cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heredity, environment, and serum cholesterol; a study of 201 healthy families.

Serum cholesterol levels of 1,236 healthy persons, including 775 members of 201 families, were analyzed in the investigation of the genetic control of serum cholesterol. It was concluded that there is an important genetic component in the determination of this level in healthy persons, that the gene is probably not sex-linked, and that environmental factors seem to play a lesser role.
Formal Kinematic Analysis of the Two-Link Planar Manipulator

Kinematic analysis is used for trajectory planning of robotic manipulators and is an integral step of their design. The main idea behind kinematic analysis is to study the motion of the robot based on the geometrical relationship of the robotic links and their joints. Given the continuous nature of kinematic analysis, traditional computer-based verification methods, such as simulation, numerical methods or model checking, fail to provide reliable results. This fact makes robotic designs error prone, which may lead to disastrous consequences given the safety-critical nature of robotic applications. Leveraging upon the high expressiveness of higher-order logic, we propose to use higher-order-logic theorem proving for conducting formal kinematic analysis. As a first step towards this direction, we utilize the geometry theory of HOL-Light to develop formal reasoning support for the kinematic analysis of a two-link planar manipulator, which forms the basis for many mechanical structures in robotics. To illustrate the usefulness of our foundational formalization, we present the formal kinematic analysis of a biped walking robot.
Pathway Analysis for Plasma β-Amyloid, Tau and Neurofilament Light (ATN) in World Trade Center Responders at Midlife.

World Trade Center (WTC) responders who aided in the search and rescue efforts are now at midlife, and evidence has demonstrated that many are experiencing early-onset cognitive impairment and are at risk of developing dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). According to the recent NIA-AA framework, AD is characterized by a neuropathological cascade commencing with β-amyloid deposition (A), followed by tauopathy (T) and neurodegeneration (N). However, the ATN model has not been replicated utilizing recently validated plasma-based biomarkers, and the role of the Aβ40 subtype in A is not well understood. This study examined plasma-based neuropathological markers of Aβ42 and Aβ40 for A, total tau for T, and NfL for N in a cohort of World Trade Center responders at midlife in order to determine the role for the two β-amyloid subtypes in the ATN model. Ultrasensitive Simoa technology was utilized to measure neuropathology in plasma collected from a consecutive clinical sample (n =398). Generalized structural equation modeling was utilized for modeling linkages between pathological markers. Model fit was utilized to determine proposed directions of association. Our findings support the ATN neuropathological cascade model of AD and further identify an associative role for Aβ40 in A as playing a central role linking T to N. A strong correlation was found between CI and age, and it was found that women may be at increased risk of elevated T levels, with plasma NfL levels higher in responders with CI. Notably, our model reported associations between: Aβ42, CI and N; Aβ40, T and N; T and CI; Aβ42 and Aβ40. The current ATN model of AD does not specify the subtype of β-amyloid to be considered, which may be overlooking the differential roles that these two subtypes serve in the pathogenesis of AD.
Training Oncologists in the Time of COVID-19.

In this commentary, the authors explore the short‐ and long‐term challenges of balancing education and oncologic care from the epicenter of the COVID‐19 pandemic. Once local conditions allow for resumption of outpatient care, the authors discuss how now is an especially important time to prioritize educating trainees.
Inflammation and thrombosis in COVID-19 pathophysiology: Proteinase-activated and purinergic receptors as drivers and candidate therapeutic targets.

Evolving information has identified disease mechanisms and dysregulation of host biology that might be targeted therapeutically in COVID-19. Thrombosis and coagulopathy, associated with pulmonary injury and inflammation, are emerging clinical features of COVID-19. We present a framework for mechanisms of thrombosis in COVID-19 that initially derive from interaction of SARS-CoV-2 with ACE2, resulting in dysregulation of angiotensin signaling and subsequent inflammation and tissue injury. These responses result in increased signaling by thrombin (proteinase-activated) and purinergic receptors, which promote platelet activation and exert pathological effects on other cell types (e.g., endothelial cells, epithelial cells, fibroblasts), further enhancing inflammation and injury. Inhibitors of thrombin and purinergic receptors may thus have therapeutic effects by blunting platelet-mediated thromboinflammation and dysfunction in other cell types. Such inhibitors include agents (e.g., anti-platelet drugs) approved for other indications and that could be repurposed to treat, and potentially improve the outcome of, COVID-19 patients.
Ecocriticism and Early Modern English Literature: Green Pastures

