cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Correlates of sugar-sweetened beverage intake among low-income women during the first 1000 days.

Objective: To describe prenatal and postpartum consumption of water, cows’ milk, 100 % juice and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) among women enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) programme in New York City (NYC) and to identify correlates of SSB intake in this population. Design: Cross-sectional data were collected from structured questionnaires that included validated beverage frequency questionnaires with the assistance of container samples. The association of maternal and household factors and non-SSB consumption with habitual daily energetic (kJ (kcal)) intake from SSB was assessed by using multivariable median regression. Setting: WIC programme in NYC, NY. Data were collected in 2017. Participants: 388 pregnant or postpartum women (infant aged <2 years) from the NYC First 1000 Days Study. Results: Median age was 28 years (interquartile range (IQR) 24–34); 94·1 % were Hispanic/Latina, and 31·4 % were pregnant. Overall, 87·7 % of pregnant and 89·1% of postpartum women consumed SSB ≥ once weekly, contributing to a median daily energetic intake of 410 kJ (98 kcal) (IQR (113–904 kJ) 27–216) and 464 kJ (111 kcal) (IQR (163–1013 kJ) 39–242), respectively. In adjusted analyses, only consumption of 100 % juice was associated with greater median energetic intake from SSB (adjusted β for each additional ounce = 13; 95% CI 8, 31 (3·2; 95 % CI 2·0, 7·3). Conclusions: Among pregnant and postpartum women in WIC-enrolled families, interventions to reduce SSB consumption should include reduction of 100 % juice consumption as a co-target of the intervention.
Proximity maps, best approximations and fixed points

In [Canada Math. Bull. 22, pp. 513–515, 1979], the author extended an interesting (best approximation) theorem of Ky Fan [see Theorem 2, Math. Z. 112, pp. 234–240] to condensing maps defined on a closed ball in a Banach space and defined on a closed convex subset in a Hilbert space. In [J. Approximation Theory 52, pp. 141–148, 1988], the author and Yen further extended it to 1-set-contractive maps in a Hilbert space. In this paper, we will address several related questions. First, we extend Lin and Yens’ result for 1-set-contractive maps but to satisfy weaker condition, which allows us to include generalized contraction maps. Second, we give ways to construct the best approximation (not just the existence results) for nonexpansive maps. Third, we give conditions on when the best approximation {un|n=1,2,…} of a sequence of contractions {fn|n=1,2,…} will converge to the best approximation u of a contraction f. Fourth, common best approximation theorems for nonexpansive maps are proved. Applications to fixed point theorems for weakly inward maps and others are given for all those four topics.
Identifying Communities’ Perspectives on their Health Needs in Impoverished Villages to Guide Non-government Organizations’ Health Promotion Efforts in Guatemala

Objective: The aim of this mixed-methods study is to capture and understand impoverished Guatemalan community members’ perspectives of their own health needs on a community level in order to guide Hope of Life (HOL) Non-Profit organization’s health promotion interventions in the villages they serve. Methods: A modified health needs assessment survey was conducted with 96 participants from four impoverished villages in the department of Zacapa, Guatemala. Survey responses were analyzed for significant differences in 4-item individual, family, and community health scores across demographic variables and significant correlations with reported personal health conditions and children’s health conditions. Five semi-structured interviews were also conducted with community leaders from three of the villages surveyed. Interviews were audio recorded and responses were transcribed verbatim and translated from Spanish to English. Thematic analysis using HyperRESEARCH qualitative analysis software version 4.5.0. was conducted to identify major themes. Results: The mean age of the 96 participants surveyed was 40.4 years and the majority were women, married or in Union, and have children. Women reported a significantly lower individual and family health score than men. The most rural village included in the study had significantly lower family health scores than the three sub-urban villages in the study. Among the personal health problems reported by participants, alcohol consumption, dental problems, and malnutrition were significant predictors of lower individual health scores. Themes that emerged from the interview analysis included the greatest community health needs, perceived negative community health behaviors, barriers to health care access, HOL’s impact, and suggestions for community health promotion. Conclusion: The results of this study reveal many unmet health needs and barriers to healthcare that Guatemalan village communities face. Community-based participatory research using a mixed approach voices communities’ perspective on their perceived needs and is an important tool to guide non-profit aid and intervention serving impoverished communities.
Identification of Geometrical Parameters Dependency on Aerodynamic and Stability Characteristics of Flying Wing Micro Air Vehicle

