cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Comparisons of nitrogen and phosphorus mass balance for tomato-, basil-, and lettuce-based aquaponic and hydroponic systems

Abstract Aquaponics is known to be one of the most efficient agriculture production systems by far; however, limited quantitative data are available on the level of efficiency, particularly in comparison to its counterpart, hydroponics. This study compared aquaponics with hydroponics to assess nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) distributions, N- and P-use efficiency (NUE and PUE), and potential environmental impacts. Cherry tomato, basil, and lettuce were cultured in recirculating tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus)-based aquaponic or stand-alone hydroponic systems over a 3-month period. N and P mass balances were developed by using N and P concentrations in fish feed, solid waste, wastewater, fish biomass, and plant biomass for aquaponic systems, and chemical fertilizer, wastewater, and plant biomass for hydroponic systems, which were to estimate N and P loss from each system via denitrification and P precipitations, respectively. In aquaponics, 59–70% of total N input was estimated to be lost via denitrification (45–50%), wastewater (14–20%), and solid waste (0.7–2%) and 30–41% was assimilated into biomass (21–24% fish; 9–17% plants). In hydroponics, 76–87% was estimated to be lost via denitrification (69–78%) and wastewater (7–15%), and only 14–24% was assimilated into biomass. Similarly, 38–54% of total P input in aquaponics was lost via wastewater (22–28%), precipitations (8–25%), and solid waste (2–7%) and 46–62% was assimilated into biomass (35–45% fish; 11–25% plants). In hydroponics, 79–89% of total P input was lost via wastewater (52–74%) and precipitations (15–27%), and only 11–21% was assimilated into plant biomass. Plant species had a significant impact on N and P distribution, and tomato was most effective in removing N from wastewater and reducing denitrification via higher biomass production compared to basil and lettuce. NUE was lower for aquaponics than for hydroponics when only edible plant parts were taken into consideration, but 71–114% higher when both fish and plant biomass were considered. Meanwhile, PUE was higher for aquaponics than for hydroponics even only when edible parts were considered and 336–369% higher when the biomass of both crops was considered. Our N and P mass balance analyses demonstrated for the first time that aquaponics is more efficient than hydroponics. Greater N and P losses in hydroponics were mainly due to higher N and P inputs, causing 2 times higher N loss via gas emission and up to 3 times higher P loss via inorganic P in wastewater compared to aquaponics. Therefore, reducing nutrient inputs is critical in improving NUE and PUE for both aquaponics and hydroponics, which should be combined with proper crop choice, operation conditions, and management practices to further improve the efficiency of the systems.
Access, Dissent, Ethics, and Politics: Pre-Service Teachers Negotiating Conceptions of the Work of Teaching Science for Equity.

This study examines the development of secondary preservice science teachers’ (PSTs’) sociopolitical understandings in the context of a yearlong, masters-level, justice-oriented teacher education p...
Volumetric laser absorption imaging of temperature, CO and CO2 in laminar flames using 3D masked Tikhonov regularization

Abstract Mid-infrared laser absorption imaging of flame temperature and species concentration is expanded to three dimensions with linear tomographic methods using Tikhonov regularization. A spatial convolution of two small-scale ( cm) laminar Bunsen-style flames, fueled by either ethylene or ethane, comprised the target flowfields. The flame doublets were alternately backlit with tunable radiation from a quantum cascade laser near 4.85 μ m and an interband cascade laser near 4.19 μ m to resolve rovibrational absorption transitions of carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, respectively. 2D images were collected at 11 different projection angles, yielding an aggregate of 50,688 unique lines of sight capturing the scene with a pixel resolution of approximately 70 μ m. A linear tomographic reconstruction of absorbance areas with 2D Tikhonov regularization was performed using various numbers of projection angles and compared to a reference image based on an Abel inversion of a single axisymmetric flame. Increasing the number of projection angles improved the tomographic reconstruction with respect to resolving the voids, such as the inner core of the flame, though 11 projection angles still resulted in under-predicted void depths and reconstruction artifacts outside of the flowfield. A 3D masked regularization method was then applied to further constrain the tomographic reconstruction in multiple dimensions and mitigate imaging artifacts. The introduction of the 3D regularization and mask were found to enhance spatial resolution of gradients within the flowfield and improve overall reconstruction accuracy, effectively reducing the requisite number of projection angles.
Full-Time Faculty in Clinical and Basic Science Departments by Sex and Underrepresented in Medicine Status: A 40-Year Review.

