cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Base-change analysis of revertants of the hisD3052 allele in Salmonella typhimurium.

Abstract This report is an investigation of the specific sequence changes in the DNA of Salmonella hisD3052 revertants induced by a set of specific frameshift mutagens found in our diet. They include B[ a ]P, aflatoxin B 1 , and the cooked-food mutagens, IQ, MeIQ, and PhIP. The Salmonella DNA was cleaved with restriction enzymes Sau 3A, Eco R1, and Alu 1 to give a 620-bp fragment containing the hisD3052 site. The size-fractionated fragments were ligated to the bacteriophage vector M13mp8. After transformation into E. coli , the recombinants were screened with a nick-translated hisD + gene probe, and the isolated single-stranded DNA was sequenced. All IQ (13), MeIQ (3), PhIP (5), and aflatoxin B 1 (3) induced revertants isolated had a 2-base (-CG-dinucleotide) deletion situated 10 bases upstream from the original hisD3052 -C- deletion. In contrast, 9 of 24 revertants induced by B[ a ]P had extensive deletions varying from 8 to 26 nucleotides in length and located at various sites along a 45-base-pair sequence beginning at nucleotide 2085 of the his operon. The other 15 B[ a ]P-induced revertants had a -CG- deletion at the same location as the revertants induced by the other food mutagens. 7 spontaneous revertants were also analyzed; they showed 3 -CG- deletions, 1 insertion and 3 distinct deletions (varying from 2 to 11 bases in size). In total, 13 distinct base changes are described which lead to reversion of the hisD3052 mutation.
A theory of laminar flow stability

The success enjoyed by a laminar flow stability parameter that I previously developed as a generalization of the critical Reynolds number of laminar turbulent transition has occasioned considerable interest in the phenomenological theory underlying the parameter. In this paper an analysis of laminar flow stability is presented which leads naturally to the parameter in a much different manner than originally proposed. The stability parameter is seen to represent the coupling ratio between the rate of change of angular momentum of a deforming fluid element and its rate of loss of momentum by frictional drag. At a certain critical value of this coupling ratio, the element becomes unstable to rotational disturbances. If such disturbances are present, the basic nonlinearity of the momentum transfer process guarantees rapid amplification and generation of a turbulent eddy. The consequnces of the theory are examined for two special fixed boundary classes of motion. The physical interpretation of the parameter is compared with conventional interpretations of the Reynolds number and found to be more fundamentally sound. The application of the theory to moving boundary flows, such as the Couette viscometer, is also discussed and an important physical difference is pointed out.
Practical Conditions for Effectiveness of the Universum Learning

Many applications of machine learning involve analysis of sparse high-dimensional data, in which the number of input features is larger than the number of data samples. Standard inductive learning methods may not be sufficient for such data, and this provides motivation for nonstandard learning settings. This paper investigates a new learning methodology called learning through contradictions or Universum support vector machine (U-SVM). U-SVM incorporates a priori knowledge about application data, in the form of additional Universum samples, into the learning process. This paper investigates possible advantages of U-SVM versus standard SVM, and describes the practical conditions necessary for the effectiveness of the U-SVM. These conditions are based on the analysis of the univariate histograms of projections of training samples onto the normal direction vector of (standard) SVM decision boundary. Several empirical comparisons are presented to illustrate the practical utility of the proposed approach.
Reactive Flow in Silicon Electrodes Assisted by the Insertion of Lithium

In the search for high-energy density materials for Li-ion batteries, silicon has emerged as a promising candidate for anodes due to its ability to absorb a large number of Li atoms. Lithiation of Si leads to large deformation and concurrent changes in its mechanical properties, from a brittle material in its pure form to a material that can sustain large inelastic deformation in the lithiated form. These remarkable changes in behavior pose a challenge to theoretical treatment of the material properties. Here, we provide a detailed picture of the origin of changes in the mechanical properties, based on first-principles calculations of the atomic-scale structural and electronic properties in a model amorphous silicon (a-Si) structure. We regard the reactive flow of lithiated silicon as a nonequilibrium process consisting of concurrent Li insertion driven by unbalanced chemical potential and flow driven by deviatoric stress. The reaction enables the material to flow at a lower level of stress. Our theoretic...
Design considerations for efficient reversible variable length codes

This paper considers the properties reversible variable length codes (RVLCs) that are relevant for construction of highly efficient codes. We establish the dependency between the codeword section process and the efficiency-limiting parameters in the Huffman-code-based RVLC construction algorithm. Using this result, we propose an RVLC construction algorithm with a new codeword selection mechanism. The proposed algorithm yields RVLCs of higher efficiency relative to the other algorithms.
Network Design and Allocation Mechanisms for Carrier Alliances in Liner Shipping