Flying Wing Micro Air Vehicles (FWMAV) are characterized as small flying machines which have low aspect ratio wings and low mass moment of inertia. These two geometric characteristics make them aerodynamically inefficient and dynamically unstable platform. Further less weight makes these types of vehicles prone to unsteady oscillations during flight, triggered by slight atmospheric gust or minor pilot input. Since they operate at low Reynolds number regime, therefore, laminar separation bubble formation and abrupt bursting of LSB deteriorates their flight performance while low moments of inertia make them unstable in flight and pose difficulty in maintaining steady straight and level trajectory. Despite of many miniaturization problems, these vehicles are found useful in many military and civilian applications like surveillance, reconnaissance, target acquisition and ground mapping, just to name a few. These missions demand high endurance along with stable flight with no disturbances or unwanted oscillations. This research has identified a knowledge gap in literature concerning geometrical variables dependency on aerodynamic and stability characteristics of flying wing micro aerial vehicle (FWMAV). Geometric variables considered for many surrogate models were aspect ratio, dihedral angle and leading edge sweep. Since aerodynamic performance of vehicle is contingent on airfoil efficiency, therefore this research has focused on the selection criteria of optimal airfoil for better endurance characteristics. Potential flow solver has been used for analysis purposes of 2D airfoils and 3D wings. Validation of computational results was carried out with wind tunnel tests by comparing static stability coefficients. It was found that lateral dynamics posed a larger problem as compared to longitudinal. Though pitch stability was difficult to achieve, still, Dutch-Roll and Spiral modes were found as main problematic areas to achieve steady flight. The research concluded that for low mass moment of inertia vehicles, lateral and directional stability does not only depend upon sweep and dihedral angle but aspect ratio also played a significant role. A dependency of longitudinal, lateral and directional stability parameters as function of geometrical parameters (aspect ratio, wing leading edge sweep and dihedral angle) is proposed.
Pan-Cancer Analysis of Heritable Genetic Variations Reveals Cancer-Specific Activation of Dormant Oncogenic Pathways

Somatic variations in the genetic code have been extensively characterized in cancers. However, the contribution of heritable genetic variations to the cancer phenotype has not been studied in detail. Here, we conducted a pan-cancer analysis of the expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) across 9 cancers. In addition to eQTLs that were common to both normal and cancer tissues, we also identified eQTLs that confer cancer-specific re-expression of genes that were otherwise dormant in the respective normal tissues (dormant eQTL: deQTL). The expressions of several of these genes were normally restricted to the testis (e.g. LDHC, HORMAD1) or have little to no expression in normal adult tissues (e.g. XKR9, GUCY1B2, RGS17). Interestingly, many of the deQTLs were not sufficient to re-express these genes in cancers; but required co-activation of the oncogenic stemness phenotype, indicating functional interaction of the germline variations with the oncogenic context. We present detailed functional analyses of the expression of HORMAD1 in malignant melanomas, lung and head-and-neck cancers, and show that the re-expression of HORMAD1 by a combination of genetic variations and oncogenic dedifferentiation confers chromosome instability and strong immune cell exclusion in tumors. Our analyses showcase the interaction of heritable genetic variations with the oncogenic programs to re-express dormant pro-oncogenic genes. The collection of eQTLs identified in this study along with their properties and correlation with overall survival are available in a user-friendly web application.
A Praxis of Critical Race Love: Toward the Abolition of Cisheteropatriarchy and Toxic Masculinity in Educational Justice Formations

Educators of color can often (in)advertently perpetuate gendered oppression against each other to cope with racism and its associated stressors. This occurs in part due to the violence we have endu...
A first radiotherapy application of functional bulboclitoris anatomy, a novel female sexual organ-at-risk, and organ-sparing feasibility study.

Objective:The bulboclitoris (clitoris and vestibular bulbs) is the primary organ responsible for female sexual arousal and orgasm. Effects of radiotherapy on the bulboclitoris are unknown, as its s...
Time series clustering in linear time complexity

With the increasing power of data storage and advances in data generation and collection technologies, large volumes of time series data become available and the content is changing rapidly. This requires data mining methods to have low time complexity to handle the huge and fast-changing data. This article presents a novel time series clustering algorithm that has linear time complexity. The proposed algorithm partitions the data by checking some randomly selected symbolic patterns in the time series. We provide theoretical analysis to show that group structures in the data can be revealed from this process. We evaluate the proposed algorithm extensively on all 128 datasets from the well-known UCR time series archive, and compare with the state-of-the-art approaches with statistical analysis. The results show that the proposed method achieves better accuracy compared with other rival methods. We also conduct experiments to explore how the parameters and configuration of the algorithm can affect the final clustering results.
Metabolomics in Clinical Practice: Improving Diagnosis and Informing Management.

Background Metabolomics is the study of small molecules to simultaneously identify multiple low molecular weight molecules in a system. Broadly speaking, metabolomics can be subdivided into targeted and untargeted types of analysis, each type having advantages and drawbacks. Targeted metabolomics can quantify analytes but only looks for known or expected analytes related to particular disease(s), whereas untargeted metabolomics is typically nonquantitative but can detect thousands of analytes from an agnostic or nonhypothesis driven perspective, allowing for novel discoveries. Content One application of metabolomics is the study of inborn errors of metabolism (IEM). The biochemical hallmark of IEMs is decreased concentrations of analytes distal to the enzymatic defect and buildup of analytes proximal to the defect. Metabolomics can detect these changes with one test and is effective in screening for and diagnosis of IEMs. Metabolomics has also been used to study many nonmetabolic diseases such as autism spectrum disorder, various cancers, and multiple congenital anomalies syndromes. Metabolomics has led to the discovery of many novel biomarkers of disease. Recent publications demonstrate how metabolomics can be useful clinically in the diagnosis and management of patients, as well as for research and clinical discovery. Summary Metabolomics has proved to be a useful tool clinically for screening and diagnostic purposes and from a research perspective for the detection of novel biomarkers. In the future, metabolomics will likely become a routine part of the evaluation for many diseases as either a supplementary test or it may simply replace historical analyses that require several individual tests and sample types.
Advances in Computational Simulations for Interventional Treatments and Surgical Planning