In this timely new study, Borlik reveals the surprisingly rich potential for the emergent "green" criticism to yield fresh insights into early modern English literature. Deftly avoiding the anachronistic casting of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century authors as modern environmentalists, he argues that environmental issues, such as nature’s personhood, deforestation, energy use, air quality, climate change, and animal sentience, are formative concerns in many early modern texts. The readings infuse a new urgency in familiar works by Shakespeare, Sidney, Spenser, Marlowe, Ralegh, Jonson, Donne, and Milton. At the same time, the book forecasts how ecocriticism will bolster the reputation of less canonical authors like Drayton, Wroth, Bruno, Gascoigne, and Cavendish. Its chapters trace provocative affinities between topics such as Pythagorean ecology and the Gaia hypothesis, Ovidian tropes and green phenomenology, the disenchantment of Nature and the Little Ice Age, and early modern pastoral poetry and modern environmental ethics. It also examines the ecological onus of Renaissance poetics, while showcasing how the Elizabethans’ sense of a sophisticated interplay between nature and art can provide a precedent for ecocriticism’s current understanding of the relationship between nature and culture as "mutually constructive." Situating plays and poems alongside an eclectic array of secondary sources, including herbals, forestry laws, husbandry manuals, almanacs, and philosophical treatises on politics and ethics, Borlik demonstrates that Elizabethan and Jacobean authors were very much aware of, and concerned about, the impact of human beings on their natural surroundings.
Data Augmentation to Improve the diagnosis of Melanoma using Convolutional Neural Networks

Early diagnosis of melanoma can substantially increase patient survival rate. Currently, dermoscopy is the dominant approach for clinical detection, but this method requires interaction with a trained clinical professional resulting in a financial burden which is a major limiting factor for many patients, especially those in remote and rural locations. It has been proposed that deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) could allow an automated approaches for diagnosis of melanoma. However, there has been limited work regarding the use of CNNs to diagnose melanoma due to a limited amount of labelled training data available, a major limiting factor for the implementation of CNNs. This study utilises data augmentation techniques to improve CNN performance for diagnosis of melanoma, resulting a 12.4% increase in validation accuracy despite the collection of no additional training data.
Senior BSN students' confidence, comfort, and perception of readiness for clinical practice: the impacts of COVID-19.

OBJECTIVES: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has impacted overall nursing education program requirements, classroom delivery of theory hours, as well as clinical and laboratory learning opportunities for students. The aims of this study were to explore the impacts of COVID 19 on the students' perceptions of readiness for practice and their preparation for the NCLEX exam and initial clinical practice. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive design was used to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on senior BSN students' preparation for NCLEX and future careers. The Casey-Fink Readiness for Practice Survey was used to investigate the perceptions of the BSN students' clinical confidence and readiness for practice. RESULTS: Students reported substantial impacts of COVID-19 on their clinical experiences, their ability to practice skills and procedures, their preparations for NCLEX exam, and their nursing career. The most significant confidence concerns noted from this study seemed to center on handling multiple patient assignments, calling the physician, responding to a change in patient condition, and treating a dying patient. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare experts expect that the impact of COVID-19 may last until 2022. More research is needed to understand the impact of COVID-19 on nursing education and transition to nursing practice. While clinical confidence and readiness for practice are essential topics, more research is needed to investigate the psychological and physiological impacts of COVID-19 on nurses, nursing students, nursing preceptors, and faculty members.
Fingerprinting local controls on the Neoproterozoic carbon cycle with the isotopic record of Cryogenian carbonates in the Panamint Range, California

Abstract Neoproterozoic carbon isotope excursions are commonly attributed to changes in the global fraction of organic carbon burial associated with climate instability and/or oxygenation. Here we show that carbonate sediment deposited during the ca. 661 – δ 13 Ccarb values of ∼+4 to +9‰, whereas values of stratigraphically equivalent dolostones are consistently lower, between ∼-4 and +4‰. Field observations and analyses of clasts from the overlying Marinoan glacial diamictite show that the offset in δ 13 Ccarb values resulted from pre- to syn-Marinoan dolomitization. Further, δ 44 / 40 Ca and δ 26 Mg data indicate that this isotopic variability resulted from sediment-buffered diagenesis. We propose that extremely positive δ 13 Ccarb values record local primary productivity within restricted platform surface waters and/or oxygenated pore fluids and negative values reflect anaerobic remineralization of organic carbon within sediment pore waters. In this scenario, neither the original calcite/aragonite nor subsequent dolomite precipitates of the Thorndike submember record δ 13 Ccarb values that are representative of global Cryogenian seawater, and instead they archive the evolution of local dissolved inorganic carbon pools.
Response of three enzymes to oleic acid, trypsin, and calmodulin chemically modified with a reactive phenothiazine.