Many real-world systems operate in a decentralized manner, where individual operators interact with varying degrees of cooperation and self motive. In this paper, we study transportation networks that operate as an alliance among different carriers. In particular, we study alliance formation among carriers in liner shipping. We address tactical problems such as the design of large-scale networks (that result from integrating the service networks of different carriers in an alliance) and operational problems such as the allocation of limited capacity on a transportation network among the carriers in the alliance. We utilize concepts from mathematical programming and game theory and design a mechanism to guide the carriers in an alliance to pursue an optimal collaborative strategy. The mechanism provides side payments to the carriers, as an added incentive, to motivate them to act in the best interest of the alliance while maximizing their own profits. Our computational results suggest that the mechanism can be used to help carriers form sustainable alliances.
Metabolic dominance of bivalves predates brachiopod diversity decline by more than 150 million years

Brachiopods and bivalves feed in similar ways and have occupied the same environments through geological time, but brachiopods were far more diverse and abundant in the Palaeozoic whereas bivalves dominate the post-Palaeozoic, suggesting a transition in ecological dominance 250 Ma. However, diversity and abundance data alone may not adequately describe key changes in ecosystem function, such as metabolic activity. Here, we use newly compiled body size data for 6066 genera of bivalves and brachiopods to calculate metabolic rates and revisit this question from the perspective of energy use, finding that bivalves already accounted for a larger share of metabolic activity in Palaeozoic oceans. We also find that the metabolic activity of bivalves has increased by more than two orders of magnitude over this interval, whereas brachiopod metabolic activity has declined by more than 50%. Consequently, the increase in bivalve energy metabolism must have occurred via the acquisition of new food resources rather than through the displacement of brachiopods. The canonical view of a mid-Phanerozoic transition from brachiopod to bivalve dominance results from a focus on taxonomic diversity and numerical abundance as measures of ecological importance. From a metabolic perspective, the oceans have always belonged to the clams.
Delay-dependent adaptive robust H ∞ control for uncertain linear systems with time-varying delay

This paper considers the problem of delay-dependent adaptive robust Hinfin control for uncertain linear systems with time-varying delays. The uncertainties are assumed to be time-varying, unknown, but bounded. A new adaptive robust Hinfin controller is presented, whose gains are updating automatically according to the online estimates of uncertain parameters. By combining the idea of indirect adaptive control method and linear matrix inequality method to derive a new adaptive Hinfin controller, sufficient conditions with less conservativeness than those of the corresponding controller without adaptive mechanism are given to guarantee both robust asymptotic stability and Hinfin disturbance attenuation. An numerical example and its simulation results are given to demonstrate the effectiveness and the benefits of the proposed method.
The Basin and Range Province as a Composite Extensional Domain

The Basin and Range province is a composite Cenozoic taphrogen with a present configuration and internal geometry derived from superimposed multiple phases of extensional deformation driven by varied geodynamic impulses. Different components of the composite taphrogen derive from: (a) post-orogenic Late Paleocene to Middle Miocene slab rollback beneath overthickened crust of the Sevier-Laramide orogen, to induce migratory arc magmatism, tectonic denudation of Cordilleran metamorphic core complexes within associated domains of crustal extension, and belts of backarc rifting including pre-Middle Miocene phases of the Rio Grande rift; (b) Eocene transrotational tectonism that pivoted and displaced crustal elements of the Paleogene forearc in the Pacific Northwest; (c) late Early Miocene and younger crustal extension in the northwestern Basin and Range province (Numic subtraphrogen including segments in the Great Basin, Southeast Oregon Plateau, and Idaho-Montana border regions) as structural accompaniment to...
Quantitative Measurement of Diesel Particulate Matter in an Underground Coal Mine Using Laser Raman Spectroscopy

Abstract The use of diesel-powered equipment in coal mines is increasing. Diesel particulate matter (DPM) found in the respirable dust in underground coal mines has been of concern as an additional health hazard because DPM has been found to be a mutagen and/or carcinogen. Although the regulated exposure limit has not been established, there is a need to control DPM. In order to control DPM effectively, it must be measured quantitatively. The Laser Raman Quantitative Analysis (LRQA) technique was developed to measure the fractions of diesel particulate and coal dust on a filter similar to the filter currently used to measure the mine ambient air concentration of respirable coal dust. This article discusses use of the LRQA method to determine the fractions of diesel and coal aerosol in a fourth U.S. underground coal mine. The LRQA method has several advantages, that is, the measurement is independent of the particle size and there is no sample preparation that may alter the sample. This article discusses r...
AN ASSESSMENT OF QUALITY OF LIFE IN AMBULATORY SCHIZOPHRENICS: WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION QUALITY OF LIFE ASSESSMENT SCALE (WHOQOL-100) CONCEPTS QUALITY OF LIFE OF AMBULATORY SCHIZOPHRENICS

The name “schizophrenia” indicates “a fragmented mind” and it was coined by Eugen Bleuler. Schizophrenia affects nearly 1 percent of the US population and its estimated annual direct and indirect c...
Error Analysis of the Impedance Response of PEM Fuel Cells