Computational analyses of blood flow through the vascular system have the potential to improve medical care by identifying and quantifying hemodynamics relevant to the protection from and initiation and progression of vascular disease. In addition to identifying relevant mechanics, computational analyses coupled with advanced simulation environments could also be used to predict the hemodynamics associated with alternate anatomic or hemodynamic scenarios and to predict the overall performance of each scenario. Such simulations can be used by clinicians to design optimized interventional treatments and by engineers to design optimal vascular devices. In this chapter, the application of computational simulations for the prediction of vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques, improved understanding of the mechanics of balloon angioplasty, design of endovascular stents, and patient-specific surgical planning is discussed.
The making of a minor saint in Drogo of Saint-Winnoc's Historia translationis s. Lewinnae

In 1058, the Flemish abbey of Saint-Winnoc stole St Lewinna's relics from a minster in southern England. The community worked to establish her cult in Flanders. Although scholars have focused on the material gain Saint-Winnoc probably hoped the cult would bring, this article argues that the development of the abbey's communal identity figured more prominently in its motives. The community saw Lewinna primarily as a means to help bolster its bid for independence from its mother house.
Eurocentrism Vs. Afrocentrism. A Geopolitical Linkage Analysis

It is totally racist to suggest that Afrocentrism "sometimes distorts facts and turns history into 'ethnic cheerleading' " (Daley, 1990). The salient fact is that there is absolutely no need for Afrocentrism to falsify, distort, or misrepresent world history. Afrocentrism presents and deals with an authentic and specific culture and history a cultural history that did not begin in Father Europe but a human/ world history that began in Mother Africa. Indeed, the stark reality is that Eurocentrism had to and still continues to falsify, misrepresent, and distort human/world history as His-Story, HisEurocentric-Story in order to maintain European global dominance/ hegemony. Eurocentrism indeed represents a racist, divisive, ahistorical, and dysfunctional view of world history. The purpose of this article is to engage in an Afrocentric geopolitical linkage analysis of the struggle between Eurocentrism and Afrocentrism.
Pathophysiology of aspirin overdosage toxicity, with implications for management.

The principal pathophysiologic effects of toxic doses of salicylates are characterized by (1) stimulation of the respiratory center of the brain, leading to hyperpnea and respiratory alkalosis; (2) uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation, leading to increased oxygen utilization and glucose demand, increased glyconeogenesis, and increased heat production; (3) inhibition of Krebs cycle enzymes, leading to decreased glucose availability and increased organic acids; (4) alterations in lipid metabolism and amino acid metabolism, enhancing metabolic acidosis; and (5) increased fluid and electrolyte losses, leading to dehydration, sodium depletion, potassium depletion, and loss of buffer capacity. The principal toxic manifestations of respiratory alkalosis and metabolic acidosis, altered glucose availability and depletion, fluid and electrolyte losses, and hypermetabolism result in serious morbidity and are potentially fatal. Therapy of salicylate intoxication should be aimed principally at replacement of fluid and electrolytes, correction of acidemia, administration of glucose, and prevention of further salicylate absorption and enhancement of salicylate elimination.
Why e+ e- to T Tbar is Different

Unlike other examples of fermion pair production in e+ e- collisions, we show that top-quark pairs are produced in an essentially unique spin configuration in polarized e+ e- colliders at all energies. Since the directions of the electroweak decay products of polarized top-quarks are strongly correlated to the top-quark spin axis, this unique spin configuration leads to a distinctive topology for top-quark pair events which can be used to constrain anomalous couplings to the top-quark. A significant interference effect between the longitudinal and transverse W-bosons in the decay of polarized top-quarks is also discussed.
Modular stacked variable-compression ratio multi-stage gas micropump

We report the design, fabrication and testing of a new “stacked” multi-stage electrostatic gas micropump. Utilizing a stacked structure provides modularity as well as the ability to change the number of pumping stages post-fabrication to achieve the required pressure for a given application. The stacked design also eliminates the need for bidirectional movement of the pumping membrane. The new design presents a novel method to adjust the volume ratio of a given stage to achieve a uniform pressure increase across individual stages of the multi-stage system. A pressure difference of 1.1kPa and air flow rate of 85 µL/min is obtained by a 3-stage stacked micropump. An individual micropump stage is 5.5×4×0.5 mm3 and each pumping/microvalve membrane is 2 × 2 mm2.
Tables: a spreadsheet-inspired programming model for sensor networks

