cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Risk-Based Strategy for Climate Change Adaptation in Dryland Systems Based on an Understanding of Potential Production, Soil Resistance and Resilience, and Social Stability

Climate change is expected to increase the intensity and temporal variability of storm events in many areas while reducing their frequency, resulting in increased runoff, and drought frequency and severity. Soil degradation can exacerbate these impacts by reducing both infiltration and plant-available water holding capacity. Therefore, an understanding of soil resistance and resilience to degradation is necessary to target climate change adaptation investments where they will have the largest impact. This paper (1) reviews key concepts necessary to understand the dynamic relationships between climate change adaptation, soil resistance and resilience, and social stability, and (2) provides a strategy for maximizing return on climate change adaptation investments in drylands based on an understanding of soil and ecosystem resilience. The strategy includes seven steps, which are completed for each landscape unit in the context of the surrounding landscape: (1) Determine current potential productivity based on soils, topography, and existing climate conditions. (2) Determine future potential productivity based on soil, topography, and climate change scenarios. (3) Rank landscape units based on predicted change in potential productivity. (4) Determine risk of land use change. (5) Determine degradation risk with and without land use change. (6) Rank each landscape unit based on degradation risk with and without land use change. (7) Determine priorities for climate change and soil conservation investments. The strategy described here can be applied on multiple scales to address a wide variety of objectives. We conclude by suggesting that climate change adaptation resources allocation decisions include consideration of soil resistance and resilience.
'If They Don't Care, I Don't Care': Millennial and Generation Z Students and the Impact of Faculty Caring.

This article draws on a qualitative study of 31 Millennial and Generation Z students to examine the meaning of teacher “caring” in a higher education context. Prior research clearly documents the importance of caring to student engagement, although much of that scholarship focuses on secondary schooling. Research also examines the changing demographics of higher education and new expectations brought to college classrooms by Millennials and others. In this article, we connect the existing research on caring and on generational differences to explore how traditional-aged undergraduates define caring and the degree to which that impacts their willingness to learn. Our findings indicate that students value approachability and relatability as traits in a caring professor; we also find that in-class pedagogical practices can dramatically demonstrate care or lack thereof. Our research suggests that the student success agenda in higher education must take in-class teaching practices seriously in order to impact students’ engagement and motivation to learn.
The questions we ask: Opportunities and challenges for using big data analytics to strategically manage human capital resources

Abstract Big data analytics have transformed research in many fields, including the business areas of marketing, accounting and finance, and supply chain management. Yet, the discussion surrounding big data analytics in human resource management has primarily focused on job candidate screenings. In this article, we consider how significant strategic human capital questions can be addressed with big data analytics, enabling HR to enhance overall firm performance. We also examine how new data sources that help assess workforce performance in real time can assist in the identification and development of the knowledge stars that contribute to firm performance disproportionately as well as help reinforce firm capabilities. But in order for big data analytics to be successful in the HR field, regulatory and ethical challenges must also be addressed; these include privacy concerns and, in Europe, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We conclude by discussing how big data analytics can facilitate strategic change within HR and the organization as a whole.
The membrane protein KCNQ1 potassium ion channel: Functional diversity and current structural insights.

Abstract Background Ion channels play crucial roles in cellular biology, physiology, and communication including sensory perception. Voltage-gated potassium (Kv) channels execute their function by sensor activation, pore-coupling, and pore opening leading to K+ conductance. Scope of review This review focuses on a voltage-gated K+ ion channel KCNQ1 (Kv 7.1). Firstly, discussing its positioning in the human ion chanome, and the role of KCNQ1 in the multitude of cellular processes. Next, we discuss the overall channel architecture and current structural insights on KCNQ1. Finally, the gating mechanism involving members of the KCNE family and its interaction with non-KCNE partners. Major conclusions KCNQ1 executes its important physiological functions via interacting with KCNE1 and non-KCNE1 proteins/molecules: calmodulin, PIP2, PKA. Although, KCNQ1 has been studied in great detail, several aspects of the channel structure and function still remain unexplored. This review emphasizes the structural and biophysical studies of KCNQ1, its interaction with KCNE1 and non-KCNE1 proteins and focuses on several seminal findings showing the role of VSD and the pore domain in the channel activation and gating properties. General significance KCNQ1 mutations can result in channel defects and lead to several diseases including atrial fibrillation and long QT syndrome. Therefore, a thorough structure-function understanding of this channel complex is essential to understand its role in both normal and disease biology. Moreover, unraveling the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of this channel complex will help to find therapeutic strategies for several diseases.
Matchmaking model for bilateral trading decisions of load serving entity

