cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Permeation of glove materials by physiologically harmful chemicals.

The breakthrough times and permeation rates of 1,4-dichloro-2-butene, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, and 2-chloro-1,3-butadiene for eleven commercially available gloves were determined. Four methods of determining the breakthrough time and permeation rate were evaluated. A wide variation in the glove material thickness and protection time was found showing that the adequate protection time can only be determined by testing the proposed glove with the chemicals to be handled.
The Contributions of Sea Ice Algae to Antarctic Marine Primary Production1

The seasonally ice-covered regions of the Southern Ocean have distinctive ecological systems due to the growth of microalgae in sea ice. Although sea ice microalgal production is exceeded by phytoplankton production on an annual basis in most offshore regions of the Southern Ocean, blooms of sea ice algae differ considerably from the phytoplankton in terms of timing and distribution. Thus sea ice algae provide food resources for higher trophic level organisms in seasons and regions where water column biological production is low or negligible. A flux of biogenic material from sea ice to the water column and benthos follows ice melt, and some of the algal species are known to occur in ensuing phytoplankton blooms. A review of algal species in pack ice and offshore plankton showed that dominance is common for three species: Phaeocystis antarctica, Fragilariopsis cylindrus and Fragilariopsis curta. The degree to which dominance by these species is a product of successional processes in sea ice communities could be an important in determining their biogeochemical contribution to the Southern Ocean and their ability to seed blooms in marginal ice zones.
Laparoscopic partial upper pole nephrectomy in infants and children

Objective To retrospectively review 5 years' experience of transperitoneal laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) in infants and children. Patients and methods Between January 1995 and December 1999, 14 upper-pole partial nephrectomies (seven right and seven left) were undertaken in 13 children (mean age 3.8 years, range 0.4–14). One patient underwent bilateral upper-pole LPN. No children required a lower-pole partial nephrectomy during the study period. Evaluation included renal ultrasonography, voiding cystourethrography, renal scintigraphy and contrast-enhanced computed tomography in some cases. Three ports (10, 5 and 5 mm) were used in all except two patients, who required an additional 2 mm port for liver retraction. The diseased parenchyma was transected with electrocautery or harmonic scalpel. The distal ureter was simply transected in the absence of reflux, but tied adjacent to the bladder if reflux was present. Results The mean operative duration for LPN was 100 min, with an estimated blood loss of < 30 mL. A liquid diet was tolerated on the first morning after surgery and age-appropriate regular diet that evening in all except one patient. The mean hospital stay was 2.6 days. One patient had a significant decrease in haematocrit, which was managed conservatively, not requiring transfusion. Follow-up telephone interviews with the patients' parents showed that all were satisfied with the medical and cosmetic outcome. Conclusion Transperitoneal LPN is preferable to open partial nephrectomy because: (i) The magnification provided by laparoscopy provides excellent vision for the precise dissection of the parenchyma and distal ureter, avoiding injury to the healthy tissue; (ii) There is minimal blood loss, fast recovery and less surgical scarring, and when upper-pole partial nephrectomy is required, LPN is less damaging to the lower-pole. Unlike total nephrectomy, where debate remains about open vs laparoscopic methods, the specific advantages of LPN make it clearly preferable.
The Impact of Section 7491 on Requirements for Timely Filing Tax Returns

Section 7502 of the Internal Revenue Code (“I.R.C.”) provides that a timely filed tax return or other document will be considered received by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) when mailed. Courts differ on whether I.R.C. § 7502 precludes a taxpayer from presenting credible evidence other than a physical postmark to establish when and if a tax return was timely filed. The article traces the development of the law interpreting when a tax return is considered “filed” and what evidence must be presented to prove that filing. It finds that the enactment of I.R.C. § 7491 in 1998, which shifts the burden of proof to the IRS under certain circumstances, does not resolve the issue of what evidence establishes filing. Under I.R.C. § 7491, the taxpayer must first present “credible evidence” of timely filing before the burden of proof shifts to the IRS. The issue remains unresolved whether the I.R.C. § 7502 mailbox rule is the only means for proving the timely filing of a tax return.
A translational approach to vocalization deficits and neural recovery after behavioral treatment in Parkinson disease.

