cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Image management and data access control for Multi-authority cloud storage with use of certificate less encryption

Cloud computing technologies getting importance with a high level in security concern. In a domain of private, public or government organization. It shows new aspect for transparency. The main issue that Cloud computing provides transparency, but sharing of resources at different level in distributed scheme has severe implications. When at sensitive or privacy-relevant data is concerned for most secure challenging task. In cloud computing ensure the data security in data access control is an effective way. The problem with unsecured cloud servers or the untrusted cloud servers, data access control to various vendors becomes a challenging and most unsecured issue in cloud storage systems in these days. However after user's data or attribute revocation if we have to show the more security through re-encryption process. In the proposed method we uses certificate less encryption-based schemes by relying on a public cloud server. We have applied it as underlying techniques to design the data users and data access control scheme in process. We came to know that our certificate less encryption method can efficiently provide not only forward security but also backward security with more efficient way.
AI profiles: an interview with Peter Stone

This column is the third in our series profiling senior AI researchers. This month we interview Peter Stone.
From Witness Box to the Bench: Meetings, Bloody Meetings , Video Arts, and the Evolution of John Cleese

This essay analyzes the post-Python career of John Cleese, and what is arguably the most significant dimension of that career—his work with Video Arts, a British training film company. Reinsch and Reinsch’s “From Witness Box to the Bench: Meetings, Bloody Meetings, Video Arts, and the Evolution of John Cleese” offers a detailed comparison of the three versions of Video Arts’s most successful release: Meetings, Bloody Meetings (1976, 1993, and 2012). The three films illustrate the signature ability of Video Arts to put world-class comedy to work in the service of business training and the evolution of Cleese’s persona. Here Cleese transitions from mere actor (albeit one with Pythonesque comedic skills), to apparently seasoned businessman who can authoritatively offer lessons to other business practitioners.
Graphic representation of pharmacology: Development of an alternative model.

Abstract Introduction: Providing clinicians with an easy to grasp and understandable representation of pharmacology is important to allow optimal clinical decisions to be made. Two of the most clinically relevant dimensions are receptor binding affinity and functional activity. The binding affinity for an agonist is described by the dissociation constant (KA), and an antagonist by the inhibition constant (Ki). Functionally, medications can act as superagonists, agonists, partial agonists, antagonists, partial inverse agonists, or inverse agonists at several receptor sites, transporters, or ion channels. Comprehending the differences between agents is complicated by the number and types of binding sites. Methods: Binding and functional data are obtained from primary literature, product labels, human cloned receptor binding, and other sources. Binding affinities are converted into ratios relative to the putative primary receptor for that category of agent. Antipsychotic binding is referenced to dopamine typ...
Clinical evaluation of the neurophysins as tumor markers in small cell lung cancer.

Small cell carcinoma of the lung (SCCL) is frequently associated with the ectopic production of peptide hormones, some of which produce significant clinical and laboratory abnormalities in the patient. The syndromes of inappropriate production of antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) and the ectopic secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) have been well described and occur in 5%–10% of patients suffering from this disease (Kato et al. 1969; Eagan et al. 1974; Lokich 1982). The development of sensitive radioimmunoassays for peptide hormones such as calcitonin, vasopressin, pro-opiomelanocortin and its metabolites (ACTH, lipotropin, B-endorphin), for the neurophysins, and for other proteins, such as carcinoembryonic antigen, neuron-specific enolase, and the BB isoenzyme of creatine kinase, have led to the detection of these substances in SCCL. These peptides and proteins have also been detected in other types of lung cancer, but both the frequency of detection and the quantitative levels are much higher in SCCL. Studies of cell lines of SCCL have contributed to an expansion of the list of hormones detectable in culture. Bombesin is detected in a large percentage of small cell culture lines and may be functioning in an autocrine role (Moody et al. 1981; Sorenson et al. 1982). However, elevated serum levels of bombesin are infrequent (Wood et al. 1982).
Estimating the Impact of Regional Labor Demand Shocks on Unemployment Using the Synthetic Control Method: Evidence from the Shuttle Program and Florida's Space Coast

The discontinuation of the Shuttle program (STS) had a measurable impact on unemployment in Florida's Space Coast, particularly in the years since the initial layoffs in aerospace industries. Estimates of the impact using the synthetic control method suggest that the unemployment rate increased on average 0.41 percentage points per year (~7.5%) every year for 6 years observed in post-treatment. I demonstrate the robustness of the estimated result to various placebo tests.
Conjugate gradients based stochastic adaptive filters