PURPOSE To assess the changing diversity of faculty in specific clinical and basic science departments, stratified by sex and underrepresented in medicine (URM) status, at all Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)-accredited medical schools. METHOD In this retrospective, cross-sectional, observational study, the authors used data from the Association of American Medical Colleges Faculty Roster (data pulled in October 2019) to identify trends in clinical department faculty and in basic science department faculty by sex and URM status. They included full-time faculty at all LCME-accredited medical schools from 1979 to 2018. They compared the proportions of faculty across separate departments according to sex and URM status, and they used 2-independent-sample t test and simple linear regressions for statistical comparisons. RESULTS The number of full-time faculty increased from 49,909 in 1979 to 175,326 in 2018. The largest increase occurred in clinical departments, where the number of faculty increased from 38,726 to 155,677 (a fourfold increase). The number of faculty in basic science departments increased from 11,183 to 19,649 (a 1.8-fold increase). The proportions of faculty who were non-URM females (compared with non-URM males, URM females, and URM males) increased the most-from 14.4% (5,595 of 38,726) to 37.6% (58,478 of 155,677) for clinical departments, and from 14.9% (1,669 of 11,183) to 33.0% (6,485 of 19,649) for basic science departments. Growth was steady but slow among URM faculty, especially for Black males; the absolute number of male URM faculty remained low in both basic science and clinical departments. The proportions of females and URM faculty were highest in the departments of obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, and family medicine. CONCLUSIONS The substantial increase in faculty, especially in clinical departments, has led to greater diversity, but mostly among non-URM females. The rise of URM male and URM female faculty has been minimal.
Convergent and Discriminant Validity of the Child and Adolescent Behavior Inventory Scale Scores With Well-Established Psychopathology and Academic Achievement Measures in Adolescents With ADHD:

The convergent and discriminant validity of the parent version of the Child and Adolescent Behavior Inventory (CABI) symptom and impairment scale scores were evaluated with the scale scores from mu...
Detection and characterization of a bacteriocin produced by Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris R isolated from radish

Bacteria isolated from radish were identified as Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris R and their bacteriocin was designated lactococcin R. Lactococcin R was sensitive to some proteolytic enzymes (proteinase-K, pronase-E, proteases, pepsin, alpha-chymotrypsin) but was resistant to trypsin, papain, catalase, lysozyme and lipase, organic solvents, or heating at 90 degrees C for 15, 30 and 60 min, or 121 degrees C for 15 min. Lactococcin R remained active after storage at -20 and -70 degrees C for 3 months and after exposure to a pH of 2-9. The molecular weight of lactococcin R was about 2.5 kDa. Lactococcin R was active against many food-borne pathogenic and food spoilage bacteria such as Clostridium, Staphylococcus, Listeria, Bacillus, Micrococcus, Enterococcus, Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc, Streptococcus and Pediococcus spp., but was not active against any Gram-negative bacteria. Lactococcin R was produced during log phase and reached a maximum activity (1600 AU ml-1) at early stationary phase. The highest lactococcin R production was obtained in MRS broth with 0.5% glucose, at 6.5-7.0 initial pH values, 30 degrees C temperature and 18-24-h incubation times. Lactococcin R adsorbed maximally to its heat-killed producing cells at pH 6-7 (95%). Crude lactococcin R at 1280 AU ml-1 was bactericidal, reducing colony counts of Listeria monocytogenes by 99.98% in 3 h. Lactococcin R should be useful as a biopreservative to prevent growth of food-borne pathogenic and food spoilage bacteria in ready-to-eat, dairy, meat, poultry and other food products. Lactococcin R differs from nisin in having a lower molecular weight, 2.5 kDa vs 3.4 kDa, and in being sensitive to pepsin and alpha-chymotrypsin to which nisin is resistant.
Latinxs with HIV: Depressive Cognitive Alterations as a Precursor to Cardio-Motor Deficits

HIV is a debilitating infection that often presents with health-related complications, further reducing quality of life. Of the most common comorbidities accompanying HIV is depression, which can induce cognitive alterations alongside those resulting from the virus. Latinxs are disproportionately susceptible to both afflictions and face innumerable challenges in the identification and diagnosis of depression. Consequently, HIV-infected Latinxs may experience additional cognitive symptomatology from the simultaneous prevalence of depression and HIV, potentially affecting their gait and cardiovascular profiles. This study aimed to determine the impact of depression on cardio-motor components in HIV-infected Latinxs. Records of 291 stable HIV+ participants were collected from La Perla de Gran Precio Community Center, analyzed for depression, and respectively allocated to the depression group (70) and the group without depression (221). Cardio-motor values were obtained by conducting the Ross treadmill test, a submaximal cardiovascular assessment. An ANOVA revealed similarities in cardiomotor profiles between groups, alluding to the absence of depression-induced modifications to gait and cardiovascular health. Community exercise and cardiopulmonary intervention programs are beneficial to the quality of life in this population during all stages of HIV. However, HIV-infected Latinxs with depression face acute cultural challenges, causing diagnoses and treatment oversights and deficiencies for those who are suffering. Public health efforts should aim to remove barriers facing this population to ultimately reduce the inflated prevalence of both afflictions. Future research should focus on the crucial differentiation of Latinx depressive symptoms from those identical in HIV prior to reinvestigating cardiomotor alterations.
Simulating approaches to emergency department pandemic physician staffing during COVID-19.