Calmodulin was covalently modified with 10-(1-propionyloxysuccinimide)-2-trifluoromethylphenothiazine++ + to stoichiometries between 0 and 2 mol/mol in the presence of Ca2+. The modified calmodulins, oleic acid, and trypsin were assayed for their ability to activate pea plant NAD kinase, bovine brain 3‘,5‘-cAMP phosphodiesterase, and human erythrocyte Ca2+-ATPase. All modified calmodulins activated both phosphodiesterase and Ca2+-ATPase; at the highest concentration assayed, calmodulin modified with 2 mol of reagent/mol activated phosphodiesterase and Ca2+-ATPase to 53% and 100%, respectively, of the activation obtained with unmodified calmodulin. However, higher concentrations of the modified calmodulins were required to observe the same activation; at least 900-fold and 100-fold higher concentrations were required for the two enzymes, respectively. NAD kinase was not activated by any calmodulin labeled to a stoichiometry greater than 1 mol/mol even when a concentration equal to 17,000 times the apparent dissociation constant of calmodulin for NAD kinase was assayed. Therefore, the modified protein (and not some fraction resistant to labeling) is active toward the mammalian enzymes but inactive toward plant NAD kinase. The different response of the three enzymes to the chemical modification suggests that the enzymes may utilize different binding domains on calmodulin. NAD kinase also was not activated by other known activators of the two mammalian enzymes, namely lipids and limited proteolysis. In parallel experiments using the same agents on each enzyme, NAD kinase was the only enzyme of the three that was not activated by oleic acid and several other lipids or by limited trypsin digestion. These results show that NAD kinase possesses several attributes which would not be predicted by current models of the mechanism of activation of enzymes by calmodulin.
Influence of large woody debris on stream insect communities and benthic detritus

We examined the extent to which benthic detritus loadings and the functional feeding group structure of stream insect communities respond to channel modifications produced by experimental addition of large woody debris (LWD, entire logs) to Stony Creek, Virginia. Benthic detritus loadings per sample did not change after LWD additions, but large increases in pool habitats created by LWD increased net detritus by an estimated 27 kg (25%) in the 250 m of stream receiving LWD. A large increase in the proportional area of pool habitats may result in a dominance of collector-gatherers and corresponding decreases in shredders and scrapers. Functional feeding group community structure in pools was similar spatially and temporally. Riffles were spatially convergent, but differed temporally. Community structure was significantly different between pools and riffles. The results indicate possible large scale influences in overall community structure due to channel alterations by LWD, but little within-habitat change.
The Burden of Chagas Disease: Estimates and Challenges

Chagas disease, caused by infection with the protozoa Trypanosoma cruzi is transmitted most often by Triatominae insect vectors, but also through blood transfusion, organ transplant, and congenital transmission. Between 5 and 18 million people are currently infected and the infection is estimated to cause more than 10,000 deaths annually. The disease has 3 phases: acute, indeterminate, and chronic. The acute phase immediately follows infection. It is typically asymptomatic but produces fever and malaise in up to 5% of people. The indeterminate phase is asymptomatic. More than one-half of those infected will remain in this phase for life and never experience long-term sequelae. After a decade or more, 20% to 30% of people will experience chronic cardiovascular Chagas disease with sequelae including heart failure, arrhythmias, and thromboembolism. Another 15% to 20% will experience chronic digestive sequela including megaesophagus and megacolon. A complete accounting of the burden of Chagas disease requires estimating the prevalence of the infection, the prevalence of each of its sequelae among those with the infection, and the number of deaths attributable to the infection. Attempts to estimate Chagas disease prevalence are complicated by several challenges imposed by the disease's extreme spatial heterogeneity, quickly evolving temporal trends, the decades-long lag between infection and symptomatic disease, biased prevalence data, incomplete recognition of Chagas-attributable deaths, limited data on sequela, and a near total absence of data outside of endemic countries. Even though researchers have found methodological approaches to dealing with these challenges, there is a need for better data.
Comparison of small metal clusters: Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, Au

Structures of small clusters of Ni, Pd, Pt, Cu, Ag, and Au with n=2−34 and n=55 atoms are calculated as functions of number of atoms and temperature by the simulated annealing Monte Carlo method using an embedded atom potential.
Numerical considerations for interface reflections in medical ultrasound.

The original concept of the echo mechanism in diagnostic medical ultrasound-of step impedance discontinuities-is investigated in terms of the numerical implications of more refined models. The effect of a discontinuity in the attenuation coefficients is found to have as much significance as the impedance discontinuity at low reflection interfaces. An approximate analytical model is developed for spatially varying changes in the impedance. Numerical calculations are presented for reflections from delta -function and Gaussian-envelope RF pulses for two different models: an impedance gradient, and a connective tissue layer. The models used are well documented in acoustics textbooks, but the numerical results for typical tissue parameters show that a wide variety of interface structures may give rise to reflected amplitudes in the same range as that determined by the step impedance model. It is suggested that experimental investigation of interface structures may increase one's understanding of the tissue-ultrasound interaction in diagnostic processes.
Surface analysis of disbonded titanium/sol-gel/polyimide joints

