cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Animal Models of Metabolic Syndrome

Abstract Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a clustering of metabolic complications representing a premorbid condition that is a substantial public health burden. Animal models provide an opportunity to examine correlations among different metabolic parameters to understand why metabolic complications sometimes cluster and sometimes do not. This chapter provides an overview of animal models of MetS that are used to understand etiology and pathophysiology, with a focus on methods of identifying and testing candidate genes with the aim of translating results to human studies. Genetic, epigenetic, environmental, and gene-by-environmental methods and results are discussed along with important lessons learned. Rodent models are the most frequently used, however, other animal models including dogs, pigs, sheep, and nonhuman primates have contributed to our understanding of MetS and each are discussed. Additionally, animal models used to test physiological hypotheses are reviewed along with their potential to illuminate DNA sequence—metabolic function relationships to inform therapies.
Effects of Fertility Preservation on Oocyte Genomic Integrity

An important adjunct to the field of fertility preservation is cryobiology. At present, the long-term storage of oocytes, embryos or ovarian tissues relies upon cryopreservation technologies that fall into roughly two different modalities: traditional slow freeze (SF) or rapid cooling, often invoking the process of vitrification. Unlike most cells in the body, female germ cells or oocytes present unique biophysical constraints as either isolated entities or within the context of ovarian follicles. Especially relevant is the fact that the oocyte nucleus, often referred to as the germinal vesicle, is highly hydrated and presents a voluminous non-chromatin occupied space that undergoes significant alterations in chromatin organization during its development. While the impact of cryopreservation on the integrity of the oocyte plasma membrane, organelles, and spindle cytoskeleton have been the focus of most studies to date, the short-term and long-term consequences of chilling and cryoprotectants on the chromosomal and genomic integrity has received much less attention. This chapter reviews the topic of genomic integrity at the level of the oocyte and provides guidelines for the design and implementation of strategies that will permit objective assessment of current and future protocols applied in the field of fertility preservation.
The rise of China, balance of power theory and US national security: Reasons for optimism?

When and why might a rising China challenge the power and security of a relatively declining United States? Conventional wisdom argues that China – like other rising states – is apt to adopt an inc...
Production Management in Media and Information

What are the factors for success in content production, as exemplified by the dominance of Hollywood? Several conventional factors are found to be secondary: market size, language, stars, and vertical integration of content with distribution. In contrast, success factors are organizational structure, with networked production and clustering; mechanisms of risk reduction; and a sophisticated post-conception product development mechanism. The author discusses managerial tools for production, including those of budgeting and budget control, production design, supply chains and inventory management, production scheduling, quality control, capacity planning, and productivity measurements. This is followed by a look at the production system for the next generation of content. The case discussion looks at how the French media company Vivendi and its subsidiary Canal Plus aim to match the Hollywood companies.
Emerging insights on the biology and treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

This special issue of Chinese Clinical Oncology compiles a series of excellent articles covering multiple aspects of the current clinical research and treatment landscape of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), providing an up to date and comprehensive overview of this rapidly changing field.
Gratifications of digital media: what motivates users to consume live blogs

A live blog has become an increasingly popular journalistic genre for covering events in motion. Even though it has been embraced by digital media users, little is known about motivating factors th...
The Significance of Primary Tumors in the NTP Study of Chronic Rat Exposure to Cell Phone Radiation [Health Matters]

Most media accounts of the U.S. National Toxicology Program's (NTP's) final report have understandably focused on the statistically significant finding of "clear evidence" that both GSM and code-division multiple access (CDMA)-modulated 900-MHz wireless RF radiation led to the development of malignant schwannoma, a rare form of tumor, in the hearts of male rats. In addition to this, unusual patterns of cardiomyopathy, i.e., damage to heart tissue, were observed in both RF-exposed male and female Sprague-Dawley rats compared with concurrent control animals, although the findings for female rats were deemed as providing only uncertain or "equivocal" evidence for schwannomas and malignant gliomas, compared to concurrent controls [1], [2].
The quality of early infant‐caregiver relational attachment and longitudinal changes in infant inflammation across 6 months

The quality of early caregiver-infant relationships has powerful implications for health trajectories across the lifespan, including associations with adult inflammation. However, because relatively few studies have examined this association during infancy, it remains unclear when this impact occurs and whether it is associated with longitudinal changes in salivary concentrations of inflammation across infancy. In 45 infants, we investigated whether the quality of infant-caregiver attachment (secure vs. insecure) was associated not only with levels of salivary C-reactive protein (sCRP) cross-sectionally, but also with changes in sCRP across 6 months. Interestingly, while there were no cross-sectional associations between infant-caregiver attachment and inflammation at 12 months of age, infant-caregiver attachment security predicted lower levels of sCRP 6 months later. In addition, attachment security predicted decreasing levels of sCRP from 12 months to 18 months of age. Implications for understanding the influence of the quality of early relationships on biological mechanisms related to disease are discussed.
What are speakers doing when they pretend to be uncertain?: Actions with non-committal epistemic stance in Mandarin Conversation

