cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Polar coupling enabled nonlinear optical filtering at MoS 2 /ferroelectric heterointerfaces

Complex oxide heterointerfaces and van der Waals heterostructures present two versatile but intrinsically different platforms for exploring emergent quantum phenomena and designing new functionalities. The rich opportunity offered by the synergy between these two classes of materials, however, is yet to be charted. Here, we report an unconventional nonlinear optical filtering effect resulting from the interfacial polar alignment between monolayer MoS2 and a neighboring ferroelectric oxide thin film. The second harmonic generation response at the heterointerface is either substantially enhanced or almost entirely quenched by an underlying ferroelectric domain wall depending on its chirality, and can be further tailored by the polar domains. Unlike the extensively studied coupling mechanisms driven by charge, spin, and lattice, the interfacial tailoring effect is solely mediated by the polar symmetry, as well explained via our density functional theory calculations, pointing to a new material strategy for the functional design of nanoscale reconfigurable optical applications.
Absence of Spurious Local Trajectories in Time-Varying Optimization: A Control-Theoretic Perspective

In this paper, we study the landscape of an optimization problem whose input data vary over time. This time-varying problem consists of infinitely-many individual optimization problems, whose solution is a trajectory over time rather than a single point. To understand when it is possible to find a global solution of a time-varying non-convex optimization problem, we introduce the notion of spurious (i.e., non-global) local trajectory as a generalization to the notion of spurious local solution in nonconvex (time-invariant) optimization. We develop an ordinary differential equation (ODE) which, at limit, characterizes the spurious local solutions of the time-varying optimization problem. By building upon this connection, we prove that the absence of spurious local trajectory is closely related to the transient behavior of the proposed ODE. In particular, we show that: (1) if the problem is time-invariant, the spurious local trajectories are ubiquitous since any strict local minimum is a locally stable equilibrium point of the ODE, and (2) if the ODE is time-varying, the data variation may force all ODE trajectories initialized at arbitrary local minima at the initial time to gradually converge to the global solution trajectory. This implies that the natural data variation in the problem may automatically trigger escaping local minima over time.
Antenatal antioxidants to avert autism

Paternally derived de novo mutations (DNMs) caused by oxidative stress (OS) have been implicated in the development of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Whether preconception antioxidant supplementation can reduce the incidence of ASDs by reducing OS is an area of uncertainty and potentially important future scientific investigation.
Subdomain-based generality-aware debloating

Programs are becoming increasingly complex and typically contain an abundance of unneeded features, which can degrade the performance and security of the software. Recently, we have witnessed a surge of debloating techniques that aim to create a reduced version of a program by eliminating the unneeded features therein. To de-bloat a program, most existing techniques require a usage profile of the program, typically provided as a set of inputs $I$ . Unfortunately, these techniques tend to generate a reduced program that is overfitted to $I$ and thus fails to behave correctly for other inputs. To address this limitation, we propose Domgad, which has two main advantages over existing debloating approaches. First, it produces a reduced program that is guaranteed to work for subdomains, rather than for specific inputs. Second, it uses stochastic optimization to generate reduced programs that achieve a close-to-optimal tradeoff between reduction and generality (i.e., the extent to which the reduced program is able to correctly handle inputs in its whole domain). To assess the effectiveness of Domgad, we applied our approach to a benchmark of ten Unix utility programs. Our results are promising, as they show that Domgad could produce debloated programs that achieve, on average, 50% code reduction and 95% generality. Our results also show that Domgad performs well when compared with two state-of-the-art debloating approaches.
The benefits of memory growing granular

Brain imaging approaches show that the essential machinery for memory formation continues to develop into late childhood.
Variability in scRNA-Seq analysis is mitigated by regularized or supervised approaches

ABSTRACT Transcriptional dynamics of evolutionary processes through time are highly complex and require single-cell resolution datasets. This is especially important in cancer during the evolution of resistance, where stochasticity can lead to selection for divergent transcriptional mechanisms. Statistical methods developed to address various questions in single-cell datasets are prone to variability and require careful adjustments of multiple parameter space. To assess the impact of this variation, we utilized commonly used single-cell RNA-Seq analysis tools in a combinatorial fashion to evaluate how repeatable the results are when different methods are combined. In the context of clustering and trajectory estimation, we benchmark the combinatorial space and highlight ares and methods that are sensitive to parameter changes. We have observed that utilizing temporal information in a supervised framework or regularization in latent modeling reduces variability leading to improved overlap when different parameters/methods are used. We hope that future studies can benefit from the results presented here as use of scRNA-Seq analysis tools as out of the box is becoming a standard approach in cancer research.
Trademark Protection for Fashion Design in Japan: Comparative Law Perspective

