cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The psychosocial impact of COVID-19 on pregnant and postpartum individuals: a mixed methods exploration

Objectives To explore the psychosocial and behavioural responses of pregnant and postpartum individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to develop strategies for healthcare providers to support patients through a pandemic. Methods Mixed-methods study of patients in an urban Toronto multidisciplinary Family Health Team who were between 20 weeks pregnant and 5 months postpartum from June to August 2020. Using a questionnaire and qualitative interviews, we explored psychosocial and behavioral impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including access to prenatal care, lifestyle changes, and strategies for mitigating distress. Results Forty-seven pregnant (and 62 postpartum individuals responded (response rate 52%)); 12 semi structured interviews were completed. Respondents indicated a loss of freedom (93%), lonely/lack of support (66%), and nearly/totally housebound (63%). About half (46-54%) were worried/very worried for themselves ortheir baby contracting COVID-19 and 13% scored > 13 on EPDS indicating depression. Helpful strategies included keeping busy (86%), exercise (84%), and talking to their healthcare provider (79%). Qualitatively, participants expressed profound feelings of loss and persistent fear, anxiety, loneliness/isolation, and uncertainty. Adaptive behaviours included seeking mental health services, participating in online support groups, connecting with family/friends, avoiding information fatigue, and exercising. Maladaptive behaviours included overeating, becoming sedentary, and social isolation. Conclusions Notwithstanding the “normal” stresses of pregnancy andparenthood, the added burden of pandemic-related stressors may impact parental mental health and relationships, parent-infant bonding, and infant development. Understanding psychosocial and behavioural responses to pregnancy during COVID-19 will enable healthcare providers to mitigate these impacts by providing appropriate supports.
Cell-free synthesis of deoxyhypusine. Separation of protein substrate and enzyme and identification of 1,3-diaminopropane as a product of spermidine cleavage.

The post-translational formation of hypusine (N epsilon-(4-amino-2-hydroxybutyl)lysine) occurs in a precursor of eukaryotic initiation factor 4D by way of two major steps: 1) transfer of the 4-aminobutyl moiety from spermidine to the epsilon-amino group of a specific lysine residue to form an intermediate, deoxyhypusine; 2) hydroxylation of the deoxyhypusine residue to form hypusine. The initial step of this modification, deoxyhypusine synthesis, was studied in fractionated lysates of Chinese hamster ovary cells, untreated, or treated with alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO); the enzyme(s) and the protein substrate (eukaryotic initiation factor 4D precursor) were separated. The enzyme activity was found in the 0-45% ammonium sulfate fraction from both untreated and DFMO-treated cells. The protein substrate was detected in the 45-75% ammonium sulfate fraction from cells depleted of spermidine by treatment with DFMO, but not in any fraction from untreated cells. Upon further purification of the protein substrate by ion exchange chromatography, the requirement for a pyridine nucleotide, notably NAD+, became apparent. Free 1,3-diaminopropane was identified as a spermidine cleavage product formed concurrently with the 4-aminobutyl transfer step of deoxyhypusine synthesis. Compounds structurally related to spermidine, e.g. caldine, N4-benzylspermidine, homospermidine, and a spermine homologue, thermine, as well as 1,7-diaminoheptane, 1,8-diaminooctane, and 1,9-diaminononane caused significant inhibition of deoxyhypusine synthesis presumably due to competition with spermidine. 1,3-Diaminopropane exhibited a potent inhibition of deoxyhypusine formation, probably through a different mechanism.
A Statistical Shape Model of Individual Fiber Tracts Extracted from Diffusion Tensor MRI

Diffusion Tensor MRI has become the preferred imaging modality to explore white matter structure and brain connectivity in vivo. Conventional region of interest analysis and voxel-based comparison does not make use of the geometric properties of fiber tracts. This paper explores shape modelling of major fiber bundles. We describe tracts, represented as clustered sets of curves of similar shape, by a shape prototype swept along a space trajectory. This approach can naturally describe white matter structures observed either as bundles dispersing towards the cortex or tracts defined as dense patterns of parallel fibers. Sets of streamline curves obtained from tractography are clustered, parametrized and aligned with a similarity transform. An average curve and eigenmodes of shape variation describe a compact statistical shape model. Reconstruction by sweeping the template along the trajectory results in a simplified model of a tract. Feasibility is demonstrated by modelling callosal and cortico-spinal fasciculi of two different subjects.
An application of supervisory control methods for a serial/parallel multi-part flow line: modelling and deadlock analysis

The main purpose of this paper is to model and analyze a reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) applying existing supervisory controller design and analysis methods. The RMS introduced in this paper was originally developed to replace traditional large-volume production lines, allowing more flexibility. In this paper, the modelling for supervisory controllers and the analysis of the deadlock for RMS are performed with two existing supervisory controller design and analysis methods. One method is based on the Petri net (PN) synthesis method using resource control nets (RCN). The other is a rule-based matrix formalism constructed with traditional industrial engineering tools. A typical example of RMS with serial and parallel part-flow is presented. Also, the applicability of each method for RMS is investigated.
Airplane data networks and security issues

