cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A framework for assessing the resilience of a disaster debris management system

Abstract Disaster debris management plays a critical role in expediting the disaster recovery process. This study aims to present a framework for effective disaster debris management for a resilient community. The framework consists of a Geographical Information System (GIS) and system dynamics to assess debris removal performance. GIS was used to conduct a land suitability analysis for a temporary debris management site and system dynamics were applied to evaluate the debris removal performance in different scenarios. This systemic approach and quantitative analysis enable a decision maker to gain insights into the inter-relationship between critical infrastructure and resources, the effectiveness of temporary debris management sites, and the debris removal performance. Also, a debris management team would have benefits from the framework by being able to (1) understand dynamic behaviors of debris removal operation, (2) evaluate the existing debris management plan, and (3) set up multiple strategies for optimal debris removal operations under different disaster-impact scenarios.
Parallel Characterization of Two-Qubit Frequency-Bin Entanglement

We examine multiple sets of frequency bins exhibiting two-dimensional entanglement in parallel using pulse shapers and electro-optic phase modulation. With this technique, we also demonstrate the retrieval of the dispersion constant of a single-mode fiber.
PITUITARY AND TESTICULAR RESPONSES OF BEEF BULLS TO ACTIVE IMMUNIZATION AGAINST INHIBIN ALPHA

Prepubertal crossbred beef bulls served as controls or were actively immunized against the N-terminal, 30-amino acid synthetic fragment of porcine inhibin alpha, pI alpha (1-30). Antibody titers were detected in sera (greater than 40% B/BO in sera diluted 1,000-fold) but not in rete testis fluid of 390-d-old bulls. Serum FSH and inhibin remained static during a 5-h intensive bleed; inhibin was not acutely affected by a 15-fold LH rise and a threefold FSH rise induced by exogenous GnRH. Serum FSH, but not LH or testosterone, was consistently elevated (P less than .05) in immunized bulls compared with control bulls. Neither pituitary weight, pituitary gonadotropin content nor pituitary FSH/LH ratios were affected (P greater than .10) by pI alpha(1-30) active immunization. Testicular sperm density was greater (60 x 10(6) vs 45 x 10(6) sperm/g testis; P less than .10) in immunized bulls, but testes weight, epididymides weight and total daily sperm production remained unchanged. These results suggest that inhibin is important for regulation of FSH secretion and testicular function. Immunization with suitable inhibin vaccines may improve bull fertility.
Use of Habitat Data to Help with the Identification Process

Distribution of plant-parasitic nematodes in various habitats has little relationship to systematic grouping; however, information about their host and geographic origin often contributes to the identification process. Some genera occur more frequently in some geographical locations, especially on certain hosts, whereas others are less common.
The caregiving experience of Older Mexican Americans and their caregivers

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the older adult population is projected to increase by 56% from 40.3 million in 2010 to 72.1 million by 2030, and among the elderly, the fastest growing segment consists of those eighty and above. At the forefront of these demographic trends changes is the aging Hispanic population, which is projected to be the largest and are the second fastest growing older adult cohort in the United States, with those of Mexican origin leading the way. This chapter examines the degree to which Mexican American caregiving is influenced by caregiving structure, health of the care recipient, disability, cognitive impairment/dementia, culture, the “positive caregiving experience” as well as other factors associated with caregivers of very old Mexican Americans. Mexican American families’ disability, diminished cognitive impairment, caregiver stress, lack of resources, and dementia may take an increased toll on caregivers. The need to identify respite services, mental health resources, and community services for caregivers is of paramount importance to alleviate burden.
Membrane-Modified Metal Triazole Complexes for the Electrocatalytic Reduction of Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide.

In this manuscript, an electrochemical architecture is designed that controls the kinetics of proton transfer to metal triazole complexes for electrocatalytic O2 and CO2 reduction. Self-assembled monolayers of these catalysts are attached to a glassy carbon electrode and covered with a lipid monolayer containing proton carriers, which acts as a proton-permeable membrane. The O2 reduction voltammograms on carbon are similar to those obtained on membrane-modified Au electrodes, which through the control of proton transfer rates, can be used to improve the selectivity of O2 reduction. The improved voltage stability of the carbon platforms allows for the investigation of a CO2 reduction catalyst inside a membrane. By controlling proton transfer kinetics across the lipid membrane, it is found that the relative rates of H2, CO, and HCOOH production, can be modulated. It is envisioned that the use of these membrane-modified carbon electrodes will aid in understanding catalytic reactions involving the transfer of multiple protons and electrons.
Auto-ethnography from two gilded ages: Thorstein Veblen, Bonnie Urciuoli and the higher learning in the United States

ABSTRACTThe impress of corporate management practices on universities is not new. Thorstein Veblen dissected it a century ago, paying special attention to ceremonial discourses and practices that universities used to burnish their image as they competed against one another. A century later, Bonnie Urciuoli has analysed the discourses that liberal arts institutions use to create an image of the product they are selling, the ‘good student’ who will make a good corporate employee. For both authors, these institutional imaginaries have real effects, diverting faculty and student attention from the work of critical social analysis to curry favour with elites upon whom colleges and universities depend for financial support.
Are the Near-Antarctic Easterly Winds Weakening in Response to Enhancement of the Southern Annular Mode?

