cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relationship of serum ferritin level and tic severity in children with Tourette syndrome

Tics can be considered hyperkinetic movements akin to restless leg syndrome (RLS). Drawing the analogy of iron deficiency as an etiology of RLS, it is conceivable that iron deficiency may underlie or worsen tics in Tourette syndrome (TS). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between serum ferritin levels and tic severity, as well as consequent impact on life, in children with TS. Children 0.16). Thirty-eight percent with low serum ferritin (≤50 ng/mL) (n = 37) had severe tics (>5 composite score), compared with 25% in normal ferritin group (n = 20). Over 6–12 months, tic severity score improved in both iron treated groups, deficient (2.70 to 1.90) and sufficient (2.40 to 1.95), whereas tics worsened or remained the same when not treated with iron. Our data suggest iron deficiency may be associated with more severe tics with higher impact on TS children, independent of the presence of OCD, ADHD, or anxiety. Iron supplementation showed a trend towards improvement of tic severity upon follow-up. We suggest a double-blind, placebo-controlled prospective study to reach a definite conclusion.
Sociological Jurisprudence and The Spirit of The Common Law

Roscoe Pound’s Sociological Jurisprudence has long been understood to bear the mark of continental, primarily German writers. Notwithstanding this influence, the project represented, in large measure, an effort to stem transatlantic-inspired threats to the future of the common law. Most directly at issue was the rise of social science as an alternative, civil-law-based, administrative paradigm that simultaneously threatened the academic interests of the law schools, the professional concerns of the bar, and the core constitutional principles of judicial supremacy. Within this context, Pound selectively drew on European social legal theory with the goal of saving the common law from itself. The project, as it ultimately evolved, consisted of two primary proposals for reform, one focused on the universities, the other on the courts. Late 19th-century German social science and attendant theories of the state aspired to an integrated field linking legal, political, social, and economic theories. Within this model the social science disciplines, rather than the law, would emerge as the proper academic homes for research on constitutional, legislative, administrative, and related public law subjects. Through the injection of social-scientific content into legal pedagogy and research, sociological jurisprudence countered with a socio-legal paradigm that, together with lowering the barriers separating law from society, also ensured that law would continue to exist as a distinct field of inquiry in the universities and beyond. Where the courts were concerned, sociological jurisprudence answered contemporary pressures for radical curtailment of judicial review with a narrow construction of the deficiency at the core of the Lochner Court’s reasoning as mechanical, or formalist. It was a problem definition that successfully served to deflect direct attacks on judicial supremacy by shifting the conversation away from the very authority of courts to scrutinize the facts justifying social legislation to the methods they ought to employ in this regard. Obscured in the process was the extent to which the constitutional battle lines of the early twentieth century were drawn between rival common-law- and civil-law-based paradigms of administrative governance. The ease with which formalist constructions of the Lochner Court took hold—even as the Lochner justices themselves insisted on reviewing the underlying legislative facts—is difficult to explain, other than through the widely shared common-law sensibilities of progressive-era lawyers, well beyond Pound. In this, sociological jurisprudence seemingly offers legal historians one more lesson on the ways in which historical narratives that are consonant with the values of legal elites are liable to gain purchase.
Intuitive intellectual property law: A nationally-representative test of the plagiarism fallacy

Studies with convenience samples have suggested that the lay public's conception of intellectual property laws, including how the laws should regulate and why they should exist, are largely incommensurate with the actual intended purpose of intellectual property laws and their history in the United States. In this paper, we test whether these findings generalize to a more diverse and representative sample. The major findings from past work were replicated in the current study. When presented with several potential reasons for IP protection, the lay public endorsed plagiarism and felt that acknowledging the original source of a creative work should make copying that work permissible-viewpoints strongly divergent from lawmakers' intent and the law itself. In addition, we replicate the finding that lay people know remarkably little about intellectual property laws more generally and report little experience as users or creators of creative works.
Progress in the Treatment of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

Although there has been considerable research activity in the treatment of Hodgkin’s lymphoma since advanced stages of the disease became curable with combination chemotherapy in the 1960s, the mos...
Acute effects of the skeletal muscle-specific immunotoxin ricin-mAb 35 on extraocular muscles of rabbits.

PURPOSE. To determine the acute histologic and ultrastructural effects of a recently developed muscle-specific immunotoxin, ricin-mAb 35. METHODS. Graduated doses of ricin-mAb 35, composed of ricin conjugated to a monoclonal antibody against the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor of skeletal muscle, were injected into one superior rectus muscle in rabbits. After 3, 7, and 14 days, both superior rectus muscles were removed and prepared for electron microscopy and histologic examination, by using a number of immunohistochemical markers to identify inflammatory cell infiltration, muscle fiber loss, and muscle regeneration. RESULTS. Myotoxicity of the ricin-mAb 35 was focal and dose related. At the highest dose tested, there was substantial inflammatory cell infiltrate by 3 days, which largely disappeared by 7 days. Significant muscle loss was apparent by 7 days after ricin-mAb 35 treatment. Both the inflammatory reaction and muscle fiber loss were confined to the immediate injection site. Surrounding muscle appeared to be normal. At 14 days after treatment, early signs of muscle regeneration were evident within the tissue sections. No evidence of orbital or systemic toxicity was seen in any animal. CONCLUSIONS. Direct injection of ricin-mAb 35 into the extraocular muscles of rabbits results in a dose-related focal injury to the muscles, with a self-limited inflammatory component and significant muscle fiber loss. This novel immunotoxin may be useful in the treatment of strabismus if chronic studies show a sustained histologic and electrophysiologic effect.
Relationships of overstory to understory cover variables in a Ponderosa pine/Gambel oak ecosystem