The Japanese Trademark Act (JTA) was revised in 1996 to introduce a registration system for 3D marks. However, JTA and the Unfair Competition Prevention Act (UCPA) provide very limited protection for fashion designs, such as clothing and accessories as the indication of origin of goods. The fundamental doctrines for protecting 3D trademarks, distinctiveness and functionality, are under-developed in Japan compared with those developed in the United States and Europe through case law, and outdated for failing to consider the globalization of the fashion market because the Intellectual Property High Court (IP High Court) has developed case law that sets a high hurdle for fashion designers to meet in order to register their clothing and accessories as 3D marks without using the marks widely in Japan before filing for registration. The JPO Trademark Examination Guidelines follow the IP High Court case law and consistently refuse registration based on the lack of inherent distinctiveness of the shape and packaging of goods and services. This practice disadvantages small designers and non-Japanese designers, frequently preventing them from registering the unique shapes of their fashion designs as trademarks. This article reviews the case law that interprets JTA’s provisions as requiring distinctiveness and non-functionality and the JPO’s examination guidelines from a comparative law perspective, and argues that the current examination practice is inconsistent with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s strategy focusing on designs and the legislative intent to introduce a 3D trademark system in the JTA. It urges the IP High Court to change its case law to find inherent distinctiveness of 3D marks, including fashion designs, if the 3D marks are unique and significantly depart from the common shape of the goods that the 3D marks are used in association with.
Nursing Attitudes and Practices in Code Documentation Employing a New Electronic Health Record.

Objective Based on feedback from nurses regarding the challenges of code documentation following the implementation of a new electronic health record (EHR), we sought to better understand inpatient nurse attitudes and practices in code documentation and to identify opportunities for improvement. Methods An anonymous electronic survey was distributed to all inpatient nurses working at a single, 999-bed, university-based, and quaternary care hospital. Participation in the study was voluntary and consent was implied by survey completion. Results Overall, 432 (14%) of 3,121 inpatient nurses completed the survey. While nearly 80% of respondents indicated feeling very comfortable using computers for personal use, only 5% felt very comfortable navigating the EHR to document codes in real time. While 53% had documented codes in the new EHR, most admitted to documenting on paper with retroactive entry into the EHR. About 25% reported having participated in a code that was not accurately documented in the new EHR. All respondents provided specific suggestions for improving the EHR interface, and over 90% expressed interest in having opportunities to practice code documentation using simulated code events. Conclusion Despite completion of training modules in code documentation in a new EHR, many inpatient nurses in a single institution feel uncomfortable documenting codes directly into the EHR, and some question the accuracy of this documentation. Improving EHR functionality based on specific recommendations from end-users coupled with more practice documenting simulated codes may ease EHR navigation, leading to nurses' acceptance of the EHR tool, more accurate and efficient documentation, greater nurse satisfaction and more appropriate quality improvement measures.
Tournament Elections with Round-Robin Primaries: A Sports Analogy for Electoral Reform

Round-robin voting uses ranked-choice ballots but calculates which candidates are most preferred by a majority of voters differently from instant-runoff voting. Like a round-robin sports competition, round-robin voting determines how each candidate fares against every other candidate one-on-one, tallying the number of wins and losses for each candidate in these one-on-one matchups. If necessary to break a tie in these win-loss records, round-robin voting looks to the total number of votes cast for and against each candidate in all of the one-on-one matchups—just as round-robin sports tournaments look to an equivalent total point differential statistic to break ties. When used in a primary election as the method to identify the top two candidates deserving to compete head-to-head as finalists in the general election, comparable to the use of round-robin competition as the preliminary stage of a sports tournament, round-robin voting is the electoral system best able to implement the democratic idea of majority rule.
Germline Mutations in African American Men With Prostate Cancer: Incidence, Implications and Diagnostic Disparities

Abstract Recent data suggests that African American men (AAM) with prostate cancer (PCa) exhibit genetic alterations in highly penetrant germline genes, as well as low penetrant single nucleotide polymorphisms. The importance of germline variants of uncertain significance (VUS) remain poorly elucidated and given the elevated rates of VUS in AAM compared to Caucasians with PCa, further studies are needed to facilitate potential reclassification of VUS. Ongoing efforts to include AAM in genomics research is of paramount importance in order to ensure applicability of discoveries across diverse populations and potentially reduce PCa disparities as we embark on the era of precision medicine.
Discrete Systems Synchronization

As in Luo [1, 2], a set of concepts on “Ying” and “Yang” in discrete dynamical systems will be presented. Based on the Ying-Yang theory, the complete dynamics of discrete dynamical systems will be presented for an understanding of dynamical behaviors. From the ideas of the Ying-Yang theory of discrete dynamical systems, the companion and synchronization of discrete dynamical systems will be presented herein, and the corresponding conditions are presented as an integrity part of dynamical system synchronization. The synchronization dynamics of Duffing and Henon maps is discussed.
Earthquake Resistance of Sloping Core Dams

Models may be used for studying various aspects of the earthquake resistance of rock or gravel fill dams with sloping clay cores. Similitude requirements must be satisfied in the construction of model dams, and consideration must be given to rate of loading and pore-water pressure effects. A test program, in which models of a proposed dam were subjected to a simulated earthquake, shows that, although the simulated quake was conservative, it did not produce a catastrophic failure of the models. Its major effect was to cause some settlement of the upper section of the upstream slope and a slight heaving of the lower section of the slope. An analysis compares the ground acceleration at which permanent deformations began to occur with the computed ground acceleration required to induce incipient failure using a conventional stability analysis. Substantial economy in the design of sloping core dams in seismically active regions can be achieved by accepting minor deformations and slumping of the dam during a major earthquake.
Deflection of laser-produced ions in laser-induced thermal-desorption/fourier-transform mass spectrometry for surface analysis.

