cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A high-throughput pH-based colorimetric assay: application focus on alpha/beta hydrolases.

Abstract Research involving α/β hydrolases, including α-amino acid ester hydrolase and cocaine esterase, has been limited by the lack of an online high throughput screening assay. The development of a high throughput screening assay capable of detecting α/β hydrolase activity toward specific substrates and/or chemical reactions (e.g., hydrolysis in lieu of amidase activity and/or synthesis instead of thioesterase activity) is of interest in a broad set of scientific questions and applications. Here we present a general framework for pH-based colorimetric assays, as well as the mathematical considerations necessary to estimate de novo the experimental response required to assign a ‘hit’ or a ‘miss,’ in the absence of experimental standard curves. This combination is valuable for screening the hydrolysis and synthesis activity of α/β hydrolases on a variety of substrates, and produces data comparable to the current standard technique involving High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). In contrast to HPLC, this assay enables screening experiments to be performed with greater efficiency.
Secure Transmission With Guaranteed User Satisfaction in Heterogeneous Networks: A Two-Level Stackelberg Game Approach

In this paper, secure transmission in a heterogeneous network in the presence of multiple eavesdroppers is studied. A game-theoretic framework is proposed to enhance the security of the macro base station (MBS), while guaranteeing user satisfaction of the small base stations (SBSs) by exploiting the cooperation and competition among the entire network. Specifically, a two-level Stackelberg game is formulated, where the MBS employs a set of competing jamming SBSs to jam the eavesdroppers at the top level, and each employed jamming SBS may require offloading service from multiple competing helping SBSs in its cluster at the bottom level if needed. Two levels of user satisfaction are investigated at the bottom level, respectively. One is fixed with the priority given to user satisfaction over the profit and the other is flexible with a balance between user satisfaction and the profit. The Stackelberg equilibrium of the proposed game is derived and analyzed from the economics viewpoint. An iterative algorithm is also proposed to obtain the optimal solutions. Numerical results are provided to verify the theoretical analysis and show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
The Need for Multiple Bypass Grafts in Repair of Right Coronary Artery-to-Coronary Sinus Fistulas.

Coronary artery fistulas are rare anomalies with controversial management strategies. The two main treatment options are surgical repair and catheter embolization. This case report describes successful treatment of a complex right coronary artery–to–coronary sinus fistula by using a less conventional approach: multiple coronary artery bypass grafting.
Synchronization of microresonator optical frequency combs

We experimentally demonstrate passive synchronization of two modelocked microresonator optical frequency combs separated by a path exceeding 20 m of optical fiber. We show that the output temporal cavity solitons can be coherently combined.
APOPTOSIS : NEURONAL DEATH BY DESIGN

182 J Clin Psychiatry 58:5, May 1997 ying is generally an undesired affair. In recent years, however, it has become clear that many cells, including neurons, are actively programmed to commit molecular hari-kari. Such a process is called apoptosis. This is not the messy affair associated with cellular poisoning or suffocation, known as necrosis. Necrotic cell death is characterized by a severe and sudden injury associated with an inflammatory response. By contrast, apoptosis is more subtle, akin to fading away. Apoptotic cells shrink, whereas necrotic cells explode. The original scientists who discovered apoptosis coined that term to rhyme with necrosis, and also to mean literally a “falling off,” as the petals fall off a flower or the leaves fall from a tree. The cell death machinery is a set of genes which stand ever ready to self-destruct.
Ulua Marble Vases Abroad: Contextualizing Social Networks Between the Maya World and Lower Central America

Long referred to as the Mesoamerican Frontier, the Ulua Valley of northwestern Honduras bridges the Maya Lowlands and Lower Central America. This study explores presenting the Ulua region in these foreign lands through the transfer of a luxury good: Late Classic marble vases. Rare in antiquity, these vases were produced in the heart of the Ulua Valley. Yet their importance as ambassadors of Uluan life in two very different spheres — central Maya and Nicoya-Guanacaste — suggests very diverse perceptions of what it meant to participate in a social network with the Ulua Valley. The multidimensionality of transferring a luxury good set within the context of a place and its people allows for a more nuanced understanding of the exotic.
Dietary Fiber, Bile Acids and Cholesterol Metabolism

There is considerable evidence that high dietary fiber intake is associated with a reduced incidence of ischemic heart disease in humans1, 4 and a reduced rate of atheroma development in laboratory animals5, 7. Experimental approaches to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of these effects have yielded inconsistent results both with natural fiber, such as wheat bran, and with purified fiber components like cellulose4, 7. This has been due, in part, to the criteria employed to determine the physiological response to changing fiber content of the diet, and in part, to the composition of the diets themselves. In some cases, the determination of serum of liver cholesterol levels, for example, has not permitted definitive conclusions regarding the overall effects of dietary fiber, since in the human, and in experimental animals like the rat, there are efficient homeostatic mechanisms for regulating circulating sterol levels.
Why should i care?: making programming assignments relevant for non-majors