Many studies have indicated relationships between individual species, but none have related combinations of overstory variables to understory herbaceous vegetation in a Ponderosa pine/Gambel oak ecosystem. Our objective was to determine not only the general relationships between the two sets of variables, but also identify the hyghest contributing variables. We used canonical correlation analysis to relate overstory variables (canopy cover, basal cover and density) to herbaceous vegetation cover variables. Canopy, basal, and ground cover were measured by the line intercept method using a 12.2 m tape as a sample unit. Tree density was measured by the Point-Center-Quarter method. The analysis was made with selected overstory variables and 5 understory herbaceous cover variables. This analysis revealed a significant canonical correlation between the two canonical variables (r=0.69). The analysis showed that among herbaceous cover variables, Oregon grape, Kentucky bluegrass, sedge, and foxtail barley; and among overstory variables, the density and the basal cover of Ponderosa pine indicated the highest positive contribution to the correlation of the two linear combinations while the density and canopy of Gambel oak negatively affected the canonical correlation.
The Influence of Latino Symptom Experience on Participation in Usual Activities and Satisfaction With Participation in Social Roles.

Introduction:Little is known about the Latino symptom experience and how symptoms influence participation in usual activities and satisfaction with participation in social roles.Method:Secondary an...
The Hedonic and Utilitarian Value of Volunteering as an Act of Symbolic Consumption: An Abstract

Due to scarce resource allocation, many nonprofit organizations suffer from low levels of staffing and depend on volunteers. The act of volunteering has been conceptualized as an act of symbolic consumption. Thus, the directors of nonprofits should strive to create volunteer experiences that provide value to the volunteer. This study is the first step in developing scales that measure value to the individual who volunteers at a nonprofit organization. The researchers began by conducting in-depth interviews with six female volunteers from a free medical clinic with extensive experience as volunteers.
A Survey on Architecture Advances Enabled by Emerging Beyond-CMOS Technologies

Editor’s note: Emerging non-CMOS devices have various advantages and challenges. It is important to undertake device-architecture codesign to harness the true benefits of beyond-CMOS devices. This article discusses the landscape of designing computing systems with emerging devices. —Partha Pratim Pande, Washington State University
Towards continuous-to-continuous 3D imaging in the real world

Imaging systems are often modeled as continuous-to-discrete mappings that map the object (i.e. a function of continuous variables such as space, time, energy, wavelength, etc) to a finite set of measurements. When it comes to reconstruction, some discretized version of the object is almost always assumed, leading to a discrete-to-discrete representation of the imaging system. In this paper, we discuss a method for single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging that avoids discrete representations of the object or the imaging system, thus allowing reconstruction on an arbitrarily fine set of points.
Digital formations of racial understandings: how university websites are contributing to the ‘Two or More Races’ conversation

Since the time race has been an applied concept in the United States there have been those who identify with two or more racial categories. However, the 2000 Census was the first time individuals c...
Post-Brachytherapy Transformation of Prostatic Adenocarcinoma to Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Cadaver Anatomy Case Report

Prostatic squamous cell carcinoma comprises less than 1% of reported prostate cancers. This form of cancer has a poor prognosis with a low survival time following diagnosis and no definitive form of treatment. A Caucasian male cadaver presented with primary pure squamous cell carcinoma of the prostate with metastasis to the liver and local invasion of the bladder, ureter, and rectum. Post-mortem examination showed evidence of brachytherapy radiation seeds in the prostate. Histological analysis and clinical intuition suggest that these seeds were used in an attempt to treat a previous low-grade adenocarcinoma of the prostate. The lack of patient history complicates determining a definitive cause of death, but the pathological presentation strongly suggests that the cause of death was a pure squamous cell carcinoma of the prostate following brachytherapy treatment for a previous prostatic adenocarcinoma. This case report further aids in establishing the relationship between the use of brachytherapy for prostatic adenocarcinoma and the subsequent development of prostatic squamous cell carcinoma.
Data augmentation for handwritten digit recognition using generative adversarial networks

