cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The 1850 Events In Aleppo: An Aftershock Of Syria's Incorporation Into The Capitalist World System

The events of Aleppo have caused amongst all classes of all nationalities a sensation such as I have never witnessed here before. The population of Aleppo is the wealthiest, best conducted community in Syria. That such a body of people in a time of profound peace, living under the protection of an organized government of two pashas and a garrison of regular troops of all arms should find themselves, without the slightest provocation on their part, or a moment's warning, the victims of atrocities which are rarely practiced on a town taken by storm, is a consideration which has, I regret to say, produced a feeling most unfavorable to the responsible government.
A Naïve multiple linear regression benchmark for short term load forecasting

Benchmarking issue in short term load forecasting has not received as much attention as it deserves. Although dozens of techniques have been reported to be applied to short term load forecasting, most of them are still on the theoretical level with insignificant practical value. None of them has been established to produce benchmarking models for comparative assessment. This paper proposes a naive multiple linear regression benchmark for short term load forecasting, which is from the experience of helping a US utility develop the first in-house short term load forecasts. The proposed model has been served as a benchmark for this utility since 2009, and was in production use for a year with satisfying performance before a major upgrade. It has also been used for a Canadian utility for load forecasting purposes. In addition, it was reproduced by a group of graduate students from a creditable US university following the documented procedure.
COEXISTENCE: HOW TO IDENTIFY TROPHIC TRADE-OFFS

Analyses of growth response to resource availability are the basis for inter- preting whether trophic trade-offs contribute to diversity. If different species respond most to resources that are limiting at different times, then those differences may trade off with other trophic or life-history traits that, together, help to maintain diversity. The statistical models used to infer trophic differences do not accommodate uncertainty in resources and variability in how individuals use resources. We provide hierarchical models for resource- growth responses that accommodate stochasticity in parameters and in data, despite the fact that causes are typically unknown. A complex joint posterior distribution taken over > 102 parameters is readily integrated to provide a comprehensive accounting of uncertainty in the growth response, together with a small number of hyperparameters that summarize the population response. An application involving seedling growth response to light avail- ability shows that large trophic differences among species suggested by traditional models can be an artifact of the assumption that all individuals respond identically. The hierarchical analysis indicates broad trophic overlap, with the implication that slow dynamics play a more important role in preserving diversity than is widely believed.
An Expert System for Test Failure Root Cause Discovery

This paper presents a prototype of an expert system to assist in the discovery and analysis of test failure root cause. The prototype application is most useful in a software development scenario where dedicated software test engineers are employed for testing activities, and these test engineers do not have an intimate knowledge of the internal design and implementation of the software under test. The expert system acts as a subject matter expert resource tool for the tester responsible for determining the root cause of test failures. Advantages of this expert system include ease of use by new testers unfamiliar with the software under test, root cause determination in a consistent manner, documentation of the failure analysis, and potential for automating portions of the root cause discovery.
Generation of a human airway epithelium derived basal cell line with multipotent differentiation capacity.

Background As the multipotent progenitor population of the airway epithelium, human airway basal cells (BC) replenish the specialized differentiated cell populations of the mucociliated airway epithelium during physiological turnover and repair. Cultured primary BC divide a limited number of times before entering a state of replicative senescence, preventing the establishment of long-term replicating cultures of airway BC that maintain their original phenotype.
It may not be what you think: Gender differences in predicting emotional and social competence

Women and men leaders have been noted to be similar in terms of emotional and social competence in the workforce. We analyzed gender differences in self-ratings, others’ ratings, and predicted ratings of men and women leaders on a multi-source feedback assessment of emotional and social competence. Findings revealed that there were significant differences between how leaders were rated on emotional and social competence versus how they predicted they would be rated. Furthermore, results indicated that when asked to predict how they were rated by their managers, direct reports, and peers, women were significantly poorer at predicting others’ ratings compared with men. However, women self-rated their demonstration of emotional and social competence similar to men. Age was investigated, but not found to have an effect on men and women’s predictions of others’ ratings. The article concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings and areas for future research.
The Sandpile Model: Optimal Stress and Hormesis

The sandpile model (developed by chaos theorists) is an elegant visual metaphor for the cumulative impact of environmental stressors on complex adaptive systems – an impact that is paradoxical by virtue of the fact that the grains of sand being steadily added to the gradually evolving sandpile are the occasion for both its disruption and its repair. As a result, complex adaptive systems are continuously refashioning themselves at ever-higher levels of complexity and integration – not just in spite of “stressful” input from the outside but by way of it. Stressful input is therefore inherently neither bad (“poison”) nor good (“medication”). Rather, it will be how well the system (be it sandpile or living system) is able to process, integrate, and adapt to the stressful input that will make of it either a growth-disrupting (sandpile-destabilizing) event or a growth-promoting (sandpile-restabilizing) opportunity. Too much stress – “traumatic stress” – will be too overwhelming for the system to manage, triggering instead devastating breakdown. Too little stress will provide too little impetus for transformation and growth, serving instead simply to reinforce the system’s status quo. But just the right amount of stress – “optimal stress” – will provoke recovery by activating the system’s innate capacity to heal itself.
A Graphical Method for Assessing the Fit of a Logistic Regression Model

