cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Black sonic space and the stereophonic poetics of Amiri Baraka’s It’s Nation Time

AbstractIn the liner notes for Amiri Baraka’s 1972 album It’s Nation Time (Motown-Black Forum), Baraka asserts, ‘This recording is an institution.’ Recording on the heels of the 1970 Congress of African People , Baraka felt that the establishment of a pan-African nation was paramount, but where ought such a nation to be established? Could a recording be an institution? What does a nation sound like? The album, which received a limited release under Motown’s progressive Black Forum label, mixes poetry with free jazz, African drumming, and R&B – melding together the popular with avant-garde and traditional forms of black music. In doing so, It’s Nation Time attempts to re-inflect black life with a proud African ancestry and spirituality. In this article, I explore how Baraka uses the format of the stereo LP to push beyond the constrictions of place and history in order to produce a new, contingent black sonic space. The acoustic spaces Baraka inhabits are projective, hyperbolic, and imagined, and reflect a ...
A 9-Year-Old Boy With Scalp Lesion: An Unusual Presentation of Precursor B Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma

A 9-year-old boy with a medical history of an elbow fracture presented with a localized scalp swelling. According to history provided by the parents, the swelling began 5 months ago after the child hit his head on the edge of a bed; the parents though the swelling was secondary to this trauma and did not …
Sea changes and spice islands

The most famous tree in the Maluku Islands of Indonesia stands off a little road that turns up the flank of the Gamalama Volcano, rising high in a hot, humid, and aromatic wood of clove and nutmeg. Amidst the other greenery that blankets the island of Ternate, this giant clove, knotted and gnarled, is famous for sprouting hundreds of kilos of fragrant leaves and fruit, as it has done for nearly four hundred years. The tree has a local and personal name, Afo, simply understood as “the giant.” It is famed not only for its size and generous productivity, but because it is a living sign of survival and defiance: a tree that at one time would have been cut down and burned if its existence had been known. Afo stands over a history that took the lives of many islanders – and other trees – across the centuries.
An examination of the role of particles in oceanic mercury cycling.

Recent models of global mercury (Hg) cycling have identified the downward flux of sinking particles in the ocean as a prominent Hg removal process from the ocean. At least one of these models estimates the amount of anthropogenic Hg in the ocean to be about 400 Mmol, with deep water formation and sinking fluxes representing the largest vectors by which pollutant Hg is able to penetrate the ocean interior. Using data from recent cruises to the Atlantic, we examined the dissolved and particulate partitioning of Hg in the oceanic water column as a cross-check on the hypothesis that sinking particle fluxes are important. Interestingly, these new data suggest particle-dissolved partitioning ( K d ) that is approximately 20× greater than previous estimates, which thereby challenges certain assumptions about the scavenging and active partitioning of Hg in the ocean used in earlier models. For example, the new particle data suggest that regenerative scavenging is the most likely mechanism by which the association of Hg and particles occurs. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Biological and climatic impacts of ocean trace element chemistry’.
Infrared emission of normal galaxies from 2.5 to 12 micron: Infrared Space Observatory spectra, near-infrared continuum, and mid-infrared emission features

We present ISOPHOT spectra of the regions 2.5-4.9 μm and 5.8-11.6 μm for a sample of 45 disk galaxies from the US Infrared Space Observatory Key Project on Normal Galaxies. The galaxies were selected to span the range in global properties of normal, star-forming disk galaxies in the local universe. The spectra can be decomposed into three spectral components: (1) continuum emission from stellar photospheres, which dominates the near-infrared (NIR; 2.5-4.9 μm) spectral region; (2) a weak NIR excess continuum, which has a color temperature of ~103 K, carries a luminosity of a few percent of the total far-infrared (FIR) dust luminosity LFIR and most likely arises from the interstellar medium (ISM); and (3) the well-known broad emission features at 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, and 11.3 μm, which are generally attributed to aromatic carbon particles. These aromatic features in emission (AFEs) dominate the mid-infrared (MIR; 5.8-11.6 μm) part of the spectrum and resemble the so-called type A spectra observed in many nonstellar sources and the diffuse ISM in our own Galaxy. The few notable exceptions include NGC 4418, where a dust continuum replaces the AFEs in MIR, and NGC 1569, where the AFEs are weak and the strongest emission feature is [S IV] 10.51 μm. The relative strengths of the AFEs vary by 15%-25% among the galaxies. However, little correlation is seen between these variations and either IRAS 60 μm/100 μm flux density ratio R(60/100) or the FIR/blue luminosity ratio LFIR/LB, two widely used indicators of the current star formation activity, suggesting that the observed variations are not a consequence of the radiation field differences among the galaxies. We demonstrate that the NIR excess continuum and AFE emission are correlated, suggesting that they are produced by similar mechanisms and similar (or the same) material. On the other hand, as the current star formation activity increases, the overall strengths of the AFEs and the NIR excess continuum drop significantly with respect to that of the FIR emission from large dust grains. In particular, the summed luminosity of the AFEs falls from ~0.2 LFIR for the most "IR-quiescent" galaxies to ~0.1 LFIR for the most "IR-active" galaxies. This is likely a consequence of the preferential destruction in intense radiation fields of the small carriers responsible for the NIR/AFE emission.
Theological Speculation in Irenaeus: Perils and Possibilities