Supervised learning techniques require labeled examples that can be time consuming to obtain. In particular, deep learning approaches, where all the feature extraction stages are learned within the artificial neural network, require a large number of labeled examples to train the model. Various data augmentation techniques can be performed to overcome this issue by taking advantage of known variations that have no impact on the label of an example. Typical solutions in computer vision and document analysis and recognition are based on geometric transformations (e.g. shift and rotation) and random elastic deformations of the original training examples. In this paper, we consider Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN), a technique that does not require prior knowledge of the possible variabilities that exist across examples to create novel artificial examples. In the case of a training dataset with a low number of labeled examples, which are described in a high dimensional space, the classifier may generalize poorly. Therefore, we aim at enriching databases of images or signals for improving the classifier performance by designing a GAN for creating artificial images. While adding more images through a GAN can help, the extent to which it will help is unknown, and it may degrade the performance if too many artificial images are added. The approach is tested on four datasets on handwritten digits (Latin, Bangla, Devanagri, and Oriya). The accuracy for each dataset shows that the addition of GAN generated images in the training dataset provides an improvement of the accuracy. However, the results suggest that the addition of too many GAN generated images deteriorates the performance.
11 – Environmental Protection

Publisher Summary This chapter deals with the environmental protection. When living resources are harvested, impact propagates through dependent and associated ecosystems. When nonliving resources are exploited, impacts radiate through environments as well as ecosystems. Moreover, resource activities generate impacts that influence the dynamics of nations within the international community—extending beyond political boundaries across the Earth system. Antarctic Treaty instituted as humankind's primary use— Convention on the Regulation of Antarctic Mineral Resources (CRAMRA) identified environmental protection as a common goal of all resource activities around Antarctica. Beyond protecting against environmental impacts, CRAMRA further recognizes that resource activities affect each other and that additional strategies are required to protect the multiple uses of Antarctica. According to the Article 3, the protection of the Antarctic environment and dependent and associated ecosystems and the intrinsic value of Antarctica, including its wilderness and aesthetic values and its value as an area for the conduct of scientific research, in particular research essential to understanding the global environment, shall be fundamental considerations in the planning and conduct of all activities in the Antarctic Treaty area. Antarctic environmental protection involves values that are shared among diverse stakeholders and in the ‘‘interest of all mankind,’’ the design and implementation of such strategies are fundamental to using Antarctica and the Earth system ‘‘for peaceful purposes only’
SARS CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein forms condensates with viral genomic RNA

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection causes COVID-19, a pandemic that seriously threatens global health. SARS CoV-2 propagates by packaging its RNA genome into membrane enclosures in host cells. The packaging of the viral genome into the nascent virion is mediated by the nucleocapsid (N) protein, but the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Here, we show that the N protein forms biomolecular condensates with viral RNA both in vitro and in mammalian cells. While the N protein forms spherical assemblies with unstructured RNA, it forms mesh like-structures with viral RNA strands that contain secondary structure elements. Cross-linking mass spectrometry identified an intrinsically-disordered region that forms interactions between N proteins in condensates, and truncation of this region disrupts phase separation. By screening 1,200 FDA approved drugs in vitro, we identified a kinase inhibitor nilotinib, which affects the morphology of N condensates in vitro and disrupts phase separation of the N protein in vivo. These results indicate that the N protein compartmentalizes viral RNA in infected cells through liquid-liquid phase separation, and this process can be disrupted by a possible drug candidate.
A compartmentalized signaling network mediates crossover control in meiosis

During meiosis, each pair of homologous chromosomes typically undergoes at least one crossover (crossover assurance), but these exchanges are strictly limited in number and widely spaced along chromosomes (crossover interference). The molecular basis for this chromosome-wide regulation remains mysterious. A family of meiotic RING finger proteins has been implicated in crossover regulation across eukaryotes. Caenorhabditis elegans expresses four such proteins, of which one (ZHP-3) is known to be required for crossovers. Here we investigate the functions of ZHP-1, ZHP-2, and ZHP-4. We find that all four ZHP proteins, like their homologs in other species, localize to the synaptonemal complex, an unusual, liquid crystalline compartment that assembles between paired homologs. Together they promote accumulation of pro-crossover factors, including ZHP-3 and ZHP-4, at a single recombination intermediate, thereby patterning exchanges along each chromosome. These proteins also act at the top of a hierarchical, symmetry-breaking process that enables crossovers to direct accurate chromosome segregation.
Cost-effectiveness of implementing routine hearing screening using a tablet audiometer for pediatric cystic fibrosis patients receiving high-dose IV aminoglycosides