Before a logistic regression model is used to describe the relationship between a binary response variable and predictors, the fit of the model should be assessed. The nature of any model deficiency may indicate that some aspect of the model should be reformulated or that poorly fitting observations need to be considered separately. We propose graphical methodology based on a Bayesian framework to address issues such as this. Publicly available software allows diagnostic plots to be constructed quickly and easily forany model ofinterest. These plots are more intuitive and meaningful than traditional graphical diagnostics such as residual plots.
Heterologous Expression of the Kv3.1 Potassium Channel Eliminates Spike Broadening and the Induction of a Depolarizing Afterpotential in the Peptidergic Bag Cell Neurons

The bag cell neurons of Aplysia are a cluster of cells that control egg laying behavior. After brief synaptic stimulation, they depolarize and fire spontaneously for up to 30 min. During the first few seconds of this afterdischarge, the action potentials of the bag cell neurons undergo pronounced broadening. Single bag cell neurons in culture also show spike broadening in response to repeated depolarizations. This broadening is frequency-dependent and associated with the induction of a depolarizing afterpotential lasting minutes. In some neurons the depolarizing afterpotential is sufficient to trigger spontaneous firing. To test the possibility that spike broadening during stimulation is required to trigger the depolarizing afterpotential, we eliminated frequency-dependent broadening by heterologous expression of the Kv3.1 potassium channel. This channel has rapid activation and deactivation kinetics and no use-dependent inactivation. Expression of Kv3.1 prevented spike broadening and also eliminated the depolarizing afterpotential. Measurements of the integral of calcium current during voltage commands, which simulated the action potentials of the control neurons and those expressing Kv3.1, indicate that spike broadening produces up to a fivefold increase in calcium entry. Manipulations that limit calcium entry during action potentials or chelation of intracellular calcium using BAPTA AM prevented the induction of the depolarizing afterpotential. We conclude that spike broadening is essential for the induction of the depolarizing afterpotential probably by regulating calcium influx and suggest that one of the physiological roles of spike broadening may be to regulate long-term changes in neuronal excitability.
Estimating the size of the Andean Condor population in the Apolobamba Mountains of Bolivia

Population estimates of Andean Condors (Vultur gryphus) are urgently needed across their range to more accurately assess their conservation status and design appropriate conservation measures. From July to September 2005, six feeding stations in the Apolobamba mountain range of Bolivia were monitored for 3 days each and all visiting condors were digitally photographed and video-taped. Using distinctive marks, the size and shape of crests, and plumage patterns, we were able to individually recognize 23 adult male Andean Condors, or 30% of all observed condors. By extrapolation, we estimated a minimum population size for Apolobamba during the sampling period of 78 condors. Considering that the current estimate of the total population of Andean Condors in Colombia is 180 individuals, our results illustrate the importance of Apolobamba for Andean Condors and the potential importance of the Bolivian Andes for the conservation of this species. The methods we used to attract, observe, photograph, videotape, and recognize adult males may be useful for other populations of Andean Condors, as well as for other species of threatened vultures. on.
From Gender as Object to Gender as Verb: Rethinking how Global Restructuring Happens*

Global restructuring is a gendered process. In transnational production, the creation and allocation of labor power is organized around and in terms of tropes of gendered personhood, and this has consequences for the way production works in general, above and beyond its implications for workers themselves. The paper explores this process through narrating the evolution of a local labor market in Mexico's export-processing (maquila) industry. In so doing, the account reveals globalization to be less linear, obdurate and inevitable than many theories suggest. In this context, managers gendered commitments, desires and understandings prove to be literally counterproductive, undermining industry-wide shop-floor control.
The impact of foreign variables on domestic money demand: Evidence from the United Kingdom

This paper contributes to the existing money demand literature by developing and estimating a shopping-time model in an open economy framework. Based on this microfoundations-of-money model, United Kingdom quarterly data for the period 1973:2–1997:2 are analyzed in the empirical study. After accounting for nonstationarity in the time series processes, I find three long-run relationships among the relevant variables. Estimation of the error-correction representation implied by the model shows that the foreign exchange rates and the imports consumption, in addition to the domestic variables, have significant effects on British demand for real money.
Model-Based Electrochemical Estimation and Constraint Management for Pulse Operation of Lithium Ion Batteries

