, Nanotube and Nanocable Arrays through Template-Based Sol Electrophoretic Deposition

This paper introduces a process for the growth of oxide nanorod, nanotube, and nanocable arrays that combines sol preparation and template-based electrophoretic deposition. Examples are shown that the sol electrophoretic deposition is an effective method for the formation of polycrystalline and single crystal oxide nanorod arrays, nanotube arrays and conformal coating of thin films of oxides on metal nanorods to produce metal-oxide core-shell nanocable arrays.