Introductory courses in computer science are increasingly being offered as electives to non-majors. Many of these students do not find programming examples that involve math, science, or business topics compelling, and would be better reached by applications that deal with concerns relevant to college life. This article presents several examples of programming assignments that have met with approval from non-majors, draws the connection to the college experience, and gives implementation guidelines for instructors.
Influence of an isometric fatiguing exercise on the length and passive-elastic properties of the calf muscle-tendon unit of minimally active young women

This study examined the effects of an isometric fatiguing exercise on selected length and passive-elastic properties of the calf muscle-tendon unit (MTU). The right calf MTU of 8 minimally active women 22-34 years of age were stretched by a Kin-Com® dynamometer motor from plantarflexion to a constant maximal dorsiflexion (DF) angle at 5°·s -1 to measure angular and resistive torque differences before and immediately after an isometric fatiguing exercise. Minimal surface electromyogram (EMG) activity from the soleus, gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscles ensured the stretches were passive. The muscles were fatigued by 60 s isometric plantarflexion trials at 80% of the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force with 15 s rests between trials until the force fell below 50% MVC, which was associated with increased EMG activity of the plantarflexors. One-way ANOVAs showed that the initial passive DF angle and therefore the length extensibility did not change. The maximal and mean passive DF torque and the area under the curve also did not change, but the full stretch average passive-elastic stiffness increased (P = 0.005). The results suggested that the length and passive resistive properties of the calf MTU are maintained and the average passive-elastic stiffness is increased after an active isometric fatiguing exercise.
Low dose effects challenge the evaluation of endocrine disrupting chemicals

Abstract Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are found in a range of consumer products including food and food packaging. Both observational and experimental studies suggest that EDCs present in food and consumer products can contribute to diseases. This commentary reviews the current state of knowledge on EDCs including the available infrastructure to evaluate these compounds and limitations to standardized tests used in regulatory toxicology. I then identify the research and technological needs that should be addressed to improve the study of EDCs. Finally, I describe steps that could be taken in the short- and long-term to begin to meet these needs.
Perpetual Motion: Library of Congress Interaction with Russia, 1941-2015

This paper focuses on three important Library of Congress staff members from the period 1941–2015 to describe the library’s interaction with Russia and the Soviet Union and the buildup of the libra...
Reactive extrusion: A review of the physicochemical changes in food systems

Abstract In recent years, the functionalization of food-based materials has generated considerable interest as a new route to develop clean label ingredients intended to replace chemically extracted or synthesized counterparts. Extrusion processing offers unique opportunities for functionalizing food ingredients for commercial utility. Extruders can function as a continuously operating bioreactor with options to vary several configurational and operational variables. Many complex structural and chemical changes are known to occur in the form of hydrolysis (dextrinization), molecular interactions (hydrophobic and disulfide interactions, conjugation), and conformational changes in an extruder. However, understanding of the process variables (temperature, shear, residence time, moisture, feed rate etc.) and their composite effects on the conformational and biochemical changes induced in the feedstock is required to fully exploit the opportunities offered by extrusion for functionalization of food materials. This review focuses on the chemical and conformational changes that can be directed in an extruder to produce extrudates of desired attributes. It also reviews the recent advances made in extrusion technology for the targeted functionalization of selected food materials.
Causes of delayed diagnosis of posterior ankle impingement in the pediatric and adolescent population.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize various causes of delay in the diagnosis of posterior ankle impingement syndrome (PAIS) in pediatric patients. Methods IRB approved prospective study of patients under 18 years who underwent arthroscopic surgery for the diagnosis of posterior ankle impingement after failed conservative treatment at a tertiary children's hospital. Radiographic findings were compared with an age-matched control group. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed. Results 47 patients (61 ankles), mean age 13 years, had an average 14 months delay in diagnosis of PAIS from the initial presentation. 33 (70%) patients had seen multiple medical providers and given other diagnoses. 9 (19%) patients participated in ballet or soccer, and 16 (34%) patients had unrelated associated foot and ankle diagnoses. 25 (41%) of 61 ankles did not have pain on forced plantar flexion; all 61(100%) ankles had tenderness to palpation over the posterior ankle joint line. Radiographs were reported to be normal in 37/52 (71%) ankles, while MRI report did not mention the diagnosis in 20/41 (49%) studies. There was a significant difference in the MRI findings in the patient population when compared to the control group. Indication for surgery was failed conservative treatment. All 61 ankles had posterior ankle impingement pathology confirmed visually during arthroscopy. At average 15 months follow-up, there was significant improvement pre- to post-operatively (p Conclusion Multiple clinical and imaging factors can lead to delayed diagnosis of posterior ankle impingement. An increased awareness about the features of PAIS is needed amongst medical providers involved in treating young patients.
Impact of long-term continuous cropping on the Fusarium population in soybean rhizosphere