The information technology (IT) revolution, combined with people's need to access information quickly, has resulted in the explosive growth of the Internet in the past decade. Ubiquitous access to the Internet has become an essential component of a mobile workforce and multiple mechanisms are being devised to ensure seamless connectivity to corporate resources. An integrated security framework requires a careful consideration of the security features of the network within an airplane. The passenger network (PN) is used by passengers within the airplane to access network resources on the global Internet. The crew network (CrN), on the other hand, is meant for the crew of the airplane to access resources not only on the global Internet, but also to access resources within the airplane's home network. The control network (CoN) is a strictly regulated network wherein the various components of an airplane interact with each other. As such, only authorized personnel are allowed access to the CoN. In order to facilitate an efficient monitoring of network activity within the PN, the CrN and the CoN, the authors present an in-house network monitoring tool tuned towards the case of a networked airplane that provides real-time warning of impending network threats to allow the network administrators to carry out appropriate responses to intrusions. The network monitoring agents would be located within the individual networks (PN, CrN and CoN) to monitor individual networks. In addition, another sensor would be located within the aircraft access network to ascertain if malicious traffic is introduced into the CrN and/or the CoN.
A possible solution to the cepheid mass problem

With new, smaller distances of the Cepheids, as determined recently by Schmidt (1984) and by Bohm-Vitense (1985), smaller pulsational masses are obtained than previously. Giant companions of Cepheids show that the luminosities of the Cepheids are too large in comparison with those of the giants. If increased mixing, for instance by convective overshoot at the boundary of the convective core during the main sequence stage, is responsible for this, then we expect an increase in the luminosity of the Cepheids of a given mass by approximately a factor of 4 as compared to conventional evolution calculations. Taking into account both of these effects we find good agreement between the corrected evolutionary masses, the pulsational masses, the dynamical masses, the giant companion masses and the Wesselink masses. The bump masses are only slightly smaller than the other masses.
Anemia in the newborn: a diagnostic approach and challenge.

T he normal mean hemoglobin at birth is 16.5 g/dL with a range of 13 to 21 g/dL. Intrauterine growth retardation, maternal diabetes, post maturity and maternal cigarette smoking, are all associated with higher levels of hemoglobin, probably as a consequence of hypoxia or stress. Because of significant capillary hemoconcentration in the first few days of life, a venous specimen is essential for accuracy. Although a hemoglobin level of less than 13 g/dL is, by itself, indicative of significant anemia, values at the lower end of the range may be seen with a variety of pathological states and must be evaluated in concert with physical signs, reticulocyte count, and bilirubin levels. The differential diagnosis of anemia in the newborn infant is more extensive than in later life because there may be both maternal as well as infant causes. However, the approach to the anemic neonate does not differ substantially from the diagnostic approach that is used in later life. Essential information in evaluation of the anemic neonate includes a family history and a description of the pregnancy, including the mother’s health and medications, and the circumstances of the birth. Basic initial laboratory studies include a complete blood count (including RBC) red cell indices, reticulocyte count, an evaluation of red cell morphology, a direct Coombs’ test, and serum bilirubin. Table 1 lists hematologic values for normal term and premature (32 week) infants. After it is ascertained that the newborn is anemic, a stepwise approach to diagnosis is outlined on Fig 1. As in the older patient, there are only two fundamental mechanisms for anemia in the
Tumor necrosis factor increases the sensitivity of the contractile apparatus in isolated mouse resistance arteries via a calcium-dependent mechanism

The myogenic response is the modulation of resistance artery diameter in response to changes in luminal pressure. It is thought to be an important determinant of peripheral vascular resistance and therefore of arterial blood pressure. Since altered peripheral resistance is known to occur during the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (such as in sepsis), we suspect that an abnormal myogenic response might be responsible. Our main objective is to assess the effects of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) on the myogenic response of mouse mesenteric resistance arteries and to determine the role of Ca2+ in this response.
The structure of pressure fluctuations in turbulent shear flows

Pressure fluctuations in a turbulent channel and a homogeneous shear flows are investigated by analyzing databases obtained from direct numerical simulations. Detailed statistics associated with the pressure fluctuations in both flows are discussed. Characteristics associated with the rapid (linear) and slow (nonlinear) pressure are examined. The global dependance of the pressure fluctuations and pressure-strain correlations are also examined by evaluating the integral associated with Green’s function representations of them.
A case series of clinically undiagnosed hematopoietic neoplasms discovered at autopsy.

