cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What Does the DAP:IQ Measure?: Drawing Comparisons between Drawing Performance and Developmental Assessments

Human figure drawing tasks such as the Draw-a-Person test have long been used to assess intelligence (F. Goodenough, 1926). The authors investigate the skills tapped by drawing and the risk factors associated with poor drawing. Self-portraits of 345 preschool children were scored by raters trained in using the Draw-a-Person Intellectual Ability test (DAP:IQ) rubric (C. R. Reynolds & J. A. Hickman, 2004). Analyses of children's fine motor, gross motor, social, cognitive, and language skills revealed that only fine motor skill was an independent predictor of DAP:IQ scores. Being a boy and having a low birth weight were associated with lower DAP:IQ scores. These findings suggest that although the DAP:IQ may not be a valid measure of cognitive ability, it may be a useful screening tool for fine motor disturbances in at-risk children, such as boys who were born at low birth weights. Furthermore, researchers who use human figure drawing tasks to measure intelligence should measure fine motor skill in addition to intelligence.
Trade and Exchange in a Historical Perspective

The American Southwest and Mesoamerica: Systems of Prehistoric Exchange is the first of two volumes dealing with North American sociopolitical economies from the Archaic through the Late Prehistoric periods. Taken as a whole, these two volumes seek to provide current information regarding exchange on a continental basis. As a result, the connections and interfaces between the different regions of North America may be established at least implicitly. Because the authors tend to view exchange from different theoretical perspectives, each chapter provides information about (1) the types of commodities being exchanged; (2) the relative quantities of these goods; and (3) the sources from which they were obtained. The editors realized, however, that each of the authors has different theoretical approaches and, to compensate for this situation, the introduction to this volume presents a review of anthropological and archaeological concepts and thought as they relate specifically to trade and exchange. This section on the intellectual history and development of trade and exchange provides a summation for the volume into which each of the following chapters will be placed.
Applications for α-lactalbumin in human nutrition

α-Lactalbumin is a whey protein that constitutes approximately 22% of the proteins in human milk and approximately 3.5% of those in bovine milk. Within the mammary gland, α-lactalbumin plays a central role in milk production as part of the lactose synthase complex required for lactose formation, which drives milk volume. It is an important source of bioactive peptides and essential amino acids, including tryptophan, lysine, branched-chain amino acids, and sulfur-containing amino acids, all of which are crucial for infant nutrition. α-Lactalbumin contributes to infant development, and the commercial availability of α-lactalbumin allows infant formulas to be reformulated to have a reduced protein content. Likewise, because of its physical characteristics, which include water solubility and heat stability, α-lactalbumin has the potential to be added to food products as a supplemental protein. It also has potential as a nutritional supplement to support neurological function and sleep in adults, owing to its unique tryptophan content. Other components of α-lactalbumin that may have usefulness in nutritional supplements include the branched-chain amino acid leucine, which promotes protein accretion in skeletal muscle, and bioactive peptides, which possess prebiotic and antibacterial properties. This review describes the characteristics of α-lactalbumin and examines the potential applications of α-lactalbumin for human health.
Principles of memory CD8 T-cells generation in relation to protective immunity.

Memory T-cell responses are of vital importance in understanding the host’s immune response against pathogens and cancer cells and to begin establishing the correlation of protection against disease. In this review, we discuss our own data in the general context of current knowledge to sketch tentative working principles for the induction of protective T-cell responses by vaccination. We draw attention to quantitative and qualitative aspects of the initial contact with antigen, as well as to the kinetics of events leading to the generation of memory T cells thereafter. Our arguments are based on the current distinction of memory T cells into two lineages: effector memory T cells (TEM) and central memory T cells (TCM). Our provisional conclusion is that protective T-cell responses correlate positively with the T cells of the central memory phenotype. In proposing a set of working principles to enable protective memory T cells by vaccination we address vaccination both in the context of the immunologically-inexperienced and immunologically-experienced individual, respectively. Finally, we draw attention to the interplay between systemic and local immunity as important factors in determining the success of memory T-cell responses in protecting the individual. We believe that considerations on the immunodynamics of memory induction and maintenance, memory lineage differentiation and their relation to protection may help design strategies to control disease caused by pathogens and cancer.
Propagation of Diffusing Pollutant by a Hybrid Eulerian–Lagrangian Method

We present a hybrid numerical method for computing the propagation of a diffusing passive pollutant in shallow water. The flow is modeled by the SaintVenant system of shallow water equations and the pollutant propagation is described by a convection-diffusion equation. In this paper, we extend the hybrid finite-volume-particle (FVP) method, which was originally introduced in [CK04, CKP06] for the model of inviscid pollutant propagation, to the case of a diffusing pollutant. The idea behind the FVP method is to use different schemes for the flow and pollution computations: the shallow water equations are numerically integrated using a finitevolume scheme, while the transport equation for the propagation of passive pollutant is solved by a deterministic particle method. When the pollutant diffuses, the second step of the FVP method has to be modified. We propose a new hybrid Eulerian-Lagrangian method, in which the convection term is treated by the method of characteristics (which is, in the context of scalar transport equations is very similar to the deterministic particle method), while the diffusion is resolved using the fast explicit operator splitting method recently developed in [CKP].
An Evidence-Based Trust Assessment Framework for Critical Infrastructure Decision Making