The impact of long-term continuous cropping on the Fusarium population abundance and diversity,pathogenicity and phylogeny in soybean field were analyzed by using isolation,morphological identification,pathogenicity test,sequencing analysis and molecular marker with restricted fragment length polymorphisms( RFLP). The soybean field was located at the Hailun Experimental Station of Agricultural Ecology of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Northeast China and had been under a long-term rotation experiment designed to two treatments,i. e.,long-term continuous cropping( LCC) of soybean for 20 years and short-term continuous cropping( SCC) for 3 years. In SCC field,the population density of Fusarium spp. was 6. 0 ×104CFU·g-1,in which F. oxysporum, F. graminearum and F. verticillioides possessing high pathogenicity and F. solani possessing moderate pathogenicity were the dominant species. In LCC field,the population density of Fusarium population and the dominance index of dominant species were significantly lower than that in SCC. The population density of F. oxysporum,F. graminearum and F. solani were only 36%,32% and 22% of that in SCC,and F. verticillioide with highest pathogenicity was absent. The diversity and evenness index of Fusarium population were significantly higher than that in SCC. F. tricinctum, F. lateritium and F. avenaceum,just isolated from LCC,possessing a distant genetic relationship with Fusarium isolates possessing high pathogenicity based on internal transcribed spacer( ITS) and translation elongation factor 1-alpha( EF-1α) gene,were non-pathogenicity for soybean. Thus,it seemed that LCC of soybean could cause the inhibition of soil Fusarium population size,alteration of Fusarium community composition and genetic diversity,and even the decline of pathogenicity for soybean root rot disease of Fusarium population.
The Existential Threat of Future Exoplanet Discoveries

The last 25 years have been revolutionary in astronomy, as the field of exoplanets has gone from no known planets outside the Solar System to thousands discovered over the last year few years. This represents a rapid increase not just in known planets (often referred to as Mamajek's Law), but also in total planetary mass. What has been heretofore unaddressed, however, is that this rapid increase in planetary masses may have disastrous consequences for the future of humanity. We look at how the number of planets, and more importantly, the mass of these planets has changed in the past and how we can expect this to change in the future. The answers to those questions, and how we respond to them, will determine if humanity is able to survive beyond the next 230 years.
COVID-19 and consumer demand for local meat products in South Carolina

First paragraph: The emergence of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the associated economic disrup­tions have challenged local food producers, distributors, retailers, and restaurants since March 2020. COVID-19 was a stress test for the U.S. local food supply chain, exposing vulnerabilities whose impacts have varied by region and sector. Some local producers saw sales fall in 2020 due to COVID-19 restric­tions and consumer foot traffic changes (O’Hara, Woods, Dutton, & Stavely, 2021). In other areas, local food producers were able to pivot from collapsing market channels by finding opportunities elsewhere (Thilmany, Canales, Low, & Boys, 2020). . . .
Challenges in genetic testing: clinician variant interpretation processes and the impact on clinical care.

PURPOSE Efforts have been made to standardize laboratory variant interpretation, but clinicians are ultimately tasked with clinical correlation and application of genetic test results in patient care. This study aimed to explore processes clinicians utilize when reviewing and returning genetic test results, and how they impact patient care. METHODS Medical geneticists, genetic counselors, and nongenetics clinicians from two Midwestern states completed surveys (n = 98) and in-depth interviews (n = 29) on practices of reviewing and returning genetic test results. Retrospective chart review (n = 130) examined discordant interpretations and the impact on care. RESULTS Participants reported variable behaviors in both reviewing and returning results based on factors such as confidence, view of role, practice setting, and relationship with the lab. Providers did not report requesting changes to variant classifications from laboratories, but indicated relaying conflicting classifications to patients in some cases. Chart reviews revealed medically impactful differences in interpretation between laboratories and clinicians in 18 (13.8%) records. CONCLUSION Clinician practices for reviewing and integrating genetic test results into patient care vary within and between specialties and impact patient care. Strategies to better incorporate both laboratory and clinician expertise into interpretation of genetic results could result in improved care across providers and settings.
Impact of implementing electronic prior authorization on medication filling in an electronic health record system in a large healthcare system.

