cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Leveraging Game-Based Learning Technologies to Introduce Adolescents to Health Science Careers During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic produced a dramatic nationwide shift in K-12 education from in-person classroom learning to remote online learning. This shift left teachers and parents facing the challenge of finding engaging online resources to motivate students to become deeply involved in science learning. The pandemic also left educators and researchers, whose work focuses on providing students with experiential learning opportunities in the sciences, with the challenge of adapting to virtual and remote models to continue engaging students in STEM learning activities. In this article we describe: 1) the Health Quest project, which centers on the development of technology-rich learning resources to promote middle grade students’ interest in health science careers, with a focus on girls and underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities; and 2) how the project has responded to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. In Health Quest, through engaging narrative-based learning scenarios, students work with virtual characters to experience health science careers from multiple perspectives. Although originally envisioned for in-person classroom learning, we discuss how the team is adapting the Health Quest Career Adventure Game to remote learning, including highlighting the role science plays in addressing public health outbreaks. We describe new gameplay features that have been added to support career modeling and how we have adapted the core technology underpinning Health Quest to support broad dissemination to meet the project’s broader goal of increasing adolescents' interest in and self-efficacy for pursuing health science careers. We conclude with a discussion of how our evaluation strategies have changed from in-person focus groups and testing to an online data collection model and lessons learned.
Novel patient-derived models of DSRCT enable validation of ERBB signaling as a potential therapeutic vulnerability.

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is characterized by the t(11;22)(p13;q12) translocation, which fuses the transcriptional regulatory domain of EWSR1 with the DNA-binding domain of WT1, resulting in the oncogenic EWSR1-WT1 fusion protein. The paucity of DSRCT disease models has hampered pre-clinical therapeutic studies in this aggressive cancer. Here, we developed preclinical disease models and mined DSRCT expression profiles to identify genetic vulnerabilities that could be leveraged for new therapies. We describe four DSRCT cell lines and one patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model. Transcriptomic, proteomic and biochemical profiling showed evidence of activation of the ERBB pathway. Ectopic expression of EWSR1-WT1 resulted in upregulation of ERRB family ligands. Treatment of DSRCT cell lines with ERBB ligands resulted in activation of EGFR, ERBB2, ERK1/2 and AKT, and stimulation of cell growth. Antagonizing EGFR function with shRNAs, small molecule inhibitors (afatinib, neratinib), or an anti-EGFR antibody (cetuximab) inhibited proliferation of DSRCT cells. Finally, treatment of mice bearing DSRCT xenografts with a combination of cetuximab and afatinib significantly reduced tumor growth. These data provide a rationale for evaluating EGFR antagonists in patients with DSRCT.
Rapid Tumor Induction in Zebrafish by TALEN-Mediated Somatic Inactivation of the Retinoblastoma1 Tumor Suppressor rb1

Investigating the in vivo role of tumor suppressor genes in cancer is technically challenging due to their essential requirement during early animal development. To address this bottleneck, we generated genetic mosaic adult zebrafish using TALEN genome editing and demonstrate somatic inactivation of the tumor suppressor retinoblastoma1 (rb1) induces tumorigenesis at high frequency. 11–33% of 1-cell stage embryos injected with TALEN mRNAs targeting rb1 exon 2 or 3 develop tumors beginning as early as 3.5 months of age. Lesions predominantly arise in the brain and show features of neuroectodermal-like and glial-like tumors. Mutant allele analysis is consistent with tumor initiation due to somatic inactivation of rb1, revealing a conserved role for rb1 in tumor suppression across vertebrates. In contrast to genetic mosaics, heterozygous rb1−/+ adults show no evidence of neoplasia, while homozygous mutant rb1−/− are larval lethal. This is the first demonstration that somatic inactivation of a tumor suppressor causes cancer in zebrafish, and highlights the utility of site-specific nucleases to create genetic mosaic zebrafish for tumor suppressor gene discovery. Somatic inactivation with site-directed nucleases in zebrafish presents a rapid and scalable strategy to study tumor suppressor gene function in cancer.
Effect of Freezing and Thawing on the Conformation of Phosvitin

Abstract Phosvitin can undergo a change from unordered conformation to β structure upon freezing and thawing. The transconformation may be identical in terms of its product and of key aspects of its mechanism with the conformational change which can take place, without freezing, if the phosphoprotein has been stripped of most of its anionic character, at pH 2 or less, but the freezing effect can occur with solutions that are more weakly acidic by nearly four orders of magnitude. Nevertheless, the effect is enhanced as the acidity of the solution is increased. It is suppressed by increases in salt or protein concentration. The transconformation appears to be linked with the freezing process. Frozen storage is without appreciable effect. Aggregation is an essential corollary of the transconformation: the monomeric protein species gives no evidence of β structure and the extent of transconformation correlates reasonably well with the extent of disappearance of the monomer. The ordered structure is heat-labile and the effect can also be readily reversed by lowering the acidity, but only if the aggregation process has not been allowed to proceed too far. Otherwise, slow continued aggregation leads to the complete precipitation of fibrous phosvitin even at neutral pH. The essential aspects of this freezing phenomenon are consistent with the hypothesis that, as acid is excluded from the growing ice, the acid "tide" just ahead of the liquid-ice interface causes the transconformation, followed by the trapping of the ordered protein in the rigid ice meshwork.
POWDER METAL PARTS FOR AUTOMOTIVE APPLICATIONS