BACKGROUND: Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients who receive high-dose aminoglycosides can acquire inner ear damage and subsequent hearing loss. There is no current standard protocol for assessing ototoxicity in CF centers in the United States. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of a pharmacist-implemented routine hearing screening for ototoxicity among pediatric patients using a clinically validated tablet audiometer to allow for earlier detection of hearing loss in an exploratory analysis. METHODS: A Markov decision-analytic model was developed to assess the cost-effectiveness of implementing routine screening with monthly cycles over a 3-year time horizon. The model measured the difference in promptly detected hearing loss, delayed detected hearing loss, and undetected hearing loss, compared with current screening practices. Model inputs were obtained through a comprehensive literature review. Primary model outcomes included total health care costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) gained with a 3% yearly discount. One-way, two-way, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were conducted to evaluate model uncertainty. RESULTS: In a hypothetical cohort of 100 patients, routine screening using a tablet audiometer increased promptly detected hearing loss by 8 patients. There was an incremental gain of 3.2 QALYs at an increased cost of $333,826 compared with current screening practices. This resulted in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $103,771 per QALY. In the 1-way sensitivity analysis, the ICER ranged between $64,345 and $258,830 per QALY. CONCLUSIONS: Using a tablet audiometer for routine hearing screening appears to be a cost-effective option at a $150,000 per QALY willingness-to-pay threshold when only considering the immediate benefits gained. This analysis did not examine the long-term effects of early detection in language development for pediatric patients. DISCLOSURES: Huang reports funding from the University of North Carolina and GlaxoSmithKline Health Outcomes Fellowship. GlaxoSmithKline had no involvement in the study creation, analysis, or manuscript composition. The other authors have nothing to disclose.
Solvent-induced electrochemistry at an electrically asymmetric carbon Janus particle

Chemical doping through heteroatom substitution is often used to control the Fermi level of semiconductor materials. Doping also occurs when surface adsorbed molecules modify the Fermi level of low dimensional materials such as carbon nanotubes. A gradient in dopant concentration, and hence the chemical potential, across such a material generates usable electrical current. This opens up the possibility of creating asymmetric catalytic particles capable of generating voltage from a surrounding solvent that imposes such a gradient, enabling electrochemical transformations. In this work, we report that symmetry-broken carbon particles comprised of high surface area single-walled carbon nanotube networks can effectively convert exothermic solvent adsorption into usable electrical potential, turning over electrochemical redox processes in situ with no external power supply. The results from ferrocene oxidation and the selective electro-oxidation of alcohols underscore the potential of solvent powered electrocatalytic particles to extend electrochemical transformation to various environments.
Application of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, and DNA sequencing-based SLST and MLST analysis for the identification of Cronobacter spp. isolated from environmental surveillance samples

Cronobacter spp. are emerging infectious foodborne bacteria that can cause acute meningitis and necrotizing enterocolitis in neonates and immunocompromised individuals. Although, little is known about its reservoirs or transmission routes, it has been linked to powdered infant formula worldwide. Three Cronobacter spp. (C. sakazakii, C. malonaticus, and C. turicensis) have been described as more virulent, and isolated frequently from infant meningitis cases. The estimated mortality rates are as high as 80% in infants. Thus, surveillance and typing of Cronobacter spp. isolated from food and environmental samples is essential to prevent contamination and spread of this pathogen. In this study, we have characterized 83 Cronobacter isolates recovered from various environmental samples by conventional microbiologic protocols. Species identification was accomplished by VITEK 2 system and real-time PCR analysis. Subsequently, these isolates were analyzed using VITEK MS system. Single locus sequence typing (SLST) was achieved by characterizing the regions of 16S rRNA and rpoB genes. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed by sequence characterization of seven housekeeping genes (atpD, fusA, glnS, gltB, gyrB, infB, and pps) using ABI 3500XL Genetic Analyzer. VITEK MS system identified, the majority of isolates as Cronobacter sakazakii with a high confidence value (99.9%). MLST analysis ascertained 12 distinct clonal complexes (CC1, CC4, CC8, CC13, CC17, CC21, CC31, CC40, CC52, CC64, CC73, and CC83) for the recovered C. sakazakii isolates. The results suggest that the MALDI-TOF MS is a reliable diagnostic tool for rapid species identification whereas 7-loci MLST is a powerful technique to discriminate and differentiate Cronobacter spp. isolates.
Association between pathogenic germline mutations in BRCA2 and ATM and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes in primary prostate cancer.

Pathogenic mutations in homologous recombination (HR) DNA repair genes may be associated with increased tumor mutational burden and numbers of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL). Though HR-deficient prostate tumors have been anecdotally associated with improved responses to immunotherapy, it is unclear whether HR mutations or HR deficiency (HRD) scores predict for increased T-cell densities in this cancer. We evaluated 17 primary prostate tumors from patients with pathogenic germline BRCA2 mutations (gBRCA2) and 21 primary prostate tumors from patients with pathogenic germline ATM (gATM) mutations, which were compared to 19 control tumors lacking HR gene mutations, as well as the TCGA prostate cancer cohort. HRD score was estimated by targeted sequencing (gBRCA2 and gATM) or by SNP microarray (TCGA). Tumor-associated T-cell densities were assessed using validated automated digital image analysis of CD8 and FOXP3 immunostaining (gBRCA2 or gATM) or by methylCIBERSORT (TCGA). CD8 + and FOXP3 + T-cell densities were significantly correlated with each other in gBRCA2 and gATM cases. There was no significant difference between CD8 + or FOXP3 + TIL densities in gBRCA2 or gATM cases compared to controls. In the TCGA cohort, HRD score was associated with predicted CD8 + and FOXP3 + TILs. Associations were also seen for HRD score and TIL density among the germline-mutated cases. In contrast to mismatch repair-deficient primary prostate tumors, cancers from germline BRCA2 or ATM mutation carriers do not appear to be associated with elevated TIL density. However, measures of genomic scarring, such as HRD score, may be associated with increased tumor-infiltrating T-cells.
Adapting a Patient-Reported Outcome Bookmarking Task to be Accessible to Adults With Cognitive and Language Disorders.