AbstractPrevious studies have highlighted the sensitivity of the Southern Ocean circulation to the strengthening, poleward-shifting westerlies, associated with the increasingly positive southern an...
Intestinal Microbiome Analyses Identify Biomarkers for Patient Response to CAR T Cell Therapy

Cellular therapy with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells has fundamentally changed the treatment of many cancers. Unfortunately, not all patients who receive this therapy have a favorable response. Additionally, patients may develop toxicity due to cytokine release syndrome (CRS) or neurotoxicity. We hypothesized that the composition of the intestinal microbiota prior to CAR T cell infusion is correlated with efficacy and toxicity. We collected fecal samples from recipients of CAR T cells at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) pre-CAR T cell infusion. Microbiota composition was profiled by 16S sequencing. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing was performed on a subset of the samples. Clinical response to assess efficacy was classified as complete response (CR) or no CR. Toxicity was defined as CRS or neurotoxicity of Grade 1 to 4. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) identified differentially abundant bacteria between groups with a linear discriminant analysis (LDA) score threshold >2.5. We analyzed baseline samples from 25 patients treated at MSKCC. The patients were adult recipients of CAR T cells who varied in regard to conditioning regimen, CAR construct and underlying diagnosis, which included hematologic and solid malignancies. LEfSe revealed increased representation of bacterial taxa in the microbiome of CR versus no CR, with Oscilliospiraceae, Ruminococcacaeae and Lachnospiraceae enriched in CR and Peptostreptococcaceae more abundant in no CR (A). A higher abundance of Lachnospiraceae was found in those who experienced toxicity, while Peptostreptococcaceae was more abundant in patients who did not have toxicity (B). We explored shotgun metagenomic sequences from 19 of 25 samples that were functionally annotated using the shortBRED pipeline. We inspected abundances of genes assigned to three pathways that we hypothesized may be immunologically relevant: B vitamin synthesis, bile acid biosynthesis, and short-chain fatty acid production. We observed increased abundance of genes associated with B vitamin biosynthesis in patients who had no CR (C) or toxicity (D). We observe differential abundance of microbiota in patients who achieved a CR or experienced toxicity as compared to those who did not achieve a CR or experience toxicity. We observe that increased B vitamin gene abundance is associated with no CR or toxicity. Overall, this data indicates that features of the microbiota may correlate with outcomes to CAR T cell therapy.
The Impact of Metabolic Syndrome on Patients Undergoing Breast Reduction Surgery

Metabolic syndrome affects 35% of individuals in the USA and has been correlated with increased complications following certain surgical procedures. There has been an increase of 11% in breast reduction procedures from 2016 to 2017 making it the seventh most common reconstructive procedure in the USA. Previous studies have identified an increase in demand for breast reduction among obese patients with BMI ≥ 30 but have not defined the role of metabolic syndrome in surgical outcomes. The authors aim to investigate the impact of metabolic syndrome on 30-day postoperative morbidity and mortality in patients who underwent reduction mammoplasty.
Following the messenger: Recent innovations in live cell single molecule fluorescence imaging.

Messenger RNAs (mRNAs) convey genetic information from the DNA genome to proteins and thus lie at the heart of gene expression and regulation of all cellular activities. Live cell single molecule tracking tools enable the investigation of mRNA trafficking, translation and degradation within the complex environment of the cell and in real time. Over the last 5 years, nearly all tools within the mRNA tracking toolbox have been improved to achieve high-quality multi-color tracking in live cells. For example, the bacteriophage-derived MS2-MCP system has been improved to facilitate cloning and achieve better signal-to-noise ratio, while the newer PP7-PCP system now allows for orthogonal tracking of a second mRNA or mRNA region. The coming of age of epitope-tagging technologies, such as the SunTag, MoonTag and Frankenbody, enables monitoring the translation of single mRNA molecules. Furthermore, the portfolio of fluorogenic RNA aptamers has been expanded to improve cellular stability and achieve a higher fluorescence "turn-on" signal upon fluorogen binding. Finally, microinjection-based tools have been shown to be able to track multiple RNAs with only small fluorescent appendages and to track mRNAs together with their interacting partners. We systematically review and compare the advantages, disadvantages and demonstrated applications in discovering new RNA biology of this refined, expanding toolbox. Finally, we discuss developments expected in the near future based on the limitations of the current methods. This article is categorized under: RNA Export and Localization > RNA Localization RNA Structure and Dynamics > RNA Structure, Dynamics, and Chemistry RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > RNA-Protein Complexes.
Non-parametric Mixed-Manifold Products using Multiscale Kernel Densities