Objectives: In the United States, autopsy rates have diminished to less than 5% during the last half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century for a multitude of reasons. Many believe this results in unrecognized malignancies that could have explained a patient’s death. Methods: We describe six deaths in which hematopoietic neoplasms were identified at autopsy but were not diagnosed clinically. Results: The six undiagnosed hematopoietic malignancy cases discovered at autopsy include four men and two women ranging from 50 to 78 years of age. One patient was African American and five patients were white, all with multiple comorbidities. The tumors included diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, activated B-cell type, intravascular large B-cell lymphoma, ALK-negative anaplastic large cell lymphoma arising in a setting of human immunodeficiency virus, and a myeloid sarcoma. Conclusions: These cases illustrate the importance of the traditional postmortem examination in not only confirming clinical diagnoses but also identifying previously unknown diagnoses. Hematologic malignancies may present with nonspecific clinical manifestations, and this series of cases also emphasizes the necessity for widening the differential diagnosis in patients with unexplained lactic acidosis and hepatic failure to include hematopoietic malignancies since prompt treatment may be lifesaving.
A Girl Worth Fighting For: A Rhetorical Critique of Disney Princess Mulan's Bisexuality

Disney recently revealed that its character Mulan was bisexual on its prime time television program, Once Upon A Time. This article critiques this queering's dimensions of freedom and domination through the lens of critical rhetoric. Mulan's queering represents a progressive step forward for Disney, as the company previously had no lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) characters. However, Disney's choice of the most masculine princess as a bisexual reinforces harmful stereotypes about LGBT women, whereas its choice to permit a bisexual character solely on a program aimed at adults neglects its role as a moral educator of children.
A Two-Stage Filter for State Estimation in the Presence of Dynamical Stochastic Bias

This paper provides the optimal solution of a two-stage estimation problem of state estimation in the presence of a dynamical stochastic bias driven by a white or colored process noise. It is shown that under an algebraic constraint on the statistics of the bias process, the optimal estimate of the system state can be obtained as a linear combination of the outputs of the "bias-free" and bias filters. Because the algebraic constraint can be too restrictive in practice, the results of this paper indirectly prove that all practical two-stage filters are suboptimal.
Active Control of Vibrations in Tall Structures Subjected to Earthquake and Wind Disturbances

This paper presents active control design methodologies for control of tall building structures subjected to earthquake and wind disturbances. In particular, a robust control methodology based on passivity-based design techniques is given and is compared with traditional optimal control design methods such as LQR and LQG. The controller designs are tested in simulation on a multi-storied building structure subjected to an earthquake disturbance using the actual seismic data from the famous 1940 El Centro earthquake of the Imperial Valley in southern California. The comparison of open- and closed-loop responses show the effectiveness of passivity-based control design over LQR and LQG designs.© 2002 ASME
A “Naturally Sweet” Definition: An Analysis of the Sugar Association’s Definition of the Natural as a Terministic Screen

The political nature of sugar as a cultural commodity can be traced back for centuries. While the issues surrounding sugar consumption have changed, power struggles still exist as stakeholders struggle to identify, make sense of, and manage the relationship between sugar and obesity. I explore the rhetorical contributions of the Sugar Association to public understandings of sweeteners. Specifically, I argue that the Sugar Association positioned sugar as the best choice for consumers by positioning their sweetener within a definition of the natural that the organization constructs. I draw on Burke’s (1966) notion of terministic screens as a theoretical framework through which sugar was positioned as the best sweetener option and HFCS and artificial sweeteners were isolated as unnatural and, therefore, unwise choices for consumers. Then, I argue that the association’s definition of “the natural” was strategically ambiguous, serving to distinguish sugar from other sweeteners. I conclude by evaluating the sou...
Adaptive stable marriage algorithms

Although it takes O(n2) worst-case time to solve a stable marriage problem instance with n men and n women, a trivial O(n) algorithm suffices if all men are known to have identical preference lists and all women also are known to have identical preference lists. Since real-world instances often involve men or women with similar but not necessarily identical preference lists, this motivates us to introduce the notion of an adaptive stable marriage algorithm --- an algorithm whose running time is of the form O(n + k), where k describes the aggregate amount of disagreement between the preference lists in our instance versus a pair of specified "consensus" preference lists, one for the men and one for women. The running time of an adaptive stable matching algorithm therefore gracefully scales from O(n2) in the worse case down to O(n) in the case where preference lists are all in close agreement. We show how the O(n+k) running time bound can be achieved if all women are known to have identical preference lists, leaving the case where both men and women can have non-identical but similar preference lists as an open question. We also show how this special case may serve as a good model for sports drafts.
Elucidating heterogeneity in nanoplasmonic structures using nonlinear photon localization microscopy

Using nonperturbative photon localization microscopy and electromagnetic simulation, it is observed that localized modes in plasmonic devices are significantly impacted by small, and frequently time-dependent, structural variations on the nanometer scale. This is important because many such devices rely on the concentration of electromagnetic energy at the ?10 nm length scale and below for applications ranging from ultrasensitive molecular spectroscopy and detection, to chemical nano-imaging and plasmo-catalysis. In all devices, but particularly those based on noble metals, structural heterogeneity at these length scales is unavoidable, emphasizing the need for characterizing and understanding its effects. By exploiting the two-photon photoluminescence signal, one addresses the specific challenge of probing local electromagnetic fields inside the metal, which directly determine hot carrier generation and photoemission. It is found that heterogeneous nanoscale asperities serve as energy localization centers, and that functional impact is influenced primarily by two factors: position relative to a plasmonic mode volume, and how the asperity affects the smallest critical dimension, such as the size of a nanogap, in the structure.
Density Functional Study on the Electronic Structures of Model Peroxidase Compounds I and II