Objective: During pandemics, emergency departments (EDs) are challenged by the need to replace quarantined ED staff and avoid staffing EDs with nonemergency medicine (EM) trained physicians. We sought to design and examine three feasible ED staffing models intended to safely schedule EM physicians to staff three EDs within a health system during a prolonged infectious disease outbreak. Methods: We conducted simulation analyses examining the strengths and limitations of three ED clinician staffing models: two-team and three-team fixed cohort, and three-team unfixed cohort. Each model was assessed with and without immunity, and by varying infection rates. We assumed a 12-week pandemic disaster requiring a 2-week quarantine. Main outcome: The outcome, time to staffing shortage, was defined as depletion of available physicians in both 8- and 12-hour shift duration scenarios. Results: All staffing models initially showed linear physician attrition with higher infection rates resulting in faster staffing shortages. The three-team fixed cohort model without immunity was not viable beyond 11 weeks. The three-team unfixed cohort model without immunity avoided staffing shortage for the duration of the pandemic up to an infection rate of 50 percent. The two-team model without immunity also avoided staffing shortage up to 30 percent infection rate. When accounting for immunity, all models behaved similarly initially but returned to adequate staffing during week 5 of the pandemic. Conclusions: Simulation analyses reveal fundamental tradeoffs that are critical to designing feasible pandemic disaster staffing models. Emergency physicians should test similar models based on local assumptions and capacity to ensure adequate staffing preparedness for prolonged pandemics.
DERIVING THE GLS TRANSFORMATION PARAMETER IN ELEMENTARY PANEL DATA MODELS

The Generalized Least Squares (GLS) transformation that eliminates serial correlation in the error terms is central to a complete understanding of the relationship between the pooled OLS, random effects, and fixed effects estimators. A significant hurdle to attainment of that understanding is the calculation of the parameter that delivers the desired transformation. This paper derives this critical parameter in the benchmark case typically used to introduce these estimators using nothing more than elementary statis tics (mean, variance, and covariance) and the quadratic formula.
Cell-Dependent Differences in the Production of Infectious Herpes Simplex Virus at a Supraoptimal Temperature

Abstract The replication of herpes simplex virus (HSV) was compared in rabbit and hamster cells at optimal and supraoptimal temperatures. Replication occurred in cells of either species at 33 C, but the total infectious virus yield was routinely about 10-fold greater in rabbit cells than in hamster cells. At 39 C, this difference was exaggerated to greater than 100,000-fold. Whereas infectious virus was produced and plaques formed in rabbit kidney cell monolayers at the higher temperature, neither developed in those derived from hamster embryos. Elevating the temperature from 33 C to 39 C at various time intervals after exposure of the cultures to virus revealed that production of infectious virus in hamster cells was completely heat-sensitive up to 6 hr after infection. Specific viral antigens and viral deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) were synthesized in both rabbit and hamster cell cultures. In addition, cellular DNA synthesis was depressed and cytopathic effects occurred in both cell systems. These cytopathic effects were not observed in cell cultures treated with HSV previously inactivated with ultraviolet light. Compared with parallel cultures at 33 C, the amount of viral DNA synthesized at 39 C was greatly reduced in both systems. In hamster cells, the reduction was twofold greater than in rabbit cells. This cell-dependent thermal inhibition of HSV replication in hamster cells did not occur with vaccinia virus.
Recent Progress in Clinical Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Clinical magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) provides the ability to diagnose and monitor disease-progression and response to therapy or to otherwise advance the understanding of the disease in individual patients based on the chemical information content of an MRS examination performed in vivo. Numerous technical advances have contributed to the field and have answered the stringent requirement for reproducibility of such measurements between cohorts of patients across different manufacturer platforms and in physically separate hospitals and medical centers. The present review identified 15 organs and tissues for which clinical MRS can define a wide range of diseases. Evidence-based medicine criteria have not yet been established for MRS as applied in each anatomical location, organ, and disease. Work to establish “standard operating procedures” for clinical MRS is well advanced for neurological disease, prostate and breast cancer, liver, skeletal, and cardiac muscle examinations. A notable development for clinical MRS is the recognition that elevated tissue content of “choline” and its metabolites constitutes a near-universal cancer marker with the potential of matching or exceeding the excellence currently enjoyed by fluorodeoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) as a clinical scanning procedure. Great promise is seen in newer MRS methodologies just coming “on-line” in the clinic, particularly ultrahigh-field 7-T MR scanners and helium, xenon, and carbon hyperpolarization. Keywords: magnetic resonance spectroscopy; neurological diseases; N-acetyl aspartate; myoinositol; choline; glutamate; glutamine; γ-aminobutyric acid; glutathione; breast cancer; prostate cancer; body spectroscopy; cardiac spectroscopy; muscle; multinuclear spectroscopy
Isolation and characterization of subunits from equine pituitary follicle-stimulating hormone.

