cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rationale, design, and methodology for the healthy mothers-healthy children study: a randomized controlled trial.

Hispanic women and children who become overweight or obese are at risk for developing prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease later in life. Interdisciplinary interventions which target Hispanic women and their 3–5-year old children to improve nutrition and physical activity behaviors, manage adiposity and weight in mothers, and prevent excessive adiposity and weight gain trajectory in their children offer promise to break the intergenerational cycle. Using a randomized two-group, repeated measures experimental design, the goal of the proposed study is to investigate the efficacy of a 12-week nutrition and physical activity program including education, coping skills training, and home-based intervention in Hispanic women and their 3–5-year old children. The program includes 6 months of continued monthly contact to help overweight and obese Hispanic mothers and their children improve adiposity, weight (trajectory for children), health behaviors (nutrition and physical activity), and self-efficacy We will partner with two federally qualified health departments in Durham and Chatham counties, North Carolina to enroll participants. We will partner with community centers to deliver the intervention. A total of 294 Hispanic women with a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 and 294 Hispanic 3–5-year old children with a ≥ 25th BMI percentile will be enrolled over 4 years and randomized to the experimental or equal attention control group. Data will be collected at Time 1 (0 months [baseline]) to Time 2 (9 months [completion of the intervention]) and Time 1 to Time 3 (15 months [after 6 months with no contact from the study staff]). Data collected will include adiposity and weight in mothers and children (primary outcomes). Secondary outcomes will include health behaviors and self-efficacy in the mothers and in the children. We will also evaluate the cost of delivering the program for public health departments. We will use general linear mixed models to test the hypotheses. Decreasing overweight and obesity in Hispanic women and slowing adiposity and weight gain trajectory in young Hispanic children is urgently needed to decrease morbidity, mortality, and future health care costs. NCT03866902. (March 7, 2019).
Editors’ introduction: Since last We spoke…

As Administrative Theory & Praxis's Dialogues series on COVID-19 continues, we reflect on where we have come and where we are going while previewing new pieces in the series.
The new blue economy in the American Arctic: challenge and opportunity in the 21st century

Abstract This chapter highlights many of the ways that NOAA is supporting the new blue economy in the Arctic through advancing the understanding, health, and sustainable use of the natural environment in the region. The chapter then provides examples of how NOAA’s people, policies, products, and services are helping to ensure that the American Arctic thrives. The contributions of data, information, and knowledge are also representative of the positive approach NOAA is taking toward mitigating the challenges in the Arctic and throughout the nation’s oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes. The chapter concludes with NOAA’s path forward for support of the Arctic and the American blue economy by leveraging private sector capabilities and applying emergent science and technology.
Convergence Polygons for Connections on Nonarchimedean Curves

In classical analysis, one builds the catalog of special functions by repeatedly adjoining solutions of differential equations whose coefficients are previously known functions. Consequently, the properties of special functions depend crucially on the basic properties of ordinary differential equations. This naturally led to the study of formal differential equations, as in the seminal work of Turrittin [165]; this may be viewed retroactively as a theory of differential equations over a trivially valued field. After the introduction of p-adic analysis in the early twentieth century, there began to be corresponding interest in solutions of p-adic differential equations; however, aside from some isolated instances (e.g., the proof of the Nagell–Lutz theorem; see Theorem 3.4), a unified theory of p-adic ordinary differential equations did not emerge until the pioneering work of Dwork on the relationship between p-adic special functions and the zeta functions of algebraic varieties over finite fields (e.g., see [57, 58]). At that point, serious attention began to be devoted to a serious discrepancy between the p-adic and complex-analytic theories: on an open p-adic disc, a nonsingular differential equation can have a formal solution which does not converge in the entire disc (e.g., the exponential series). One is thus led to quantify the convergence of power series solutions of differential equations involving rational functions over a nonarchimedean field; this was originally done by Dwork in terms of the generic radius of convergence [59]. This and more refined invariants were studied by numerous authors during the half-century following Dwork’s initial work, as documented in the author’s book [92].
Relativism and Rationality: Towards an “Absolutist” Epistemology

Suppose I am right that, for some or all of the reasons adumbrated thus far, epistemological relativism is untenable: suppose, that is, that the relativist position cannot be asserted or defended without being embroiled in self-contradiction. What follows? What does the rejection of relativism imply for epistemology? What must an “absolutist,” i.e. non-relativist, epistemology be like?
Regulating G protein activity by lipase-independent functions of phospholipase C.

The phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PLC) family is known to regulate physiological response through an increase in the levels of cytosolic Ca(2+). PLC hydrolyzes phosphatidylinositol-4, 5-bisphosphate (PIP2) to inositol-1, 4, 5-trisphosphate (IP3) and diacylglycerol (DAG). IP3 releases the stored pool of Ca(2+). DAG stimulates protein kinase C (PKC) activity. An intriguing story is that some PLCs are also GTPase activating proteins (GAPs) or guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) to regulate the activity of their G protein. GEF and GAPs modulate the G protein GTPase cycle. GEFs catalyze the replacement of GDP with GTP to activate the G protein. GAPs accelerate the GTPase cycle to limit signaling upon removal of the activating ligand. It is not known whether GAP/GEF activity is coupled to the lipase activity of PLC, nor is it clear whether or how lipid factors may contribute to this synergistic interaction. While lipase activity is subject to allosteric regulation by mechanisms that include the signaling phospholipid, phosphatidic acid, regulation of the lipase associated GAP/GEF activity remains unexplored. This review explores the possibilities and evidence that support synergistic lipase-G protein regulatory activity in the PLC-β, PLC-δ, PLC-e and PLC-γ subfamilies that may be mediated, in part, through phosphatidic acid. Understanding the full spectrum of PLC activities, and their regulation, is necessary to drive innovation in medicine by identifying novel targets.
Quality improvement 101 for surgeons: Navigating the alphabet soup

It is a fundamental value of the surgical profession to improve care for its patients. In the last 100 years, the principles of prospective quality improvement have started to work their way into the traditional method of retrospective case review in morbidity and mortality conference. This article summarizes the history of “improvement science” and its intersection with the field of surgery. It attempts to clarify the principles and jargon that may be new or confusing to surgeons with a different vocabulary and experience. This is done to bring the significant power and resources of improvement science to the traditional efforts to improve surgical care.
A new class of adenosine receptors in brain: Characterization by 2-chloro[3H]adenosine binding

Abstract Micromolar concentrations of adenosine and its analogs have profound depressant effects on neuronal firing and synaptic transmission in many brain areas. Using the adenosine agonist 2-chloro[3H]-adenosine (Cl[3H]Ado), we have identified a distinct class of micromolar-affinity adenosine binding sites in rat forebrain membranes. Specific Cl[3H]Ado binding was reversible and saturable with an apparent KD of 9.1 μM and a Bmax of 61 pmoles/mg protein. The present studies were conducted using washed brain membrane fractions not treated with adenosine deaminase. Specific Cl[3H]Ado binding under these conditions was insensitive to (−)-N6(R-phenylisopropyl) adenosine ((-)PIA) and treatment with 3 mM N-ethylmaleimide, unlike high-affinity A1 adenosine receptor binding. Treatment of membranes with adenosine deaminase revealed an additional population of binding sites sensitive to (-)PIA. Inhibition of Cl[3H]Ado binding by adenosine analogs exhibited an order of potency ClAdo > 5′-N-ethylcarboxamide adenosine (NECA) > (-)PIA which differs from that of both A1 and A2 adenosine receptors. The potent A1 and A2 receptor antagonist 8-phenyltheophylline had no significant effect on binding up to 10 μM. Specific binding, however, was inhibited by the adenosine antagonists 8(p-sulfophenyl)theophylline, isobutylmethylxanthine, theophylline, and caffeine. Micromolar Cl[3H]Ado binding was highly selective for adenosine agonists and antagonists. These results suggest that the micromolar-affinity Cl[3H]Ado binding sites may represent a novel central purinergic receptor, distinct from the A1 and A2 adenosine receptors involved in the regulation of adenylate cyclase.
Automated schematic capture with the USC51 embedded microcontroller

The UCS51 product family was implemented to allow ASIC proliferations of the 80C51 microcontroller. The many configuration options available made it apparent that a tool was needed to aid designers during the core configuration phase of the schematic capture process. This tool is called the UCS51 Design Entry Tool (DET). The DET offers built-in design rule checking, and all connections are guaranteed to be correct by construction. The DET is discussed step by step, menu by menu. Options discussed include: adding peripherals; deleting peripherals; customizing interconnections; saving core configuration; and creating a schematic. Use of the DET to generate partial assembly code for test pattern development is included. >
Dirichlet-Voronoi Diagrams and Delaunay Triangulations

In this chapter we present very briefly the concepts of a Voronoi diagram and of a Delaunay triangulation. These are important tools in computational geometry, and Delaunay triangulations are important in problems where it is necessary to fit 3D data using surface splines. It is usually useful to compute a good mesh for the projection of this set of data points onto the xy-plane, and a Delaunay triangulation is a good candidate. Our presentation will be rather sketchy. We are primarily interested in defining these concepts and stating their most important properties without proofs. For a comprehensive exposition of Voronoi diagrams, Delaunay triangulations, and more topics in computational geometry, our readers may consult O’Rourke [132], Preparata and Shamos [140], Boissonnat and Yvinec [18], de Berg, Van Kreveld, Overmars, and Schwarzkopf [11], or Risler [142]. The survey by Graham and Yao [76] contains a very gentle and lucid introduction to comput ational geometry. Some practical applications of Voronoi diagrams and Delaunay triangulations are briefly discussed in Section 9.5.
Legislative frameworks used to foster petroleum development