Objective Medications frequently require prior authorization from payers before filling is authorized. Obtaining prior authorization can create delays in filling prescriptions and ultimately reduce patient adherence to medication. Electronic prior authorization (ePA), embedded in the electronic health record (EHR), could remove some barriers but has not been rigorously evaluated. We sought to evaluate the impact of implementing an ePA system on prescription filling. Materials and methods ePA was implemented in 2 phases in September and November 2018 in a large US healthcare system. This staggered implementation enabled the later-implementing sites to be controls. Using EHR data from all prescriptions written and linked information on whether prescriptions were filled at pharmacies, we 1:1 matched ePA prescriptions with non-ePA prescriptions for the same insurance plan, medication, and site, before and after ePA implementation, to evaluate primary adherence, or the proportion of prescriptions filled within 30 days, using generalized estimating equations. We also conducted concurrent analyses across sites during the peri-implementation period (Sept-Oct 2018). Results Of 74 546 eligible ePA prescriptions, 38 851 were matched with preimplementation controls. In total, 24 930 (64.2%) ePA prescriptions were filled compared with 26 731 (68.8%) control prescriptions (Adjusted Relative Risk [aRR]: 0.92, 95%CI: 0.91-0.93). Concurrent analyses revealed similar findings (64.7% for ePA vs 62.3% control prescriptions, aRR: 1.03, 95%CI: 0.98-1.09). Discussion Challenges with implementation, such as misfiring and insurance fragmentation, could have undermined its effectiveness, providing implications for other health informatics interventions deployed in outpatient care. Conclusion Despite increasing interest in implementing ePA to improve prescription filling, adoption did not change medication adherence.
How Should Physics Teachers Be Prepared? A Review of Recommendations

Many readers of this journal are probably familiar with calls from governmental, business, and educational authorities to expand and improve the preparation of science teachers, with a particular focus on the shortage of highly qualified physics teachers. It may seem as if this problem has been around forever, and in fact similar expressions of alarm have been heard for well over a century. Why, then, does this shortage persist? Has the physics community been negligent in offering possible solutions? In fact, the opposite is true: physics educators long ago arrived at a consensus and pointed to a way forward, with a consistent set of recommendations. By tracing the history and elucidating those recommendations, we hope to help motivate physics educators to promote these goals more clearly, and with greater specificity and urgency.
Rectourethral and Complex Fistulas: Evaluation and Management

Rectourethral fistula (RUF) is an uncommon but potentially devastating condition which may significantly impact a patient’s quality of life. The vast majority of acquired RUF are iatrogenic following treatment of prostate cancer, often multimodal. Repair may be quite complex, involving a multispecialty team approach over the course of several procedures. Simple fistulas may heal with catheter drainage alone or with a local flap repair. Complex, irradiated fistulas require operative repair utilizing a transperineal, posterior, or transabdominal approach. Despite the challenges RUF presents, ultimate healing is possible for the majority of patients.
TU-G-201-00: Imaging Equipment Specification and Selection in Radiation Oncology Departments

This session will update therapeutic physicists on technological advancements and radiation oncology features of commercial CT, MRI, and PET/CT imaging systems. Also described are physicists’ roles in every stage of equipment selection, purchasing, and operation, including defining specifications, evaluating vendors, making recommendations, and optimal and safe use of imaging equipment in radiation oncology environment. The first presentation defines important terminology of CT and PET/CT followed by a review of latest innovations, such as metal artifact reduction, statistical iterative reconstruction, radiation dose management, tissue classification by dual energy CT and spectral CT, improvement in spatial resolution and sensitivity in PET, and potentials of PET/MR. We will also discuss important technical specifications and items in CT and PET/CT purchasing quotes and their impacts. The second presentation will focus on key components in the request for proposal for a MRI simulator and how to evaluate vendor proposals. MRI safety issues in radiation Oncology, including MRI scanner Zones (4-zone design), will be discussed. Basic MR terminologies, important functionalities, and advanced features, which are relevant to radiation therapy, will be discussed. In the third presentation, justification of imaging systems for radiation oncology, considerations in room design and construction in a RO department, shared use with diagnostic radiology, staffing needs and training, clinical/research use cases and implementation, will be discussed. The emphasis will be on understanding and bridging the differences between diagnostic and radiation oncology installations, building consensus amongst stakeholders for purchase and use, and integrating imaging technologies into the radiation oncology environment. Learning Objectives: 1. Learn the latest innovations of major imaging systems relevant to radiation therapy 2. Be able to describe important technical specifications of CT, MRI, and PET/CT 3. Understand the process of budget request, equipment justification, comparisons of technical specifications, site visits, vendor selection, and contract development
Trends in Western U.S. Snowpack and Related Upper Colorado River Basin Streamflow1