For over seventy years scholars have accepted the reading advanced by T.-A. Audet, R.M. Grant, and W.R. Schoedel that Irenaeus of Lyons was strictly opposed to causal speculation. This article challenges their reading and offers one of its own. I contend that Irenaeus argues for a differentiated knowledge of terrestrial and celestial matters, such that some things are known while others are not. This differentiation of knowledge encompasses questions of causation. Irenaeus, I argue, was not just concerned about the perils of theological speculation but also its possibilities.
X-rays from Proton Bremsstrahlung: Evidence from Fusion Reactors and Its Implication in Astrophysics

In a fusion reactor, a proton and a neutron generated in previous reactions may again fuse with each other. Or they can in turn fuse with or be captured by an un-reacted deuteron. The average center-of-mass (COM) energy for such reaction is around 10 keV in a typical fusion reactor, but could be as low as 1 keV. At this low COM energy, the reacting nucleons are in an s-wave state in terms of their relative angular momentum. The single-gamma radiation process is thus strongly suppressed due to conservation laws. Instead the gamma ray released is likely to be accompanied by x-ray photons from a nuclear bremsstrahlung process. The x-ray thus generated has a continuous spectrum and peaks around a few hundred eV to a few keV. The average photon energy and spectrum properties of such a process are calculated with a semiclassical approach. The results give a peak near 1.1 keV for the proton-deuteron fusion and a power-to-the-minus-second law in the spectrum's high-energy limit. An analysis of some prior tokamak discharge data shows that this phenomenon might have been observed before and it may lead to new plasma diagnostics which are more sensitive to the ionic or nuclear degree of freedom. This phenomenon should also play a role in nuclear astrophysics as one of the sources for astrophysical x-rays. The process contributes particularly to stellar evolution in the early stage, where the temperature of proto-stars or the so called pre-main sequence stars (T Tauri stars, for example), is at a relatively low of several million degrees Kelvin. An order-of-magnitude calculation was made on the proton-deuteron fusion rate in young star objects. The estimated x-ray luminosity from this reaction is found enough in magnitude to account for experimental ones.
Phytoremediation of Heavy Metals and PAHs in Alkaline Slag Fill at a Wet Meadow Site

AbstractThe feasibility of using phytoremediation to remediate an alkaline-slag-filled wet meadow site contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals has been studied. T...
The Effectiveness of Computer-Assisted Instruction to Teach Physical Examination to Students and Trainees in the Health Sciences Professions: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: To explore knowledge and skill acquisition outcomes related to learning physical examination (PE) through computer-assisted instruction (CAI) compared with a face-to-face (F2F) approach. Method: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis published between January 2001 and December 2016 was conducted. Databases searched included Medline, Cochrane, CINAHL, ERIC, Ebsco, Scopus, and Web of Science. Studies were synthesized by study design, intervention, and outcomes. Statistical analyses included DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model. Results: In total, 7 studies were included in the review, and 5 in the meta-analysis. There were no statistically significant differences for knowledge (mean difference [MD] = 5.39, 95% confidence interval [CI]: −2.05 to 12.84) or skill acquisition (MD = 0.35, 95% CI: −5.30 to 6.01). Conclusions: The evidence does not suggest a strong consistent preference for either CAI or F2F instruction to teach students/trainees PE. Further research is needed to identify conditions which examine knowledge and skill acquisition outcomes that favor one mode of instruction over the other.
Regulation and function of a cluster of lipoproteins in Campylobacter jejuni

Membrane-associated lipoproteins have important functions in bacterial pathogenesis and physiology. According to the available genomic sequences, C. jejuni possesses multiple lipoproteins, but the majority of them have not yet been functionally characterized. To better understand the pathogenic mechanisms of C. jejuni, in this work we characterized a threegene operon (cj0089, cj0090, and cj0091) encoding a cluster of lipoproteins. It was shown that this lipoprotein-encoding operon is indirectly regulated by CmeR, a transcriptional regulator repressing the expression of the multidrug efflux pump CmeABC in C. jejuni. We determined that Cj0091 is an outer membrane associated protein, identified it as a new adhesin in C. jejuni, and demonstrated that this protein is involved in Campylobacter colonization in vivo. This study suggests that Cj0091 may be a promising candidate for the development of vaccines to reduce Campylobacter colonization in animal hosts.
Peroxisomes and the antiviral responses of mammalian cells.