The availability and reliability of large critical infrastructures depend on decisions made by hundreds or thousands of interdependent entities and, by extension, on the information that the entities exchange with each other. In the electric power grid, the widespread deployment of devices that measure and report readings many times per second offers new opportunities for automated control, which is accompanied by the need to automatically assess the trustworthiness of the received information. This paper proposes a Bayesian estimation model for calculating the trustworthiness of entities in the electric power grid and making trust-relevant decisions. The model quantifies uncertainties and also helps minimize the risk in decision making.
Abnormalities of the long arm of chromosome 6 in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

To determine the biologic significance of the structural rearrangements of the long arm of chromosome 6(6q) in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) at diagnosis, we studied 412 consecutive children whose leukemic cell chromosomes had been completely banded and identified 45 (11%) children with this abnormality. The 45 cases were divided into del(6q) only (n = 11), del(6q) and numerical abnormalities (n = 4), del(6q) and structural abnormalities (n = 23), and 6q translocations (n = 7). The breakpoints of del(6q) were subgrouped: del(6)(q15q21) in 11 cases, del(6) (q13q21) in six, del(6)(q21q23) in four, del(6)(q15) in four, del(6)(q15q23) in three, and other deletions in 10 cases. Notably, all these deletions encompassed the 6q21 band, suggesting that this might be the locus of a recessive tumor suppressor gene, the absence of which contributes to malignant transformation or proliferation. Among the seven children with 6q translocations, a previously unidentified nonrandom translocation, t(6;12)(q21;p13) was noted in two cases with an early pre-B immunophenotype. Clinical features and event-free survival were similar among children with or without 6q abnormalities. Overall, children with 6q abnormalities were less likely than those without the abnormality to have a pre-B immunophenotype (P = .03). T-cell immunophenotypes were equally represented in cases with or without 6q abnormalities. However, all four children with del(6q) and a 12p abnormality had early pre-B ALL and all three children with del(6q) and a 9p abnormality had a T-cell immunophenotype. The lack of specificity for a particular immunophenotype may imply that the gene or genes affected by 6q abnormalities are broadly active in the multistep process of lymphoid leukemogenesis. The relatively high frequency of microscopically visible del(6q) indicates the need for molecular studies to identify cases with submicroscopic deletions.
Delayed Facial Nerve Paralysis after Vestibular Schwannoma Resection.

Objective To describe the incidence and clinical course of patients who develop delayed facial nerve paralysis (DFNP) after surgical resection of vestibular schwannoma. Setting Tertiary skull base center. Methods Retrospective chart review. Results Two hundred and forty six consecutive patients, who underwent surgical resection for vestibular schwannoma at a single center between 2010 and 2015, were analyzed. Of these patients, 22 (8.9%) developed DFNP, defined here as deterioration of function by at least 2 House–Brackmann (HB) grades within 30 days in patients with immediate postoperative HB ≤ 3. The mean age of DFNP patients was 47.2 years (range: 17–67) and 16 (73%) were female. The mean tumor size in greatest dimension was 2.1 cm (range: 0.7–3.5 cm). At the conclusion of each case, the facial nerve stimulated at the brainstem. Mean immediate postoperative facial nerve function was HB 1.8 (range: 1–3). Average facial nerve function at the 3-week-postoperative visit was 4.4 (range: 2–6). In 1-year, 8 patients (36%) recovered HB 1 function, 10 patients (46%) recovered to HB 2, and 2 patients (9%) were HB 3. The remaining 2 patients did not recover function and were HB 6 at last follow-up. Initial postoperative facial nerve function (HB 1 or HB 2) was associated with improved recovery to normal (HB 1) function (p = 0.018). Conclusion A majority of patients that develop delayed paralysis will recover excellent facial nerve function. Patients should be counseled; however, a small percentage of patients will not recover function long-term, despite having a previously functioning and anatomically intact nerve.
A novel method to assess rate of force relaxation: reliability and comparisons with rate of force development across various muscles.