We extend the core operation of non-parametric belief propagation (NBP), also known as multi-scale sequential Gibbs sampling, to approximate products of kernel density estimated beliefs that reside on some manifold. The original algorithm, though multidimensional, implicitly assumes the beliefs to reside on the Euclidean $\mathbb{R}^{d}$ space only. The proposed extension generalizes to any mixture of Riemannian manifolds, provided the primary operations—addition and subtraction— are defined. Our motivation is primarily focused on state-estimation using non-Gaussian factor graphs for multimodal simultaneous localization and mapping in robotics. The paper presents the method as well as simulation and experimental results for validation. Our implementation is publicly available and allows for expansion with user-defined manifold mixtures.
Barriers and facilitators to following the dietary guidelines for vegetable intake: Follow-up of an intervention to increase vegetable intake

Abstract The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) stress the importance of a diet high in vegetables; however, intake remains low. Recently, we found that self-identified low vegetable consumers ate the recommended daily amounts of vegetables when they were provided gratis but returned to habitual intake when vegetables were no longer supplied. This follow-up study aimed to identify key barriers and facilitators to vegetable consumption and to assess if barriers and facilitators differ between adults who had been provided vegetables in recommended amounts (N = 18) and those who had acted as controls with no vegetables provided (N = 16) during a randomized, controlled trial. Nominal group technique (NGT) sessions were conducted to identify and prioritize perceived barriers and facilitators to following the DGA for vegetables. Responses from all NGT sessions were aggregated and grouped into major themes. Convenience, availability, cost, and knowledge were core facilitators in both groups, while motivation emerged as a facilitator only in the control group. Time, preference, and cost were core barriers in both groups, while availability emerged as a barrier only in the control group and social support a barrier only in the intervention group. The barriers and facilitators identified by the intervention group and the control group from the primary study differed in relative rankings, suggesting that the experience of consuming provided vegetables influenced the strength of the perceived barriers and facilitators. The multi-factorial nature of the identified barriers and facilitators underscores the importance of addressing individual, social, and environmental factors to increase vegetable consumption.
Encapsulation of Phloretin in a Ternary Nanocomplex Prepared with Phytoglycogen-Caseinate-Pectin via Electrostatic Interactions and Chemical Cross-Linking

In this study, we chemically modified a phytoglycogen structure to introduce negative surface charge via carboxymethylation (CMPG) and then prepared CMPG-based ternary nanocomplex particles through electrostatic interactions with sodium caseinate (core) and chemical cross-linking with pectin (shell). The chemical cross-linking process by glutaradehyde was systematically optimized under various temperatures and durations. The cross-linked ternary nanocomplex was comprehensively characterized, and our results showed that it had a size of 86 nm with a spherical shape, smooth surface, homogeneous distribution, and negative surface charge. The chemical cross-linking process significantly improved colloidal stability of the nanocomplex under simulated gastrointestinal fluids with digestive enzymes. The as-prepared nanocomplex exhibited exceptional capability to encapsulate phloretin, a natural dihydrochalcone, as a model lipophilic bioactive compound. The nanocomplex not only showed a slow and sustained kinetic release of phloretin under simulated gastrointestinal fluids but also dramatically enhanced its antioxidant activity under an aqueous environment compared to pure phloretin dissolved in ethanol. Findings from this work revealed the promising features of the as-prepared ternary nanocomplex as a potential oral delivery system for lipophilic bioactive compounds.
Reciprocal regulation of vacuolar calcium transport and V-ATPase activity, and the effects of Phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphosphate

Yeast vacuoles are acidified by the V-ATPase, a protein complex comprised of the membrane embedded VO complex and the soluble cytoplasmic V1 complex. The assembly of the V1-VO holoenzyme is required for the transfer of H+ into the vacuole lumen for acidification. The assembly of the V1-VO holoenzyme is stabilized by the lipid phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphospate (PI(3,5)P2) made by the PI3P 5-kinase Fab1/PIKfyve. The absence of PI(3,5)P2 leads to the dissociation of the V1 complex from the membrane. Separately, PI(3,5)P2 has been shown to modulate Ca2+ transport across the vacuole membrane during fission and fusion. Here we examined whether the regulation of H+ and Ca2+ by PI(3,5)P2 are interdependent. We show that modulating extraluminal Ca2+ concentrations inhibit V-ATPase activity. As extraluminal CaCl2 levels are raised, the activity of H+ pumping is reduced. Conversely, chelating free Ca2+ with EGTA stimulated vacuole acidification. Not only did Ca2+ levels affect H+ translocation, we also show that blocking V-ATPase activity inhibited Ca2+ transport into the vacuole lumen. Together, these data illustrate that Ca2+ transport and V-ATPase regulation are interconnected through the modulation of vacuolar lipid profiles. Summary StatementHere we show that Ca2+ and H+ transport across the vacuole membrane is reciprocally regulated and that it is linked to the production of Phosphatidylinositol 3,5-bisphoshpate.
Implementation Strategies for the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI), Part I: Quantitative Analysis of IDDSI Performance Among Varied Participants