Cell biology and microbiology are some of the oldest areas of scientific inquiry. Despite the depth of knowledge we now have in these respective fields, much remains unclear about how microorganisms interact with host intracellular organelles. Perhaps nowhere is this statement more accurate than in the role of peroxisomes in microbial infections. Peroxisomes were one of the first organelles discovered by Christian De Duve over 50 years ago (de Duve Ann N Y Acad Sci 386:1–4, 1982). These organelles are ubiquitously found in eukaryotic cells, where they serve several well-defined functions in lipid and oxygen homeostasis (Waterham and Wanders Biochim Biophys Acta 1822:1325, 2012). This chapter will discuss the emerging evidence that indicates that in addition to their functions in cellular metabolism, peroxisomes play an important role in viral infections.
Management of Cancer Pain

Cancer-associated pain is a serious and feared consequence of advanced disease, particularly in the emergency room setting, when the treating physician, and a full history of the condition is often unavailable. Opioids remain the mainstay of cancer pain treatment, and with this come the side effects and complications of opioid use, which are attenuated in the cancer pain patient who already may have anxiety and depression exacerbating their pain symptoms. This article seeks to provide an update on the current knowledge and concepts in cancer pain management with an attempt to provide practical education for use in the emergency room. Pain presents in various ways, manifesting as either nociceptive or neuropathic types. Classification systems such as the DN4 questionnaire and the Zubrod scoring system have been established in an attempt to provide guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of cancer-associated pain and provide a quick and efficient way to evaluate pain in the ER setting and to guide treatment. There are many options for pain control in the cancer patient, consisting of intravenous, oral, or topical medications in order to address the full spectrum of pain, and selection of the appropriate treatment should address as much of the nociceptive and neuropathic pain components as possible, often requiring combination therapy.
An evaluation of U.S. municipal open data portals: A user interaction framework

As an increasing number of open government data (OGD) portals are created, an evaluation method is needed to assess these portals. In this study, we drew from the existing principles and evaluation methods to develop a User Interaction Framework, with concrete criteria in five dimensions: Access, Trust, Understand, Engage‐integrate, and Participate. The framework was then used to evaluate the current OGD sites created and maintained by 34 U.S. municipal government agencies. The results show that, overall, portals perform well in terms of providing access, but not so well in helping users understand and engage with data. These findings indicate room for improvement in multiple areas and suggest potential roles for information professionals as data mediators. The study also reveals that portals using the Socrata platform performed better, regarding user access, trust, engagement, and participation. However, the variability among portals indicates that some portals should improve their platforms to achieve greater user engagement and participation. In addition, city governments need to develop clear plans about what data should be available and how to make them available to their public.
Pulling and Tugging on the Retina: Mechanical Impact of Glaucoma Beyond the Optic Nerve Head.

Several retinal conditions have been recently revealed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) to occur more frequently in glaucoma than in healthy eyes: paravascular defects, peripapillary retinoschisis, and pseudo-cysts of the inner nuclear layer (INL). Here the clinical OCT findings described in these reports are reviewed and a framework that could explain why they are related and occur more frequently in glaucoma is proposed. Evidence suggests that these conditions all share in common a strong tendency to develop in association with severe and/or rapidly progressing disease and a likelihood of involving biomechanical forces and differential tissue deformation. Muller glia are mechanosensitive and known to react to shear and axial strain, and to participate in homeostasis of water and ion flux through the retina, and to provide spring-like capability to buffer of mechanical forces. Thus, Muller cell integrity is also likely to be involved in the development and/or response to such events. OCT has also revealed that Muller cell optical properties (scatter and attenuation) appear to be altered in at least two of these retinal conditions: peripapillary retinoschisis and pseudo-cysts of the INL. Future studies applying 3D strain mapping techniques might reveal structural changes over time (either acute or longer-term deformations) that predict the onset and location of these retinal defects and their relationship to progressive optic nerve head deformation, retinal nerve fiber layer, and retinal ganglion cell loss in glaucoma.
Gaussian Process Dynamic Programming for Optimizing Ungrounded Haptic Guidance

Adapting robot actions to human motions can make human-robot interactions (HRI) more effective. Here, we aim to optimize guidance from haptic devices based on a user's response to produce better task performance. We used Gaussian processes to model the motions a human user made in response to applied torques from an ungrounded control moment gyroscope haptic device. We then used Gaussian process dynamic programming to generate optimized haptic cues to guide the user to rotate the device toward 3D targets. We compared the performance of naive and optimized policies in simulations and with a human user, and found that dynamic programming can significantly improve haptic guidance in cases where human responses are highly variable or inconsistent with the cued haptic direction.
An eXtreme Gradient Boosting Method for Identifying the Factors Contributing to Crash/Near-Crash Events: A Naturalistic Driving Study

Despite the research efforts for reducing traffic accidents, the number of global annual vehicle accidents is still on the rise. This continues to motivate researchers to examine the factors contri...
Fabry keratopathy: manifestations and changes over time