Miller, W. Paul and Thomas C. Piechota, 2011. Trends in Western U.S. Snowpack and Related Upper Colorado River Basin Streamflow. Journal of the American Water Resources Association (JAWRA) 47(6):1197–1210. DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00565.x Abstract: Water resource managers in the Western United States (U.S.) are currently faced with the challenge of adapting to unprecedented drought and uncertain impacts of climate change. Recent research has indicated increasing regional temperature and changes to precipitation and streamflow characteristics throughout the Western U.S. As such, there is increased uncertainty in hydroclimatological forecasts, which impact reservoir operations and water availability throughout the Western U.S., particularly in the Colorado River Basin. Previous research by the authors hypothesized a change in the character of precipitation (i.e., the frequency and amount of rainfall and snowfall events) throughout the Colorado River Basin. In the current study, 398 snowpack telemetry stations were investigated for trends in cumulative precipitation, snow water equivalent, and precipitation events. Observations of snow water equivalent characteristics were compared to observations in streamflow characteristics. Results indicate that the timing of the last day of the snow season corresponds well to the volume of runoff observed over the traditional peak flow season (April through July); conversely, the timing of the first day of the snow season does not correspond well to the volume of runoff observed over the peak flow season. This is significant to water resource managers and river forecasters, as snowpack characteristics may be indicative of a productive or unproductive runoff season.
The Use of Symmetric and Anti-Symmetric Loadings

R of the skill which a stress analyst may have in adapting one of the general methods of analysis to a given problem, the evaluation of the loads occurring in the members of a statically indeterminate structure is a tedious process. In certain cases, such as a symmetrically loaded symmetrical structure, advantage may obviously be taken of special arrangements of loads, members, pinned joints, or similar features, and equations of condition may be established which, when used in conjunction with the equations of statics and the principle of consistent deformations, yield solutions with the minimum of trouble to the designer. The advantages of symmetry may be had on any symmetrical structure, whether or not the load be symmetrical, by deliberately substituting two or more equivalent force systems for the original loading. I t is the purpose of this paper to show how the equivalent systems should be disposed.
Local and Long-Range Movements of Bald Eagles Associated with the Autumn Concentration in Glacier National Park, Montana

A concentration of bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) along lower McDonald Creek in Glacier National Park was first recorded in November 1939, when 37 were observed (Shea 1978). On that occasion and during each subsequent autumn, bald eagles have congregated to feed on spawning kokanee salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). Kokanee is a non-native species, first introduced in the Flathead River drainage (in which McDonald Creek occurs) in 1978. Preliminary data suggest that there may be nearly 1,000 bald eagles now stopping at the Glacier concentration annually, although maximum counts are well below this level because of a high turnover rate. The northern subspecies of the bald eagle was classified as endangered in February 1978 under the aegis of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and subsequent amendments. This conveys a high level of responsibility upon managers of lands and waters used by bald eagles and demands a commitment to effective habitat management. The purpose of our research is to provide information essential to such management - knowledge of movement patterns, spatial and temporal distributions, numbers, and morhpology - directly benefiting not only Glacier National Park managers, but all public agencies, industrial corporations and private land owners responsible for bald eagle habitat. This report summarizes the first part of the fourth year of a study of the ecology of Bald Eagles associated with the Glacier concentration. At this writing eagles are being tracked in the western states. Most data from this autumn have not yet been analyzed.
Evolution of Genes and Organisms

Gene exchange necessitates expanding the model of the tree of life, impacts the notion of organismal and molecular most recent common ancestors, and provides examples of natural selection working at multiple levels. Gene exchange, whether by horizontal gene transfer (HGT), hybridization of species, or symbiosis, modifies the organismal tree of life into a web. Darwin suggested the tree of life was like a coral, where living surface branches were supported by masses of dead branches. In phylogenetic trees, organismal or molecular lineages coalesce back to a lucky universal ancestor whose descendents are found in current lineages and which coexisted with other, now-extinct lineages. HGT complicates the reconstruction of a universal ancestor; genes in a genome can have different evolutionary histories, and even infrequent gene transfer will cause different molecular lineages to coalesce to molecular ancestors that existed in different organismal lineages and at different times. HGT, as well as symbiosis, provides a mechanism for integrating and expanding the organizational level on which natural selection acts, contributing to selection at the group and community level.
SU-A-213-01: Alternative Career Opportunities for Medical Physicists