A method for deflecting ions, such as K+, produced outside a Fourier-transform mass spectrometer cell during laser-induced thermal desorption, is described. This technique has been shown to deflect laser-generated K and Ti ions from two Ti foil samples (biomedical implant model surfaces), yielding mass spectra of coadsorbed organic species. Further studies characterizing the laser desorption/deflection parameters have shown that ion deflection improves with higher deflection voltages and greater sample to Fourier-transform mass spectrometry cell separation. Higher laser power densities resulted in greater surface ion production; hence higher deflection voltages were necessary. A 6% increase in laser power necessitated a fourfold increase in deflection voltage for the Ti sample.
Degassing history of Mars and the lifespan of its magnetic dynamo

[1] The volcanic and magnetic activity on the surface of Mars is directly related to its thermal evolution and to the melting potential of its mantle. Mars does not have an internal magnetic field today but geologic evidence suggests a dynamo was active during the first 500 to 800 million years of Martian history. The existence of the magnetic field on the planet sets a lower bound on the vigor of convection within its liquid core. The vigor of core convection can be maintained by efficient cooling of the overlying mantle. An initially wet mantle will promote strong convection, rapid core cooling, and dynamo activity. Magmatic degassing and planetary cooling increases the mantle's viscosity, thus decreasing the rate of core cooling and possibly terminating dynamo activity. The timescale for ending core dynamo activity is controlled by the initial amount of water in the mantle and by the efficiency of the degassing process. This process is an alternative to recent models that postulate dynamo termination on Mars is controlled by impact heating of the mantle.
Activation of protein kinase C induces gamma-aminobutyric acid type A receptor internalization in Xenopus oocytes

The inhibition of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-gated chloride currents by the protein kinase C (PKC) activator 4beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) was investigated using recombinant human GABAA receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes. PMA (5 nM) reduced the GABA response in oocytes expressing the alpha1 beta2 gamma2L receptor construct, as measured by the two-electrode voltage-clamp method. GABA responses declined to approximately 25% of their pretreatment value within 45 min. GABA responses in oocytes expressing a receptor construct from which the known PKC phosphorylation sites were absent, alpha1 beta2(S410A), were comparably inhibited. Phorbol 12-monomyristate (PMM; 5 nM), which does not activate PKC, did not alter the GABA response in either construct, while the PKC inhibitor calphostin C (0.5 microM) prevented the PMA effect. To further investigate PMA inhibition of the GABA response, a GABAA receptor alpha1 subunit/green fluorescent protein (GFP) chimera (alpha1GFP) was used to visualize GABAA receptor distribution. Similar to the wild type constructs, PMA robustly decreased GABA responses in oocytes expressing alpha1GFP beta2 gamma2L and alpha1GFP beta2(S410A) receptor constructs. Following PMA treatment, GFP fluorescence in the oocyte plasma membrane was decreased to approximately 45% of the pretreatment values indicating GABAA receptor internalization. This effect of PMA was prevented by calphostin C and was not produced by PMM. Experiments with bd24, a monoclonal antibody which recognizes an extracellular epitope of the alpha1 subunit, were used to demonstrate that PMA, but not PMM, decreases alpha1 subunit immunoreactivity in the plasma membrane of intact oocytes expressing the alpha1 beta2 gamma2L construct, thus confirming the results obtained with the chimeric receptor. It is concluded that, in Xenopus oocytes, PMA induces an internalization of the GABAA receptor through PKC-mediated phosphorylation of an unidentified protein(s) and that this contributes to the decrease in electrophysiological responses to GABA following PKC activation.
A new scalpel guide for biopsy of the cervix

Abstract A new scalpel guide for the performance of cervical biopsies is described. Tissue sampling was performed in 250 cases during the past 3 years. The tissue has been found adequate for accurate diagnosis. The technique is simpler and faster than that which utilizes a guideless scalpel on a serrating movement. This clean cut-out biopsy in a wedge fashion is accompanied by excellent healing of the cervix.
Customer Orientation and Performance in Small Firms: Examining the Moderating Influence of Risk‐Taking, Innovativeness, and Opportunity Focus

Customer orientation is considered to be an essential element for small firm success despite relatively little empirical evidence to support such a claim. This research examines the customer orient...
Azimuthal variations of the sea surface brightness temperature: comparison of the model spectra calculations with aircraft observations