In line with the present trend to make structural parts at or near net shape, the powder metallurgy process is being studied more and more by automotive design and materials engineers who are finding an increased application for this energy and cost saving process. Many new applications, besides some older ones, of P/M by domestic and overseas automotive manufacturers are presented outlining material specifications and service conditions for engine, transmission and chassis parts. In addition to conventional porous P/M parts, examples of high tensile fully dense precision hot formed P/M parts are presented which give superior service life and lighter weight than conventional wrought steel. Despite the decreased size and weight of future automobiles, an increased number of applications of powder metal is likely to result in a greater usage of P/M materials per vehicle.
Adipogenesis: Usefulness of in vitro and in vivo experimental models,

The use of experimental models is the foundation of experimental biology, so it is important to know how much the models can tell us about actual animals. Inconsistent or contradictory results from in vitro models are often associated with the perception that a particular model or results are somehow wrong and therefore cannot tell us anything important about how an animal works. In fact, in vitro conditions do not create new biology. Differences between in vitro and in vivo behavior can only result from the actual cellular repertoire, which provides a powerful tool to uncover new information. Adipose tissue research provides a useful context for examining this issue because the regulation of adipose growth and metabolism has important economic implications for livestock production. Examples are discussed in which either excess skepticism or narrow interpretation of results slowed progress toward our current understanding of adipose biology. Similarly, contemporary examples using genomics are used to suggest that large inconsistencies are still apparent with in vitro methods. Careful consideration of these inconsistencies may provide new insights.
Short‐Term Stability of High‐Silica Glasses

The devitrification characteristics of high-silica (70-90%) glasses for use in potential higher temperature coatings on advanced insulation systems for space vehicles were determined at 1260 C after 24 h. These data indicate that additives can be used to maintain the stability of these coatings relative to cristobalite formation.
TRPA1 channels in the vasculature

This review is focused on the role of the ankyrin (A) transient receptor potential (TRP) channel TRPA1 in vascular regulation. TRPA1 is activated by environmental irritants, pungent compounds found in foods such as garlic, mustard and cinnamon, as well as metabolites produced during oxidative stress. The structure of the channel is distinguished by the ∼14–19 ankyrin repeat (AR) domains present in the intracellular amino terminus. TRPA1 has a large unitary conductance (98 pS) and slight selectivity for Ca2+ versus Na+ ions (PCa/PNa ≍ 7.9). TRPA1 is involved in numerous important physiological processes, including nociception, mechanotransduction, and thermal and oxygen sensing. TRPA1 agonists cause arterial dilation through two distinctive pathways. TRPA1 channels present in perivascular nerves mediate vasodilatation of peripheral arteries in response to chemical agonists through a mechanism requiring release of calcitonin gene-related peptide. In the cerebral circulation, TRPA1 channels are present in the endothelium, concentrated within myoendothelial junction sites. Activation of TRPA1 channels in this vascular bed causes endothelium-dependent smooth muscle cell hyperpolarization and vasodilatation that requires the activity of small and intermediate conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels. Systemic administration of TRPA1 agonists causes transient depressor responses, followed by sustained increases in heart rate and blood pressure that may result from elevated sympathetic nervous activity. These findings indicate that TRPA1 activity influences vascular function, but the precise role and significance of the channel in the cardiovascular system remains to be determined.
Raising Rivals' Costs: Can the Agencies Do More Good Than Harm?

By their nature, contracts constrain the parties to them; that is the point, indeed the definition, of contract. Ironically, contractual restraint on freedom of action can actually enhance liberty, by facilitating cooperative efforts and joint ventures. Without such restraints, cooperation would collapse, exploding the economy into individual atoms and casting society into poverty. This Hobbesian state of nature is not a blueprint for economic prosperity. Productive cooperation, and the contracts that support it, can take many forms. Some cooperation is casual and sporadic, as when a refiner buys crude oil on the spot market. Other cooperation is more stable, as when a gasoline station agrees to purchase, and a refiner agrees to supply, a certain quantity of gasoline over a five-year period, while leaving the station free to purchase any additional requirements of fuel from other sources. Finally, some cooperation may be even more permanent, even “exclusive,” as when a refiner obtains a station’s agreement to distribute its fuel and only its fuel, either by purchasing stations outright or by entering into exclusive dealing contracts, thereby denying other refineries the right to distribute their product through a particular outlet.
Analysis of the Doppler signals from the fetal heart.