Purpose The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) is an international standardized framework for texture-modified diets (TMDs). However, user accuracy in conducting IDDSI testing methods are unknown. The aims of this study were threefold: (a) to describe performance on two tasks (an IDDSI knowledge quiz and a TMD sample classification task), (b) to determine interrater and intrarater agreement for classification task performance, and (c) to determine predictive relationships between socioeconomic factors or prior knowledge on task performance. Method Sixty-eight participants were recruited, including health care professionals and non-health care-related individuals. A mixed between-subjects and within-subject design was used. All participants completed a baseline knowledge quiz, 30 min of self-study using the IDDSI.org curriculum, a post self-study knowledge quiz, and a TMD classification task of 21 TMD samples with representation across all IDDSI levels. Data were collected via electronic survey. Results There was a significant increase (p < .001) between pre and post self-study knowledge quiz scores. On the classification task, unmodified foods and drinks were most accurately classified with thickened liquids (IDDSI Levels 1, 2, 3) most inaccurately classified. At baseline, moderate interrater agreement was found with intrarater agreement ranging from fair to almost perfect among identical samples. No significant predictive relationships were found between classification task performance and socioeconomic status or prior experience. Conclusions Thirty minutes of self-study using the online IDDSI.org curriculum improved baseline IDDSI knowledge check performance. Overall accuracy of TMD classification was low and warrants further evaluation given potential adverse health outcomes secondary to inappropriate TMD presentation. Given no predictive relationships between socioeconomic factors and prior experience on task performance, the IDDSI curriculum and classification task appear accessible to various users, including non-health care-related participants. Future studies should more closely observe testing behavior to further characterize variation in participants' use of the testing methods.
Can a Novel Contain a Comic? Graphic Nerd Ecology in Contemporary US Fiction

Christopher Pizzino’s essay asks how print novels deal with comics given the latter’s persistently low status, which still prompts readers and critics to ask whether the graphic novel, so-called, can achieve the substantiality of print fiction. Ignoring usual questions of adaptation (the same narrative/content in different media), Pizzino investigates how the novel, as modern genre and print medium, “reads” or “sees” a medium unlike, and less legitimate than, itself. Discussing three examples—Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Klay, Jonathan Lethem’s Fortress of Solitude, and Junot Diaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao—he identifies a spectrum of ways for the novel to approach questions of medium specificity and cultural status that cluster around comics. What this spectrum reveals, surprisingly, is that novelists with strong personal and vocational commitments to comics, such as Chabon, can still approach the medium with condescension in their role as novelists. Contemporary US fiction now possesses legitimacy as, in the Lukascian sense, a formal property—of which it can only divest itself through radical labor of the kind Diaz’s novel exemplifies.
Incidence of Complete Insertion in Cochlear Implant Recipients of Long Lateral Wall Arrays

ObjectiveHigh rates of partial insertion have been reported for cochlear implant (CI) recipients of long lateral wall electrode arrays, presumably caused by resistance encountered during insertion ...
Botulinum Toxin A and B Improve Perfusion, Increase Flap Survival, Cause Vasodilation, and Prevent Thrombosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Controlled Animal Studies:

Background:A systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control animal model studies will help clarify the vascular effects of botulinum toxin (BTX).Methods:Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic...
Pricing flexibility of shiftable demand in electricity markets

Enabling participation of demand-side flexibility in electricity markets is key to improving power system resilience and increasing the penetration of renewable generation. In this work we are motivated by the curtailment of near-zero-marginal-cost renewable resources during periods of oversupply, a particularly important cause of inefficient generation dispatch. Focusing on shiftable load in a multi-interval economic dispatch setting, we show that incompatible incentives arise for loads in the standard market formulation. While the system's overall efficiency increases from dispatching flexible demand, the overall welfare of loads can decrease as a result of higher spot prices. We propose a market design to address this incentive issue. Specifically, by imposing a small number of additional constraints on the economic dispatch problem, we obtain a mechanism that guarantees individual rationality for all market participants while simultaneously obtaining a more efficient dispatch. Our formulation leads to a natural definition of a uniform, time-varying flexibility price that is paid to loads to incentivize flexible bidding. We provide theoretical guarantees and empirically validate our model with simulations on real-world generation data from California Independent System Operator (CAISO).
Conformation of single-stranded polynucleotides. Sedimentation behavior of methylmercurated synthetic poly(d(A-T)).