Abstract Matchmaking and bilateral negotiations are two distinct phases of practical market participants’ decision making for bilateral transactions. Agent-based models are naturally suitable for electricity markets in general and bilateral transactions in particular. This paper's contribution includes development of a novel matchmaking model that generates forward contracting power and utility curves. The matchmaking model enables a load serving entity agent to undertake its own matchmaking, to find optimal trading allocations over a range of prices, before engaging in bilateral negotiations with generation company agents. Open-source agent-based simulation platform allows combined simulation of bilateral transactions and day-ahead auction. In this research paper, matchmaking is achieved by direct-search without any organized bulletin board, broker, or matchmaker. Instead of random matchmaking, portfolio optimization based matchmaking systematically explores available electricity trading options throughout the market: local and non-local bilateral trades as well as day-ahead auctions. The matchmaking algorithm is unique because it scans all trading options over the entire range of negotiable prices. Depending on private profit-seeking goals, risk-aversion preferences and market price statistics, each load serving entity agent individually finds its matchmaking results. A set of case studies demonstrates how matchmaking model depends on transmission rights and performs for different risk aversion factors.
The 1969 White House Conference on Food, Nutrition and Health: 50 Years Later

The 1969 White House Conference on Food, Nutrition and Health (WHC) was a landmark conference that influenced the nutrition agenda for decades. This commentary details events that led to moving the WHC recommendations to implementation and action. The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, the National School Lunch Program, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are used as examples to illustrate some overarching factors that are critical to unraveling the complex process of science and evidence linked to action.
Outcomes of adolescents compared with young adults after bariatric surgery: an analysis of 227,671 patients using the MBSAQIP data registry.

Abstract Background Obesity in the United States is increasingly prevalent in adolescents. Metabolic and bariatric surgery is offered at select sites to adolescents ( Objectives The Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program registry was employed to compare outcomes of adolescents with adults (18–40 yr) undergoing sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB). Setting Academic Teaching Institution. Methods The Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program Participant User Files were reviewed for patients undergoing SG or RYGB (2015–2018). Patients were stratified by age and outcomes for adolescents versus adults compared. A bivariate analysis was performed on propensity-matched data. Results After exclusion criteria were applied, 227,671 patients Conclusions Metabolic and bariatric surgery is as safe for adolescents undergoing an SG or RYGB as adults. Currently, SG is more commonly performed in adolescents than RYGB, and adolescent SG patients have similar outcomes and shorter operating room times compared with adolescent RYGB patients.
The pain of grief: Exploring the concept of psychological pain and its relation to complicated grief, depression, and risk for suicide in bereaved adults.

Objective Emotional or psychological pain is a core symptom of complicated grief (CG), yet its correlates are largely unexamined among bereaved individuals. Method Bereaved adults (N = 135) completed self-reports regarding psychological pain, CG, depression, and suicidality. We assessed correlations among these variables and tested whether psychological pain was elevated among individuals with CG and individuals with current or past suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Using logistic regression, we also assessed psychological pain, depression, and CG symptom severity as predictors of suicide risk. Results Psychological pain was strongly associated with both CG and depression severity and was elevated among subjects reporting current or past suicidality. CG and depression were not statistically significant predictors of suicidal ideation after accounting for the effects of psychological pain. Conclusions Psychological pain is strongly associated with bereavement-related psychopathology and warrants further investigation in studies examining the nature and treatment of CG.
Translating Paintings Into Music Using Neural Networks.

We propose a system that learns from artistic pairings of music and corresponding album cover art. The goal is to 'translate' paintings into music and, in further stages of development, the converse. We aim to deploy this system as an artistic tool for real time 'translations' between musicians and painters. The system's outputs serve as elements to be employed in a joint live performance of music and painting, or as generative material to be used by the artists as inspiration for their improvisation.
Labial salivary gland assessment in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients with sicca symptoms.

Objective Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) commonly present with sicca symptoms. This study aimed to assess labial minor salivary glands (LMSGs) in those patients to rule out Sjogren's syndrome (SS), in which sicca symptoms are the clinical hallmark. Study Design Cases of patients with IPF with sicca symptoms referred to the oral medicine clinic at the University of Florida within the last 13 years were selected with institutional review board approval. Demographic characteristics, clinical findings, laboratory results, and histomorphologic parameters were retrospectively analyzed. Results A total of 12 patients (9 men and 3 women, ages 55-76 years) were identified. History of exposure to asbestos or chemicals, smoking, and medication information was obtained. All patients reported sicca symptoms with 57% of those exhibiting objective or borderline dryness. Anti-SSA/Ro and anti-SSB/La were positive in 25% and 8% of the cases, respectively. Microscopically, 1 out of 12 patients was biopsy positive in the absence of anti-SSA/Ro, fulfilling the 2016 SS criteria with positive sialometry. Conclusions A LMSG biopsy is critical to identify SS in patients with diagnosed IPF and present sicca symptoms, especially those with negative serology, as revealed in our study.
Racial and Ethnic Differences in Psychiatry Resident Prescribing: a Quality Improvement Education Intervention to Address Health Equity

