cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hallmarks of the Adaptive Immune Responses

The adaptive immune response differs from innate host defenses in three important features: specificity, memory, and self–non-self-discrimination. Specificity refers to the ability of the products of the adaptive response (antibodies and T lymphocytes) to discriminate between closely related antigens. Specificity was defined by early investigations in the 1880s on the response to injected bacteria and was studied extensively in the 1930s and 1940s by Karl Landsteiner and others. The specificity of the response is currently the focus of studies involving the use of monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of diseases such as cancer and autoimmunity. Memory—the ability of the system to respond in an enhanced manner during a second exposure to an antigen—was initially observed by healers in ancient civilizations and is the impetus for the development of vaccines. Finally, the ability of the adaptive immune response to differentiate self from foreign has a long history that required an understanding of the embryology, genetics, and molecular biology of the immune system. In the late 1950s, Sir Macfarlane Burnet provided an initial hypothesis about the mechanism responsible for this characteristic when he proposed the clonal selection theory. This theory was supported by studies performed by Peter Medawar and his colleagues in the 1950s.
Carrier allocation in mobile bacteria networks

We propose a transmission model for bacteria networks inspired by ad hoc wireless mobile networks. Using bacteria as a message transmission medium has been proposed as a promising approach in molecular communication. The expected message delivery delay is derived for single source-destination pair and can be approximated by a convex function of the number of available carriers in the environment. In the scenario with multiple source-destination pairs, bacteria serving as the medium of message transmission are viewed as a limited resource, since each source-destination pair requires unoccupied carriers to transfer messages. We show that optimal resource allocation can be achieved while satisfying a priority requirement by controlling the release probability of messages at the source nodes. This suggests a guideline for communicating prioritized tasks in ad hoc bacteria networks
Carbon-Based Optics and Photonics

Carbon nanomaterials, i.e., single-wall carbon nano-tubes (SWCNTs) and graphene, attract much attention due to novel electronic, photonic, and mechanical properties that can find application in a variety of devices [1–4]. In particular, they have promising properties for developing optoelectronic devices at long wavelengths, i.e., in the mid-infrared (MIR) and terahertz (THz) ranges, including polarizers, modulators, detectors, and sources. It has been predicted that they have superior performance over existing devices in these ranges [5].
Research on 6-bromo-2-bromomethyl-5-hydroxy-1-methyl-indole3-carboxylic acid ethyl ester synthesis technology

Using 5-acetyl-1,2-dimethylindole-3-carboxylate,bromine as the raw material,the carbon tetrachloride,the benzoyl peroxide catalytic synthesized and subjected to HPLC tracing detection of 6-bromo-2-bromomethyl-5-hydroxy-1-methyl-indole-3-carboxylic acid ethyl ester.Using the orthogonal design study to determine the optimal synthesis of process parameters:the ratio of materials 1 for n(5-acetoxy-1,2-dimethyl-indole-3-carboxylic acid ethyl) ∶ n(CTC)=1 ∶ 18.3,the ratio of materials 2 for n(5-acetyl-1,2-dimethyl-indol-3-carboxylic acid ethyl ester) ∶ n(bromine)=1 ∶ 2.84,reaction time 5 h,reaction temperature is 45 ℃.Under optimum conditions a yield of 84.6%,and the purity of more than 98%,to achieve the purpose of optimization.
Physiologic basis of endocrine therapy for prostatic cancer.

SUMMARY Advances in our understanding of hypothalamic-pituitary gonadal regulation have led to the development of pharmaceutical agents that produce a medically castrate state with minimal morbidity. The selection of the method for androgen ablation in a given patient with stage D adenocarcinoma of the prostate should be based on patient preference and on cost, because the therapeutic outcomes of medical castration and orchiectomy are equivalent. The addition of androgen receptor antagonists to a given patient's regimen should be made with the knowledge that the impact on the mortality rate is modest and the cost significant. Further manipulation of androgen production or action in patients with hormonally resistant cancer is unlikely to improve either the disease progression or the mortality rate. Research efforts should be focused on the development of effective chemotherapy for such disease.
Metric-Perturbed Shifts in Super-Radiant States

In spite of several attempts at inventing a quantum theory for the electromagnetic field in curved space-time it is fair to say that none has been verified experimentally. The subject of this report is an experiment designed to measure the coupling of the quantized electromagnetic field with classical general relativity. Although the experiment is very difficult to perform, the results can provide a sign-post for a successful quantum field theory in curved space-time.
Granulomatous Conditions of the Sellar Region

Granulomatous conditions comprise a spectrum of diseases that include granulomatous pseudotumors and abscesses, granulomatous and xanthogranulomatous hypophysitis (see Inflammatory Hypophysitis, below), and xanthogranulomas (see Chap. 23).
Is Earnings Guidance Associated with Less Firm Innovation