Abstract Equine follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) was dissociated into two noncovalently linked subunits, α and β. This was accomplished by incubation of FSH in 8 m urea at 37° for 20 hours followed by ion exchange chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex A-50. This resulted in complete separation of the subunits. The individual subunits were purified by gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 columns. The results of the physicochemical characterization studies indicated that these subunits were nonidentical. Both α and β had a high threonine and glutamic acid content, but differed in the content of other amino acids. The sum of the amino acid contents of the two subunits agreed well with the amino acid composition of the intact FSH. The molecular weights of the subunits were similar, each being approximately 16,000. There was dissimilarity in the electrophoretic mobilities, although both subunits exhibited microheterogeneity. Examination of the carbohydrate content showed that the β subunit contained approximately 5% more total carbohydrate than did the α subunit. Biological activity was absent in each of the subunits, but after recombination 56% of the original FSH activity was recovered. The α subunits of equine FSH, human FSH, and human chorionic gonadotropin showed great similarity, suggesting homology. The β subunits of these hormones showed numerous differences, possibly accounting, at least in part, for the specificity of the hormone.
Evidence-based approach for treatment planning options for the extensively damaged dentition.

Abstract Restoring the extensively damaged dentition has always been a difficult decision-making process for the dental practitioner. Decisions to restore these teeth were primarily based on the fact that "fixed" teeth are typically better functionally than "removable" teeth and better esthetically than "no" teeth. Prior to dental implants, restoring missing teeth and extensively damaged teeth utilizing traditional therapy such as crown lengthening, root hemisection/amputation, endodontic therapy, apical surgery, post and cores and splinting were the options available to our patients. These teeth typically required the expertise of additional specialist, however their prognosis and success rates were typically guarded at best. Presently, dental implant success rates have been clearly identified and documented in the literature which now questions the survivability and success rates of the traditional mode of therapy for extensively damaged teeth. This paper will attempt to review the dental literature for various traditional modes of therapy for restoring the extensively damaged to provide a consensus of their survivability to help the practitioner to present options and prognosis for their patients.
Stirred, shaken, or blended? Gender differences in processing and treatment of juvenile offenders

Abstract Research documents the variation in levels of offending and the official response to boys' and girls' misbehavior (see Chesney-Lind & Sheldon 2004 for a nice summary of this work). Our research questions develop from this literature. We first expect differences in girls and boys at intake to a residential program for low-to-medium risk offenders, and then we also expect differences in official responses to girls and boys during their aftercare experience. Our findings confirm the literature—girls and boys differ in seriousness of committing offenses. Additionally, girls and boys are treated differently during their time in juvenile justice programming. For example, girls are monitored more closely than boys and receive less serious penalties for similar levels of rule violations. We find no difference between boys and girls in their odds of receiving a serious sanction. While traditional theoretical attempts to explain girls' misbehavior are often described with the expression “add women and stir...
Don't Forget About Us! Students' Perspectives

In their focal article, Byrne et al. (2014) provide several suggestions for improving the training of industrial–organizational (I–O) psychologists. As current students, and future professionals, Byrne et al.’s suggestions are of particular interest to us. After reviewing the focal article and considering the implications of their recommendations, we find ourselves resoundingly ambivalent. The authors have presented ideas (e.g.,
Purification of rat liver phenylalanine hydroxylase by affinity chromatography.

Abstract Rat liver phenylalanine hydroxylase has been purified to homogeneity on a totally synthesized affinity matrix. The affinity matrix consisted of a succinylated diaminodipropylamine arm linked to Sepharose-4B, to which the cofactor, 6,7-dimethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydropterin, was covalently linked. The pure enzyme was eluted with buffered 50% ethylene glycol, 1 m KCl in one step after the 50% ammonium sulfate fraction of the rat liver homogenate was applied to the affinity column. Specific activities ranging from 1.4 to 3.0 units/mg of protein were obtained. The enzyme has been shown to be homogeneous by: (i) discontinuous gel electrophoresis, and (ii) sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. The subunit molecular weight was determined by the same technique and was calculated to be between 51,000 and 55,000.
Designing a spatially aware and autonomous quadcopter

The United States creates or acquires increasingly more complex intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems to maintain a strong, leading presence within the world. As a result, ISR systems have become more costly and difficult to manage. The research team focused on continuing previous year efforts of another team to utilize commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technologies in the development of more flexible and cost-effective ISR systems. The primary goal was to design and implement an autonomous quadcopter that integrated an Android smartphone, an Arduino microcontroller, and several ultrasonic sensors to independently explore and map an unknown area. The project was broken down into three main tasks: construction of the quadcopter and integration of ultrasonic sensors, Android phone, and Arduino microcontroller, development of an Android application that generates navigation commands and avoids collisions, and development of an Android application that uses sensor data for Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). This project, a proof-of-concept of a quadcopter system for autonomous navigation and mapping of an unknown environment, demonstrates the feasibility of developing inexpensive ISR systems with commercially available products. The team also found that the Arduino-Android interface was quite complex and caused issues with basic flight stability. The team also found that ultrasonic sensors were capable of partial SLAM by producing rudimentary maps under controlled conditions and simulated stable flight. However, the inexpensive sensors are unlikely to yield the detailed maps necessary for autonomous flight or actionable navigation information.
Gain inhomogeneity in L-band phosphosilicate-based Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifiers (EDFA)

