cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Qualitative Exploration of the Intern Experience in Assessing Medical Student Performance.

Abstract Background Interns play a key role in medical student education, often observing behaviors that others do not. Their role in assessment, however, is less clear. Despite accreditation standards pertaining to residents’ assessment skills, they receive little guidance or formal training in it. In order to better prepare residents for their role in medical student assessment, we need to understand their current experience. Objective We aimed to describe the first-year resident experience assessing students’ performance and providing input to faculty for student clinical performance assessments and grades in the inpatient setting. Methods Pediatric interns at Children's National Hospital (CN) from February 2018 to February 2019 were invited to participate in semistructured interviews about their experience assessing students. Constant comparative methodology was used to develop themes. Ten interviews were conducted, at which point thematic saturation was reached. Results We identified 4 major themes: 1) Interns feel as though they assess students in meaningful, unique ways. 2) Interns encounter multiple barriers and facilitators to assessing students. 3) Interns voice varying levels of comfort and motivation assessing different areas of student work. 4) Interns see their role in assessment limited to formative rather than summative assessment. Conclusions These findings depict the intern experience with assessment of medical students at a large pediatric residency program and can help inform ways to develop and utilize the assessment skills of interns.
Lensless Compound-Eye Vision with Plasmonic Ommatidia

We report the design, fabrication, and characterization of geometrically-tunable angle-sensitive photodetectors based on plasmonic metasurfaces for the development of flat lensless compound-eye cameras with ultrawide (±75°) fields of view.
doubletD: detecting doublets in single-cell DNA sequencing data.

MOTIVATION While single-cell DNA sequencing (scDNA-seq) has enabled the study of intratumor heterogeneity at an unprecedented resolution, current technologies are error-prone and often result in doublets where two or more cells are mistaken for a single cell. Not only do doublets confound downstream analyses, but the increase in doublet rate is also a major bottleneck preventing higher throughput with current single-cell technologies. Although doublet detection and removal are standard practice in scRNA-seq data analysis, options for scDNA-seq data are limited. Current methods attempt to detect doublets while also performing complex downstream analyses tasks, leading to decreased efficiency and/or performance. RESULTS We present doubletD, the first standalone method for detecting doublets in scDNA-seq data. Underlying our method is a simple maximum likelihood approach with a closed-form solution. We demonstrate the performance of doubletD on simulated data as well as real datasets, outperforming current methods for downstream analysis of scDNA-seq data that jointly infer doublets as well as standalone approaches for doublet detection in scRNA-seq data. Incorporating doubletD in scDNA-seq analysis pipelines will reduce complexity and lead to more accurate results. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION https://github.com/elkebir-group/doubletD. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The Link from Stress Arousal to Disease

The notion that one’s psychosocial environment, lifestyle, and attitudes are linked to disease is by no means a new idea, as discussed in Chap. 1. In a scholarly meta-analysis, Tower (1984) reviewed 523 published reports investigating the relationship between psychosocial factors and disease. Ultimately selecting 60 of those studies on the basis of design considerations, she then submitted the data to a meta-analysis. The results supported the conclusion that there exists a strong relationship between psychosocial factors and illness. She notes, “Psychological well-being appeared to be most strongly associated with coronary heart disease and infectious processes … although it was significantly associated with all diseases [investigated] except complications of pregnancy” (p. 51). To assess the power of her findings, Tower calculated the number of fugitive studies required to reject the findings of her meta-analysis. The results of this analysis of outcome tolerance revealed that over 28,000 fugitive studies would be required to reject the conclusion that psychosocial factors are related to disease. More recently, researchers have studied the link between psychosocial factors and heart disease (Low, Thurston, & Matthews, 2010), depression (Bonde, 2008) and even musculoskeletal pain (Macfarlane et al., 2009).
Managing A Portfolio of Risks

Managers and stakeholders concerned about all sorts of entities often face a complex mixture of threats originating from multiple sources. Traditional management approaches that deal with multiple decisions, such as project portfolio management and risk assessment, are focused on single sources of risk or they integrate risks using simplified assumptions (e.g., simple addition). Current challenges—including emergency response to natural disasters, homeland security threats, emerging materials, and correlated events—and an uncertain future with respect to societal concerns—for example, climate change, economic development, and social/religious instabilities—require integrated application of these methods. This article describes a range of risk approaches that enable a flexible approach to risk portfolio management. Decision quality serves as an integrating framework for applying a mix of analytic methods to facilitate successful risk portfolio management. Methods including portfolio decision analysis and risk management, as well as other tools from risk analysis, utility theory, and modern portfolio theory from finance, help to address complexities of current risk portfolio management challenges. Keywords: portfolio theory; risk analysis; risk management; project portfolio management; risk-based design
Demand for public safety