High-power lithium ion batteries are often rated with multiple current and voltage limits depending on the duration of the pulse event. These variable control limits, however, are difficult to realize in practice. In this paper, a linear Kalman filter based on a reduced order electrochemical model is designed to estimate internal battery potentials, concentration gradients, and state-of-charge (SOC) from external current and voltage measurements. A reference current governor predicts the operating margin with respect to electrode side reactions and surface depletion/saturation conditions responsible for damage and sudden loss of power. The estimates are compared with results from an experimentally validated, 1-D, nonlinear finite volume model of a 6 Ah hybrid electric vehicle battery. The linear filter provides, to within ~ 2%, performance in the 30%-70% SOC range except in the case of severe current pulses that draw electrode surface concentrations to near saturation and depletion, although the estimates recover as concentration gradients relax. With 4 to 7 states, the filter has low-order comparable to empirical equivalent circuit models commonly employed and described in the literature. Accurate estimation of the battery's internal electrochemical state enables an expanded range of pulse operation.
Chronic ethanol feeding impairs endothelin-1-stimulated glucose uptake via decreased Gα11 expression in rat adipocytes

Chronic ethanol feeding decreases insulin-stimulated glucose uptake in rat adipocytes. Here, we show that chronic ethanol also decreases endothelin-stimulated glucose uptake. Endothelin-1 increased...
Melanin as a potential cryptococcal defence against microbicidal proteins.

Cryptococcus neoformans is an important fungal pathogen that synthesizes melanin when grown in the presence of phenolic substrates. The ability of C. neoformans to produce melanin is associated with virulence, but the specific role of melanin in the pathogenesis of infection is not clear. In this study the ability of C. neoformans melanin to bind proteins and protect against microbicidal peptides was investigated. Melanin was shown to bind a variety of proteins of fungal and mammalian origin. Melanin-protein interactions were dependent on the pH of the solution and on the amount of protein and melanin present. Melanized cells were less susceptible to killing by three microbicidal peptides: a defensin, a protegrin, and a magainin. Incubation of the microbicidal peptides with melanin particles, followed by removal of the melanin, reduced or abolished fungicidal activity, demonstrating interactions between peptides and melanin. The ability of melanin to bind proteins and to protect against microbicidal pepti...
Long-term CCK-leptin synergy suggests a role for CCK in the regulation of body weight

The gut peptide CCK is a nutrient-related signal important to the control of food intake. In the present studies, we observed that a single intraperitoneal injection of CCK (1–2 μg/kg) given 2–3 h after intracerebroventricular leptin (2–5 μg) reduced body weight and chow intake over the ensuing 48 h more than did leptin alone. CCK alone had no effect on either 48-h chow intake or body weight but significantly reduced feeding during a 30-min sucrose test. However, reduction of 30-min sucrose intake by CCK was not enhanced by prior intracerebroventricular leptin. The present data suggest that CCK can contribute to the regulation of body weight when central leptin levels are elevated.
Nanosecond Time-Resolved Fluorescence Studies of Thioredoxin

Thioredoxin from E. coli contains two tryptophan residues, trp 28 and trp 31, close to two cysteine residues, cys 32 and cys 35, which form a disulfide bond. Time-resolved fluorescence decay of tryptophan was monitored at emission wavelength of 340 nm with excitation wavelength of 295 nm in 100 mM potassium phosphate buffer, pH 5.7, and 1 mM EDTA at 5°C. Oxidized thioredoxin exhibits a triple fluorescence decay with lifetimes of 0.3, 1.4, and 5.9 nsec. Upon reduction of the disulfide bond by dithiothreitol (DTT), the steady-state fluorescence intensity increased and decay times of 0.4, 2.4, and 5 ns were found. The kinetics of reduction were also studied with a pulse fluorometer by collecting thirty consecutive decay curves at a rate of 2 min per curve for one hour under computer control. Simultaneous global analysis of the data, with lifetimes linked, indicates that the amplitude associated with the longest lifetime increases significantly, while the amplitude associated with the short lifetime decreases. Rate constants for the amplitude changes with time were estimated by a non-linear least squares method. Enzyme denatured by guanidine-HCl shows increased fluorescence. The fluorescence decay exhibits a triple exponential decay with lifetimes of 0.4, 2.0, and 4.4 nsec. Addition of DTT to the denatured enzyme does not increase the fluorescence intensity nor change the lifetimes. The time-resolved emission anisotropy of both reduced and oxidized enzyme was also studied.
Load Expansion of Stoichiometric HCCI Using Spark Assist and Hydraulic Valve Actuation