Abstract This paper investigates conversational actions accomplished by a knowing speaker who takes a non-committal epistemic stance using epistemic adverbs expressing uncertainty in Mandarin conversations. This study finds that adverbs of uncertainty such as keneng, yexu, and dagai, are used predominantly by knowing speakers, rather than unknowing speakers in Mandarin conversations. Moreover, most of these epistemically incongruent cases occur in sequence-initiating actions. Three most common practices are announcements involved in a request project, announcements of self-related positive news, and advice-giving actions. Adverbs of uncertainty are less frequently used by knowing speakers to take a non-committal stance in the sequence-responsive actions. A common practice observed is responses to information-seeking questions that have negative valence. Adverbs of uncertainty are adopted by knowing speakers to minimize disaffiliation caused by these dispreferred actions such as requests, self-praising of accomplishments, advice-giving, and informing with negative valence.
Diversity among academic orthopedic shoulder and elbow surgery faculty in the United States.

Background The purpose of this study was to perform a cross-sectional analysis of diversity among academic shoulder and elbow surgeons in the United States. Methods US shoulder and elbow surgeons who participated in shoulder and elbow fellowship and/or orthopedic surgery resident education as of November 2018 were included. Demographic data (age, gender, race), practice setting, years in practice, academic rank, and leadership roles were collected through publicly available databases and professional profiles. Descriptive statistics were performed and findings were compared between different racial and gender groups. Statistical significance was set at P Results A total of 186 orthopedic shoulder and elbow surgeons were identified as participating in shoulder and elbow fellowship and/or orthopedic surgery residency education. Overall, 83.9% were white, 14.5% were Asian, 1.1% were Hispanic, 0.5% were an other race, and 0% were African American. In addition, 94.6% of surgeons were male, whereas 5.4% were female. Further, 64.5% of all surgeons had been in practice for >10 years, and 39.2% worked in an urban setting. Less than half (40.3%) of the surgeons practicing primarily at academic institutions held a professor rank. White surgeons had a significantly greater time in practice vs. nonwhite surgeons (mean 18.8 vs. 12.6 years, P Conclusion Racial and gender diversity among US shoulder and elbow surgeons who participate in fellowship and residency education is lacking. Hispanic, African American, and female surgeons are underrepresented. Efforts should be made to identify the reasons for these deficiencies and address them to further advance the field of orthopedic shoulder and elbow surgery.
Children's Anxiety and Physical Activity during COVID-19 in Relation to Prenatal Exposure to Gestational Diabetes.

Abstract Research goal Assess the relationships between anxiety levels, physical activity and in utero exposure to Gestational Diabetes mellitus (GDM) in children age 9 to 15, during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods During the COVID-19 pandemic, participants completed phone call or video calls with study personnel where they were asked to report on their physical activity and anxiety levels using the 24-hour physical activity recall and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children. GDM-exposure was assessed using electronic medical records. Results Children who reported higher levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity or vigorous physical activity, reported lower anxiety symptoms. Children exposed to GDM in utero reported higher anxiety scores and lower engagement in vigorous physical activity compared to unexposed children. Moreover, the pathway through which children exposed to GDM in utero, reported higher anxiety was partially explained by reduced engagement in vigorous physical activity (75%, p=0.05). Conclusions Engaging in physical activity during the COVID-19 pandemic may be beneficial for reducing anxiety, particularly among children exposed to GDM in utero, who are at increased risk for adverse psychological outcomes.
Industrial pipe acoustic treatments investigation per ISO 15665

Reducing noise levels in industrial environments are critical as exposure to high noise levels has been related to health issues like fatigue and stress that can compromise safety of workers. Many types of acoustic products can be applied to various noise emitting equipments in an effort to reduce the noise levels in industrial spaces. Jacketed pipe insulation is one such product applied across many industries for controlling pipe emitted noise emission. As with most products, standards for evaluating performance have been created to validate performance claims by manufacturer’s. For jacketed pipe insulation ISO 15665, an international standard defining a testing process for measurement of the acoustical performance of installed and jacketed pipe insulation systems, is the accepted testing method. The measurement process provides for the determination of the insertion loss of jacketed insulation applied to a pipe. A recently conducted study to identify the performance of over 30 variations of jacketed pipe insulation, including combinations of two types of insulation material, is presented herein.
A framework for addressing the lack of diversity in the Geosciences through evaluating the current structure of institutional efforts

How can universities build institutional partnerships through supporting community geography projects? This paper details the case of university members seeking to achieve a community goal of expanding Geosciences education opportunities, while also targeting a long-range goal of improving diversity within the university Geosciences. Over the course of one year, two Ph.D students collaborated with community members affiliated with a local middle school to design and organize the School of Earth, Society, and Environment (SESE) Geosciences Camp for Middle School Girls, held in August 2019. This paper deconstructs and critiques the camp organizing process and its outcomes. The conclusion addresses what worked and what did not as a model for future attempts at more sustainable institutional partnerships serving community geography projects.
Prognostic factors, disparity, and equity variables impacting prognosis in bone sarcomas of the hand: SEER database review.