Background Patient-reported outcome (PRO) measures produce scores that do not always have obvious clinical meaning. The PRO-bookmarking procedure is a new and promising way to make PRO measures mor...
Phase Transitions in Insulating 1D Electron Systems

We study the ground state phase diagram of different extensions of the one-dimensional Hubbard model at half filling by numerically diagonalizing finite systems with the Lanczos and DMRG method. We discuss the different kinds of insulator-insulator phase transitions that may occur in these models and the remaining open questions regarding their phase diagrams. First numerical results obtained on the IBM RS/6000 SP at the Scientific Supercomputing Center (SSC) Karlsruhe are presented.
Digitalis intoxication; chronic effects manifested by diarrhea and auricular flutter.

Abstract Auricular flutter and diarrhea are presented as unusual effects of chronic digitalis intoxication. It is shown that with the discontinuance of the medication, the diarrhea ceased, the flutter stopped, and an evolution of decreasing digitalis effect was recorded in serial electrocardiograms. The importance of properly informing the patient taking digitalis of its possible toxic effects is stressed. The need for continuous medical supervision of the digitalized patient is emphasized.
Cooling water conditioning and quality control for tokamaks

Designers and operators of tokamaks and all associated water cooled, peripheral equipment, are faced with the task of providing and maintaining closed-loop, low conductivity, low impurity, cooling water systems. Most of these systems must provide large volumes of high quality cooling water at reasonable cost and comply with local and state government orders and EPA mandated national pretreatment standards and regulations. The primary reason for supplying low conductivity water to the DIII-D vacuum vessel coils, power supplies and auxiliary heating components is to assure, along with the use of a non-conducting break in the supply piping, sufficient electrical resistance and thus an acceptable current-leakage path to ground at operating voltage potentials. As important, good quality cooling water significantly reduces the likelihood of scaling and fouling of flow passages and heat transfer surfaces. Dissolved oxygen gas removal is also required in one major DIII-D cooling water system to minimize corrosion in the ion sources of the neutral beam injectors. Currently, the combined pumping capacity of the high quality cooling water systems at DIII-D is /spl ap/5,000 gpm. Another area that receives close attention at DIII-D is the chemical treatment of the water used in the cooling towers. The water from the towers is used to cool equipment and components critical to the project, e.g., motor generators, helium compressors, vacuum pumps and all heat exchangers that extract energy from the vacuum vessel and its coils, power supplies, and all auxiliary plasma heating components and equipment. This paper discusses the DIII-D water quality requirements, the means used to obtain the necessary quality and the instrumentation used for control and monitoring. Costs to mechanically and chemically condition and maintain water quality are discussed as well as the various aspects of complying with government standards and regulations.
Operant Procedures with the Retardate: An Overview of Laboratory Research

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the laboratory research in operant procedures with the retardate. Many operant conditioners have “moved in” with the retardate, claiming that the apparatus of the “laboratory” should rightly include equipment indigenous to the schoolroom, workshop, cafeteria, playground, lavatory, and wherever the retardate finds himself. There appears to be a shift of emphasis by many operant conditioners that, if not seen in actual research, is at least implied as a distant goal. The early preoccupation with the direct manipulation of the retardate's behavior, as such, is giving way to an examination of those critical environmental events that will control his behavior in the long run. Because the development and stabilization of stimulus functions hinge upon the effectiveness of techniques that directly regulate behavior, the two approaches can never be mutually exclusive and proof that behavior can be altered must necessarily precede the learning of stimulus events as discriminative stimuli and conditioned reinforcers. In this chapter, concepts related to perceptual reinforcers and control problems are discussed. Conditioned positive reinforcement is explained in the chapter. Details of conditioned negative reinforcers are also discussed in the chapter.
Turbulence in a Stably Stratified Shear Flow: A Progress Report

A preliminary investigation of an evolving stably stratified uniform gradient turbulent shear flow has been conducted in a ten-layer, salt-stratified water channel. Simultaneous single-point measurements of the mean and fluctuating density and the horizontal and vertical velocities were made over a wide range of downstream positions. This study is a first attempt to extend the stratified, unsheared grid-generated turbulence study reported in Stillinger, Heiland and Van Atta (1983) to a stratified, uniform shear flow. A primary objective of the present study is to generalize the dynamics described by the length scale models developed in SHV by the addition of a uniform shear in order to obtain criteria which can be compared with more general atmospheric and oceanic measurements. Other objectives are the examination of the dependence of turbulent energy and length scales on the gradient Richardson number, refining and extending the earlier work of Webster (1964).
Producción de hidrógeno a partir de energía solar. Panorama en Colombia