Reliable execution of optimization algorithms is an essential requirement in both digital signal processing (DSP) and machine learning applications. DSP systems designed using nanoscale process technologies are susceptible to transient errors. In addition, power saving techniques like voltage over-scaling can also cause reliability issues in circuits. These errors often manifest themselves as large magnitude errors at the application level and can considerably slow down the convergence speed of the chosen algorithm. In this work we explore the behavior of Conjugate Gradient (CG) algorithm under stochastic computational errors. The expanding subspace property and modular redundancy is exploited to develop a robust conjugate gradient based method with applications in adaptive filtering and machine learning.
Adaptive Visual Dialog for Intelligent Tutoring Systems

Conversational dialog systems are well known to be an effective tool for learning. Modern approaches to natural language processing and machine learning have enabled various enhancements to conversational systems but they mostly rely on text- or speech-only interactions, which puts limits on how learners can express and explore their knowledge. We introduce a novel method that addresses such limitations by adopting a visualization that is coordinated with a text-based conversational interface. This allows learners to seamlessly perceive and express knowledge through language and visual representations.
Lead poisoning--Part I. Incidence, etiology, and toxicokinetics

In summary, we review the recent and not so recent but lesser known information on lead poisoning. We review the incidence of lead poisoning and find that no one is really safe from its effects. We have also examined the many and varied sources of lead poisoning, and critically review the ubiquitous ways in which lead enters the body and is eventually dealt with in the body.
A Boundary Dispute’s Effect on Siting an LNG Terminal

1682, William Penn obtained what is now the state of Delaware by deed from the Duke of York. For Penn, the grant meant that the year-old colony of Pennsylvania would have access to the ocean (denied when Charles IPs grant establishing the colony excluded a twelve-mile circle centered at what is now New Castle, Delaware the very circle that gives Delaware's northern border its unique shape). For the Duke of York, the grant was a chance to express his gratitude for the many kindnesses shown the royal family by Penn's father. See JOHN A. Munroe, History of Delaware (4th ed. 2001) at 34-36. It is doubtful that either Penn or the Duke of York ever thought that, more than three hundred years later, a centuries-long dispute over the extent and consequences of the duke's grant would play a central role in implementing national energy policy. Yet the long-simmering dispute between Delaware and New Jersey is now at the center of a Supreme Court fight to determine whether a subsidiary of oil giant BP can build a terminal on the New Jersey shore and pier jutting into the Delaware River (owned by Delaware) to unload tankers carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG) that will feed growing customer demand in the Northeast. New Jersey wants the terminal, and believes that a 1905 interstate compact between New Jersey and Delaware gives New Jersey the right to build the terminal and pier as part of "riparian rights" reserved under the compact. Delaware opposes the terminal, and believes that a 1934 Supreme Court decision setting Delaware's state line at the low water mark on the New Jersey side of the river gives Delaware sovereign power over the submerged lands on which the pier must rest. The Supreme Court has appointed a special master to conduct proceedings before the Court itself resolves the dispute. While Delaware and New Jersey prepare to slog through over two hundred years of history concerning interstate dealings, compacts, actions, and reactions to authority over the Delaware River, the ultimate issue in the case may rest on a simple principle of law. For the riparian rights New Jersey seeks to assert are, at common law, subject to the public trust doctrine that is, riparian rights must give way when the public interest in the waterway requires it. Most
Tinnitus Management in Lateral Skull Base Lesions

Tinnitus, the phantom perception of sound in the absence of a physical sound source, is a complex problem with multiple etiologies. While most commonly presenting in a subjective fashion caused by measurable hearing loss, other etiologies including lateral skull base tumors that encroach on middle and inner ear structures can lead to phantom sound perception as well. In addition to discussing the basic background of tinnitus, here we also review current theories of etiology that include central auditory and nonauditory neural mechanisms and potential treatments that range from sound therapy to medications to cognitive and behavioral therapies and cranial nerve and brain stimulation. One main purpose of this article is to relate tinnitus causes to skull base tumors, surgical removal, and resultant sequelae, including damage to cranial nerves resulting in audiovestibular dysfunction. We also discuss the utility of microvascular decompression for both tumor and nontumor-associated tinnitus and the current literature regarding hearing preservation rates and tinnitus perception, where documented, with the three common treatment modalities employed for most lateral skull base tumors that includes watchful waiting with serial imaging, stereotactic radiosurgery and primary surgical resection using hearing preservation and hearing ablative approaches. The management of skull base tumors is a complex process that depending upon the approach and sequelae, may lead to manageable or worsening phantom sound perception that must be considered when discussing the multiple treatment options with patients.
Technology-Enabled Consumer Engagement: Promising Practices At Four Health Care Delivery Organizations

Patients’ journeys across the care continuum can be improved with patient-centered technology integrated into the care process. Misaligned financial incentives, change management challenges, and pr...
Integrated Silicon Microheating Elements using Silicon-on-Plastic Drop-In Functionality

Resistive IC-based thin film microheating elements of polysilicon encapsulated in glass are coupled with polymeric microfluid channels. These microheating elements have several advantages over other resistive heating elements including high thermal isolation and good chemical compatibility due to the fact that they are encapsulated in glass. The microheating elements have been aligned and permanently bonded to plastic imprinted microfluid channels. The first demonstration of the utility of integrated microheating elements is their use as integrated microflow sensors.
Use of Imaging and Diagnostic Procedures After Low-Dose CT Screening for Lung Cancer.