In public safety of less concern to poor people? What about people in poor areas? How is demand for public safety affected by income inequality? Is there a self-correcting mechanism whereby higher crime increases demand for public safety? The authors study subjective assessments of public safety using a comprehensive socioeconomic survey of living standards in Brazil. They find public safety to be a normal good at the household level. Marginal income effects are higher for the poor, so inequality reduces aggregate demand for public safety. Less public safety generates higher demand for improving it. Living in a poor area increases demand at given own-income. So does living in an area with higher average education.
Human chorionic gonadotropin-like material: Presence in normal human tissues

Abstract With the use of radioreceptor assay for gonadotropin and a beta-chain radioimmunoassay for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), we have been able to demonstrate the presence of hCG-like material in all normal human tissues tested. This activity was completely absorbed by a hCG-antibody affinity column and was demonstrated to have altered carbohydrate content by studies showing this material did not bind to concanavalin A (con A)-Sepharose affinity columns. In identical studies greater than 90% of placental hCG was bound to con A. However, if placental hCG is rendered carbohydrate free it also does not bind to con A. It is known that carbohydrate-free hCG is cleared rapidly from the circulation and thus possesses little or no biological potency in vivo. Accordingly, we hypothesize: (1) that this hCG-like material in normal tissues has the protein structure of hCG but does not possess the carbohydrate moieties of placental hCG and probably has little or no bioactivity in vivo and (2) that the trophoblasticcell is not unique in its ability to synthesize hCG but has developed the ability to glycosylate hCG, transforming a ubiquitous cellular protein into a hormone, hCG might better be called human cellular gonadotropin.
The η-local motivic sphere

We compute the h1-localized cohomology of the motivic Steenrod algebra over C. This serves as the input to an Adams spectral sequence that computes the motivic stable homotopy groups of the η-local motivic sphere. We compute some of the Adams differentials, and we state a conjecture about the remaining differentials.
Phylogenetic analysis of North American Rhagoletis (Diptera: Tephritidae) and related genera using mitochondrial DNA sequence data.

Partial sequences (approximately 850 bp) of the mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA gene were determined for 21 members of the fruit fly genusRhagoletisand 6 related tephritid taxa by sequencing DNA amplified by the polymerase chain reaction. Sequences were highly A + T rich, with an average G + C content of 19.2%. Sequence divergence ranged from 0 to 11.7% among the included taxa. Sequences were used to reconstruct the phylogeny of this group of flies with neighbor-joining and maximum parsimony methods. A group of 18 North AmericanRhagoletisspecies formed a monophyletic clade, and three morphologically based species groups were identified with strong statistical support. Relationships among the species groups were partially resolved. Thetabellariaspecies group appears to be paraphyletic with respect to thepomonellaspecies group, in contrast to previous allozyme analyses that united thecingulataandpomonellagroups. The relations of the North American clade to other genera within the tribe Carpomyini were not clearly resolved.Rhagoletis striatella,a North American species that uses members of the tomato family (Solanaceae) as a larval host, may be more closely associated with South AmericanRhagoletisspecies and related genera than with the other North AmericanRhagoletisspecies.
Systematic color vision model: its applications to electronic imaging

The systematic color vision model is a comprehensive model based on both the zone theory and the retinex theory. This model merges these two theories by a hypothesis of systematic negative feedback control (SNFC) for the human visual system. The SNFC includes two loops: an absolute negative feedback loop which controls the absolute light sensitivities of the cone photoreceptors for achromatic adaptation, and a relative negative feedback loop which controls the relative light sensitivities for chromatic adaptation. Under SNFC the three types of cone photoreceptors have independent light sensitivities. They function as the retinexes in the retinex theory. The color vision signals are processed zone by zone as assumed by the zone theory. This model also provides a color calculation algorithm and a visual processing framework for the first two zones. This algorithm is based on the von Kries coefficient law and the spectral sensitivities of the three types of cone photoreceptors. Since this algorithm omits the transformation from RGB to XYZ, color modeling for an electronic imaging system becomes easy and accurate. Potential errors of color calculation caused by using the CIE color-matching functions, such as abnormal hue-angle change, can also be avoided.
Language-level support for exploratory programming of distributed virtual environments

We describe COTERIE, a toolkit that provides languagelevel support for building distributed virtual environments. COTERIE is based on the distributed data-object paradigm for distributed shared memory. Any data object in COTERIE can be declared to be a Shared Object that is replicated fully in any process that is interested in it. These Shared Objects support asynchronous data propagation with atomic serializable updates, and asynchronous notification of updates. COTERIE is built in Modula-3 and uses existing Modula-3 packages that support an integrated interpreted language, multithreading, and 3D animation. Unlike other VE toolkits, COTERIE is based on a set of general-purpose parallel and distributed language concepts designed with the needs of virtual environments in mind. We summarize the requirements that we identified for COTERIE, describe its implementation, compare it with other toolkits, and provide examples that show COTERIE’s advantages.
Electronic Properties of Monocapped Prismane and Basket Iron-Sulphur Clusters