Abstract Parkinson disease is characterized by a complex neuropathological profile that primarily affects dopaminergic neural pathways in the basal ganglia, including pathways that modulate cranial sensorimotor functions such as swallowing, voice and speech. Prior work from our lab has shown that the rat model of unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine infusion to the medial forebrain bundle that is useful for studying limb sensorimotor deficits also yields vocalization deficits that may be amenable to treatment with intensive exercise. This affords us an opportunity to explore the potential mechanisms underlying behavioral and neural recovery as a result of intervention for cranial sensorimotor deficits associated with Parkinson disease. Our methods include recording and acoustic analysis of male rat ultrasonic vocalizations in a control condition, after neurotoxin infusion (Parkinson disease model), and after targeted vocalization training. We also use well-established behavioral and immunohistochemical methods to assess the level of neurochemical recovery in the striatum of the basal ganglia after our interventions. Our findings, although preliminary, prompt us to look in other brain regions extraneous to the striatum for potential underlying mechanisms of recovery. Thus, our future work will focus on the underlying mechanisms of behavioral recovery in a Parkinson disease model in the hope that this will lead to improved understanding of brain function and improved treatment for voice and swallowing disorders. Learning outcomes: Readers will gain an understanding of how a rat model of Parkinson disease is used to study vocalization deficits and interventions.
The Lessons of Defeat: Transforming the Qing State after the Boxer War

the roots of China's modern state can be found in the Xinzheng or 'new policy' reforms during the last decade of the Qing dynasty. These reforms marked a radical departure for the Chinese state, involving a sustained effort to import foreign models and adapt them to Chinese realities. Although scholarship on reforms to provincial and local state institutions in this period is substantial, the transformation of the central government in Beijing has received little attention.
Thematic review series: Lipid Posttranslational Modifications CAAX modification and membrane targeting of Ras

Proteins that terminate with a consensus sequence known as CAAX undergo a series of posttranslational modifications that include polyisoprenylation, endoproteolysis, and carboxyl methylation. These modifications render otherwise hydrophilic proteins hydrophobic at their C termini such that they associate with membranes. Whereas prenylation occurs in the cytosol, postprenylation processing is accomplished on the cytoplasmic surface of the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. Among the numerous CAAX proteins encoded in mammalian genomes are many signaling molecules such as monomeric GTPases, including the Ras proteins that play an important role in cancer. In the course of their processing, nascent Ras proteins traffic from their site of synthesis in the cytosol to the endomembrane and then out to the plasma membrane (PM) by at least two pathways. Recently, retrograde pathways have been discovered that deliver mature Ras from the PM back to the Golgi. The Golgi has been identified as a platform upon which Ras can signal. Thus, the subcellular trafficking of Ras proteins has the potential to increase the complexity of Ras signaling by adding a spatial dimension. The complexity of Ras trafficking also affords a wider array of potential targets for the discovery of drugs that might inhibit tumors by interfering with Ras trafficking.
Interoperability between distributed simulations

The development of distributed simulation systems is a very complex process which is made even more difficult by the interactions between the mathematical models and their execution environments. In order to simplify the development process, nine characteristics of models and four characteristics of execution environments were identified which are independent of the specific functions and applications with which they are associated. The interactions of these characteristics were then examined for distributed models and execution environments, and eight model constraints and four environment constraints were derived which must be met to avoid the introduction of artifacts into the simulation results.
The utilization of rice bran wax to stabilize long chain ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid esters

Oils containing long chain ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are highly susceptible to oxidation, limiting their use in food products and drinks. To stabilize these oils, they are usually fortified with natural and/or synthetic antioxidants. Here we report for the first time the use of a novel natural and edible ingredient, rice bran wax (RBX), that improves the oxidative stability of polyunsaturated ω-3 oils. When the wax esters are dissolved in polyunsaturated oils at low concentrations (⪈0.5%) and cooled, the wax molecules solidify into a thin crystalline mesh and entrap large volumes of liquid oil. Such encapsulated solids with large volumes of liquid oil are called organogels. Encapsulated menhaden oil with 1.5% RBX containing no added anti-oxidant, showed oxidative stability comparable to menhaden oil with 500 ppm of tocopherols and 200ppm tert-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ). Incorporation of RBX to stabilize ω-3 oils is advantageous as it provides a “natural” label at a modest cost.
Bending Behavior of Helically Wrapped Cables

A mesoscale mechanical model of the bending behavior of helically wrapped cables under tension is developed. The model accounts for the nonlinear dissipative behavior of the cable arising from the slippage of wires under friction forces. It is shown that the bending stiffness rapidly diminishes with increasing cable curvature, over a range that can be as large as 2 orders of magnitude. The model can be used to assess the static and dynamic response of helically wrapped cables in such applications as conductors in substations and transmission lines subjected to earthquake effects, where significant changes in the cable curvature may occur.
Cognitive Responses to Failure and Success Relate Uniquely to Bipolar Depression Versus Mania

This project examined cognitive responses to failure and success and their association with depression and mania within bipolar disorder. Many cognitive variables that are associated with unipolar depression have been found to be involved in bipolar disorder, more specifically bipolar depression. This research was the first to examine tendencies to hold high standards, engage in self-criticism, and generalize from failure to an overall sense of self-worth. In Study 1, undergraduates were screened for risk of mood disorders and completed structured diagnostic interviews. History of bipolar spectrum disorders and history of depression had separate associations with negative generalization. The association of generalization with bipolar spectrum disorders was accounted for by current depressive symptoms. For Study 2, the authors developed a measure of the tendency to engage in positive generalization following success experiences. In a sample of 276 undergraduates, this measure related uniquely to risk for mania. Results of these 2 studies suggest that responses to failure are associated with a history of depression, whereas responses to success are associated with a risk for mania. Implications for future research and clinical work are discussed.
Identity crisis: Face recognition technology and freedom of the will