We inform the policy debate on whether management earnings guidance fosters managerial myopia by examining whether firms providing earnings guidance exhibit less firm innovation. At the core of the debate is whether guidance impedes long-term value creation, and evidence on the association between guidance and innovation addresses this central issue as firm innovation is a key driver of firms’ competitiveness and long-term economic growth. Using a propensity-score matching design and a pair-matching design to address the endogeneity concern that other firm characteristics can drive the relation between future innovation and current guidance, we find that earnings guiders exhibit a greater number of future patents and patent citations than matched non-guiders. This result holds for firms issuing quarterly guidance and more frequent guidance. Further analysis using a Heckman two-stage procedure to address the impact of unobservable correlated omitted variables and a difference-in-differences design to address potential reverse causality yields similar results. Overall, our findings suggest that management earnings guidance alleviates managerial myopia rather than exacerbates it.
Nostalgia and the Mnemonics of Time

I relate the memory phenomenon to the shift in late twentieth-century conceptions of historical time from an accent on progress looking toward the future to one on nostalgia for the lost promise of the past. I review the newfound scholarly interest in nostalgia in both modern and postmodern conceptions of its nature. Such scholarship highlights the ambiguity of nostalgia: it elicits bittersweet emotions not only for what was, but also for what might have been. In the latter guise, nostalgia is reconceived as a resource for renewal. I close with the suggestion that the current scholarly fascination with Walter Benjamin’s visionary conception of history is derived from his conception of nostalgia as messianic hope for lost causes and failed projects worthy of revival.
Forest certification of small ownerships: Some practical challenges

Certification is a relatively new topic for most nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners in the United States. The management of NIPFs has long challenged foresters and policymakers to find workable opportunities for owners. Drawing on the literature surrounding NIPFs and their owners, this article considers four practical challenges to credible, meaningful, and widespread certification of these ownerships by examining the American Tree Farm System and the Forest Stewardship Council's certification system. The challenges are offered here to stimulate dialogue on this emerging issue for NIPF stewardship.
Sirtuins in Aging and Age-Related Diseases

Publisher Summary This chapter describes sirtuins, a set of closely related longevity genes that are found in most living things, including bacteria, yeast, plants, and animals. Evidence strongly indicates that sirtuins have evolved to sense the environment and modulate cell-protective mechanisms, which include DNA break repair and base excision repair, energy utilization, autophagy, oxidative stress defenses, and protein folding, to maximize survival during times of adversity. In yeast, nematode worms, and fruit flies, over expression of the SIR2 gene extends life span. It also focuses on diseases of aging and how sirtuins have the ability prevent them. The reason for this focus is that it remains unclear whether they by themselves can extend life span in mammals. What sirtuins do have is the unprecedented ability to prevent a wide variety of diseases that occur with aging, including type 2 diabetes, cancer, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer disease, and osteoporosis. Human genetic studies indicate that certain type of SIRT1 alleles influence susceptibility to diseases of aging such as metabolic diseases. If sirtuins are able to slow these major diseases in humans, it seems inconceivable that average life span would not increase. But even if sirtuins merely extend health span, allowing us to live better, more productive lives, this would still be a major advance in medicine and one that is becoming increasingly appreciated as a primary goal of aging research.
Relative quantitation of metal oxide nanoparticles in a cutaneous exposure model using enhanced darkfield microscopy and hyperspectral mapping

Abstract The biological effects associated with the unique properties of engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) remain largely unknown. Animal models of exposure are valuable for assessing potential toxicity and adverse health effects. This study presents a method to determine relative quantitation of nanoparticle (NP) abundance in histological samples in an ex vivo model of cutaneous exposure to metal oxide NPs using enhanced darkfield microscopy (EDFM) with hyperspectral imaging (HSI) and mapping. Porcine skin tissue was topically exposed to alumina, ceria, and silica NPs using a modified Franz diffusion chamber and histologically prepared for imaging. EDFM allowed for rapid direct visualization of NPs, while hyperspectral mapping confirmed the composition of NPs throughout the tissue, based on positive matching of pixels to reference spectral libraries (RSLs). Relative quantitation of NPs was achieved based on calculating the percentage of mapped pixels per field of view (FOV). The greatest abundance of mapped NPs was found in the ceria-exposed group regardless of tissue layer, relative to the other groups. Fewer NPs were found in the dermis compared to the stratum corneum in both the alumina- and ceria-exposed groups. This study demonstrated EDFM-HSI as a valuable method to determine relative quantitation of NPs in histological samples. The methods put forth in this study could be adapted for application to other NP types as well as other biological or environmental matrices.
Unique dry film solution for Through Silicon Via Process

ldquoThrough Silicon Via (TSV) technology has gained a lot of attention lately as a packaging solution meeting the needs for higher device performance and lower cost of ownership. The semiconductor and packaging industry is looking for new technology and alternative materials to meet the goal of true 3D integration. One of the major challenges in implementing 3D packaging is the formation of high aspect ratio interconnects with sufficient via density and uniformity using an efficient process that results in low cost of ownership. This paper demonstrates a novel cost effective dry film photoresist process meeting the technology requirements in terms of via diameter, shape and geometry using resist formulations with high etch selectivity and plating performance for via filling. Further results are presented showing advantages of this photoresist process for TSV ldquovia protectionrdquo using the unique tenting capability of dry film.rdquo
Efficient, Convergent SENSE MRI Reconstruction for Nonperiodic Boundary Conditions via Tridiagonal Solvers