Aims The goal was to find if changes in Fabry keratopathy were clinically observable over time. Also observed were variations of Fabry keratopathy, supplemental features, unique presentations and differences between keratopathies of right and left corneas and the same family and genotype. Methods Biomicroscopic images of Fabry keratopathy in 10 persons with classic Fabry disease, 5 men and 5 women, were captured over an 18-month period. The keratopathies were categorised and scrutinised for changes over time, and differences between corneas of the same individual, family and genotype. Results Fabry keratopathy ranged from mild change to marked change over 18 months. There was a great variety of whorl patterns. A few keratopathies were amorphous without vortices and many vortices were supplemented with amorphous features. All keratopathies were accompanied by diffuse epithelial haze. There was a range from negligible difference to marked difference between right and left eyes of the same individuals with similarities appearing as imprecise mirror images of each other. In some corneas, prominent vertical streams from the superior limbus integrated into the primary keratopathy. Comparisons between persons with the same family and genotype were obscured by gender and differences between right and left eyes. Conclusions Practitioners should be better able to detect Fabry disease having a fuller understanding of the variety of presentations of the dynamic, pathognomonic Fabry keratopathy. Routes of continuous centripetal renewal of corneal epithelium are spatially unique to each eye, in some cases subsidised by direct contribution of basal cells streamed from the superior limbus.
Enhanced vibration energy harvesting using nonlinear oscillations

Results for the design and testing of an electromagnetic device that converts ambient mechanical vibration into electricity are presented. The design of the device is based on an L-shaped beam structure which is tuned so that the first two natural frequencies have a near two-to-one ratio which is referred to as an internal resonance or autoparametic condition. It is shown that in contrast to single degree-of-freedom, linear-dynamics-based vibration harvesters which convert energy in a very narrow frequency band the prototype can generate power over an extended frequency range when subject to harmonic, base displacement excitation.
Are Individuals Utility Maximizers? Empirical Evidence and Possible Alternative Decision Algorithms

One of the controversial issues of rational choice theory is whether individual actors maximize their utility. Answering this question first requires to make clear what is meant by “utility maximization” (UM). There are different definitions in the literature. In this essay, “utility” refers to anything that realizes or thwarts individual goals. “Maximization” means that actors do what they think is best for them in the given situation, i.e. what realizes their goals in the subjectively best way. It is argued that this definition is theoretically fruitful as a concept in a wide version of rational choice theory that seems superior to other versions. After a brief outline of this theory several possible problems of the UM hypothesis are discussed. (1) It is shown that the UM hypothesis is falsifiable. (2) It is illustrated with examples that existing social psychological theories, the work of classical social scientists and theories of the middle range implicitly assume UM. (3) It is argued that a “reason-based” approach is not a convincing alternative to UM. (4) Several possible falsifications of the UM hypothesis are rejected. The conclusion of this essay is that the UM hypothesis is widely applied implicitly and confirmed in empirical research. It is further argued that there is so far no clearly superior alternative decision algorithm.
Change(d) Agents: School Contexts and the Cultural/Professional Roles of New Teachers of Mexican Descent:

Background/ContextEducators and policymakers call for recruiting quality teachers of color in urban schools to promote educational opportunities for students of color by accessing cultural/linguist...
Palladium-Catalyzed Prenylation of (Hetero)Aryl Boronic Acids

Abstract Prenyl or dimethylallyl groups are common structural motifs in natural products and small molecule therapeutics. In this report, we describe a palladium-catalyzed method for the cross-coupling of aryl and heteroaryl boronic acids with prenyl alcohol. Catalyst systems based on dialkylbiaryl phosphines were highly active for this transformation. These supporting ligands provided opportunities for tuning the efficiency and regioselectivity of carbon-carbon bond formation. In addition, this method was further extended to the cross-coupling of symmetrical allylic alcohols with aryl boronic acids.
Next-generation sequencing and the evolution of data sharing

Disease gene identification often relies on identifying multiple affected individuals with similar phenotypes and candidate variants in the same gene. Phenotypic and genomic data sharing tools have facilitated connections that led to novel disease gene discoveries and better characterization and recognition of rare diseases. Additionally, data sharing has evolved. From gene-based matches to variant-level information with increasing use of phenotypic information. We expect that these initiatives will continue to expand in the future affording clinicians, researchers, and most importantly, patients and their families faster and more comprehensive answers.
Circulating sex steroids and bladder pain sensitivity in dysmenorrhea.