Sedimenting the alternating copolymer, synthetic poly[d(A-T)], through increasing concentrations of CH3HgOH at pH 6.8 in solutions of different ionic strength reveals that there exists a critical CH3HgOH concentration at which double-stranded poly[d(A-T)] becomes denatured. The denaturation reaction is accompanied first by a sudden increase in the rate of sedimentation followed by as sudden a decrease. The change occurs over a narrow concentration range of added CH3HgOH indicating that the transition is highly cooperative. At CH3HgOH concentrations insufficient to induce denaturation, the organomercurial does not interact with poly[d(A-T)] as judged from the invariance of s20,w with increasing concentrations of CH3HgOH. By contrast, s20,w of denatured poly[d(A-T)]is strongly dependent on CH3HgOH concentration. It appears that in solvents of low ionic strength s20,w of single-stranded poly[d(A-T)] is determined largely by the increase in mass caused by the addition of the methylmercury group to the various binding sites of adenine and thymine. In more concentrated supporting electrolyte solutions, on the other hand, the variation of s20,w with organomercurial concentration can no longer be explained solely on the basis of a variation in molecular weight but presumably involves also changes in the frictional properties of the polymer.
Scientific Theory Formation Through Analogical Inference

Abstract This paper presents a theory of Verification-Based Analogical Learning which describes how analogy may be used to discover and refine qualitative models of the physical world. When the system observes physical behavior that cannot be explained in terms of current domain models, the system uses an analogous experience to construct a qualitative theory of the observed phenomenon. The work is significant for research in qualitative reasoning because it enables a system to reason about theoretically novel situations. It is significant for AI work in scientific discovery by going beyond the typical discovery of empirical laws. Examples are taken from an implemented system, which uses the theory to discover qualitative models of liquid flow and heat flow.
The prognostic significance of the anoxemia test in coronary heart disease; a follow-up study of 254 subjects.

Abstract 1. 1. In order to appraise the prognostic value of the anoxemia test, a follow-up study was made of 254 individuals on whom it was performed during the decade 1937 to 1947. Included were 141 patients with manifest or suspected coronary heart disease, ten with hypertension, and 103 with no evidence of a cardiovascular disorder. The average follow-up period was six years. 2. 2. Sixty-three individuals died during the course of the study. In the sixteen cases in which an autopsy was performed, the clinical diagnosis was confirmed. 3. 3. The material was analyzed by statistical methods in an effort to find correlations between the result of the anoxemia test, the clinical status, and the prognosis. The results were inconclusive. 4. 4. A comparison of the cumulative mortality rates of the patients with coronary sclerosis and anginal pain and the noncardiac subjects, grouped according to the result of the initial anoxemia test, showed distinct differences. In the coronary patients whose tests were positive, the prognosis was significantly worse, with respect to longevity, than in those whose tests were negative. It should be emphasized, however, that, whereas this obtains for the group as a whole, it does not necessarily apply to any individual patient. 5. 5. The anoxemia test furnishes an index of the coronary reserve only at the time of its performance. Because of the numerous uncontrollable variables affecting the lesions of atherosclerosis, it is not possible to predict accurately, within a wide range of probability, the future clinical course of the patient with coronary heart disease.
/spl lambda//sub 2/-Gain of double integrators with saturation nonlinearity

This note uses quadratic surface Lyapunov functions (SuLFs) to efficiently check if a double integrator in feedback with a saturation nonlinearity has L 2 -gain less than γ > 0. We show that for many such systems, the L 2 -gain is nonconservative in the sense that this is approximately equal to the lower bound obtained by replacing the saturation with a constant gain of 1. These results allow the use of classical analysis tools like μ-analysis or integral quadratic constraints to analyze systems with double integrators and saturations, including servo systems like some mechanical systems, satellites, hard disks, compact disk players, etc.
Core Earnings Uncertainty, Dividend Change Announcements and the Reduction of Covariance Component Risks

We present evidence of two systematic market risk implications associated with core earnings news implicit in dividend change announcements: (1) a decline in firm-market correlation intensity, consistent with reduced investor reliance on overall market movements to value shares, and (2) a downward shift in standard deviation of returns, consistent with increased core earnings information precision. Decoupling these two covariance component risk effects is important because they can offset one another at the firm level, masking unique market influences on total systematic risk. Each is influenced by the information environment in different ways and each is shown to incrementally explain returns in a manner consistent with the capital asset pricing model (CAPM).
Inhibition of Sterol 4α-Methyl Oxidase Is the Principal Mechanism by Which Garlic Decreases Cholesterol Synthesis

Clinical and experimental evidence indicates that garlic ingestion lowers blood cholesterol levels, and treatment of cells in culture with garlic and garlic-derived compounds inhibits cholesterol synthesis. To identify the principal site of inhibition in the cholesterolgenic pathway and the active components of garlic, cultured hepatoma cells were treated with aqueous garlic extract or its chemical derivatives, and radiolabeled cholesterol and intermediates were identified and quantified. Garlic extract reduced cholesterol synthesis by up to 75% without evidence of cellular toxicity. Levels of squalene and 2,3-oxidosqualene were not altered by garlic, indicating that the site of inhibition was downstream of lanosterol synthesis, and identical results were obtained with 14 C-acetate and 14 C-mevalonate, confirming that 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase activity was not affected in these short-term studies. Several methylsterols that accumulated in the presence of garlic were identified by coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry as 4,4'-dimethylzymosterol and a possible metabolite of 4-methylzymosterol; both are substrates for sterol 4a-methyl oxidase, pointing to this enzyme as the principal site of inhibition in the cholesterolgenic pathway by garlic. Of 9 garlic-derived compounds tested for their ability to inhibit cholesterol synthesis, only diallyl disulfide, diallyl trisulfide, and allyl mercaptan proved inhibitory, each yielding a pattern of sterol accumulation identical with that obtained with garlic extract. These results indicate that compounds containing an allyl-disulfide or allyl-sulfhydryl group are most likely responsible for the inhibition of cholesterol synthesis by garlic and that this inhibition is likely mediated at sterol 4a-methyl oxidase.
Exploring warm-season cover crops as carbon sources for anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD)

Anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) has been shown to be an effective strategy for controlling soilborne plant pathogens and plant-parasitic nematodes in vegetable and other specialty crop production systems. Anaerobic soil disinfestation is based upon supplying labile carbon (C) to stimulate microbially-driven anaerobic soil conditions in moist soils covered with polyethylene mulch. To test the effectiveness of warm-season cover crops as C sources for ASD, a greenhouse study was conducted using a sandy field soil in which several warm-season legumes and grasses were grown and incorporated and compared to molasses-amended and no C source controls. Greenhouse pots were irrigated to fill soil porosity and covered with a transparent polyethylene mulch to initiate a 3-week ASD treatment prior to planting tomatoes. Soilborne plant pathogen inoculum packets, yellow nutsedge (Cyperus esculentus L.) tubers, and Southern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid & White) Chitwood; M.i.) eggs and juveniles were introduced at cover crop incorporation. In nearly all cases, ASD treatment utilizing cover crops as a C source resulted in soil anaerobicity values that were equal to the molasses-amended fallow control and greater than the no C source fallow control. In trial 1, Fusarium oxysporum Schlechtend.:Fr. (F.o.) survival was reduced by more than 97% in all C source treatments compared to the no C source control but there was no effect of C source in Trial 2. Carbon source treatments were inconsistent in their effects on survival of Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. (S.r). In general, the number of M.i. extracted from tomato root tissue and root gall ratings were low in all treatments with cover crop C source, molasses C source, or composted poultry litter. Germination of yellow nutsedge tubers was highest in the no C source control (76%), lowest in the molasses control (31%), and intermediate from cover crop treatments (49% to 61%). Warm-season cover crops have potential to serve as a C source for ASD in vegetable and other crop production systems, but more work is needed to improve consistency and further elucidate mechanisms of control of soilborne plant pathogens and weeds during ASD treatment utilizing cover crops.
Incentives Between Firms (and Within)

This paper reviews the significant progress in "agency theory" (i.e., the economic theory of incentives) during the 1990s, with an eye toward applications to supply transactions. I emphasize six recent models, in three pairs: (1) new foundations for the theory of incentive contracts, (2) new directions in incentive theory, and (3) new applications to supply transactions. By reviewing these six models, I hope to establish three things. First, the theory of incentive contracts needed and received new foundations. Second, new directions in incentive theory teach us that incentive contracts are not the only source of incentives. Finally (and especially relevant to supply transactions), the integration decision is an instrument in the incentive problem.
Kinase-induced changes in electron transport rates of spinach chloroplasts.

Abstract Phosphorylation of spinach chloroplast membranes by the endogenous protein kinase caused oppositely directed changes in the rates of photosystems I and II partial electron transport reactions. When assayed at a limiting actinic light intensity, the rate of the photosystem II reaction decreased, and that of photosystem I increased, by approximately 15–20%. These effects could only be accurately measured, however, after minimizing the photoinhibition of electron transport that resulted from the illumination used to activate the chloroplast protein kinase. The data support the hypothesis that phosphorylation of the light-harvesting chlorophyll protein results in a change in the distribution of absorbed light energy between the two photosystems.
Frequency of nurse-physician collaborative behaviors in an acute care hospital

A new culture bolstering collaborative behavior among nurses and physicians is needed to merge the unique strengths of both professions into opportunities to improve patient outcomes. To meet this challenge it is fundamental to comprehend the current uses of collaborative behaviors among nurses and physicians. The purpose of this descriptive study was to delineate frequently used from infrequently used collaborative behaviors of nurses and physicians in order to generate data to support specific interventions for improving collaborative behavior. The setting was an acute care hospital, and participants included 114 registered nurses and 33 physicians with active privileges. The Nurse-Physician Collaboration Scale was used to measure the frequency of use of nurse-physician collaborative behaviors self-reported by nurses and physicians. The background variables of gender, age, education, ethnicity, years of experience, years practiced at the current acute care hospital, practice setting and professional certification were accessed. In addition to analyzing the frequency of collaborative behaviors, this study compares levels of collaborative behavior reported by nurses and physicians.
Poisson modes and general nonlinear constitutive models in the large displacement analysis of beams