Medical Physics is an attractive career choice for many young scientists, offering opportunities in both research and clinical activities. Very often, clinical medical physics is broadly divided into two categories: we are either therapy physicists or diagnostic physicists. Such a bifurcation, while capturing much of what we have historically done, does not reflect the breadth of the applications of physics in medicine. Further, the second bifurcation - that between research and clinical medical physics - also does not reflect the breadth of professional opportunities. As health care changes and more bright candidates enter the field, recognizing the broader opportunities for medical physicists is becoming increasingly important. This symposium will explore just two aspects of non-traditional medical physics careers. The first speaker will first focus on the enormous opportunities in quantitative imaging in cancer care, which is linked with treatment response assessment, Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST), and advanced image analysis. Second, biological data analysis, including analysis of big data in images and other biomarkers will be discussed. Finally, opportunities for physicists in the pharmaceutical industry, such as in pharmacokinetics and modeling) will be presented. The second speaker will discuss some of the many opportunities for medical physicists in imaging and therapeutic equipment industry. Both large corporations and small companies offer alternative career paths for physicists outside of the typical research and clinical realms. Research and clinical medical physics are still vital in these companies, but are implemented differently. Learning Objectives: 1. Become familiar with career opportunities in quantitative imaging, biological data analysis, pharmaceutical industry, and equipment industry. 2. Learn the activities associated with these opportunities 3. Learn the education and experience expected to be successful in these realms.
The Biosynthesis of Basement Membrane Collagen in Embryonic Chick Lens II. SYNTHESIS OF A PRECURSOR FORM BY MATRIX-FREE CELLS AND A TIME-DEPENDENT CONVERSION TO α CHAINS IN INTACT LENS

Abstract Lenses of chick embryos and matrix-free cells obtained by enzymic dissociation of the embryonic lenses were incubated with [14C]proline, and the basement membrane collagen synthesized by the systems was partially characterized. The newly synthesized [14C]collagen obtained from intact lenses was found to be completely solubilized after denaturation and reduction with sodium dodecyl sulfate and mercaptoethanol. After treatment of the newly synthesized [14C]-collagen with pepsin, less than 5% of the peptide-bound 4-hydroxy[14C]proline became dialyzable, but most of the peptide-bound 4-hydroxy[14C]proline was dialyzable after incubation with bacterial collagenase. The size of the basement membrane collagen synthesized by the intact lenses and the matrix-free cells was estimated by treating the 14C-protein with mercaptoethanol and sodium dodecyl sulfate and then chromatographing the 14C-protein on an agarose column equilibrated and eluted with buffer containing sodium dodecyl sulfate. The initial form of [14C]collagen synthesized by both the intact lenses and the isolated lens cells was found to consist of polypeptide chains which had molecular weights of approximately 140,000 and which were shown to be considerably larger than the polypeptide chains from the precursor form of collagen recently isolated from interstitial connective tissues. When the synthesis of the basement membrane collagen was examined in intact lenses, there was a time-dependent conversion of the precursor form initially synthesized to collagen comprised of polypeptide chains slightly larger than the α chains of interstitial collagen. The time required for the conversion of the basement membrane collagen from the precursor form to the slightly smaller form was about 1 hour, a time which is considerably longer than that required for a similar conversion of the precursor form of interstitial collagen in tendon and membranous bone. Studies with the matrix-free cells indicated that the major part of the collagen secreted into the medium was in the precursor form, and the results therefore suggested that the conversion of the precursor form to an α chain form of the basement membrane collagen was an extracellular event.
Irish American Folklore in New England

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: E. Moore Quinn Year: 2009 Publisher: Academica Press ISBN: 9781930901827 (hard cover).
Experiencing Homelessness: A Review of Recent Literature

Homelessness holds a longstanding place on the sociological research agenda, and has become particularly prominent in sociological literature since the 1980s. Recent literature reviews have summarized this research, but have only briefly considered the body of work focused on the experience of homelessness. I use this literature review to provide a more complete summary of this work on the daily lives, activities, subcultures, social relationships and networks, and social interactions of homeless individuals. I then explore variations in these experiences across important characteristics – such as gender, race and ethnicity, family status, and sexual orientation – as well as within three particular contexts that have been studied by sociologists: the streets, shelters and other service organizations, and social movements and collective action. I also consider how the homeless encounter and manage stigma and salvage the self. In addition to reviewing this literature, I consider how this work contributes to sociological understandings more broadly, and potential future research directions.
Product design for modularity: QFD approach

Before the advent of the modularity concept, the design process usually revolved around developing a unique and optimum design for a given product or system. Designers focused on satisfying a set of design and manufacturing attributes while keeping the entire project under a predetermined target cost. As a result, a complex design was proposed that incorporated several layers whose functionally were interdependent. This process required a number of iterations, which was costly and time consuming. This process provided designs, which were highly coupled and modification of one area would directly affect the other areas within the design. This article will address the topic of modularity and introduce a new methodology for product design for modularity using QFD.
The Fate and Retention of Organic and Inorganic 15 N-Nitrogen in an Old-Growth Forest Soil in Western Oregon