Background Clinical trials have demonstrated a mortality benefit from lung cancer screening by low-dose CT (LDCT) in current or past tobacco smokers who meet criteria. Potential harms of screening mostly relate to downstream evaluation of abnormal screens. Few data exist on the rates outside of clinical trials of imaging and diagnostic procedures following screening LDCT. We describe rates in the community setting of follow-up imaging and diagnostic procedures after screening LDCT. Methods We used Clinformatics Data Mart national database to identify enrollees age 55 to 80 year who underwent screening LDCT from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016. We assessed rates of follow-up imaging (diagnostic chest CT scan, MRI, and PET) and follow-up procedures (bronchoscopy, percutaneous biopsy, thoracotomy, mediastinoscopy, and thoracoscopy) in the 12 months following LDCT for lung cancer screening. We also assessed these rates in an age-, sex-, and number of comorbidities-matched population that did not undergo LDCT to estimate rates unrelated to the screening LDCT. We then reported the adjusted rate of follow-up testing as the observed rate in the screening LDCT population minus the rate in the non-LDCT population. Results Among 11,520 enrollees aged 55 to 80 years who underwent LDCT in 2016, the adjusted rates of follow up 12 months after LDCT examinations were low (17.7% for imaging and 3.1% for procedures). Among procedures, the adjusted rates were 2.0% for bronchoscopy, 1.3% for percutaneous biopsy, 0.9% for thoracoscopy, 0.2% for mediastinoscopy, and 0.4% for thoracotomy. Adjusted rates of follow-up procedures were higher in enrollees undergoing an initial screening LDCT (3.3%) than in those after a second screening examination (2.2%). Conclusions In general, imaging and rates of procedures after screening LDCT was low in this commercially insured population.
DIGOXIN TOXICITY: A DYING DIAGNOSIS PRESENTING AS A STEMI

Digoxin toxicity is becoming exceedingly rare due to the decreased use of this drug. Vague presenting complaints and a wide variety of electrical conduction abnormalities can make for a difficult and potentially fatal diagnosis. An 81 year-old-female with past medical history of coronary artery
“Pasto sin fin del basurero”: Trash and Disposal in the Poetry of José Emilio Pacheco

Within the vast body of poetry written by Jose Emilio Pacheco (Mexico, 1939-2014), there is a clear and profound engagement with environmental themes, such as the lives and experiences of non-human animals and the effects of pollution on natural environments. In this essay, I examine a series of Pacheco’s poems that reflect on the production of trash and the act of disposal. Through his consideration of the waste that humans produce, Pacheco manages to draw our attention to the centrality of garbage as a socio-material element that mediates relationships between humans and the more-than-human environment. By reading Pacheco’s poetry through the lens of waste and disposal, I argue that the trash is his work throws in relief three central concerns of contemporary ecological thought: 1) the difficulty of squaring Western, anthropocentric notions of time with planetary timescales; 2) the uneven exposure of certain bodies to varying levels of toxicity; and 3) the vulnerability of humans in the face of ecological crisis. In this sense, I contend that Pacheco’s poetry constitutes a significant aesthetic contribution to our attempts to think through notions like the Anthropocene, which, in essence, elevates the waste produced by (certain) humans to the status of epoch-defining actor. In short, Pacheco’s poetry helps us channel our energy toward dealing with a world full of trash.
Stochastic parameterization of the time-relaxation model of turbulence

Abstract We parameterize the error in the time-relaxation model of turbulence by means of a deterministic corrector with stochastic noise term that represents the unresolved effects of the small scales on the large scales. Our method uses the large scales from a reference solution of the Navier–Stokes equations to compute the corrections needed to ensure the large scales from the turbulence model are the same as those in the reference solution over time. In the absence of model error, the theory of determining modes implies the size of the corrections needed over time decrease to zero provided enough Fourier modes were observed from the reference solution. In the presence of model error, the corrections do not decrease to zero. In this case, we call them the unresolved tendencies. After a theoretical analysis on the size of the these tendencies, our main result parameterizes them using a least-squares fit and characterizes the resulting residual as a time-correlated Gaussian noise processes. In doing so, we not only obtain an improved turbulence model, but a concrete representation of the error in the time-relaxation model of turbulence.
A Thermodynamic Theory Of Solid Viscoelasticity. Part 1: Linear Viscoelasticity.