Quality improvement (QI) tools can identify and address health disparities. This paper describes the use of resident prescriber profiles in a novel QI curriculum to identify racial and ethnic differences in antidepressant and antipsychotic prescribing. The authors extracted medication orders written by 111 psychiatry residents over an 18-month period from an electronic medical record and reformatted these into 6133 unique patient encounters. Binomial logistic models adjusted for covariates assessed racial and ethnic differences in antipsychotic or antidepressant prescribing in both emergency and inpatient psychiatric encounters. A multinomial model adjusted for covariates then assessed racial and ethnic differences in primary diagnosis. Models also examined interactions between gender and race/ethnicity. Black (adjusted OR 0.66; 95% CI, 0.50–0.87; p < 0.01) and Latinx (adjusted OR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.49–0.86; p < 0.01) patients had lower odds of receiving antidepressants relative to White patients despite diagnosis. Black and Latinx patients were no more likely to receive antipsychotics than White patients when adjusted for diagnosis. Black (adjusted OR 3.85; 95% CI, 2.9–5.2) and Latinx (adjusted OR 1.60; 95% CI, 1.1–2.3) patients were more likely to receive a psychosis than a depression diagnosis when compared to White patients. Gender interactions with race/ethnicity did not significantly change results. Our findings suggest that racial/ethnic differences in antidepressant prescription likely result from alternatively higher diagnosis of psychotic disorders and prescription of antipsychotics in Black and Latinx patients. Prescriber profiles can serve as a powerful tool to promote resident QI learning around the effects of structural racism on clinical care.
Menstrual regularity and bleeding is associated with sleep duration, sleep quality and fatigue in a community sample.

Female menstrual health and its relationship with sleep is an understudied subject. The aim of this investigation was to determine the association between the two in a community sample. Data were obtained from n = 579 menstruating females who participated in the Sleep and Health Activity, Diet, Environment, and Socialization (SHADES) study, a community-based sample of adults aged 22-60 years. Participants were asked, "How regular is your period?", with response choices of "very regular", "mostly regular", "fairly regular" and "not regular". They were also asked, "How much bleeding do you usually experience during your period?" Response choices were: "very heavy", "heavy", "medium", "light" or "very light". These were evaluated as ordinal outcomes. Sleep-related predictors included sleep duration (in hr; ≤ 6 [short], 7-9 [normal] and ≥ 9 [long]), Insomnia Severity Index score, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score, Epworth Sleepiness Scale score and Fatigue Severity Scale score. Covariates included age, education, income, race/ethnicity and body mass index. Short sleep duration was associated with heavier bleeding (odds ratio = 1.46, p = 0.026) and greater cycle irregularity (odds ratio = 1.44, p = 0.031) as compared with normal sleep. Higher Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score was associated with greater cycle irregularity (odds ratio = 1.05, p = 0.022). Higher Fatigue Severity Scale score was associated with heavier bleeding (odds ratio = 1.02, p = 0.003) and greater cycle irregularity (odds ratio = 1.02, p = 0.008). Long sleep, Insomnia Severity Index and Epworth Sleepiness Scale were not associated with either outcome. These results demonstrate an association between short sleep duration, poor sleep quality, fatigue, stress and depression with heavier bleeding and menstrual cycle irregularity, highlighting the need for further studies to improve treatment options.
Is that a Duiker or Dik Dik Next to the Giraffe? Impacts of Uncertainty on Classification Efficiency in Citizen Science.

Quality control is an ongoing concern in citizen science that is often managed by replication to consensus in online tasks such as image classification. Numerous factors can lead to disagreement, including image quality problems, interface specifics, and the complexity of the content itself. We conducted trace ethnography with statistical and qualitative analyses of six Snapshot Safari projects to understand the content characteristics that can lead to uncertainty and low consensus. This study contributes content categorization based on aggregate classifications to characterize image complexity, with analysis that confirms that the categories impact classification efficiency, and an inductively generated set of additional image quality issues that also impact volunteers' ability to confidently classify content. The results suggest that different conceptualizations and measures of consensus may be needed for different types of content, and aggregate responses offer a way to identify content that needs different handling when complexity cannot be determined $a$ $priori$.
Indicators of Quality for Shellfish Waters

A chronological review of the history of significant research contributing to the development of current bacteriological criteria and standards for shellfish waters is described beginning with Prescott, Winslow, and Eijkman in 1904 and culminating in a proposal for a fecal coliform standard in 1974. Coliform and fecal coliform standards are defined, and the significance of the presence of these organisms in shellfish waters is discussed. The National Shellfish Sanitation Program presumes that both coliform and fecal coliform standards represent equivalent degrees of pollution and resultant health hazard when measuring levels of diluted sewage related to point sources of pollution in shellfish growing area waters. These two indicator groups are used in conjunction with sanitary surveys for the classification of shellfish growing areas and interpreted according to the limitations of the groups.
Inferences in Information Processing