Most existing formulations for structural elements such as beams, plates and shells do not allow for the use of general nonlinear constitutive models in a straightforward manner. Furthermore, such structural element models, due to the nature of the generalized coordinates used, do not capture some Poisson modes such as the ones that couple the deformation of the cross section of the structural element and stretch and bending. In this paper, beam models that employ general nonlinear constitutive equations are presented using finite elements based on the nonlinear absolute nodal coordinate formulation. This formulation relaxes the assumptions of the Euler–Bernoulli and Timoshenko beam theories, and allows for the use of general nonlinear constitutive models. The finite elements based on the absolute nodal coordinate formulation also allow for the rotation as well as the deformation of the cross section, thereby capturing Poisson modes which can not be captured using other beam models. In this investigation, three different nonlinear constitutive models based on the hyper-elasticity theory are considered. These three models are based on the Neo–Hookean constitutive law for compressible materials, the Neo–Hookean constitutive law for incompressible materials, and the Mooney–Rivlin constitutive law in which the material is assumed to be incompressible. These models, which allow capturing Poisson modes, are suitable for many materials and applications, including rubber-like materials and biological tissues which are governed by nonlinear elastic behavior. Numerical examples that demonstrate the implementation of these nonlinear constitutive models in the absolute nodal coordinate formulation are presented. The results obtained using the nonlinear and linear constitutive models are compared in this study. These results show that the use of nonlinear constitutive models can significantly enhance the performance and improve the computational efficiency of the finite element models based on the absolute nodal coordinate formulation. The results also show that when linear constitutive models are used in the large deformation analysis, singular configurations are encountered and basic formulas such as Nanson’s formula are no longer valid. These singular deformation configurations are not encountered when the nonlinear constitutive models are used.
Free radical reduction of ferricytochrome-c

Summary Rate constants have been determined for the reduction of ferricytochrome- c by free radicals. k values for pyridinyl radicals, benzoate adduct radicals, nitrobenzene and nitrobenzoate anion radicals, α-hydroxy radicals, formyl anion radical, and superoxide radical show no apparent correlation with size, charge, or structure of the reductant. Some k values change as the pH is increased. The methyl viologen radical is the most reactive; NAD· is reactive; the pentaerythritol radical is unreactive at pH=7 but moderately reactive at pH=9; and O2 becomes less reactive with increasing pH. The results indicate that several mechanisms for electron transfer are operative and that conformers of differing reactivity influence the kinetics in alkaline solutions.
Investigations of Metal-Coordinated Peptides as Supramolecular Synthons

This article describes the synthesis and controlled assembly of four model biological-hybrid scaffolds via coordination of a metal complex to four new tripeptides. Each model tripeptide investigated has either a central pyridyl glycyl or a pyridyl alanyl residue between two terminally protected glycines. All tripeptides were coordinated to their complementary recognition unit, a p-methoxy SCS-Pd pincer complex. The assembly events were fully characterized and investigated by 1H NMR, ES-MS, and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) to elucidate how the substitution and spatial distance of the pyridyl moiety to the peptide backbone affects the metal coordination. Using these characterization techniques, we have shown that the metal-coordination events in all cases are fast and quantitative and that the peptide backbones do not interfere with the self-assembly. The ITC analyses showed that the 4-pyridyl tripeptides are the tightest binding ligands toward the palladated pincer complexes with the alanyl derivative being the strongest overall, demonstrating the superiority of the 4-pyridyl peptides over their 3-pyridyl analogues. The measured association constants are comparable to other pincer-pyridine systems in DMSO suggesting that the controlled coordination of the metalated pincer/pyridine interaction is an interesting biological synthon and will allow for the future development of important noncovalent peptide-based hybrid materials.
Adaptive Color Coding Based On Spatial/Temporal Features

The problem of efficient adaptive coding of color images for computer display is investigated. Several modifications of current algorithms are proposed that allow for the introduction of local image characteristics. Spatial, temporal and semantic features of images are used to generate error masks. These masks are used to bias the statistics of a histogram used by a vector quantizer.
Joint Analysis of Band-Specific Functional Connectivity and Signal Complexity in Autism