Although elevated estradiol levels facilitate chronic pelvic pain in animal models, it remains to be determined whether sex steroid levels are altered in a cross-section of women with chronic pelvic pain (CPP) and those at-risk for developing CPP. We sought to determine if sex steroid levels are increased in women with menstrual pain and whether those changes were more extreme in two groups of women with worsened pelvic pain profiles: a) dysmenorrhea plus evidence of bladder pain sensitivity and b) bladder pain syndrome. Serum samples were collected during the mid-luteal phase to measure estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, and sex hormone-binding globulin. We also compared quantitative sensory testing profiles to evaluate how sex steroid differences influence proposed pain sensitivity mechanisms. Women with combined dysmenorrhea and bladder sensitivity had higher estradiol concentrations than controls (487 [IQR 390 – 641] vs 404 [336 – 467] pmol/L, p = 0.042). Bladder pain syndrome participants had greater sex hormone-binding globulin than controls (83 [71 – 108] vs 55 [42 – 76 nmol/L; p = 0.027). Levels of pain sensitivity and mood were different across the groups, but the only significant relationship to sex steroids was that sex hormone-binding globulin was correlated to somatic symptoms (r = 0.26, p = 0.03). These findings show women potentially at-risk for CPP and women with diagnosed CPP exhibit altered circulating levels of sex steroids. Because these hormonal differences appear to be independent of mood or pain sensitivity, the role of sex steroids in the emergence of CPP may be via sensitization of visceral afferents.
Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury: Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Prognosis

The impact of traumatic spinal cord injury (TSCI) on function and quality of life (QOL) is substantial, and the incidence of people living with complete TSCI is increasing over time as our emergent and critical care capabilities improve. Much of TSCI treatment and prognosis is based on initial assessment of the neurological level of injury (NLI), which is followed throughout the continuum of rehabilitation. Medical treatment and surveillance of the patient’s vulnerable organs begins in the intensive care unit and continues into acute rehabilitation, with pulmonary, cardiovascular, integumentary, genitourinary, and gastrointestinal as priority systems. The multidisciplinary rehabilitation team collaborates to help patients achieve specific functional goals. Determining outcome and prognosis for ambulation in TSCI is based upon completeness of injury and NLI, as well as other variables. Traditional TSCI rehabilitation techniques when done in concert with new methods, i.e., augmentative motor devices and novel neuromedical treatments such as stem cell work, continues to expand the possibilities for QOL for this challenging patient population.
G2 arrest and differentiation in the petal of Tradescantia clone 4430

The floral organs of Tradescantia clone 4430 were used to investigate, in terms of cell cycle parameters, cellular behaviour during the maturation of a terminally differentiating system. Petals were sampled at different stages of development for (a) cell number; (b) nuclear DNA content by cytophotometry; (c) [3H]thymidine incorporation into nuclei by autoradiography; and (d) pigment production by spectrophotometry. DNA synthesis was confirmed by measurement of [3H]thymidine incorporation into TCA-insoluble material and changes in DNA content by colorimetric estimation of DNA extracts by diphenylamine. The development of the petal involved four sequential steps. First, there was an increase in cell number, an event characterized by mitoses, DNA synthesis, a few cells in G2 and a predominance in G1. Second, there was a cessation of cell division and DNA synthesis when all the cells accumulated in G1. Third, there was a shift of a large proportion of the total cell population from G1 to the G2 stage of the cell cycle and finally, there was pigment production. In addition, cytophotometric analysis of individual tissues in the mature petal revealed tissue specific differences in the proportion of cells in G2.
Characterization of Extruded and Toasted Milk Protein Concentrates

Important functional properties of milk protein concentrate with 80% protein (MPC80), modified with low- and high-shear extrusion, or low-temperature toasting were compared. The effect of high- and low-shear profile screws in a corotating twin-screw extruder, and 4 different ramped temperature profiles with die temperatures of 65, 75, 90, and 120 °C were compared. Extrudates were pelletized, dried, and ground to a fine powder. Toasting was done at 75 and 110 °C for 4 h for milk protein modification. Extruded and toasted MPC80 had reduced protein solubility and surface hydrophobicity. Extrusion decreased water-holding capacity (WHC). Toasted MPC80 had increased WHC when treated at 75 °C, but WHC decreased when heated at 110 °C. The treatments had no strong influence on gel strength. Reduced and nonreduced sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed peptide structural changes that occurred due to processing, especially for whey proteins. Results are discussed in terms of potential for application of extruded or toasted MPC80 in high-protein nutrition bar applications.
Cadherin Adhesion: Mechanisms and Molecular Interactions

Cadherins constitute a superfamily of cell-cell adhesion molecules expressed in many different cell types that are required for proper cellular function and maintenance of tissue architecture. Classical cadherins are the best understood class of cadherins. They are single membrane spanning proteins with a divergent extracellular domain of five repeats and a conserved cytoplasmic domain. Binding between cadherin extracellular domains is weak, but strong cell-cell adhesion develops during lateral clustering of cadherins by proteins that link the cadherin cytoplasmic domain to the actin cytoskeleton. Understanding how different regions of cadherins regulate cell-cell adhesion has been a major focus of study. Here, we examine evidence of the structure and function of the extracellular domain of classical cadherins in regard to the control of recognition and adhesive contacts between cadherins on opposing cell surfaces. Early experiments that focused on understanding the homotypic, Ca++-dependent characteristics of cadherin adhesion are discussed, and data supporting the widely accepted cis- and trans-dimer models of cadherins are analyzed.
A new institution devoted to insect science: The Florida Museum of Natural History, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity

The Florida Museum of Natural History's McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville, Florida, has become one of the world's largest institutions for research on butterflies and moths, and an important research facility for insect science. The facility was constructed by combining the staff and merging the Lepidoptera holdings from the Allyn Museum of Entomology, the Florida State Collection of Arthropods and other University of Florida collections, and now includes over ten million specimens from all over the world, rivaling some of the largest Lepidoptera research collections globally. The facility includes a team of domestic and international researchers studying many areas of lepidopterology, including behavior, biodiversity, biogeography, ecology, genomics, physiology, systematics and taxonomy. In this paper, we introduce the McGuire Center, its staff, and the many research activities for researchers across entomological disciplines.
Conditional immortalization of primary adipocyte precursor cells

The production of new adipocytes requires the differentiation of adipocyte precursor (AP) cells residing within the adipose tissue stromal-vascular compartment. The objective was to obtain an immortalized primary adipogenic cell line derived from FACS isolated committed APs using the conditional expression of SV40 T antigen. Adipocyte precursors were isolated from white adipose tissue (WAT) using FACS to remove non-adipogenic cell populations from mice expressing a conditionally regulated SV40 T antigen. APs were maintained by continuous culture and induced to undergo adipogenic differentiation. Adipogenesis, determined by Oil Red O staining, was assessed with each passage and compared to wildtype controls. Adipogenic capability was rapidly lost with increased passage number in committed APs with concurrent reduction in cell proliferation and expression of essential late adipogenic genes, including Pparγ and C/ebpα. Thus, FACS purified committed APs have limited capability to undergo expansion and subsequent adipogenic differentiation in vitro even if they are immortalized with the SV40 T antigen.
Theory of a Josephson Oscillator

A quantum mechanical theory of superconducting tunnel junctions including noise is developed. The theory is applied to the calculation of the frequency pulling, linewidth of the radiation, and voltage power spectrum in the ac Josephson effect.
Effects of sequential exposure to multiple concentrations of methylmercury in the rat hippocampal slice.

Two experiments explored the effects of sequential exposure to multiple concentrations of methylmercury (MeHg) on rat hippocampal slice synaptic transmission and excitability in area CA1. When hippocampal slices were exposed to 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 μM MeHg chloride in successive 30-min exposures, MeHg produced an increase in excitability over baseline levels throughout the 1 μM exposure and the first 5 min of the 10 μM exposure, followed by profound suppression of excitability at the 100 μM level. When hippocampal slices were exposed to 10, 25, 50, 75, and 100 μM concentrations, MeHg produced an increase in excitability throughout most of the 10 and 25 μM exposures, followed by profound suppression of excitability at the 50 μM level of exposure. In both series of concentrations, MeHg suppressed local inhibitory systems prior to suppressing excitatory systems. In a third experiment, a single exposure of 50 μM MeHg suppressed both presynaptic and postsynaptic responses recorded in stratum radiatum with the same time course, suggesting that the observed suppressive effects of MeHg were not primarily synaptic.
Determination of left ventricular filling pressure by Doppler echocardiography in patients with coronary artery disease: critical role of left ventricular systolic function.

Abstract Objectives. This study was designed to determine the usefulness of transthoracic Doppler measurements in detecting increased left ventricular (LV) end-diastolic pressure in patients with coronary artery disease, specifically examining the influence of systolic function on the accuracy of these methods. Background. Studies that have correlated Doppler indexes with LV filling pressures primarily involved patients with LV systolic dysfunction. The reliability of Doppler indexes in estimating filling pressures in patients with coronary artery disease and preserved systolic function is unclear. Methods. Pulsed wave Doppler transmitral and pulmonary venous flow velocity curves and LV pressure were recorded in 83 patients with coronary artery disease. Results. Conventional Doppler indexes (deceleration time of mitral E wave velocity, ratio of peak mitral E to A wave velocities and pulmonary venous systolic fraction) correlated with LV filling pressure in patients with an ejection fraction (EF) ≤50% but not in those with an EF >50%. Previously published regression analysis for prediction of LV filling pressure was accurate in patients with an EF ≤50% but not in those with an EF >50%. The difference between flow duration with atrial contraction in the pulmonary veins and transmitral flow duration with atrial contraction correlated with LV filling pressure in both groups. Conclusions. Analysis of the early diastolic portion of the transmitral or pulmonary venous flow velocity curves can be used to predict LV filling pressures in patients with systolic dysfunction, but are inaccurate in patients with preserved systolic function. The combined analysis of both flow velocity curves at atrial contraction is a reliable, feasible predictor of increased LV filling pressure, irrespective of systolic function.
The effects of small ice crystals on cirrus infrared radiative properties