A spark-assist homogeneous charge compression ignition (SA-HCCI) operating strategy is presented here that allows for stoichiometric combustion from 1000-3000 rpm, and at loads as high as 750 kPa net IMEP. A single cylinder gasoline engine equipped with direct fuel injection and fully variable hydraulic valve actuation (HVA) is used for this experimental study. The HVA system enables negative valve overlap (NVO) valve timing for hot internal EGR. Spark-assist stabilizes combustion over a wide range of engine speeds and loads, and allows for stoichiometric operation at all conditions. Characteristics of both spark-ignited combustion and HCCI are present, with combustion analysis showing a distinctive spark ignited phase of combustion, followed by a much more rapid HCCI combustion phase. At high load, the maximum pressure rise rate is controlled by a combination of spark timing and retarding the intake valve closing angle. The latter reduces the effective compression ratio, and therefore the compressive temperatures, allowing the high load limit of the operating range to be expanded. The SA-HCCI operating strategy exhibits improved thermal efficiency at most operating conditions, with fuel consumption improvements up to 9% realized at light engine loads. The SA-HCCI operating strategy presented here does not provide an efficiency advantage atmore » all operating points compared to SI combustion; a decrease was observed at the highest speed and at loads above 500 kPa net IMEP. At light engine loads the majority of the heat release takes place during the HCCI phase of the heat release, and as such the NOx emissions are very low and are similar to levels observed in pure HCCI. At higher loads, a larger portion of the heat release takes place during the spark ignited phase of combustion, which produces NOx emissions that are much higher than is typically associated with HCCI, but still represent a decrease from conventional SI combustion. By limiting the fuel/air mixture to stoichiometric conditions, the higher NOx emissions do not represent an implementation barrier to this strategy because compatibility is maintained with very effective conventional 3-way catalysts.« less
Treatment of Anaerobic Lung Infections

Twenty-three patients (pts) with anaerobic lung infections were treated with either carbenicillin (12 pts) or clindamycin and gentamicin (11 pts). Anaerobes were recovered from all specimens. Fifteen pts. had aerobic bacteria as well. No significant difference was noted in clinical or bacteriologic response between the two antibiotic groups suggesting that carbenicillin alone is effective in the treatment of anaerobic lung infections.
Targeting and therapeutic peptides in nanomedicine for atherosclerosis

Peptides in atherosclerosis nanomedicine provide structural, targeting, and therapeutic functionality and can assist in overcoming delivery barriers of traditional pharmaceuticals. Moreover, their inherent biocompatibility and biodegradability make them especially attractive as materials intended for use in vivo. In this review, an overview of nanoparticle-associated targeting and therapeutic peptides for atherosclerosis is provided, including peptides designed for cellular targets such as endothelial cells, monocytes, and macrophages as well as for plaque components such as collagen and fibrin. An emphasis is placed on recent advances in multimodal strategies and a discussion on current challenges and barriers for clinical applicability is presented.
Facilitating preceptor and student communication in a dental school teaching clinic.

Teachable moments in the dental clinic are rare and are not adequately exploited. Students often ask simple procedural questions, such as “What should I do next?” A preferred approach is one in which the clinic preceptor helps the dental student collect data about the patient’s condition, analyze the data, and consider scientific evidence and the patient’s profile in the formulation of diagnoses and treatment plans. The School of Dentistry at Oregon Health & Science University modified the one-minute preceptor method that was developed to instruct medical students in clinical office settings, using the acronym iCARE, which is an abbreviation for microskills that the dental preceptor and student follow when interacting in a dental clinic setting. From the preceptor’s perspective, iCARE stands for Inquire, Cultivate, Advise, Reinforce, and Empower; from the student’s perspective, iCARE is Initiate, Contribute, Apply, Reflect, and Execute. iCARE enhances the value achieved in preceptor and student interactions, promotes the student’s critical thinking, and encourages the student’s use of scientific evidence in formulating and supporting patient care decisions in the clinic.
Nanomole-scale assignment of configuration for primary amines using a kinetic resolution strategy.

The absolute configurations of primary amines were assigned using a kinetic resolution strategy with Mioskowski’s enantioselective 1-(R,R) and 2-(S,S) acylating agents. A simple mnemonic was developed to determine the configuration. A pseudoenantiomeric pair of reagents, 1-(R,R) and 2-(S,S)-d3, was prepared and used to assay primary amines on a micromolar scale. The ESI-MS readout of the resulting acetamide products reproduced the selectivity factors from kinetic experiments. The method can be used on mixtures of amines and was validated with amine samples as small as 50 nmol.
BIOLOGICALLY-BASED THERAPEUTICS FOR THE TREATMENT OF DIFFUSE INTRINSIC PONTINE GLIOMAS