Background Primary sarcomas originating from the bones of hand and wrist are rare but carry a significant burden of morbidity. Methods National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Result database from 1975 to 2017 was queried to report incidence and survival data in 237 patients in the United States. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression were used to determine the prognostic factors affecting survival. χ2 test was used to assess the correlation. Results Incidence of hand and wrist sarcoma was 0.017 per 100 000 persons in 2017 and has not significantly changed since 1975 (p > 0.05). Disease-specific 5-year and 10-year survival for the entire cohort was 90% and 84%, respectively. On multivariate analysis race "others," histology other than "osteosarcoma," "undifferentiated" grade, and size "≥6 cm" were predictors of worse disease-specific survival. Cross-tabulation of race with other significant prognostic factors on univariate analysis revealed a significant correlation of race with every other significant prognostic factor except for grade. Conclusions The current study is an analysis of a population-based registry reporting incidence and survival data for patients with sarcoma of hand and wrist. Independent prognostic factors include race, histology, grade, and size. There is a lack of improvement in survival over the last four decades.
Interaction of a Shock Wave with a Thermal Boundary Layer

The interaction of a plane shock wave with a thermal boundary layer has been studied experimentally in the shock tube and a theory developed for those cases in which the shock is sufficiently strong and the heating small enough for the shock to extend clear to the surface. The experiment involves a technique of sliding a hot plate into the shock tube just before the shock arrives. The time required for establishment of steady conditions has been determined and the theory tested with experiments using shocks up to a pressure ratio of 1.36 and surface temperatures up to 80°C. The observed shape of the shock and pressure distribution along the surface agree well with predictions. When the speed of sound a t the surface exceeds the shock velocity, pressure disturbances propagate ahead of the main wave and the total pressure rise extends over about two heated thicknesses. Finally, the possibility of extending the experimental results to more extreme conditions by an analogy with diffusion of gases is discussed.
Distinguished Essay: Non-tariff Barriers and Climate Policy: Border-Adjusted Taxes and Regulatory Measures as WTO-Compliant Climate Mitigation Strategies

Is it legal or legitimate in the multilateral trade regime for a State to take unilateral measures against the failure of other States to regulate carbon emissions? Everyone agrees that unilateral action is a second best to a comprehensive multilateral approach. Yet, as the impasse in the Kyoto process illustrates, collective action problems have plagued the effort to achieve such an approach. Leading economists, such as Joseph Stiglitz, have suggested that unilateralism is far better than doing nothing in the presence of a critical and urgent global challenge.
Chapter I The Use of Electron Acceptors, Donors and Carriers

Publisher Summary In the investigation of electron (hydrogen) transfer chains, it is common practice to introduce an artificial electron donor or acceptor into the experimental system. Usually, this is a substance whose oxidation or reduction is easily measured and it is added to the system in place of one of the natural substrates. By a suitable choice of such reagents, different assays may be devised for the functional separation of the chain into its component parts. Currently, the vast majority of oxidation–reduction reactions are followed by making use of changes in the absorption spectrum of the electron donor or acceptor. These methods have the advantage that observations can usually be made without disturbing the reaction mixture or consuming portions of it. In choosing an electron carrier for a particular purpose, the first consideration is usually given to the redox (oxidation–reduction) potential as this can be used to ascertain whether the equilibrium of the proposed oxidation–reduction reaction will be favorable. Assuming that the redox potential of a particular carrier is suitable, its usefulness may hinge on the rate and specificity of its reaction with the biological system in question. The importance of other factors such as solubility, chemical stability, spectral characteristics, permeability, and freedom largely depends upon the particular experimental circumstance.
The 4-1-1 on section 254 : Towards a more definitive universal service policy

A discussion of Section 254 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 is presented as well as a call for a more difinitive policy on universal service. The author also parallels the struggle for equal access to information technologies and the struggle for equal educational opportunies. The author further contends that public schools desegration policies failed -40 years after Brown, the nation's schools are unequal and more segregated than they were before Brown- because the federal government delegated its responsibility to the states. The author warns that if regulation and enforcement of a universal service policy are left up to the states, then it is subject to the same fate as public school desegration policies
An empirical study of performance, power consumption, and energy cost of erasure code computing for HPC cloud storage systems