We report large pump-mediated inhomogeneity in an L-band phosphosilicate-based EDFA, pumped in the 1480 nm absorption band. We have investigated inhomogeneous effects as a function of average inversion level, input signal power, and pumping configuration.
Creating an economical solar decathlon house

Since 2002, the U.S. Department of Energy has sponsored the Solar Decathlon competition in which collegiate teams design, build, and operate solar-powered houses that are intended to be cost-effective, energy-efficient, and attractive. The Solar Decathlon is intended to educate students and the public about the economic and environmental benefits of energy efficient, solar powered homes. Unfortunately, due to the scoring rubrics for the competition, the affordability aspect of the competition is often given only superficial consideration. In the 2013 the Norwich University ΔT90 house officially won first place for the Affordability Contest of the 2013 Solar Decathlon, with an estimated cost of $168,385 for a 988 square foot house ($170 per square foot), while scoring 100% for the energy balance portion of the competition. The ΔT90 house maximizes comfort, efficiency, and spaciousness through two bedrooms, an office space, and an open living space for lounging, cooking, and gathering-offering a model for affordable and sustainable living. This paper will present design and construction details of Norwich University ΔT90 house which allowed it meet the project design objectives.
Neural network processing to minimize quantization losses

A general neural network co-processor has been investigated and designed to adaptively adjust the quantization thresholds of a data quantizer, and thus a data quantizer with minimum quantization loss can be obtained. For a given probability density function and number of quantization levels, the neural network is designed to learn the near optimal quantization uniform step-size which minimizes the loss caused by the quantizer. With this neural network co-processor approach, consistent and substantial performance improvements have been verified on either an AWGN or a Rayleigh fading communication channel with convolutional encoder and maximum likelihood decoder. This general neural network co-processor approach can be applied to any digital signal processing system which has quantization loss, such as digital communication, image data compression, or adaptive signal processing.
Engaging students on the topic of restorative justice and serious offenses

Within contemporary society, there is a prevailing sentiment that our criminal justice system leaves much to be desired in its responses to the offender, the victim, and the community. As a potential answer to these conceded shortcomings, restorative justice has earned significant recognition and consideration. While restorative justice principles and programs have received increasing support, for many individuals this is limited to cases involving relatively ‘minor,’ first time, and/or juvenile offenses. When it comes to situations with more ‘serious’ and violent offenses, acceptance of restorative responses dissipates. Gaining broader acceptance can be particularly challenging with current college students. With many students raised in the ‘get tough on crime’ era, embracing this alternative approach to serious crimes can be a difficult paradigm shift. This article will provide a framework for approaching the feasibility of applying restorative justice with serious offenses in the college course. In add...
Cultures of Writing: An Ethnographic Comparison of L1 and L2 University Writing/Language Programs

Nonnative-speaking (NNS) undergraduates at U.S. universities frequently proceed from ESL or English for academic purposes writing classes directly into freshman composition. Although this sequence of events may be an effective means of getting students into the academic writing mainstream, there have been some suggestions to the contrary. Taking an ethnographic approach, this study describes the contrasting cultural norms of academic writing and academic writing instruction at a large U.S. university. It then compares these differing viewpoints in order to identify difficulties that NNSs might experience in proceeding from the former program to the latter.
Efficient Algorithms for Diffusion-Generated Motion by Mean Curvature

The problem of simulating the motion of evolving surfaces with junctions according to some curvature-dependent speed arises in a number of applications. By alternately diffusing and sharpening characteristic functions for each region, a variety of motions have been obtained which allow for topological mergings and breakings and produce no overlapping regions or vacuums. However, the usual finite difference discretization of these methods is often excessively slow when accurate solutions are sought, even in two dimensions. We propose a new, spectral discretization of these diffusion-generated methods which obtains greatly improved efficiency over the usual finite difference approach. These efficiency gains are obtained, in part through the use of a quadrature-based refinement technique, by integrating Fourier modes exactly and by neglecting the contributions of rapidly decaying solution transients. Indeed, numerical studies demonstrate that the new algorithm is often more than 1000 times faster than the usual finite difference discretization. Our findings are demonstrated on several examples.
Disruption of the Lecithin:Retinol Acyltransferase Gene Makes Mice More Susceptible to Vitamin A Deficiency