Forests in the American Pacific Northwest receive very little nitrogen (N) through atmospheric deposition; therefore, they can provide insights into how the N cycle functioned in other regions before heavy atmospheric deposition of inorganic N began. Our objectives were to determine (a) if the fate of organic N differed from the fate of inorganic N, (b) the effect that polyphenols have on the fate of organic N, and (c) the effect of season of addition on the fate of N inputs. We traced N added to in situ soil cores as ammonium, organic N, tannin-complexed organic N, and the N2-fixing lichen Lobaria oregana. Total 15N recovery was between 74% and 109% for all N additions. Total 15N recovery did not vary significantly from the first sampling date to the last date. The litter/organic horizon, as a bulk pool, was the largest N retention pool for all forms of N addition. Within the litter/organic horizon, the chloroform-extractable microbial biomass initially accounted for nearly all of the added N from the ammonium additions. On a different time scale, microbial biomass also played a noteworthy role in the retention of N from organic N, tannin-complexed organic N, and Lobaria. Complexing organic matter with tannin appeared to slow N cycling, but it did not significantly change the ultimate distribution of added organic N. Season of N addition had little effect on the retention of added N; however, where differences did occur, spring additions had lower recoveries than autumn additions.
Long follow-up (to 43 years) of ventricular septal defect with audible aortic regurgitation

Abstract From 1946 to March 1989, 92 patients (33 women and 59 men) were seen with ventricular septal defect (VSD) and audible aortic regurgitation (AR). The VSD was subcristal in 62 patients, subpulmonary in 21 and unknown in the remaining 9. The median age of onset of AR was 5.3 years. The risk of developing AR was 2.5 times greater in those with a subpulmonary VSD. The aortic valve was tricuspid in 90% and bicuspid in 10%. Prolapse was seen in 90% of those with subcristal VSD and in all with subpulmonary VSD. Pulmonary stenosis was seen in 46% of the patients with gradients ranging from 10 to 55 mm Hg. The incidence of infective endocarditis was 15 episodes/ 1,000 patient years. Among 20 patients followed medically, for 297 patient years, 1 died (1959) and most have been stable, including 2 followed for >30 years. In the 72 patients operated on, there were 15 perioperative and 5 late deaths. Operations consisted of VSD closure alone in 7, VSD closure and valvuloplasty in 50 and VSD closure and aortic valve replacement in the other 15. Valvuloplasty was more effective in those operated on under age 10 compared to those older than 15 years (46 vs 14%). The durability of the valvuloplasty was 76% at 12 years and 51% at 18 years.
Randomized, double‐blind comparison of standard‐dose vs. high‐dose trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine in pediatric solid organ transplant patients

Children who have undergone SOT mount a lower immune response after vaccination with TIV compared to healthy controls. HD or SD TIV in pediatric SOT was given to subjects 3–17 yr and at least six months post-transplant. Subjects were randomized 2:1 to receive either the HD (60 μg) or the SD (15 μg) TIV. Local and systemic reactions were solicited after each vaccination, and immune responses were measured before and after each vaccination. Thirty-eight subjects were enrolled. Mean age was 11.25 yr; 68% male, 45% renal, 26% heart, 21% liver, 5% lung, and 5% intestinal. Twenty-three subjects were given HD and 15 SD TIV. The median time since transplant receipt was 2.2 yr. No severe AEs or rejection was attributed to vaccination. The HD group reported more tenderness and local reactions, fatigue, and body ache when compared to the SD cohort, but these were considered mild and resolved within three days. Subjects in the HD group demonstrated a higher percentage of four-fold titer rise to H3N2 compared to the SD group. HD influenza vaccine was well tolerated and may have increased immunogenicity. A phase 2 trial is needed to confirm.
Potential-induced breathing model for the elastic moduli and high-pressure behavior of the cubic alkaline-earth oxides

A parameter-free model is presented for the elastic constants and high-pressure behavior of the alkaline-earth oxides MgO, CaO, SrO, and BaO. The model is based on a Gordon-Kim-type calculation for the short-range energy of a crystal. Spherically symmetric relaxation of ion charge density in response to the Madelung potential, termed potential-induced breathing (PIB), is incorporated into the model as a function of strain. This charge relaxation is accomplished by the use of a Watson-sphere calculation to obtain the interaction energy of pairs of ions as a function of both interatomic distance and Coulomb potential. By this technique many-body effects, which are particularly important for the prediction of crystal elasticity, are included. The model successfully reproduces both the sign and magnitude of the deviation (\ensuremath{\Delta}=${C}_{12}$-${C}_{44}$) from the Cauchy relation measured at zero pressure for the cubic alkaline-earth oxides. Static compression curves calculated in both the B1 and B2 phases of these compounds are found to be within 5% of the available room-temperature data. From a calculation of the pressure dependence of the elastic moduli, the role of many-body effects at high pressure is determined. The B1-B2 phase transition pressures are calculated within the PIB model to be 251 GPa (MgO), 55 GPa (CaO), 36 GPa (SrO), and 21 GPa (BaO), in very good agreement with available experimental data for these compounds.
Salmonella typhimurium Induces Apoptosis in Human Monocyte-Derived Macrophages