Power generation from renewable sources like the sun; represents an opportunity to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, which are responsible for the acceleration of climate change in recent years. In turn, hydrogen is considered an ideal energy carrier for renewable energy, which will allow the implementation of a new model of energy supply, interest to countries like Colombia, where in the medium and long term, solar energy widely available, promote energy independence, ensure supply throughout the country and provide both environmental and social welfare in the energy field.
Prelytic and Lytic Conformations of Erythrocyte-Associated Escherichia coli Hemolysin

Flow cytometry was developed as a method to assess the conformation of erythrocyte-bound Escherichia coli hemolysin polypeptide (HlyA). Topology of membrane-associated hemolysin (HlyA(E)) was investigated by testing surface accessibility of HlyA regions in lytic and nonlytic bound states, using a panel of 12 anti-HlyA monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). Hemolysin associates nonlytically with erythrocytes at 0 to 2 degrees C. To test the hypothesis that the nonlytic HlyA(E) conformation at 0 to 2 degrees C differs from the lytic conformation at 23 degrees C, MAb epitope reactivity profiles at the two temperatures were compared by flow cytometry. Four MAbs have distinctly increased reactivity at 0 to 2 degrees C compared to 23 degrees C. HlyA requires HlyC-dependent acylation at lysine residues 563 and 689 for lytic function. Toxin with cysteine substitution mutations at each lysine (HlyA(K563C) and HlyA(K689C)) as well as the nonacylated form of hemolysin made in a HlyC-deficient strain were examined by flow cytometry at 0 to 2 and 23 degrees C. The three mutants bind erythrocytes at wild-type toxin levels, but there are conformational changes reflected by altered MAb epitope accessibility for six of the MAbs. To test further the surface accessibility of regions in the vicinity of MAb-reactive epitopes, HlyA(E) was proteolytically treated prior to testing for MAb reactivity. Differences in protease susceptibility at 0 to 2 degrees and 23 degrees C for the reactivities of three of the MAbs further support the model of two distinct conformations of cell-associated toxin.
Antioxidant mechanisms of hindered amine light stabilizers

Secondary and tertiary hindered amines of the piperidyl type and many other piperidyl compounds can protect various polymers against oxidations initiated by light, heat and ionizing radiation. These amines stabilize by being converted to a series of products which can scavenge with high stoichiometry the main radicals responsible for the oxidative chain. This high stoichiometry results from the cyclical regeneration of the scavenging piperidyl species. The efficiency of the hindered amines as antioxidants in polyolefins is enhanced by their ability to associate with the unstable oxidized domains in which photo- and thermal oxidations will eventually reinitiate. Secondary amines can also slowly decompose intramolecularly hydrogen bonded hydroperoxide groups of the type found in polypropylene. This process may destroy the unstable oxidation product before the hydroperoxide can re-initiate oxidation and also generates another powerful antioxidant, a hydroxylamine. Despite the cyclical regeneration of active piperidyl radical scavengers, side reactions can produce non-scavenging products or even photo-initiators which will progressively accumulate and strangle the antioxidant activities.
5-HT2A receptor or α1-adrenoceptor activation induces excitatory postsynaptic currents in layer V pyramidal cells of the medial prefrontal cortex

We compared 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), norepinephrine and dopamine for their efficacy at increasing excitatory postsynaptic current frequency in layer V pyramidal cells from rat medial prefrontal cortical slices. 5-HT, norepinephrine and dopamine increased the excitatory postsynaptic current frequency by 15.9-, 4.5- and 1.7-fold, respectively. Similar to previous results with 5-HT-induced excitatory postsynaptic currents, blockade of mu-opioid receptors, of alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-proprionic acid (AMPA) receptors and fast Na+ channels suppressed the norepinephrine-induced excitatory postsynaptic currents. The norepinephrine-induced, and in most cases, the dopamine-induced increase in excitatory postsynaptic current frequency was blocked by the alpha1-adrenoceptor antagonist prazosin while the alpha2-adrenoceptor antagonist yohimbine did not block either the norepinephrine- or the 5-HT-induced increase in excitatory postsynaptic currents frequency. The potency of three 5-HT2 receptor antagonists with varying selectivity for 5-HT2A/2B/2C receptors tested against the 5-HT-induced increase in excitatory postsynaptic current frequency are in agreement with the affinity of these drugs for the 5-HT2A receptor. These findings suggest that 5-HT2A receptor or alpha1-adrenoceptor activation enhance neurotransmitter release from a similar subset of glutamate terminals that innervate apical dendrites of layer V pyramidal cells.
A new generalization of Weibull distribution with application to a breast cancer data set