Current programming interfaces for sensor networks often target experienced developers and lack important features. Tables is a spreadsheet inspired programming environment that enables rapid development of complex applications by a wide range of users. Tables emphasizes ease-of-use by employing spreadsheet abstractions, including pivot tables and data-driven functions. Using these tools, users are able to construct applications that incorporate local and collective computation and communication. We evaluate the design and implementation of Tables on the TelosB platform, and show how Tables can be used to construct data monitoring, classification, and object tracking applications. We discuss the relative computation, memory, and network overhead imposed by the Tables environment. With this evaluation, we show that the Tables programming environment represents a feasible alternative to existing programming systems.
Molecular underpinning of B cell Anergy

A byproduct of the largely stochastic generation of a diverse B-cell specificity repertoire is production of cells that recognize autoantigens. Indeed, recent studies indicate that more than half of the primary repertoire consists of autoreactive B cells that must be silenced to prevent autoimmunity. While this silencing can occur by multiple mechanisms, it appears that most autoreactive B cells are silenced by anergy, wherein they populate peripheral lymphoid organs and continue to express unoccupied antigen receptors yet are unresponsive to antigen stimulation. Here we review molecular mechanisms that appear operative in maintaining the antigen unresponsiveness of anergic B cells. In addition, we present new data indicating that the failure of anergic B cells to mobilize calcium in response to antigen stimulation is not mediated by inactivation of stromal interacting molecule 1, a critical intermediary in intracellular store depletion-induced calcium influx.
A morphological model for large vocabulary speech recognition

A morphological model, applicable to inflected languages, which combines the robustness of the tripos model with the prediction power of the lemma is proposed. A semantic component acts at the lemma level, without taking into account the different inflections of a lemma, thus making its trainable even for 200000 words. The training corpus for the lemma model (consisting of 38 million words) is labeled in terms of lemma and part of speech, using a semiautomatic process. The results obtained with this new model are reported. The model shows another way to put knowledge in the pure probabilistic framework of hidden Markov models. >
Phosphorylation-independent Association of CXCR2 with the Protein Phosphatase 2A Core Enzyme

Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is postulated to be involved in the dephosphorylation of G protein-coupled receptors. In the present study, we demonstrate that the carboxyl terminus of CXCR2 physically interacts with the PP2A core enzyme, a dimer formed by PP2Ac and PR65, but not with the PP2Ac monomer, suggesting direct interaction of the receptor with PR65. The integrity of a sequence motif in the C terminus of CXCR2, KFRHGL, which is conserved in all CC and CXC chemokine receptors, is required for the receptor binding to the PP2A core enzyme. CXCR2 co-immunoprecipitates with the PP2A core enzyme in HEK293 cells and in human neutrophils. Overexpression of dominant negative dynamin 1 (dynamin 1 K44A) in CXCR2-expressing cells blocks the receptor association with the PP2A core enzyme, and an internalization-deficient mutant form of CXCR2 (I323A,L324A) also exhibits impaired association with the PP2A core enzyme, suggesting that the receptor internalization is required for the receptor binding to PP2A. A phosphorylation-deficient mutant of CXCR2 (331T), which has previously been shown to undergo internalization in HEK293 cells, binds to an almost equal amount of the PP2A core enzyme in comparison with the wild-type CXCR2, suggesting that the interaction of the receptor with PP2A is phosphorylation-independent. The dephosphorylation of CXCR2 is reversed by treatment of the cells with okadaic acid. Moreover, pretreatment of the cells with okadaic acid increases basal phosphorylation of CXCR2 and attenuates CXCR2-mediated calcium mobilization and chemotaxis. Taken together, these data indicate that PP2A is involved in the dephosphorylation of CXCR2. We postulate that this interaction results from direct binding of the regulatory subunit A (PR65) of PP2A to the carboxyl terminus of CXCR2 after receptor sequestration and internalization.
Refreshing the Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics

The second edition of the Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics was published by the Council for Economic Education in 2010. The authors examine the process for revising these precollege content standards and highlight several changes that appear in the new document. They also review the impact the standards have had on precollege economic education since the original edition was released in 1997, and conclude with their response to comments offered by participants in a January 2012 American Economic Association conference session titled, “What Economics Should We Teach Before Students Enter College? The Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics and the AP.”
Time-dependent speckle in holographic optical coherence imaging and the health of tumor tissue

Holographic optical coherence imaging acquires en face images from successive depths inside scattering tissue. In a study of multicellular tumor spheroids the holographic features recorded from a fixed depth are observed to be time dependent, and they may be classified as variable or persistent. The ratio of variable to persistent features, as well as speckle correlation times, provides quantitative measures of the health of the tissue. Studies of rat osteogenic sarcoma tumor spheroids that have been subjected to metabolic and cross-polymerizing poisons provide quantitative differentiation among healthy, necrotic, and poisoned tissue. Organelle motility in healthy tissue appears as super-Brownian laser speckle, whereas chemically fixed tissue exhibits static speckle.
Clarifying commands with information-theoretic human-robot dialog