Using a model that combines single-scattering properties for spheroidal and hexagonal ice crystals, the thermal infrared radiative properties of cirrus clouds have been investigated. Infrared scattering and absorption properties for randomly oriented spheroids and hexagons are parameterized based on the anomalous diffraction theory and a geometric ray-tracing method, respectively. Using observed ice crystal size distributions, upwelling radiances at the top of cirrus cloudy atmospheres have been computed. Results show that the presence of small ice crystals can produce significant brightness temperature differences between two infrared wavelengths in the 10-micron window. Theoretical results have been compared with observed brightness temperature differences between 8.35 and 11.16 microns and between 11.16 and 12 microns. The observed values were obtained from the high-spectral resolution interferometer sounder. It is shown that the use of the present nonspherical model for ice crystals in radiative transfer calculations leads to a significantly better interpretation of the observed data than does the use of the spherical model.
The two-state reduction for electron and hole transfer in bridge-mediated electron-transfer reactions

Abstract We present a unified analysis of the two-state reduction in bridge-mediated electron transfer for both electron and hole transfer. The parameter that characterizes the leading error associated with a two-state reduction is derived in the energy and time domains. A precise definition of the tunnelling energy is given. We also derive analytically the regimes of validity of the two-state reduction and we interpret it in terms of the time evolution of the purely electronic part of the electron-transfer probability.
N100 cortical potentials accompanying disrupted auditory nerve activity in auditory neuropathy (AN): effects of signal intensity and continuous noise.

Objective: Auditory temporal processes in quiet are impaired in auditory neuropathy (AN) similar to normal hearing subjects tested in noise. N100 latencies were measured from AN subjects at several tone intensities in quiet and noise for comparison with a group of normal hearing individuals. Methods: Subjects were tested with brief 100 ms tones (1.0 kHz, 100–40 dB SPL) in quiet and in continuous noise (90 dB SPL). N100 latency and amplitude were analyzed as a function of signal intensity and audibility. Results: N100 latency in AN in quiet was delayed and amplitude was reduced compared to the normal group; the extent of latency delay was related to psychoacoustic measures of gap detection threshold and speech recognition scores, but not to audibility. Noise in normal hearing subjects was accompanied by N100 latency delays and amplitude reductions paralleling those found in AN tested in quiet. Additional N100 latency delays and amplitude reductions occurred in AN with noise. Conclusions: N100 latency to tones and performance on auditory temporal tasks were related in AN subjects. Noise masking in normal hearing subjects affected N100 latency to resemble AN in quiet.
Challenges in Incorporating Sustainability Into Product Development: An Exploratory Study

Despite decades of disaggregated initiatives aimed at improving the well-being and quality of life of its employees, their families, communities and stakeholders, many high-technology firms are still struggling to develop an integrated approach to address the triple bottom line aspects of sustainability. In particular how sustainability is being integrated into the product development process, and the challenges that result, is of interest to this work. A literature review into the role of internal factors of how a firm implements a sustainability strategy revealed that it was too normative to guide the implementation of a corporate sustainability strategy at the level of the product development value chain. Therefore, to better understand how senior and mid-level managers actually implement such a strategy, a case study was conducted at two business divisions of two different large, multinational firms that are relatively early in their development of an integrated sustainability strategy. The findings provide insight into the role of internal factors at the level of a business division as it attempts to incorporate sustainability into its product development value chain.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Multiplicative Utilities for Health and Consumption

Many challenging medical/financial decisions require a decision maker to express preferences for lifetime streams of health and consumption. To express such preferences, we develop two multiplicative utility forms from basic conditions. These forms have many advantages over the leading additive form and extend the way in which life years are adjusted in the popular quality-adjusted life-year model. Unlike additive forms, a decision maker with one of our multiplicative forms can express correlation aversion in consumption streams. In the special case of constant health and consumption streams, our forms reduce to a double exponential utility in life duration. When the decision maker is correlation averse in consumption streams, this form can express risk aversion, decreasing absolute risk aversion and increasing relative risk aversion in life duration. This reduced form under correlation aversion also has standard gamble probabilities (proportional time trade-offs) that increase (decrease) in life duration. In addition, it has standard gamble probabilities that exceed proportional time trade-offs. The properties of this reduced form under correlation seekingness are also examined and discussed in the context of the empirical evidence on attitudes toward risks in life duration, standard gamble probabilities, and proportional time trade-offs.
The role of quantum theory in biology

The computation of the properties of biological molecules has long been the most visible part of “quantum biology”. However, there is good reason to believe that these data cannot, by themselves, allow us to understand the deep properties of biological organization. It is pointed out that the quantum theory itself allows many modes of analysis which are distinct from those employed in quantum chemistry, and that these other modes are in fact implicated in basic biological interactions. Thus there is nothing “un-physical” about them, even though they differ from those conventionally employed in quantum-theoretical approaches to biology.
Anesthetics and sedatives: Toxic or protective for the developing brain?