One of the important applications of microwave radiometry of the ocean is remote sensing of the near-surface wind vector. Due to anisotropy of wind-generated waves, the brightness temperature exhibits azimuthal variations. Knowledge of model functions, that describe the dependence of the azimuthal harmonics versus wind speed and other parameters, is critical for the retrieval of a wind vector from the radiometric signal. In moderate wind conditions, surface roughness is a major factor determining thermal microwave radiation. The sea wave spectrum is a key parameter relating the observed brightness temperature with wind speed and wind stress. During recent years, models of the sea wave spectrum were intensively developed to explain the features observed by microwave radars. The authors study how such models agree with radiometric observations and, in particular, with the amplitude of the second azimuthal harmonic of the brightness temperature contrast. The azimuthal variations of the brightness temperature at vertical and horizontal polarizations are described by the first and second harmonics T/sub b/=A/sub 0/+A/sub 1/Cos(/spl phi/)+A/sub 2/Cos(2/spl phi/) where /spl phi/ is the angle between the wind direction and the observation plane. The authors consider only the second harmonic A/sub 2/ which is directly related with the sea wave spectrum.
Cooking rice in excess water reduces both arsenic and enriched vitamins in the cooked grain

This paper reports the effects of rinsing rice and cooking it in variable amounts of water on total arsenic, inorganic arsenic, iron, cadmium, manganese, folate, thiamin and niacin in the cooked grain. We prepared multiple rice varietals both rinsed and unrinsed and with varying amounts of cooking water. Rinsing rice before cooking has a minimal effect on the arsenic (As) content of the cooked grain, but washes enriched iron, folate, thiamin and niacin from polished and parboiled rice. Cooking rice in excess water efficiently reduces the amount of As in the cooked grain. Excess water cooking reduces average inorganic As by 40% from long grain polished, 60% from parboiled and 50% from brown rice. Iron, folate, niacin and thiamin are reduced by 50-70% for enriched polished and parboiled rice, but significantly less so for brown rice, which is not enriched.
Kinases and Dephosphorylases: Chemistry and Roles

Protein kinases and protein phosphatases catalyze phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of cellular proteins. Posttranslational protein phosphorylation is a major mechanism of signal transduction in eukaryotes; it serves as a reversible switch that alters the activity of target proteins as a means to link stimuli to the appropriate cellular response. In this article, I will review the structures and mechanisms of protein kinases and phosphatases as well as describe chemical tools developed to study protein phosphorylation.
Mixed-gender group co-leadership in group counseling with female adult survivors of childhood sexual victimization

Abstract This article discusses the first empirical investigation of mixed-gender leadership as a variable in group counseling for female adult survivors of childhood sexual victimization.
Kruppel-like Factor 4 Is a Novel Mediator of Kallistatin in Inhibiting Endothelial Inflammation via Increased Endothelial Nitric-oxide Synthase Expression

Kallistatin is a plasma protein that exhibits pleiotropic effects in vasodilation, anti-angiogenesis, and anti-inflammation. To isolate a kallistatin-binding protein that mediates the vascular actions of kallistatin, we screened and identified a positive clone from a human heart cDNA expression library by using an alkaline phosphatase-kallistatin fusion protein binding assay. Sequence analysis revealed that kallistatin-binding protein is human Kruppel-like factor 4 (KLF4). KLF4 was localized on the plasma membrane of HEK-293 cells and endothelial cells overexpressing KLF4. KLF4 and kallistatin complex formation was identified in endothelial cells by immunoprecipitation followed by immunoblotting. We showed that kallistatin inhibits tumor necrosis factor-α-induced NF-κB activation, as well as vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expression in endothelial cells, whereas knockdown of KLF4 by small interfering RNA oligonucleotide abolished the effect of kallistatin. Kallistatin increased endothelial nitric-oxide synthase (eNOS) expression and nitric oxide levels, and these effects were also blocked by KLF4 small interfering RNA oligonucleotide. Moreover, inhibition of eNOS by RNA interference or by NOS inhibitor abolished the blocking effect of kallistatin on vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 expression. In summary, we identified KLF4 as a kallistatin-binding protein, which has a novel role in mediating the anti-inflammatory actions of kallistatin via increasing eNOS expression in endothelial cells. This study provides a new target for modulating endothelial function in vascular disease.
Stratified convection with multiple states

Abstract A simplified box model of the cooling of a salt-stratified ocean is analyzed analytically and numerically. A large isothermal basin of salt water has a layer of fresh water at the surface. Beside this is a small basin, cooled from above and connected to the large basin by horizontal tubes at the top, middle and bottom. For small cooling rate, fresh water enters the small basin, is cooled and leaves through the middle tube. For greater cooling rate, the fresh water leaves the small basin through the middle and bottom tube. If the top tube is smaller than the deeper tubes and the fresh water layer is sufficiently shallow, flow in the middle tube reverses at a critical cooling rate. In this case, a mixture of salt and fresh water is cooled and leaves the bottom tube. Increased cooling produces much greater flow rate; consequentially temperature increases rather than decreases in the small basin. A relaxation heat flow condition results in multiple equilibria. One of the stable modes has fresh surface water descending in the small basin and flowing out through the middle and bottom tube. The other has a greater rate of flow of both fresh and salty water (through the middle tube) into the basin with the flow of mixed salty water out of the bottom tube. Implications for deep convection in the ocean are discussed.
Digitized historic costume collections: Inspiring the future while preserving the past