The ability to generate quick submaximal muscle forces followed by quick relaxations is essential for various athletic and daily tasks. While force generation has been studied extensively, the studies of force relaxation are scarce. Therefore, we aimed to develop the rate of force relaxation scaling factor (RFR-SF) as a kinetic variable to assess the ability to relax submaximal muscle forces quickly. Thirteen young adults performed rapid isometric force pulses to various submaximal levels in two different sessions. We compared RFR-SF with rate of development scaling factor (RFD-SF) in grip force muscles (GF), elbow (EE), and knee extensors (KE) and tested its reliability. Both RFD-SF and RFR-SF were calculated as the slopes of the linear relationship between peak forces and the corresponding peak rates of force development and relaxation, respectively. RFR-SFs were mainly different among the tested muscle groups (GF 8.22 ± 0.76 1/s; EE 7.64 ± 0.92 1/s; KE 6.01 ± 1.75 1/s) and there was no correlation among them (all p > 0.05). Within each tested muscle group, RFR-SF was lower than RFD-SF (GF 9.29 ± 1.05 1/s; EE 10.75 ± 0.87 1/s; KE 9.66 ± 0.89 1/s; all p < 0.001). The reliability of RFR-SF was moderate to good across the tested muscles (ICCs between 0.54 and 0.76 and all CVs < 15%). The RFR-SF is a clinically relevant kinetic variable that can reliably quantify the ability to relax a muscle force quickly. Future studies should assess both RFD-SF and RFR-SF as they represent different properties of the neuromuscular system.
Effects of aging on hip abductor-adductor neuromuscular and mechanical performance during the weight transfer phase of lateral protective stepping.

Abstract Aging brings about challenges in the ability to recover balance through protective stepping, especially in the lateral direction. Previous work has suggested that lateral protective stepping during weight transfer may be affected by impaired muscle composition and performance of the hip abductors (AB) in older adults. Hence, this study investigated the influence of hip abductor-adductor (AB-AD) neuromuscular performance on the weight transfer phase of lateral protective stepping in younger and older adults. Healthy younger (n = 15) and older adults (n = 15) performed hip AB-AD isometric maximal voluntary contractions (IMVC). Lateral balance perturbations were applied via motorized waist-pulls. Participants were instructed to recover their balance using a single lateral step. Kinetic, kinematic and electromyographic (EMG) data were analyzed during the weight transfer phase. In the hip IMVC task, older adults showed reduced peak AB-AD torque, AB rate of torque development and AB-AD rate of EMG neuromuscular activation (RActv). During the lateral balance perturbations, older individuals had a lower incidence of lateral steps, reduced hip AB-AD RActv and delayed weight transfer. However, several outcomes were larger in the older group, such as, center of mass momentum at step onset, step-side peak rate of vertical force development, hip AB net joint torque, and power. Although older adults had greater hip muscular output during the weight transfer phase, their lateral balance recovery was still impaired. The reduced maximal hip AB-AD capacity, especially RActv, may have been a greater contributor to this impairment, as it affects the ability to generate rapid force, crucial for balance recovery.
Natural History and Factors Associated with Overall Survival in Stage IV ALK-Rearranged Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Abstract Introduction Clinical variables describing the natural history and longitudinal therapy outcomes of stage IV anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene rearrangement positive (ALK-positive) NSCLC and their relationship with long-term overall survival (OS) have not previously been described in detail. Methods Patients with stage IV NSCLC treated with an ALK inhibitor at the University of Colorado Cancer Center from 2009 through November 2017 were identified retrospectively. OS curves were constructed by using Kaplan-Meier methods. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to determine the relationship of variables with OS. Results Of the 110 patients with ALK-positive NSCLC who were identified, 105 received crizotinib as their initial ALK inhibitor. With a median follow-up time of 47 months, the median OS time from diagnosis of stage IV disease was 81 months (6.8 years). Brain metastases at diagnosis of stage IV disease (hazard ratio = 1.01, p = 0.971) and year of stage IV presentation (p = 0.887) did not influence OS. More organs with tumor at diagnosis of stage IV disease was associated with worse OS (HR = 1.49 for each additional organ with disease, including the CNS [p = 0.002]). Each additional month of pemetrexed-based therapy was associated with a 7% relative decrease in risk of death. Conclusion Patients with stage IV ALK-positive NSCLC can have prolonged OS. Brain metastases at diagnosis of stage IV disease does not influence OS. Having more organs involved with tumor at stage IV presentation is associated with worse outcomes. Prolonged benefit from pemetrexed is associated with better outcomes.
Effects of methylmercury on mosquito oviposition behavior: Maladaptive response to non-toxic exposure.

Abstract Animals can modulate their own exposure to environmental contaminants through behavioral plasticity such as diet and habitat choice. However, it remains unclear if behavior also has cascading effects on contaminant exposure across multiple generations. In insects, oviposition site selection is an important behavior females can use to modify offspring contaminant exposure risk. In this study, we use the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti, to test how methylmercury (MeHg) affects oviposition site selection. We found that mosquito larval development rate and survival were negatively affected at MeHg concentrations ≥100 ppb. Adult females not exposed to MeHg as larvae avoided oviposition sites with high MeHg concentrations (>50 ppb), but MeHg exposure at the larval stage significantly affected this oviposition site selection. Specifically, females raised from larvae exposed to non-toxic MeHg levels (i.e., five-50 ppb) showed a significant increase in preference for oviposition sites contaminated with toxic MeHg concentrations (≥500 ppb), compared to unexposed controls. This maladaptive behavioral response could be because, when conditioned with non-toxic MeHg concentrations, MeHg-associated olfactory cues act as a “supernormal” stimulus during oviposition site selection. Importantly, however, this maladaptive behavioral response is eliminated in female mosquitoes raised from larvae exposed to toxic MeHg concentrations (i.e. 100 ppb), and these mosquitoes showed a significant increase in preference for MeHg uncontaminated oviposition sites, compared to unexposed controls. Thus, in mosquitoes, the magnitude of MeHg exposure in one generation can impact MeHg exposure in subsequent generations by altering oviposition site selection behavior. Our results have broad implications for our understanding of how contaminant-mediated behavioral modifications can feedback on contaminant exposure risk across multiple generations, and consequently how behavior can affect the evolutionary trajectory of organisms inhabiting a heterogeneously contaminated environment.
On Distributed Computing with Heterogeneous Communication Constraints