The present series of three consecutive papers develops a general theory for linear and finite solid viscoelasticity. Because the most important object for nonlinear studies are rubber-like materials, the general approach is specified in a form convenient for solving problems important for many industries that involve rubber-like materials. General linear and nonlinear theories for non-isothermal deformations of viscoelastic solids are developed based on the quasi-linear approach of non-equilibrium thermodynamics. In this, the first paper of the series, we analyze non-isothermal linear viscoelasticity, which is applicable in a range of small strains not only to all synthetic polymers and bio-polymers but also to some non-polymeric materials. Although the linear case seems to be well developed, there still are some reasons to implement a thermodynamic derivation of constitutive equations for solid-like, non-isothermal, linear viscoelasticity. The most important is the thermodynamic modeling of thermo-rheological complexity , i.e. different temperature dependences of relaxation parameters in various parts of relaxation spectrum. A special structure of interaction matrices is established for different physical mechanisms contributed to the normal relaxation modes. This structure seems to be in accord with observations, and creates a simple mathematical framework for both continuum and molecular theories of the thermo-rheological complex relaxation phenomena. Finally, a unified approach is briefly discussed that, in principle, allows combining both the long time (discrete) and short time (continuous) descriptions of relaxation behaviors for polymers in the rubbery and glassy regions.
Don’t Talk to White People: On the Epistemological and Rhetorical Limitations of Conversations With White People for Anti-Racist Purposes: An Essay

Productive dialogue with white people for anti-racist purposes is precluded by the political limits prescribed by the “principle of interest convergence,” occluded by the epistemological conditions...
A novel suspension transport method: Viscoplastic lubrication of high-density fluids

Abstract We present proof-of-concept experiments to illustrate the application of viscoplastic lubrication in transport of high-concentration suspensions. The proposed transport method appears robust for a wide range of suspension concentrations. We develop a theoretical description of the flow that incorporates the significant density difference between the suspension and the lubricating fluid. We explore the variation of the pressure gradient and the flow rate ratio with fluid properties and demonstrate that buoyancy effects expand the favorable lubrication regime within the phase space of the problem. We illustrate the possibility of flow reversal in the core fluid and the emergence of a new flow regime, two features not captured when buoyancy stresses are neglected.
The nature and purpose of liberal education

This is the first of three lectures on the theme of Liberal Education and Human Freedom presented late in 2017 as a master class in Catedra Carlos Llano. The lectures were given at Universidad Panamericana’s campuses at Aguascalientes and Mexico City on successive weeks.
Impact of sampling and storage stress on the recovery of airborne SARS-CoV-2 virus surrogate captured by filtration.

Environmental air sampling of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in occupational and community settings is pertinent to reduce and monitor the spread of the COVID pandemic. However, there is a general lack of standardized procedures for airborne virus sampling and limited knowledge of how sampling and storage stress impact the recovery of captured airborne viruses. Since filtration is one of the commonly used methods to capture airborne viruses, this study analyzed the effect of sampling and storage stress on SARS-CoV-2 surrogate virus (human coronavirus OC43, or HCoV-OC43) captured by filters. HCoV-OC43, a simulant of the SARS-CoV-2, was aerosolized and captured by PTFE-laminated filters. The impact of sampling stress was evaluated by comparing the RNA yields recovered when sampled at 3 L/min and 10 L/min and for 10 min and 60 min; in one set of experiments, additional stress was added by passing clean air through filters with the virus for 1, 5, and 15 hr. The impact of storage stress was designed to examine RNA recovery from filters at room temperature (25 °C) and refrigerated conditions (4 °C) for up to 1 week of storage. To our knowledge, this is the first report on using HCoV-OC43 aerosol in air sampling experiments, and the mode diameter of the virus aerosolized from the growth medium was 40-60 nm as determined by SMPS + CPC system (TSI Inc.) and MiniWRAS (Grimm Inc.) measurements. No significant difference was found in virus recovery between the two sampling flow rates and different sampling times (p > 0.05). However, storage at room temperature (25 °C) yielded â¼2x less RNA than immediate processing and storage at refrigerated conditions (4 °C). Therefore, it is recommended to store filter samples with viruses at 4 °C up to 1 week if the immediate analysis is not feasible. Although the laminated PTFE filter used in this work purposefully does not include a non-PTFE backing, the general recommendations for handling and storing filter samples with viral particles are likely to apply to other filter types.
Leaders as Interrupters: An Examination of Simultaneous Speech in Informal Groups