2polymer electrolyte membrane PEM fuel cell. The stochastic errors were found to be roughly independent of frequency and were similar for the two instruments used. The measurement-model approach was found to be capable of identifying both high-frequency and low-frequency artifacts in the spectra. The low-frequency inductive loops were found, in some cases, to be consistent with the Kramer–Kronig relations. In other cases, nonstationary phenomena were found to have influenced the low-frequency response. This work showed that once steady-state operation was achieved, the low-frequency inductive loops in the impedance response could be associated with physical phenomena within the fuel cell. In addition, the formalism of the measurement-model error analysis provides a means for determining whether a steady state has been achieved. Polymer electrolyte membrane PEM fuel cells are electrochemical devices capable of continuous conversion of the chemical energy of reactants into electrical energy. They are currently in development for a wide range of commercial applications and are especially important for stationary power sources. Impedance measurements of PEM fuel cells provide the opportunity for in situ identification and quantification of physical phenomena which influence cell performance, but the small value of cell impedance complicates measurement. Impedance spectra typically exhibit inductive features at high frequency, and some authors report inductive loops at low frequencies. The high-frequency inductive features are understood to be caused by instrument artifacts, but the interpretation of the low-frequency inductive loops is less clear. While the low-frequency loops have been tentatively attributed to side reactions, 1,2 they could also be caused or influenced by nonstationary phenomena. The objective of this work was to use the measurement-model concept 3-6 to assess the error structure of the impedance measurements taken for a PEM fuel cell.
The Mechanics of Crossing-Over

A theoretical treatment of the frequency distribution of chiasmata along a chromosome is developed, based on Darlington9s postulate of relating crossing-over to chromosome coiling. Each chromatid is assumed to be an elastic thread subject to torsion and longitudinal stress, which is liable to break (but not yield) at a definite breaking load. It is supposed further that when an interchange occurs after a break, the consequential relief of torsional strain is confined to a small region round the location of the break, resulting in a lowering of the probability of a further break. The assumption about the effect of a break is formulated in a suitable way and an expression for the distribution function is thence derived. It is shown that in the limit of no interference this distribution goes over to the Poisson type, in conformity with Haldane9s conclusions. Expressions are calculated for the mean and the standard deviation of the distribution; the former gives the relation between the mean chiasma frequency and chromosome-length.
Protecting MANETs from Spurious CTS Attacks with Randomized Carrier Sensing

The request-to-send and clear-to-send (RTS/CTS) exchange has been used in mobile ad-hoc networks (MANETs) to alleviate the hidden and exposed terminal problems. In such an exchange, the so-called network allocation vector (NAV) indicates the current and future state of the channel. Unfortunately, this technique may suffer from virtual jamming by malicious nodes in the network. For example, malicious nodes may send periodic Spurious CTS (SCTS) packets with the sole purpose of forcing other nodes to update their NAV values and preventing them from using the channel. In this paper, we investigate the effect of such SCTS attacks and propose a solution, termed carrier sensing based discarding (CSD). The CSD scheme serves as an add-on to the original RTS/CTS-based medium access control schemes such as IEEE 802.11 DCF MAC. We further demonstrate the performance of our proposed scheme through analysis and the ns2 simulator.
Super-low dose endotoxin pre-conditioning exacerbates sepsis mortality.

Sepsis mortality varies dramatically in individuals of variable immune conditions, with poorly defined mechanisms. This phenomenon complements the hypothesis that innate immunity may adopt rudimentary memory, as demonstrated in vitro with endotoxin priming and tolerance in cultured monocytes. However, previous in vivo studies only examined the protective effect of endotoxin tolerance in the context of sepsis. In sharp contrast, we report herein that pre-conditioning with super-low or low dose endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) cause strikingly opposite survival outcomes. Mice pre-conditioned with super-low dose LPS experienced severe tissue damage, inflammation, increased bacterial load in circulation, and elevated mortality when they were subjected to cecal-ligation and puncture (CLP). This is in contrast to the well-reported protective phenomenon with CLP mice pre-conditioned with low dose LPS. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that super-low and low dose LPS differentially modulate the formation of neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) in neutrophils. Instead of increased ERK activation and NET formation in neutrophils pre-conditioned with low dose LPS, we observed significantly reduced ERK activation and compromised NET generation in neutrophils pre-conditioned with super-low dose LPS. Collectively, our findings reveal a mechanism potentially responsible for the dynamic programming of innate immunity in vivo as it relates to sepsis risks.
Molecular Targeted Therapy of Lung Cancer