Undersampling is an effective method for reducing scan acquisition time for MRI. Strategies for accelerated MRI, such as parallel MRI and compressed sensing MRI present challenging image reconstruction problems with nondifferentiable cost functions and computationally demanding operations. Variable splitting (VS) can simplify implementation of difficult image reconstruction problems, such as the combination of parallel MRI and compressed sensing, CS-SENSE-MRI. Combined with augmented Lagrangian (AL) and alternating minimization strategies, variable splitting can yield iterative minimization algorithms with simpler auxiliary variable updates. However, arbitrary variable splitting schemes are not guaranteed to converge. Many variable splitting strategies are combined with periodic boundary conditions. The resultant circulant Hessians enable $\mathcal {O} (n \log {} n)$ computation but may compromise image accuracy at the spatial boundaries. We propose two methods for CS-SENSE-MRI that use regularization with nonperiodic boundary conditions to prevent wrap-around artifacts. Each algorithm computes one of the resulting variable updates efficiently in $\mathcal {O}\left(n\right)$ time using a parallelizable tridiagonal solver. AL-tridiag is a VS method designed to enable efficient computation for nonperiodic boundary conditions. Another proposed algorithm, ADMM-tridiag, uses a similar VS scheme but also ensures convergence to a minimizer of the proposed cost function using the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM). AL-tridiag and ADMM-tridiag show speeds competitive with previous VS CS-SENSE-MRI reconstruction algorithm AL-P2. We also apply the tridiagonal VS approach to a simple image inpainting problem.
Evaluating NaREMgWO6 (RE = La, Gd, Y) Doubly Ordered Double Perovskites as Eu3+ Phosphor Hosts.

Three doubly ordered double perovskites NaREMgWO6 (RE = La, Gd, Y) have been synthesized via traditional solid-state methods, doped with Eu3+, and characterized to evaluate their promise as Eu3+ phosphor hosts. NaYMgWO6, a new member of the family, was found to crystallize in the P21 space group and is isostructural with NaGdMgWO6. Emissions characteristic of Eu3+ ions (5D0 → 7F4,3,2,1,0) were observed, with the most intense transition being the 5D0 → 7F2 transition near 615 nm. Substitution of Eu3+ onto a more compressed RE site in the NaY1–xEuxMgWO6 and NaGd1–xEuxMgWO6 hosts results in a blue shift of the charge-transfer excitation band and an increase in the intensity of the 5D0 → 7F2 transition compared to NaLa1–xEuxMgWO6. All of the hosts can incorporate high concentrations of Eu3+ before concentration quenching is observed. When the rare-earth ion is either Gd3+ or Y3+, good energetic overlap between the Eu3+ charge-transfer band and the absorption of the host lattice results in sensitization and en...
Torison dynamics and depolarization of fluorescence of linear macromolecules. II. Fluorescence polarization anisotropy measurements on a clean viral phi 29 DNA.

Abstract The decay of the fluorescence polarization anisotropy (FPA) of ethidium bromide bound to DNA has been studied over a range of time-spans from 18 ns to 120 ns with the aid of a picosecond dye laser. These FPA data have been fitted to three different functional forms: (1) the single-exponential-decay-plus-baseline employed by Wahl et al.; (2) the Initial Exponential Decay Zone formula of a recently developed rigid-rod and torsion spring model for the torsion dynamics of DNA; (3) the Intermediate Zone formula of that same model. At any fixed experimental time-span the formulas (2) and (3) provide slightly better fits than formula (1), but cannot be distinguished from each other by reduced chi-squaied values alone. However, only the Intermediate Zone formula fits the data from all different time-spans with the same set of physical parameters. The parameters determined for formulas (1) and (2) vary with the time-span of the experiment in a characteristic manner that can be rationalized in the event that the FPA actually follows the Intermediate Zone curve. The fact that the torsion dynamics for this DNA is well described by the Intermediate Zone formula discounts the possibility of distinct widely spaced torsion joints in such Clean DNAs. We are able to provide the first reliable value for the torsional rigidity of DNA, C = 1.29 ± 0.10 × 10 −19 dyne cm 2 in 0.01 M NaCl at 25° C.
Pitts, Vincent J. Embezzlement and High Treason in Louis XIV's France: The Trial of Nicolas Fouquet Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press 240 pp., $44.95, ISBN 978-0-4214-1824-7 Publication Date: October 2015

The myth of Louis XIV's absolutism conjures up an image of an all-powerful monarch who easily imposed his will on his subjects. However, as Vincent J. Pitts shows in his account of Nicolas Fouquet'...
The Structure of Policy Networks for Injury and Violence Prevention in 15 US Cities.