Salmonella species represent a leading cause of gastroenteritis worldwide. More recently, they have been proposed as putative vaccine delivery vehicles in humans. Oral infection with Salmonella leads to invasion of the intestinal epithelial barrier and subsequent interaction with mucosal macrophages. In this study, we investigated the fate of Salmonella typhimurium-infected human macrophages differentiated from blood monocytes by GM-CSF. Wild type S. typhimurium strain SL1344 induced macrophage surface blebbing and caused the release of host cytoplasmic lactate dehydrogenase beginning 30 min post-infection. Three hours later more than 80% of the macrophages in the culture were killed. In contrast, during the same period, macrophages infected with the non-invasive S. typhimurium strain BJ66 remained viable. Chromatin fragmentation is a hallmark of cells undergoing apoptosis. Using TUNEL analysis, we observed chromatin fragmentation in macrophages infected with SL1344 but not in BJ66 infected cells. Consistent with this observation, we found that pretreatment of human macrophages with an inhibitor of caspase-3, a member of the pro-apoptotic enzyme family shown to be involved in S. typhimurium-induced killing of mouse macrophages, reduced SL1344-mediated cytotoxicity by 40%. Our study provides the first evidence that invasive S. typhimurium induces apoptosis in human macrophages that were differentiated from blood monocytes by GM-CSF, and that cell death is a caspase-dependent phenomenon.
Disease control and prevention in China in the 20th century and prospects for the new millennium

In the first part of the paper, the main achievements and experience of disease control and prevention in China during last 50 years are described. Infectious diseases and parasitosis have been successfully controlled and prevented and people’s health enhanced owing to the establishment of an effective system of public health, the launch of a campaign called “Patriotic Public Health”, immunization planning, and the improvement of economic and environmental conditions. In the second part, the challenges to public health in China are presented. The threat from old and emerging infectious diseases, especially sexually transmitted diseases, a sustained increase in the prevalence of chronic non-infectious diseases (cardiovascular diseases tumors and diseases of the respiratory system), environmental problems and the health problems of aging are discussed. Finally, strategies for disease control and prevention in the new century is suggested.
A diversified undergraduate computer science program

This paper introduces a set of unique undergraduate computer science programs, some of which have been operating for more than two years at Rochester Institute of Technology. These programs are intended to meet current computer science manpower demands where as a generalized computer science curriculum is not sufficient to cover the range of students required by such demands. As is shown in Figure 1, the set of programs extend from a general computer science curriculum to cover several quasi-specialized areas.
The effect of interstitial air on the in vitro thrombogenicity of ePTFE vascular grafts.

Gas trapped in the interstices of the biomaterials used for vascular prostheses causes thrombosis, and the process of eliminating this gas is known as denucleation. An apparatus was developed for testing in the in vitro effects of denucleation on 4 mm I.D. expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) Vitagraft (Johnson and Johnson). The apparatus was designed to ensure that neither the blood nor the grafts came in contact with air. Blood from a single donor was incubated with control and denucleated grafts for 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 minutes. The thrombus volume in the graft lumen was measured with a computer assisted videometric system. Little thrombus formed by 5 or 10 minutes, but there was less thrombus in the denucleated graft than in the control graft at all times. The differences were statistically significant at 15 and 20 minutes (p < 0.05). Denucleation nearly doubled the thrombus formation time. Thrombus was more adherent to denucleated grafts than to control grafts. These results are consistent with in vivo observations in the rat where denucleation decreased thrombus formation and increased patency duration.
A microtubule-binding domain in dynactin increases dynein processivity by skating along microtubules

Microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) use particular microtubule-binding domains that allow them to interact with microtubules in a manner specific to their individual cellular functions. Here, we have identified a highly basic microtubule-binding domain in the p150 subunit of dynactin that is only present in the dynactin members of the CAP-Gly family of proteins. Using single-particle microtubule-binding assays, we found that the basic domain of dynactin moves progressively along microtubules in the absence of molecular motors - a process we term 'skating'. In contrast, the previously described CAP-Gly domain of dynactin remains firmly attached to a single point on microtubules. Further analyses showed that microtubule skating is a form of one-dimensional diffusion along the microtubule. To determine the cellular function of the skating phenomenon, dynein and the dynactin microtubule-binding domains were examined in single-molecule motility assays. We found that the basic domain increased dynein processivity fourfold whereas the CAP-Gly domain inhibited dynein motility. Our data show that the ability of the basic domain of dynactin to skate along microtubules is used by dynein to maintain longer interactions for each encounter with microtubules.