Disbonded lap-shear specimens were analyzed to determine the locus of failure within bonded titanium (Ti) sol-gel polyimide joints. Bonded Ti alloys are being evaluated for use at an operating temperature of 175 °C. Determining the locus of failure for bonded Ti lap-shear specimens is part of a larger effort to develop durable, environmentally safe surface treatments for Ti alloys. Surface-treated Ti alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) plates are bonded in a standard lap-shear specimen configuration and exposed to temperature for specified intervals. The lap-shear bond joint consists of two etched Ti panels coated with a silicon and zirconium containing sol-gel, primed with a polyimide, and then bonded together with adhesive and supporting scrim material. The lap-shear specimens are tested for overall strength and failure modes. Specimens with adhesive failure modes were examined with x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to determine the composition of the bond joint failure layer. Analysis shows that the failure was located closer to the sol-gel/polyimide interface than to the Ti/sol-gel interface. Transmission electron micrographs (TEM) of the cross-sectioned joint confirmed the chemical distribution determined from the XPS data.
Natural products and colon cancer: current status and future prospects

Carcinogenesis is a multistage process consisting of initiation, promotion and progression phases. Thus, the multistage sequence of events has many phases for prevention and intervention. Chemoprevention, a novel approach for controlling cancer, involves the use of specific natural products or synthetic chemical agents to reverse, suppress or prevent premalignancy before the development of invasive cancer. Several natural products, such as, grains, nuts, cereals, spices, fruits, vegetables, beverages, medicinal plants and herbs and their various phytochemical constituents including, phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids, alkaloids, nitrogen containing as well as organosulfur compounds confer protective effects against wide range of cancers including colon cancer. Since diet has an important role in the etiology of colon cancer, dietary chemoprevention received attention for colon cancer prevention. However, identification of an agent with chemopreventive potential requires in vitro studies, efficacy and toxicity studies in animal models before embarking on human clinical trials. A brief introduction about colon cancer and the role of some recent natural products in colon cancer chemoprevention with respect to multiple molecular mechanisms in various in vitro, in vivo and clinical studies are described in this review.
Reports on three EDUNET projects: the common user actions table, SPSS benchmark jobs and interactive benchmark jobs

Use of a national computing network fosters a number of concerns from a variety of levels within an institution. Two of the most often voiced concerns are: 1) Can users miles away from the host computer really learn enough about the host computer to use it? 2) What are the costs? The EDUNET Central office has developed materials, with the cooperation of the EDUNET suppliers, designed to answer these questions. This report focuses on three specific projects that address using a "foreign" computer center and the costs. 1) The Common User Actions table (formerly called the "difference" table) is designed as a reference guide to determine the specific command/action that is required at a particular host computer to carry out common operations, such as deleting a character or logging off. 2) A series of SPSS benchmark jobs were run by EDUNET Member institutions to determine a cost comparison for each institution. 3) A series of interactive benchmark jobs are being run this summer again to give users a way to compare costs of different institutions.
Microwave heating to prevent deterioration of cottonseed during storage

Fuzzy cottonseed samples of 14.5% moisture and 3.0% while the FFA content of the 2.0-min microwave-heated seed remained <1.0%. During this storage period there was significant deterioration of the protein quality of the unheated seed. The 2.0-min MWH treatment, however, maintained the integrity of the protein during storage.
Consequences of Abdominal Adiposity within the Metabolic Syndrome Paradigm in Black People of African Ancestry

The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a constellation of risk factors that are associated with increased risks for coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Although the cause is unknown, abdominal adiposity is considered the underpinning of these metabolic alterations. Hence, increased abdominal adiposity contributes to dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, beta cell dysfunction, insulin resistance, hypertension and inflammation. The role of abdominal adiposity in the causation of metabolic alterations that lead to the clinical expression of the MetS has become a focus of active research. In addition, there are ethnic/racial differences in the manifestation of the MetS. Therefore, the focus of this current review is to: (1) explore the consequences of abdominal obesity within the MetS paradigm; and (2) discuss the impact of ethnicity/race on MetS in Black People of African Ancestry (PAA).
Continuous 2HHO determination in H2O solution by a computer‐controlled mass spectrometer

Direct interfacing of a membrane based mass spectometer separator to an aqueous solution of water-saturted gas stream allows continuous monitoring of a vareity of dissolved volatile compunds. Even if the solution is saturated with atmoshpheric gases, we demonstrate that deuterated water concentration in aqueous solution can be measured over concentration ranges of interest to physiological studies, with an estimated, extrapolated detection limit less than the natural abundance.
The factorial structure of the ITPA and WISC subtests in three diagnostic groups

An image analysis of the ITPA and WISC Subtest Scores of three diagnostic groups was done. In two of the diagnostic groups, a regular classroom group and an LLD group, a general linguistic factor, a visual-motor factor, and a mediation factor appeared to emerge. A general ITPA factor, a general WISC factor, and an expressive factor were extracted from the mentally retarted group's data. Differences among the factors of diagnostic groups were observed and commented upon after a canonical correlation of factor loading matrices. Language: en
CAS-1, a C. elegans cyclase-associated protein, is required for sarcomeric actin assembly in striated muscle