In this article, we propose a new generalization of the Weibull distribution, which incorporates the exponentiated Weibull distribution introduced by Mudholkar and Srivastava [1] as a special case. We refer to the new family of distributions as the beta-Weibull distribution. We investigate the potential usefulness of the beta-Weibull distribution for modeling censored survival data from biomedical studies. Several other generalizations of the standard two-parameter Weibull distribution are compared with regards to maximum likelihood inference of the cumulative incidence function, under the setting of competing risks. These Weibull-based parametric models are fit to a breast cancer dataset from the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP). In terms of statistical significance of the treatment effect and model adequacy, all generalized models lead to similar conclusions, suggesting that the beta-Weibull family is a reasonable candidate for modeling survival data.
Smiling Cartographers: Making GIS More Usable for Cartography

A software-usability approach was taken by ESRI Switzerland to design and build a cartographic production system for the Swiss Federal Office of Topography (swisstopo). Building on the strengths of ESRI ArcGIS and ArcMap for data management, symbolisation and intuitive cartographic editing, an analysis was made to improve the general editing environment and provide tools specifically for cartographers. This paper discusses how usability tenets were applied in the design of reusable software components used for the production of multiple map products at swisstopo and other sites.
An experimental approach for investigating consumers evaluation of pharmacist consultation services

The goal of this study was to investigate factors that influence consumers’ perceptions of service encounter satisfaction, overall service quality, and trust in the service provider for pharmacist consultation services. We used the Dynamic Process Model of Service Quality as the framework for investigating the formation of these evaluations. Consumers’ prior expectations of what should and will transpire during the service episode(s) and the performance level of the actual delivered service during the service encounter(s) were hypothesized to affect satisfaction, quality, and trust. Two experiments using a 2x2x2 fully-crossed factorial design were used for collecting and analyzing data. The results showed that normative (should) and predictive (will) expectations play differential roles in consumers’ evaluation of satisfaction, perception of quality, and trust in the service provider. Also, there appeared to be differential roles that a particular type of expectation will serve depending upon the level of service performance.
Temperature regulation training in a cooling environment.

Twelve young men were given biofeedback training to enable them to increase finger temperature at will. They were dressed in warm clothing, including gloves, and placed six at a time in an environmental chamber at 7°C for three hours daily for eight work days. Each was to attempt six rewarmings per session. Finger temperature was presented to the subject on a multipoint recorder. Data from 554 attempts were analyzed. A training effect was not noted, but successful rewarmings were present from the start. The 12 subjects varied considerably in ability to rewann, from 89% to 28% successes. They were divided into the most and least consistent groups and compared for temperature through the exposure time. The most consistent six ended the exposure about 6°C warmer than the least consistent who, nevertheless, remained over 10 °C above air temperature. These performances were compared with another group wearing identical, or even much more insulative, handwear under roughly comparable conditions but without volu...
Emphysema and Other Chronic Lung Disease in Textile Workers: An 18-Year Autopsy Study

Review of 2895 consecutive autopsies from 1962 to 1980 inclusive showed no significant differences in the prevalence of emphysema or other chronic lung disease between 282 active and retired employees of a cotton textile mill and the nontextile population. There was no statistical evidence that exposure to cotton dust, even after many years, produced emphysema, interstitial fibrosis, or cor pulmonale. The prevalence of emphysema in the series was highest in white males (22.0%), followed closely by black males (18.3%). In white females it was 7.5%, in black females, 5.5%. The prevalence in subjects under age 50 yr was 4.5%; in the age group 60-64 yr, 14.6%; and in subjects 65 yr of age and older, 21.9%. A significant increase in the prevalence of emphysema occurred between the 1962 to 1969 period and the 1970 to 1980 period.
Fluorescence from selected rotational levels of S1 glyoxal

Abstract 1 A u → 1 A g (S 1 →S o ) fluorescence with resolution of rotational structure is shown after exciting glyoxal at low pressures with the 454.3 nm line of an argon ion laser. This line pumps only a few rotational levels in the zero-point level of the S 1 , state, and the levels are identified with certainty by the rotational analysis of four bands in fluorescence. The analysis shows that fluorescence from isolated single rotational levels in the S 1 , state can be easily resolved in each of these bands. No dependence of the collision-free emission yield on K'J' could be detected in emission from five K'J' levels. The levels ranged in rotational energy from 89 to 482 cm −1 with equally wide variation in quantum numbers. Approximate rotational constants are obtained for 1 A g glyoxal with v 2 ″ = 1, and an improved value of v 2 ″ 1741.2 ± 0.5 cm −1 is determined.
Evaluation of transforming growth factor β and type I procollagen gene expression in fibrotic skin diseases by in situ hybridization