Objectives:Changes in policy can reduce violence and injury; however, little is known about how partnerships among organizations influence policy development, adoption, and implementation. To understand partnerships among organizations working on injury and violence prevention (IVP) policy, we examined IVP policy networks in 15 large US cities.Methods:In summer 2014, we recruited 15 local health departments (LHDs) to participate in the study. They identified an average of 28.9 local partners (SD = 10.2) working on IVP policy. In late 2014, we sent survey questionnaires to 434 organizations, including the 15 LHDs and their local partners, about their partnerships and the importance of each organization to local IVP policy efforts; 319 participated. We used network methods to examine the composition and structure of the policy networks.Results:Each IVP policy network included the LHD and an average of 21.3 (SD = 6.9) local partners. On average, nonprofit organizations constituted 50.7% of networks, followed...
CMAS behavior of yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) and yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thermal barrier coatings

Abstract Calcium magnesium aluminosilicate (CMAS) that is formed from the ingested deposits in gas turbines degrades thermal barrier coatings (TBCs), especially for the most widely used material; yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ). In the present work, we examine the behavior of yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) as an alternative material for TBCs. CMAS interaction studies were conducted by making composite pellets of YAG-CMAS and YSZ-CMAS powders. These pellets, after being subjected to heat treatment between 1100 °C and 1500 °C were characterized by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), which showed YAG to be almost inert to CMAS whereas YSZ exhibited significant phase changes. To test the behavior of TBCs with YAG and 8YSZ as the topcoat material in a CMAS environment, cyclic furnace tests were conducted in which a controlled amount of CMAS was applied and then the samples were cycled to failure. In addition, to simulate the continuous accumulation of CMAS expected in service, a cyclic furnace test was devised in which a small dose of aqueous solution of CMAS was applied on TBC specimens at the start of every cycle until the samples were cycled to failure. In all these tests YAG TBCs outperformed YSZ in terms of durability. The mechanisms of CMAS attack are described and the relative resistance of YAG and YSZ is shown to be consistent with the Optical Basicity (OB) theory.
Molecular profile of atypical hyperplasia of the breast

Atypical ductal and atypical lobular hyperplasia (AH) of the breast are important proliferative lesions which are associated with a significantly increased risk for breast cancer. The breast cancer which develops in association with AH may occur synchronously, representing local progression, or metachronously at a later date in either the ipsilateral or contralateral breast. These high-risk characteristics of AH suggest they contain significant genomic changes. To define the genomic changes in AH, a comprehensive review of the literature was conducted to identify the numerical chromosomal and structural chromosomal changes, DNA methylation, and gene expression abnormalities in atypical ductal and atypical lobular hyperplasia. AHs are characterized by advanced genomic changes including aneuploidy, loss of heterozygosity, gross chromosomal rearrangements such as amplifications and large-scale deletions, DNA methylation of tumor suppressor and other genes, and gene expression differences between AH and surrounding normal breast tissue including significant estrogen receptor expression. Many of these changes are shared by an associated synchronous breast cancer, consistent with an important precursor role for AH. At the same time, many of the genomic changes of AHs are also shared by common sporadic breast cancer, consistent with a high risk for future development of metachronous breast cancer. This molecular profile should help clarify the genomic characteristics and malignant predisposition of AH, and aid in the identification of new targets for the prevention of breast cancer
First-trimester emergencies: a radiologist’s perspective

The purpose of this article is to help the practitioner ensure early diagnosis and response to emergencies in the first trimester by reviewing anatomy of the developing embryo, highlighting the sonographic appearance of common first-trimester emergencies, and discussing key management pathways for treating emergent cases. First-trimester fetal development is a stepwise process that can be challenging to evaluate in the emergency department (ED) setting. This is due, in part, to the complex anatomy of early pregnancy, subtlety of the sonographic findings, and the fact that fewer than half of patients with ectopic pregnancy present with the classic clinical findings of a positive pregnancy test, vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain, and tender adnexa. Ultrasound (US) has been the primary approach to diagnostic imaging of first-trimester emergencies, with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) playing a supportive role in a small minority of cases. Familiarity with the sonographic findings diagnostic of and suspicious for early pregnancy failure, ectopic pregnancy, retained products of conception, gestational trophoblastic disease, failed intrauterine devices, and complications associated with assisted reproductive technology (ART) is critical for any emergency radiologist. Evaluation of first-trimester emergencies is challenging, and knowledge of key imaging findings and familiarity with management pathways are needed to ensure early diagnosis and response.
Integrating three organizational approaches: Breakthrough performance in a state government office

Improving organizational performance under turbulent internal and external environments has been a challenging managerial task. This paper highlights the reengineering experience of a state government office that successfully improved its performance. Keeping in mind its strategic goals throughout the integration of keys aspects of business process redesign (BPR), information technology (IT) and organization development (OD), prevented the department from random reengineering which, in many organizations, leads to downsizing. Putting more emphasis on OD through the reengineering process resulted in building the organization's ability to assess its current functioning and to achieve its goals.
Examining the Effects of Individual-Level and Neighborhood-Level Characteristics on the Variability of Substance Use Rates and Changes:

We use social learning, self-control, and social disorganization theories to explain substance use among urban adolescents. Using a sample of 2,048 adolescents and young adults from the Project in ...
Influence of Inertial Effects on Dispersion and Effective Reaction in Porous Media

In this work we develop, via volume averaging, the macroscale transport equation for a reactive chemical species undergoing a heterogeneous reaction with first- order kinetics. We describe the closure problem required to predict (1) the effective macroscale reaction rate, and (2) the effective dispersion tensor from the microscale geometry, chemical, and physical properties of the media. The effective parameters are computed for a 3D simple unit cell. Particular attention is given to the influence of inertial effects on the flow field and the resulting effective parameters.
Principles and Applications of Vestibular Rehabilitation

With normal vestibular function, the body is able to maintain postural and gaze stability with exquisite accuracy. This accuracy occurs in part due to the exceptionally short latencies of the compensatory eye rotation. The purpose of this chapter is to review the essential anatomy of the vestibular system with an emphasis on the neurophysiological tenets responsible for its amazing precision.
Light and ultrastructural studies in sural biopsies of the pseudopolyneuropathic form of ALS.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is usually accepted as a disease in which degeneration of the first and second motor neuron is not accompanied by a sensory abnormality. Neuropathological studies on the sural nerve[l-4], and on deep and superficial peroneal nerves[5] of ALS patients have suggested that the primary sensory neuron may also be involved in this disease. We have studied the biopsy of the sural nerve using light and ultrastructural investigation in patients with the pseudopolyneuritic form of ALS. The aim of our work was to verify primary sensory neuron involvement in this particular form of ALS in order to single out an eventual pathogenetic mechanism.
Model and analysis of pharmaceutical manufacturing system with government intervention and emergency supply

Abstract Recurring drug shortages continue to be a significant problem, and one major cause is the desire for manufacturers to leave the business due to the high-risk associated with uncertain demand. Guaranteed orders from government and the existence of flexible-by-design rapid manufacturing facilities can decrease manufacturing risk and ensure production of necessary products. In this paper, we model the production choices of a pharmaceutical manufacturer, assuming that the manufacturer attempts to maximize its expected profit with conditional-value-at-risk constraints on the loss. The resulting linear programming problem is analyzed to determine the optimal production level as a function of the government order amount. Including the possibility of emergency production allows for increased manufacturing flexibility and reduces the required government order costs.
Characterization of statistical persistence in joint angle variation during walking.

Abstract The objective of this study was to characterize joint angle variation across strides. Specifically, the statistical persistence of variations were quantified using the Hurst exponent. If a time series exhibits statistical persistence, then a parameter which is smaller (or larger) than average will tend to be followed by additional values that are also smaller (or larger) than average. Human walking has statistical persistence between stride durations. Variation in stride duration must arise from variation in the motion of the leg segments during walking. It is unclear, however, if the joint angle variation also exhibits statistical persistence. This study examined kinematic data collected from nine healthy adults walking for 10 min at a self-selected comfortable speed on a treadmill. The joint angle variation in the lower limbs was parameterized using first-order Fourier series which in turn were described by frequency and magnitude coefficients for each stride. To determine if the joint angle variation exhibited statistical persistence, the Hurst exponent was found for each coefficient at each joint. The mean Hurst exponents were 0.54 for the frequency coefficients and 0.61 for the magnitude coefficients. Neither the frequency or magnitude coefficients exhibited statistically significant persistence, although some of the magnitude coefficients were close to reaching statistical significance. This suggests that joint angle variability in healthy adults does not directly produce the statistical persistence observed in stride duration fluctuations.
Diverse Approaches to Meaning-Making at the End of Life

Saracino et al. (2019) offer substantial evidence from psycho-oncology and palliative care research to demonstrate the positive psychological effects of two existentially-oriented therapies—Dignity...
High-Sensitivity Troponins in Cardiovascular Disease

Each new troponin assay generation is more sensitive, with recent generation high-sensitivity troponin (hsTn) assays able to detect minimal myocardial injury, even in asymptomatic patients. PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW: We reviewed recent information on the use of hsTn assays for assessing acute and chronic cardiovascular disease. RECENT FINDINGS: hsTn is used for early emergency department diagnosis, accelerating early discharge with a low event rate comparable if not better than current strategies. Low levels of hsTn are detected in a variety of chronic cardiac and non-cardiac conditions, non-disease conditions including heart failure, chemotherapy, and others. These elevations identify a population at increased risk for long-term cardiovascular events. However, management strategies remain unclear. hsTn has substantial advantages in emergency department use. They hold promise for identifying subclinical cardiac disease, with the potential for earlier intervention with the possibility of decreasing disease progression. Additional studies, however, are needed to determine if this strategy will lead to improved outcomes.
Incidence of diabetes and prediabetes and predictors of glycemic change among South Asians in the USA: the MASALA study