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses inferences in information processing. As new material is being understood and integrated into memory, it is constantly interacting with information already in memory. The stimulus information, as it is being interpreted and encoded, and the information already stored in memory are both affected and altered by each other. This interaction of stimulus input and the stored knowledge of the comprehender may be viewed in the Piagetian terms of assimilation and accommodation. Inferences fulfill two general functions. First, they make connections between propositions in the input and between propositions and knowledge already in memory, and second, inferences fill in empty “slots” in the overall structure. One of the major difficulties in dealing with inferences is the fact that there is no consistent terminology or taxonomy.
Synthetic Sickness with Molecularly Targeted Agents Against the EGFR Pathway

The discovery of novel synthetic sick and synthetic lethal interactions in tumors is paramount in the era of personalized medicine. Through these mechanisms, tumor cells may be preferentially killed while sparing healthy bystander tissue, thereby minimizing side effects. In this chapter, we will discuss in detail the nuances of synthetic sickness. Additionally, we will focus on one such potential induced synthetic sickness strategy involving the combined inhibition of the EGFR and PARP pathways. This concept revolves around the recent appreciation of several proteins within the EGFR pathway and their roles in DNA damage repair. We will discuss the mechanisms by which inhibition of the EGFR pathway induces a DNA repair deficiency, which is subsequently exploited by PARP inhibition. Clinical testing of these strategies is currently underway, and if successful, may impact the therapy of multiple tumor types.
Formal Methods and their Role in the Certification of Critical Systems

This article describes the rationale for formal methods and considers the benefits, weaknesses, and difficulties in applying these methods to digital systems used in critical applications. It suggests factors for consideration when formal methods are offered in support of certification in a context such as DO-178B (the guidelines for software used on board civil aircraft) [40]. The presentation is intended for those to whom these topics are new. A more technical discussion of formal methods is available as a technical report [42].
Broadband subwavelength imaging with a wire medium slab loaded with graphene sheets

In this paper, we demonstrate that a wire medium slab loaded with graphene sheets enables the enhancement of the near field for the subwavelength imaging at terahertz (THz) frequencies. The unique controllable properties of graphene and structural parameters of wire medium provide significant flexibility in order to obtain tunable and broadband operating frequency range. The waveguiding and channeling properties of wire medium (WM) play a critical role in the design of a lens with low sensitivity to loss. In addition, the presence of wires improves the strong coupling of the surface plasmons supported by the upper and lower graphene monolayers. A considerable benefit of this lens is the possibility to enlarge its thickness to a significant fraction of the wavelength (>λ/6) and to maintain the subwavelength imaging with a resolution better than λ/10. These properties are studied analytically and validated against the full-wave numerical results obtained with CST Microwave Studio.
Vasoactive intestinal peptide: A neurotransmitter for relaxation of the rabbit internal anal sphincter

Abstract The circular smooth muscle of the rabbit internal anal sphincter, tested in vitro, exhibited spontaneous resting tonus and relaxed with neural stimuli of 0.05–0.5-ms duration and 1–10-Hz frequency. The relaxation was abolished by tetrodotoxin (10 −6 M) but not by atropine or propranolol at the same molar concentration, suggesting that the inhibitory neural fibers mediating relaxation are nonadrenergic and noncholinergic. One-hour incubation in physiologic solution containing 8% of rabbit vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) antiserum significantly reduced the relaxation induced by electrical stimulation. The reduction was greater for the shorter duration stimuli, ranging from 80% to 50% for 0.05-ms stimuli to 35%–11% for 0.5-ms stimuli. Control strips were relaxed in a dose-dependent fashion by 10 −9 –10 −6 M VIP; the antiserum at the concentration used completely blocked the relaxation produced by 10 −7 M VIP and reduced the relaxation produced by 10 −6 M VIP. Adenosine triphosphate also relaxed the internal anal sphincter in a dose-dependent manner. Prolonged inhibitory nerve stimulation (0.5 ms, 10 Hz, 30-min train) caused significant reduction in the relaxation induced by exogenous VIP, whereas the relaxation induced by adenosine triphosphate was unaffected. These data are consistent with VIP being an inhibitory neurotransmitter responsible for relaxation of the internal anal sphincter.
State of Entrepreneurship Address 2010

Carl Schramm, president and CEO of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, delivered the "2010 State of Entrepreneurship Address" on January 19, 2010 in Washington, D.C., on the heels of alarming unemployment numbers and citing sobering new data that show a majority of American entrepreneurs did not expect to create jobs in 2010. He called on policymakers to make this cornerstone of American capitalism a priority.
TSAR and TSARINA: Simulation Models for Assessing Force Generation and Logistics Support in a Combat Environment

The objectives of this paper are to provide an overview of the TSAR and TSARINA simulation models, and to illustrate their application. These models were developed to provide a method to assess how airbase attacks would affect the capability of airbases to generate effective combat sorties, and to evaluate how a wide range of airbase improvement options could increase the combat capability of airbases during wartime. TSAR simulates the complex interdependencies between the diverse kinds of support resources needed by a modern military organization to sustain combat, and as such has also been successfully applied to assessments of the readiness and sustainability of other kinds of military organizations. Following a description of model highlights, the application of these models is illustrated with some results from a recent analysis.
Respiratory‐Related Evoked Potentials