In this paper I present the position that the use of face recognition technology (FRT) in law enforcement and in business is restrictive of individual autonomy. I reason that FRT severely undermines autonomous self-determination by hobbling the idea of freedom of the will. I distinguish this position from two other common arguments against surveillance technologies: the privacy argument (that FRT is an invasion of privacy) and the objective freedom argument (that FRT is restrictive of one's freedom to act). To make this case, I suggest that autonomy itself is predicated on the possibility of acting ethically, of freely willing moral laws. I then claim that autonomous self-determination is established as self-determination via social interactions with others. If we conceptualize self-determination as a relation of establishing a claim to individual autonomy in a community of others, we can see how planned uses of FRT subvert possibilities for the establishment of socially recognized agency. FRT not only co...
Fatty acid composition in the mature milk of Bolivian forager‐horticulturalists: controlled comparisons with a US sample

Breast milk fatty acid (FA) composition varies greatly among individual women, including in percentages of the long-chain polyunsaturated FAs (LCPUFA) 20:4n-6 (arachidonic acid, AA) and 22:6n-3 (docosahexaenoic acid, DHA), which are important for infant neurological development. It has been suggested that owing to wide variation in milk LCPUFA and low DHA in Western diets, standards of milk FA composition should be derived from populations consuming traditional diets. We collected breast milk samples from Tsimane women at varying lactational stages (6-82 weeks). The Tsimane are an indigenous, natural fertility, subsistence-level population living in Amazonia Bolivia. Tsimane samples were matched by lactational stage to samples from a US milk bank, and analysed concurrently for FA composition by gas-liquid chromatography. We compared milk FA composi- tion between Tsimane (n = 35) and US (n = 35) mothers, focusing on differences in LCPUFA percentages that may be due to population-typical dietary patterns. Per total FAs, the percentages of AA, DHA, total n-3 and total n-6 LCPUFA were significantly higher among Tsimane mothers. Mean percentages of 18:2n-6 (linoleic acid) and trans FAs were significantly higher among US mothers. Tsimane mothers' higher milk n-3 and n-6 LCPUFA percentages may be due to their regular consumption of wild game and freshwater fish, as well as comparatively lower intakes of processed foods and oils that may interfere with LCPUFA synthesis.
Clearance of Staphylococcus aureus Nasal Carriage Is T Cell Dependent and Mediated through Interleukin-17A Expression and Neutrophil Influx

ABSTRACT The anterior nares of humans are the major reservoir for Staphylococcus aureus colonization. Approximately 20% of the healthy human population is persistently and 80% is intermittently colonized with S. aureus in the nasal cavity. Previous studies have shown a strong causal connection between S. aureus nasal carriage and increased risk of nosocomial infection, as well as increased carriage due to immune dysfunction. However, the immune responses that permit persistence or mediate clearance of S. aureus on the nasal mucosa are fundamentally undefined. In this study, we developed a carriage model in C57BL/6J mice and showed that clearance begins 14 days postinoculation. In contrast, SCID mice that have a deficient adaptive immune response are unable to eliminate S. aureus even after 28 days postinoculation. Furthermore, decolonization was found to be T cell mediated but B cell independent by evaluating carriage clearance in T-cell receptor β/δ (TCR-β/δ) knockout (KO) and IgH-μ KO mice, respectively. Upregulation of the cytokines interleukin 1β (IL-1β), KC (also termed CXC ligand 1 [CXCL1]), and IL-17A occurred following inoculation with intranasal S. aureus. IL-17A production was crucial for clearance, since IL-17A-deficient mice were unable to effectively eliminate S. aureus carriage. Subsequently, cell differential counts were evaluated from nasal lavage fluid obtained from wild-type and IL-17A-deficient colonized mice. These counts displayed IL-17A-dependent neutrophil migration. Antibody-mediated depletion of neutrophils in colonized mice caused reduced clearance compared to that in isotype-treated controls. Our data suggest that the Th17-associated immune response is required for nasal decolonization. This response is T cell dependent and mediated via IL-17A production and neutrophil influx. Th17-associated immune responses may be targeted for strategies to mitigate distal infections originating from persistent S. aureus carriage in humans.
A technique for managing mirrored disks

Disk mirroring is a highly effective technique for improving the fault tolerance and performance of storage systems. Mirroring requires that those disks holding the current data must be determined when recovering from total system failure. In a two disk system, this is only a minor problem since the operator can indicate which disk is current. The complexity increases when more disks are introduced, and requiring human intervention is impractical when the target environment is the consumer market. In these situations, automatic recovery must be used when possible. We describe an efficient algorithm for managing the consistency of mirrored storage. Our algorithm requires only n+log n bits of state per disk and does not require logging or quorum collection.
Connexin hemichannels contribute to spontaneous electrical activity in the human fetal cortex