Introduction South Asians have a high prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This may be associated with high rates of conversion through the natural history of disease. However, there is a paucity of data on prediabetes and T2DM incidence and related predictors in South Asians in the USA. Research design and methods We estimated prediabetes and T2DM incidence after 5 years of follow-up in the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America study (n=481) and examined the associated correlates. We defined T2DM and prediabetes using the American Diabetes Association criteria. Prediabetes included isolated impaired fasting glucose (iIFG), isolated impaired glucose tolerance (iIGT) and combined IFG and IGT. Results Overall, 152 (32%, 95% CI: 27.6 to 35.9) individuals progressed either from normal glucose tolerance to prediabetes or T2DM, or from prediabetes to T2DM. In standardised logistic regression models controlling for age and sex, only hepatic fat attenuation (increased hepatic fat) (OR: 0.67 (95% CI: 0.55 to 0.87) per SD, visceral fat area (OR: 1.36 (95% CI: 1.06 to 1.74) per SD and hypertension (OR: 2.21 (95% CI: 1.44 to 3.40) were associated with any glycemic progression. Conclusions South Asians in the USA have a high incidence of dysglycemia. Hepatic and visceral fat may be factors in glycemic progression, and prevention efforts should target ectopic fat reduction.
Owning Knowledge: A Unified Theory of Patent Eligibility

Patent law’s doctrine of ineligible subject matter is widely agreed to be in a bad state of repair. Even those welcoming the Supreme Court’s return to express subject-matter bars have been left disoriented by the Court’s pronouncements in this area. Which subject matter is ineligible, why it is ineligible, and how it might become eligible have all remained enshrouded in mystery. The nub of the problem, this Article contends, is two-fold. First, from its 19th century origins to the present, courts grappling with ineligibility doctrine have remained in the grip of a series of “physicalist” misconceptions of the object of patent rights, and hence of the subject matter claimed in the patents at issue. In a nutshell, courts have not fully internalized that the object of patent rights is always and only an intangible space of “knowledge of” something, and never some “thing” itself. As a result, they have failed to characterize accurately the content of the ineligible subject matter categories, much less specify why they are ineligible. Removing these physicalist errors dissipates much of the fog in this area. In its wake emerges a second distinct theme of ineligibility case law: the intimation by the courts of a set of embryonic “functionality” concerns, which seek to restrict patents to zones of applied rather than basic knowledge. But these concerns have remained inchoate, owing to their entanglement in a physicalist web. Reconstructing eligibility doctrine requires, then, extricating incipient functionality concerns from the physicalist thicket, developing their independent basis, and, finally, properly following through on their doctrinal implications. Doing so yields three large gains. First, it provides a unified account of this body of law, something scholars have despaired of realizing. Second, it cures each of the three defects marring the existing doctrinal framework. Finally, it fully reintegrates the common law of ineligibility with the statutory and constitutional framework of patent law.
A county-level study of the effects of state-mandated COVID-19 lockdowns on urban and rural restaurant visits using consumers' cell phone geo-location data.

US federal, state, and local governments implemented numerous COVID-19 shelter-in-place orders (lockdowns) starting in March 2020 to ensure social distancing regulations and help stop the spread of COVID-19. It is important to know how these lockdowns affected businesses, such as restaurants, in regions that vary in terms of poverty status and geography. In this paper, we analyze the differential changes in rural and urban restaurant visits by the restaurants’ NAICS codes following the COVID-19 lockdowns. Our analysis contributes to the public policy literature and helps operational planning for food distribution during a pandemic. Since urban and rural consumer behavior and food resources are significantly different, it is crucial to conduct a comparative analysis. Our study applies a difference-in-differences model to capture the differential effects lockdowns have on urban and rural restaurants. We find that restaurant visits declined significantly in both rural and urban counties after shelter-at-home orders. The decrease in total restaurant visits was almost twice as high in urban counties as in rural counties. We also find that visits to fast-food restaurants increased in rural counties during shelter-at-home orders. These results contribute to previous studies on the dearth of healthy food in rural and poorer regions, and inform important public policy response in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Examination of Humidity and Ice Supersaturation Profiles Over West Antarctica Using Ground-Based G-Band Radiometer Retrievals

Humidity profiles retrieved from a ground-based millimeter-wave radiometer located at McMurdo Station, Antarctica, and the West Antarctica Ice Sheet Divide are presented, and their suitability to study the humidity of the polar climate is assessed. The dry conditions of the Antarctic winter and spring are ideal for ground-based millimeter-wave measurements, and the retrievals appear to realistically reproduce the spatial and temporal variabilities of humidity at both sites. The radiometer has the ability to capture the daily variability of very low humidity (0.5-4 g/kg) in the low-to-mid troposphere with an uncertainty of 10%-20% during the Antarctic winter, spring, and summer. Despite the coarse vertical resolution (200-600 m in the first 4 km), the retrievals provide additional information with respect to the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) profiles used as background information. The radiometer is also able to realistically identify the location and frequency of supersaturated layers with respect to ice in the mid troposphere. The occurrence of supersaturated layers is correlated with the occurrence of ice clouds identified by a cloud mask. Overall, results show that ground-based microwave and millimeter-wave radiometry is a viable complement to satellite observations to provide continuous information on the thermodynamic state of the low-to-mid troposphere at high latitudes.
Lifetime Prediction and Rapid Design Evaluation of SteelCell ® Stacks Using Advanced Multiphysics Modeling