Abstract Simultaneous recordings were made of the electrocardiogram, phonocardiogram, and ultrasonic Doppler signals from the fetal heart. In each cardiac cycle, several Doppler signals could often be distinguished, and these were provisionally identified by reference to the other tracings. The basic similarity between the fetal and adult Doppler pattern was demonstrated, although the former showed greater variability.
East Going West?: The Promise of Assured Supply Laws in Modern Real Estate Development

Traditionally, eastern water law and western water law have been distinct. That landscape is shifting. In many ways, western and eastern water law have begun to merge. Still, one legal tool prevalent in the West remains embryonic in the East: assured water supply laws, or requirements that developers prove they will have water before projects can proceed. This article asks whether the assured supply mechanism should be imported more broadly into the East. The Article takes this inquiry in four parts. It (1) assesses whether the rationales for assured supply laws translate to the East, (2) weighs whether assured supply laws’ net benefits would be useful in that region, (3) evaluates potential obstacles to using the device in riparian and regulated riparian legal systems, and (4) provides initial policy suggestions for eastern lawmakers interested in enacting assured supply laws.
Differentiation of deep venous thrombosis from femoral vein mixing artifact on routine abdominopelvic CT.

The objective of this study is to assess the performance of qualitative and quantitative imaging features for the differentiation of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) from mixing artifact on routine portal venous phase abdominopelvic CT. This retrospective study included 40 adult patients with a femoral vein filling defect on portal venous phase CT and a Duplex ultrasound (n = 36) or catheter venogram (n = 4) to confirm presence or absence of DVT. Two radiologists (R1, R2) assessed the femoral veins for various qualitative and quantitative features. 60% of patients were confirmed to have DVT and 40% had mixing artifact. Features with significantly greater frequency in DVT than mixing artifact (all p ≤ 0.006) were central location (R1 90% vs. 28%; R2 96% vs. 31%), sharp margin (R1 83% vs. 28%; R2 96% vs. 31%), venous expansion (R1 48% vs. 6%, R2 56% vs. 6%), and venous wall enhancement (R1 62% vs. 0%; R2 48% vs. 0%). DVT exhibited significantly lower mean attenuation than mixing artifact (R1 42.1 ± 20.2 vs. 57.1 ± 23.6 HU; R2 43.6 ± 19.4 vs. 58.8 ± 23.4 HU, p ≤ 0.031) and a significantly larger difference in vein diameter compared to the contralateral vein (R1 0.4 ± 0.4 vs. 0.1 ± 0.2 cm; R2 0.3 ± 0.4 vs. 0.0 ± 0.1 cm, p ≤ 0.026). At multivariable analysis, central location and sharp margin were significant independent predictors of DVT for both readers (p ≤ 0.013). Awareness of these qualitative and quantitative imaging features may improve radiologists’ confidence for differentiating femoral vein DVT and mixing artifact on routine portal venous phase CT. However, given overlap with mixing artifact, larger studies remain warranted.
A method for entity identification in open source documents with partially redacted attributes

The paper introduces an on-going research project of entity identification in open (publicly available) source documents where part of the identifying attributes have been redacted. The project proof-of-concept focuses on published obituary notices as the target source, and the decedent and other individuals listed in the notice as the identities to be resolved. This paper describes an identification process that utilizes identity reference sources to create lists of candidate identities based on the partial set of identity attributes found in the published text. The identity resolution is accomplished by finding those cases where the complete set of identity attributes found in two different candidate identities are the same. Based on preliminary work using notices where the identity can be confirmed, the initial results appear promising. The paper also describes some of the challenges encountered in automating process of extracting identity attribute features from open text, and in scaling the resolution process to large numbers of notices.
Synthesis and Characterization of Nafion/ 60SiO2 ­ 30 P 2 O 5 ­ 10ZrO2 Sol-Gel Composite Membranes for PEMFCs

A limitation of Nafion membranes in proton-exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is their poor water retention above 100°C. The incorporation of SiO 2 -P 2 O 5 -ZrO 2 gels into Nafion membranes can improve their thermal stability. Therefore, composite membranes were prepared either by infiltration of Nafion membranes with SiO 2 -P 2 O 5 -ZrO 2 sol or by recasting a film using Nafion solution and SiO 2 -P 2 O 5 -ZrO 2 sol. The membranes were characterized by thermal analysis, microstructural analysis, functional testing in a fuel cell, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The incorporation of the SiO 2 -P 2 O 5 -ZrO 2 gel resulted in improved electrochemical behavior at 130°C, with current density-cell potential values as good as those obtained at 80°C with unmodified Nafion membranes.
A novel fluorescence technique for measurements of additive migration from polymers

Abstract Diffusion coefficients for two antioxidants N , N ′-diphenyl- p -phenylene-diamine (DPPD) and 2,5-di(-5-tert-butyl-2-benzoxazolyl)thiophene (Uvitex OB) have been measured by extraction from a low density polyethylene film into 1-propanol at 22°C. Extraction was carried out in a special cuvet-equipped vessel which excludes oxygen during extraction and permits direct fluorescence monitoring of the extraction solvent. Oxygen exclusion eliminates errors due to fluorescence quenching and antioxidant oxidation and allows precise measurement of the diffusion coefficient.
Decision support from local data