Before the human cortex is able to process sensory information, young postmitotic neurons must maintain occasional bursts of action-potential firing to attract and keep synaptic contacts, to drive gene expression, and to transition to mature membrane properties. Before birth, human subplate (SP) neurons are spontaneously active, displaying bursts of electrical activity (plateau depolarizations with action potentials). Using whole-cell recordings in acute cortical slices, we investigated the source of this early activity. The spontaneous depolarizations in human SP neurons at midgestation (17–23 gestational weeks) were not completely eliminated by tetrodotoxin—a drug that blocks action potential firing and network activity—or by antagonists of glutamatergic, GABAergic, or glycinergic synaptic transmission. We then turned our focus away from standard chemical synapses to connexin-based gap junctions and hemichannels. PCR and immunohistochemical analysis identified the presence of connexins (Cx26/Cx32/Cx36) in the human fetal cortex. However, the connexin-positive cells were not found in clusters but, rather, were dispersed in the SP zone. Also, gap junction-permeable dyes did not diffuse to neighboring cells, suggesting that SP neurons were not strongly coupled to other cells at this age. Application of the gap junction and hemichannel inhibitors octanol, flufenamic acid, and carbenoxolone significantly blocked spontaneous activity. The putative hemichannel antagonist lanthanum alone was a potent inhibitor of the spontaneous activity. Together, these data suggest that connexin hemichannels contribute to spontaneous depolarizations in the human fetal cortex during the second trimester of gestation.
Redundant Toll-like receptor signaling in the pulmonary host response to Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Activation of pulmonary defenses against Pseudomonas aeruginosa requires myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), an adaptor for Toll-like receptor (TLR) signaling. To determine which TLRs mediate recognition of P. aeruginosa, we measured cytokine responses of bone marrow cells from wild-type mice and mice lacking TLR2 (TLR2(-/-)), TLR4 (TLR4(-/-)), TLR2 and TLR4 (TLR2/4(-/-)), or MyD88 (MyD88(-/-)) to wild-type P. aeruginosa and to fliC P. aeruginosa, which lacks the TLR5 ligand flagellin. Mice also were challenged with aerosolized bacteria to determine cytokine responses, lung inflammation, and bacterial clearance. TNF induction required MyD88 and was absent in TLR2/4(-/-) cells in response to fliC but not wild-type P. aeruginosa, whereas TLR2(-/-) cells exhibited augmented responses. In vivo, TLR4(-/-) mice responded to wild-type P. aeruginosa with reduced cytokine production and inflammation, but intact bacterial clearance, while TLR2(-/-) mice had partially impaired cytokine responses and delayed bacterial killing despite normal inflammation. When challenged with fliC, MyD88(-/-) mice failed to mount early cytokine and inflammatory responses or control bacterial replication, resulting in necrotizing lung injury and lethal disseminated infection. TLR4(-/-) and TLR2/4(-/-) mice responded to fliC infection with severely limited inflammatory and cytokine responses but intact bacterial clearance. TLR2(-/-) mice had partially reduced cytokine responses but augmented inflammation and preserved bacterial killing. These data indicate that TLR4- and flagellin-induced signals mediate most of the acute inflammatory response to Pseudomonas and that TLR2 has a counterregulatory role. However, MyD88-dependent pathways, in addition to those downstream of TLR2, TLR4, and TLR5, are required for pulmonary defense against P. aeruginosa.
Hemoglobin A1c to Diagnose Diabetes: Why the Controversy over Adding a New Tool?

Perhaps diabetes is a bit like obscenity: We know it when we see obvious cases, but it is difficult to develop one definition that encompasses the entire spectrum of disease. Hyperglycemia exists on a continuum, and persons destined to develop type 2 diabetes progress along this continuum over time, from having blood glucose concentrations that are physiologic, to those in some intermediate but asymptomatic range, to glucose concentrations that are frankly increased and often associated with acute symptoms and chronic complications of the disease. But at what point does an individual have blood glucose concentrations, or other measures of glycemia, that cross the line from no diabetes to diabetes? Several decades ago, the National Diabetes Data Group (NDDG)2 developed consensus diagnostic criteria for diabetes that were based on population distributions of glucose concentrations (even though for most populations there is not a bimodal distribution for glucose clearly dividing diseased from nondiseased individuals) and based on the relative risk of decompensation to overt or symptomatic diabetes. These criteria, including a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) concentration of 140 mg/dL (7.8 mmol/L) or greater and a 2-h plasma glucose concentration during a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) of 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or greater, became the worldwide standard for diagnosing diabetes. Even in 1979, however, the NDDG noted that “there is no clear division between [those with diabetes] and [those without diabetes] in the FPG concentration or their response to an oral glucose load” and acknowledged that the cutpoints chosen were arbitrary (1). In 1997, the Expert Committee on Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes Mellitus was convened to revisit the criteria for diagnosing diabetes. This group examined population data for retinopathy in 3 distinct populations and noted that for FPG, 2-h postload glucose (PG), and hemoglobin A1c (Hb A …
Integrated-layer packet radio study for AHS