Despite our insufficient understanding of the exact molecular mechanisms of general anesthetics and sedatives, every year millions of children are treated with these drugs in a seemingly safe manner. However, increasing evidence particularly from animal studies has suggested the possibility for deleterious effects in pediatric patients. All currently clinically utilized anesthetic drugs have been found to induce neuronal cell death in the developing brain and to potentially cause long-term neurological impairment. Conversely, painful stimuli without analgesia and anesthesia have also been shown to initiate a harmful stress response in young children and to trigger neurotoxic effects in the developing brain, which can be blunted by anesthetics. Moreover, anesthetic drugs may also confer neurological protection during hypoxic and ischemic insults. The mechanisms and human applicability of anesthetic neurotoxicity and neuroprotection remain under intense investigation and this Perspectives article summarizes the current state of research.
Departments and Disciplines: Stasis and Change: Significant multidisciplinary activity requires a redistribution of power within universities

Because I believe that the departmental power base of universities has been a major factor in resisting inevitable and continuing changes in the disciplinary boundaries of research and teaching, I predict that significant changes in the nature of departments are inevitable. Departments will either permit, or even seek, a realignment of their spheres of control over disciplinary activity or they will lose the power of control over basic academic decisions and rewards. To the extent that society at large expresses resistance to change, the status quo of departments may have a temporary lease on life. On the other hand, society9s current disenchantment with academia may make radical internal change seem vital to the maintenance of public support, and even the survival of universities, and thus hasten changes in either departmental structure or departmental power. Within universities, resistance to such change is generally supported on the assumption that academic freedom will be threatened. Obviously, all change involves some risk, but a very significant limitation to academic freedom already exists in the pressures that many departments exert on members to restrict their intellectual activity to fit the departmental mold. Departments can regain their important role in fostering both academic freedom and academic responsibility for excellence if they will redefine their discipline-oriented identities and realign their priorities to include cross-disciplinary inquiry and teaching and greater responsiveness to the responsibilities and expectations of the university and society.
The Fusion Activity of HIV-1 gp41 Depends on Interhelical Interactions

Infection by human immunodeficiency virus type I requires the fusogenic activity of gp41, the transmembrane subunit of the viral envelope protein. Crystallographic studies have revealed that fusion-active gp41 is a "trimer-of-hairpins" in which three central N-terminal helices form a trimeric coiled coil surrounded by three antiparallel C-terminal helices. This structure is stabilized primarily by hydrophobic, interhelical interactions, and several critical contacts are made between residues that form a deep cavity in the N-terminal trimer and the C-helix residues that pack into this cavity. In addition, the trimer-of-hairpins structure has an extensive network of hydrogen bonds within a conserved glutamine-rich layer of poorly understood function. Formation of the trimer-of-hairpins structure is thought to directly force the viral and target membranes together, resulting in membrane fusion and viral entry. We test this hypothesis by constructing four series of gp41 mutants with disrupted interactions between the N- and C-helices. Notably, in the three series containing mutations within the cavity, gp41 activity correlates well with the stability of the N-C interhelical interaction. In contrast, a fourth series of mutants involving the glutamine layer residue Gln-653 show fusion defects even though the stability of the hairpin is close to wild-type. These results provide evidence that gp41 hairpin stability is critical for mediating fusion and suggest a novel role for the glutamine layer in gp41 function.
SU-GG-T-481: Investigation of the Influence of Aperture Rotation on the Dose Profiles of Proton Patch Fields

The use of proton patch fields that are stopped on the lateral boundary of a master field is common practice in passively deliveredprotonradiation therapy, as it allows for effective coverage of target volumes in close proximity to critical structures, e.g., the spinal cord. In a typical patient setup scenario, initial orthogonal radiographs are taken to align the patient in three dimensions relative to the proton beam isocenter and a beam's eye view (BEV) x‐ray image of the master field is taken to verify correct alignment and to perform final corrections. As part of these corrections, frequently an aperture rotation is required to account for rotational misalignment of the patient relative to the beam profile. Similarly, subsequent fields patching on the master field are verified with BEV x‐ray images prior to treatment and appropriate corrective moves and aperture rotations are made. To date, no studies of the influence of aperture rotations on the deliveredproton treatment across various clinical configurations have been published. We are currently performing a systematic study of clinical proton patch‐field combinations using our protontreatment planning software (Odyssey, Permedics). Performing incremental rotations of both the master and patch fields in the treatment plan, will determine the effect on the DVH for both the gross tumor volume (GTV) and organs at risk (OAR). Study endpoints include deviations from the maximum, minimum and mean dosedelivered to GTV and OAR prescribed by the clinician. This study covers a range of clinical scenarios, including tumors of the cervical spine, tumors of the paranasal sinus, frontal lobe gliomas, and parasacral tumors. It is expected that the results of this study will result in practical guidelines for the setup of proton patch‐field combinations.