BACKGROUND: Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPGs) in children carry a dismal prognosis despite the use of aggressive multi-modality treatment. Recent results have identified a somatic mutation in the H3F3A gene, resulting in replacement of lysine 27 by methionine in its encoded histone H3.3 protein (H3.3-K27M), which occurs primarily in DIPGs. The K27M mutation results in both increased and decreased gene expression. This specific mutation is an attractive therapeutic target for the treatment of DIPGs. METHODS: Using cell lines and tissues from two pediatric DIPGs and one pediatric GBM tumor obtained from surgical biopsies, H3.3-K27M mutation status was determined by direct sequencing. Histone H3.3 lysine 27 (H3K27) methylation status was evaluated by western blotting with antibodies specific for mono-, di-, and trimethylated H3K27. A selective inhibitor of the H3K27 demethylase JMJD3, GSK-J4, was used to examine cell proliferation and survival. GSK-J4 was found to inhibit JMJD3-induced H3K27 demethylation, resulting in an increase of H3K27 methylation. RESULTS: The H3.3-K27M mutation was identified in the two DIPG cell lines, but not in the pediatric GBM cells, nor in other adult glioma cells. H3.3-K27M mutant DIPG cells showed rapid growth in vitro, with a doubling time of approximately 30 hrs. In contrast, a pediatric GBM cell line with wild-type H3.3 grew much more slowly, with a doubling time of 72 hrs. H3.3-K27M mutant DIPG cells showed elevated H3K27 methylation in comparison to H3.3 wild-type glioma cells. GSK-J4 induced a marked dose-dependent inhibition of growth in H3.3-K27M mutant DIPG cells while H3.3 wild-type glioma cells showed no response to GSK-J4. GSK-J4 appears to have a potent and specific effect on tumor cells with the K27M mutation. CONCLUSIONS: Altered histone H3.3 K27 methylation is associated with rapid tumor cell growth in vitro, and is associated withn increased tumor cell sensitivity to GSK-J4. SECONDARY CATEGORY: Tumor Biology.
Treatment of hypertension: state of the art in 1979.

Summary 1. The results of the Veterans Administration Co-operative Study have been extended by the subsequent clinical trials, which included patients of both sexes and with less vascular disease. The later studies confirm the effectiveness of treatment in preventing most complications except myocardial infarction and sudden death. Furthermore, the lower diastolic blood pressure in which treatment has been shown to have a significant beneficial effect has been lowered from 105 mmHg as indicated by the Veterans Study to 100 mmHg as shown by the much larger Australian trial. The possibility of reducing the incidence of sudden death and fatal myocardial infarction has been suggested by other recent control trials using P-adrenoreceptor-blocking drugs, an approach that needs further exploration. 2. A number of interesting and useful new drugs have appeared which include tienilic acid, minoxidil, saralasin and captopril, and in addition recent controlled trials have re-emphasized the effectiveness of the old drug, reserpine, when combined with a diuretic. The art of treatment of hypertension therefore appears to be in a healthy state and we should expect more advances in the future.
Empirical Research Survey on the Relationship between China's Asset Prices and Monetary Policy

Domestic scholars conducted a lot of empirical research on the relevance of China's asset prices and monetary policy,which is significant to the formulation of monetary policy.These research results accomplished huge exploration in the variable measurement,research methods and other aspects and made positive contributions to the theoretical research of this field.But there are also some defects such as inadequate considerations of China's asset structure and the evolution of asset markets and lack of mature econometric model.
Engineering Information Disclosure: Norm Shaping Designs

Nudging behaviors through user interface design is a practice that is well-studied in HCI research. Corporations often use this knowledge to modify online interfaces to influence user information disclosure. In this paper, we experimentally test the impact of a norm-shaping design patterns on information divulging behavior. We show that (1) a set of images, biased toward more revealing figures, change subjects' personal views of appropriate information to share; (2) that shifts in perceptions significantly increases the probability that a subject divulges personal information; and (3) that these shift also increases the probability that the subject advises others to do so. Our main contribution is empirically identifying a key mechanism by which norm-shaping designs can change beliefs and subsequent disclosure behaviors.
A glycopyrrolateritodrine drug-drag interaction

This is a case report of a 39-year-old patient who developed supraventricular tachycardia secondary to a ritodrine-glycopyrroiate interaction. The cardiovascular effects of ritodrine as well as the possible mechanism for this interaction are discussed. Suggested treatment for ritodrine-induced tachycardia in the parturient are presented.
Antimicrobial Peptide LL37 and MAVS Signaling Drive Interferon-β Production by Epidermal Keratinocytes during Skin Injury.

Type 1 interferons (IFNs) promote inflammation in the skin but the mechanisms responsible for inducing these cytokines are not well understood. We found that IFN-β was abundantly produced by epidermal keratinocytes (KCs) in psoriasis and during wound repair. KC IFN-β production depended on stimulation of mitochondrial antiviral-signaling protein (MAVS) by the antimicrobial peptide LL37 and double stranded-RNA released from necrotic cells. MAVS activated downstream TBK1 (TANK-Binding Kinase 1)-AKT (AKT serine/threonine kinase 1)-IRF3 (interferon regulatory factor 3) signaling cascade leading to IFN-β production and then promoted maturation of dendritic cells. In mice, the production of epidermal IFN-β by LL37 required MAVS, and human wounded and/or psoriatic skin showed activation of MAVS-associated IRF3 and induction of MAVS and IFN-β gene signatures. These findings show that KCs are an important source of IFN-β and MAVS is critical to this function, and demonstrates how the epidermis triggers unwanted skin inflammation under disease conditions.
Myoclonic Absence Seizures and Chromosome Anomalies