The design issues and the performance evaluation of packet radio communication systems for automated highway systems (AHS) are presented. The main focus is on the analysis and interaction between the physical and the link-access layers of a packet radio system that can accommodate communication between vehicles and roadside infrastructure as well as between vehicles. We discuss the information flow requirements of AVCS (advanced vehicle control systems) and ATMIS (advanced traffic management and information systems) services and we present preliminary results from the performance evaluation of four multiple access schemes (slotted-ALOHA, reservation-ALOHA, TDMA, and CDMA).
Multilayer perceptrons and radial basis functions are universal robust approximators

The standard risk-sensitive (or exponential quadratic) functional used for robust control and filtering for linear systems is generalized. It is then shown that under relatively mild conditions, a function can be approximated, to any desired degree of accuracy with respect to these general risk-sensitive functionals, by a multilayer perceptron or a radial basis function network.
Perturbing Chromatin Structure to Understand Mechanisms of Gene Expression

The study of nuclear structure falls between the fields of cell biology and molecular biology and draws on techniques from both fields. In recent years, many exciting advances have been made in these areas, including single-molecule and superresolution imaging and the development of chromosome conformation capture (3C)-based technologies, which have brought the advent of genome-wide analysis of chromatin structure and contacts. However, many questions remain as to the function of nuclear structures, in particular their influence on transcription. Here we describe studies that have directly manipulated nuclear architecture at various levels and thus have clarified the causal influence of structure on transcription. We will also highlight open questions in the field, most notably regarding our understanding of the dynamics and variability in nuclear structure and its influence on gene expression.
Nanofriction and nanowear of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and high-density polyethylene during sliding

Abstract Friction and wear studies on the nanoscale are of interest to develop a fundamental understanding of the operative mechanisms and to establish the relationship between nanoscale and macroscale sliding phenomena. Herein, nanofriction of polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and high-density polyethylene was measured with atomic force microscopy and then compared with their macrofrictional behavior using a cylinder-on-disk arrangement at one load and speed. A probe-based scanning nanoindenter was used to investigate wear mechanisms, and nanohardness was measured using a depth-sensing nanoindenter. Results showed that friction at the nanoscale was nanohardness-dependent. In contrast, macrofriction was dependent instead on surface roughness. The three polymers exhibited lower values of nanofriction than macrofriction, possibly because of less plowing. The polymer with higher nanohardness also showed higher wear resistance.
Saving 'Home': Thoughts on Race, Religion, and Politics in the Development of the United States

This paper looks at the historical development of the concept of home in the United States. Though the lenses of race and religion, citizens have created a history to defend a conception of home which rarely ever existed. In the actions of individuals, and in the actions of institutions, the political development of the United States can be seen as a fight to save home.
Persistence of Norwalk Virus, Male-Specific Coliphage, and Escherichia coli on Stainless Steel Coupons and in Phosphate-Buffered Saline

Human noroviruses (NoVs) are a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis and are frequently transmitted by contaminated food, water, hands, and environmental surfaces. Little is known about their environmental stability and/or which alternative microorganisms can serve as effective surrogates. To examine whether Escherichia coli and male-specific coliphage MS2 can be appropriate surrogates for NoVs, approximately 6.8 log genomic equivalent copies of Norwalk virus (NV), and 6.0 to 6.5 log PFU or CFU of MS2 and E. coli, respectively, were inoculated onto stainless steel coupons and held at 4°C, room temperature (RT), or 37°C over a period of 75 min (E. coli and MS2) to 4 weeks. These three microorganisms were also seeded into phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and sampled at different time intervals for up to 6 weeks. MS2 and E. coli survived approximately 15 min at 37°C, 45 min at RT, and 60 min at 4°C on the stainless steel surfaces. In contrast, NV RNA titers were reduced by only 2.4 log at 37°C, 1.5 log at RT...
Modeling the Finite Deformation Anisotropic Viscoelastic Behavior of the Cornea