Conversational interruptions can carry negative connotations, yet prior research has consistently found positive associations between interruptions and attributions of leadership and social status....
Process Variation-Aware Photonic Design

We present methods for variation-aware compact models, adjoint-based particle defect analysis, and variation extraction for photonic components. These methods can expedite ensemble simulations and enable design-for-manufacturability to increase yield in photonic integrated circuit design.
The Confluence Model of Sexual Aggression: Combining Hostile Masculinity and Impersonal Sex

This chapter presents data showing that interrelated factors form two largely independent constellations, labeled hostile masculinity and impersonal sexual orientation. The development of the model is considered in the context of theory and research emphasizing the role of sexual and/or power motives underlying rape and other forms of sexual aggression. The chapter explores some aspects of model to the influential work of Donald Mosher and his associates in assessing the links between a "macho personality" and sexual aggression. It describes a "risk" analysis which illustrates the potential relevance of our model to clinical prediction. The chapter highlights the role of men's hostility as a cause of aggression against women, which is not emphasized in Mosher's construct of the "macho" personality. M. R. Burt theorized that certain attitudes play an important role in contributing to sexual aggression by acting as "psychological releasers or neutralizers, allowing potential rapists to turn off social prohibitions against injuring or using others".
Variability in Proto-Planetary Nebulae: VIII. A New Sample of Southern Hemisphere Objects

As part of our continuing study of light variability in proto-planetary nebulae (PPNe), we present the results from a long-term study of nine southern hemisphere objects. We have monitored their light variations over a nine-year interval from 2010-2018. These were supplemented by data from the ASAS-SN and ASAS-3 surveys, leading to combined light curves from 2000 to 2020. Pulsation periods were found in seven of the objects, although the three shortest must be regarded as tentative. The periods range from 24 to 73 days. When compared with the results of previous studies of the light variations in PPNe, we find that they show the same trends of shorter period and smaller light variations with higher temperatures. Luminosities were calculated based on the spectral energy distributions, reddening, and Gaia distances, and these confirm the identification of all but one as post-AGB objects. Three of the stars possess long-period variations of 5 to 19 years. These are most likely due to the periodic obscuration of the star by a disk, suggesting the presence of a binary companion and a circumbinary disk.
From Step-Child to Innovative Leader: Political Science Research Methods Over the Decades

This chapter traces the development of political science research methods pedagogy from the early 1990s, when it was still analog and often poorly integrated into the political science curriculum, until today. This field has not only become a leader in modern social science teaching, but the value of methodological competence has been near universally recognized. The chapter discusses the impact of several milestones that have marked this development, such as user-friendly statistical software, data mobility, and web-based literature searchability. While these innovations have benefitted all areas of social science teaching, this chapter argues that they have had a disproportionate impact on the teaching of research methods.
Effect of Renal Disease on Pharmacokinetics and Bioavailability

Therapeutically it is of vital importance to understand the pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of drugs, especially of those handled by the kidney. It would seem logical that with declining renal function, these functions might alter.
From Program Execution to Automatic Reasoning: Integrating Ontologies into Programming Languages (Keynote)

Since their standardizations by the W3C, the Extensible Markup Language (XML) and XML Schema Definition (XSD) have been widely adopted as a format to describe data and to define programming language agnostic data types and content models. Several other W3C standards such as the Resource Description Framework (RDF) and the Web Ontology Language (OWL) are based on XML and XSD. At the same time, statically typed object-oriented programming languages such as Java and C# are most widely used for software development. This talk will delineate the conceptual bases of XML Schema Definition and the Web Ontology Language and how they differ from Java or C#. It will be shown how XSD facilitates the definition of data types based on value space constraints and how OWL ontologies are amenable to automatic reasoning. The superior modeling features of XSD and OWL will be elucidated based on exemplary comparisons with frame logic-based models. A significant shortcoming will become obvious: the deficient integration of XSD and OWL with the type systems of object-oriented programming languages. Eventually, the Zhi# approach will be presented that integrates XSD and OWL into the C# programming language. In Zhi#, value space-based data types and ontological concept descriptions are first-class citizens; compile time and runtime support is readily available for XSD and OWL. Thus, the execution of Zhi# programs is directly controlled by the artificial intelligence inherent in ontological models: Zhi# programs don't just execute, they reason.
The Potential of Girdled and 2,4-D-Injected Southern Red Oaks as Woodpecker Nesting and Foraging Sites