Summary Assembly of contractile apparatuses in striated muscle requires precisely regulated reorganization of the actin cytoskeletal proteins into sarcomeric organization. Regulation of actin filament dynamics is one of the essential processes of myofibril assembly, but the mechanism of actin regulation in striated muscle is not clearly understood. Actin depolymerizing factor (ADF)/cofilin is a key enhancer of actin filament dynamics in striated muscle in both vertebrates and nematodes. Here, we report that CAS-1, a cyclase-associated protein in Caenorhabditis elegans, promotes ADF/cofilin-dependent actin filament turnover in vitro and is required for sarcomeric actin organization in striated muscle. CAS-1 is predominantly expressed in striated muscle from embryos to adults. In vitro, CAS-1 binds to actin monomers and enhances exchange of actin-bound ATP/ADP even in the presence of UNC-60B, a muscle-specific ADF/cofilin that inhibits the nucleotide exchange. As a result, CAS-1 and UNC-60B cooperatively enhance actin filament turnover. The two proteins also cooperate to shorten actin filaments. A cas-1 mutation is homozygous lethal with defects in sarcomeric actin organization. cas-1-mutant embryos and worms have aggregates of actin in muscle cells, and UNC-60B is mislocalized to the aggregates. These results provide genetic and biochemical evidence that cyclase-associated protein is a critical regulator of sarcomeric actin organization in striated muscle.
Isoforms of Na,K-ATPase in Artemia salina: II. Tissue distribution and kinetic characterization.

To characterize the molecular properties conveyed by the isoforms of the α subunit of Na,K-ATPase, the two major transepithelial transporting organs in the brine shrimp (Artemia salina), the salt glands and intestines, were isolated in pure form. The α isoforms were quantified by ATP-sensitive fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) labeling. The salt gland enzyme exhibits only the α1 isoform, whereas the intestinal enzyme exhibits both the α1 and the α2 isoforms. After 32 hours of development, Na,K-ATPase activity [in μmol Pi/mg protein/hr (1u)] in whole homogenates was 32±6 in the salt glands and 12±3 in the intestinal preparations (mean±sem). The apparent half-maximal activation constants (K 1/2) of the salt gland enzyme as compared to the intestinal enzyme were 3.7±0.6mm vs. 23.5±4mm (P<0.01) for Na+, 16.6±2.2mm vs. 8.29±1.5mm for K+ (P<0.01), and 0.87±0.8mm vs. 0.79±1.1mm for ATP (NS). The apparentK i's for ouabain inhibition were 1.1×10−4 m vs. 2×10−5 m, respectively. Treatment of whole homogenates with deoxycholic acid (DOC) produced a maximal Na,K-ATPase activation of 46% in the salt gland as compared to 23% in the intestinal enzyme. Similar differences were found with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The two distinct forms of Na,K-ATPase isolated from the brine shrimp differed markedly in three kinetic parameters as well as in detergent sensitivity. The differences inK 1/2 for Na+ and K+ are more marked than those reported for the mammalian Na,K-ATPase isoforms. These differences may be attributed to the relative abundances of the α subunit isoforms; other potential determinants (e.g. differences in membrane lipids), however, have not been investigated.
Phosphorylation of Human Replication Protein A by the DNA-dependent Protein Kinase Is Involved in the Modulation of DNA Replication

The single-stranded DNA-binding protein, Replication Protein A (RPA), is a heterotrimeric complex with subunits of 70, 32 and 14 kDa involved in DNA metabolism. RPA may be a target for cellular regulation; the 32 kDa subunit (RPA32) is phosphorylated by several cellular kinases including the DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK). We have purified a mutant hRPA complex lacking amino acids 1-33 of RPA32 (rhRPA x 32delta1-33). This mutant bound ssDNA and supported DNA replication; however, rhRPA x 32delta1-33 was not phosphorylated under replication conditions or directly by DNA-PK. Proteolytic mapping revealed that all the sites phosphorylated by DNA-PK are contained on residues 1-33 of RPA32. When wild-type RPA was treated with DNA-PK and the mixture added to SV40 replication assays, DNA replication was supported. In contrast, when rhRPA x 32delta1-33 was treated with DNA-PK, DNA replication was strongly inhibited. Because untreated rhRPA x 32delta1-33 is fully functional, this suggests that the N-terminus of RPA is needed to overcome inhibitory effects of DNA-PK on other components of the DNA replication system. Thus, phosphorylation of RPA may modulate DNA replication indirectly, through interactions with other proteins whose activity is modulated by phosphorylation.
RNA-nascent DNA complexes in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells in vivo

Abstract When mice bearing Ehrlich ascites tumors were given a single intraperitoneal injection of [5-3H]uridine, the ascites cells incroporated radioactivity into DNA for 4 hr, while incorporation into total cellular RNA ceased after 20–30 min. Nascent DNA, isolated by Cs2SO4 isopycnic centrifugation 30 min, 4 hr or 50 hr after [5-3H]uridine injection contained RNA fragments. Treatments with hydroxyurea, an inhibiton hibitor of DNA synthesis, reduced the incorporation of [5-3H]uridine into the DNA-RNA complex to 43% of controls. Treatment with actinomycin D, an inhibitor of DNA-dependent RNA synthesis, abolished the incorporation of [5-3H]uridine into the DNA-RNA complex. Finally, when DNA was pulse-labeled with [14C]deoxythymidine and then denatured by heat-treatment, it banded in a region with a higher density than that of reference DNA. However, if treated with alkali, it banded at the density of reference DNA, again suggesting the presence of RNA fragments in nascent DNA. The length of the RNA chains in this DNA-RNA complex was estimated to be in the order of 70 nucleotides.
Solubilization of native integral membrane proteins in aqueous buffer by noncovalent chelation with monomethoxy poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) polymers.