This paper presents the development of a finite element model for the cornea as a first step towards a physiologically based model to study the role of cornea and sclera biomechanics in glaucoma. We developed a finite-deformation anisotropic constitutive model of the cornea that considers the effects of the fibrilar microstructure on the viscoelastic stress response. The model was base on the hypothesis that the dominant mechanism for the tensile viscoelastic behavior of the cornea is the viscoelastic stretching of the collagen lamellae. This approach yielded two main results. First, the viscoelastic properties of the cornea are derivable directly from the viscoelastic properties of the collagen fibrils and proteoglycan matrix. Second, the anisotropy in the stress response and creep response are determined solely by the arrangement collagen lamellae, which depends on orientation and material position. This allows the model parameters that determines anisotropy to be obtained from microstructural characterizations, such as the X-ray diffraction experiments of Meek and coworkers [1], while the model parameters that determines viscoelasticity to be determined from mechanical experiments. For this initial work, the viscoelastic parameters were fitted to the uniaxial tensile strip tests [2] and inflation tests with digital image correlation (DIC) [3] of bovine cornea performed by our group. Since microstructural characterizations are not available for bovine cornea, we used the data of Aghamohammadzadeh et. al. [1] for the human cornea.© 2008 ASME
Inefficacy of Prontylin in Experimental Tuberculosis

ConclusionUnder the conditions of our experiments, Prontylin exerted no beneficial effect in experimental tuberculosis.
Involution Forms of Escherichia Coli

According to a theory recently proposed ' to explain morphological variations in bacteria, the cells of bacteria undergo durihg the growth of a culture, a series of metamorphoses exactly analogous to those of a multicellular organism during the growth of an individual, and three distinct types may be recognized; an embryonic form, a mature form, and a senescent form. According to this view the so-called involution forms which appear in old cultures are analogous to the senescent forms in the cytomorphosis of a multicellular organism, and are just what their name implies, cells which have been acted upon by the lethal factor, whatever it may be, which limits growth, and which are dead or about to die and disintegrate. This has long been the view of the majority of bacteriologists, but has been vigorously opposed in recent years by several authors who have maintained that these unusual forms of bacteria are special reproductive cells of one type or another, phases in a rather complex life cycle. The observations cited to support the above mentioned theory have been made for the most part during the early stages of growth, relatively little work having been done on the death phase. It has been shown that, whereas during the active growth period the cells show increased variability in size,2 variability in form is a characteristic of the death phase," but it is not possible from the work done so far to definitely correlate the degree of variation in form with the rate of death. The work here presented has had such an end in view.
Drones: The Newest Technology for Precision Agriculture

Drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), have been used by the military since WWI for remote surveillance. In the last decade, farmers have begun using them to monitor their fields as well as aiding precision agriculture programs. There are estimates that 80 to 90% of the growth in the drone market in the next decade will come from agriculture. The ease of use and ability to specialize each system means there will be a UAV for every situation. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulation currently limits drone usage to recreational. Rules for commercial use are expected to come out in September of 2015. UAVs can monitor fields more often than satellites, take more detailed pictures, and are not obstructed by clouds. The different types of cameras can monitor data like photosynthesis rates or find where patches of weeds are in a field. As the technology gets better and the cost continues to decrease, drones will have wider use in today’s farm fields.
Design of CAN bus interface based on SJA1000 and PCA82C250

CAN bus is the relatively popular technology at present.It introduced the main performances and characters of CAN bus,and described the structure and work concerning SJA1000 and PCA82C250.Based on this,it designed CAN bus’s interface and gave the hardware design,including the programs of initialization,receiving and sending of SJA1000 about this system,which may provided certain references in order to subsequent application of CAN bus.
Organizational factors associated with Health Care Provider (HCP) influenza campaigns in the Veterans health care system: a qualitative study

It is an important goal to vaccinate a high proportion of health care providers (HCPs) against influenza, to prevent transmission to patients. Different aspects of how a HCP vaccination campaign is conducted may be linked to different vaccination rates. We sought to characterize organizational factors and practices that were associated with vaccination campaign success among six sites within the Veterans Health Administration, where receipt of flu-vaccination is voluntary.
The Historical Evolution of the Transatlantic Partnership

Cowles and Egan provide a concise historiography of transatlantic relations since 1945. Examining how the United States and Europe have weathered global structural shifts, external threats and divergent domestic dynamics in the past, they argue there has never been a ‘golden age’ in the transatlantic relationship. The United States and Europe have a history of drifting apart and transforming their partnership to address global challenges. Today, the transatlantic partners are working within the changing international order in a manner that reflects their long-standing, deeply rooted alliance.
Immunological Response as a Factor in Carcinogenesis

The above models lack any explicit consideration of immunological feedback built into the underlying assumptions. Nevertheless, the phenomenon of immunological response is important in the cancer problem. Burnet (1964) provides a review of immunological factors in carcinogenesis. Weiss (1967) maintains that studies of neoplastic diseases in both humans and animals indicate that the host tissue does not play an entirely passive role in the progress of the disease. His work on mammary tumors in mice demonstrated the existence of an immunological response by the host tissue against the tumor, i.e., the tumor produces antigens against which the normal tissue reacts. Further, in his 1969 paper Weiss reports that with few, if any, exceptions, all animal tumors thus far subjected to systematic investigation have exhibited immunological feedback. Also, Iversen (1965) stresses the need to take into account a feedback mechanism in a biocybernetic approach to cancer. Clearly, it is appropriate to include immunological response in a mathematical model for carcinogenesis.
Risk stratification with exercise N(13)-ammonia PET in adults with anomalous right coronary arteries.