Our goal is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of natural language communication between humans and robots. Human language is frequently ambiguous, and a robot's limited sensing makes complete understanding of a statement even more difficult. To address these challenges, we describe an approach for enabling a robot to engage in clarifying dialog with a human partner, just as a human might do in a similar situation. Given an unconstrained command from a human operator, the robot asks one or more questions and receives natural language answers from the human. We apply an information-theoretic approach to choosing questions for the robot to ask. Specifically, we choose the type and subject of questions in order to maximize the reduction in Shannon entropy of the robot's mapping between language and entities in the world. Within the framework of the G3 graphical model, we derive a method to estimate this entropy reduction, choose the optimal question to ask, and merge the information gained from the human operator's answer. We demonstrate that this improves the accuracy of command understanding over prior work while asking fewer questions as compared to baseline question-selection strategies.
A comparison of methods of lidocaine administration in patients

A three-step method for administering lidocaine intravenously was developed and tested in 19 patients. Of all plasma concentrations measured, 70% were within the desired range of 2 to 4 micrograms/ml after the new method of lidocaine administration. Compared with other methods it is superior with respect to percent of time in the therapeutic range. No ventricular arrhythmias were evident, and no toxicities were associated with the new method. Infusions of lidocaine for more than 6 hr were associated with progressive increases in plasma concentrations that were higher (p less than 0.01) at 24 hr than at 6 hr.
Enhanced bonding of chitosan to implant quality titanium via four treatment combinations

Abstract Bioactive coatings have been investigated to enhance the integration of orthopaedic and dental–craniofacial implants in the surrounding bone tissue. Chitosan has been shown to possess many properties desirable in implant coatings, such as cell attachment and growth, and encouraging ordered bone tissue formation. Previous studies have produced methods to deposit chitosan onto a titanium surface using both two-step and three-step reaction schemes. In the current study, two different titanium surface treatments were evaluated for determining the strength of chitosan coatings bonded to titanium via two reaction processes. The chitosan coatings produced from the four treatment combinations were examined using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy, which demonstrated that the final coatings were similar in composition to the previously reported coatings. Coatings examined by nano-indentation, exhibited hardness (0.19 ± 0.08 GPa) and elastic modulus (4.90 ± 1.82 GPa) values similar to the hardness and elastic modulus values previously reported. Scanning Electron Microscopy examination of the nano-indentation marks revealed cracks only at sites of applied stress, demonstrating that the chitosan coatings were able to absorb the applied stress. Bulk adhesion of the chitosan coatings demonstrated significant increases in bond strength (19.50 ± 1.63 MPa) over previously reported data (1.5–1.8 MPa), but no significant differences were seen between the four treatment combinations. Contact angle testing demonstrated that the chitosan coatings were more hydrophobic (98.0 ± 3.6°) than published values (76.4 ± 5.1°). Overall, mechanical testing demonstrated that, while the bulk properties of the chitosan coating were unaffected by the four treatment combinations, the bulk adhesion of the chitosan coating was greatly increased and high quality coatings were produced.
Electronic noise in nanoelectronic building elements for nanoMEMS and bioMEMS

One of the most widely known effects in nano electronics is the Coulomb-blocked effect which reduces the shot noise in a device. However, the effect of shrinking of the size is not always so beneficial, shot noise can even increase, because of other effects. Moreover, other types of noises and new effects can set strong limits for device performance. From classical knowledge on device noise, an increased 1/f noise and increased effective thermal noise voltage and quantum uncertainty noises are expected which imply performance limitations at the low frequency and high frequency ends, respectively. The results is a reduced long-term stability an increased frequency of false-bit-switching or false alarm events. These considerations can help us to understand why biology is using neural spikes. From the research-and- development side, the original and engineering of conductance noise is often an unsolved problem. For example, in carbon nanotubes, the published experimental results are contradictory and it is not possible to draw a final conclusion about the nature and possible ways of engineering this crucial kind of noise source. It is important to realize that more active noise sources do not always mean limitation of performance. In chemical sensing applications, the measurement of noise can be used to detect chemical agents and their composition with a great selectivity and sensitivity, because the chemical fragments dynamically interact with the current transport in the device. This is the situation when the noise in nano-sensors has a great advantage as compared to the noise in classical devices. The increased specific surface of nanostructures and the large number of possible structural combinations have a great potential for both gas and fluid sensing application s via noise analysis.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Confirmation of a Link between Fungal Pigmentation, Turgor Pressure, and Pathogenicity Using a New Method of Turgor Measurement

Money, N. P., and Howard, R. J. 1996. Confirmation of a link between fungal pigmentation, turgor pressure, and pathogenicity using a new method of turgor measurement.Fungal Genetics and Biology20,217–227. A novel approach to turgor measurement has confirmed a link between melanin synthesis and appressorial turgor pressure in the rice blast fungusMagnaporthe grisea.The new technique employs a cold stage to measure the melting point of ice within individual cells. Turgor is then calculated from the difference between the melting points of intracellular ice and ice in the fluid surrounding the cell. Conidia ofM. griseawere incubated on various surfaces, and appressoria developed within 6 h. Measurements from conidia showed that wild-type and melanin-deficient strains generated the same pressures, which decreased before germ tube emergence. By contrast, wild-type appressoria generated much higher pressures than appressoria of a melanin-deficient buf−mutant. These experiments strengthen the hypothesis that melanin confers pathogenicity by facilitating the development of high pressures within appressoria.
Office IgE-mediated environmental allergy evaluation and treatment