The electronic structures of [Fe(Por)(Im)O]1+ and [Fe(Por)(Im)O] (model compounds I and II, respectively) have been studied on the basis of density functional theory or DFT (Por = porphine, Im = imidazole). The a2u π-cation radical state (4A2u) was determined to be the ground state of compound I with total spin equal to 3/2, while the a1u π-cation state (4A1u) was found to be 0.15 eV higher in energy than the 4A2u state. Since, in both states, the spins were localized to the porphyrin ring (S = 1/2) and the Fe−O center (S = 1), the magnetic coupling interaction between the two spin sites was examined by using a broken symmetry method. The calculated J value revealed very weak magnetic coupling for the A2u state, which corresponded to the experimental data. The calculated J value revealed strong antiferromagnetic coupling for the A1u state. The calculated Mossbauer spectrum parameters (quadrupole splitting and asymmetry) were similar for both the A1u and A2u states, and both agreed well with experimental v...
Mapping dislocation nucleation behavior from bimetal interfaces

Abstract Interfaces between two dissimilar metals have been observed to exhibit a range of atomic structures, from atomically flat to atomically stepped. Using atomic-scale simulation and theory, we study the influence of the intrinsic bimetal interface structure on the nucleation of lattice dislocations. Interface structure is found to have a strong effect on which dislocations are nucleated and the type of nucleation site. We develop a theoretical model that provides criteria for predicting these effects based on key structural relationships between the interface and adjoining crystals. In recognition of these critical conditions, we construct a map that identifies the most likely nucleation site from a given interface. The theory and map developed here can guide efforts to tune interface structures for controlling the strength and deformation of heterogeneous materials.
An all-scale anelastic model for geophysical flows: dynamic grid deformation

We have developed an adaptive grid-refinement approach for simulating geophysical flows on scales from micro to planetary. Our model is nonoscillatory forward-in-time (NFT), nonhydrostatic, and anelastic. The major focus in this effort to date has been the design of a generalized mathematical framework for the implementation of deformable coordinates and its efficient numerical coding in a generic Eulerian/semi-Lagrangian NFT format. The key prerequisite of the adaptive grid is a time-dependent coordinate transformation, implemented rigorously throughout the governing equations of the model. The transformation enables mesh refinement indirectly via dynamic change of the metric coefficients, while retaining advantages of Cartesian mesh calculations (speed, low memory requirements, and accuracy) conducted fully in the computational domain. Diverse test results presented in this paper - simulations of a traveling stratospheric inertio-gravity-wave packet (with numerically advected dense-mesh region) and an idealized climate of the Earth (with analytically prescribed adaptive transformations) - demonstrate the potential and the efficacy of the new deformable grid model for tracing targeted flow features and dynamically adjusting to prescribed undulations of model boundaries.
Design, synthesis, and biological activity of a potent inhibitor of the neuropeptidase N-acetylated α-linked acidic dipeptidase

A series of substituted phosphonate derivatives were designed and synthesized in order to study the ability of these compounds to inhibit the neuropeptidase N-acetylated alpha-linked acidic dipeptidase (NAALADase). The molecules were shown to act as inhibitors of the enzyme, with the most potent (compound 3) having a Ki of 0.275 nM. The potency of this compound is more than 1000 times greater than that of previously reported inhibitors of the enzyme. NAALADase is responsible for the catabolism of the abundant neuropeptide N-acetyl-aspartylglutamate (NAAG) into N-acetylaspartate and glutamate. NAAG has been proposed to be a neurotransmitter at a subpopulation of glutamate receptors; alternatively, NAAG has been suggested to act as a storage form of synaptic glutamate. As a result, inhibition of NAALADase may show utility as a therapeutic intervention in diseases in which altered levels of glutamate are thought to be involved.
Recommending ephemeral items at web scale

We describe an innovative and scalable recommendation system successfully deployed at eBay. To build recommenders for long-tail marketplaces requires projection of volatile items into a persistent space of latent products. We first present a generative clustering model for collections of unstructured, heterogeneous, and ephemeral item data, under the assumption that items are generated from latent products. An item is represented as a vector of independently and distinctly distributed variables, while a latent product is characterized as a vector of probability distributions, respectively. The probability distributions are chosen as natural stochastic models for different types of data. The learning objective is to maximize the total intra-cluster coherence measured by the sum of log likelihoods of items under such a generative process. In the space of latent products, robust recommendations can then be derived using naive Bayes for ranking, from historical transactional data. Item-based recommendations are achieved by inferring latent products from unseen items. In particular, we develop a probabilistic scoring function of recommended items, which takes into account item-product membership, product purchase probability, and the important auction-end-time factor. With the holistic probabilistic measure of a prospective item purchase, one can further maximize the expected revenue and the more subjective user satisfaction as well. We evaluated the latent product clustering and recommendation ranking models using real-world e-commerce data from eBay, in both forms of offline simulation and online A/B testing. In the recent production launch, our system yielded 3-5 folds improvement over the existing production system in click-through, purchase-through and gross merchandising value; thus now driving 100% related recommendation traffic with billions of items at eBay. We believe that this work provides a practical yet principled framework for recommendation in the domains with affluent user self-input data.
Mechanism of reactive sintering of MgAlB14 by pulse electric current