The main purpose of a legislative framework for petroleum development is to provide the basic context for, and the rules governing, petroleum operations in the host country; to regulate them, as they are carried out by domestic foreign, and international enterprises; and to define the principal administrative, economic and fiscal guidelines for investment activity in the sector. Experience shows that the cornerstone of effective petroleum legislative frameworks for exploration and production operations is a broad, generic, short but thorough petroleum law (not overdetailed), complemented by enabling regulations and one or several variants of a model contract. Such frameworks give both the host country and international oil company investors a clear legal and contractual context in which to negotiate mutually advantageous exploration and production arrangements that develop the host state's petroleum resources. The fiscal and tax aspects of the framework may be detailed in the petroleum law or in a separate petroleum revenue code, either of which would complete the legislative package. The author identifies and details the essential elements of such a framework -- petroleum law, regulations, and model contracts -- and explains how these three components relate to one another.
Evaluation of Caging Designs and a Fingernail Clam for Use in an In Situ Bioassay

Two cage designs and fingernail clams(Sphaerium fabale) were evaluated for theirsuitability for use in in situ bioassays toassess the ecological condition of a stream andpredict ecological recovery potential. One design(referred to as tray design) was a modified plastictray about one-fourth full of small gravels andcovered with 1 mm fiberglass mesh. The second design(referred to as tube-plates) consisted of shortplexiglass tubes about one-third full of small gravelsand attached horizontally to a plexiglass plate. Oneend of each tube faced into the current; both endswere covered with mesh. Cages containing clams weredeployed at reference and impacted (test) sites forperiods of 70 to 135 d. Growth and survival were theprimary endpoints evaluated, but the tube-platesallowed isolation of individual clams so that natalityalso could be evaluated as an endpoint. Results ofbenthic macroinvertebrate surveys, performed foranother study, were included to help validate bioassayresults. Both cage designs yielded good quantitative,site-specific results for clam survival and growth;results for natality, though, were less conclusive. Clam survival and growth results were in good generalagreement with the results for the benthicmacroinvertebrate community surveys. At a site wherethe macroinvertebrate community was the mostdepauperate, clam mortality was always rapid. At asite where the condition of the macroinvertebratecommunity was only slightly less impacted than themost impacted site, clam growth was almost alwayssignificantly lower than at reference sites. Survivalof clams was significantly reduced in <25 d at thissite in some trials, but in other trials there waslittle mortality. At a minimally impacted site, clamsurvival was similar to that found at reference sites,and differences in clam growth were not detectableuntil after 40 to 50 d of exposure. The tube-platedesign was easier to use, allowed more flexibility inselection of response parameters, and required lesshandling time of test animals, thus, this was thepreferred design. Our results demonstrated thateither in situ bioassay design can be used toaugment monitoring and assessment programs. Their useas a predictor of ecological recovery, however,requires further evaluation.
Perceptual bias for rising tones

An approaching sound source creates a pattern of rising intensity that can specify the arrival time of the source1,2,3. Here we found that listeners reliably overestimated the change in level of rising level tones relative to equivalent falling level tones. In a natural environment this overestimation could provide a selective advantage, because rising intensity can signal movement of the source towards an organism. The bias was stronger at higher levels, suggesting that rising loudness is even more critical when a sound source is either close or loud. These results suggest a privileged status of dynamic rising loudness for harmonic tones and an asymmetry in the neural coding of harmonic dynamic intensity change.
Using Passive Cavitation Images to Classify High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Lesions

Abstract Passive cavitation imaging provides spatially resolved monitoring of cavitation emissions. However, the diffraction limit of a linear imaging array results in relatively poor range resolution. Poor range resolution has limited prior analyses of the spatial specificity and sensitivity of passive cavitation imaging in predicting thermal lesion formation. In this study, this limitation is overcome by orienting a linear array orthogonal to the high-intensity focused ultrasound propagation direction and performing passive imaging. Fourteen lesions were formed in ex vivo bovine liver samples as a result of 1.1-MHz continuous-wave ultrasound exposure. The lesions were classified as focal, “tadpole” or pre-focal based on their shape and location. Passive cavitation images were beamformed from emissions at the fundamental, harmonic, ultraharmonic and inharmonic frequencies with an established algorithm. Using the area under a receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), fundamental, harmonic and ultraharmonic emissions were found to be significant predictors of lesion formation for all lesion types. For both harmonic and ultraharmonic emissions, pre-focal lesions were classified most successfully (AUROC values of 0.87 and 0.88, respectively), followed by tadpole lesions (AUROC values of 0.77 and 0.64, respectively) and focal lesions (AUROC values of 0.65 and 0.60, respectively).
A method for evaluating and selecting microcomputer software packages

Although a numberof approaches toselecting applicationsoftwarepackages for information systems have been described (Breslin, 1986; Curry & Bonner, 1983; Government Finance Officers Association, 1984; Martin & MeClure, 1983; Meador & Mezger, 1984), they omit critical evaluation and selection functions. Such important functions include (1) assuring that the software package selected is superior to a custom alternative, and (2) a screening process to reduce the number of packages subjected to detailed evaluation. The method described in this article ensures thata packaged system is superior to a custom-built one at each phase of the process, while reducing the numberof software products at each successivephase until the final selection of a packaged system is confirmed or a customsystem is chosen as the best alternative.
Performance evaluation of multi-scale data fusion methods for surface metrology domain