Abstract The ground state electronic properties of the mixed-valence clusters Fe7S6 (PEt3)4Cl3 (1), Fe6S6(PEt3)4L2 [L = Cl− (2), Br− (4), I− (5) and PhS− (6)], Fe6Se6 (PEt3)4Cl2 (3) and [Fe6S6(PEt)6]1− (9), have been investigated by magnetic susceptibility, magnetization and Mossbauer spectroscopic measurements. Cluster 1 has a (idealized C3v) monocapped prismane structure and clusters 2–6 and 9 adopt the C2v “basket” configuration based on the [Fe6(μ2-S)(μ3-S)4(μ4-S)]2+,1+ core unit. From magnetic properties, the ground states S = 1/2 (1, 9) and S = 1 (2–5) were established. Unlike the other clusters, 6 did not show a Curie region of susceptibility; its ground state was not directly determined but is probably S = 1. Mossbauer spectra were successfully analysed in terms of a 1 : 1 : 1 iron site population. Isomer shifts and quadrupole splittings were assigned to each site. Magnetically perturbed spectra obtained in applied fields of 60–80 kOe were analysed to give the magnetic hyperfine parameters and magnetic hyperfine fields in clusters 1–5 and 9. The magnetic spectra demonstrate antiferromagnetic spin coupling which affords the indicated ground states.
Cancer driver mutations in protein kinase genes.

Recent studies investigating the genetic determinants of cancer suggest that some of the genetic alterations contributing to tumorigenesis may be inherited, but the vast majority are somatically acquired during the transition of a normal cell to a cancer cell. A systematic understanding of the genetic and molecular determinants of cancers has already begun to have a transformative effect on the study and treatment of cancer, particularly through the identification of a range of genetic alterations in protein kinase genes, which are highly associated with the disease. Since kinases are prominent therapeutic targets for intervention within the cancer cell, studying the impact that genomic alterations within them have on cancer initiation, progression, and treatment is both logical and timely. In fact, recent sequencing and resequencing (i.e., polymorphism idenitification) efforts have catalyzed the quest for protein kinase ‘driver’ mutations (i.e., those genetic alterations which contribute to the transformation of a normal cell to a proliferating cancerous cell) in distinction to kinase ‘passenger’ mutations which reflect mutations that merely build up in course of normal and unchecked (i.e., cancerous) somatic cell replication and proliferation. In this review, we discuss the recent progress in the discovery and functional characterization of protein kinase cancer driver mutations and the implications of this progress for understanding tumorigenesis as well as the design of ‘personalized’ cancer therapeutics that target an individual’s unique mutational profile.
Ergonomic interventions for the furniture manufacturing industry. Part II-Handtools

Abstract The objectives of this intervention research project were to develop and evaluate engineering controls for the reduction of the upper extremity injury risk in workers in the furniture manufacturing industry. The analysis of OSHA Form 200 logs and surveys of furniture workers revealed that upholsterers, workers who use random orbital sanders and workers who use spray guns are at higher levels of risk of illness than the rest of the working population. An on-site ergonomic analysis of these three jobs was performed and the following risk factors were identified for each of these three work groups: upholsterers—repetitive, high-force pinch grips; sanders—long-duration static grip forces; and sprayers—awkward postures (ulnar wrist deviations and wrist flexion). Engineering interventions in the form of new or modified handtools were then evaluated in the laboratory to assess their effectiveness in reducing exposure to these risk factors. For sanding, an interface was created that secured the hand to the sander with the intention of reducing the need for static grip forces during sanding. A new handtool was created for upholsterers that replaced the repetitive pinch grips with a power grip. Finally, a commercially available spray gun with ergonomic features was evaluated. Each of these modified tools/methods was compared with the standard methods typically used in industry. The results show that most of the intended beneficial effects were realized. The random orbital sander interface reduced extensor muscle activities by an average of 30%. The upholstery handtool reduced the intrinsic hand muscle activities by an average of 51%. The effects of the adapted spray gun were most prominent when working on horizontal surfaces and showed an average reduction of 40° of wrist flexion and 14° of ulnar deviation as compared to the standard pistol grip spray gun in this activity. Relevance to industry The ergonomic intervention research described in this report documents a reduction in exposure to risk factors for upper extremity cumulative trauma disorders for three work activities in the furniture manufacturing industry.
Superman Is Jewish?: How Comic Book Superheroes Came to Serve Truth, Justice, and the Jewish‐American Way Harry Brod. New York: Free Press, 2012.