Erasure code storage systems are becoming popular choices for cloud storage systems due to cost-effective storage space saving schemes and higher fault-resilience capabilities. Both erasure code encoding and decoding procedures are involving heavy array, matrix, and table-lookup compute intensive operations. Multi-core, many-core, and streaming SIMD extension are implemented in modern CPU designs. In this paper, we study the power consumption and energy efficiency of erasure code computing using traditional Intel x86 platform and Intel Streaming SIMD extension platform. We use a breakdown power consumption analysis approach and conduct power studies of erasure code encoding process on various storage devices. We present the impact of various storage devices on erasure code based storage systems in terms of processing time, power utilization, and energy cost. Finally we conclude our studies and demonstrate the Intel x86's Streaming SIMD extensions computing is a cost-effective and favorable choice for future power efficient HPC cloud storage systems.
ICAM-1: Getting a Grip on Leukocyte Adhesion

To mediate their immune effector functions, leukocytes travel and continuously sample different cellular environments. They must be able to stop, process stimulatory signals from transient cell contacts, and move on. Their recruitment to sites of inflammation involves a sequence of rolling along
A computation and control language for multi-vehicle systems

We introduce the Computation and Control Language (CCL), a guarded-command formalism for expressing systems wherein control and computation are intertwined. A CCL program consists of a set of guarded commands that update continuous or discrete variables. CCL programs are used to specify systems and program them. Their properties can be analyzed using temporal logic. In this paper, a robot capture-the-flag system, called the "RoboFlag Drill", is encoded in CCL and certain desirable properties of it are verified. The example consists of a self-stabilizing communications protocol whose behavior depends on the actions taken by the robots in their environment. The paper concludes with a brief overview of our initial implementation of the formal semantics of CCL as a practical programming language.
The novel role of the kidney in diabetes management: Sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors

Abstract The global epidemic of diabetes continues to progress, despite efforts of public health agencies and health care systems to identify and treat impacted patients. Although lifestyle is the cornerstone of treatment, there is an array of pharmacologic agents now available, many in classes that did not exist a few years ago. In addition to insulin and its secretogogues, such as sulfonylureas, there are agents that improve insulin action, reduce gastric emptying, reduce glucagon concentrations, and sympathetic nervous system activity. A novel class recently entering the fray includes drugs that interfere with renal glucose reabsorption. These drugs, collectively called sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors, are available both as single agents and in various combinations. They work by promoting glycosuria and may have benefits that extend beyond lowering glycemia, such as weight loss and blood pressure reduction. This review focuses on several of these new agents and considers their effica...
Feeding preferences of Melanoplus femurrubrum grasshoppers on native and exotic grasses: behavioral and molecular approaches

Generalist insect herbivores, such as grasshoppers, may either avoid feeding on exotic plants, potentially enabling these plants to become invasive in the introduced range, or insects may incorporate exotic plants into their diet, contributing to the biotic resistance of native communities and potentially preventing plant invasions. Accurate determination of insect diet preferences with regard to native and exotic plants can be challenging, but this information is critical for understanding the interaction between native herbivores and exotic plants, and ultimately the mechanisms underlying plant invasions. To address this, we combined behavioral and molecular approaches to accurately compare food consumption of the polyphagous red-legged grasshopper, Melanoplus femurrubrum (De Geer) (Orthoptera: Acrididae), on native [Andropogon gerardii Vitman and Bouteloua curtipendula (Michx.) Torr.] and exotic, potentially invasive grasses [Miscanthus sinensis Andersson and Bothriochloa ischaemum (L.) Keng] (all Poaceae). We found that M. femurrubrum grasshoppers demonstrated strong feeding preferences toward exotic grasses in experiments with intact plants under both field and greenhouse conditions, but they showed no preference in experiments with clipped leaves. Additionally, we sampled the gut contents of M. femurrubrum collected in the field and identified the ingested plant species based on DNA sequences for the non-coding region of the chloroplast trnL (UAA) gene. We found that exotic plants were prevalent in the gut contents of grasshoppers collected at study sites in Ohio and Maryland, USA. These results suggest that the generalist herbivore M. femurrubrum does not avoid feeding on exotic grasses with which they do not share coevolutionary history. In addition, by demonstrating greater food consumption of exotic plants, these grasshoppers potentially provide biotic resistance should these grasses escape cultivation and become invasive in the introduced range.
E-book usage and the Choice outstanding academic book list : Is there a correlation?