Abstract With the rapid evolution of new engineered surfaces, there is a strong need for developing tools to measure and characterize these surfaces at different scales. In order to obtain all meaningful details of the surface at various required scales, data fusion can be performed on data obtained from a combination of instruments or technologies. In order to evaluate the fusion methods, typically, well-recognized images like ‘Lena’ are used. But surface metrology datasets are distinctly different from those images, as all the data points are in focus, compared to typical images with a subject in focus and background with various levels of out-of-focus. So, a performance study was conducted on a wide range of surface samples and it was shown that Regional Edge Intensity (REI) is the preferred fusion method for surface metrology datasets, and Regional Energy (RE) is the second preferred method, when single-scale performance metrics are considered.
Catalytic Pyrolysis of Biomass over H+ZSM-5 under Hydrogen Pressure

Catalytic pyrolysis of pine wood was carried out using H+ZSM-5 in a hydrogen environment. The first objective of this study was to investigate the effect of hydrogen pressure on catalytic pyrolysis using H+ZSM-5. The study found that there was no increase in the aromatic hydrocarbons as the hydrogen pressure increased. The second objective of this study was to incorporate a hydrogenation effect in addition to catalytic-cracking during pyrolysis so that the amount of hydrocarbons in the bio-oil could be increased. The effect of hydrogen pressure on the Mo-impregnated catalyst was investigated in pine wood pyrolysis. The Mo/ZSM-5 catalyst was not as active as H+ZSM-5 in lower pressures (100–300 psi); however, at 400 psi, Mo/ZSM-5 gave more hydrocarbons than H+ZSM-5 did. A significant increase in aromatic hydrocarbons was found when the H+ZSM-5 catalysts were impregnated with metals (Ni, Co, Mo, and Pt) as compared to just the zeolite at 400 psi. On average, 42.5 wt.% of biomass carbon was converted into hyd...
A Centrosome Kinase Modulates Antitumor Drug Sensitivity

In this issue of Cancer Cell, Ahmed and coworkers identify SIK2 as a centrosome kinase and show that it controls the localization of the centriole linker protein C-Nap1. Interference with SIK2 function results in loss of normal mitotic spindle function and increased sensitivity to antitumor drugs.
The major respiratory diseases of American Indians.

The most prominent respiratory diseases of American Indian adults are pneumonia, cancer of the lung, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and tuberculosis. Mortality and hospitalization rates of these diseases were compared with those for the rest of the U.S. population and between Indian groups in the various Indian Health Service Areas. Pneumonia and influenza constitute the sixth leading cause of death among Indians and the fifth leading cause of death among the U.S. All Races population. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is the fourth leading cause of death among U.S. All Races, but only the tenth leading cause of death among Indians. Pneumonia and tuberculosis are more significant causes of death and disability for Indians than are COPD and cancer of the lung. The explanation for these differences in mortality rates between Indians and the general population are not known. Respiratory system diseases are responsible for 10.6% of Indian hospitalizations. The most frequent is pneumonia, which accounts for approximately 4% of all Indian hospitalizations. Differences in respiratory diseases between Indian groups are sometimes striking, with a sharp increase in mortality and hospitalization in the Areas across the northern border of the lower 48 states. There is also a much higher prevalence of cigarette smoking in those same Areas.
Beneficial effect of anisodamine in hemorrhagic shock.

Anisodamine , an alkaloid extracted from Anisodus tanguticus , is widely used in China in the treatment of septic shock, but its mechanism of action is unknown. We studied its antishock action in cats in a well controlled model of hemorrhagic shock. A bolus dose of 1 mg/kg was given intravenously 20 min after MABP was stabilized at 40-45 mm Hg, followed by i.v. infusion of 2 mg/kg/h during the oligemic period. Two hours post-reinfusion, MABP was significantly higher (106 +/- 10 mm Hg) in the drug-treated group than in shock cats receiving only vehicle (53 +/- 6 mm Hg, P less than 0.001). Anisodamine treated shock cats exhibited significantly lower cathepsin D activity (P less than 0.02) and amino-nitrogen concentration (P less than 0.001) than untreated shock animals. Plasma myocardial depressant factor (MDF) activity was significantly increased in the untreated shock cats (61 +/- 6 Units/ml), but the plasma accumulation of MDF was significantly blunted by anisodamine (32 +/- 5 Units/ml, P less than 0.01). Anisodamine did not increase superior mesenteric artery flow ( SMAF ) in this model of hemorrhagic shock as there was no significant difference in SMAF between the two shocked groups. Thus, the beneficial effect of anisodamine probably is not due to vasodilation of the splanchnic vasculature. In vitro analysis indicates that the drug has a direct anti-proteolytic action in cat pancreatic homogenates. This may partly explain the mechanism of its action, which appears to be complex.
Modeling the optical properties of small gold nanoclusters using time-dependent density functional theory