Superman Is Jewish?: How Comic Book Superheroes Came to Serve Truth, Justice, and the Jewish-American Way Harry Brod. New York: Free Press, 2012.Harry Brod's " exercise in reclamation" attempts to recount the story of the influence of Judaism and Jewishness in comics in Superman Is Jewish ?: How Comic Book Superheroes Came to Serve Truth, Justice, and the Jewish-American Way. This topic has already been mined in several recent books: Danny Fingeroth's Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero (2007); Arie Kaplan's From Krakow to Krypton: Jews and Comic Books (2008); Simcha Weinstein's Up, Up, and Oy Vey!: How Jewish History, Culture, and Values Shaped the Comic Book Superhero (2006); Paul Buhle's Jews and American Comics: An Illustrated History of an American Art Form (2008); and The Jewish Graphic Novel: Critical Approaches (2008). If the title is bit misleading, as Brod treats other non-superhero topics-such as Mad, Will Eisner, Art Spiegelman, and The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (2000)-while also devoting some attention to the Jewish comics from the Old Country, this comprehensiveness may also be the book's chief strength, separating it from some of these earlier volumes. The author states that his goal for this book is that someday Jewish comic artists and writers will be mentioned along with the great Jewish-American artists and literary figures.Likening the predominance of Jews in early comic books to the wide-open frontier of the early motion picture industry, Brod recounts the origins of the Man of Steel and how it was easier for Jews (particularly those who were firstor second-generation Americans) like his creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster to get into comics than into other publishing venues. Brod further sees Jews working in the medium of illustrated books as a natural fit, connecting it to the Passover Haggadah, the guidebook used for the Passover meal, as well as other illustrated religious texts "for children that tell a heroic story of people in peril being rescued by a savior with a secret identity" (35). The parallels between Moses and Superman are made obvious: sent off in a small vessel to avoid the death of his people, raised among a people who do not suspect his secret identity, champion of the oppressed with miraculous superpowers. This differs from a character like Batman, who also had Jewish creators but lacks the Jewish connections of Superman. But Brod ignores the overt Christian interpretations of Superman, which were made most explicit in the 1978 film of the same title. After the opening chapter on Superman, Brod looks back in the next chapter to some of the traditions that have shaped the Jewish character in comics, such as Marc Chagall, children's books, the legend of the golem, and science fiction (especially Isaac Asimov). …
Age-related differences in lactate distribution kinetics following maximal exercise.

Lactate concentrations were determined at 3, 5, and 7 min of recovery following maximal, continuous, multi-stage treadmill work in 180 men, aged 20–80 years, who were participants of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Each subject was placed into one of six age groups, e.g., 20–29, 30–39, etc. As expected, average concentrations decreased consistently with age. All three sampling times were similar in characterizing maximal lactates for the youngest men. For each older group, except for the oldest, the later values were significantly (p<0.01) higher than the 3-min values. For subjects in their 50's and 60's mean concentrations continued to rise through the 7th min. These data suggest that in man there is a progressive, age-related diminution of ability to diffuse lactate from muscle and/or distribute it into its space. This may result in decreased endurance and work capacity and a prolongation of recovery. As an alternative to multiple sampling and analyses for maximal lactate, single blood samples should be obtained no sooner than 5 min of recovery for men up to age 50, and at 7 min for those between 50 and 70 years. Variability among the men over 70 years of age was large enough to preclude single-sample alternatives.
E2A proteins enforce a proliferation checkpoint in developing thymocytes

E2A proteins regulate multiple stages of thymocyte development and suppress T-cell lymphoma. The activity of E2A proteins throughout thymocyte development is modulated by signals emanating from the pre-TCR and TCR. Here we demonstrate that E2A is required for the complete arrest in both differentiation and proliferation observed in thymocytes with defects in proteins that mediate pre-TCR signaling, including LAT, Lck and Fyn. We show that E2A proteins are required to prevent the accumulation of TCRβ negative cells beyond the pre-TCR checkpoint. E2A-deficient thymocytes also exhibit abnormal cell-cycle progression prior to pre-TCR expression. Furthermore, we demonstrate that E47 can act in concert with Bcl-2 to induce cell-cycle arrest in vitro. These observations indicate that E2A proteins function during early thymocyte development to block cell-cycle progression prior to the expression of TCRβ. In addition, these data provide further insight into how deficiencies in E2A lead to T lymphoma.
Total synthesis of abyssomicin C, atrop-abyssomicin C, and abyssomicin D : Implications for natural origins of atrop-abyssomicin C

In this article, the total syntheses of the antibiotic abyssomicin C (1) and its biologically inactive sibling abyssomicin D (3) are described. A number of unforseen roadblocks in our synthetic plan encouraged innovation, which culminated in the discovery of a new Lewis acid-templated Diels−Alder reaction. En route to abyssomicin C, we prepared and characterized its stable conformational isomer atrop-abyssomicin C (57), which in the presence of a strong acid underwent an unusual interconversion with the targeted natural product. Close inspection of the X-ray crystallographic structures of these compounds led to hypotheses on the mechanism of their interconversion. Attempted reduction of both atropisomers revealed that atrop-abyssomicin C afforded abyssomicin D much more readily, suggesting that this previously unknown atropisomer may be synthesized by the host organism and serves as a direct precursor of abyssomicin D. Finally, to gain insight into the mechanism of antiobiotic activity, several synthetic ...
Electromagnetic Modeling and In Situ Measurement of Gas Hydrate in Natural Marine Environments