In this study, the staff of the library at Auburn University at Montgomery analyzed circulation patterns for electronic books in the fields of Political Science, Public Administration and Law to see if favorable Choice reviews can be used to predict usage of electronic books. A comparison of the circulations between print and electronic books was also conducted to determine whether the format of the books (print vs. electronic) had a discernible impact on circulation patterns.
Chromatographic Instrumentation and Detection of Gel Permeation Effluents

Abstract The basic instrumentation required for gel permeation chromatography are described. The various choices for sample injectors, pumping systems, detectors, and recording techniques are discussed and critically evaluated. Column choice, construction, etc., are omitted since these items are very well covered by other Symposium papers.
Brick and mortar self-assembly approach to graphitic mesoporous carbon nanocomposites

Mesoporous carbon materials do not have sufficient ordering at the atomic scale to exhibit good electronic conductivity. To date, mesoporous carbons having uniform mesopores and high surface areas have been prepared from partially-graphitizable precursors in the presence of templates. High temperature thermal treatments above 2000 °C, which are usually required to increase conductivity, result in a partial or total collapse of the mesoporous structures and reduced surface areas induced by growth of graphitic domains, limiting their applications in electric double layer capacitors and lithium-ion batteries. In this work, we successfully implemented a “brick-and-mortar” approach to obtain ordered graphitic mesoporous carbon nanocomposites with tunable mesopore sizes below 850 °C without using graphitization catalysts or high temperature thermal treatments. Phenolic resin-based mesoporous carbons act as mortar to highly conductive carbon blacks and carbon onions (bricks). The capacitance and resistivity of final materials can be tailored by changing the mortar to brick ratios.
Identification of Sources of Bacterial Wilt Resistance in Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris)

Over the last decade, bacterial wilt, caused by Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens, has reemerged in the Central High Plains (Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming) and has been identified in almost 500 fields. Affected fields were planted with bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) from multiple market classes and seed sources, including yellow, great northern, pinto, kidney, cranberry, black, navy, pink, and small red, and incidence varied from trace levels to >90%. One wilt-resistant bean, 'Emerson', is available today but it is grown on a limited basis as a specialized cultivar for targeted markets in Europe and cannot be grown in all fields where the disease has recently been identified. Thus, we are faced with an emerging problem that must be addressed by utilizing newly developed resistant cultivars. This study was initiated to evaluate the Phaseolus National Plant Germplasm System (NPGS) bean collection for resistance to C. flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens in the ongoing effort to develop a new wilt-resistant cultivar adapted to this region. In total, 467 entries, including accessions from the NPGS, several commercial great northern and pinto cultivars, and University of Nebraska experimental lines, were screened with a highly virulent orange strain of C. flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens previously recovered from an infected great northern bean plant in Nebraska. Bacterial wilt severity ratings were 1.0 to 9.0 (0 to 90% incidence). Of the 427 accessions from the NPGS, only 1 showed resistance (0.23%), 19 showed intermediate resistances (4.45%), and the remainder were susceptible (95.34%). PI 325691 was identified as a source of bacterial wilt resistance. It was screened against six additional C. flaccumfaciens pv. flaccumfaciens strains and still produced resistant reactions. PI 325691 is a wild common bean (P. vulgaris) collected 8 miles South of Tzitzio, Michoacan, Mexico; however, it has a small seed size (5.3 g 100-1 seeds) that is commercially unacceptable. It will take several backcrosses to transfer this resistance to bacterial wilt and recover the seed size into a cultivated bean.
4,4'-Dianilino-1,1'-binaphthyl-5,5'-disulfonate: report on non-β-sheet conformers of Alzheimer's peptide β(1-40)

Abstract The venerable fluorescent probe of protein hydrophobic regions, 4,4 ′ -dianilino-1,1 ′ -binaphthyl-5,5 ′ -disulfonate (bis-ANS), unexpectedly increases in fluorescence with soluble β(1–40) in acidic buffer solutions but reacts weakly with amyloid fibrils while other hydrophobic probes react with the fibrils. CD analysis correlates reaction with the probe with random coil/mixed conformations and α-helical forms of β(1–40) in buffer solutions but less so with soluble β-sheet forms or amyloid fibrils. The kinetics of the fluoroalcohol-induced interconversion of conformers can be followed by changes in bis-ANS fluorescence. Formation of the β-sheet form in aqueous buffer is limited by a slow component (minutes) while fluoroalcohol-promoted changes between β-sheet and α-helix occur over seconds. Variants of β(1–40) such as β(1–42) or the Dutch E22Q mutation of β(1–40) and fragments β(1–28), β(12–28), β(10–20 amide), and β(10–35 amide) react with bis-ANS under conditions that do not support fibril formation. Primary amino acid sequence is important as β(1–11) does not cause bis-ANS fluorescence while β(1–16) does, but hydrophobicity is not as β(25–35) and β(15–20 amide) are unreactive. bis-ANS is a useful biophysical tool for characterizing particular, but not all, soluble Aβ conformations distinct from the fibrillar form of amyloid peptides detected by Thioflavin T.
In situ, time-resolved reflectance spectroscopy in the microsecond domain: oxidation of adsorbed carbon monoxide on polycrystalline pt microelectrodes in aqueous solutions.