Graphical abstractDisplay Omitted Local wisdom can complement expert-curated decision support to reduce workload.We reconstruct physician decisions by aggregating events in medical record systems.Our approach finds complex data relationships and creates dynamic order menus.We simulate the menus in a test set; many scenarios show strong performance (AUC.9).Our approach increasingly outperforms a simpler approach as orders become rarer. ObjectiveReducing care variability through guidelines has significantly benefited patients. Nonetheless, guideline-based Clinical Decision Support (CDS) systems are not widely implemented or used, are frequently out-of-date, and cannot address complex care for which guidelines do not exist. Here, we develop and evaluate a complementary approach - using Bayesian Network (BN) learning to generate adaptive, context-specific treatment menus based on local order-entry data. These menus can be used as a draft for expert review, in order to minimize development time for local decision support content. This is in keeping with the vision outlined in the US Health Information Technology Strategic Plan, which describes a healthcare system that learns from itself. Materials and methodsWe used the Greedy Equivalence Search algorithm to learn four 50-node domain-specific BNs from 11,344 encounters: abdominal pain in the emergency department, inpatient pregnancy, hypertension in the Urgent Visit Clinic, and altered mental state in the intensive care unit. We developed a system to produce situation-specific, rank-ordered treatment menus from these networks. We evaluated this system with a hospital-simulation methodology and computed Area Under the Receiver-Operator Curve (AUC) and average menu position at time of selection. We also compared this system with a similar association-rule-mining approach. ResultsA short order menu on average contained the next order (weighted average length 3.91-5.83 items). Overall predictive ability was good: average AUC above 0.9 for 25% of order types and overall average AUC .714-.844 (depending on domain). However, AUC had high variance (.50-.99). Higher AUC correlated with tighter clusters and more connections in the graphs, indicating importance of appropriate contextual data. Comparison with an Association Rule Mining approach showed similar performance for only the most common orders with dramatic divergence as orders are less frequent. Discussion and conclusionThis study demonstrates that local clinical knowledge can be extracted from treatment data for decision support. This approach is appealing because: it reflects local standards; it uses data already being captured; and it produces human-readable treatment-diagnosis networks that could be curated by a human expert to reduce workload in developing localized CDS content. The BN methodology captured transitive associations and co-varying relationships, which existing approaches do not. It also performs better as orders become less frequent and require more context. This system is a step forward in harnessing local, empirical data to enhance decision support.
Abnormal strain hardening in nanostructured titanium at high strain rates and large strains

Commercial purity nanostructured titanium prepared by equal channel angular pressing plus cold rolling (grain size ∼260 nm) exhibits a nonnegligible strain hardening behavior at large compressive strains (>15%) and quasistatic loading conditions. The degree of the strain hardening increases with increasing strain rates and becomes more pronounced at dynamic loading rates. This behavior is in contrast with what we have seen so far in other nanostructured materials, where flat stress-strain curves are often seen. It was concluded from transmission electron microscopy investigations that in addition to dislocation slips, deformation twinning may have played a significant role in plastic deformation of nanostructured Ti. The structural failure behavior is in-situ recorded by a CCD camera and reasoned according to the microscopic observations.
Single-molecule quantification of lipotoxic expression of activating transcription factor 3

Activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) is a member of the mammalian activation transcription factor/cAMP, physiologically important in the regulation of pro- and anti-inflammatory target genes. We compared the induction of ATF3 protein as measured by Western blot analysis with single-molecule localization microscopy dSTORM to quantify the dynamics of accumulation of intranuclear ATF3 of triglyceride-rich (TGRL) lipolysis product-treated HAEC (Human Aortic Endothelial Cells). The ATF3 expression rate within the first three hours after treatment with TGRL lipolysis products is about 3500 h−1. After three hours we detected 33 090 ± 3491 single-molecule localizations of ATF3. This was accompanied by significant structural changes in the F-actin network of the cells at ∼3-fold increased localization precision compared to widefield microscopy after treatment. Additionally, we discovered a cluster size of approximately 384 nanometers of ATF3 molecules. We show for the first time the time course of ATF3 accumulation in the nucleus undergoing lipotoxic injury. Furthermore, we demonstrate ATF3 accumulation associated with increased concentrations of TGRL lipolysis products occurs in large aggregates.
Maternal aggressive contact vocalizations in captive bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): Wide‐band, low‐frequency signals during mother/aunt‐infant interactions