The optical properties of gold nanoclusters of size 2 - 20 have been investigated using time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) to simulate their linear absorption spectra. Relativistic effects have been included by using pseudopotentials, with the Douglas-Kroll (DK) approximation, and with the zero-order regular approximation (ZORA). The improved model core potential with scaled relativistic effects (iMCP-SR2) used in combination with either the BP86, BLYP, or B3LYP exchange-correlation density functional was found to fairly accurately model the spectra of clusters for which measured spectra are available, although the all-electron ZORA method was best both for accuracy and computational efficiency. The effects on the optical properties of organic chromophores from coordination with small gold clusters were preliminarily studied. The extent of enhancement of the absorption properties is seen to depend on the size and structure of the gold cluster.
Interpretation of the Differential Scanning Calorimetry Curves for Aqueous Solutions of Three Nonionic Surfactants

Differential scanning calorimetry curves were obtained with aqueous solutions of three alkyldimethylphosphine oxide samples, n-C8DPO, −C9DPO, and −C10DPO, from 293 to 383 K. The heat capacity curves exhibited minimums at 335 ± 0.5, 329 ± 1, and 321 ± 4 K, respectively, as do the curves that describe the temperature dependence of the critical micelle concentration (cmc) determined by an independent method. A simple two-state model was used to relate the observed specific heat to the change in heat capacity that accompanies the micelle formation process. The values obtained were used to describe the temperature dependence of the cmc (Desnoyers, J. E.; Caron, G. C.; DeLisi, R.; Roberts, D.; Roux, A.; Perron, G. J. Phys. Chem. 1983, 87, 1397). These results may provide an indication of what to expect for other self-associating systems that lead to micelle formation.
Laser-induced photoelectrochemistry: time-resolved luminescence studies of cds electrodes

Abstract The luminescence lifetime of a tellurium-doped CdS electrode in alkaline sulfide electrolyte has been determined. The decay is not a single exponential; the nominal lifetime varies from ⩽ 10 to⩾ 250 ns as a function of laser power, wavelength, and electrode potential. The results are discussed relative to recent steady-state luminescence measurements and time-resolved coulostatic photoelectrochemicai measurements.
Ferritin in insect vectors of the maize streak disease agent: electron microscopy and electron microprobe analysis.

Crystalline accumulations of electron-dense particles were observed in the gut of Cicadulina mbila leafhoppers, following feeding on leaves of maize streak diseased plants. Microcrystals were detected in the gut lumen and epithelial cells of infective insects, but not in controls fed on healthy plants. The crystals appeared to consist of numerous spherical electron-dense particles, approximately 9.5–10.5 nm in diameter, with cores of 6 nm. The orientation of electron-dense particles within the typical crystalline structure formed a zig-zag pattern with an angle of 120°. Although the morphological appearance of the particles was similar to the one of the presumptive maize streak virus, it was determined by electron microprobe analysis that the particles contained iron. Single particles were also observed in the vicinity of crystals. Based on the electron microprobe analysis data, as well as the ultrastructural characteristics and visualization in nonstained preparations, the crystals are believed to be comprised of ferritin. A hypothesis is presented that ferritin in leafhopper vectors of the maize streak disease agent might be derived from phytoferritin present in diseased plants and that it is temporarily stored in the gut cells of infective insects.
New real-space renormalization-group calculation for the critical properties of lattice spin systems

In evaluating the critical properties of lattice spin systems in the real-space renormalization-group theory we use the cluster variation method. A configuration in the transformed system is constrained and the probability of occurrence of this configuration is calculated both in the transformed system and in the original system. By equating the two probabilities and forming ratios of two such equalities (for two or more constrained configurations) the fixed point of the renormalization transformation is evaluated. The method can avoid the trouble due to different singularities in the original and transformed systems, and hence can obviate the possible development of spurious singularities in the transformation at low temperatures. The two-dimensional triangular Ising model is treated with numerical results comparable with those obtained by the cluster treatment of Niemeijer and van Leeuwen who used more and larger cluster types than those we introduce.
NO FREE LUNCH ON LABOR DAY: The Risks and Benefits of Epidural Analgesia During Labor*

Epidural analgesia provides effective pain relief for women during labor. However, like all medical interventions, it also has potential side effects such as longer labor and a higher rate of intrapartum fever and operative vaginal delivery. A recent meta-analysis of randomized studies by Halpern et al concluded there was no association between epidural use and cesarean delivery. A critique of that meta-analysis, included in this paper, concludes that there are currently insufficient data to determine whether epidural analgesia leads to increased rates of cesarean delivery. This paper also presents results from several recent studies related to epidural analgesia conducted at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. One study demonstrates a significant influence of prenatal planning on use of epidural during labor. Additional studies examine the strong association of epidural analgesia with intrapartum fever and the consequences of that fever for mother and infant. Epidural analgesia should remain an option available to women during labor. A more complete understanding of the risks and benefits that accompany its use is essential so that women and their care providers can make informed choices about pain relief during labor.
Volunteer monitoring of E. coli in streams of the upper Midwestern United States: a comparison of methods.