Abstract The reactive sintering of the hard boride AlMgB14 from the elements was investigated using the pulse electric current sintering (PECS) method. The mechanism of formation of AlMgB14 was investigated over the temperature range 600–1400 °C. The formation of AlNgB14 begins at as low a temperature as 800 °C and is essentially complete at 1325 °C. Thus the prospect of forming nanostructured AlNgB14 is not high since earlier nucleated grains continue to grow up to the maximum sintering temperature. Under optimum conditions, the products contained AlMgB14 with a ∼93 vol%, the remaining phases include spinel and impurity from milling. The product had a hardness of 26.1 GPa and a fracture toughness of 3.1 MPa m1/2.
13C-NMR Reactivity Probes for the Environment

Establishing the general reactivity of any segment of the terrestrial environment can be an important means of characterizing it. The sites capacity for transformation may reflect its environmental health, and knowing this capacity can provide a basis for estimating the rates and nature of the transformations that may occur there. However, no direct means for measuring this reactivity has been available. This work expands upon preliminary efforts to develop reactivity probes for the environment. The 13C-labeled compounds chloroacetic acid (CA), chloroacetamide (CAM), and chloroacetonitrile (CCN) have been synthesized and tested as site reactivity probes (SRPs). The reactivity of activated sludge, a dump site soil, coastal marine water and sediments, and lake water and sediments was assessed by the probes. A simple protocol for employing the SRPs entails incubation with a 2-mL slurry, centrifugation/filtration at a desired time, followed by direct NMR analysis of products. The results indicate a broad capa...
Coarse Grained Molecular Dynamics Simulations to Study Asymmetric Membranes

Eukaryotic plasma membranes have different lipid composition of their cytosolic and their exoplasmic leaflets, but many studies have been performed on symmetric lipid compositions. We use Molecular Dynamics (MD) simulations to study these asymmetric systems. We built single-phase leaflets in order to compare results between coarse-grained and atomistic simulations, as atomistic simulations will not phase separate during simulated time scales. We have set up systems for the outer leaflet mimicking a liquid disordered (Ld) phase or a liquid ordered (Lo) phase, while the inner leaflet is represented by a composition rich in either phosphatidylethanolamine or phosphatidylserine. We also performed coarse-grained simulations on an initially mixed bilayer to observe the effects of phase separation in the outer leaflet on the coupling between leaflets, as phase separation over simulation time scales can be observed in coarse-grained models.
The origin of brainstem noradrenergic and serotonergic projections to the spinal cord dorsal horn in the rat.

Although it has been proposed that the locus coeruleus is the predominant, if not exclusive, brainstem origin of the noradrenergic innervation of the spinal dorsal horn, pharmacological studies argue otherwise. In this study we made localized injections of the retrograde tracer wheatgerm agglutinin conjugated to apo-horseradish peroxidase gold (WGA:apoHRP-Au), in conjunction with immunocytochemical labeling for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) or serotonin (5-HT), to identify the brainstem source of the noradrenaline (NA) and 5-HT innervation of the dorsal horn of the rat. Our studies were concentrated in the C5 spinal segment. The pattern of labeling was only studied in animals in which the tracer injection was restricted to the dorsal horn. In these rats, TH-immunoreactive neurons in widespread regions of the brainstem, including the locus coeruleus, subcoeruleus, A5, and A7 cell groups, were found to project to the dorsal horn. In terms of absolute numbers of double-labeled cells, no one noradrenergic cell gr...
Concerning the reduction of alkyl halides by LiAlH4 evidence that AlH3 produced in situ is the one electron transfer agent.