We consider a distributed computing framework where the distributed nodes have different communication capabilities, motivated by the heterogeneous networks in data centers and mobile edge computing systems. Following the structure of MapReduce, this framework consists of Map computation phase, Shuffle phase, and Reduce computation phase. The Shuffle phase allows distributed nodes to exchange intermediate values, in the presence of heterogeneous communication bottlenecks for different nodes (heterogeneous communication load constraints). For this setting, we characterize the minimum total computation load and the minimum worst-case computation load in some cases, under the heterogeneous communication load constraints. While the total computation load depends on the sum of the computation loads of all the nodes, the worst-case computation load depends on the computation load of a node with the heaviest job. We show an interesting insight that, for some cases, there is a tradeoff between the minimum total computation load and the minimum worst-case computation load, in the sense that both cannot be achieved at the same time. The achievability schemes are proposed with careful design on the file assignment and data shuffling. Beyond the cut-set bound, a novel converse is proposed using the proof by contradiction. For the general case, we identify two extreme regimes in which the scheme with coding and the scheme without coding are optimal, respectively.
Stent graft versus balloon angioplasty for failing dialysis access grafts: A long-awaited advance in the treatment of permanent hemodialysis access

Arteriovenous grafts (AVGs) for hemodialysis have a high failure rate, often due to the development of stenosis at the graft-to-vein anastomosis. Angioplasty (PTA) has been used for over two decades to treat AVG stenosis, with good technical success but limited AVG patency. Results of a prospective multi-center randomized trial, comparing stent graft to PTA in AVGs, has demonstrated superior access circuit patency for the stent graft group. Recent publication of this clinical study brings us into an exciting new era of dialysis access management using covered stents to improve durability of catheter-based therapy.
Host-Pathogen Relationship Advice: Fat Protects against a Broken Heart.

During infection, disease tolerance promotes host health without killing the pathogen. In a recent issue of Cell, Luan et al. (2019) identify GDF15 as a central regulator of disease tolerance of bacterial and viral challenges, while preventing cardiac damage, by mediating downstream cross-organ communication via the sympathetic and metabolic systems.
Large Neutral Amino Acid Status in Association with P:T Ratio and Diet in Adult and Pediatric Patients with Phenylketonuria

Background Intake of large neutral amino acids (LNAA) may inhibit phenylalanine (PHE) transport across the blood brain barrier and assist with blood PHE control in patients with phenylketonuria (PKU). We evaluated the interrelationship between LNAA in plasma and diet on Phe:Tyr (P:T) ratio in patients with PKU and the influence of dietary factors on plasma LNAA markers. Methods Plasma amino acid values and 3-day food record analysis from two studies (34 male/30 female; age 4.6-47 years) were examined. For pediatrics (<18 years) and adults (≥18 years) the relationship between P:T ratio, plasma LNAA, and dietary intake patterns were investigated. Results Dietary factors influencing P:T ratio included intake of total protein (g/kg), medical food (MF) protein (g/kg, % below Rx), and LNAA (g) in the full cohort (P < .05). Associations were found between plasma valine and other dietary and plasma LNAA in pediatrics (P < .05) and plasma LNAA with dietary LNAA intake in adults (P = .019). Plasma P:T ratio was inversely associated with plasma LNAA concentrations in both age groups (P < .05). Aside from histidine in pediatrics (P = .024), plasma LNAA did not differ by having plasma PHE levels within or above the therapeutic range (120-360 μmol/L). Plasma LNAA in both age groups was similar to reported healthy control values. Conclusion P:T ratio is significantly tied to dietary LNAA, adherence to MF Rx, and plasma LNAA concentrations. Additionally, P:T ratio and valine may be effective clinical proxies for determining LNAA metabolic balance and LNAA quality of the diet in patients with PKU.
Telemedicine: A new survivorship visit model.

89Background: The number of cancer survivors in the United States is expected to approach 22 million by the year 2029. With an annual Survivorship Program visit volume exceeding 16,000, this compre...
Estimate of Refractory Reflux Disease in the United States: Economic Burden and Associated Clinical Characteristics.