Creativity and inspiration are essential elements of the fashion design process. Many historic costume collections were founded specifically to educate and inspire designers and students. While traditional research took a hands-on approach to using these collections, students and designers increasingly rely on the Internet and other digital resources for inspiration. Consequently, to remain relevant, costume collections need to adapt to this new way of conducting research. Several projects, such as the Digital Dress Project, the Drexel Digital Museum Project, and the recently launched searchable catalog of The Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, have advanced this process. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Kinetics of generation and destruction of pyridine extractables in a rapidly pyrolysing bituminous coal

Abstract Time resolved kinetics of the generation and destruction of pyridine extractables within a Pittsburgh No. 8 seam bituminous coal was measured as a function of pyrolysis-time history. Tentative activation energies for the generation and destruction processes are 28.8 kcal mol−1 and 42.2 kcal mol−1, respectively. Extractables are formed by pyrolytic bond breaking and depleted from the coal through tar evaporation or destroyed by coke formation. The development and disappearance of coal plasticity, as measured with a fast response plastometer, correlates well with the generation and removal of the pyridine extractables. Extractables molecular weight increased with heating time, implying that repolymerization reactions contribute to the coke formation.
Electron beam irradiated almond skin powder inhibition of lipid oxidation in cooked salted ground chicken breast

Abstract Antioxidant ability of electron beam irradiated almond skin powder (ASP) in cooked refrigerated ground chicken breasts (GCB) was investigated. Phenolic compound identification, total phenols and metal binding ability was determined. GCB were treated with irradiated ASP at 10, 20 and 30 kGy and tested against a positive (with TBHQ) and negative control (GCB without ASP or TBHQ) for colour, conjugated dienes (CD), TBARS and hexanal content during one week of refrigerated storage. Irradiation had no effect on total phenols, but resulted in greater metal chelation. Addition of ASP decreased hunter L ∗ value in GCB. The 10 kGy ASP decreased lipid oxidation to the greatest extent (35.5–52.3%, 44.0–84.0%, and 74.9–87.4% decreases in CD, TBARS and hexanal formation, respectively) as compared to the negative control over one week of refrigerated storage. In general, cooked refrigerated GCB with ASP had lower oxidation products as compared to the negative control.
Hierarchies, Markets and Power in the Economy : An Economic Perspective

This paper adopts the transaction cost economics perspective for purposes of examining hierarchies, markets, and power in the economy. Transaction cost economics works out of an economizing perspective in which markets and hierarchies are alternative modes of governance and the object is to ascertain which transactions go where and why. The role of power in this setup is strictly limited--partly because power tends to be myopic (transactions are not examined 'in their entirety') and partly because it is tautological. Power needs to be operationalized, whereupon the refutable implications that accrue to this perspective can be derived. Copyright 1995 by Oxford University Press.
Are Thin Clients Right for Your Library

Purpose – Aims to provide the reasons why libraries might consider using a thin client architecture for library workstations.Design/methodology/approach – A summary of the main features of the Sunray thin client.Findings – This article provides an overview of the Sunray thin client: what it is, how it works, and its benefits.Originality/value – This paper is useful for information management professionals who seek greater understanding of thin client architecture implementations in libraries.
Deformation twinning in silver-gold alloys

Abstract Silver-gold alloy single crystals were studied with respect to their tendency to undergo deformation twinning in tensile tests at low temperatures. X-ray diffraction, metallography and stress-strain curves all indicated that deformation twinning occurs in crystals of suitable orientation throughout the entire range of alloy composition. Twinning takes place even at 0°C, with slow rates of testing, in favorably oriented crystals of pure silver; the upper temperature range for twinning decreases with increasing gold content, but is still above 77.3°K at 100 per cent gold. Three different propagation processes for the twinning are noted. The stress measurements indicate that there is a critical resolved shear stress for twinning which is independent of orientation and only weakly dependent on temperature; this stress in kg/mm2, is found to rise from 6.48 ± 0.66 for 0 per cent Au to 9.84 ± 0.25 for 50 per cent Au and falls to 9.23 ± 0.39 for 90 per cent Au and 9.48 ± 0.40 for 100 per cent Au. The apparent restriction of twinning to certain orientations should be ascribed to the shear stress that is reached during the test with these orientations, not to the orientations themselves. Values of the stacking-fault energies can be computed from the twinning shear stresses by assuming a mechanism of twinning proposed by H. Suzuki, which involves a pair of twinning dislocations moving away from a Cottrell sessile dislocation. The double stacking fault trailing behind this pair has a computed energy of 21 erg/cm2 for silver and 30 erg/cm2 for gold, and it is suggested that these same values are approximately correct for a single deformation stacking fault in these metals.
Contamination of Tree Nuts by Aflatoxigenic Fungi: Aflatoxin Content of Closed-Shell Pistachios