Examination of resting state brain activity using electrophysiological measures like complexity as well as functional connectivity is of growing interest in the study of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The present paper jointly examined complexity and connectivity to obtain a more detailed characterization of resting state brain activity in ASD. Multi-scale entropy was computed to quantify the signal complexity, and synchronization likelihood was used to evaluate functional connectivity (FC), with node strength values providing a sensor-level measure of connectivity to facilitate comparisons with complexity. Sensor level analysis of complexity and connectivity was performed at different frequency bands computed from resting state MEG from 26 children with ASD and 22 typically developing controls (TD). Analyses revealed band-specific group differences in each measure that agreed with other functional studies in fMRI and EEG: higher complexity in TD than ASD, in frontal regions in the delta band and occipital-parietal regions in the alpha band, and lower complexity in TD than in ASD in delta (parietal regions), theta (central and temporal regions) and gamma (frontal-central boundary regions); increased short-range connectivity in ASD in the frontal lobe in the delta band and long-range connectivity in the temporal, parietal and occipital lobes in the alpha band. Finally, and perhaps most strikingly, group differences between ASD and TD in complexity and FC appear spatially complementary, such that where FC was elevated in ASD, complexity was reduced (and vice versa). The correlation of regional average complexity and connectivity node strength with symptom severity scores of ASD subjects supported the overall complementarity (with opposing sign) of connectivity and complexity measures, pointing to either diminished connectivity leading to elevated entropy due to poor inhibitory regulation or chaotic signals prohibiting effective measure of connectivity.
Questions answered and a $1 million question raised concerning lupus erythematosus tumidus: is routine laboratory surveillance testing during treatment with hydroxychloroquine for skin disease really necessary.

After a professional lifetime of studying the cutaneous manifestations of lupus erythematosus (LE), I have found LE tumidus (LET) (also referred to, perhaps incorrectly, as lupus tumidus and tumid LE by modern dermatologists) to be the most enigmatic form of cutaneous LE (CLE). The clinical and pathogenetic significance of LET has until very recently been ignored completely in the medical literature published in English. While preparing comprehensive reviews of LE-specific skin disease in the past, 1 virtually no published literature on this form of CLE in English could be found in the MEDLINE database. When performing a text word search of the term lupus tumidus in MEDLINE, one comes up as often with case descriptions of cutaneous tuberculosis 2 as CLE. However, Kuhn and coworkers 3 from the Department of Dermatology at Heinrich-Heine-University in Dusseldorf, Germany, have begun to illuminate the nature and significance of this form of CLE for their English-only colleagues with their presentation of a retrospective analysis of 40 patients with LET seen in their department from 1984 through 1998 that appears in this issue of the ARCHIVES.
Some measurements of the pH and chemistry of precipitation at Davis and Lake Tahoe, California

Precipitation samples were collected at Davis and Lake Tahoe, California, in 1972–73 and 1977–78 and analyzed for pH and major cations and anions. Rain and snow in this region of northern California are derived primarily from winter cyclonic storms which move easterly from the Pacific Ocean over Davis and then Lake Tahoe. Precipitation at both sites was found to be more acid than water in equilibrium with atmospheric CO2. Acidity at Lake Tahoe apparently increased over the 5-yr period of the study. Sulfate was the dominant acid anion in 1972–73 (not measured in 1977–78). A major source of sulfate in precipitation was probably industry in the San Francisco Bay Area, upwind of the study sites. Automobile exhaust emissions throughout the region, which contains three major interstate highways and several large urban centers, contribute both sulfate and nitrate precursors to the atmosphere. As in the Eastern United States, these strong acid anions are influencing precipitation chemistry in northern California, including the Sierra Nevada mountains.
2-arachidonyl-glycerol stimulates nitric oxide release from human immune and vascular tissues and invertebrate immunocytes by cannabinoid receptor 1.

The pharmacological physiological effects of the endogenous cannabinomimetic (endocannabinoid) anandamide have been well characterized. Another endocannabinoid, 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol (2-AG), has been less-widely studied. 2-AG occurs in vertebrate and invertebrate tissues and binds to both cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2). In the current study, 2-AG was found to cause human monocytes and immunocytes from Mytilus edulis to become round and immobile, which may correlate with decreased production of cytokines and adhesion molecules, i.e. an immunosuppressive response. In addition, exposure of these cells to 2-AG results in nitric oxide (NO) release, which is blocked by the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, l-NAME and a CB1 antagonist, but not by a CB2 antagonist. The results obtained in the human vascular system were similar to those obtained in immune cells. Treatment of human saphenous veins and atria with 2-AG stimulated basal NO release, which was antagonized by l-NAME and a CB1 antagonist. Taken together these results indicate that 2-AG exerts immune and vascular actions similar to those observed with anandamide.
Civil Society and Democracy: Weimar Reconsidered

This article argues that such authors as Sheri Berman and Ariel Armony have overstated the importance of the state when explaining the relationship between civil society and democracy. They have done so because no theoretical framework is currently available to assess civil society's democratic potential, which led them to focus rather on the state as the central explanans. Furthermore, Berman's incorrect interpretation of Weimar's civic organizing led her to draw erroneous conclusions about civil society in general. This article seeks to correct this view on Weimar's civil society and offers a theoretical framework able to capture the relationship between civil society and democracy by focusing on civil society's internal diversity and the quality of democratic representation and procedure.
Attenuation of Visible Radiation by Carbon Smokes

Abstract An analytical study is presented for the attenuation of visible radiation by carbon smokes as a function of wavelength and particle size distribution. A simple approximate formula that gives an explicit functional relationship among the extinction coefficient and other pertinent physical parameters characterizing smoke clouds have been obtained. Results are discussed with respect to the existing experimental and numerical information.