GOALS To update the estimate of the prevalence of refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in the United States, and to assess the clinical and economic differences between patients with and without refractory GERD. BACKGROUND GERD affects 18% to 28% of the US population, with nearly 40% of GERD patients presenting with refractory symptoms despite ongoing therapy. STUDY Retrospective analysis of the IBM MarketScan databases between January 2011 and June 2018. Inclusion criteria were prescription fill and subsequent refill of a proton pump inhibitor or H2-receptor antagonist (earliest claim=index date), diagnosis of GERD 60 days preceding and/or following index, continuous insurance enrolment for 12 months preceding/following index, and absence of prior GERD diagnosis or GERD medication. We derived refractory GERD symptom scores for all patients on the basis of a previously published algorithm. Health care costs and comorbidities were assessed for all patients and compared between those with and without refractory GERD. RESULTS In total, 399,017 GERD patients qualified for the study; 103,654 (26%) met our definition of having indications of refractory GERD symptoms. Patients with refractory GERD symptoms reported significantly higher rates of hiatal hernia (25.1% vs. 5.9%), esophagitis (37.3% vs. 11.8%), esophageal stricture (11.3% vs. 1.5%), and dysphagia (26.8% vs. 7.1%; P<0.01 for each). The refractory GERD symptoms cohort incurred ~$10,000 greater health care costs per patient per year compared with patients without refractory GERD symptoms ($26,057±$58,948 vs. $15,285±$39,307; P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS Refractory GERD symptoms were associated with a substantial increase in health care costs. Treatments aimed at improving refractory GERD symptoms may mitigate symptom burden, potentially reducing health care expenditure.
Conjunctival inclusion cyst presenting as proptosis: A rare scenario

Conjunctival inclusion cysts are an uncommon complication following various surgeries. They usually present as cystic masses confined to the anterior segment. We report a case of large inclusion cyst with orbital extension, which presented as proptosis and diplopia.
Self-supervised learning and prediction of microstructure evolution with convolutional recurrent neural networks.

Summary Microstructural evolution is a key aspect of understanding and exploiting the processing-structure-property relationship of materials. Modeling microstructure evolution usually relies on coarse-grained simulations with evolution principles described by partial differential equations (PDEs). Here we demonstrate that convolutional recurrent neural networks can learn the underlying physical rules and replace PDE-based simulations in the prediction of microstructure phenomena. Neural nets are trained by self-supervised learning with image sequences from simulations of several common processes, including plane-wave propagation, grain growth, spinodal decomposition, and dendritic crystal growth. The trained networks can accurately predict both short-term local dynamics and long-term statistical properties of microstructures assessed herein and are capable of extrapolating beyond the training datasets in spatiotemporal domains and configurational and parametric spaces. Such a data-driven approach offers significant advantages over PDE-based simulations in time-stepping efficiency and offers a useful alternative, especially when the material parameters or governing PDEs are not well determined.
Soil analysis using a 2″ NaI gamma detector

We describe an undergraduate physics laboratory experiment that uses a 2-inch diameter NaI gamma detector to measure natural radiation in soils. Students first calibrate the detector for the source-detector geometry, energy-dependent detection efficiency, and sample self-absorption. Then, the activity of the 238U and 232Th decay series, as well as the activity of 40K in the soil, are measured. The results are comparable in accuracy to those obtained using a high-resolution germanium gamma detector.
Are Firms Biasing Stakeholder Expectations by Attributing Prior Poor Performance to COVID-19? (preprint)

Item 503(c) of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) Regulation S-K requires firms to disclose the ‘most significant’ factors that affect them in their Item 1A risk factor disclosures made in their 10-K (annual) or 10-Q (quarterly) SEC filings. Prior to COVID-19, firms discussed risk factors such as Liquidity, Competition, etc. as part of their Item 1A disclosures. The current pandemic has resulted in the COVID-19 risk factor being widely discussed as part of firms’ Item 1A risk factor disclosures. A ‘firm-specific’ discussion on this transient risk factor is unique in the sense that it can affect the salience of other already disclosed less transient but significant risk factors to investors and other stakeholders. Using a sample of 68 firms hard hit by COVID-19 with prior poor performance, I find that market reactions to their Item 1A risk factor disclosures were significantly more positive if they disclosed the COVID-19 risk factor in a certain firm-specific manner compared to those that didn’t. These results suggest that stakeholder perceptions of firms’ risk profiles are being biased to some extent as the less transient but other significant risk factors that were already affecting these firms seem to be underweighted by them in evaluating the firms’ risk profiles. I explain this bias further using the meta-theoretical framework of the elaborate likelihood model. I also propose a solution to this problem that involves making these disclosures in the form of risk matrices.
Influence of Particle Size on Direct Microbial Conversion of Hot Water-Pretreated Poplar by Clostridium thermocellum

Abstract Multiple factors play a role in the direct microbial conversion of biomass. Particle size has been shown to play a significant role in achieving efficient enzymatic hydrolysis of biomass with free cellulase systems. In this study, the direct microbial conversion performance of Clostridium thermocellum is evaluated utilizing hot water extracted poplar sized by sieving to particles ranging between 63 μm to 6 mm, using conditions which maintain the chemical composition. Culture carbon:nitrogen ratios and dry weights were used to differentiate the contribution of microbial mass from residual poplar mass. This work shows that for poplar, the substrate particle size influences the overall biomass conversion by C. thermocellum , with particles sized between 63 μm and 250 μm displaying the greatest conversion (50%). Moreover, the complex nature of biomass (i.e., chemical composition, structure, porosity, etc.) appears to play a greater role than particle size in influencing the overall potential for microbial conversion.
The process of coping with cyberbullying: A systematic review