The traditional chemotherapy agents used in treatment of advanced lung cancer resulted in only slight improvement of overall survival. Novel agents that target specific signaling molecules of cellular growth pathways have emerged as a new treatment approach to non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) in the last decade. A major accomplishment in the treatment of advanced lung cancer was the discovery of tyrosine kinase inhibitors targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor. Patients’ responses to these therapies are variable and testing for predictive biomarkers of therapeutic response is becoming an important part of the diagnostic workup. The second most widely recognized drugable target in lung adenocarcinoma is EML4-ALK rearrangement. The number of targeted anticancer agents in NSCLC at various stages of clinical development is increasing. Other gene alterations that play an important role in adenocarcinoma development have been identified and new targeted therapies against MET, BRAF, PIK3CA, and under targets are under development. Most of the targeted agents have effect on adenocarcinoma, whereas experiences with targeted therapies in other types of non-small cell carcinomas are limited. The major lesson learned from early clinical trials is that targeted therapies show the best efficacy in selected group of patients with specific molecular alterations.
A novel broadband T/R module for phased array applications in wireless communications

A novel broadband T/R module with four channels used in a multi-frequency phased array transceiver for mobile satellite communications is presented in this paper. The T/R module is comprised of two receive channels at 12 and 21 GHz and two transmit channels at 10 and 19 GHz. Measured results indicate that the T/R module has excellent channel isolation of over 60 dB for the two low frequency channels and over 32 dB for the two high frequency channels, small gain and phase variations among the channels, good noise figures and 1 dB compression point output power. The module can be utilized as a building block for a multi-frequency phased array transceiver. A 4-element phased sub-array using 4 T/R modules has been demonstrated and shows that the T/R module works well.
Gene therapy II: viral vectors and treatment modalities

Gene therapy encompasses a recently developed group of pharmaceuticals in which the therapeutic agent consists of nucleic acid sequences – DNA, RNA, or some modification thereof – rather than a small molecule. The field arose in the 1980s in the wake of improvements in recombinant DNA technology, and in the midst of better comprehension of gene regulation and modulation processes that could be exploited to construct practical gene therapy systems. Most gene therapy vectors are viral in nature, with retroviruses, adenoviruses, and adeno-associated viruses dominating most protocols, and they have been applied to treat a wide variety of disease subtypes: inherited genetic disorders, cancer, protein aggregation diseases, cardiovascular disease, and infectious disease have all been considered in proposed modalities. Gene therapy offers the potential to treat disease with an unprecedented selectivity and therapeutic index, and to allow the flexible design of new pharmaceutical agents on a much more rapid scale than in most traditional schemes. However, technical obstacles related to vector delivery, adequate expression levels, and persistence of viral transgenic sequences continue to pose difficult challenges for clinical application. This article reviews basic gene therapy principles, common vectors and disease targets, and clinical approaches to convey the current state of the field and its future directions. Keywords: gene therapy; gene replacement; cystic fibrosis; sickle-cell anemia; cancer; neoplastic disease; cancer vaccines; retrovirus; adenovirus; oncolytic viruses; angiogenesis; adeno-associated virus (AAV); herpesvirus; amplicon; Epstein–Barr virus (EBV); antisense RNA; RNAi; siRNA; gene correction; chimeraplasty; clinical trials
Evolutionary dynamics of HIV at multiple spatial and temporal scales

Infectious diseases remain a formidable challenge to human health, and understanding pathogen evolution is crucial to designing effective therapeutics and control strategies. Here, we review important evolutionary aspects of HIV infection, highlighting the concept of selection at multiple spatial and temporal scales. At the smallest scale, a single cell may be infected by multiple virions competing for intracellular resources. Recombination and phenotypic mixing introduce novel evolutionary dynamics. As the virus spreads between cells in an infected individual, it continually evolves to circumvent the immune system. We discuss evolutionary mechanisms of HIV pathogenesis and progression to AIDS. Viral spread throughout the human population can lead to changes in virulence and the transmission of immune-evading variation. HIV emerged as a human pathogen due to selection occurring between different species, adapting from related viruses of primates. HIV also evolves resistance to antiretroviral drugs within a single infected host, and we explore the possibility for the spread of these strains between hosts, leading to a drug-resistant epidemic. We investigate the role of latency, drug-protected compartments, and direct cell-to-cell transmission on viral evolution. The introduction of an HIV vaccine may select for viral variants that escape vaccine control, both within an individual and throughout the population. Due to the strong selective pressure exerted by HIV-induced morbidity and mortality in many parts of the world, the human population itself may be co-evolving in response to the HIV pandemic. Throughout the paper, we focus on trade-offs between costs and benefits that constrain viral evolution and accentuate how selection pressures differ at different levels of selection.
Accelerating molecular modeling applications with graphics processors