: During Ocean Drilling Program Leg 170, electromagnetic logs were acquired at three sites on the Costa Rica continental margin. Gas hydrate was observed in sediment cores from nearby holes. These data provide the first opportunity to study and quantify hydrate concentration using logging-while-drilling, a technique used to record logs before in situ conditions change significantly. We develop a mixture model that allows for separation of the sediment, pore fluid, and hydrate volume fractions from dielectric permittivity and conductivity measurements. However, the relatively low frequency (2 MHz) of these measurements and the high formation conductivity in this setting do not allow for quantitative estimates of hydrate concentration using the dielectric effect. Pseudoporosity logs can nevertheless be derived from the mixture model and compare well with core measurements. We recommend that future in situ electromagnetic measurements be made at frequencies greater than about 20 MHz in order to increase the influence of the dielectric permittivity on such measurements.
Psychologic factors in scleroderma

CB interventions have been shown to reduce pain and improve psychosocial functioning in patients who have chronic illnesses, particularly chronically painful rheumatologic syndromes. These interventions are typically administered by specially trained professionals and are conducted during weekly individual or group sessions. When focused on pain and chronic illness, these interventions seem to have, at best, small effects on depression. Data from the headache literature and recent data about patients who have dental/facial pain indicate that minimal-contact CB therapy, the combination of some professional contact with audiotaped and written materials, may reduce pain in many patients, but the impact on functioning is less clear. Future studies should examine the impact of CB interventions on pain, depression, concerns about disfigurement, and physical and psychosocial functioning in scleroderma. Such knowledge is necessary for the optimal care of persons who have this debilitating illness. Although complicated, the advent of disease-specific interventions that are administered by way of the Internet may prove particularly useful in a rare illness, such as scleroderma. Psychologic factors with demonstrated relevance to scleroderma include pain, depression, and distress about disfigurement, physical function, and social function. Although these dimensions of quality of life are interrelated, pain, depression, and distress about disfigurement are common and may respond to psychologic interventions.
The epidemiology of cercarial dermatitis and its association with limnological characteristics of a northern Michigan lake.

Cercarial dermatitis (swimmer's itch) is an annoying inflammatory response to penetration of skin by non-human schistosome parasites while swimming or wading in lakes. The purpose of this survey was to identify risk factors for cercarial dermatitis and to determine whether limnological characteristics of the lake were associated with development of the condition. Starting 1 June 1993, an active case surveillance system was established in the communities around Walloon Lake, Michigan, which continued until 30 August 1993; controls were randomly selected weekly during the same time period through telephone surveys. A total of 317 cases of cercarial dermatitis occurring in 146 clusters was identified over the course of the summer and 295 controls were selected from the weekly telephone surveys. Factors associated with the development of cercarial dermatitis identified in the study included age, the time of day at which exposure to lake water occurred, and the month in which exposure to lake water took place. In addition, development of cercarial dermatitis was significantly associated with exposure to lake water in the area of the lake with the highest algae content and shallowest depth. Cercarial dermatitis (swimmer's itch) is an annoying and sometimes painful dermatitis that is most likely to affect those who swim or wade in freshwater lakes of midwestern states.
Stationary planetary waves in the atmosphere of Mars during southern winter

[1] We report new observations of stationary planetary waves in the Southern Hemisphere of Mars by Mars Global Surveyor (MGS). We focus on a period during midwinter (Ls = 134°–160°) when independent observations were acquired by two techniques. Radio occultation experiments sounded the atmosphere at essentially fixed latitude (∼68°S) and local time (∼1030), yielding profiles of geopotential and temperature between the surface and the 9 Pa pressure level. Observations by the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) included systematic limb sounding at nine discrete latitudes and two local times (∼0200 and ∼1500), yielding temperature profiles at pressures of 1–100 Pa. We supplemented these data with a simulation by a Mars general circulation model (MGCM), which provides an accurate synthesis of the observations. These stationary planetary waves have significant amplitudes at zonal wave numbers s = 1 and 2. The s = 1 component propagates vertically, as reflected by a westward tilt with increasing height in the geopotential and temperature fields and a net poleward eddy heat flux. The peak amplitude at s = 1 is ∼1 km in geopotential height and ∼7 K in temperature. The geopotential field of the s = 2 component is “barotropic” in character, which results through hydrostatic balance in a distinctive temperature field. The peak amplitude at s = 2 is ∼700 m in geopotential height and 4–6 K in temperature.
Distribution of carboxypeptidase H messenger RNA in rat brain using in situ hybridization histochemistry: implications for neuropeptide biosynthesis

Carboxypeptidase H is an exopeptidase which is highly specific for C-terminal basic amino acids and thought to play a role in neuropeptide biosynthesis. The distribution of carboxypeptidase H mRNA was examined in adult rat brain using in situ hybridization histochemistry. Enzyme transcripts were detected in all major brain areas. Very high levels of carboxypeptidase H mRNA were found in the hippocampus associated with pyramidal cells. Other brain regions showed varied levels of labelling, ranging from high levels in the magnocellular cells of hypothalamic nuclei to very low levels in the striatum. The appearance of enzyme transcripts throughout brain supports a role for this enzyme in the biosynthesis of many neuropeptides. The expression of transcripts in certain ventricular ependymal cells identified them as a new potential peptidergic cell type. The variations in levels of expression of carboxypeptidase H mRNA may reflect differences in peptidergic activity in different neuronal systems.
Clonal variation in gene methylation: c-H-ras and α-hCG regions vary independently in human fibroblast lineages