Full thickness biopsies of affected skin and fascia from one patient with diffuse fasciitis and eosinophilia (DF), two patients with generalized morphea (GM), and five patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) of recent onset were examined for the expression of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF beta 1) and type I procollagen genes by in situ hybridization with human sequence-specific cDNA. An increased number of fibroblasts showing clearly detectable expression of pro alpha 1(I)collagen gene was found in all fibrotic lesions when compared with unaffected skin from the patient with DF and skin from two normal individuals examined in parallel. Expression of the TGF beta 1 gene was noted in a fibroblast subpopulation of the affected tissues from the patients with DF and GM. In contrast, the TGF beta 1 gene was not expressed at a detectable level in affected skin from the five patients with PSS. The results suggest that TGF beta 1 may play a role in the development of skin fibrosis in cases of DF and GM. However, from these studies, we cannot implicate TGF beta 1 in the pathogenesis of skin fibrosis in PSS.
Alexithymia and relaxation: Considerations in optimising the emotional effectiveness of journaling about stressful experiences

The emotional benefits of pairing a brief relaxation with journaling about a stressful event were considered through an experimental design, with alexithymia included as a potential moderator. Participants (n=217) were randomly assigned to a full treatment group (n=54), relaxation-only group (n=57), journaling-only group (n=51), or control group (n=55). The results indicated an interaction, with high-alexithymic participants in the full treatment group reporting increased levels of emotional distress several days after writing. The hypothesis that preceding journaling with a relaxation would be beneficial for non-alexithymic participants was not supported. These findings contribute to the ongoing examination of how best to optimise the effectiveness of journaling. They also lend support to the importance of including alexithymia as a moderator variable in future journaling research.
Free radical chemistry of coal liquefaction: role of molecular hydrogen

Abstract Model compounds containing the types of carboncarbon bonds thought to be present in coal were pyrolyzed in the presence of tetralin and molecular hydrogen at 450 °C. The relative rates of conversion of the model structures are predictable from the bond dissociation energies of the compounds. Conversion of dibenzyl in the presence of both tetralin and molecular hydrogen or in the presence of hydrogen alone proceeds along two parallel reaction paths. Toluene is produced by a thermal cracking reaction in which the rate-controlling step is the thermal cleavage of the β-bond in dibenzyl. Benzene and ethylbenzene are produced by a hydrocracking reaction. The rate of the hydrocracking reaction is directly proportional to the hydrogen pressure. The strong bond in diphenyl is hydrocracked in a system containing both molecular hydrogen and a source of free radicals. These studies on model coal structures offer firm evidence that molecular hydrogen can participate directly in free radical reactions under coal liquefaction conditions. Under some conditions molecular hydrogen can compete with a good donor solvent to stabilize the thermally produced free radicals. Molecular hydrogen can also promote some hydrocracking reactions in coal liquefaction that do not occur to an appreciable extent in the presence of only donor.
An empirical study of factors impacting the size of object-oriented component code documentation

In this paper, we identify a set of factors that may be used to forecast source code documentation for object oriented software components. Using field data on 152 object oriented (OO) software components and the multiple regression model, we empirically test the impact of proposed factors on the prediction of OO source code documentation. Our results indicate that the number of methods, the number of sub-classes, the number of GUI elements and the number of events handled all increase the number of lines of code for OO source code documentation. Additionally, we show that scale economies exist in OO source code documentation and use non-linear regression model Classification and Regression Tree (CART) to improve OO source code documentation forecasting accuracy.
Arrival time distributions

Abstract A simple derivation, using Bohm trajectories, is given of Dumont and Marchioro's expression for the distribution of arrival times of transmitted particles at a point on the far side of a 1D barrier. Calculated distributions are presented and the “quantum speed-up effect” discussed from the Bohm trajectory viewpoint.
The search for viruses in bovine semen, a review.

Abstract Viruses reported in bovine semen include those of foot and mouth disease, bluetongue, bovine leukemia, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis, bovine viral diarrhea, ephemeral fever, and lumpyskin disease. Bovine enteroviruses, a parapoxvirus (paravaccinia), and several uncharacterized viruses have also been isolated. Their presence in semen has been recognized by a variety of animal inoculation and cell culture techniques. The prevalence of viruses in semen and the attendant impact on fertility is largely unknown. The widespread distribution of frozen semen, an ideal system for preserving viral infectivity, indicates this product could serve as an important vehicle for transmission of viruses to uninfected herds or areas. This concern has placed restrictions on international movement of semen. Improved methods for detecting viruses in semen are necessary to assess the importance of the problem and to develop realistic precautionary measures.
Prenatal diagnosis of a severe deforming type of osteogenesis imperfecta

A pregnancy at risk for a severe deforming type of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) was monitored by ultrasonography and radiography. Long bone measurements were normal at 15 1/2 weeks gestation, but ultrasound detected an abnormality of one femur that appeared to be a fracture. The ultrasound study at 19 weeks revealed severe shortness of the femora, and radiographs showed only vertebral bodies with no other fetal skeletal parts clearly visible. These studies indicate the feasibility of prenatal diagnosis before 20 weeks for the more severe handicapping types of OI that are compatible with survival past the newborn period and that can result in death during later infancy.