A major challenge in the development of SOC stacks designed for long operating lives of the order of 50-100kh is predicting through-life performance without running durability tests under a particular set of operating conditions for 5-10 years. Whilst durability testing is necessary it is not commercially viable when product development cycles are a small fraction of the product life. The application of SOC stacks to many applications can drive significant investments to repeat experimental validation for a change in operating conditions, a new application, or a new generation of stack technology. To address this issue Ceres Power has invested heavily in Multiphysics simulation capability for stacks using COMSOL Multiphysics, incorporating fluid dynamics, heat transfer, electrochemical, and heterogeneous chemical reactions. The Multiphysics model also incorporates a dynamic solver which allows through-life performance degradation prediction based on mathematical models derived from extensive experimental investigations into cell and stack degradation mechanisms. In this way stack operating life can be predicted under a particular set of operating conditions with limited testing.
A physics-based study of the stagnation enthalpy rise of moving normal shocks

Normal shocks are generally treated by defining a stationary adiabatic shock discontinuity with a supersonic upstream velocity. A fundamental feature of this approach is that the problem is steady, and the stagnation enthalpy is constant across the shock, greatly simplifying the analysis. However, shocks are generally not stationary, but rather are unsteady flow features often translating into a quiescent medium. Moreover, the stagnation enthalpy of a fluid will rise in a moving shock, an often unexpected result for students studying compressible flow. In this paper, stationary normal shocks are analyzed using the classic Rankine–Hugoniot equations. The analysis is then transformed to consider a moving shock propagating into a quiescent medium. This analysis produces a simple expression relating the stagnation enthalpy rise across a moving normal shock as a function of the shock strength as measured by either the shock pressure ratio or differential pressure across the shock. An unsteady integral control volume analysis is then used to show that the cause for the stagnation enthalpy rise is the work done by the fluid downstream of the shock to compress the upstream fluid upstream.
Induction and Suppression of OTC and Urea Cycle Enzymes in Bacteria, Fungi and Mammals

Human OTC is related phylogenetically to the OTCs of the rat and mouse, less so to that of the frog and distantly to the six fungal OTCs which have been sequenced, called OTCfβs by Labedan(172), The OTCs of E.coli and P.aeruginosa, which like hOTC have had their structure determined by X-ray diffraction, belong to the OTCα group by phylogenetic analysis of their amino acid sequences(172).
Excellence and Mass Higher Education in China and the United States

Arizona State University in the United States and Sichuan University in China are strategic partners, with almost twenty collaborative projects ranging from language teaching to Mars exploration. In descriptive terms, the two universities are similar, yet their decision-making procedures and degrees of freedom are dissimilar. This chapter uses three units of analysis—institutional, national, and international—to examine issues of excellence in mass higher education in the two countries.
Chapter 26 Approaches Toward the Design of Sequence-Specific Drugs for DNA

Publisher Summary This chapter describes strategies that could lead to the development of drugs that are potentially useful as modulators of gene expression and directors of recombinogenic events in human cells. However, numerous problems need to be solved before this objective can be reached. Only scant information is available on the rules for sequence specificity and it is not clear that nonintercalating agents that read DNA by secondary sequence mechanisms may be capable of sufficient discrimination between target and nontarget sequences. If the human genome is the target for the sequence-selective agent, then it is important to consider the size of a unique target and by implication, the size of the sequence-specific probe to be designed. Using a conditional probability approach, a distinguishable sequence has a binding site size of 15 to 16 base pairs. This is a formidable objective when the size of the potential drug (1900-2500 daltons) and the problems this may present in formulation and cellular uptake are taken into account. Nevertheless, physical and biochemical techniques are now available to extract the type of sophisticated information needed to solve some of these problems. It is, therefore, with cautious optimism that medicinal chemists can now embark on the research projects in this area. As molecular biologists unravel the mechanisms controlling genetically mediated events, such as recombination, gene amplification, and rearrangements, it may be possible to intervene or even direct these events, using low molecular weight sequence specific probes.
Festkörperreaktionen mit Hexafluorosilicat