Highly hydrophobic integral membrane proteins (IMPs) are typically purified in excess detergent media, often resulting in rapid inactivation and denaturation of the protein. One promising approach to solve this problem is to couple hydrophilic polymers, such as monomethoxypolyethylene glycol (mPEG) to IMPs under mild conditions in place of detergents. However, the broad application of this approach is hampered by poor reaction efficiencies, low tolerance of detergent stabilized membrane proteins to reaction conditions and a lack of proper site-specific reversible approaches. Here we have developed a straightforward, efficient and mild approach to site-specific non-covalent binding of long-chain polymers to recombinant IMPs. This method uses the hexa-histidine tag (His-Tag) often used for purification of recombinant proteins as an attachment site for mPEGs. Solubility studies performed using five different IMPs confirmed that all tested mPEG-bound IMPs were completely soluble and stable in detergent free aqueous buffer compared to their precipitated native proteins under the identical circumstances. Activity assays and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy confirmed the structural integrity of modified IMPs.
Perturbations of a close-earth satellite due to sunlight diffusely reflected from the earth. II - Variable albedo

A semianalytic method has been developed to calculate the radiation-pressure perturbations of a close-earth satellite due to sunlight reflected from the earth. The assumptions made are that the satellite is spherically symmetric and that the solar radiation is reflected from the earth according to Lambert's Law with uniform albedo. By using expressions for the components of the radiation-pressure force due to Lochry, the expressions for the perturbations of the elements were developed into series in the true anomaly. The perturbations within a given revolution can be obtained analytically by integrating with respect to v while holding all slowly varying quantities constant. The long-range perturbations are then obtained by accumulating the net perturbations at the end of each revolution.
Poster — Thur Eve — 76: Dosimetric Comparison of Pinnacle and iPlan Algorithms with an Anthropomorphic Lung Phantom

Our goal is to compare the dosimetric accuracy of the Pinnacle-3 9.2 Collapsed Cone Convolution Superposition (CCCS) and the iPlan 4.1 Monte Carlo (MC) and Pencil Beam (PB) algorithms in an anthropomorphic lung phantom using measurement as the gold standard. Ion chamber measurements were taken for 6, 10, and 18 MV beams in a CIRS E2E SBRT Anthropomorphic Lung Phantom, which mimics lung, spine, ribs, and tissue. The plan implemented six beams with a 5×5 cm2 field size, delivering a total dose of 48 Gy. Data from the planning systems were computed at the treatment isocenter in the left lung, and two off-axis points, the spinal cord and the right lung. The measurements were taken using a pinpoint chamber. The best results between data from the algorithms and our measurements occur at the treatment isocenter. For the 6, 10, and 18 MV beams, iPlan 4.1 MC software performs the best with 0.3%, 0.2%, and 4.2% absolute percent difference from measurement, respectively. Differences between our measurements and algorithm data are much greater for the off-axis points. The best agreement seen for the right lung and spinal cord is 11.4% absolute percent difference with 6 MV iPlan 4.1 PB and 18 MV iPlan 4.1 MC, respectively. As energy increases absolute percent difference from measured data increases up to 54.8% for the 18 MV CCCS algorithm. This study suggests that iPlan 4.1 MC computes peripheral dose and target dose in the lung more accurately than the iPlan 4.1 PB and Pinnicale CCCS algorithms.
DELETION OF THE LONG ARM OF CHROMOSOME #4. A CLINICAILY IDENTIFIABLE SYNDROME?

A deletion of the long arm of chromosome #4 [46, XX, del(4)(q31)] was demonstrated in a 3-month-old male with multiple congenital malformations and marked psychomotor retardation. The child, delivered by C-section at 38 weeks gestation, weighed 2,600 gm. Hypotonia and cyanosis upon crying or feeding, without demonstrable congenital heart disease, were evident from birth. Postnatal growth and development were retarded. Malformations included a small head with prominent occiput and asymmetric forehead; narrow facies; posteriorly rotated and poorly developed ears; dysplasia of the inner canthi and mongoloid slant to the palpebral fissures; cleft lip, cleft palate and micrognathia; congenital hip dysplasia; abnormal implantation of the thumbs and toes and bilateral simian creases. Three other infants with a deletion of the long arm of #4 have been reported in the literature. Although the study of additional cases will be necessary to more completely define the phenotype, the similarity of the pattern of malformation found in our patient and in those previously reported in the literature suggests that the 4q- syndrome may constitute a clinically identifiable disorder.
Do Social Media Matter? Initial Empirical Evidence