Molecular mechanics simulations offer a computational approach to study the behavior of biomolecules at atomic detail, but such simulations are limited in size and timescale by the available computing resources. State- of-the-art graphics processing units (GPUs) can perform over 500 billion arithmetic operations per second, a tremen- dous computational resource that can now be utilized for general purpose computing as a result of recent advances in GPU hardware and software architecture. In this article, an overview of recent advances in programmable GPUs is presented, with an emphasis on their application to molecular mechanics simulations and the programming techni- ques required to obtain optimal performance in these cases. We demonstrate the use of GPUs for the calculation of long-range electrostatics and nonbonded forces for molecular dynamics simulations, where GPU-based calculations are typically 10-100 times faster than heavily optimized CPU-based implementations. The application of GPU accel- eration to biomolecular simulation is also demonstrated through the use of GPU-accelerated Coulomb-based ion placement and calculation of time-averaged potentials from molecular dynamics trajectories. A novel approximation to Coulomb potential calculation, the multilevel summation method, is introduced and compared with direct Cou- lomb summation. In light of the performance obtained for this set of calculations, future applications of graphics processors to molecular dynamics simulations are discussed.
Development of Spanish Version of the Littlears Parental Questionnaire for Use in the United States and Latin America.

The LittlEARS Auditory Questionnaire is a parent questionnaire created to assess development of age-dependent auditory behaviors of children in the pre-verbal stage. The original questionnaire was developed in Austria (in German), and is now being introduced in the United States in English. This study was designed to obtain normative data on a Spanish translation. Fifty parents or caregivers participated. Responses were obtained at their child’s visit to a hospital clinic or an external ambulatory site. Children ranged in age from .5 to 21.4 months (mean = 9.5 months). Parents were either Spanish monolingual or bilingual representing 5 national origins. Analyses included correlation of age with total score, and with individual questions, index of difficulty, discrimination and selectivity indices, scale analysis, split-half reliability and internal consistency. Specifically, correlation between age and number of observed behaviors was 0.927. A measure of internal consistency was high, 0.95. Results indicated that the translated LittlEARS for use with Spanish speakers is a potentially useful tool for clinicians assessing pre-verbal auditory behavior. High correlations of total score with age suggested that the questionnaire reflects a progression of auditory skills in the 0 to 24 months age group.
Systematic palaeontology and biostratigraphy: are they ``dated''?

There is probably something buried deeply within the human genome that urges man to collect, sort, and classify. How else is it possible to explain a child's collection of matchbook covers or Mendeleev's periodic classification of the elements? Systematic palaeontology and biostratigraphy turn this natural urge to very practical purposes, for the geologist and the evolutionist are dependent on the results. However, anyone reading the pages of certain palaeobiological journals, or a certain type of article on extinction, might be forgiven for concluding that we now have reached the point where further systematic description of fossils and further refining of our biostratigraphic classification had reached the point of diminishing returns.
Contribution of agrometeorology to the simulation of crop production and its applications

Weather has a significant impact on crop growth and development. This paper presents an overview of crop modeling and applications of crop models, and the significance of weather related to these applications. To account for the impact of weather and climate variability on crop production, agrometeorological variables are one of the key inputs required for the operation of crop simulation models. These include maximum and minimum air temperature, total solar radiation, and total rainfall. Most models use daily data as input, because variables at a smaller time scale are usually unavailable for most locations. It is important to define standard file formats for weather and other input data; this will expand the applicability of weather data by different models. Issues related to missing variables and data, as well as locations for which no data are available, need to be addressed for model applications, as it can affect the accuracy of the simulations. Weather generators can be used to stochastically generate daily data when data are missing or long-term historical data are unavailable. However, the use of observed weather data for model input will provide more precise crop yield simulations, especially for tropical regions. Many of the crop models have been applied towards strategic and tactical management decision making as well as yield forecasting. The predicted variability of crop yield and related variables as well as natural resource use is mainly due to the short- and long-term variation of weather and climate conditions. The results produced by the models can be used to make appropriate management decisions and to provide farmers and others with alternative options for their farming system. The crop models have been used extensively to study the impact of climate change on agricultural production and food security. Recently, they have also been applied towards the impact of climate variability and the effect of El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on agricultural production and food security. It is expected that, with the increased availability of computers, the use of crop models by farmers and consultants as well as policy and decision makers will increase. Weather data in the form of historical data or observations made during the current growing season, and short-, medium-, and long-term weather forecasts will play a critical role in these applications.
Photonic crystal theory: Temporal coupled-mode formalism

Publisher Summary Photonic crystal structures have an artificially created optical band gap introduced by a periodic array of perturbations. Different types of waveguides and cavities are fabricated that uniquely use the bandgap-based confinement. These artificially created materials are of great interest for potential optical information processing applications because they provide a common platform to miniaturize a large number of optical components on-chip down to single wavelength scale. Many devices are designed using such a material with a photonic bandgap and introduction of line and point defect states into the gap. This chapter reviews the temporal coupled-mode theory formalism that provides the theoretical foundation of these devices. The developments highlight two general trends in the theoretical work in this field: on the one hand, using computational electromagnetic techniques such as the finite-difference time-domain methods in combination with modern large-scale computing architectures. With the band structures and modal properties of passive dielectric photonic structures largely mapped out, analytic models can be created with only a few dynamic variables based on modal properties.
Understanding metacomprehension accuracy within video annotation systems