Fecal contamination of water is a public health concern for those using the water for drinking or recreation. The EPA recommends using Escherichia coli to evaluate recreational freshwaters for fecal contamination. With limited resources available, states have recently focused on training volunteers to expand data collection and resource assessment. Several bacteria testing methods are available for use by the public; however, few studies have comprehensively evaluated their use by volunteers. This study evaluated two E. coli monitoring methods used by volunteers: Coliscan Easygel® and 3MTM PetrifilmTM, incubated for 24 and 48 hours. The methods were assessed to determine how closely each matched results with EPA-approved laboratory analyses. Analysis of covariance results indicated that when used by volunteers to monitor surface water, 3MTM PetrifilmTM results were more similar to laboratory analyses than Coliscan Easygel®. Both test methods had similar overall accuracy of predicting if a sample exceeded or fell below the 235 cfu/100 mL EPA body contact standard for recreational surface waters. Two-thirds of volunteers preferred 3MTM PetrifilmTM.
Fano-resonant asymmetric metamaterials for sensing and vibrational fingerprinting of protein monolayers

Precise information about the structure of protein monolayers (thickness, bond orientation, dipole strength) can be obtained using difference-reflectivity spectroscopy of functionalized Fano-resonant asymmetric metamaterials. Experimental results for peptide, single-protein, and two-protein monolayers will be presented.
Historical note on the term “appetite”

For about 600 years the word “appetite” has been used essentially as it is used today to refer to a desire for certain bodily satisfactions, especially for food. Even the recent technical use of the word by scientists has not altered its meaning appreciably; it still means the same thing.
Space science: Beyond the heliopause

Roger D. Launius savours a masterful account, by a veteran of interplanetary space science, of the Voyager probes' mission to the giant planets.
Surface Composition of Kuiper Belt Object 1993SC

The 1.42- to 2.40-micrometer spectrum of Kuiper belt object 1993SC was measured at the Keck Observatory in October 1996. It shows a strongly red continuum reflectance and several prominent infrared absorption features. The strongest absorptions in 1993SC's spectrum occur near 1.62, 1.79, 1.95, 2.20, and 2.32 micrometers in wavelength. Features near the same wavelengths in the spectra of Pluto and Neptune's satellite Triton are due to CH4 on their surfaces, suggesting the presence of a simple hydrocarbon ice such as CH4, C2H6, C2H4, or C2H2 on 1993SC. In addition, the red continuum reflectance of 1993SC suggests the presence of more complex hydrocarbons.
Design alternatives for user interface management sytems based on experience with COUSIN

User interface management systems (UIMSs) provide user interfaces to application systems based on an abstract definition of the interface required. This approach can provide higher-quality interfaces at a lower construction cost. In this paper we consider three design choices for UIMSs which critically affect the quality of the user interfaces built with a UIMS, and the cost of constructing the interfaces. The choices are examined in terms of a general model of a UIMS. They concern the sharing of control between the UIMS and the applications it provides interfaces to, the level of abstraction in the definition of the information exchanged between user and application, and the level of abstraction in the definition of the sequencing of the dialogue. For each choice, we argue for a specific alternative. We go on to present COUSIN, a UIMS that provides graphical interfaces for a variety of applications based on highly abstracted interface definitions. COUSIN'S design corresponds to the alternatives we argued for in two out of three cases, and partially satisfies the third. An interface developed through, and run by COUSIN is described in some detail.
Effects of serotonergic antagonists and antagonists on the locomotor activity of neonatal rats

The locomotor activity of neonatal rats was measured after treatment with serotonin agonists or antagonists. Treatment with the serotonin agonists 5-hydroxytryptophan or quipazine resulted in the elimination of the peak in activity which normally results from increases in activity from days 10 to 15 of life followed by decreases from days 15 to 20 of life. The drug-induced decreases in activity occurred at doses that did not alter locomotor activity after day 17, when most of the peak in activity had passed. The dose of 5 mg/kg of the serotonergic antagonist methysergide eliminated the peak in activity without changing locomotor activity after the peak had passed. The antagonists methiothepin and cinanserin only produced decreases in locomotor activity which did not appear to be related to the peak in activity. The serotonergic agonist data are compatible with the hypothesis that the development of the serotonin system contributed to the inhibition of locomotor activity. The methiothepin and cinanserin data neither confirm nor dispute the hypothesis, as their effects may have been either nonserotonergic or on serotonin receptors that were different than those acted on by the agonists.
Cyclic stress relaxation of polycrystalline metals at elevated temperature