Abstract Cyberbullying is an established threat to the well-being of youth worldwide. How victims cope with cyberbullying has the potential to buffer against negative effects. The present study is a systematic review of research on coping with cyberbullying to identify whether the process of coping is being used to identify pathways to resilience. In this review the process of coping with cyberbullying, the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, and to what degree existing studies have examined the process of coping were considered. Findings indicated that much of the prior literature has identified components of the process but few studies have looked at the process itself. Understanding the process of coping with cyberbullying has important implications for how victims appraise the threat of cyberbullying, select coping strategies, and perceive their ability to enact those strategies (self-efficacy). The need for additional research and an explanation of how a better understanding of the process is needed to design effective cyberbullying interventions are discussed.
Foreign Divestment: Magnitude and Factors

There is ample evidence that the number of divestments by multinational firms has been increasing. The explanation is mainly financial—namely, poor performance. However, a strategic dimension is becoming more apparent as some firms divest themselves of subsidiaries that do not “fit” even if they are profitable. Finally, organizational and personal factors definitely affect the decision-making process leading to divestment. In conclusion, divestment is becoming part of the repertory of multinationals, but we still lack comparative data about U.S.-based divestments.
Intuitionistic Tableau Extracted

This paper presents a formalization of a sequent presentation of intuitionisitic propositional logic and proof of decidability. The proof is implemented in the Nuprl system and the resulting proof object yields a "correct-by-construction" program for deciding intuitionisitc propositional sequents. The extracted program turns out to be an implementation of the tableau algorithm. If the argument to the resulting decision procedure is a valid sequent, a formal proof of that fact is returned, otherwise a counter-example in the form of a Kripke Countermodel is returned. The formalization roughly follows Aitken, Constable and Underwood's presentation in [1] but a number of adjustments and corrections have been made to ensure the extracted program is clean (no non-computational junk) and efficient.
Hypovolemic shock, pancreatic blood flow, and pancreatitis.

Electromagnetic blood flow determinations were carried out on the superior pancreatic duodena (SPDA), the splenic (SA) and the superior mesenteric (SMA) arteries and compared to cardiac output (CO, thermodilution technique) in 12 anesthetized dogs submitted to hypovolemic shock of various duration: 5 dogs underwent a onehour and 7 a three-hour period of shock. A 50 mm Hg level of mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) was maintained throughout hypovolemia. Dogs were then reinfused. Control preshock values were 4.12 l/min for CO, 38.0 ml/min for SPDA, 405.9 ml/min for SA, and 963.6 ml/min for SMA. SPDA, SA and SMA flows expressed as % of CO amounted to 0.9, 9.8 and 23.4% respectively. No significant changes in SPDA and SMA flows were noted within the first hour of shock. However, from the end of the second hour on, both flows differed significantly (P<0.01), SMA increasing from −75.6% of its control value at the end of bleeding to−61.0%, and SPDA decreasing from −75.6 to −86.9%. Similar observations were made when respective flows were considered as % of CO. The SA behaved somewhat in an intermediate fashion. This relative spoliation in pancreatic blood supply as hypovolemia proceeds supports an ischemic etiology of acute pancreatitis (AP), which could account for some of the so-called idiopathic cases of AP.
Sulfasalazine induced lung toxicity masquerading as sarcoidosis - case report and review of the literature

A commonly prescribed drug for Rheumatoid Arthritis (R.A) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) treatment, Sulfasalazine can occasionally cause lung toxicity such as interstitial pneumonitis and eosinophilic pneumonias. We report a case of a 46 year old female being treated with Sulfasalazine for Ulcerative Colitis, who developed shortness of breath and a radiographic pattern of hilar adenopathy. Biopsy showed granulomas that resembled Sarcoidosis. We review different presentations of Sulfasalazine induced lung disease and describe the first known case of Sulfasalazine lung toxicity mimicking Sarcoidosis.
Transitions of Zn XXII, Zn XXIII, Zn XXIV, Ge XXIV, and Ge XXV observed in laser-produced plasmas

Wavelengths and wave numbers are presented for zinc lines in the F I, O I, and N I isoelectronic sequences as well as for germanium lines in the F I and O I sequences. The transitions are of the type 2s(2)2p(k)-2s2p(k+1), and the lines were observed near 100 A in the spectra of plasmas produced by focusing the pulse from a high-power glass laser on to solid targets of different elements and compounds. The results are compared with prediction based on extrapolations of semiempirical formulas derived by Edlen (1969). The wavelengths and wave numbers of some of the corresponding transitions in Cu XXI, Cu XXII, Cu XXIII, Ga XXIII, and Ga XXIV are interpolated with a probable wavelength accuracy of at least plus or minus 0.02 A.
Parallel Industrial Fluid Dynamics and Structural Mechanics Codes