The relation between myoclonic absence-like seizures (MAS) and underlying chromosome disorders was evaluated in 14 patients at three centers in Italy.
Heuristic cleaning algorithms in log-structured file systems

Research results show that while Log-Structured File Systems (LFS) offer the potential for dramatically improved file system performance, the cleaner can seriously degrade performance, by as much as 40% in transaction processing workloads [9]. Our goal is to examine trace data from live file systems and use those to derive simple heuristics that will permit the cleaner to run without interfering with normal file access. Our results show that trivial heuristics perform very well, allowing 97% of all cleaning on the most heavily loaded system we studied to be done in the background.
Multiple esophageal rings: an association with eosinophilic esophagitis: Case report and review of the literature

Esophagitis may present endoscopically with erythema, edema, loss of vascular pattern, friability, and ulceration of the esophageal mucosa. Left untreated, chronic esophagitis may result in stricture formation. The presence of multiple concentric rings involving the entire esophagus has been cited as a chronic form of esophagitis. We present a case of an 8-yr-old boy with multiple concentric esophageal rings and histological evidence of eosinophilic esophagitis, who failed medical antireflux treatment and responded to an elimination diet.
Identification and Characterization of Cellulose Degrading Bacteria and Estimation of Its Cellulolytic Capacity

Cellulosic biomass is one of the foreseeable sustainable source of fuels and is also one of the dominating waste materials in nature resulting from human activities. Keeping in view the environmental problems like disposal of large volumes of cellulosic wastes and shortage of fossil fuel in the world, the main aim of the present investigation was to characterize and study the cellulolytic activity of the selected isolate on natural cellulosic substrates viz. finely grated vegetable peels. The cellulose degrading capacity of the isolate was confirmed by Congo red test. By the selection of efficient cellulolytic microorganisms and cost- effective operational techniques, the production of useful end products from the biodegradation of the low cost enormous stock of cellulose in nature can be very beneficial.
Crystallographic Data Support the Carousel Mechanism of Water Supply to the Oxygen-Evolving Complex of Photosystem II.

Photosystem II (PSII) oxidizes water to produce oxygen through a four-step photocatalytic cycle. Understanding PSII structure–function relations is important for the development of biomimetic photocatalytic systems. The quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) analysis of substrate water binding to the oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) has suggested a rearrangement of water ligands in a carousel mechanism around a key Mn center. Here, we find that the most recently reported X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) crystallographic data obtained for the dark-stable S1 state and the doubly flashed S3 state at 2.25 A resolution support the carousel mechanism. The features in the XFEL data and QM/MM model-simulated difference Fourier maps suggest that water displacement may occur from the so-called “narrow” channel, resulting in binding of a new water molecule to the OEC, and thus provide new insights into the nature of rearrangements of water ligands along the catalytic cycle before O═O bond formation.
A nonparametric test of independence between 2 variables

A nonparametric statistic, called the roughness of concomitant ranks, is proposed for testing whether 2 quantitative vectors are dependent. The new testing procedure is highly computationally efficient and simple, and exhibits competitive empirical performance in simulations and 2 microarray data analyses. We apply the new method to screen variables for high-dimensional data analysis. For a low signal-to-noise ratio setting, we suggest the use of data binning to increase the power of the test. Simulation results show the fine performance of the proposed method with the existing screening methods.
Supercritical Drying of Wet Gel Layers Generated Inside ICF Ablator Shells

AbstractSpherical ablator shells that contain a thin layer of ultralow-density polymer foam have recently attracted attention in the inertial confinement fusion (ICF) community as they can be used to bring dopants for diagnostics and nuclear physics experiments in direct contact with the deuterium-tritium (DT) fuel or to study new ignition regimes by enabling the formation of uniform liquid DT fuel layers. We developed a method to fabricate these foam-lined ablator shells using a prefabricated ablator as a mold to cast the foam liner within the shell. One crucial component of this new approach is the removal of solvent from the ablator shells without collapsing the ultralow-density porous polymer network. Here, we report on a supercritical drying approach with liquid carbon dioxide that provides critical information on how to produce thin layers of low-density polymer foams in ablator shells for ICF experiments. Diffusion experiments were used to study the time required for complete solvent exchange in 2-...
Recommended metric for tracking visibility progress in the Regional Haze Rule.