Abstract The stability of DNA methylation has been followed in clonal lineages of human diploid fibroblasts, for the gene regions encoding the c-H- ras proto-oncogene and the alpha subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (α-hCG). Although methylation losses predominated, both de novo gains and losses of cytosine methylation were observed in subclones and sub-clones, at frequencies which differed between individual clonal lineages, and between the 2 gene regions compared. Methylation of these loci varied independently among clones; e.g., a lineage which showed frequent methylation loss in the c-H- ras gene region remained highly methylated for α-hCG, and vice versa. Thus, the fidelity with which DNA methylation is inherited in specific endogenous gene regions must be governed by a clone-specific property affecting local chromatin structure, but apparently not by gene expression per se. Late in the replicative life-span of diploid fibroblasts, as cell replication slowed, restriction patterns for methylation-sensitive enzymes became simpler and more discrete, while those for other enzymes did not change. This is interpreted as a consequence of ‘clonal succession’, in which the fastest-replicating or longest-lived clones/subclones eventually predominate in a cell population; it could also reflect a decreased rate or a non-random selection of methylation changes in late-passage cells.
Physiological, demographic and pathological changes in wild norway rat populations over an annual cycle

Abstract 1. 1. Randomly trapped samples of saturated (land-fill) and expanding (pen) Norway rat populations revealed variations in structure brought about by spring and summer recruitment and fall and winter depression of reproduction. 2. 2. Pituitary-adrenal hyperfunction occurred in the saturated population during the recruitment period; breeding and recruitment were curtailed in the saturated population when the population showed signs of stress. 3. 3. Recruitment in low-density, expanding pen populations did not elicit signs of stress or depress reproductive potential. 4. 4. Winter conditions elicited hyperadrenalism and reproductive depression in both saturated and expanding populations. The frequency of regressed gonads and sex accessory tissues was highest in January when no pregnancies or juvenile recruitment was apparent. 5. 5. A progression of pathological changes in the hearts, livers and kidneys of animals developed following the summer social stress which was maximal with the onset of winter. The decreasing frequency of severe metabolic disease as the winter turned to spring was attributed to probable deaths of weakened animals during the severe winter cold.
Diversification under supply uncertainty

Supply chain management is becoming an increasingly important issue, especially when in most industries the cost of materials purchased comprises 40-60% of the total sales revenue. Despite the benefits cited for single sourcing in the popular literature, there is enough evidence of industries having two/three sources for most parts. In this paper we address the operational issue of quantity allocation between two uncertain suppliers and its effects on the inventory policies of the buyer. Based on the type of delivery contract a buyer has with the suppliers, we suggest three models for the supply process. Model I is a one-delivery contract with all of the order quantity delivered either in the current period with probability β, or in the next period with probability 1-β. Model II is also a one-delivery contract with a random fraction of the order quantity delivered in the current period; the portion of the order quantity not delivered is cancelled. Model III is similar to Model II with the remaining quantity delivered in the next period. We derive the optimal ordering policies that minimize the total ordering, holding and penalty costs with backlogging. We show that the optimal ordering policy in period n for each of these models is as follows: for x â¥ A«n, order nothing; for vIn â¤ x < A«n, use only one supplier; and for x <vIn, order from both suppliers. For the limiting case in the single period version of Model I, we derive conditions under which one would continue ordering from one or the other or both suppliers. For Model II, we give sufficient conditions for not using the second more expensive supplier when the demand and yield distributions have some special form. For the single period version of Models II and III with equal marginal ordering costs we show that the optimal order quantities follow a ratio rule when demand is exponential and yields are either normal or gamma distributed.
ON SEQUENCES OF NESTED TRIANGLES

For a given triangle, we consider several sequences of nested triangles obtained via iterative procedures. We are interested in the limiting behavior of these sequences. We briefly mention the relevant known results and prove that the triangle determined by the feet of the angle bisectors converges in shape towards an equilateral one. This solves a problem raised by Trimble~[5].
The Psychological and Social Impact of Illness and Disability, 6th Ed. edited by Irmo Marini and Mark A. Stebnicki

THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIAL IMPACT OF ILLNESS AND DISABILITY, 6TH ED. Marini, Irmo, and Stebnicki, Mark A. (Eds.). New York: Springer Publishing Company, 2012. 568p. ISBN-13: 978-0-826-10655-1. $9...
COMT haplotypes predict pain intensity and interference 6 weeks after motor vehicle collision