The mother-infant bond in bottlenose dolphins is critical to infant survival and has been reported to last from 3-10 years in both captive and wild populations. Little information on mother-infant communication during early development has been collected. This paper reports on a newly discovered dolphin vocalization, termed thunk, which is predominantly used by mothers toward infants. Four mother-infant pairs and one aunt-infant pair were the subjects for this study. Methods included a focal animal sampling technique using 2.5 min interval and event/continuous sampling regimes on audio- or videotape. Results indicated that thunks are produced by mothers or aunting females during infant departures (distances greater than 5 feet) and are frequently followed by disciplinary activity by the mother or aunt. In addition, thunks appeared to cease at approximately 9-10 months after birth, concurrent with a decrease in infant dependence. Thunks also were analyzed acoustically for frequency and duration parameters. Thunks have a harmonic structure with an energy peak in the 273–350 Hz range and ranged from 129–5,556 Hz in frequency and from 21–171 ms in duration. They appear to function as aggressive contact vocalizations produced by mothers and other adult females toward infants in order to maintain infant proximity. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Inertial range scaling of intense events in turbulence.

The inertial range scaling exponents \ensuremath{\zeta}(p) for the velocity difference moments 〈[u(x+r)-u(x)${]}^{\mathit{p}}$〉 in high Reynolds number turbulence are considered for large values of p. Two different models are considered. In the first the asymptotic behavior of \ensuremath{\zeta}(p) is 1.440${\mathit{p}}^{1/2}$, and in the second it is (p/9). It is shown that these two models are indistinguishable experimentally for p100, but that the underlying dynamical assumption about the most intense turbulent events in the two models is essentially different.
Behavior of a steel coupled beam moment frame based on nonlinear analyses

Abstract A steel coupled beam moment frame (CBMF) is an innovative seismic resisting moment resisting frame that is composed of coupled beams and steel columns. A coupled beam features a pair of steel beams, post-tensioning elements, and energy dissipation devices. Coupled beams can be fabricated in shop and pin-connected to columns on site, facilitating the field construction. Energy dissipation is provided by a special energy dissipation device, not by damage to the main structural members or to the energy dissipation device itself. Rotations at beam–column joints are the result of a relative slide mechanism of the coupled beams, not the result of beam plastic hinges. During unloading, the force in the PT elements eliminates coupled beam relative slide as well as rotations at beam–column joints, offering the potential of minimal residual rotations to coupled beam–column connections. This paper presents conceptual details, conceptual behavior, and design considerations for CBMFs. For behavior study, a prototype building using CBMFs as the lateral resisting frames was designed. A nonlinear analysis model for the prototype building was created. Static pushover and cyclic push analyses were conducted to assess the concepts. Dynamic time history analyses using a 44-ground motion record set were performed to study the post-earthquake residual story drift and residual connection rotation response of the prototype CBMF building. Analysis results showed that the global behavior and connection response of the prototype CBMF supported the conceptual behavior and design considerations, and that post-earthquake story drifts and connection rotations of the prototype CBMF building are ignorably small.
Repetition priming within and between languages in verb generation: Evidence for shared verb concepts

Although translation equivalents for concrete nouns are known to have shared core conceptual representations in bilingual memory (Francis, 1999), the status of translation-equivalent verbs has not been systematically tested. Three repetition-priming experiments using a verb generation task were used to determine whether verbs have shared representations across languages and to identify the processes facilitated in repeated verb generation. In Experiment 1 fluent Spanish–English bilingual speakers exhibited repetition priming both within and between languages, but between-language priming was weaker. In Experiment 2 performance of non-bilingual English and Spanish speakers was equivalent to that of bilingual speakers responding in their dominant language. Experiment 3 used manipulations meant to isolate noun comprehension, verb concept selection, and verb production. The between-language priming in Experiments 1 and 3 indicates that verb concepts are shared across languages and that verb concept selection ...
Metal speciation in environmental and biological systems.

Metal ions form complexes with naturally occurring complexing agents or ligands released from industrial activity. The metal complexes are thereby mobilized and transported in environmental and bio...
Amygdala's involvement in facilitating associative learning-induced plasticity: a promiscuous role for the amygdala in memory acquisition

It is widely accepted that the amygdala plays a critical role in acquisition and consolidation of fear-related memories. Some of the more widely employed behavioral paradigms that have assisted in solidifying the amygdala's role in fear-related memories are associative learning paradigms. With most associative learning tasks, a neutral conditioned stimulus (CS) is paired with a salient unconditioned stimulus (US) that elicits an unconditioned response (UR). After multiple CS-US pairings, the subject learns that the CS predicts the onset or delivery of the US, and thus elicits a learned conditioned response (CR). Most fear-related associative paradigms have suggested that an aspect of the fear association is stored in the amygdala; however, some fear-motivated associative paradigms suggest that the amygdala is not a site of storage, but rather facilitates consolidation in other brain regions. Based upon various learning theories, one of the most likely sites for storage of long-term memories is the neocortex. In support of these theories, findings from our laboratory, and others, have demonstrated that trace-conditioning, an associative paradigm where there is a separation in time between the CS and US, induces learning-specific neocortical plasticity. The following review will discuss the amygdala's involvement, either as a site of storage or facilitating storage in other brain regions such as the neocortex, in fear- and non-fear-motivated associative paradigms. In this review, we will discuss recent findings suggesting a broader role for the amygdala in increasing the saliency of behaviorally relevant information, thus facilitating acquisition for all forms of memory, both fear- and non-fear-related. This proposed promiscuous role of the amygdala in facilitating acquisition for all memories further suggests a potential role of the amygdala in general learning disabilities.
Frequency code: orofacial correlates of fundamental frequency.