The European Commission has promoted European industry through the Europort initiative (within the ESPRIT III programme) by partially funding the porting of 38 industrially relevant codes to parallel computers. The goal was to demonstrate the benefit and cost-effectiveness of such systems at large and foster their industrial use. Europort has finished end of February 1996 and this paper presents an overview on results in the areas of fluid dynamics and structural mechanics which were treated in the subproject Europort-1.
Predictive Sensitization Modeling for AA5xxx Aluminum Alloys Including Non-Isothermal Cases

Sensitization of marine grade AA5xxx aluminum alloys results from precipitation of the intermetallic β phase along grain boundaries and is typically assessed by the destructive ASTM G67 procedure. ...
A membrane motor model for the fast motility of the outer hair cell.

A model is presented for describing the membrane potential‐dependent motility of the outer hair cell. This model assumes that the motility is due to conformational changes of motor molecules in the plasma membrane. Two kinds of experimental observations, elasticity of the cell and stretch dependence of the motor molecule, are important for characterize this motility by the model. The motor molecule can be described by a two‐state model which has electrical and mechanical components in the free energy. The electrical component is due to the charge transferred across the membrane and the mechanical component is due to a change in membrane area in the two states. It can be shown that the elastic element and the motor element are connected in series. Thus the apparent strain of the cell is represented by the sum of true elastic strain and changes due to motor molecules. This model predicts the amplitude of the movement and the force produced by the motility. The model predicts the force produced under isometric condition is about 0.1 nN/mV, in agreement with values estimated from in vivo conditions. The effect of an elastic load attached to the cell is also discussed.
Abstract 3132: Proliferative effects of FGF1 on ovarian cancer cells correlate with FGFR4 over expression and are mediated by MAPK/ERK signaling

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Objectives: To identify the effect of FGF1 on cell proliferation in ovarian cancer and endothelial cells, its relation to FGFR4 over expression and signaling pathways involved Methods: Amplification of FGFR4 on 5q31-35, which was previously shown to be associated with poor survival in patients with advanced stage high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC), was validated by quantitative PCR in 52 HGSC. Association between DNA copy numbers of FGFR4 and FGF1 located on the same segment was performed by Spearman correlation analysis. Over expression of FGFR4 protein was confirmed in ovarian cancer cell lines and tissue by western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry, respectively. Endogenous FGF1 production by several ovarian cancer cell lines in conditioned medium was quantified using ELISA. Effect of exogenous FGF1 on cell proliferation of high and low-FGFR4 expressing ovarian cancer cell lines and an immortalized microvascular endothelial cell line was determined by WST-1 assay. Signaling pathways activation was screened by treating ovarian cancer cell lines and endothelial cells transduced with six different transcription response elements using the Cignal-Lenti reporter system with exogenous FGF1. Results: FGFR4 was amplified and over-expressed in a majority of ovarian cancer cell lines and tumor tissue and FGFR4 DNA copy number was significantly correlated with that of FGF1 (r=0.4, p=0.04). Endogenous FGF1 production was detected by ELISA in 2 of 5 screened ovarian cell lines. FGF1 significantly induced cell proliferation in high FGFR4 expressing ovarian cancer cells (20%, p<0.001) and in endothelial cells (15%, p<0.001); but not in low FGFR4 expressers. Significant activation of MAPK/ERK signal transduction pathways was noted after treatment of ovarian(1.43 fold, P < 0.001) and endothelial(1.33 fold, P < 0.001) cell lines transduced with the Cignal-Lenti reporter system. Conclusions: Our report provides preliminary evidence that poor survival associated with FGF1 amplification and over expression appears to be mediated through FGFR4, which is also amplified and over-expressed in ovarian cancer cell. In addition, FGF1 produced by ovarian cancer cells may exert both autocrine and paracrine effect on cancer cells and endothelial cells through the activation of MAPK/ERK pathway. These data suggests that new regimens targeting FGF1, FGFR4 and downstream signaling pathways may improve ovarian cancer patient survival. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3132.
CluRoL: Clustering based Robust Localization in Wireless Sensor Networks

In a wireless sensor network (WSN), the sensor nodes (SNs) generally localize themselves with the help of anchors that know their own positions. In this setting, the localization process has a high risk of being subverted by malicious anchors that lie about their own position and/or distance from the SNs. In this paper, we propose an efficient scheme that helps the SNs identify these malicious anchors and discard them from the localization process. We introduce the concept of the bound circle of an anchor with respect to an SN as the circle whose center is at the anchor and whose radius is the estimate of the distance between the anchor and the SN. Two bound circles may intersect, resulting in at most two intersection points, of which at least one point is close to the true position of the SN, such a point is defined as a proximal point. Pairwise intersection of bound circles results in a dense cluster of proximal points around the position of the SN. This is true even when some of the anchors used by an SN for localization are malicious and are colluding with an aim to have the SN localized at a false position. We propose CluRoL, a technique that helps each SN to localize itself accurately, using a clustering mechanism that performs clustering of these proximal points. Using the resulting cluster the SN is able to identify the false anchors and exclude them from its localization process.
Crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction of the RNA demethylase ALKBH5