Respiratory evoked potentials (RREP s) provide a window into the nature of sensory afferent activity available for respiratory control and the perception of respiratory events. Because RREP s reflect the mass of stimulated activity, the view offered is comprehensive beyond anything possible from individual nerve recordings. Although there are many challenges to the interpretation of RREP s, they offer a unique, noninvasive tool for evaluation of respiratory sensation in intact organisms. Keywords: somatosensory evoked potentials; respiratory afferent information; respiratory mechanoreceptors; respiratory sensation
Old Wine in New Bottles: A Review of the Cambridge Economic History, Volume VI

The publication of a new volume of the Cambridge Economic History is itself an historical event. Like a great freight train, bursting out from its dark tunnel, it rattles across our landscape, loaded high with gold and spices, coal and lumberâ€”a few peasants, merchants, silk-hatted bankers, officials, and businessmen clinging to the roofs of the cars. Livestock are terrified and students astonished; but as happy economic historians we line the tracks and wave our greeting, and then, as the noise and smoke fade away, we return to our firesides to tell each other stories of what we have seen.
Do blood capillaries exhibit optimal bumpiness

A recent analytical solution of the three-dimensional Stokes flow through a bumpy tube predicts that for a given bump area, there exists an optimal circumferential wavenumber which minimizes flow resistance. Comparison of this theory with representative histological measurements from human tissue sections reveals that the geometry of normal human capillaries and arterioles indeed lies quite close to this predicted optimal configuration. This raises the interesting question of whether less well-developed circulatory systems, such as that found in newly formed solid tumors or during embryonic development, may deviate from the optimal bumpiness predicted to minimize flow resistance.
Expression and functional evaluation of transient receptor potential channel 4 in bovine corneal endothelial cells

We previously found that activation of purinergic receptors mobilizes Ca2+ and enhances bicarbonate transport in bovine corneal endothelial cells (BCEC). Since transient receptor potential channel 4 (TRPC) has been reported to be a candidate for capacitative calcium entry (CCE) and receptor operated calcium entry (ROC), we examined the expression of TRPC4 and evaluated the potential involvement of TRPC4 in CCE or ROC in BCEC. The C-terminus of TRPC4 was fused into the glutathione S-transferase (GST) expression vector. The fusion protein GST-TRPC4c was induced in bacteria and purified by affinity chromatography. An antibody was raised in rabbit by using the purified GST-TRPC4c antigen. In Western blotting, the TRPC4 antibody recognized the fusion protein while the pre-immune IgG did not. The TRPC4 antibody recognized a band at around 80 kD for membrane proteins from both the fresh and cultured BCEC. The pre-immune IgG could not detect bands at the same size. Incubation with the TRPC4c antigen abolished the 80 kD band. Immunofluorescence using the TRPC4 antibody stained both fresh and cultured BCEC, while pre-immune IgG did not. RNAi knocked down the expression of TRPC4 in cultured BCEC. Ca2+ entry induced by the purinergic receptor agonist ATP, was increased in TRPC4-siRNA transfected cells compared with the scrambled siRNA control, while Ca2+ entry induced by store depletion through blocking the endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ pump, did not differ between the siRNA and scrambled siRNA-treated cells. Taken together, these results show that TRPC4 protein is expressed in the bovine corneal endothelial cells and may be a negative regulator in ROC stimulated by purinergic activation, but not by store depletion itself.
Solubility of calcite in the ocean

Abstract The apparent solubility product K′sp of calcite in seawater was measured as a function of temperature, salinity, and pressure using potentiometric saturometry techniques. The temperature effect was hardly discernible experimentally. The value of K′sp at 25°C was 4.59·10−7 mole2/(kg seawater)2 at 35‰S , 5.34·10−7 at 43‰S , and 3.24·10−7 at 27‰S . The apparent partial molal volume was found to be −34.4 cm3 at 25°C and −42.3 cm3 at 2°C from a linear fit of log (K′ sp P /K′ sp 1 ). These results were used in conjunction with field data to calculate the degree of saturation in the oceans and showed undersaturation at shallower depths than previously reported.
Isospin mixing in 12C

Abstract Gamma-ray decays of the 12.71 and 16.11 MeV states of 12 C are investigated in a coincidence study of the 10 B(τ, pγ) reaction, and using the 163 keV 11 B(p, γ) resonance. This information together with existing data on M1 transitions and stripping and pickup spectroscopic factors is used to determine the isospin mixing between the 12.71 and 15.11 MeV levels. A charge dependent mixing matrix element of 110 ± 30 keV is deduced.
Model for the survival of Staphylococcus aureus in nongrowth environments