In the human voice, lip retraction as in smiling can be associated with high fundamental (F₀) and formant frequencies. The aim of this study was to investigate under naturalistic conditions the cross-species generality of the frequency code hypothesis and related orofacial correlates in F₀. Digital spectral, spectrographic, and cinegraphic measurements were made of spontaneous chimpanzee vocalizations and orofacial movements produced and recorded in the field. A significant decline in F₀ was found in submissive scream-to-aggressive-waahbark transitions as predicted by the frequency code. Teeth and lip opening distances during sounds were positively correlated with their duration, F₀, frequency rise and tempo. These positive correlates and a trivariate regression between orofacial opening and F₀ give support to the coordination of these appeasing facial and vocal features proposed in the frequency code hypothesis.
A lack of coordination in the release of urinary lysosomal and brush border enzymes following renovascular surgery

Abstract The urinary secretion of two lysosomal enzymes, N -acetyl-D-glucosaminidase (NAG, EC 3.2.1.30) and β-glucuronidase (GLR, EC 3.2.1.31), and two brush border enzymes, alanine aminopeptidase (AAP, EC 3.4.11.2) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT, EC 2.3.2.2), was examined in apparently healthy individuals and in patients before and after renovascular surgery for treatment of hypertension. Eight out of nine patients had elevated levels of at least one enzyme before surgery. The ranking in their frequency of elevation was NAG > AAP > GLR > GGT. In comparing the release of any two enzymes in apparently healthy individuals, the release was coordinated except for GGT and GLR. In individual patients following surgery the excretion of the lysosomal enzymes was highly coordinated whereas the release of the brush border enzymes was less coordinated. Comparisons of lysosomal to brush border enzyme activities revealed dissimilar release patterns between these two classes of enzymes. Analysis of variance over the entire hospitalization period showed that NAG/GLR ( p = 0.42) and AAP/GGT ( p = 0.12) did not vary significantly whereas all comparisons of lysosomal to brush border enzymes varied significantly ( p ≤ 0.03). These results indicate that enzymes derived from different subcellular organelles, lysosomes or brush borders, have similar release patterns. However, the lack of a significant correlation between lysosomal and brush border enzyme excretion implies that the two processes are not interdependent. These studies further suggest that the transient pathophysiological changes that occur within renal cells following renovascular surgery affect these cellular components in different ways.
Laser-induced fracturing: an alternative to mechanical polishing and patterning of LiNbO/sub 3/ integrated optics chips

We report a method for cutting z-oriented LiNbO/sub 3/ substrates into nearly arbitrary shapes using a pulsed UV laser to controllably fracture the crystal. The end surfaces appear optically smooth. Ti-diffused waveguides terminated using this technique have fiber-waveguide-fiber insertion losses which are equal to the lowest values reported for waveguide end faces prepared using conventional mechanical polishing techniques.
Teaching, not testing, for scientific vision.

David Lubinski and Camilla Benbow are certainly correct that “Science needs kids with vision” (C. Holden, News of the Week, 4 September, p. [1190][1]), but I take issue with their position that we must therefore test visualization as a talent. Our group, too, has demonstrated that use of
Identification of a Human Brain-Specific Gene, Calneuron 1, a New Member of the Calmodulin Superfamily

The calmodulin superfamily includes the calmodulins, calcium-binding proteins, and related genes. Herein, we describe the cloning and characterization of human calneuron 1 (CALN1). CALN1 encodes a novel neuron-specific protein that maps to chromosome 7q11. CALN1 spans a large genomic region (>360 kb). Sequence comparison shows significant similarity with the calmodulin superfamily of genes, especially in the two conserved EF-hand motifs. The mouse orthologous gene (Caln1) shows little prenatal expression, with highest expression at Postnatal Day 21. In situ hybridization to adult mouse brain shows high expression in the cerebellum, hippocampus, and cortex. The high expression of this gene exclusively in brain, the developmental changes in expression levels, the high homology with calmodulin which indicates a potential role in signal transduction, and the cellular localization of the mRNA suggest that CALN1 has a significant role in the physiology of neurons and is potentially important in memory and learning.
Alteration of frontal EEG asymmetry during tryptophan depletion predicts future depression

Background Tryptophan depletion (TD) reduces brain serotonin and may induce acute depressive symptomatology, especially among those with a history of Major Depression. Depressive response to TD among euthymic patients with a history of depression also predicts future depression. Better prediction might result by assessing a putative endophenotype for depressive risk, frontal electroencephalographic (EEG) asymmetry, in the context of TD.
Celecoxib:nicotinamide dissociation: using excipients to capture the cocrystal's potential.