Abstract The influence of a relatively small, superimposed alternating strain on the relaxation behavior of structural metals is examined from the micro-mechanics standpoint, taking into account the nature of crystallographic slip in the grain and grain interactions. The initial mean strain is allowed to be sufficiently large to include both elastic and plastic components; it thus possibly causes an instant relaxation due to plastic deformation. To facilitate the evaluation of this instantly relaxed stress state Hill's self-consistent relation for an elastoplastic polycrystal is modified from its incremental to a total form for a monotonic straining process. The self-consistent relation previously derived for static relaxation of an elastic-creep medium is also extended to the dynamic condition, and for an elastic-plastic-creep medium. Together with a set of unified constitutive equations of slip systems, these self-consistent relations are used to determine the cyclic relaxation behavior of a 0.16% carbon steel at various strain amplitudes. The results are seen to be in close agreement with the experimental data, both showing that the relaxation of mean stress could be greatly facilitated by the presence of a small strain amplitude. This accelerated process is attributed to the two factors: the additional plastic flow caused by the alternating strain and the nonlinear stress-dependency of the creep rate.
Simultaneous quantum state measurements using array detection

Here we present the results of the first experiment that uses array detection to measure quantum states of an optical beam [1]. We demonstrate that an array detector can be used to simultaneously measure the quantum states of many different spatial modes of the same beam. Furthermore, we show that array detectors can allow for an improvement in effective detection efficiency over standard detectors when using balanced homodyne detection. This improvement comes from the fact that the local oscillator (LO) and signal fields need not be mode-matched when using array detectors. In our experiment array detection is found to be over forty times more efficient than standard detection for measurements of a particular field mode. The technique we use for determining the state of our field modes is quantum state tomography (QST), and yields the density matrix in the Foch-state basis ρmn [2,3].
Determination of nonradiative recombination in high quantum efficiency GaAs/InGaP heterostructures

We characterize high quantum efficiency double GaAs/InGaP heterostructures used in semiconductor laser cooling. To identify potential samples for laser cooling, measuring the nonradiative recombination rate coefficient is necessary. We describe a technique called power dependent photoluminescence measurement, which when combined with timeresolved photoluminescence lifetime determines the nonradiative recombination coefficient.
Protective Efficacy of Immunization with Capsular Antigen against Experimental Infection with Bacteroides fragilis

The protective efficacy afforded by immunization with the capsular antigen of Bacteroides fragilis against abscess formation and bacteremia due to this organism was studied in an experimental rat model of intraabdominal sepsis. Of unimmunized animals, animals immunized with methylated bovine serum albumin and complete Freund's adjuvant, and animals immunized with lipopolysaccharide of Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, >90% developed abscesses when challenged intraperitoneally with strains of B. fragilis or Bacteroides distasonis (given with an enterococcus) or with the cecal contents of meat-fed rats. In contrast, animals immunized with B. fragilis capsular polysaccharide, given with or without methylated bovine serum albumin and complete Freund's adjuvant, and animals immunized with the outer membrane of B. fragilis strain 23745 were protected to a significant degree from abscesses caused by challenge with B. fragilis or B. distasonis. Such immunization had no overall effect on the development of abscesses in animals challenged with the entire cecal contents of meat-fed rats; however, B. fragilis was eliminated from the abscesses of these animals. Animals immunized with the capsular polysaccharide were protected from early B. fragilis bacteremia.
Application Of Laser Speckles To Nondestructive Evaluation

When an optically rough surface is illuminated by a coherent laser beam, speckles are created due to multiple interference of the reflected (or transmitted) wavelets. They fill a volume in front of the illuminated surface. By suitably choosing a "plane" of speckles to photograph before and after they are displaced by the surface deformation via double exposure or time-average, the resulting speckle interferogram can yield a variety of information for engineering measurement. Speckles can also be created in the interior of a body by scattered light if it is made of transparent material and a laser beam is sent through it. In this way one can also probe the stress distribution inside a general three dimensional object. In this presentation two types of applications of the basic principle of one-beam laser speckle interferometry will be discussed: one is in the realm of nondestructive quantitative evaluation such as stress analysis of plane problems of elasticity, flexure of plates, vibration, and general three-dimensional problems; and the other is qualitative evaluation such as detection of crack in structure and debonding of laminated composites.© (1977) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Administrative and accounting practices in the Byzantine Empire

There are three primary objectives for this article. The first is to describe the administrative and accounting practices of the Byzantine Empire during the fourth, fifth and sixth centuries CE. A ...
Alteration in Protein Accumulation, Gene Expression and Ascorbate-Glutathione Pathway in Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) under Paraquat and Ozone Stress

Summary External factors such as herbicides and air pollutants can cause damage to plant cells. Paraquat-induced injury arises from the generation of active oxygen species as indicated by the alteration of enzymes and cellular antioxidants in plant tissues. Ozone-induced damage has been reported but, unlike paraquat, the target of ozone damage has never been established. We report here the first comparison of protein and in vitro translation product accumulation in tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv Rutgers) exposed to paraquat and ozone stress. Two sets of polypeptides were distinguished: those that decreased and those that increased during stress treatments. There was no overlap in polypeptide accumulation under ozone and paraquat stress, but an in vitro translation product that increased significantly during paraquat stress was identical with one that increased during ozone stress. The glutathione content and activities of superoxide dismutase, ascorbate peroxidase and glutathione reductase in paraquat-treated and ozone-treated plants fluctuate differently suggesting that the major targets of ozone action in cells are not chloroplasts.
Orientational dependence of current through molecular films