A model was developed to estimate the survival times of Staphylococcus aureus in nongrowth environments. A four strain mixture of S. aureus was inoculated into BHI broth that had a lactate buffer with various combinations of pH (3-7) and lactate (0-1%), NaCl (0.5-20%) and NaNO2 (0-200 ppm) and stored at different temperatures (4-42 degrees C). At appropriate times the survivors were enumerated by sampling and spreading on TSA plates. The survival curves were modeled with two forms of a logistic equation and the D values were determined. Polynomial regression equations were then calculated to predict the effect of the environmental factors on the D values. Survival times were increased with higher pH values, lower temperatures, and lower nitrite and lactate concentrations. Added salt increased survival times until the salt concentrations exceeded that of most foods.
Silylation of porous methylsilsesquioxane films in supercritical carbon dioxide

Silylation reactions using a supercritical carbon CO"2 solvent were performed on porous methylsilsesquioxane (p-MSQ) thin films. The addition of alkylsilyl moieties to the films repaired damage due to oxygen plasma processing. The films (JSR LKD 5109) were characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ellipsometry, contact angle, and electrical measurements. The silylation chemistries included 80^o. The dielectric constant of ashed p-MSQ was reduced to 2.5, 3.3, and 2.6+/-0.1 by HMDS, TMDS, and TMCS addition, respectively. The mechanism proposed involves the direct reaction of the Si-bearing precursor molecules with the p-MSQ surface. Supercritical CO"2 is a good solvent for silylation reactions and is an effective approach to restore the degradation of porous MSQ films due to plasma ashing.
Variability in the upper limit of normal for serum alanine aminotransferase levels: A statewide study

We conducted a study to characterize the variability in the upper limit of normal (ULN) for alanine aminotransferase (ALT) across different laboratories (labs) in Indiana and to understand factors leading to such variability. A survey was mailed to all eligible labs (n = 108) in Indiana, and the response rate was 62%. The survey queried for ALT ULN, the type of chemical analyzer used, five College of American Pathologists (CAP) sample results, and methods used to establish the reference interval. There was a wide variability in the ALT ULN for both men and women. Eighty-five percent of labs used chemical analyzers belonging to one of the four brands. For all five CAP samples, there was a statistically significant difference in ALT values measured by different analyzers (P < 0.0001), but these differences were not clinically significant. The majority of labs used the manufacturers' recommendations for establishing their ALT ULN rather than in-house healthy volunteer testing (only 17%). When healthy volunteers were tested, the process for testing was haphazard in terms of the number of individuals tested, frequency of testing, and criteria for choosing the reference population. After controlling for chemical analyzer type, there was no significant relationship between ALT ULN values and the method used for its establishment. Conclusion: Wide variability in ALT ULN across different labs is more likely due to variable reference intervals of different chemical analyzers. It may be possible to minimize variability in ALT ULN by (1) each lab solely following the manufacturers' recommendations and (2) manufacturers of different analyzers following consistent and rigorous methodology in establishing the reference range. Alternatively, studies should be undertaken to identify outcome-based reference intervals for ALT. (HEPATOLOGY 2009.)
Grey-Scale Intensity as a Potential Measurement for Degree of Rice Milling

Abstract An investigation is reported on the analysis of two factors, depth of sample and field of view, that would affect a measurement system developed for determining the "degree of rice milling" using grey-scale. Traditionally, the degree of rice milling has been determined subjectively through visual inspection by experienced technicians. The concept of grey-scale intensity using machine vision could provide a reliable and objective measurement for quality control. Grey-scale intensity utilizes the variations of light intensities caused when the amount of light passing through a partially translucent milled rice sample is limited by the amount of bran on the rice kernels. The study of two rice varieties produced prediction models between the mean grey level measured in a digitized image and the surface lipids concentration on the rice kernels. The coefficient of multiple determination was 0·84 and 0·67 for the two quadratic regression models. The visual inspection was incorporated into three-way correlation analyses. The mean grey levels could differentiate the three levels of grading done by visual inspection. The optimal depth of rice sample and light intensity to use have yet to be determined.
A Climatology of Waves in the Equatorial Region

Abstract Propagating anomalies of moisture and moist deep convection in the Tropics are organized into a variety of large-scale modes. These include (but are not limited to) the so-called intraseasonal oscillations, convectively coupled waves similar to those predicted by shallow water theory on the equatorial beta plane, and tropical-depression-type disturbances. Along with the annual and diurnal cycles, these modes act and interact to control much of the variance of tropical convection. Analyses of 10 yr of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) and precipitable water (PW) data are carried out to develop comparative climatologies of these wavelike modes. The analysis relaxes the commonly used cross-equatorial symmetry constraints, which allows study of the portions of the wavelike processes that are asymmetric across the equator. Mean background states are found for OLR and for PW as functions of day of the year. Examination of anomalies together with the background reveals much about how the waves are affec...
Alzheimer’s Caregiver Differences in Experience of Loss, Grief Reactions and Depressive Symptoms Across Stage of Disease A Mixed-Method Analysis