The cocrystal of celecoxib and nicotinamide (Cel:Nic) was crystallized from chloroform in a 1:1 ratio, and the structure has been solved from powder X-ray diffraction data. The dissolution and solubility of Cel:Nic are medium dependent and can be attributed to differences in conversion of Cel:Nic to celecoxib polymorphs I and III (Cel-I and Cel-III). The presence of low concentrations of surfactants facilitates the rapid conversion of neat Cel:Nic to large aggregates of Cel-III that dissolve more slowly than commercial Cel-III into 1% SDS solution. In contrast, combinations of Cel:Nic with both 1−10% solid SDS and PVP wet rapidly and convert to a mixture of amorphous celecoxib and a micron-sized crystalline celecoxib form IV (Cel-IV), which has recently been shown to be up to 4-fold more bioavailable than marketed Cel-III. More than 90% of the suspended material dissolves within 2 min at 37 °C when transferred to 1% SDS solution. This example highlights the importance of exploring the form conversion of c...
Grain boundary sliding and its relation to ductility and fracture in fine-grained polycrystalline materials with a particular focus on γ-TiAl

The focus of this paper is the relationship between grain boundary sliding and fracture in polycrystalline γ-TiAl and its significance with regard to ductility as grain size approaches the nanometer scale. Deformation by a number of relevant mechanisms is modeled using a unified approach based on the classical reaction rate theory. We delineate the high ductility grain boundary sliding flow regime, which is characterized by a relatively high deformation rate and a high rate sensitivity. In general, we find that decreasing grain size enhances this deformation mode and thereby, enhances ductility. With regard to fracture, we concern ourselves here with crack nucleation at grain boundary triple junctions caused by stress concentrations resulting from sliding. This focus leaves as the key dimension of interest that of the grain size itself and allows us to unambiguously address the effects of grain size diminishment on ductility. We compare the characteristic time associated with the build up of stress concentrations by grain boundary sliding and their relaxation by a number of flow mechanisms. We find that for γ-TiAl, intergranular crack nucleation is exacerbated as grain size is diminished from the micrometer scale to about 40 nm. However, as grain size is further reduced below 40 nm, we find that crack nucleation becomes increasingly mitigated due to the relaxation of stress concentrations by diffusional flow. The findings discussed in this paper allow us to define the flow regime for nanocrystalline γ-TiAl, wherein both the high ductility sliding mechanism prevails and crack nucleation is mitigated. From this result one can predict the conditions for enhanced ductility in this conventionally brittle material.
Hydration state of the Martian coarse‐grained hematite exposures: Implications for their origin and evolution

[1] The discovery of areas of bulk gray hematite on the surface of Mars is among the most interesting of the results from Mars Global Surveyor (MGS). The individual outcrops are concentrated in equatorial, low-albedo regions from the Valles Marineris to the Meridiani Planum region to the east. While the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) team favored an aqueous process for the formation of this deposit, recent geologic studies have interpreted deposits in the region to have a volcanic origin. Competing ideas for the method of formation of bulk hematite range from aqueous alteration, burial diagenesis, and metamorphism to igneous processes. Here we show that some of the spectra collected over Meridiani Planum and Aram Chaos from the Mariner 6 and 7 spacecraft have a high 3 μm band depth. This feature is associated with hydrated minerals in the surface layer, and the hydrated spectra coincide with the mapped hematite regions. This supports an aqueous mode of hematite formation and, as hematite itself is not hydrated, suggests the presence of other hydrous mineral phases in these areas. We discuss the implications of this association for origin and evolution of these deposits.
Dziga Vertov's Revolutionary Variety Show

Within the early Soviet Union, artists and theorists experimented with a variety of representational forms and modes that were designed to manipulate audience reception and effect a new Soviet subjectivity. Investigating Dziga Vertov's often overlooked and misread first feature-length film, Kino-Glaz (1924), this article discovers within this historical context a unique cinematic intervention that sought to institute an alternative hegemony to American narrative film, and dominant conventions of narrativity itself, by exploiting the subjects and composite forms of early cinema to evolve a new proletarian sphere.
Long-Range Forces in Heterogeneous Fluid Membranes

We find a new long-range interaction between foreign inclusions (e.g. mobile proteins) in a fluid membrane which is mediated by the membrane itself. The interaction falls off as 1/R4, can be attractive or repulsive depending on the temperature and the elastic properties of the inclusion and the membrane, and for large distances is large compared with electrostatic, van der Waals, and other lipid-mediated forces.
Atom-field interactions: Density-matrix equations including quantization of the center-of-mass motion.