Environmental allergens that induce a type I immune hypersensitivity present a widespread and significant reduction in the quality of life for our patients while imposing a stifling cost upon health care and the economy. A prompt, accurate clinical diagnosis with an appropriate management protocol can spare recurrent upper respiratory tract infections and unpleasant sequelae of epithelial inflammation, airway mucous clogging, and mucosal obstruction. In the event where environmental control measures and conservative medical therapy fail, many patients stand to benefit from immunotherapy testing and treatment. In the absence of significant risk factors for therapy, the potential for partial or total resolution of IgE-mediated symptoms makes this an excellent option. With adequate clinical design and anaphylaxis precautions, most outpatient clinic settings can provide safe and accurate environmental allergen evaluation and therapy.
Label-free, dual-analyte electrochemical biosensors: a new class of molecular-electronic logic gates.

An “XOR” gate built using label-free, dual-analyte electrochemical sensors and the activation of this logic gate via changing concentrations of cocaine and the relevant cDNA as inputs are described.
Identification of a human melanoma antigen recognized by tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes associated with in vivo tumor rejection.

Abstract The cultured T-cell line TIL1200, established from the tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) of a patient with advanced metastatic melanoma, recognized an antigen on most HLA-A2+ melanomas and on all HLA-A2+ cultured neonatal melanocytes in an HLA-A2 restricted manner but not on other types of tissues or cell lines tested. A cDNA encoding an antigen recognized by TIL1200 was isolated by screening an HLA-A2+ breast cancer cell line transfected with an expression cDNA library prepared from an HLA-A2+ melanoma cell line. The nucleotide and amino acid sequences of this cDNA were almost identical to the genes encoding glycoprotein gp100 or Pmel17 previously registered in the GenBank. Expression of this gene was restricted to melanoma and melanocyte cell lines and retina but was not expressed on other fresh or cultured normal tissues or other types of tumor tested. The cell line transfected with this cDNA also expressed antigen recognized by the melanoma-specific antibody HMB45 that bound to gp100. A synthetic 10-amino acid peptide derived from gp100 was recognized by TIL1200 in the context of HLA-A2.1. Since the administration of TIL1200 plus interleukin 2 resulted in regression of metastatic cancer in the autologous patient, gp100 is a possible tumor rejection antigen and may be useful for the development of immunotherapies for patients with melanoma.
NANOSTRUCTURED OXIDE THIN FILMS FOR GAS SENSORS

The results of a study of the structure and electrical properties of nanocrystalline SrCe0 95Yb0 05O3 proton conducting thin films are presented. The relationship between the electrical transport and hydrogen partial pressure has been determined and correlated with microstructure. Nanostructured SrCe0.95Yb0.05O3 films possess greatly enhanced conductivity due to interfacial effects related to the influence of surfaces and grain boundaries. The opportunity to use these films for gas sensors is discussed and their characteristics are presented.
Transmission facility planning in telecommunications networks: A heuristic approach

Abstract The transmission system cost functions can be decomposed—approximately—into a fixed charge part and linear cost part. These parts represent the initial investment cost of installing a transmission system on a specific link of the network and the cost of installing circuits of that system, respectively. We present a mixed integer programming (MIP) model to minimize the present value of facility installation costs subject to satisfying linkwise circuit requirements in each period of a fixed planning horizon. The model treats (i) alternate transmission systems with limited supplies, (ii) general circuit requirements and (iii) pre-specified alternate routes, for circuit assignment. A heuristic procedure is developed for obtaining approximate optimal solutions for a case of empirical interest, where transmission supplies are unlimited and where there is only one alternate route for circuit assignment. Numerical results are presented for moderate size facilities networks over a three period planning horizon.
Immunofluorescent localization of type IV collagen and laminin during endochondral bone differentiation and regulation by pituitary growth hormone.

Vascularization and the influence of growth hormone on this process were studied during endochondral bone differentiation. Vascular invasion was monitored by immunofluorescent localization of two vascular basement membrane proteins, type IV collagen and laminin, a recently described glycoprotein. In addition, endothelial cell invasion was identified by localization of Factor VIII. New bone formation was induced by subcutaneous implantation of a coarse powder of demineralized rat bone matrix. On days 1 through 9, no vascular elements were detected in the plaque. Mesenchymal cells appeared on day 3, proliferated, and differentiated into cartilage on day 7, while the capillaries proliferated at the periphery of the plaque. Beginning on day 9 with capillary incursion into the center of the plaque, type IV collagen, laminin, and Factor VIII were localized in the invading vascular endothelial cells. Type IV collagen and laminin appeared synchronously in the capillary basement membranes and later in the endothelial lining of cavernous sinusoids. Their distribution pattern was identical. The vascular invasion was prominent by day 14. In hypophysectomized rats, cartilage differentiated normally but vascularization was delayed and reduced. Bone formation was scanty as indicated by 45Ca incorporation. Administration of bovine growth hormone to hypophysectomized recipients restored vascularization and bone formation to the level observed in controls.
Synchronization and Co‐Movement of Metal Prices