The dynamics of the electrooxidation of adsorbed CO, COads, on polycrystalline Pt microelectrodes has been examined in CO-saturated 0.5 M H2SO4 and 0.5 M HClO4 aqueous solutions, using in situ, time-resolved, normalized differential reflectance spectroscopy (λ = 633 nm). Attention was focused on the unique dependence of COads oxidation on the potential at which the adsorbed full CO monolayer is assembled (i.e., hydrogen adsorption/desorption vs the double-layer region) using both fast linear scan voltammetry and potential step techniques. As evidenced from the data collected, COads oxidation at a fixed potential proceeds at slower rates when the monolayer is formed in the double- layer region compared to when it is formed in the hydrogen adsorption/desorption region. Possible explanations for this effect are discussed.
Synchronized microwave energy generation by harmonic filtering

The theoretical and practical aspects of generating synchronized microwave harmonic energy using a dc step source feeding a modified pulse forming network are presented. The results indicate that although the suggested technique introduces some degradation in the build-up time of the output wave packet, it remains economical for generating, at least, third-harmonic energy.
Transport geography should follow the freight

In recent decades transport geography has been transformed by a topical emphasis towards passengers, which I perceive somewhat as a bias. The modes and terminals that support passengers have consequently received the bulk of the attention and parsing the topics presented at conferences such as the AAG confirms this view. Freight transportation has a reputation of being ‘‘uninteresting’’, probably because it concerns inanimate objects. For a contrarian, it is always a good idea not to follow the crowds and identify opportunities that are looked over. In such a context, freight appears as the underdog of transport geography in contradiction to its fundamental importance. Large volumes of containers are handled by maritime and rail transport systems, billions of barrels of oil flow through pipelines and supertankers, millions of parcels are handled on a daily basis, a staggering array of parts and finished products ranging from shoes to plasma televisions are shipped through distribution centers, all of this barely noticed. It is as if ports, rail yards and distribution centers were invisible. Trucks are only noticed when linked with congestion problems, as if they have no other role than move around and impair commuters in their journeys. In spite of this under-representation, it can be argued that freight transportation is a field of investigation that may have a richer geography than passengers. The mobility of passengers and freight has very different spatial dynamics. While the intensity of passenger transportation, in terms of the share of total passengers–km, is dominantly focused on a rather short distance range, freight transportation includes a wide range of geographical perspectives. The majority of passenger movements are related to commuting, shopping and recreation. These movements are bound by the time constraints of individuals who are unwilling to spend more than one hour per day moving. It is only when passenger movements are less bound to time constraints, such as for business or tourism, that their geographical range can be extended. Unlike passengers, freight has a lesser time constraint, although the emergence of logis-
Ampa/kainate receptor gene expression in normal and alzheimer's disease hippocampus

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive dementia characterized by pronounced degeneration of certain populations of neurons in the hippocampus and cerebral cortex of the brain. One theory is that glutamate receptor-mediated toxicity plays a role in cell loss associated with Alzheimer's disease. We usedin situ hybridization to examine GluR1, GluR2, and GluR3 messengerRNAs (encoding α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid/kainate receptor subunits) in sections of autopsy samples of Alzheimer's disease brains and age-, sex-, and post-mortem delay-matched brains from non-demented (control) subjects. GluR1 and GluR2 exhibited a heterogeneous distribution in control brain. GluR1 was expressed in granule cells of the dentate gyrus, in pyramidal cells of the CA1 and CA3 hippocampal subfields and in neurons of the subiculum and entorhinal cortex. GluR2 mRNA was at high density in the dentate gyrus and in CA3, but was at low density in CA1, subiculum, and entorhinal cortex. GluR3 hybridization was at very low levels but selectively localized to the dentate gyrus and CA3. In cerebellum, GluR1 was found in granule and Purkinje cell layers. In sections from Alzheimer's disease brain, a high degree of intersubject variability was observed: some samples showed markedly reduced GluR1 mRNA levels in dentate gyrus, CA1 and CA3 relative to controls; others showed no changes. Microscopic observation of emulsion-dipped sections revealed that the reduction of GluR1 seen in the dentate gyrus and CA3 of some Alzheimer's disease subjects was not due to cell loss. Due to generally low hybridization signals obtained for GluR2 and GluR3, only GluR1 could be reliably quantitated. When hybridization densities were correlated with a number of pre- and post-mortem variables, a significant negative correlation (r = − 0.68, P = < 0.01) was found between the storage duration of brain samples and GluR1 messengerRNA levels in dentate gyrus. Our results show that GluR1 messengerRNA is not changed in Alzheimer's disease hippocampus; relative to storage interval-matched control hippocampus; all of the differences in mean expression levels between Alzheimer and control brains could be ascribed to greater post-mortem storage time of tissue samples. The feasibility of studies of glutamate receptor messengerRNA levels in neurological diseases of humans is demonstrated, as is the importance of controlling for variations in handling of tissues.
Dynamic Interaction of Intense Rain with Water Waves