Lecithin:retinol acyltransferase (LRAT) catalyzes the esterification of retinol (vitamin A) in the liver and in some extrahepatic tissues, including the lung. We produced an LRAT gene knock-out mouse strain and assessed whether LRAT-/- mice were more susceptible to vitamin A deficiency than wild type (WT) mice. After maintenance on a vitamin A-deficient diet for 6 weeks, the serum retinol level was 1.34 +/- 0.32 microM in WT mice versus 0.13 +/- 0.06 microM in LRAT-/- mice (p < 0.05). In liver, lung, eye, kidney, brain, tongue, adipose tissue, skeletal muscle, and pancreas, the retinol levels ranged from 0.05 pmol/mg (muscle and tongue) to 17.35 +/- 2.66 pmol/mg (liver) in WT mice. In contrast, retinol was not detectable (<0.007 pmol/mg) in most tissues from LRAT-/- mice after maintenance on a vitamin A-deficient diet for 6 weeks. Cyp26A1 mRNA was not detected in hepatic tissue samples from LRAT-/- mice but was detected in WT mice fed the vitamin A-deficient diet. These data indicate that LRAT-/- mice are much more susceptible to vitamin A deficiency and should be an excellent animal model of vitamin A deficiency. In addition, the retinol levels in serum rapidly increased in the LRAT-/- mice upon re-addition of vitamin A to the diet, indicating that serum retinol levels in LRAT-/- mice can be conveniently modulated by the quantitative manipulation of dietary retinol.
Design and Properties of NCCG-gp41, a Chimeric gp41 Molecule with Nanomolar HIV Fusion Inhibitory Activity

The design and characterization of a chimeric protein, termed N(CCG)-gp41, derived from the ectodomain of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), type I gp41 is described. N(CCG)-gp41 features an exposed trimeric coiled-coil comprising the N-terminal helices of the gp41 ectodomain. The trimeric coiled-coil is stabilized both by fusion to a minimal thermostable ectodomain of gp41 and by engineered intersubunit disulfide bonds. N(CCG)-gp41 is shown to inhibit HIV envelope-mediated cell fusion at nanomolar concentrations with an IC(50) of 16.1 +/- 2.8 nm. It is proposed that N(CCG)-gp41 targets the exposed C-terminal region of the gp41 ectodomain in its pre-hairpin intermediate state, thereby preventing the formation of the fusogenic form of the gp41 ectodomain, which comprises a highly stable trimer of hairpins arranged in a six-helix bundle. N(CCG)-gp41 has potential as a therapeutic agent for the direct inhibition of HIV cell entry, as an anti-HIV vaccine, and as a component of a rapid throughput assay for screening for small molecule inhibitors of HIV envelope-mediated cell fusion. It is anticipated that antibodies raised against N(CCG)-gp41 may target the trimeric coiled-coil of N-terminal helices of the gp41 ectodomain that is exposed in the pre-hairpin intermediate state in a manner analogous to peptides derived from the C-terminal helix of gp41 that are currently in clinical trials.
Natural area planning for recreational use transition

Abstract Recent experiences with newly acquired natural areas in the University of California Natural Land and Water Reserves System (U.C. NLWRS) indicate that establishment of reserve status is only a first step toward preservation of an area. Many reserves have a long history of unrestricted recreational use including, but not confined to, hunting, target practice, flora and fauna collection, off-road vehicular use and camping. When such activities are suddenly restricted because of their incompatibility with natural area management, vandalism and unruly behavior often result. This paper will discuss general strategies for, and problems arising from, recreational use transition in newly established natural areas. It will fosuc specifically on signing and accesscontrol, public relations and selective reduction of undesirable recreational activities, with Stebbins Cold Canyon Reserve serving as the working model.
Cancer screening in public health clinics: the importance of clinic utilization.

OBJECTIVES. To determine how screening for breast and cervical cancer in public health clinics was associated with overall clinic utilization. METHODS. Evidence of screening and clinic visits between June 1989 and May 1992 was obtained by medical record audit for a random sample of 1825 women aged 40 to 75 attending eight public health clinics in the San Francisco Bay Area. RESULTS. With an average number of visits (4 per year), women who did not receive a physical examination were much less likely than those who did to obtain a clinical breast examination (OR = 0.03), mammography referral (OR = 0.1), or a mammogram (OR = 0.4) within 2 years, or a Papanicolaou smear (OR = 0.1) within 3 years. Without a physical examination, the odds of screening or referral increased with the first visit (OR = 1.2 for referral, breast examination, and Pap; 1.3 for mammography), but with a decreasing marginal effect of each additional visit (ratio of successive one-visit OR values = 0.992 for referral and breast examination; 0.995 for Pap; 0.98 for mammography). With a physical exam, visits were associated with mammography only (first visit OR = 1.2; OR ratio = 0.992). CONCLUSIONS. In public health clinics, screening is associated either with receipt of routine care or repeated visits for treatment. Women who fall through the cracks are those who come to the clinic with a medical problem but otherwise receive few services. Interventions in public health clinics need to facilitate the provider's ability to use medically related visits as opportunities to increase adherence to screening recommendations.
Patients With Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass Require Increased Sedation During Upper Endoscopy