For many national parks and wilderness areas with special air quality protections (Class I areas) in the western United States (U.S.), wildfire smoke and dust events can have a large impact on visibility. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) 1999 Regional Haze Rule used the 20% haziest days to track visibility changes over time even if they are dominated by smoke or dust. Visibility on the 20% haziest days has remained constant or degraded over the last 16 yr at some Class I areas despite widespread emission reductions from anthropogenic sources. To better track visibility changes specifically associated with anthropogenic pollution sources rather than natural sources, the EPA has revised the Regional Haze Rule to track visibility on the 20% most anthropogenically impaired (hereafter, most impaired) days rather than the haziest days. To support the implementation of this revised requirement, the EPA has proposed (but not finalized) a recommended metric for characterizing the anthropogenic and natural portions of the daily extinction budget at each site. This metric selects the 20% most impaired days based on these portions using a "delta deciview" approach to quantify the deciview scale impact of anthropogenic light extinction. Using this metric, sulfate and nitrate make up the majority of the anthropogenic extinction in 2015 on these days, with natural extinction largely made up of organic carbon mass in the eastern U.S. and a combination of organic carbon mass, dust components, and sea salt in the western U.S. For sites in the western U.S., the seasonality of days selected as the 20% most impaired is different than the seasonality of the 20% haziest days, with many more winter and spring days selected. Applying this new metric to the 2000-2015 period across sites representing Class I areas results in substantial changes in the calculated visibility trend for the northern Rockies and southwest U.S., but little change for the eastern U.S. Implications Changing the approach for tracking visibility in the Regional Haze Rule allows the EPA, states, and the public to track visibility on days when reductions in anthropogenic emissions have the greatest potential to improve the view. The calculations involved with the recommended metric can be incorporated into the routine IMPROVE (Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments) data processing, enabling rapid analysis of current and future visibility trends. Natural visibility conditions are important in the calculations for the recommended metric, necessitating the need for additional analysis and potential refinement of their values.
Effects of Exposure to Alcohol-Related Cues on Racial Prejudice

Abstract. Prior research (Stepanova, Bartholow, Saults, & Friedman, 2012) indicates that exposure to alcohol-related cues increases expressions of racial biases. This study investigated whether suc...
Gated gardens: Effects of urbanization on community formation and commons management in community gardens

Abstract Community gardens are often positioned as spaces where urban people can build community, reclaim common space, and reassert a “right to the city” in urban landscapes that are shaped by gentrification and the privatization of space. However, the literature on urban agriculture often focuses on the struggles of gardens to endure external political-economic processes, largely overlooking within-garden tensions relating to social inequality and resource access. In this study we examined how the pressures associated with urbanization are inscribed in three community garden landscapes in the central coast of California—a region undergoing massive urban transformation in recent decades. The cases reveal that social tensions from urbanization permeate garden boundaries to influence the production of space and the social relations within the garden. Specifically, the resource struggles and social inequities in these regions are made visible in the gardens through conflicts over membership rules, resource management, and theft of produce. The analysis of these conflicts illustrates how extreme real estate valuation and gentrification shapes the particular ways in which the urban commons are managed, including the forms of inclusion and exclusion, claims-making, and racialization of resources that are employed. Uncovering and complicating our understanding of the struggles of and tensions within community gardens is a necessary step in the pursuit of “just sustainability” within changing cityscapes.
Self-management in liver transplantation.

Abstract Background Self-management is crucial for liver transplant (LT) recipients to maintain transplants and optimize health outcomes. However, previous literature has been primarily limited to examining medication adherence; there is a knowledge gap regarding self-management in the LT population. Aim The aims of this study were to 1) comprehensively describe self-management behaviors and activities in LT recipients, 2) explore levels of overall self-management, and 3) explore the relationships of self-efficacy, cognition, and health information seeking behavior with self-management. Methods Adult LT recipients (n = 113) who had a functioning transplant for at least 6 months participated in this cross-sectional, descriptive study. Participants were asked to identify self-management behaviors and rate their performance of those behaviors, including symptom management and medication adherence. They also completed a cognitive assessment and questionnaires measuring self-efficacy and health information seeking behavior. Descriptive statistics, latent profile analysis, and probit model for path analysis were used for the data analysis. Results LT recipients acknowledged engaging in various self-management behaviors including symptom management, physical activity, maintenance of positive attitudes, and communication with healthcare providers. Three levels of self-management (i.e., low, medium, and high) were found; a high level of self-management was related to self-efficacy and health information seeking behavior. Conclusions The findings indicate that self-management may be improved with interventions aimed at increasing self-efficacy and health information seeking behavior. Findings from this study will inform future interventions, to improve self-management and subsequent health outcomes in this population. Future longitudinal studies are necessary to confirm the causality of the identified relationships.
Physiology of aging

Abstract In a natural state, death of the neuronal cells of the central nervous system is a hallmark of the aging process and occurs very insidiously. As we age, a natural loss of the body water occurs simultaneously with a rise in plasma osmolality. When a progressive rise in plasma osmolality occurs with age, it increases the effective viscosity of the circulating blood, and the thickened blood fails to perfuse the body systems and organs. If red blood cells fail to perfuse the central nervous system, the neuronal cells die from hypoxia and a lack of essential nutrients. This process is insidious but unavoidable. Hyperosmolality occurs in all mammals and it is a natural phenomenon of mammalian aging.
Sudden Cardiac Death Risk Distribution in the United States Population (from NHANES, 2005 to 2012)