Objective In adults with an interarterial and intramural course of an anomalous right coronary artery from the left sinus (AAORCA), surgical unroofing is recommended in the setting of myocardial ischaemia. However, data regarding functional testing are limited, and the management of adults without ischaemia is unclear. To evaluate these patients, we employed an exercise N 13 -ammonia positron emission tomography (PET) protocol. We hypothesised that patients with typical angina and exertional dyspnoea would be more likely to have ischaemia and that patients without ischaemia could be managed conservatively. Methods Between July 2008 and December 2014, we retrospectively identified 27 consecutive patients >18 years old with an interarterial and intramural course of an AAORCA who had exercise N 13 -ammonia PET. Results The majority of patients had anatomic delineation with cardiac CT (25, 93%), and most patients had chest pain (24, 89%). Myocardial ischaemia with PET was common (13, 48%), and ischaemia was more likely in patients with typical angina and exertional dyspnoea (p Conclusions In patients with an interarterial and intramural course of an AAORCA, typical angina and exertional dyspnoea are associated with ischaemia on exercise N 13 -ammonia PET. Referral for surgical unroofing in symptomatic patients with ischaemia on exercise N 13 -ammonia PET and initial conservative management in patients without ischaemia seems appropriate, though larger studies with long-term follow-up are needed.
Mapping New Spaces

Spurred by newly discovered coastlines on both sides of the Atlantic, map making had made huge strides during the sixteenth century. Thousands of miles of shorelines were recorded at tremendous speed and equally rapidly assimilated into enormous maps depicting three-quarters of the world’s coasts. After this initial sprint, the pace of new discoveries slowed. So too did innovations in map making, which experienced a century-long lull.
Charging behavior of polyethylene and ionomers

Space charge may lower the breakdown strength of solid insulation by making local electric fields bigger than the applied field. One extensive study[1] of this phenomenon led to a proposal to blend crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation with an ionomer to reduce space charge build-up. The authors used contact electrification (no applied field) as a measure of the tendency for a polymer to charge under an applied field and found that the XLPE acquired negative charge, the ionomer positive charge and a blend of the two acquired much less net charge than either component. The reverse-polarity breakdown strength of the blend was found to be higher than that of XLPE and this was related to its reduced contact charging. We have extended this work to test the above ideas and proposal for improving the performance of XLPE-insulated cables. In our study we measured electric field distributions in films of polyethylene, ionomers and blends charged by applying 0 to 50 V/μm at temperatures between 20 and 80°C for times up to 100 hours. These electric field measurements show more directly, than do contact charging data, the charging behavior that occurs in the bulk of coaxial DC power cable insulation in service under an applied field.
Synthesis of O-α-l-fucopyranosyl-(1→2)-O-β-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→4)-d-glucopyranose (2′-O-α-l-fucopyranosyl-lactose)

Abstract Selective benzoylation of 2,3:5,6:3′,4′-tri- O -isopropylidenelactose dimethyl acetal ( 1 ) with benzoyl chloride in dichloromethane afforded the 6′- O -benzoyl derivative ( 2 ). The constitution of 2 was inferred from its n.m.r. spectrum, and confirmed by methylation and subsequent hydrolysis to 2- O -methyl- d -galactose and d -glucose. Glycosidation of 2 (catalyzed by bromide ion) with 2,3,4-tri- O -benzyl-α- l -fucopyranosyl bromide gave the 2′- O -linked, fully protected trisaccharide ( 9 ). O -Debenzoylation of 9 , followed by deacetalation, furnished the tri- O -benzyl trisaccharide ( 11 ). Subsequent hydrogenolysis of the benzyl groups of 11 afforded the title trisaccharide. The acetal 1 was converted into a monoacetate and a dibenzoate, and a simple synthesis of 2′- O -methyl-lactose, starting from 1 , is also described.
Ancient Aspirations Meet the Enlightenment

Most people are neurologically incapable of living up to their own moral aspirations. Today, neuroscience is illuminating moral sentiment and cognition and generating new electronic, psychopharmaceutical, and genetic technologies for moral self-improvement. Some religious will reject the new moral enhancement technologies on the grounds that they are a distraction from spiritual means and ends. Other technologies, such as treatments for addictions, will likely be widely embraced by the religious. A dialogue between the faith traditions and advocates of moral enhancement will help the religious parse which technologies are acceptable, and help the human enhancement movement parse dead ends, such as hedonic “wireheading,” from enhancements that support virtue, spiritual experience, and flourishing lives.
Loblolly — the pine for the twenty-first century

Loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) was a minor component of the vast natural forests of the southern United States before the region was settled by immigrants. Extensive planting and natural regeneration of cutover forest land and abandoned farmland between 1930 and 1990 made loblolly the leading timber species in the United States. It now predominates on 13.4 million ha (45 percent) of the commercial forest land in the southern United States (between latitudes 28° N and 39° N and longitudes 75° W and 97° W) and directly or indirectly provides 110,000 jobs and $30 billion to the economy of the region. The extreme versatility of loblolly has also provided important environmental contributions to most southern states. These include landscape beautification, erosion control, soil amelioration, excellent wildlife habitat, and outstanding recreational opportunities. Incorporating existing pest management strategies into silvicultural systems can produce substantial and long-lasting insect and disease control with little cost or physical effort. Introductions of loblolly into numerous countries around the world (especially China, Brazil, and Argentina) have proven to be very successful, environmentally sound, and commercially profitable. In some locations, loblolly grows much faster than on sites of similar quality in the southern United States.
A Pop-up Service Point and Repurposed Study Spaces: Maintaining Market Share During a Renovation

ABSTRACTPayson Library, the largest library at Pepperdine, primarily serves undergraduate students. It underwent a renovation between spring 2016 and fall 2017. Payson Library was closed during this renovation, and a Library Hub was established as a temporary service point and library information and teaching center on campus. Maintaining market share led to rolling out new services such as RAPID-ILL, repurposing a graduate campus library for increased study spaces, and reliance on a strong library liaison program. Predictably, there was a sharp reduction in patron visits, but there was success in providing reference, instruction, and access to the collections.
Herbal medicine of Wisconsin Indians

In this chapter we will familiarize the reader with selected aspects of the herbal medicine of Wisconsin Indians. We will concentrate on the Menominee, Potawatomi, Ojibwe and Meskwaki tribes. We will address the following topics: (1) selected methods for research in the existing literature to reveal both the identity and the chemical composition of plants which Indians used for medicinal purposes; (2) some aspects of Indian medicine, such as the mode of delivery of herbal drugs, extensive use of plant mixtures, and other practices; (3) selected literature resources on comparison of uses of medicinal plants among different North American Indian tribes and contemporary white men.
Redistribution and markets in the economy of ancient Mesopotamia: updating Polanyi

The economic historian Karl Polanyi argued that the Mesopotamian economy was dominated by a redistributive system. Institutional households (temple and palace) produced goods, which were stored in central storehouses for distribution to their personnel. Markets were of little if any importance. Recently, Assyriologists have reconsidered Polanyi's arguments in the light of new evidence and new analytical techniques. The present paper summarizes and evaluates their contributions. The main finding is that the updated version of Polanyi is largely unsubstantiated and fails to answer essential questions. On the other hand, Mesopotamia knew active markets for staples, luxuries, arable land, labor, and capital beginning as early the mid-third millennium.
Decreased-Activity Mutants of Phosphoglucose Isomerase in the Cytosol and Chloroplast of Clarkia-Xantiana - Impact on Mass-Action Ratios and Fluxes to Sucrose and Starch, and Estimation of Flux Control Coefficients and Elasticity Coefficients

1. Subcellular-compartment-specific decreased-activity mutants of phosphoglucose isomerase in Clarkia xantiana were used to analyse the control of sucrose and starch synthesis during photosynthesis. Mutants were available in which the plastid phosphoglucose isomerase complement is decreased to 75% or 50% of the wild-type level, and the cytosol complement to 64%, 36% or 18% of the wild-type level. 2. The effects on the [product]/[substrate] ratio and on fluxes to sucrose or starch and the rate of photosynthesis were studied with the use of saturating or limiting light intensity to impose a high or low flux through these pathways. 3. Removal of a small fraction of either phosphoglucose isomerase leads to a significant shift of the [product]/[substrate] ratio away, from equilibrium. We conclude that there is no 'excess' of enzyme over that needed to maintain its reactants reasonably close to equilibrium. 4. Decreased phosphoglucose isomerase activity can also alter the fluxes to starch or sucrose. However, the effect on flux does not correlate with the extent of disequilibrium, and also varies depending on the subcellular compartment and on the conditions. 5. The results were used to estimate Flux Control Coefficients for the chloroplast and cytosolic phosphoglucose isomerases. The chloroplast isoenzyme exerts control on the rate of starch synthesis and on photosynthesis in saturating light intensity and CO2, but not at low light intensity. The cytosolic enzyme only exerts significant control when its complement is decreased 3-5-fold, and differs from the plastid isoenzyme in exerting more control in low light intensity. It has a positive Control Coefficient for sucrose synthesis, and a negative Control Coefficient for starch synthesis. 6. The Elasticity Coefficients in vivo of the cytosolic phosphoglucose isomerase were estimated to lie between 5 and 8 in the wild-type. They decrease in mutants with a lowered complement of cytosolic phosphoglucose isomerase. 7. The implications of these results for regulation and for evolution are discussed.