Es wird die thermische Zersetzungsreaktion von Na2SiF6, BaSiF6 und besonders von K2SiF6 beschrieben. Bei K2SiF6 tritt im Rontgendiagramm eine Linie bei d = 4,07 A auf, die nicht einer Cristobalitbildung zugeschrieben werden kann. Sie ist vielmehr dem Abstand von bei der Zersetzung entstandenen KF-Ebenen zuzuordnen, die der bei Austauschreaktionen festgestellten aktiven KF-Komponente entsprechen. Kristallines KF tritt dabei im Rontgenbild nicht auf. Eine analoge Linienveranderung wird bei Rb2SiF6 (d = 4,22 A) gefunden. Die Wirkung einer aktiven SiF-Komponente bei der Zersetzung kann in der Reaktion mit NaCl festgestellt werden, wo ein F-Transport in die NaCl-Schicht und ein Cl-Transport in die K2SiF6-Schicht beobachtet wird. Ein aquivalenter Kationentransport tritt unter diesen Bedingungen noch nicht ein. Solid State Reactions with Hexafluorosilicate Description of thermal decomposition of Na2SiF6, BaSiF6 and especially K2SiF6 is given. During decomposition of K2SiF6 a line at d = 4.07 A arises in the x-ray diagram, which does not correspond to cristobalit. The line belongs to formed KF layers, which act as an active component of the solid in halogen exchange reactions. Crystalline KF does not occur in the x-ray diagram. An analogous change in lines has been observed with Rb2SiF6 (d = 4.22 A). The action of an active SiF component during SiF6-decomposition has been found in the reaction with NaCl. There is a F transport into the NaCl layer and a Cl transport into K2SiF6. Under these conditions an equivalent transport of cations does not take place.
Conditional teaching and mindful learning: The role of uncertainty in education

Abstract: Most people can draw on vast categories of stored information when explicitly asked to do so. The spontaneous, creative, mindful use of previously learned information, however, tends to be atypical. Three studies were designed to assess whether the manner in which information is initially presented affects how such information will subsequently be used, that is, in a mindful or mindless way. More specifically, two experiments (one with children, the other with college students) were conducted to compare the effects of a conditional versus absolute form of teaching upon creativity. Results revealed that instruction presented in an absolute manner resulted in mindless use of the information for both age groups. In contrast, subjects who were taught in a conditional way were better able to creatively deal with the information. For the college students, this finding was obtained even when the absolute learning condition was concerned with theoretical (i.e., conditional) information. In a third exper...
Thiol-mediated oxidation of nonphenolic lignin model compounds by manganese peroxidase of Phanerochaete chrysosporium.

Abstract In the presence of MnII, H2O2, and glutathione (GSH), manganese peroxidase oxidized veratryl alcohol (I) to veratraldehyde (IV). Anisyl alcohol (II) and benzyl alcohol (III) were also oxidized by this system to their corresponding aldehydes (V and VI). In the presence of GSH, chemically prepared MnIII or gamma-irradiation also catalyzed the oxidation of I, II, and III to IV, V, and VI, respectively. GSH and dithiothreitol rapidly reduced MnIII to MnII in the absence of aromatic substrates and the dithiothreitol was oxidized to its disulfide (4,5-dihydroxyl-1,2-dithiane). These results indicate that the thiol is oxidized by enzyme-generated MnIII to a thiyl radical. The latter abstracts a hydrogen from the substrate, forming a benzylic radical which reacts with another thiyl radical to yield an intermediate which decomposes to the benzaldehyde product. In the presence of MnII, GSH, and H2O2, manganese peroxidase also oxidized 1-(4-ethoxy-3-methoxy-phenyl)-2-(4'-hydroxymethyl-2'-methoxyphenoxy)- 1,3-dihydroxypropane (XII) to yield vanillyl alcohol (VII), vanillin (VIII), 1-(4-ethoxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1,3-dihydroxypropane (XVI), 1-(4-ethoxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-1-oxo-3-hydroxypropane (XIX), and several C alpha oxidized dimeric products. Abstraction of the C alpha (A ring) hydrogen of the dimer (XII) yields a benzylic radical, leading to C beta oxygen ether cleavage. The resultant intermediates yield the ketone (XIX) and vanillyl alcohol (VII) or vanillin (VIII). Alternatively, benzylic radical formation at the C' alpha position (B ring) leads to radical cleavage, yielding a quinone methide and a C beta radical, which yield vanillin and the 1,3-diol (XVI), respectively. In these reactions, MnIII oxidizes a thiol to a thiyl radical which subsequently abstracts a hydrogen from the substrate to form a benzylic radical. The latter undergoes nonenzymatic reactions to yield the final products.
What role for safety net transfers in very low income countries

The authors consider the question of what role safety net transfers should play in very low income countries where a large population live in absolute poverty, and the state has limited resources to fund transfers. The number of people living below minimum acceptable consumption levels will remain so high that some form of safety net intervention is justified. For pure transfers, governments should be selective of very specific groups such as orphans, to limit costs and engender political support. To improve the impact per dollar spent on transfers, programs should be selected to have a multiplier effect on incomes such as vouchers for small fertilizers packs for the poor, or to leverage by using small amounts of cash to help households reduce risk or diversify economic activity. Selection of programs that are self-targeting, such as public works at a low wage rate or subsidized food goods. The judicious timing of transfers is important. Programs should also be kept as simple as possible to fit with the limited administrative capacity, avoiding multiple overlapping donor programs in favor of one or two simple nationwide programs that are easily implemented, cost-effective, and fiscally sustainable.