Master equations are derived for the time evolution of density-matrix elements characterizing atoms interacting with classical radiation fields that drive transitions between electronic-state manifolds of levels. The atomic center-of-mass motion is quantized and recoil accompanying absorption, stimulated emission, and spontaneous emission is included. An adiabatic elimination of the optical coherences is used to obtain quantum rate equations for ground- and excited-state density-matrix elements. Subsequent adiabatic elimination of excited-state density-matrix elements results in rate equations for the slow evolution of ground-state density-matrix elements. It is shown that recoil during spontaneous emission mixes spatial and internal atomic degrees of freedom. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Improved global convergence probability using multiple independent optimizations

For some problems global optimization algorithms may have a significant probability of not converging to the global optimum or require an extremely large number of function evaluations to reach it. For such problems, the probability of finding the global optimum may be improved by performing multiple independent short searches rather than using the entire available budget of function evaluations on a single long search. The main difficulty in adopting such a strategy is to decide how many searches to carry out for a given function evaluation budget. The basic premise of this paper is that different searches may have substantially different outcomes, but they all start with rapid initial improvement of the objective function followed by much slower progress later on. Furthermore, we assume that the number of function evaluations to the end of the initial stage of rapid progress does not change drastically from one search to another for a given problem and algorithmic setting. Therefore we propose that the number of function evaluations required for this rapid-progress stage be estimated with one or two runs, and then the same number of function evaluations be allocated to all subsequent searches. We show that these assumptions work well for the particle swarm optimization algorithm applied to a set of difficult analytical test problems with known global solutions. For these problems we show that the proposed strategy can substantially improve the probability of obtaining the global optimum for a given budget of function evaluations. We also test a Bayesian criterion for estimating the probability of having reached the global optimum at the end of the series of searches and find that it can provide a conservative estimate for most problems. Finally, we demonstrate the approach on a particularly challenging engineering design problem constructed so as to have at least 32 widely separated local optima. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
DIAGNOSTIC SIGNIFICANCE OF BETA 2-MICROGLOBULIN IN THE ASSESSMENT OF NEONATAL RENAL FUNCTION

Serum and urinary beta 2-microglobulin (β2M) levels were measured by enzyme immunoassay in 28 normal neonates at days 1 to 2 and 3 to 4 of life in relation to gestational age (GA) and postnatal age (PNA). There were 10 preterm (P) and 18 term (T) infants with a mean GA of 34.5 and 39.1 weeks respectively. The serum β2M, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and filtered load of β2M increased with increasing GA and PNA. No correlation was found between the serum β2M levels and the GFR as measured by endogenous creatinine clearance. Urinary β2M increased with increasing PNA. In both P and T infants the increase in β2M excretion paralleled an increase in filtered β2M. The β2M excretion in relation to GA showed a variable response. There was no correlation between serum and urinary β2M levels. Fractional excretion (%FE) β2M decreased as a function of both the GA and the PNA. A significant inverse correlation was found between %FE β2M and GA for infants <37 weeks, (r=0.9716, P<0.005). The fall in %FE β2M reached a plateau at 0.7% by 38 weeks of gestation. The highest %FE β2M (8.65%) was observed in infants of 32 weeks gestation, yet had the lowest filtered load of the protein. We conclude that 1) serum β2M level is a poor predicator of GFR in neonates <4 days of life. 2) glomerulotubular balance for β2M is established in infants with GA of 37 weeks or more. 3) %FE β2M can be used as a marker to assess the renal functional maturation in neonates in the early days of life.
Disordered Exciton Analysis of Linear and Nonlinear Absorption Spectra of Antenna Bacteriochlorophyll Aggregates: LH2−Only Mutant Chromatophores of Rhodobacter sphaeroides at 8 K under Spectrally Selective Excitation

The objective of this work is two-fold. First, the effects of static diagonal disorder on the linear and nonlinear absorption spectra of excitons in circular molecular aggregates are studied by computer modeling. Second, it is demonstrated that this simplified model successfully reproduces the main features of both the ground-state absorption and initial pump−probe absorption difference spectra of LH2 antenna proteins from photosynthetic bacteria measured upon spectrally selective population of excitons at low temperature. Of the usual first-order approximations in the Frenkel exciton theory, our model exploits only two: the two-state and the zero electron−vibrational coupling approximations. In our model, the molecules of the aggregate are allowed to have different site energies. The coupling between all aggregate molecules is taken into account. An important difference between our study and previous work is that the exciton state selective spectra are calculated corresponding to the recently performed ...
In-vitro activity of cefoperazone-sulbactam against Bacteroides species

The in-vitro activity of two combinations of sulbactam and cefoperazone against 187 strains of Bacteroides fragilis were evaluated; their activity was compared with that of the drugs alone, and correlated with the production of beta-lactamase by the bacterial strains. The results indicated that both combinations had a synergistic effect: the addition of 8 mg/l of sulbactam to the MIC of cefoperazone reduced the percentage of resistant strains from 58% to 0.5%; while the combination of two parts of cefoperazone to one pact of sulbactam lowered the resistance rate to 1%. Synergy was observed most frequently with beta-lactamase positive strains, but it also occurred among beta-lactamase negative strains.