Inoculation of fresh, or dried and rehydrated, closed-shell pistachios at the stem end of the shell with spores of Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) resulted in aflatoxin contamination of the kernel after incubation. The proportion of contaminated nuts was 48% for the fresh pistachios and 35% for the dried pistachios with 18% and 4%, respectively, having kernels containing aflatoxin levels in excess of 90 μg/kernel, sufficient to contaminate a 10 lb test lot at the 20 ppb guidance level. Closed-shell pistachios batch-rehydrated for 3 h in a bath inoculated with A. flavus spores showed aflatoxin levels in the kernels of 170 ppb after 2 days incubation and 87 500 ppb after 6 days. This study demonstrates that the kernels of closed-shell pistachios can be contaminated with aflatoxin, probably through penetration of the stem end of the shell by aflatoxigenic Aspergillus species, and the practice of rehydration prior to mechanical splitting should therefore be avoided. Keywords: Aflatoxin; Aspergillus spp.; pista...
A prediction score to assess the risk of delivering a large for gestational age infant among obese women.

AbstractObjective: To create a prediction score incorporating both maternal clinical characteristics and sonographic measurements in an effort to more accurately determine the risk of a large for gestational age (LGA) infant in the obese gravida.Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study of obese women with singleton pregnancies who had a fetal ultrasound performed between 32 and 36 weeks from 1/2008 to 12/2011. LGA was defined as birth weight (BW) ≥90%. Clinical characteristics associated with fetal overgrowth were included in a multivariable logistic model and stepwise backwards regression was performed to identify which risk factors generated the most parsimonious predictive model. Adjusted odds ratios of covariates in the final model were used to estimate weights for each risk factor that were summed to generate a predictive score.Results: Six-hundred and sixty-nine obese women were included. The incidence of LGA infants was 11.8%. Ultrasound estimation of fetal weight alone accurately predict...
Early development of the neorectum by balloon dilations after ileoanal anastomosis

Recently, young people with chronic ulcerative colitis and familial polyposis have been undergoing colectomy with rectal mucosectomy and ileoanal anastomosis with encouraging clinical results. However, during the early period after closing the temporary ileostomy, some patients have frequent stools, which decrease with time as the terminal ileum dilates and becomes a reservoir. To enhance the early development of the neorectal reservoir and to minimize the frequent stooling, we instituted balloon dilations of the neorectum before ileostomy closure. A group of 16 patients not undergoing balloon dilations were compared with a similar group of 13 patients who had balloon dilations. Patients undergoing balloon dilations were observed to have an increase of 40.6% per month in the measured volume of the neorectum, along with a decrease of approximately 40% in the mean number of stools at 3 mo and 34% at 6 mo, with a very acceptable clinical result.
The Mossbauer effect and its relation to lattice dynamics in simple lattices

Abstract A brief discussion is given of the possible applications of the Mossbauer effect to the study of lattice dynamics. Particular emphasis is given to those aspects which are hard to measure by any other technique, namely, the properties of isolated impurities. The effects of localized modes, of anharmonicities in the inpurity coupling, and of proximity to a free surface are mentioned.
Uric Acid Is a Mediator of the Plasmodium falciparum-Induced Inflammatory Response

Background Malaria triggers a high inflammatory response in the host that mediates most of the associated pathologies and contributes to death. The identification of pro-inflammatory molecules derived from Plasmodium is essential to understand the mechanisms of pathogenesis and to develop targeted interventions. Uric acid derived from hypoxanthine accumulated in infected erythrocytes has been recently proposed as a mediator of inflammation in rodent malaria. Methods and Findings We found that human erythrocytes infected with Plasmodium falciparum gradually accumulate hypoxanthine in their late stages of development. To analyze the role of hypoxanthine-derived uric acid induced by P. falciparum on the inflammatory cytokine response from human blood mononuclear cells, cultures were treated with allopurinol, to inhibit uric acid formation from hypoxanthine, or with uricase, to degrade uric acid. Both treatments significantly reduce the secretion of TNF, IL-6, IL-1β and IL-10 from human cells. Conclusions and Significance Uric acid is a major contributor of the inflammatory response triggered by P. falciparum in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Since the inflammatory reaction induced by P. falciparum is considered a major cause of malaria pathogenesis, identifying the mechanisms used by the parasite to induce the host inflammatory response is essential to develop urgently needed therapies against this disease.
Identities for the chandrasekhar polynomials in the spherical harmonics radiative transfer method

Abstract Four identities are developed that involve the sum of products of the gnm(ξj) polynomials that appear in the spherical harmonics (PN) method in plane-symmetric, monoenergetic transport theory with anisotropic scattering. Two identities are sums over the index n and two are sums over the index j. The identities can be used for numerical tests when computing high degree polynomials with a high order of scattering anisotropy.
Monoclinic zirconium oxide nanostructures synthesized by a hydrothermal route