While much research has been conducted on annotations and note-taking in the context of learning from static text and images, the influence of annotating instructional video upon metacognitive monitoring and learning remains unclear. This is an important issue because video annotation systems are gaining popularity in the practice of online and blended learning, but the conditions for effective implementation of such systems are still not well understood. This study explored the influence of video annotation conditions upon metacomprehension accuracy and learning performance with a group of 81 undergraduate students of various majors. Findings suggest that video annotation systems designed for simultaneous notetaking may have a deleterious effect upon metacognitive monitoring in general and metacomprehension in particular. Text-based strategies used to improve metacomprehension accuracy such as a delay in the production of a keyword to summarize the essence of an instructional topic do not appear to impact metacognitive performance in the context of video annotation. Interestingly, participants in the control condition (without annotation) performed as well in both learning performance and metacomprehension accuracy as their counterparts. These findings have implications for the design of video annotation systems and learner best practices in the use of video annotation, particularly in online and blended learning formats. The article examined the impact of video annotation upon metacomprehension accuracy.Results showed simultaneous video annotation hinders metacomprehension accuracy.Spilt attention effects explain negative effects of simultaneous video annotation.Delayed-keyword effects upon metacomprehension did not manifest in video conditions.
A rapid nonenzymatic assay for 2,3-DPG in multiple specimens of blood.

A simple, sensitive method of measure for D-2,3-diphosphoglyceric acid (2,3- DPG), which readily lends itself to the analysis of multiple samples, is reported herein. Phosphate content of the red blood cells (RBC) represents approximately 64% 2,3- DPG, 26% adenosine nucleotides, and 3% inorganic phosphate. The remaining phosphate-containing compounds account for less than 10% of the total phosphate. With this method trichloroacetic acid filtrates of RBC are treated with charcoal to remove nucleotides and analyzed for inorganic and total (hydrolyzable) phosphorus. The difference between these measurements is considered 2,3-DPG. The residual phosphorus is equivalent to less than 10% of the total phosphorus and represents less than 0.6µ.mol when equated as 2,3-DPG. With this method, the mean level for 20 control subjects was 5.22µmol (SD 0.880) as compared to Krimsky’s method with a mean level of 4.95µmol (SD 0.847).
Analysis of deformed YBa2Cu3O7−δ

In this study, polycrystalline YBa2Cu3O7−δ (123) was deformed under controlled conditions with a confining pressure of 1.0GPa, temperatures of 25, 500 and 800° C, and a strain rate of 10−4 sec−1 in order to ascertain the micromechanisms of deformation that give rise to the macroscopic plastic behaviour. The deformed material was analysed using optical microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and a SQUID magnetometer to study the effects of deformation on the microstructure of YBa2Cu3O7−δ and how changes in the microstructure affected the superconducting properties. The results of these preliminary experiments suggest that the 123 material will be very difficult to deform plastically as slip occurs only on the (001) plane. The lack of multiple slip systems implies that this material will show some brittle behaviour up to a very high homologous temperature. Even when plastic behaviour can be sustained for high strains it may require high annealing temperatures to remove lattice imperfections which impede the superconducting currents. Densification by high pressure deformation may make reoxygenation difficult due to the reduced diffusion rates between the grains. These factors combined suggest that traditional fabrication techniques are not applicable to the 123 material. More work needs to be carried out to determine how annealing affects the microstructures of deformed materials and how these changes in microstructure affect the superconducting properties of these materials.
Fatal Nonhepatic Hyperammonemia in ICU Setting: A Rare but Serious Complication following Bariatric Surgery

Bariatric surgery is well established in reducing weight and improving the obesity-associated morbidity and mortality. Hyperammonemic encephalopathy following bariatric surgery is rare but highly fatal if not diagnosed in time and managed aggressively. Both macro- and micronutrients deficiencies play a role. A 42-year-old Hispanic female with a history of Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Procedure was brought to ED for progressive altered mental status. Physical exam was remarkable for drowsiness with Glasgow Coma Scale 11, ascites, and bilateral pedal edema. Labs showed elevated ammonia, low hemoglobin, low serum prealbumin, albumin, HDL, and positive toxicology. She remained obtunded despite the treatment with Narcan and flumazenil and the serum ammonia level fluctuated despite standard treatment with lactulose and rifaximin. Laboratory investigations helped to elucidate the etiology of the hyperammonemia most likely secondary to unmasking the functional deficiency of the urea cycle enzymes. Hyperammonemia in the context of normal liver function tests becomes diagnostically challenging for physicians. Severe hyperammonemia is highly fatal. Early diagnosis and aggressive treatment can alter the prognosis favorably.
Effect of Feeding Pollen Substitutes to Colonies of Honey Bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Exposed to Carbaryl