ABSTRACT: This paper examines the association between firm performance and social media. Based on a sample of S&P 1500 firms, the study finds that firms with a social media presence are more highly valued by the market and have higher future financial performance. Further analysis indicates that the impact of social media on firm performance varies depending on the social media platform involved. Finally, using a restricted sample of Global 100 firms, the study finds some evidence that a higher level of social media engagement is associated with higher firm performance. Overall, these findings provide consistent evidence of the positive impact of social media technologies on firm performance. Data Availability: All data are available from public sources.
Diffraction Modeling Of Optical Path For Magneto-Optical Disk Systems

Our objective in this extended abstract is twofold: i) to present some results of a new model for vector diffraction calculations based on multiple Fast Fourier Transforms (FFTs) and ii) to introduce a new focus error detection scheme using a specially designed "ring lens".
Ligation of CD137 receptor prevents and reverses established anergy of CD8+ cytolytic T lymphocytes in vivo

T-cell anergy is a tolerance mechanism defined as a hyporesponsive status of antigen-specific T cells upon prior antigen encounter and is believed to play a critical role in the evasion of tumor immunity and the amelioration of allogeneic transplant rejection. Molecular mechanisms in controlling T-cell anergy are less known. We show here that administration of an agonistic monoclonal antibody (mAb) to CD137, a member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily, prevents the induction of CD8+ cytolytic T-lymphocyte (CTL) anergy by soluble antigens. More importantly, CD137 mAb restores the functions of established anergic CTLs upon reencountering their cognate antigen. As a result, infusion of CD137 mAb inhibits progressive tumor growth that is caused by soluble tumor antigen-induced tolerance in a P815R model. CD137 mAb also restores proliferation and effector functions of anergic alloreactive 2C T cells in a bone marrow transplantation model. Our results indicate that ligation of CD137 receptor delivers a regulatory signal for T-cell anergy and implicate manipulation of the CD137 pathway as a new approach to break T-cell tolerance.
First Letter from America

I thought this first “Letter from America” should be on independence—the independence of continuing medical education from industry. In the United States, accredited continuing medical education is free of the control of entities that produce, market, re-sell, or distribute health care products or services used by or on patients. This independence is very important to us. It has become part of the brand identity of accredited CME in the United States. Independence is one of the tactics put in place to support two overall strategic imperatives regarding the validity of accredited CME. (Published: 27 January 2014) Citation: Journal of European CME 2014, 3 : 23753 - http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/jecme.v3.23753
The method of cut-joint kinematic constraint: velocity propagations

Based on a recent formulation for parametric design of mechanical systems using kinematic analysis, we reported an approach to automated design by converting mechanical part geometry into a mechanism by breaking the part into sub-parts attached by higher pair joints. In order to evaluate the performance of a mechanism where a design change has been introduced into one of its links, we extend the formulation in this paper to address the propagation of this change and its effect on the velocity of other members. This analysis will limit itself to mechanisms. Velocity propagations due to modifications in the design of a mechanical part are analytically addressed using a proposed working coordinates formulation based on the cut-joint kinematic constraint method (presented earlier). Velocity vectors in state-vector notation are derived and treated as variables such that propagations of working coordinates of a link are obtained with respect to position and orientation. The underlying theory is presented and several planar and spatial mechanisms are treated.
CHARACTERIZATION OF RESONANCES OF A PERIODIC LINEAR ARRAY OF PARTICLES

Abstract The reflection of an axially incident plane longitudinal wave from a linear chain of identical spherical inclusions (glass or aluminum) embedded in a viscoelastic (polyester) matrix is measured. The reflection spectrum is characterized by a sequence of resonances corresponding to the kinematic condition, 2d= Nλ, where d is the interparticle distance, λ is the longitudinal wavelength, and N is a positive integer. The spectrum of a chain of inclusions of two different sizes arrayed in an alternating manner exhibits two sets of resonances.
Can spectral artefacts be the source of many superdeformed bands

Abstract The surprising results of the application of the segmented Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) technique on published Superdeformed (SD) data show an unusual phase shift that we believe will have significant impact on the search for SD bands. This band-locator technique, developed for γ-ray spectra, can distinguish a unique spectral pattern in the presence of a multitude of other frequencies. It is a purely mathematical routine based on frequency-space descriptions of rotational bands. The results point to a situation where minor changes in the x -axis can actually generate regularly spaced artefact peaks that to some extent resemble the popular description of SD bands. Calibration techniques were investigated in order to find potential sources of these artefacts.
Farm and rural adolescents' perspective on hearing conservation: Reports from a focus group study