The self-reported losses, grief reactions, and depressive symptoms experienced by caregivers in the early, middle, and late stages of dementia were assessed using open-ended descriptive questions and scaled measures including the Meuser-Marwit Caregiver Grief Inventory (MM-CGI; Marwit & Meuser, 2002). Ninety-nine caregivers associated with an urban Alzheimer’s Association chapter were surveyed by post. While there were moderate levels of grief and depression reported across the entire sample, those caring for individuals in the late stage of dementia reported significantly more symptoms of grief and depression than those in the early or middle stages. Responses to open-ended questions regarding losses and grief also differed across the groups in the three disease stages. The late-stage group’s comments most resembled bereavement, in keeping with the higher grief and depression scores among members of this group. Findings suggest there are different emotional tasks faced by caregivers as the dementia progr...
Rationale for Use of Non–High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Rather Than Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol as a Tool for Lipoprotein Cholesterol Screening and Assessment of Risk and Therapy

The plasma level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the "gold standard" for estimating the lipoprotein-related risk for complications of atherosclerotic vascular disease. LDL cholesterol concentrations are commonly estimated by the Friedewald formula that requires only the measurement (after overnight fasting) of plasma cholesterol and triglycerides along with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. This value, however, is not in fact a true estimate of LDL cholesterol but rather of LDL cholesterol along with variable, usually smaller, amounts of intermediate-density lipoprotein (IDL) cholesterol and lipoprotein(a). Estimation of LDL cholesterol levels by the Friedewald formula becomes progressively less accurate as plasma triglyceride concentrations increase, and the formula is generally considered inapplicable when triglyceride levels exceed 400 mg/dL. We believe that a very simple measurement-non-HDL cholesterol (serum cholesterol minus HDL cholesterol)-has considerable potential as a screening tool for identifying dyslipoproteinemias, for risk assessment, and for assessing the results of hypolipidemic therapy. Unlike the estimation of LDL cholesterol levels by the Friedewald formula, the estimation of non-HDL cholesterol concentrations requires no assumptions about the relation of very-low-density (VLDL) cholesterol levels to plasma triglyceride concentrations. This method includes all of the cholesterol present in lipoprotein particles now considered to be potentially atherogenic [VLDL, IDL, LDL, and lipoprotein(a)]. This article provides examples of the utility of non-HDL cholesterol concentrations in clinical medicine.
Immigration, Repatriation, and Deportation: The Mexican-Origin Population in the United States, 1920–1950†

cholars conventionally assert that government authorities forcibly expelled 500,000 persons of Mexican origin from the U.S. in the 1930s, with more than half of those removed U.S. citizens. Estimates using census data indicate substantially lower numbers, limited governmental involvement, fewer citizens, and considerable voluntary departure. Voluntary decisions fit the repatriation strategy that had been common among young Mexican immigrants in the 1920s. Ironically, the 1940s Bracero Program, designed by Mexico and the U.S. to replicate the 1920s pattern of circular migration, led instead to massive illegal immigration and unprecedented levels of deportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Test-Retest Reliability and Predictive Validity of the Northwestern Syntax Screening Test

The Northwestern Syntax Screening Test (NSST), a measure that has been a source of considerable controversy since its publication, has also been one of the most widely used clinical screening tools of syntactic development. As part of the evaluation of a preschool in tervention program, the NSST was administered to approximately 700 pupils at the beginning and end of the program year. The NSST was found to have moderate test-retest reliability (.542 for the recep tive portion and .697 for the expressive portion). It was also found to be moderately accurate in predicting general academic achievement test scores of pupils in kindergarten and first grade.
Role of aluminum in red-to-blue color changes in Hydrangea macrophylla sepals

Red, purple, and blue sepals on selected cultivars of Hydrangea macrophylla were analyzed for their aluminum content. This content was determined to be a function of the sepal color with red sepals possessing 0–10 μg Al/g fresh sepal, purple sepals having 10–40 μg Al/g fresh sepal, and blue sepals containing greater than 40 μg Al/g fresh sepal. Accordingly, the threshold aluminum content needed to change H. macrophylla sepals from red to blue was about 40 μg Al/g fresh sepal. Higher aluminum concentrations were incorporated into the sepals, but this additional aluminum did not affect the intensity or hue of the blue color. These observations agreed with a chemical model proposing that the concentration of the blue Al3+-anthocyanin complex reached a maximum when a sufficient excess of aluminum was present. In addition, the visible absorbance spectra of harvested red, purple, and blue sepals were duplicated by Al3+ and anthocyanin (delphinidin-3-glucoside) mixtures in this model chemical system.
Aerodigestive Malignancy and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease

There is strong suspicion among clinicians that reflux of stomach or upper intestinal substances (bile, pepsin, acid) leads to cancer in the areas exposed to or bathed by these materials. This review, although not conclusive, attempts to gather the available evidence for this theory. The topics included in this discussion include esophagus, larynx, and lung. Further research will be required before firm conclusions can be reached on these topics.
Intracranial electroencephalography with subdural grid electrodes: techniques, complications, and outcomes.