Background & Aims After Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), many patients experience changes in metabolism that could affect the amount of sedative they require. We assessed whether patients who have vs have not received RYGB have different sedation requirements during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). Methods In a retrospective study, we collected data from patients who had received RYGB (n = 200; mean age, 45 years; 188 women; body mass index [BMI], 34.0 ± 7.1 kg/m 2 ) or had not (controls, n = 200; mean age, 45 years; 188 women; BMI, 34.1 ± 7.2 kg/m 2 ) and underwent EGD under conscious sedation from 2005 through 2010; groups were matched for age, sex, and BMI. Sedative doses were compared by using the Student t test. Multivariate linear regression was used to identify factors associated with sedation dose. We performed a subgroup analysis of RYGB patients who underwent EGD before and after RYGB, comparing sedative doses with a paired t test. Results Patients with RYGB were given 132.4 ± 40.4 μg fentanyl and 5.4 ± 1.5 mg midazolam, whereas controls received 108.6 ± 31.6 μg fentanyl ( P P P P P Conclusions Patients with RYGB require larger amounts of fentanyl and midazolam during EGD than patients without RYGB, despite similar age, sex, and BMI. Among patients who underwent EGD before and after RYGB, levels of drugs required for sedation increased after gastric bypass, despite weight loss.
DECLINING URBAN CENTERS IN THE UNITED STATES: 1940-1960

A substantial amount of literature in the social sciences deals with the growth of population centers in the United States and other parts of the world. Normally in such publications growth is made synonymous with population increase rather than increase in area. In addition, growth can be measured by using such items as increases in bank holdings, employment, or retail sales. One also can measure urban growth within other parameters, but however interesting such treatments may be, they fail to include a phenomenon of significance, that is, urban decline. Although measurement of decline also is possible within various parameters, this paper deals with decreases in population. A point often lost sight of is that, although many and perhaps most urban settlements are experiencing increases in population with all their ramifications, many other places are suffering losses of people and problems resulting therefrom. The purpose of this paper is to deal with urban centers of the United States that have lost inhabitants during the past two decades.2 It is necessary to clarify the meaning of urban center as used in this writing. This term is used to include all incorporated places, as recognized by the Bureau of the Census, and all unincorporated places with a population of 1,000 or more in 1960. Such a definition gives rise to the question of exclusion of thousands of small unincorporated agglomerated settlements. Inclusion of such places is not made by the Bureau of the Census in the Census of Population which served as the source of data for this paper. Population data for such places are available only from sources
It's not just information

When people think about computers, they often think about information. They talk about information technology, the information age, the information superhighway. They discuss how computers enable people to send, access, and manipulate information in many new ways.
Transport of dissolved contaminants originating from a rectangular prism-shaped, multicomponent nonaqueous-phase liquid source in saturated porous media

In this study, a three-dimensional semi-analytical model for simulating the transport of contaminants originating from a dissolving, rectangular prism-shaped, multicomponent nonaqueous-phase liquid (NAPL) source in homogeneous, saturated porous media is presented. The NAPL dissolution process for each component is envisioned to occur in a series of consecutive short intervals (pulses). The equilibrium aqueous concentration and the source dimensions are assumed to remain constant for the duration of each pulse. Individual component aqueous phase concentrations resulting from each dissolution interval are determined by an existing, single-component analytical solution. A synthetic NAPL mixture consisting of tetrachloroethylene and trichloroethylene was used for model simulation. Results show that for a dissolving multicomponent NAPL mixture, downstream aqueous-phase concentrations may not always reflect source characteristics. The model is useful for an understanding of field data in homogeneous subsurface formations and for interpretation of bench-scale laboratory experiments.
Factors Affecting Providers' Delivery of Intermittent Preventive Treatment for Malaria in Pregnancy: A Five-country Analysis of National Service Provision Assessment Surveys.

Intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) delivered during antenatal care (ANC) visits has been shown to be a highly efficacious and cost-effective intervention. Given the high rates of ANC attendance in sub-Saharan Africa, the current low IPTp coverage represents considerable missed opportunities. The objective of this study was to explore factors affecting provider’s delivery of IPTp during ANC consultations. Data from five nationally representative service provision assessment surveys informed the statistical analyses (Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda; 2006-2010). Poisson regression models with robust/clustered standard errors were used to estimate the effect of different determinants on IPTp delivery from 4,971 observed ANC consultations. The five major modifiable determinants of IPTp delivery were: 1) user-fees for ANC medicines (relative risk (RR) = 0.76; 95% confidence intervals (95% CI): 0.62-0.93); 2) facilities having IPTp guidelines (RR = 1.12; 95% CI: 1.01-1.24); 3) facilities having implemented IPTp as part of their routine ANC services offering (RR = 4.18; 95% CI: 1.75-10.01); 4) stock-outs of sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (RR = 0.40; 95% CI: 0.27-0.60); and, 5) providers having received IPTp training (RR = 1.21; 95% CI: 1.09-1.35). Using the population-attributable fraction, it was estimated that addressing these barriers jointly could lead to a 31% increase in delivery of this intervention during ANC consultations. Of these four potentially modifiable determinants, training of providers for IPTp had the largest potential impact. If proved to be cost-effective, dispensing IPTp training to ANC providers should be prioritized. Multifaceted approaches targeted in areas of low coverage and/or type of facilities least likely to provide this intervention should be implemented if the Roll Back Malaria target of 100% IPTp coverage by 2015 is to be attained.
Preliminary design of a synchrotron radiation exit port crotch for Cornell B-factory