Comparisons of extent of decay in southern ed oaks (Quercus falcata M ichx.) revealed that rees injected with 2,4-D decayed sooner than girdled trees. Internal examinations of treated trees revealed that girdling and injection permitted growth of heartwoodand sapwood-decaying fungi, a condition necessary for woodpecker n st cavity excavation. Asa result of the delayed ecay, girdling produces better woodpecker habitat in southern red oak. Girdled southern red oaks remain standing longer for woodpeckers to use as foraging and nesting sites. Numbers of snags required to support various percentages of woodpecker population maximums are presented. Woodpeckers are an important component of forest ecosystems. They feed regularly on insects that damage both pines and hardwoods (Kroll et al. 1980) and provide cavities for many other wildlife species (Evans and Conner 1979). Important problems in woodpecker management are determining how many snags woodpeckers require for nesting and foraging, and how these snags can be provided. Girdling or herbicide injection of hardwood trees during timber stand improvement (TSI) creates dead trees suitable as nesting and foraging sites for woodpeckers. Conner et al. (1981) examined the fruiting bodies (conks) of fungi that fruited on four species of 2,4-D-killed hardwood trees in east Texas. They determined that the herbicide did not prevent heartwoodand sapwood-decaying fungi from growing in the trees, but they did not determine if the trees were sufficiently decayed for woodpecker nest cavity excavation. Woodpeckers require a decayed heartwood in hardwood trees in order to excavate next cavities (Conner et al. 1976). Preliminary observations also suggested that trees injected with the herbicide fell sooner (three to four years) than trees killed by natural causes, making them of only short-term use for cavity nesters (Conner et al. 1981). Any snag, such as an injected or girdled tree, that has a decayed heartwood is a potential cavity site for woodpeckers (Conner 1978). All snags are also important as foraging substrata for woodpeckers during all stages of decay (Evans and Conner 1979). We compared the internal conditions of both 2,4-D-injected and girdled southern red oaks to determine which TSI technique would best create trees suitable for woodpecker nest sites.
Vapor-phase metastability and condensation via the virial equation of state with extrapolated coefficients

Abstract Recently reported virial coefficients for the Lennard-Jones model are extrapolated to very high order, and the results are used to study the behavior of virial equation of state (VEOS). Convergence of the VEOS is examined in the context of gas-phase metastability and condensation. Comparison to molecular simulation data shows that the VEOS can accurately describe the equation of state over much of the metastable region, and the stability limits of very low-order isotherms correspond well with simulation-based estimates of the spinodal densities. However, as higher-order terms are added to the density series, the VEOS becomes less capable of characterizing metastable states, and instead appears to be moving toward a description of condensation. The fully-summed VEOS based on virial coefficients extrapolated to infinite order abruptly ends in the metastable region with a branch-point singularity. This form represents the culmination of a sequence of curves in which the pressure reaches a maximum before turning downward, both more sharply and at lower density with increasing series order; the corresponding sequence of maxima converge to the point where the fully-summed VEOS diverges. Thus, the extrapolation-based fully-summed VEOS exhibits the qualitative features of condensation, but it fails to provide quantitative agreement with condensation densities established by molecular simulation. The shortcomings point to a need to better understand the behavior of the virial coefficients with increasing order, perhaps with consideration of the volume dependence of the cluster integrals on which the VEOS is based.
Development and Characterization of Fish Sausages Supplemented with Salmon Oil

Fish sausage formulation included pale-meat pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), wild salmon oil and extra-virgin coconut oil as lipid sources, wholegrain oats as texturizer, natural spices, salt, brown sugar and sodium polyphosphate. Uncooked and smoked sausages were evaluated for their nutritional value, microbial load, color and texture. Hot smoke processing caused a 6% reduction in the moisture content of the uncooked product (69% w/w), an increase in the product's Allo-Kramer shear value, and a reduction in bacterial counts to less than 2 log cfu/g. In one link serving size, the fat and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid contents were 6.45 and 6.89% w/w and 837 and 891 mg for uncooked and smoked sausages, respectively. Salmon sausages are low in fat and a good source of healthy lipids and marine proteins. The products were created to meet consumers’ demand for functional foods that do not contain land-based animal ingredients. Practical Applications Healthy lipids are wanted for everyone's daily diet and have become common in many foods. Application of healthy lipid sources such as fish oil in sausage formulation, a food product generally high in fat, provides a healthy alternative to traditional sausage products. Uncooked and smoked fish sausages were developed using pale-meat pink salmon and wild Alaska salmon oil. These low-fat functional food products contain healthy long-chain n-3 fatty acids, proteins of marine origin only, and wholegrain oats.
Atom trap trace analysis

A new method of ultrasensitive trace-isotope analysis has been developed based upon the technique of laser manipulation of neutral atoms. It has been used to count individual {sup 85}Kr and {sup 81}Kr atoms present in a natural krypton sample with isotopic abundances in the range of 10{sup {minus}11} and 10{sup {minus}13}, respectively. The atom counts are free of contamination from other isotopes, elements,or molecules. The method is applicable to other trace-isotopes that can be efficiently captured with a magneto-optical trap, and has a broad range of potential applications.
Continuing education and certification for improved computer assurance

The issues discussed are: should continuing education be required for safety critical systems designers and programmers, do current course offerings satisfy the needs for continuing education of safety critical systems designers and programmers, should certification be required for safety critical systems software designers and programmers, should certification be required for the safety critical systems development process, should certification be enforced through professional societies, or can it only be successful under the control of the state or federal government and what are the alternatives to requiring certification and continuing education?. >
Dating the development of human cerebellum.