1TRYUMPH Research Program; 2Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; 3Dentistry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; 4Emergency Medicine, William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, MI; 5Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA; 6Emergency Medicine, Spectrum Health System, Grand Rapids, Michigan; 7Emergency Medicine, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA; 8Emergency Medicine, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, NY; 9Emergency Medicine, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, Ypsilanti, MI; 10Emergency Medicine, University of Florida, Jacksonville, FL; 11Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI; 12Emergency Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC
An infrared study of some ruthenium containing mixed crystal quaternary metal hydrides

Abstract Results of an infrared (IR) study are reported for the mixed crystal quaternary ruthenium metal hydrides [M(2−x)EuMx]RuH6, where M=Ca or Sr and 0≤x≤2. The asymmetric stretching wavenumber, νRu–H, is the most sensitive IR band to changes in composition and unit cell dimensions. For the Ca composition it was shown that there is a correlation between νRu–H and the unit cell length which is linear according to the equation ν =3461–262.5(a) .
Outcomes after the stage I reconstruction comparing the right ventricular to pulmonary artery conduit with the modified Blalock Taussig shunt.

Background Recent reports advocate that a right ventricular to pulmonary artery (RV-PA) conduit improves outcome after the stage I reconstruction. Methods We retrospectively compared the outcomes of all neonates who underwent a stage I reconstruction between January 1, 2002, and October 1, 2004, with use of the RV-PA conduit and modified Blalock-Taussig shunt (mBTS) interspersed over this time period. Results In all, 149 infants underwent a stage I reconstruction (95 mBTS, 54 RV-PA) for hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) or variants. There was a preference for the RV-PA conduit in patients with aortic atresia (mBTS 30% versus RV-PA 67%, p Conclusions Comparing shunt strategies (mBTS versus RV-PA) over the same time period, we found no difference in outcome. These data support the need for a larger prospective, randomized trial.
Laser-induced emission spectrum from high-temperature silica-generating flames

Abstract High-temperature silica-generating flames were probed with 266 nm plane, linearly polarized light to produce laser-induced emission spectra with prominent peaks at the blue- and red-shifted sides from the probe wavelength. The radiation induced is ascribed to silicon monoxide (SiO) present in the flame, and appears to be caused by a combination of fluorescence and near-resonance-enhanced Raman scattering. The signal contribution due to strongly depolarized radiation near the probe wavelength complicates extraction of size information based on Rayleigh- and Mie-scattering in investigations of silica nanoparticle formation and growth in flames where temperatures are above 2000 K, oxygen partial pressures are moderate and the particulate matter is in its early stages of evolution. However, the observed radiative process may have utility as the basis for temporally and spatially resolved species and temperature diagnostics.
Anatomical evidence for differential rates of maturation of the medial dorsal nucleus projections to prefrontal cortex in rats

Abstract Functional maturation of the prefrontal system has been studied historically through the use of the lesion-behavior method. More recently an anatomical index of functional maturation has been used which stresses the importance of the onset (⩾72h) of stable long-lasting degeneration argyrophilia following an experimental lesion. If these two indices of development assess a similar process (neural maturation), then findings utilizing the two techniques should converge. We tested this proposition by examining the age of onset of stable degeneration argyrophilia in the thalamic projections to sulcal and medial prefrontal cortex in rats. The behavioral data from the effects of lesions of prefrontal cortex in infant rats suggest that the sulcal prefrontal system matures earlier than the medial prefrontal system. Electrolytic lesions were produced in the medial dorsal nucleus of the thalamus at either 13, 20 or 25 days of age. The subjects in each group were divided into a short survival time group (24 h) or a long survival time group (72 h). The tissue was then stained by the method of Fink-Heimer (procedure 1). In the 13-day 72-h survival group there was a sharp distinction in the presence of stable degeneration between the two prefrontal subfields. In the sulcal prefrontal cortex stable degeneration was found in 11 of 13 brains, whereas stable degeneration was found in medial prefrontal cortex in only 4 of 13 brains. Further, in 3 of the 4 brains demonstrating stable degeneration in medial prefrontal cortex, the degeneration was seen at threshold levels in only a single section. By 20 days of age stable degeneration was found in both subfields in all brains. These data indicate a strong correspondence between anatomical (stable degeneration) and the findings of lesion-behavior studies of functional maturation and offer further evidence that the two subfields of prefrontal cortex mature at different rates postnatally.
Techniques for rapid characterization of grinding wheel-workpiece combinations

AbstractA study has been made of a technique called taper grinding, which offers considerable potential as a test procedure for the rapid acquisition and analysis of grinding output data. On the basis of a comparison of results pertaining to forces, specific energy and workpiece residual stress from taper grinding with those obtained from conventional slot grinding tests on cast iron, it is shown that taper grinding is a robust and efficient method for the analysis of grinding data. Analysis of the taper and slot grinding test results has also shown that equivalent chip thickness and average workpiece temperature are excellent universal parameters for the assessment and prediction of forces and residual stress respectively.
Integrated Optics Devices Utilizing Thick Phase Gratings

Thick phase gratings have a variety of possible uses as device components in integrated optical systems. The applications make use of one or more of the unique properties of these gratings: high diffraction efficiency, good angular selectivity, and straightforward fabrication. In planar waveguides, the diffraction efficiency and angular selectivity desired for a particular application determine the length of the grating along the waveguide surface. We have holographically recorded 2 mm gratings having peak diffraction efficiencies in excess of 50% and angular selectivities less than 2 mrad by intersecting guided waves in a sample of photorefractive LiNbO3. Such gratings provide the central element in a number of actual and contemplated waveguide devices, including mirrors, beam splitters, lenses, switches, modulators, and interferometers.
Flavonoids with potent antioxidant activity found in young green barley leaves.