Abstract A theory for determining the dynamic effect of intense rain on water waves is established, based on momentum exchange. The theory takes into account the rain intensity, angle of incidence and fall velocity, and the wave amplitude, frequency and water depth. It is found that the rain induces a uniform increase of pressure in the water column and a uniform mass transport in a thin boundary layer affected by the momentum exchange. The rain also induces a fluctuating pressure and shear stress on the free surface. For vertical or near vertical rainfall, these fluctuating free surface forces are responsible for a non-negligible wave amplitude decay, particularly in the high frequency range. In the case of high winds, the rain horizontal velocity component is large and the corresponding stress on the free surface is nearly in phase with free surface slope. Then instead of causing a decay, the rain adds its effect to the wind and enhances the growth of high frequency waves. It is concluded that this effe...
Validity of self-report in identifying anabolic steroid use among weightlifters

To determine the validity of self-report in the detection of anabolic steroid use among weightlifters, self-report was compared with assay results of simultaneous urine samples from 48 male weightlifters. The sensitivity of self-report in the detection of urinary anabolic steroids was 74%, and specificity was 82%. In addition, 22 of 23 participants who declared current use had at least one undeclared anabolic steroid identified in their urine. However, 15 participants reported at least one drug that was not detected in the urine. Furthermore, 3 of 17 declared nonusers had objective evidence of steroids in their urine. The validity of self-report may be inadequate to differentiate reliably between users and nonusers.
Respiratory Motion of The Heart and Positional Reproducibility Under Active Breathing Control

Purpose: To reduce cardiotoxicity from breast radiotherapy (RT), innovative techniques are under investigation. Information about cardiac motion with respiration and positional reproducibility under active breathing control (ABC) is necessary to evaluate these techniques. Methods and Materials: Patients requiring loco-regional RT for breast cancer were scanned by computed tomography using an ABC device at various breath-hold states, before and during treatment. Ten patients were studied. For each patient, 12 datasets were analyzed. Mutual information-based regional rigid alignment was used to determine the magnitude and reproducibility of cardiac motion as a function of breathing state. For each scan session, motion was quantified by evaluating the displacement of a point along the left anterior descending artery (LAD) with respect to its position at end expiration. Long-term positional reproducibility was also assessed. Results: Displacement of the LAD was greatest in the inferior direction, moderate in the anterior direction, and lowest in the left–right direction. At shallow breathing states, the average displacement of LAD position was up to 6 mm in the inferior direction. The maximum displacement in any patient was 2.8 cm in the inferior direction, between expiration and deep-inspiration breath hold. At end expiration, the long-term reproducibility (SD) of the LAD position was 3 mm in the A-P, 6 mm in the S-I, and 4 mm in the L-R directions. At deep-inspiration breath hold, long-term reproducibility was 3 mm in the A-P, 7 mm in the S-I, and 3 mm in the L-R directions. Conclusions: These data demonstrate the extent of LAD displacement that occurs with shallow breathing and with deep-inspiration breath hold. This information may guide optimization studies considering the effects of respiratory motion and reproducibility of cardiac position on cardiac dose, both with and without ABC.
Polyoxyalkylene Block Copolymers in Formamide−Water Mixed Solvents: Micelle Formation and Structure Studied by Small-Angle Neutron Scattering

We investigated the solution properties of an amphiphilic poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO−PPO−PEO) block copolymer (Pluronic P105: EO37PO58EO37) in mixed solvents consisting of water and formamide (a nonaqueous polar solvent). The critical micellization concentration and temperature, the thermodynamic parameters of micellization, and the micelle structural parameters were obtained from small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) as a function of the formamide−water ratio, solution temperature, and block copolymer concentration. PEO−PPO−PEO block copolymers self-assemble in formamide−water mixed solvents with increasing temperature, indicating an endothermic micellization. Upon an increase of the formamide−water ratio, the enthalpy and entropy of micellization become smaller than the respective quantities in water. The micelle core and corona radii, the hard-sphere interaction distance of the micelles, the micelle association number, as well as the polymer volume fraction in...
Studies of the biosynthesis of thyroxine. II. Solubilization and characterization of an iodide peroxidase from thyroid tissue.

Summary 1. A thyroid peroxidase more active than previously reported preparations has been solubilized and purified from bovine thyroid glands. The most active preparations on the basis of electrophoretic and ultracentrifugal studies appeared to be approx. 80% homogeneous. 2. Spectroscopic measurement and metal analyses did not reveal the presence of flavins, hemoproteins or transition metals in stoichiometric amounts in the preparations of the enzyme. The small amount of heme present was interpreted as being consistent with either a high degree of purification of DeGroot and Davis's previously reported apparently non-heme-containing thyroid peroxidase1 or the isolation of a protein particle of which a heme-containing peroxidase was only a small part. 3. Inhibitor studies using iodide as the electron donor substrate were complicated by reactions of iodine with the inhibitors. Inhibitor studies using guaiacol, which was not reduced by thiocarbamides in low concentrations, as the electron donor substrate, indicated that aromatic thiocarbamides (methimazole, propylthiouracil), but not aliphatic thiocarbamides (thiourea, propylthiourea), were inhibitory at millimolar concentrations. 4. Methimazole behaved as an inhibitor of the enzymic activity by competing for the enzyme with guaiacol, the electron donor substrate; cyanide acted by competing with peroxide, the electron acceptor substrate.
THE FINE PAGE: ANGIOTENSIN CONVERTING ENZYME ANGIOEDEMA