Abstract The reduction of 1° and 2° alkyl iodides by LiAlH4 has been shown to involve a radical intermediate formed by the reaction of the alkyl iodide with the AlH3 and LiI produced in situ in conjunction with LiAlH4 rather than by LiAlH4 alone, as evidenced by cyclized products in the reduction of 6-iodo-1-heptene, by the trapping of the radical and by stereochemical studies of the 2-halooctanes.
Distributed query processing and optimization techniques for a hierarchically structured computer network

Abstract This paper describes several distributed query processing and optimization techniques useful for achieving efficiency in a hierarchically structured hardware and software architecture. The query optimization techniques take into consideration data flow and pipelining query processing strategies and data distribution in a hierarchically structure network. Four optimization techniques are introduced: (1) reducing query versions by selecting only those whose subtrees process data stored in the same subnetworks, (2) eliminating redundant execution of common subtasks by dynamically merging concurrent queries, (3) balancing the gain in parallel processing with the cost of data and message communications among processors using the notion of “maximal limb”, and (4) adjusting processor assignment strategies to take account of dynamic merging of concurrent queries. A bottom up algorithm for response time and execution time calculation and some cost formulas for query tree evaluation are also presented.
Dynamics of turbulence-induced noise in image deconvolution with support constraint

A priori knowledge of the image support, often called the support constraint, when applied to a raw image formed by an imaging system leads, by means of convolution with the support spectrum, to a mixing of the spatial frequencies in the image. For a noisy raw image, such mixing causes motion of noise in its spatial-frequency spectrum. A simple model for describing the motion of atmospheric-turbulence-induced noise in the spectrum of a star image formed by a ground-based system under the application of a support constraint is presented. The transport of noise occurs in this model by a combination of ballistic motion, or drift, and diffusive spreading. For an inversion-symmetric support, the drift is absent, and noise transport is exclusively diffusive. An analytical expression for the reduction of noise that such diffusive spreading in the spatial-frequency plane can facilitate, when a circular support of arbitrary size is employed, is derived.
AN ACCELERATED TEST METHOD FOR DETERMINING NEAR‐THRESHOLD STRESS INTENSITY VALUES IN HSLA STEELS

— A new method for accelerating the collection of near-threshold corrosion fatigue crack propagation data, using local hydrogen embrittlement in the crack tip region, has been investigated for ASTM A710 HSLA steel. Fatigue tests were conducted at 10 and 0.2 Hz (stress ratio, R= 0.1) on “constant K” contoured double cantilever beam (CDCB) specimens, to establish near-threshold crack growth rates in a locally hydrogen charged region at the crack tip. Hydrogen charging was then discontinued and crack growth rates were monitored in the uncharged material. Near-threshold fatigue crack growth rates were found to be 100 times faster in the locally hydrogen charged specimens than in the uncharged material. Fatigue thresholds, ΔKth, were defined in less than one fifth the time required for load shedding tests in air at 0.2 Hz. Although demonstrated for HSLA steels, the technique is applicable to any material which can be embrittled by hydrogen.
Characterization of pancreatic islet monoamine oxidase

Abstract Monoamine oxidase (MAO) is present in isolated islets of Langerhans of rabbits, golden hamsters, and rats. Tryptamine, tyramine, serotonin, and dopamine can serve as substrates for this enzyme. We compared the properties of islet and liver MAO in the rabbit. The Michaelis constant (K m ) for tryptamine of islet MAO (6.5 × 10 −5 M ) is greater than the K m of liver MAO (3 × 10 −5 M ). The K m for tyramine of islet MAO (1.5 × 10 −4 M ) is similar to the K m of liver MAO (1.8 × 10 −4 M ). Islet MAO appeared to be more susceptible to heat inactivation (50°C) than did liver MAO. This may be an artifact produced by the collagenase technique used in the preparation of the islets, as collagenase treatment of liver increased the thermal lability of the MAO in this tissue. Liver and islet MAO have a comparable sensitivity to MAO inhibitors such as clorgyline, deprenyl, tranylcypromine, pargyline, and harmine. The present report, along with previous reports that MAO inhibitors alter insulin secretion, suggests that islet MAO may modify insulin secretion.
Experiential Perceptions of Relactation A Phenomenological Study

Background:Relactation is the process of re-establishing a breast milk supply that has diminished or ceased.Objective:This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of women living in Montana wh...
Interferon regulatory factor subcellular localization is determined by a bipartite nuclear localization signal in the DNA-binding domain and interaction with cytoplasmic retention factors

The transduction of type I interferon signals to the nucleus relies on activation of a protein complex, ISGF3, involving two signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) proteins, STAT1 and STAT2, and the interferon (IFN) regulatory factor (IRF) protein, p48/ISGF3γ. The STAT subunits are cytoplasmically localized in unstimulated cells and rapidly translocate to the nucleus of IFN-stimulated cells, but the p48/ISGF3γ protein is found in both the nucleus and the cytoplasm, regardless of IFN stimulation. Here, we demonstrate that p48 is efficiently and constitutively targeted to the nucleus. Analysis of the subcellular distribution of green fluorescent protein-p48 fragments indicates that p48 contains a bipartite nuclear retention signal within its amino-terminal DNA-binding domain. This signal is preserved in two other IRF proteins involved in immune responses, ICSBP and IRF4. Mutations to clustered basic residues within amino acids 50–100 of p48 or IRF4 disrupt their nuclear accumulation, and DNA-binding ability is not required for nuclear targeting. This is the only example of a nuclear localization signal for any ISGF3 component and assigns a second function to the IRF DNA-binding domain. We also demonstrate that the nuclear distribution of p48 is dramatically altered by coexpression of the STAT2 protein, indicating that STAT2 forms a cytoplasmic complex with p48, overriding the intrinsic p48 nuclear targeting. Retention by STAT2 may serve to regulate the activity of free p48 and/or guarantee that cytoplasmic pools of preassociated STAT2:p48 are available for rapid activation of the IFN response. These findings suggest that analogous mechanisms may exist for regulating the distribution of other IRF proteins.
Development of low loss organic-micromachined interconnects on silicon at microwave frequencies