Twenty-four colonies, established from 3-lb (ca. 1.4-kg) packages of Italian bees, were divided into two groups of 12 colonies each. Twelve colonies were exposed to Sevin (50w) at a rate of 2.5 lb (AI) per acre (2.5 kg/ha) on 8 July 1981. Twelve colonies were moved to a second apiary the day before spraying. In each group, six colonies were fed a lactalbumin-yeast pollen substitute and six were not fed. Colony weights, dead bee trap counts, and brood measurements were recorded from April to October 1981. The 12 colonies exposed to carbaryl survived the spray, but a significant number of dead bees were counted daily for 7 days after the spray treatment. After 7 days the mortality was normal. Overall, the total amount of brood reared to the sealed stage was not significantly different, as determined by a three-way analysis of variance. However, immediately after the spray, the pollen substitute-fed colonies reared significantly more brood than unfed colonies. The carbaryl-treated and untreated colonies yielded similar amounts of honey, indicating that the loss of several thousand foraging bees did not have a long-range affect on the colonies.
Basic fuchsin and picro-indigo carmine: a selective stain for cells in mitosis and for autoradiography.

Selective staining of dividing nuclei is accomplished as follows: paraffin sections, after hydration, are stained 15 min in a saturated aqueous solution of basic fuchsin, washed, then stained 1.5 min in an equal-volumes mixture of indigo carmine saturated in 70% alcohol, and saturated aqueous picric acid. Removal of excess dye with 3 changes of 70% alcohol, dehydration, clearing and covering in a resinous medium completes the process. Nuclei of dividing cells are stained red; cytoplasm and interphase nuclei, light green. This method has been used successfully for determining the mitotic activity of skin, kidney, liver and other rabbit and mouse tissues. Tissue sections previously prepared as autoradiographs may be stained by this method to facilitate the determination of radioactive labeling of mitotic cells.
Free Thyroxine and Functional Mobility, Fitness, and Fatigue in Euthyroid Older Men and Women in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging

BACKGROUND Emerging evidence suggests that mildly down-regulated thyroid function in older persons may protect and/or reflect maintained health. METHODS Using observational data collected between January 2006 and March 2014 on a volunteer sample of 602 men and women aged 68-97 years with normal thyroid function participating in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, this study examines the concurrent relationship between reported walking ability, usual and rapid gait speed, endurance walk performance, fatigability, and reported energy level with respect to free thyroxine (FT4) within the normal range (0.76-1.50ng/dL) as a continuous variable and categorized as low (lower quartile), medium (interquartile), or high (upper quartile). RESULTS Adjusting for sex, age, race, height, weight, exercise and smoking, reported walking ability, usual and rapid gait speed, 400-m time, fatigability, and reported energy level were less favorable with increasing FT4 (p = .013 to <.001). In sex-strata, similar associations were observed except for walking ability in men and energy level in women. Categorical analyses revealed that persons with low FT4 exhibited better functional mobility, fitness, and reported energy than persons with intermediate or high levels (p < .05 for all). Persons with high-normal versus medium FT4 had slower usual and rapid gait speed (p < .05) only. CONCLUSION Older adults with low-normal FT4 exhibit better mobility, fitness, and fatigue profiles. Mildly down-regulated thyroid function appears to align with better function in old age and may serve as a biomarker of healthy longevity.
Ex Vivo Renal Artery Reconstruction Using Perfusion Preservation

AbstractA series of 22 cases of ex vivo renal artery reconstruction using continuous perfusion preservation is reviewed. All patients had extensive renal vascular lesions considered inoperable by standard in situ techniques. Replacement of the diseased segments of the renal artery and its branches was accomplished using arterial autografts in all cases. Definite operative advantages accrued from the use of continuous perfusion preservation. In addition, no instance of postoperative acute tubular necrosis occurred in the series. All patients are normotensive postoperatively, with a mean followup of 1.9 years.
Wiring Mother Nature (Interfacial electrochemistry of proteins.)

Given the rapidly expanding feasibility of conducting interfacial electrochemical experiments on redox proteins, as described in the article by Isao Taniguchi in this issue of Interface, this article will specifically address the following question: what quantitative and fundamental information can be obtained from such experiments with regard to the protein itself and the protein/electrode interface?
Neuroscience and War: Human Enhancement, Soldier Rehabilitation, and the Ethical Limits of Dual-use Frameworks

Recent breakthroughs in neuroscience have led to increasing concern about its uses in warfare. This article challenges the primacy of dual-use frameworks for posing ethical questions concerning the role of neuroscience in national security. It brings together three fields – critical war studies, bio-ethics, and the history of medicine – to argue that such frameworks too starkly divide ‘good’ and ‘bad’ military uses of neurotechnology, thus focusing on the degradation of human capacities without sufficiently accounting for human enhancement and soldier rehabilitation. It illustrates this through the emergence of diagnoses of Traumatic Brain Injury and Polytrauma in the context of post-9/11 counterinsurgency wars. The article proposes an alternative approach, highlighting the historical co-production and homology of modern war and medicine so as to grapple with how war shapes neuroscience, but also how neuroscience shapes war. The article suggests new routes for thinking through the connections between war,...
A phenomenological continuum model for force-driven nano-channel liquid flows