Zirconium oxide (ZrO2) nanostructures were synthesized by a hydrothermal route. Surface morphology analysis depicts the formation of rice-grain-like and fiber-like ZrO2 nanostructures at different synthesis conditions. The structural analysis confirms that the as-synthesized ZrO2 product is of pure monoclinic phase (m-ZrO2). The clear and equally spaced lattice fringes in high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images and discrete spot pattern of selected area electron diffraction (SAED) confirm the high quality of the synthesized product. The product consists of monodispersed nanoparticles of uniform composition, high purity, and crystallinity. The Raman spectra are quantitatively analyzed and the observed peaks are attributed to various vibration modes of m-ZrO2.
Language and the social construction of reality

Abstract The role of language in society is investigated from the theoretical framework of the sociology of knowledge. It is demonstrated that people may use the same forms of speech, but they do not share the same linguistic experiences in life. This dramaturgical model explicates how language functions socially. People create their own roles as playwrights, and they perform them as actors. By watching their own behavior, they also become critics and make up their own audience. They may have performance failure (stage fright) or be out of character, but they are always a part of the social scene they have help to create. What is significant about this symbolic interactionist approach is that it demonstrates the limitations of the positivistic formal models in dealing with social interaction.
Exposure Profiles and Human Papillomavirus Infection in Skin Cancer: An Analysis of 25 Genus β-Types in a Population-Based Study

An increasing number of studies report that genus β human papillomaviruses (HPVs) are associated with skin cancer, with suggestions of specificity for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the skin. We have conducted a systematic examination of HPV DNA in tumors from immunocompetent hosts, including SCC and basal cell carcinoma (BCC), using a highly sensitive methodology and population-based samples to test the hypothesis that a differential prevalence of β-HPVs exists between SCC (n=101) and BCC (n=101) tumors. When testing for all known β-HPV types, we found no significant difference in HPV prevalence between the two histologies. However, SCC lesions were significantly more likely to be infected with HPV genus β-species 1 (includes types 5 and 8), than BCC samples (P=0.01); this difference was not observed for any other species. A histologic difference was also observed for those HPV types previously reported to be important in skin cancer (P=0.003). SCC samples showed a higher rate of infectivity (that is, were positive for multiple types) than BCC tumors (P=0.02). These data highlight the potential importance of various genus β-HPV types, in particular genus β-species 1 in SCC, and support the hypothesis of a behavioral difference of the virus within the two major histological skin cancers.
A mathematical model of neutrophil production and control in normal man

A comprehensive mathematical model of neutrophil production in normal man is presented. The model incorporates three control elements which regulate homeostatically the rates of release of marrow cells to proliferation, maturation, and to the blood. The steady state properties of the model are demonstrated analytically. The basic equations of the model, which are nonlinear, have been integrated numerically. The solutions so obtained display graphically the dynamical response of the system to various perturbations, which simulate experimental investigations that have been made in the past of granulocytopoiesis. By an appropriate choice of values of the parameters characterizing the system, it is shown how most of the principal kinetic properties of the neutrophil production and control system are represented in a quantitative manner.
Technique for studying adaptation to disarranged hand-eye coordination

Errors in localization are produced by any optical device that intercepts the line of sight and displaces the retinal image. The viewer's error in reaching for or pointing to an object tends to equal the angular displacement of the retinal image. However, according to many reports this error in localizacion is reduced during prolonged viewing. Helmholtz (2, Sect. 29) was one of rhe first to report that an S shifted his localization after viewing his hand through a prism. In general, Ss have adapted to the disarranged condition provided by mirrors or prisms and more recently by a dosed circuit television system ( 3 ) . Many of these disarrangement experiments, e.g., with mirror drawing, are designed to study the learning of altered skills. Consequently, some variant of that classical paradigm of learning-trial, error, and correction-is often used to explain the observed reduction of error. However, in at least one related experiment ( 1 ) adaptation to the disarrangement of a spatial coordination has been observed although S had no information concerning his actual or potencial errors in localization. This result casts doubt on the adequacy of the trial-and-error explanation; a doubt that is neither raised nor eliminated by the resulrs of most experiments on disarranged coordination simply because their designs incorporate the assumption thac recognition of error is essential to adaptation. In these experiments S, watching his clumsy attempts to mark targets in repeated trials, sees the errors he makes, the same errors measured by E. Clearly the applicability of a trial-and-error theory must be checked under condirions wherein S's recognition of error is eliminated. Measurable errors of hand-eye coordination are obtained by instructing S to make either his hand or his markings coincide with a visible object (target). E can then measure the deviation from coincidence of hand and objecc. S recognizes his errors only when he can see these deviations from coincidence. If he sees neither his hand nor his markings he cannot recognize his errors. To this end he can be instructed to make the felt position of his hand coincide with the seen position of an object. This method of localization, described in detail below, allows E to measure errors in localization which S cannoc view. The adaptation, discussed originally by Helmholtz, occurs only when S does view his hand under the disarranged condicion. This viewing, called here the exposure condition, need include no visible objecc (set of contours) other than the hand. S may see only his hand in an otherwise dark field.
A note on erosion by moving dust particles