We present the design and development of an ultra-violet (UV) LIGA (a German acronym for electroplating, lithography and molding) micromachining process on silicon substrates at microwave/millimeter wave frequencies. The process employs an ultra-thick negative photoresist SU-8 that can be spin-coated and processed using conventional lithography techniques. Using this process, we have developed micromachined coplanar waveguide (CPW) interconnects on Si substrates. The conductor-backed micromachined CPW on Si (7.2 /spl Omega/-cm) achieves a measured attenuation of 0.18 dB/cm at 20 GHz.
Effect of aerosol surface lubricants on the abundance and richness of selected forest insects captured in multiple-funnel and panel traps.

Survey and detection programs for native and exotic forest insects frequently rely on traps baited with odorants, which mediate the orientation of target taxa (e.g., the southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann) toward a resource (e.g., host material, mates). The influence of trap design on the capture efficiency of baited traps has received far less empirical attention than odorants, despite concerns that intercept traps currently used operationally have poor capture efficiencies for some target taxa (e.g., large woodborers). Several studies have recently demonstrated that treating traps with a surface lubricant to make them “slippery” can increase their capture efficiency; however, previously tested products can be expensive and their application time-consuming. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of alternate, easier to apply aerosol lubricants on trap capture efficiency of selected forest insects. Aerosol formulations of Teflon and silicone lubricants increased both panel and multiple-funnel trap capture efficiencies. Multiple-funnel traps treated with either aerosol lubricant captured significantly more Monochamus spp. and Acanthocinus obsoletus (Olivier) than untreated traps. Similarly, treated panel traps captured significantly more Xylotrechus sagittatus (Germar), Ips calligraphus (Germar), Pissodes nemorensis (Germar), Monochamus spp., A. obsoletus, Thanasimus dubius (F.), and Ibalia leucospoides (Hochenwarth) than untreated traps. This study demonstrates that treating multiple-funnel and panel traps with an aerosol dry film lubricant can increase their capture efficiencies for large woodborers (e.g., Cerambycidae) as well as bark beetles, a weevil, a woodwasp parasitoid and a bark beetle natural enemy (Coleoptera: Cleridae).
Many happy returns

The 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth is an opportunity for biologists to publicize his great idea.
Researching children's musical culture: historical and contemporary perspectives

When I was invited to present a keynote address at the Exeter Conference, I was asked to offer ‘a particular perspective on a field of research within music education or a related domain’. Given my...
Real-Time Image Enhancement Using 3X3 Pixel Neighborhood Operator Functions

A new type of silicon charge coupled device (CCD) imager which provides nine simultaneous video outputs representing a 3X3 pixel block that scans the imaging array has been used to emphasize edges and fine detail in various images. The device can also compensate for nonuniform scene illumination. Experimental results indicate that the device can be used to combine real-time analog image processing with subsequent digital processing to form a powerful image acquisition and processing system.
Differential effects of ethanol on GABAA and glycine receptor-mediated synaptic currents in brain stem motoneurons

Ethanol potentiates glycinergic synaptic transmission to hypoglossal motoneurons (HMs). This effect on glycinergic transmission changes with postnatal development in that juvenile HMs (P9–13) are m...
Early Jesuit Missionaries: A Suggestion for Further Study

N THE August, 1956 issue of the AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST, M. O. W. Jeffreys compared Gillin's principles of directed cultural change with some practices of the Roman Catholic Church. Jeffreys drew attention to Pope Gregory I's letter of instruction in 601 to Augustine and Melletus on how they should convert the wild British, and implied that Gregory's principles of accommodation operated continuously throughout the Church from 601 until 1683 when Fr. Merolla, a Capuchin monk, applied them in the Belgian Congo. This picture of continuity in Church policy is misleading for two reasons. First, it overlooks the fact that there was a struggle within the Catholic Church in the 16th and 17th centuries to gain acceptance for the policy of accommodation as practiced by St. Paul and Gregory I. Second, it overlooks the source of this revitalization of Gregory's principles-the Jesuits, who have been the best example of missionary effort to direct cultural change. Not only did the Jesuits systematically put into practice the principles now advocated by Gillin, but they also assumed a position analogous to the modern attitude of cultural relativism, a position which other missionary groups failed to adopt. From the beginning the Catholic Church had proved itself adaptable and flexible in its dealings with heathens. But as Europe became Christianized and as the Church gained in power, it tended to become more rigorous in its demands for orthodoxy and less flexible in its dealings with non-Christians. With the rise of Protestantism and the counter-reformation the Church became
The exact anyon spectra and fractional statistics