The proposed Cornell B-factory offers great possibilities for the next generation of synchrotron sources and at the same time presents many challenges to today's high heat-load cooling technology. One of the challenges, the exit port crotch, is discussed in this article. Its preliminary design consists of a beryllium thin tube with water cooling. Finite elements analysis shows that such a design should be able to tolerate a normal incident power density of 4.7 kW/mm2 at 2 meters from bending magnet radiation with a 55 meter radius at 8 GeV and 1 ampere of positron current. Our design consists of a tube that is almost parallel to the synchrotron beam with an incident angle of 2 degree(s). This dilutes the power density by a factor of approximately 30 reducing the heat load to a more manageable level. The tilt angle can be 15 degree(s) if the crotch is located 4 meters instead of 2 meters from the source.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A lack of correlation among fatty acids associated with different lipid classes in human milk.

The fatty acids associated with triacylglycerol, cholesteryl ester, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin in human milk were compared. Ten milk samples were selected for lipid class analysis based on their total lipid polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio (P/S ratio). The P/S ratio of the selected milk samples ranged from 0.3 to 0.8. Linoleic acid was the predominant fatty acid in milk to affect the P/S ratio. The percentage of linoleic acid in milk triacylglycerol was correlated (r=0.84,P<0.05) with the total milk lipid P/S ratio. Linoleic acid esterified to cholesterol was not correlated with total milk lipid P/S ratio but was correlated (r=−0.66,P<0.05) with the quantity of lipid in the milk. Linoleic acid in the phospholipid classes did not correlate with shift in P/S ratio of the total milk lipid or linoleic acid content of other lipid classes.
The road to the discovery of dendritic cells, a tribute to Ralph Steinman

While it was known by the 1960s that lymphocytes mediated adaptive immunity, it was unknown how antigens stimulated lymphocytes. Between 1967 and 1973, we reported that a rare cell type in murine spleen cells took up antigen and were obligatory for T cell dependent and independent antibody responses. We referred to them as A cells or the third cell type. In 1973, Ralph Steinman and Zanvil Cohn described a rare cell type in murine spleen cells which was phagocytic but had dendrite like protrusions; they named them dendritic cells (DCs). In 1978, Steinman reported that DC were required for mixed lymphocyte reactions. From that time until recent death, Ralph Steinman pursued relentlessly in his laboratory and through collaborations around the world the role and function of DC in immunity. In passing, using a monoclonal antibody supplied by Steinman, we showed that A cells were the same as DC.
Association of Body Mass Index With Prostate Cancer Biochemical Failure

Purpose: The association between obesity and biochemical failure measured by prostate specific antigen after prostate cancer treatment is controversial. We determined whether there is an association between body mass index and biochemical failure in men treated for low and intermediate risk prostate cancer with various treatment modalities.Materials and Methods: We performed a cohort study in 2,687 patients who underwent treatment for low and intermediate risk prostate adenocarcinoma as described by National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines at Cleveland Clinic between January 1996 and December 2005. Univariate and multivariate analyses were done to determine the effect of multiple patient characteristics on biochemical failure.Results: There were 319 biochemical failures (11.9%). Body mass index as a continuous variable was significantly associated with biochemical failure on univariate analysis (HR 1.030, p = 0.02). There was a significant association with biochemical failure when comparing normal...
Behavioral and biochemical effects of intracerebrally injected alkaloids.

Abstract Tetrahydroisoquinolines and β-carbolines, substances which may form in the brain following the ingestion of alcohol, could be responsible for some of the behavioral effects of alcohol. When certain of these alkaloids are infused into the brain of the rat they induce an enhanced consumption of alcohol in a free-choice situation, both during infusion and for months after the cessation of infusion. In investigating the possible mechanism behind this permanent change in preference for alcohol, it does not appear that the postsynaptic side of the catecholamine neurons is involved. Likely candidates for future investigation include the pre-synaptic side of the catecholamine neurons and the serotonergic and opiate systems.
Approximate analytic formula used to estimate electron-capture cross sections at relativistic energies

The differences between Baur's approximate formalism [as presented, e.g., in C. A. Bertulani and G. Baur, Phys. Rep. 163, 299 (1988)] and the Feynman\char21{}Monte Carlo integration for electron capture in heavy-ion colliders [Rhoades-Brown, Bottcher, and Strayer, Phys. Rev. A 40, 2831 (1989)] is discussed. In particular, the use by Baur of approximate wave functions for the bound electron and continuum positron are highlighted.