Objective Intracranial subdural grid monitoring is a useful diagnostic technique for surgical localization in patients with intractable partial epilepsy. The rationale for the present study was to assess the morbidity of intracranial recordings and the surgical outcomes. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data for 189 unique patients undergoing 198 intracranial subdural grid monitoring sessions between 1996 and 2004 at a tertiary epilepsy center. Results The mean age of patients undergoing monitoring was 28 +/- 14 years. An average of 63 +/- 23 electrodes were inserted. The mean duration of monitoring was 8 +/- 4 days. Localization of an epileptogenic zone occurred in 156 sessions (79%) resulting in 136 resections (69%). There were 13 major complications (6.6%), including five infections and six hematomas. Three patients (1.5%) developed permanent deficits related to implantation. Sixty-two (47%) of 136 patients undergoing resection were seizure-free after resection. An additional 38 patients (28%) had a significant reduction in seizures. The mean follow-up was 51 +/- 30 months. The duration of monitoring, bone flap replacement, number of electrodes, and perioperative corticosteroids were not associated with infection or complication. Conclusion Subdural grid monitoring for identification an epileptogenic focus is high yield, revealing a focus in 79% of monitoring sessions. Complications rarely result in permanent morbidity (1.5%). Surgical outcome indicated that 74% of patients experienced a favorable reduction in seizure tendency.
Attributes of academic library leadership : An exploratory study of some gen-xers

This study explores the perceptions of Gen-X librarians about the attributes essential for academic library leaders; and compares findings to the perceptions of library directors. Although the attributes that both groups value exhibit some noteworthy differences, any characterization of leadership attributes is multi-faceted and does not focus solely on generation.
FAIR and the PBS NewsHour: Assessing Diversity and Elitism in News Sourcing

Over the past 20 years, the media advocacy group, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), has issued a series of studies criticizing the PBS NewsHour for having an “establishment bias” and a lack of diversity in news sourcing. However, the perception of FAIR as a liberal advocacy group, and various methodological ambiguities, establish the need for an independent cross-verification of their research findings. A partial replication and a comparative analysis with the alternative independent newscast, Democracy Now!, confirm and validate many of FAIR's claims regarding the narrow sourcing practices of the PBS NewsHour.
Distribution of phosphodiester and phosphorothioate oligonucleotides in rat brain after intraventricular and intrahippocampal administration determined by in situ hybridization.

The distribution and stability of exogenously administered oligonucleotides (oligos) are important variables determining the potential utility of antisense oligos as agents for modifying gene expression within a given brain region in vivo. In the present study, phosphodiester (PO) and phosphorothioate (PS) oligos antisense with respect to a recently cloned rat hsp70 sequence were localized in rat brain following intraventricular and intrahippocampal administration using an in situ hybridization detection method. Unlabeled PO and PS oligos were dissolved in artificial cerebrospinal fluid and infused under stereotaxic control using a syringe pump. At various intervals after administration frozen brain sections were collected on gelatin-coated slides and hybridized with 35S-labeled probe consisting of the corresponding phosphodiester sense sequence. After intraventricular administration the unmodified PO oligo exhibited a limited and strictly periventricular distribution. In contrast the PS oligo showed significant penetration into and accumulation within brain, with extensive uptake in ipsilateral striatum and dorsal hippocampus, as well as in midline periventricular structures. Both oligos remained detectable for at least two days after administration. Following intrahippocampal injection the PO oligo was rapidly lost from the injection site, with detectable signal persisting only along the hippocampal fissure at 24 h. The PS oligo exhibited a more diffuse initial distribution as well as greater stability. While there was no indication of specific accumulation in the major hippocampal neuron layers through 24 h, there was some indication of selective localization in neuronal soma by 48 h. These results confirm that the relative instability of unmodified oligos may severely limit their utility as antisense reagents in brain in vivo. While PS oligos show more widespread distribution than PO oligos after intraventricular infusion, even these do not detectably accurnulate in cortex and other structures without immediate access to the ventricular space under the dosing conditions employed here. The hybridization approach used in these studies should prove to be of general use in verifying the targeting of specific brain structures with antisense oligos by various routes of administration.
Effect of Other Flavor Components on the Perception of Diacetyl in Fermented Dairy Products

SUMMARY The effect of fat, pH, and volatile acids on the perception of diacetyl was investigated. At the normal pH of skim milk or cream the threshold for diacetyl was 0.01 ppm. At pH 5.0 the threshold in skim milk was 0.2 ppm, and at pH 4.4 the diacetyl threshold in cream was 0.05 ppm. The fat content of cream probably suppresses the acid effect. The presence of propionic acid did not lower the threshold of diacetyl in sour cream. Formic acid lowered the threshold slightly, whereas acetic acid and acetaldehyde lowered it considerably.