This study explored the attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors of rural and farm adolescents regarding hearing conservation strategies. This qualitative study took place at two high schools in rural Michigan. Twenty-five adolescents living and working on farms or living in rural areas participated in one of two focus groups. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were coded and analyzed by two researchers and checked by an additional researcher to ensure reliability. Noise exposure was ubiquitous among participants, both in farm-related (e.g., equipment, livestock) and non-farm-related (e.g., music, firearms) activities. Perceived barriers to use of hearing protection devices outweighed perceived benefits, resulting in uncommon use of protection. When hearing protection was used, it was usually earmuffs or earplugs. Participants indicated a lack of training in noise hazards and protective strategies. Despite their acknowledged risk of hearing loss, participants did not associate their use of hearing protection today with their hearing ability later in life. Categories emerging that relate to hearing protector use included: Barriers, benefits, self-efficacy, situational influences, impersonal influences, cues to action, susceptibility, and severity. Farm and rural adolescents are at risk for noise exposure and hearing loss. The findings stress the significance of work environment and adult modeling in facilitating hearing conservation behaviors. As indicated by the youths' recommendations, school-based interventions may be an effective approach to address this health concern. Intervention studies are needed to test various approaches that can effectively promote use of hearing conservation strategies among rural and farm adolescents.
Short-term outcomes of laparoscopic total mesorectal excision following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy.

Objective To investigate the feasibility of laparoscopic total mesorectal excision (TME) in mid and lower rectal cancers following neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT).
Formally shaming white-collar criminals

Abstract The dust has settled, and the 2001-2002 corporate scandals are in the rearview mirror for most executives and managers. There is, however, still an upward trend in white-collar crime, which can negatively affect everything from investor confidence, to stockholder embarrassment, to the degree to which the public views the firm's social responsibility and reputation. We find that formal shaming sanctions are slowly being added to the traditional punishment options of fines and incarceration for convicted white-collar offenders. Sentencing judges, courts, legislatures, convicted criminals, and the public have little understanding of the deterrence impact, if any, of shaming sanctions. This article attempts to clarify what shaming sanctions are, why white-collar personnel should become more familiar with the array of shaming punishments being utilized, and how shaming sanctions are being used to deal with white-collar offenders.
Citizen Brus Examines His Body: Actionism and Activism in Vienna, 1968

The question “Is nonviolence a possibility?” was a lightning rod of disorder in the 1960s as leftist groups became militarized, claiming counter-violence as the most effective vehicle of self-preservation. Numerous publications, whether advocating counter-violence as self-destruction or as self-preservation, from Konrad Lorenz's On Aggression (1963) to the collection The Dialectics of Liberation (which appeared in 1968 and featured essays by Herbert Marcuse, R.D. Laing, and Stokely Carmichael), spoke to the problem of venting human aggression and thereby ending our “mass suicide.” Artistic use of violence at the 1966 Destruction in Art Symposium in London, where Viennese Actionists as well as members of the Fluxus group gathered to stage performances of their works such as Ten Rounds for Cassius Clay, questioned the sublimation of violence or its aggravation via aesthetic strategies. In suggesting that nonviolence in an oppressive society was the equivalent of self-destruction, Actionists participated in ...
Decomposed direct matrix inversion for fast non‐cartesian SENSE reconstructions

A new k-space direct matrix inversion (DMI) method is proposed here to accelerate non-Cartesian SENSE reconstructions. In this method a global k-space matrix equation is established on basic MRI principles, and the inverse of the global encoding matrix is found from a set of local matrix equations by taking advantage of the small extension of k-space coil maps. The DMI algorithm's efficiency is achieved by reloading the precalculated global inverse when the coil maps and trajectories remain unchanged, such as in dynamic studies. Phantom and human subject experiments were performed on a 1.5T scanner with a standard four-channel phased-array cardiac coil. Interleaved spiral trajectories were used to collect fully sampled and undersampled 3D raw data. The equivalence of the global k-space matrix equation to its image-space version, was verified via conjugate gradient (CG) iterative algorithms on a 2× undersampled phantom and numerical-model data sets. When applied to the 2× undersampled phantom and human-subject raw data, the decomposed DMI method produced images with small errors (≤3.9%) relative to the reference images obtained from the fully-sampled data, at a rate of 2 s per slice (excluding 4 min for precalculating the global inverse at an image size of 256 × 256). The DMI method may be useful for noise evaluations in parallel coil designs, dynamic MRI, and 3D sodium MRI with fixed coils and trajectories. Magn Reson Med, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Brain death in the newborn

Brain death in the newborn is usually determined by neurological examination, apnea testing and a duration of observation period. In addition, other confirmatory studies such as electroencephalogram and cerebral blood flow are performed to determine the cause of coma. These confirmatory studies are unreliable in the newborn and are helpful only to shorten the duration of observation period if positive. The American Academy of pediatrics ad hoc task force guidelines for the determination of brain death in children did not include preterm infants and term infants less than seven days of age due to lack of available data in this age group. Recent data from organ sharing network suggest that these guidelines could be used in infants less than seven days of age.