N 6-Methyladenosine (m6A) is a ubiquitous modification found in mammalian mRNA and long noncoding RNA. ALKBH5 is a member of the iron(II)- and 2-­oxoglutarate­-dependent AlkB oxygenase family and has been shown to catalyze the oxidative demethylation of N 6-methyladenosine in RNA. The ALKBH5 protein was purified and crystallized using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. The crystals diffracted to 2.4 A resolution using synchrotron radiation. The crystals belonged to space group P212121, with unit-cell parameters a = 57.456, b = 83.406, c = 92.909 A, α = β = γ = 90.00° and one molecule in the asymmetric unit.
Ex vivo induction of TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA in bovine whole blood by Mycobacterium paratuberculosis and mycobacterial cell wall components

Abstract Johne's disease is a chronic enteritis of cattle and other ruminant species that is of worldwide economic importance. The cytokines tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) have been associated with granuloma formation and wasting in other disease syndromes. The potential role of these cytokines in the development and progression of Johne's disease has not been investigated. Using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and specific bovine oligonucleotide cytokine primers and probes for bovine TNF-α and IL-6, we examined theex vivoexpression of mRNA for these inflammatory cytokines in whole blood from healthy cattle. Cytokine mRNA levels increased after a brief incubation of bovine whole blood withMycobacterium paratuberculosisor its lipoarabinomannan (LAM). Muramyl dipeptide (MDP) andEscherichia coliLPS also stimulated TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA expression. Several strains ofM. paratuberculosiswere tested and found to have similar abilities to stimulate TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA expression. Several strains of the closely relatedMycobacterium avium, and the unrelated saprophyte,Mycobacterium phlei, had somewhat less ability to stimulate TNF-α and IL-6 mRNA expression.
Genetic variation of trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors in pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] and its wild relatives

Variation in the trypsin inhibitors (TIs) and the chymotrypsin inhibitors (CIs) among 69 pigeonpea [Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.] strains from a wide geographical distribution and among 17 accessions representing seven wild Cajanus species was studied by electrophoretic banding pattern comparisons and by spectrophotometric activity assays. The TI and CI electrophoretic migration patterns among the pigeonpea strains were highly uniform but varied in the inhibitor band intensities. The migration patterns of the inhibitors in the wild Cajanus species were highly species specific. The mean TI activity of pigeonpea strains (2279 units) was significantly higher than that of the wild Cajanus species (1407 units). However, the mean CI activity in the pigeonpea strains (62 units) was much lower than that in the wild species (162 units). Kenya 2 and ICP 9151 were the lowest and the highest, respectively, in both the TI and CI activities among all the pigeonpea strains used in this study. A highly-significant positive correlation was observed between the TI and CI activities. The Bowman-Birk type inhibitors with both TI and CI activities were identified in all the pigeonpea strains and also in the accessions of all the wild species except C. volubilis (Blanco) Blanco. The C. volubilis accession ICPW 169 was found to be ‘null’ for both CI bands and CI activity. Environment, strain, and environment x strain interaction showed highly-significant effects on both the TI and CI activities. Growing the pigeonpea strains at a different environment from their area of adaptation increased TI and CI activities and also altered the maturity period.
The Escherichia coli enterobactin biosynthesis gene, entD: nucleotide sequence and membrane localization of its protein product.

Summary The nucleotide sequence of the Escherichia coli enterobactin biosynthesis gene entD has been determined. entD specifies a predicted 23579 Dalton protein containing several helical regions, a trans-membrane segment and one positively charged domain. The EntD polypeptide was overexpressed and identified in electrophoretic gels as a membrane protein. Although results of conventional membrane fractionation techniques were inconclusive, protease accessibility studies provided evidence that EntD domains are exposed on the inner leaflet of the cytoplasmic membrane. The presence of repetitive extragenic palindromic (REP) sequences within the fepA-entD intercistronic region was confirmed. Lack of a canonical promoter and an iron control region 5’to entD, along with RNA hybridization data, suggest that an iron-regulated transcript contains both fepA and entD.
A model equation for axisymmetric stability of small-gap parallel-plate flows

Abstract We consider a model equation derived in [18] for the linear stability of a torsional flow of an Oldroyd-B fluid in a parallel-plate device. Axisymmetry, small-gap and zero Reynolds numbers are assumed. The equation is not separable in the radial and vertical variables, but has the advantage that its eigenmodes depend only on the aspect ratio. Once evaluated, the eigenmodes are used to calculate the onset conditions for any retardation parameter and Deborah number. The onset conditions and streamfunction contours are compared with the normal-mode analysis of [14] which assumed radially localized disturbances and the computational results on the full equations [1] . Two facets of the model equation are discussed; first, how well the onset conditions and eigenmodes compare with those of the case where the radially localized assumption is made and secondly, how they approximate those of the full equations.