We study the current through molecular films as a function of the orientation of the molecules in the film with respect to electrodes. It may change by more than an order of magnitude, depending on the angle between the axis of the molecules and the normal to the electrode. This is a consequence of a strong directional character of p orbitals that determine the conductance through the conjugated molecules. We demonstrate this result on an exactly solvable model, and present the calculations for two different experimentally accessible molecular films sandwiched between gold electrodes.
In Situ SAXS/WAXS of Zeolite Microwave Synthesis: NaY, NaA, and Beta Zeolites

A custom waveguide apparatus is constructed to study the microwave synthesis of zeolites by in situ small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS). The WR-284 waveguide is used to heat precursor solutions using microwaves at a frequency of 2.45 GHz. The reaction vessels are designed to include sections of thin-walled glass, which permit X-rays to pass through the precursor solutions with minimal attenuation. Slots were machined into the waveguide to provide windows for X-ray energy to enter and scatter from solutions during microwave heating. The synthesis of zeolites with conventional heating is also studied using X-ray scattering in the same reactor. SAXS studies show that the crystallization of beta zeolite and NaY zeolite is preceded by a reorganization of nanosized particles in their precursor solutions or gels. The evolution of these particles during the nucleation and crystallization stages of zeolite formation depends on the properties of the precursor solution. The synthesis of NaA and NaX zeolites and sodalite from a single zeolite precursor is studied by microwave and conventional heating. Microwave heating shifts the selectivity of this synthesis in favor of NaA and NaX over sodalite; conventional heating leads to the formation of sodalite for synthesis from the same precursor. The use of microwave heating also led to a more rapid onset of NaA zeolite product crystallization compared to conventional heating. Pulsed and continuous microwave heating are compared for zeolite synthesis. The resulting rates of formation of the zeolite products, and the relative amounts of the products determined from the WAXS spectra, are similar when either pulsed or continuous microwave heating is applied in the reactor while maintaining the same synthesis temperature. The consequences of these results in terms of zeolite synthesis are discussed.
Methotrexate and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Excerpt To the Editors:In their recent study, Jeurissen and colleagues (1) compared the efficacy of methotrexate with that of azathioprine in the treatment of patients with well-established rheumat...
Drafting New York Civil-Litigation Documents: Part XVIII — Motions to Dismiss Continued

This column, the 18th in a series on how to draft civil-litigation documents in New York, continues with drafting motions to dismiss.
Prognostic value of aspartyl (asparaginyl)-β-hydroxylase/ humbug expression in non-small cell lung carcinoma

Despite improvements in the detection and use of biomarkers, including epidermal growth factor receptor, ERCC1, and p16, the 5-year survival rate with non–small cell lung cancer remains at 15%. This suggests that additional biomarkers are needed to better prognosticate clinical course and guide therapeutic approaches. Previous studies showed that increased levels of aspartyl (asparaginyl)-β-hydroxylase and a highly related molecule, humbug, correlate with clinical course and survival with hepatic, biliary, pancreatic, and colon carcinomas. We now characterize the prognostic use of aspartyl (asparaginyl)-β-hydroxylase/humbug immunoreactivity in different subtypes of non–small cell lung cancer. Tissue microarrays including 375 paraffin-embedded non–small cell lung cancers (195 adenocarcinomas; 18 bronchioloalveolar carcinomas; 113 squamous cell carcinomas; and 49 large cell carcinomas) were immunostained with FB50 monoclonal antibody, which recognizes human aspartyl (asparaginyl)-β-hydroxylase/humbug. Immunoreactivity (intensity and distribution) in neoplastic cells were scored under code, and data were subjected to univariate and Cox multivariate analyses, adjusting for age, stage, and treatment. High levels of FB50 immunoreactivity were more often detected in adenocarcinomas (28% for adenocarcinoma, 17% for bronchioloalveolar carcinoma), compared with squamous cell carcinomas (10%) and large cell carcinomas (10%). Univariate analysis demonstrated inverse relationships between intensity of FB50 immunoreactivity and survival with squamous cell carcinoma (P = .004), and a strong trend with respect to large cell carcinoma (P = .057). Cox multivariate test showed that FB50 immunoreactivity (P = .025), clinical stage (P = .029), and tumor size (P = .0001) were all independent predictors of survival with squamous cell carcinoma. High levels of FB50 immunohistochemical staining correlate with poor prognosis in non–small cell lung cancer, particularly squamous cell carcinoma subtype. Therefore, FB50 immunoreactivity may be useful in defining patient subsets that are likely to benefit from adjuvant therapy.