This paper investigates the correlation and synchronization of cycles in the real prices of aluminium, copper, lead, tin, zinc, gold and silver from January 1947 through to July 2008. Standard correlation coefficients show strong correlations between all pairs of these prices, but this measure is difficult to interpret because it combines both the amplitude, duration and timing components of the movements in prices. The duration and timing of the cycles are measured separately using several cycle identification techniques. The co‐movements among the cyclical indicators from all these methods show very strong synchronization. We reject the hypothesis that these metal prices move independently of each other. This result indicates that there may be a ‘common cycle’ to real metal price movements and implies that price risk for producers and consumers of these metals is mostly systematic, or non‐diversifiable.
Evaluation of Baits for Harvesting Procambarid Crawfishes with Emphasis on Bait Type and Bait Quantity

ABSTRACT Two crawfish baits and several bait quantities were evaluated in 2 trials conducted from January through May in four 2.0–2.5-ha experimental earthen crawfish (Procambarus clarkii and Procambarus zonangulus) ponds at the Aquaculture Research Station, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA. In the bait-type trial, a freshwater cluepid, gizzard shad (Dorosoma cepedianum), a commercially formulated bait, and a shad + formulated bait combination were evaluated. Highest daily crawfish catch per unit trap effort (CPUE) and bait margin (gross value of crawfish less bait cost) was with gizzard shad at water temperatures less than 20°C (January, February, March), and with formulated bait at 20°C and higher (April, May). The shad + formulated bait combination was effective in attracting crawfish over a wide range of water temperatures from February through May. In the bait quantity trial, both gizzard shad and the formulated bait were evaluated singly at 113 g/trap, 150 g/trap, 227 ...
ketene bis(trialkylsilyl) acetals: synthesis, pyrolysis and spectral studies

Abstract Two hgh yield synthetic methods are described for the preparation of alkyl, dialkyl, aryl and diaryl ketene bis(trialkylsilyl)acetals. One is by reaction of αmetalated trimethylsilyl carboxylates with trimethylchlorosilane (TMCS) and the otehr is by inteaction of dianions of carboxylic acids and TMCS. The dianion of cyclopropane carboxylic acid and TMCS gave C -silated ester in 90% yield. Pyrolysis of diphenyl ketene bis(trialkylsilyl) acetals to diphenyl ketene and bis(trialkylsily) ethers has been shown by crossover experiments to proceed intermoleculary. Pyrolysis of monosubstituted and dialkyl ketene (trimethylsilyl) acetals gave ketene-ketene acetal addition products (III) which on solvolysis afforded β-keto acids in high yield. NMR and mass spectral data are given for many of the compounds.
The DNA-binding domains of the jun oncoprotein and the yeast GCN4 transcriptional activator protein are functionally homologous

The jun oncoprotein, which causes sarcomas in chickens, and the DNA-binding domain of yeast GCN4, which coordinately regulates the expression of amino acid biosynthetic genes, show significant homology. In yeast cells deleted for the GCN4 gene, GCN4 function can be conferred by a hybrid protein in which the GCN4 DNA-binding domain is replaced by the homologous region of jun. Moreover, in strains containing various mutations of the GCN4 binding site in the HIS3 promoter, HIS3 expression is affected similarly by the hybrid protein and by GCN4. These results indicate that the jun oncoprotein binds the same DNA sequences as GCN4, and strongly suggest that jun is derived from a normal cellular transcription factor (possibly AP-1, which recognizes similar sequences). This provides direct evidence for the idea that alterations in the machinery for proper gene expression can lead to the oncogenic state.
Spectrophotometric methods for the determination of osmium-II: Extraction and determination of osmium in situ with 1.5-diphenylcarbohydrazide

Abstract A method has been developed for the spectrophotometric determination of microgram quantities of osmium in uranyl sulphate solutions. The osmium is oxidised to osmium tetroxide, then extracted with chloroform. The extracts are added to an ethanolic solution of 1:5-diphenylcarbohydrazide. A blue-violet coloured reaction product is formed which exhibits maximum absorbancy at 560 mμ. After a period of 2 hr for colour development the molar absorbancy index is about 31,000. Beer's law is adhered to over a range of 30 to 100 μg of osmium with a coefficient of variation of about 4%. A study was made of the effects of foreign substances and only chloride and octovalent ruthenium were found to interfere. Both of these interfering ions can be eliminated.
Heightened muscle inflammation susceptibility may impair regenerative capacity in aging humans

The regenerative response of skeletal muscle to mechanically induced damage is impaired with age. Previous work in our laboratory suggests this may result from higher proinflammatory signaling in a...
Targeted photodynamic therapy of established soft-tissue infections in mice