Abstract Ductile and brittle modes of erosion by dust or granular materials suspended in a gas at moderate speeds are discussed by extending the relations of Herz and Rayleigh. Conditions include directional impact, random impact, and sliding bed motion. The actual condition at a pipe turn is often a combination of these effects. Relations are also applicable to dust erosion of turbine blades, control of sand blasting, and wear produced by fluidized beds and sliding beds.
The importance of volume of blood cultured in the detection of bacteremia and fungemia

An analysis was made on the basis of 5,389 isolates from 5,008 positive blood cultures of the relative yields from 10, 20, and 30 ml of blood. Average yields from cultures of 20 and 30 ml of blood were, respectively, 38 and 61% greater than that from 10 ml of blood.
Structures of the intermediates formed in the ring-opening reaction of 2-chloro-3-nitropyridine

The reaction of 2-chloro-3-nitropyridine with two equivalents of hydroxide ion was studied by NMR and X-ray crystallography. On the basis of NMR coupling constants, the originally formed ring-opened intermediate is the pseudo-cis form, as predicted by the SN(ANRORC) mechanism. However, the first intermediate is unstable and isomerizes to a second intermediate, which was isolated. The pseudo-trans geometry of the second intermediate [3-pentenenitrile, 2-nitro-5-oxo, ion(−1), sodium] explains why additional base does not lead to the ring-closing reaction as observed with 2-chloro-5-nitropyridine.
Dependence of prolactin release on coupling between Ca 2+ mobilization and voltage-gated Ca 2+ influx pathways in rat lactotrophs

Two Ca(2+)-mobilizing receptors expressed in lactotrophs, endothelin-A (ET(A)) and thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), induce a rapid Ca(2+) release from intracellular stores and prolactin (PRL) secretion but differ in their actions during the sustained stimulation; TRH facilitates and ET-1 inhibits voltage-gated calcium influx (VGCI) and PRL secretion. In pertussis toxin (PTX) treated cells, ET-1-induced inhibition of VGCI was abolished and the pattern of Ca(2+) signaling was highly comparable with that observed in TRH-stimulated cells. The addition of Cs(+), a relatively specific blocker of inward rectifier K(+) channels, mimicked the effect of PTX on the pattern of ET-1-induced sustained Ca(2+) signaling, but only in about 50% of cells, and did not affect agonist-induced inhibition of PRL secretion. Extracellular Cs(+) was also ineffective in altering the TRH-induced facilitation of VGCI and PRL secretion. Furthermore, apamin and paxilline, specific blockers of Ca(2+)-activated SKand BK-type K(+) channels, respectively; E-4031, a blocker of ether a-go-go K(+) channel; and linopirdine, a blocker of M-type K(+) channel, did not affect the agonist-specific patterns of calcium signaling and PRL secretion. These results suggest that ET-1 inhibits VGCI through activation of Cs(+)-sensitive channels, presumably the Gi/o-controlled inward rectifier K(+) channels, and that this agonist also inhibits PRL release, but downstream of Ca(2+) influx. Further studies are required to identify the mechanism of sustained TRH-induced facilitation of VGCI and PRL secretion.
Molecular orbital study of bonding and conformations in dinuclear cyclopentadienyldicarbonyl complexes of manganese and chromium containing germanium, sulfide, dinitrogen or phosphinidene bridges

Abstract We carried out nonempirical molecular orbital calculations on syn , gauche and anti conformations of four dinuclear complexes of Mn and Cr with various bridging ligands: [CpM(CO) 2 ] 2 (μ 2 -L) where M is Mn, L is C (as a model for Ge), N 2 or PPh; and M is Cr, L is S. Contrary to a recent claim, [CpMn(CO) 2 ] 2 Ge does not seem to contain Mn Ge double bonds and is not analogous to allenes. The Mn Ge bonds are partially triple so that internal rotation about the Mnz.sbnd;Ge Mn axis is facile, in accord with the infrared spectra. Bonding in [CpCr(CO) 2 ] 2 S and in [CpMn(CO) 2 ] 2 N 2 is very similar to that in the Ge-containing complex. We explain the observed nonrigidity of the Cr complex. Reported infrared data lead to mutually inconsistent conclusions about conformation of the N 2 -containing complex in solution. On the basis of calculations, we suggest that these complex molecules are not centrosymmetric in solution. The N 2 -bridged dinuclear molecules are better viewed as containing an N 2 molecule rather than two N atoms. The π-antibonding orbitals of N 2 are crucial for its bonding to metals; the filled π-bonding orbitals do not seem to donate electrons to the metal atoms. The calculations show substantial Mn P π-bonding in [CpMn(CO) 2 ] 2 PPh and this molecule is best viewed as a three-center, four-electron system. We critically examine several other qualitative and intuitive explanations of bonding in these and similar complexes and discuss conclusions and predictions based on such explanations.