Angioedema/urticaria secondary to ACE inhibitor drugs is an important clinical entity, which dermatologists should be aware of as they are so widely used and their use will undoubtedly increase. In addition to the obvious importance to the patient of promptly recognizing ACE inhibitor angioedema, uncovering the etiology of angioedema/urticaria is a rare and satisfying experience that can "make your day."
Arboreal search in ants: Search on branches (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Ants (Formicidae) perform two distinct search behaviors for resources: on the ground they use irregular, almost random alternating looping, and on branches and leaves they resort to outline-tracing (arboreal systematic search), whereby the individual systematically turns to one side at bifurcations and to the opposite side when turning about at end points. Experiments with searching Formica pallidefulva and Crematogaster cerasion artificial stick mazes under seminatural conditions demonstrated that bifurcations and end points only trigger turn decisions, whereas an intrinsic mechanism specifies the handedness of such turns. Arboreal homing differs from arboreal searching by a much stronger tendency to rectify paths by counterturning. The theory is advanced that searching on branches by outline-tracing is evolutionarily derived from ranging search by superposing a sustained intrinsic turn bias and by suppressing random turns.
Lens and optic cup formation: A case of matrix-mediated morphogenesis

BMPs are generated as latent precursors that are proteolytically activated by proprotein convertases (PCs). ProBMP4 is initially cleaved at a site adjacent to the mature ligand domain (S1), and then at an upstream site within the prodomain (S2). Sequential cleavage of proBMP4 is driven in part by the presence of optimal (RXKR) and minimal (RXXR) PC consensus cleavage motifs at the S1 and S2 sites, respectively. When the S2 site of proBMP4 is mutated to an optimal consensus motif, the two sites are cleaved rapidly and stochastically rather than sequentially. Ectopic expression of this precursor (BMP4S2K) in Xenopus embryos generates a ligand with enhanced activity, suggesting that ordered cleavage restricts ligand activity. To test this hypothesis, we generated mice carrying a knockin point mutation that introduces an optimal consensus cleavage motif at the S2 site. Rather than generating a gain of function allele as predicted, BMP4S2K is a severe hypomorphic allele. Most BMP4S2K homozygotes die by E12.5, and they display reduced BMP-reporter activity. Equivalent levels of proBMP4 and cleaved prodomain are present in wild type and mutant embryos, indicating that the point mutation does not interfere with expression or cleavage of proBMP4. Surprisingly, pulse chase analysis suggests that both sites of proBMP4 are cleaved extracellularly. Because the prodomain of BMP4 binds to the extracellular matrix (ECM) protein, fibrillin, and cleavage at the S2 site dissociates the mature ligand from the prodomain, we hypothesize that simultaneous cleavage of both sites in proBMP4S2K causes premature release, or prevents the mature ligand from being deposited into the ECM, thus leading to loss of local signaling activity.
Effect of Strain History on Stress and Permanent Set in Cross-Linking Networks: A Molecular Dynamics Study

Polymer networks undergoing cross-linking reactions are studied using molecular dynamics simulations to investigate how the stress is influenced by the coupling between cross-linking and deformation. For networks cross-linked in the undeformed state, the modulus increases linearly with the cross-link density as expected from rubber elasticity theory. When cross-links are added to a network that was uniaxially deformed, the stress remains constant in accordance with the independent network hypothesis of Tobolsky. When the deformed network is subsequently released, permanent set is observed. Using the independent network hypothesis, together with the affine theory of rubber elasticity, a constitutive model is developed that accounts for the effect of the coupling between the cross-link density and strain histories of the network. The permanent set predictions from the affine model are higher than found from MD simulations.
Stemming the Tide of Academic Dishonesty in Higher Education: It Takes a Village:

Universities stand for truth and knowledge. Academic integrity is the ideal we hold up to our students and ourselves. It's based on respect for the work we do and respect for the work of others. The current state of academic dishonesty on campus is a threat to the morality of the students, the integrity of their grades, and the reputation of our institutions of higher education. This article explores issues surrounding academic integrity with an eye toward considering what can be done. It discusses the breadth and types of cheating (including plagiarism), the impact of technology, ways to prevent or limit its occurrence, and ways faculty might respond when it occurs. The discussion is enriched by the results of two surveys about academic integrity conducted in late 2012 and early 2013—one of faculty and one of students. Results reveal and compare the concerns and suggestions of both groups.