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) accounts for more than half of all deaths from cardiovascular disease and is the first manifestation of heart disease in 50% of these subjects. We aimed to describe the distribution of predicted SCD risk in the general US population using a recently developed risk score. We previously developed a population-based, 10-year risk score for SCD using data from the multiracial Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities cohort, validated in the Framingham Study. We now estimate 10-year predicted SCD risk in National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participants (pooled from cycles in 2005 to 2012) and evaluate the clinical profile of participants in lower risk (0 to 80th percentile of risk) or high risk (81st to 100th percentile of risk) strata. A total of 10,811 participants were included; the mean age of participants was 48 years, and 50% were women. The average predicted 10-year risk of SCD was 3.6% in high-risk participants (81st to 100th percentile), and 0.37% in low-risk participants (0 to 80th percentile). High-risk participants were older, had higher blood pressure, total cholesterol and body mass index, lower high-density lipoprotein, and were more likely to be men, black, smokers, and diabetic. In US adults free of cardiovascular disease, the majority of SCD risk appears confined to 10% to 20% of the population. This risk score, comprised of readily available clinical variables, identifies a subset of individuals in the population who are at an appreciably higher risk of SCD. This enriched cohort represents candidates for additional nuanced and selective screening techniques to further quantify SCD risk.
Simplified Modelling the Demagnetization of H-Bar with Method of Moments

Calculation of distribution of flux density in the constructional elements is required in non-destructive testing. Paper presents the simplified method of calculation of flux density distribution in H-bar based on the generalization of the method of moments. In opposite to finite elements method, the method of moments doesn’t require to solve ill-posed differential equations. As a result, the solution together with software presented in the paper can be helpful in the process of non-destructive evaluation of the mechanical stress distribution in ferromagnetic construction elements.
Preparing Vision Specialists at a Distance: A Qualitative Study on Computer-Enhanced Learning.

The two systems used in this study of six students in a teacher preparation program for students with visual impairments were an interactive video, audio, and data network system and a web-based co...
Three stages during the evolution of the genetic code

A diversification of the genetic code based on the number of codons available for the proteinous amino acids is established. Three groups of amino acids during evolution of the code are distinguished. On the basis of their chemical complexity and a small codon number those amino acids emerging later in a translation process are derived. Both criteria indicate that His, Phe, Tyr, Cys and either Lys or Asn were introduced in the second stage, whereas the number of codons alone gives evidence that Trp and Met were introduced in the third stage. The amino acids of stage one use purines rich codons, thus purines have been retained in their third codon position. All the amino acids introduced in the second stage, in contrast, use pyrimidines in this codon position. A low abundance of pyrimidines during early translation is derived. This assumption is supported by experiments on non enzymatic replication and interactions of DNA hairpin loops with a complementary strand. A back extrapolation concludes a high purine content of the first nucleic acids which gradually decreased during their evolution. Amino acids independently available form prebiotic synthesis were thus correlated to purine rich codons. Conclusions on prebiotic replication are discussed also in the light of recent codon usage data.
Microgel-Catalyzed Hydrolysis of Nonactivated Disaccharides

The controlled and selective hydrolysis of underivatized disaccharides and oligosaccharides remains a challenge that is met by enzymatic and nonenzymatic approaches. In an effort to capitalize on r...
Introduction to Part 6: Polity, Law, and Constitution

The mainstream of American legal academe has traditionally concerned itself with the study of legal doctrine — the parsing of cases, statutes, and constitutions — and with making normative arguments based more on moral philosophy than social scientific evidence. Since the age of Weber and Durkheim there have been scholars who approached law sociologically, studying how law and legal institutions actually interact with other aspects of society, but such external approaches long remained on the fringes of the legal academy. Since the 1970s, however, the “law and society’ movement has become a major force in the American legal academy. Law and society is a highly eclectic movement, but at its core is a commitment to the idea that the law “on the books' and the law “in action’ are two very different animals and worrying about the former without paying serious attention to the latter is to miss the real story.
Square Roots and Quadratic Symbols

We will do square roots modulo primes using primitive roots and exponents. This is a little different from the way that is done in many references, but we want to emphasize that it is the world of additive exponent arithmetic that is important. Modulo a prime p, the exponents work additively modulo \(p-1\). When we get to RSA encryption, in which we have a modulus \(N = pq\) for two large and unknown primes p and q, we cannot play the same exponent games as with primes because \(\phi (N) = (p-1)(q-1)\) is not \(N-1\), and it is the \(\phi (N)\) that determines the arithmetic on the exponents. In the later chapters on factoring and elliptic curves, it will be computationally beneficial to be able to determine whether an integer is or is not congruent to a square modulo a modulus N. Fortunately, determining whether an integer is a square modulo a prime, or determining that an integer is not a square modulo a composite number, can be done by a process that resembles the gcd and has the same logarithmic complexity.