Saponarin, a flavonoid found in young green barley leaves, possesses potent antioxidant activities, which are determined by its inhibition of malonaldehyde (MA) formation from various lipids oxidized by UV light or Fenton’s reagent. Lipids used were squalene, ethyl linoleate, ethyl linolenate, ethyl arachidonate, octadecatetraenoic acid (ODTA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), cod liver oil, lecithin I, lecithin II, and blood plasma. The addition of saponarin inhibited the formation of MA from squalene upon UV irradiation at the level of 2 μmol/mL by almost 100%, whereas BHT inhibited its formation by 75% at the same level. Saponarin showed potent antioxidant activity toward fatty acid ethyl esters at levels >100 μg/mL. Saponarin inhibited MA formation in ODTA by 60%, in EPA by 50%, and in DHA by 43% at the level of 15 μmol/mL. Saponarin exhibited strong antioxidant activities with dose–response levels toward cod liver oil and lipoproteins (lecithins I and II), higher than those of...
Optimum slope for solar insolation on a flat surface tilted toward the equator in heating season

Abstract A simple equation is developed for the explict determination of the optimum slope for solar insolation on a flat surface tilted toward the equator during the heating season. This equation applies for both northern and southern hemispheres. The relationships between the optimum slope of the surface and related parameters are presented and discussed.
A combinatorial construction of a graph with automorphism group SO + (2 n , 2)

Abstract A simple combinatorial construction is given which takes as its imput a regular graph of valency k such that the convex closure of two points at distance two is the complete bipartite graph K 3,3 and whose output is a regular graph of valency 2k+1 . It is shown that the sequence of graphs obtained by starting with the graph with one point and no edges and applying the construction recursively is the family of bipartite dual polar space of type DSO + (2n,2) .
Effect of mutations in the T1.5 loop of pectate lyase A from Erwinia chrysanthemi EC16

Pectate lyase A (PelA) is a pectate-degrading enzyme secreted by plant pathogens. PelA from Erwinia chrysanthemi has 61% amino-acid identity and a conserved structural similarity to pectate lyase E (PelE). Although similar in structure and sequence, the enzymatic characteristics of PelA differ from those for PelE. A structural alignment of PelA and PelE reveals differences in the T1.5 loop. The sequence of the T1.5 loop in PelA was mutated to the homologous sequence in PelE. The crystal structure of the PelA T1.5 mutant has been solved to 1.6 and 2.9 A resolution. The enzymatic and structural properties of the T1.5 mutant are discussed.
The Web-based Recruitment of Female Foreign Domestic Workers in Asia

In the last three decades, there has been an increased “feminisation” of international migration within the Asian region. In part, the increased mobility of women migrant workers within Asia has resulted from the increased bureaucratic regulation of labour migration. This commodification of the migratory process, however, has placed women in significantly more vulnerable positions vis-´-vis their male counterparts. Comparatively little research, however, has examined the critical role of private recruitment agencies, and especially the use of the Internet, within the migratory process. In this paper, I examine the Web-based recruitment strategies of private recruitment agencies in Asia. Based on a qualitative analysis of 25 recruitment-related Web sites, I suggest that the commercialisation of migration serves an important “socialisation” process that contributes to the vulnerability and exploitation of female foreign domestic workers.
Selenite Stimulates Mitochondrial Biogenesis Signaling and Enhances Mitochondrial Functional Performance in Murine Hippocampal Neuronal Cells

Supplementation of selenium has been shown to protect cells against free radical mediated cell damage. The objectives of this study are to examine whether supplementation of selenium stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis signaling pathways and whether selenium enhances mitochondrial functional performance. Murine hippocampal neuronal HT22 cells were treated with sodium selenite for 24 hours. Mitochondrial biogenesis markers, mitochondrial respiratory rate and activities of mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes were measured and compared to non-treated cells. The results revealed that treatment of selenium to the HT22 cells elevated the levels of nuclear mitochondrial biogenesis regulators PGC-1α and NRF1, as well as mitochondrial proteins cytochrome c and cytochrome c oxidase IV (COX IV). These effects are associated with phosphorylation of Akt and cAMP response element-binding (CREB). Supplementation of selenium significantly increased mitochondrial respiration and improved the activities of mitochondrial respiratory complexes. We conclude that selenium activates mitochondrial biogenesis signaling pathway and improves mitochondrial function. These effects may be associated with modulation of AKT-CREB pathway.