A phenomenological continuum model is developed using systematic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of force-driven liquid argon flows confined in gold nano-channels at a fixed thermodynamic state. Well known density layering near the walls leads to the definition of an effective channel height and a density deficit parameter. While the former defines the slip-plane, the latter parameter relates channel averaged density with the desired thermodynamic state value. Definitions of these new parameters require a single MD simulation performed for a specific liquid-solid pair at the desired thermodynamic state and used for calibration of model parameters. Combined with our observations of constant slip-length and kinematic viscosity, the model accurately predicts the velocity distribution and volumetric and mass flow rates for force-driven liquid flows in different height nano-channels. Model is verified for liquid argon flow at distinct thermodynamic states and using various argon-gold interaction strengths. Further verification is performed for water flow in silica and gold nano-channels, exhibiting slip lengths of 1.2 nm and 15.5 nm, respectively. Excellent agreements between the model and the MD simulations are reported for channel heights as small as 3 nm for various liquid-solid pairs.
Factors impacting time to acceptance and publication for peer-reviewed publications

AbstractObjective: Timely publication of data is important for the medical community and provides a valuable contribution to data disclosure. The objective of this study was to identify and evaluate times to acceptance and publication for peer-reviewed manuscripts, reviews, and letters to the editor.Research design and methods: Key publication metrics for published manuscripts, reviews, and letters to the editor were identified by eight Amgen publications professionals. Data for publications submitted between 1 January 2013 and 1 November 2015 were extracted from a proprietary internal publication-tracking database. Variables included department initiating the study, publication type, number of submissions per publication, and the total number of weeks from first submission to acceptance, online publication, and final publication.Results: A total of 337 publications were identified, of which 300 (89%) were manuscripts. Time from submission to acceptance and publication was generally similar between clinic...
A Four-Well Dish for High-Resolution Longitudinal Imaging of the Tail and Posterior Trunk of Larval Zebrafish

Abstract We describe the design, fabrication, and applications of a four-well dish for imaging of the trunk of larval zebrafish. The dish facilitates immobilization of anesthetized zebrafish larvae, with their tails gently pushed against a microscope cover glass, enabling longitudinal imaging at 24–72 h postfertilization using high-resolution objective lenses.
How to govern geoengineering

The Paris Agreement aims to limit the global temperature rise to 1.5° to 2°C above preindustrial temperature, but achieving this goal requires much higher levels of mitigation than currently planned. This challenge has focused greater attention on climate geoengineering approaches, which intentionally alter Earth's climate system, as part of an overall response starting with radical mitigation. Yet it remains unclear how to govern research on, and potential deployment of, geoengineering technologies.
Qualitative similarity and stock price comovement

Abstract I introduce a method for gauging the qualitative similarity of firm-specific information based on linguistic commonality in newswire text. I show that this new qualitative similarity measure predicts future cross-firm return correlation even after accounting for the pair's contemporaneous price comovement, common exposures to systematic risk, firm liquidity, price, index membership, text volume, headquarters location, product similarity, shared mutual fund or institutional ownership, common analyst following and newswire co-mentions. I also demonstrate that content produced solely by journalists cannot predict an economically meaningful portion of future comovement. Out-of-sample tests confirm that knowledge of qualitative similarity can also reduce portfolio risk.
Durability of adhesive bonds to tooth structure involving the DEJ

The importance of the Dentin Enamel Junction (DEJ) to the durability of adhesive bonds to tooth structure is unclear. In fact, no investigation has been reported on contributions of the DEJ to the fatigue resistance of the bonded interface. In this study, the durability of adhesive bonds to tooth structure involving the DEJ was quantified and compared to that of adhesive bonds to enamel only, not including the DEJ. Two different configurations of enamel bonding were considered, including when tensile stress is focused on the outer enamel (occlusal configuration) or the inner decussated enamel (decussated configuration). The resistance to failure for all bonded interfaces was assessed under both static and cyclic loading to failure. Results showed that the durability of the bonded interfaces was primarily a function of their resistance to crack initiation and growth. The bonded interface strength involving the DEJ was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) greater than that of bonds to enamel only with occlusal configuration, under both static and cyclic loading. While the fatigue strength of bonds involving the DEJ was approximately 20% greater than that for enamel bonds with occlusal configuration (7.7MPa) it was lower than that of enamel with the decussated configuration. The DEJ deterred cracks from extending readily into the dentin but it did not prevent fatigue failure. These results suggest that the durability of bonds to enamel are most dependent on the enamel rod decussation and that the DEJ plays a minor role.