A histological study of normal cerebella in 72 human autopsies allowed defining several readily identifiable landmarks by which cerebellar development was dated for vermis and for hemispheres respectively: Disappearance of the lamina dissecans at 28 and 32 weeks gestation; Purkinje cells first discernible at the same age for both; onset of growth of inner granular layer at 30 and 32 weeks; sharp boundary between inner granular layer and white matter at approximately 36 weeks and about term; onset of marked growth of molecular layer at 30 and 38 weeks; adult thickness of molecular layer at approximately the 8th postnatal month for both; and accelerated involution of outer granular layer between the 2nd and 4th postnatal months, remnants persisting up to 9 and 13 months. Nests of matrix cells in the cerebellar nuclei were found in 28% of the cases less than 4 months old. These cell nests appear to undergo involution by the 4th month—that is, at the same time as the outer granular layer. The significance of these developmental events for the interpretation of pathological alterations in the developing cerebellum is discussed.
Lack of complete cooperativity of ribosome assembly in vitro and its possible relevance to in vivo ribosome assembly and the regulation of ribosomal gene expression.

Abstract Earlier studies have shown that the reconstitution of Escherichia coli 50S as well as 30S ribosomal subunits from component rRNA and ribosomal protein (r-protein) molecules in vitro is not completely cooperative and binding of more than one r-protein to a single 16S rRNA (or 23S rRNA) molecule is required to initiate a successful 30S (or 50S) ribosome assembly reaction. We first confirmed this conclusion by carrying out 30S subunit reconstitution in the presence of a constant amount of 16S rRNA together with various amounts of total 30S r-proteins (TP30) and by analyzing the physical state of reconstituted particles rather than by assaying protein synthesizing activity of the particles as was done in the earlier studies. As expected, under conditions of excess rRNA, the efficiency of 30S subunit reconstitution per unit amount of TP30 decreased greatly with the decrease in the ration of TP30 to rRNA, indicating the lack of complete cooperativity in the assembly reaction. We then asked the question whether the cooperativity of ribosome assembly is complete in vivo . We treated exponentially growing E coli cells with low concentrations of chloramphenicol which is known to inhibit protein synthesis without inhibiting rRNA synthesis, creating conditions of excess synthesis of rRNA relative to r-proteins. Several concentrations of chloramphenicol (ranging from 0.4 to 4.0 μg/ml) were used so that inhibition of protein synthesis ranged from 40 to 95%. Under these conditions, we examined the synthesis of RNA, ribosomal proteins and 50S ribosomal subunits as well as the synthesis of total protein. We found that the synthesis of 50S subunits was not inhibited as much as the synthesis of total protein at lower concentrations of chloramphenicol, but the degree of inhibition of 50S subunit synthesis increased sharply with increasing concentrations of chloramphenicol and was in fact greater than the degree of inhibition of total protein synthesis at chloramphenicol concentrations of 2 μg/ml or higher. The inhibition of 50S subunit synthesis was significantly greater than the inhibition of r-protein synthesis at all chloramphenicol concentrations examined. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that the cooperativity of ribosome assembly in vivo is also not complete as in the case for in vitro ribosome reconstitution, but are difficult, if not impossible, to explain on the basis of the complete cooperativity model. It is suggested that the two major regulatory mechanisms of rRNA synthesis in E coli , stringent control and growth-rate-dependent control, may have evolved to prevent overproduction of rRNA relative to r-proteins, thus preventing possible breakdown of cooperative assembly of ribosomes under conditions of high rRNA/r-protein ratios.
The role of acidemia in maternal binge alcohol-induced alterations in fetal bone functional properties.