The worldwide rise in antibiotic resistance necessitates the development of novel antimicrobial strategies. Although many workers have used photodynamic therapy (PDT) to kill bacteria in vitro, the use of this approach has seldom been reported in vivo in animal models of infection. We have previously described the first use of PDT to treat excisional wound infections by Gram-negative bacteria in living mice. However these infected wound models used a short time after infection (30 min) before PDT. We now report on the use of PDT to treat an established soft-tissue infection in mice. We used Staphylococcus aureus stably transformed with a Photorhabdus luminescens lux operon (luxABCDE) that was genetically modified to be functional in Gram-positive bacteria. These engineered bacteria emitted bioluminescence allowing the progress of the infection to be monitored in both space and time with a lowlight imaging charged couple device (CCD) camera. One million cells were injected into one or both thigh muscles of mice that had previously been rendered neutropenic by cyclophosphamide administration. Twenty-four hours later the bacteria had multiplied more than one hundred-fold, and poly-L-lysine chlorin(e6) conjugate or free chlorin(e6) was injected into one area of infected muscle and imaged with the CCD camera. Thirty-minutes later red light from a diode laser was delivered as a surface spot or by interstitial fiber into the infection. There was a lightdose dependent loss of bioluminescence (to < 5% of that seen in control infections) not seen in untreated or light alone treated infections, but in some cases the infection recurred. Conjugate alone led to a lesser reduction in bioluminescence. Infections treated with free chlorin(e6) responded less and the infection subsequently increased over the succeeding days, probably due to PDT-mediated tissue damage. PDT-treated infected legs healed better than legs with untreated infections. This data shows that PDT may have applications in drug-resistant soft-tissue infections.
Benthic foraminifera associated with the invasive ascidian, Didemnum sp. A

The invasive ascidian, Didemnum sp. A, first appeared in New England bays and harbors in the early 1990s, and in the waters around Cape Cod in 1993. While ship traffic was the likely vector introducing the species, its origin and precise date and location of its introduction are presently unknown. Colony surfaces of Didemnum sp. A appear very clean and not favorable substrates for epibiota settlement, but closer inspection revealed the presence of benthic foraminifera. During 2003 and 2004, 52 samples of Didemnum sp. A and other ascidians were collected to determine whether or not the foraminiferal assemblages might also be non-native and thus provide a potential clue to the place of origin of Didemnum sp. A. Sample locations included the New England coast from Connecticut to Maine (with a concentration in the Cape Cod area), northern California, Zeeland, The Netherlands, and Shakespeare Bay, New Zealand. From New England samples, 18 species of benthic foraminifera were identified. The most common species represented were Cornuspira involvens, C. planorbis, Elphidium galvestonense, E. margaritaceum, Glabratellina lauriei, Miliolinella subrotunda, Quinqueloculina bicornis, and Rosalina floridana. Foraminiferal assemblages on Didemnum sp. A from other regions sampled were composed of the same cosmopolitan species found in New England, plus other species which were indigenous to each region. Because no exotic foraminifera species were found it is concluded that Didemnum sp. A likely did not introduce non-native foraminifera originating from their native habitats into the New England region.
Unique ligation properties of eukaryotic NAD+-dependent DNA ligase from Melanoplus sanguinipes entomopoxvirus.

Abstract The eukaryotic Melanoplus sanguinipes entomopoxvirus (MsEPV) genome reveals a homologous sequence to eubacterial nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+)-dependent DNA ligases [J. Virol. 73 (1999) 533]. This 522-amino acid open reading frame (ORF) contains all conserved nucleotidyl transferase motifs but lacks the zinc finger motif and BRCT domain found in conventional eubacterial NAD+ ligases. Nevertheless, cloned MsEPV ligase seals DNA nicks in a NAD+-dependent fashion, while adenosine 5′-monophosphate (ATP) cannot serve as an adenylation cofactor. The ligation activity of MsEPV ligase requires Mg2+ or Mn2+. MsEPV ligase seals sticky ends efficiently, but has little activity on 1-nucleotide gap or blunt-ended DNA substrates even in the presence of polyethylene glycol. In comparison, bacterial NAD+-dependent ligases seal blunt-ended DNA substrates in the presence of polyethylene glycol. MsEPV DNA ligase readily joins DNA nicks with mismatches at either side of the nick junction, except for mismatches at the nick junction containing an A base in the template strand (A/A, G/A, and C/A). MsEPV NAD+-dependent DNA ligase can join DNA probes on RNA templates, a unique property that distinguishes this enzyme from other conventional bacterial NAD+ DNA ligases. T4 ATP-dependent DNA ligase shows no detectable mismatch ligation at the 3′ side of the nick but substantial 5′ T/G mismatch ligation on an RNA template. In contrast, MsEPV ligase joins mismatches at the 3′ side of the nick more frequently than at the 5′ side of the nick on an RNA template. The complementary specificities of these two enzymes suggest alternative primer design for genomic profiling approaches that use allele-specific detection directly from RNA transcripts.