We seek the analytic eigenstates for an N-identical anyons in an external harmonic oscillator potential.
Influence of humic substances on electrochemical degradation of trichloroethylene in limestone aquifers

Abstract In this study we investigate the influence of humic substances (HS) on electrochemical transformation of trichloroethylene (TCE) in groundwater from limestone aquifers. A laboratory flow-through column with an electrochemical reactor that consists of a palladized iron foam cathode followed by a MMO anode was used to induce TCE electro-reduction in groundwater. Up to 82.9% TCE removal was achieved in the absence of HS. Presence of 1, 2, 5, and 10 mgTOC L −1 reduced TCE removal to 70.9%, 61.4%, 51.8% and 19.5%, respectively. The inverse correlation between HS content and TCE removal was linear. Total organic carbon (TOC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and absorption properties (A = 254 nm, 365 nm and 436 nm) normalized to DOC, were monitored during treatment to understand the behavior and impacts of HS under electrochemical processes. Changes in all parameters occurred mainly after contact with the cathode, which implies that the HS are reacting either directly with electrons from the cathode or with H 2 formed at the cathode surface. Since hydrodechlorination is the primary TCE reduction mechanism in this setup, reactions of the HS with the cathode limit transformation of TCE. The presence of limestone gravel reduced the impact of HS on TCE removal. The study concludes that presence of humic substances adversely affects TCE removal from contaminated groundwater by electrochemical reduction using palladized cathodes.
Control system analysis and design using a parameter space method

A method of describing a system in parameter space is presented in this paper. This method can be applied to the analysis and design of high-order control systems with multiple variable or adjustable parameters.
Kinetics of liquid-phase hydrogenation reactions over supported metal catalysts — a review

Abstract The kinetics of liquid-phase hydrogenation reactions have been reviewed with a special emphasis on α, β-unsaturated aldehydes as reactants. These reactions can be complex and can be influenced by factors such as metal specificity, side reactions, and metal-support interactions as well as reaction parameters. The importance of results in the absence of heat and mass transfer limitations has been emphasized. Hydrogenation reactions are typically assumed to be structure-sensitive, but dependencies on metal crystallite size have been reported; however, this behavior has been attributed to side reactions which can inhibit activity. Finally, solvent effects can exist, but the effect of H2 concentration in the liquid phase has infrequently been isolated. Thermodynamic arguments indicate that a solvent effect can enhance the surface coverage of hydrogen on the catalyst surface at a constant H2 partial pressure, but in the absence of any solvent effects, surface coverage is independent of the liquid-phase H2 concentration.
Antibacterial activity of novel cationic peptides against clinical isolates of multi-drug resistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius from infected dogs.

Staphylococcus pseudintermedius is a major cause of skin and soft tissue infections in companion animals and has zoonotic potential. Additionally, methicillin-resistant S. pseudintermedius (MRSP) has emerged with resistance to virtually all classes of antimicrobials. Thus, novel treatment options with new modes of action are required. Here, we investigated the antimicrobial activity of six synthetic short peptides against clinical isolates of methicillin-susceptible and MRSP isolated from infected dogs. All six peptides demonstrated potent anti-staphylococcal activity regardless of existing resistance phenotype. The most effective peptides were RRIKA (with modified C terminus to increase amphipathicity and hydrophobicity) and WR-12 (α-helical peptide consisting exclusively of arginine and tryptophan) with minimum inhibitory concentration50 (MIC50) of 1 µM and MIC90 of 2 µM. RR (short anti-inflammatory peptide) and IK8 “D isoform” demonstrated good antimicrobial activity with MIC50 of 4 µM and MIC90 of 8 µM. Penetratin and (KFF)3K (two cell penetrating peptides) were the least effective with MIC50 of 8 µM and MIC90 of 16 µM. Killing kinetics revealed a major advantage of peptides over conventional antibiotics, demonstrating potent bactericidal activity within minutes. Studies with propidium iodide and transmission electron microscopy revealed that peptides damaged the bacterial membrane leading to leakage of cytoplasmic contents and consequently, cell death. A potent synergistic increase in the antibacterial effect of the cell penetrating peptide (KFF)3K was noticed when combined with other peptides and with antibiotics. In addition, all peptides displayed synergistic interactions when combined together. Furthermore, peptides demonstrated good therapeutic indices with minimal toxicity toward mammalian cells. Resistance to peptides did not evolve after 10 passages of S. pseudintermedius at sub-inhibitory concentration. However, the MICs of amikacin and ciprofloxacin increased 32 and 8 fold, respectively; under similar conditions. Taken together, these results support designing of peptide-based therapeutics for combating MRSP infections, particularly for topical application.
"the most valuable birds in the world": International Conservation Science and the Revival of Peru's Guano Industry, 1909-1965

This is the author's accepted manuscript, post peer-review. The publisher's official version is available electronically from: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3986000