Background Heavy alcohol consumption during pregnancy negatively impacts the physical growth of the fetus. Although the deleterious effects of alcohol exposure during late gestation on fetal brain development are well documented, little is known about the effect on fetal bone mechanical properties or the underlying mechanisms. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of late gestational chronic binge alcohol consumption and alcohol-induced acidemia, a critical regulator of bone health, on functional properties of the fetal skeletal system. Methods Suffolk ewes were mated and received intravenous infusions of saline or alcohol (1.75 g/kg) over 1 hour on 3 consecutive days per week followed by 4 days without treatment beginning on gestational day (GD) 109 and concluding on GD 132 (term = 147 days). The acidemia group was exposed to increased inspired fractional concentrations of CO2 to closely mimic the alcohol-induced decreases in maternal arterial pH seen in the alcohol group. Results Fetal femurs and tibias from the alcohol and acidemia groups were ~3 to 7% shorter in length compared with the control groups (p < 0.05). Three-point bending procedure demonstrated that fetal femoral ultimate strength (MPa) for the alcohol group was decreased (p < 0.05) by ~24 and 29%, while the acidemia group exhibited a similar decrease (p < 0.05) of ~32 and 37% compared with the normal control and saline control groups, respectively. Bone extrinsic and intrinsic mechanical properties including maximum breaking force (N) and normalized breaking force (N/kg) of fetal bones from the alcohol and acidemia groups were significantly decreased (p < 0.05) compared with both control groups. Conclusions We conclude that late gestational chronic binge alcohol exposure reduces growth and impairs functional properties of the fetal skeletal system and that the repeated episodes of alcohol-induced maternal acidemia may be at least partially responsible for these effects.
Ovipositional response of the walnut husk fly, Rhagoletis completa, to artificial substrates

The ovipositional response of the Walnut husk fly, Rhagoletis completa (Glesson), was studied using plastic artificial walnuts, soaked in fructose solutions of various concentrations, wrapped in stretched parafilm. Of the four molar concentrations (0.11, 0.22, 0.44, 0.89 M), the 0.44 M (ca. 8 %>) appeared to be the most preferable for egg deposition; the ovipositional response was over 21 times greater than that stimulated by water alone. At the highest fructose concentration tested (0.89 M), the degree of preference was decreased. The potential use of the artificial substrate for testing various chemicals as ovipositional stimulants or deterrants is also discussed. Zusammenfassung Wirkungen verschiedener Ernahrung auf die Eiablage der Walnusfliege Rhagoletis completa Mit Hilfe kunstlicher walnusahnlicher Plastikkorper, die mit Wasser bzw. Fruktoselosungen verschiedener Konzentration getrankt waren, wurde der Einflus des Zuckers auf die Eiablage von R. completa untersucht. Unter den 4 Konzentrationen (0.11, 0.22, 0.44 und 0.89 M) erwies sich 0.44 M (ca. 8 %) fur die Eiablage am gunstigsten. Diese war hier uber 21mal groser als bei Futterung mit Wasser. Die Verwendung kunstlicher Substrate zum Testen von Chemikalien als Eiablage-Stimulantien oder als -Abschreckstoff wird erortert.
Amyloid β-Protein Stimulates the Expression of Urokinase-type Plasminogen Activator (uPA) and Its Receptor (uPAR) in Human Cerebrovascular Smooth Muscle Cells

The accumulation of fibrillar amyloid-β protein (Aβ) in cerebral blood vessels, a condition known as cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), is a key pathological feature of Alzheimer's disease and certain related disorders and is intimately associated with cerebrovascular cell death both in vivo and in vitro. Moreover, severe CAA leads to loss of vessel wall integrity and cerebral hemorrhage. Although the basis for these latter pathological consequences in CAA remains unresolved alterations in local proteolytic mechanisms may be involved. Here we show that pathogenic forms of Aβ stimulate the expression of plasminogen activator activity in cultured human cerebrovascular smooth muscle (HCSM) cells, an in vitro model of CAA. RNase protection assays and plasminogen zymography showed that urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) was responsible for this activity. There was preferential accumulation of uPA on the HCSM cell surface that was mediated through a concomitant increase in expression of the uPA receptor. In the presence of plasminogen there was robust degradation of Aβ that was added to the HCSM cells resulting in restoration of cell viability. This suggests that increased expression of uPA may initially serve as a protective mechanism leading to localized degradation and clearance of the pathogenic stimulus Aβ. On the other hand, chronic expression of uPA and plasminogen activation led to a profound loss of HCSM cell attachment. This suggests that a similar prolonged effect in vivo in the cerebral vessel wall may contribute to loss of integrity and cerebral hemorrhage in CAA.
The complete nucleotide sequence of Pepper mottle virus-Florida RNA.

The Pepper mottle virus-Florida (PepMoV-FL) RNA genome was cloned and sequenced, and shown to consist of 9,717 nucleotides (nt) excluding the poly (A) tail. A single open reading frame was identified beginning at nucleotide position 169 encoding a polyprotein of 3068 amino acids. Phylogenetic sequence analysis revealed that of 44 full-length viral RNA genomes analyzed within the family Potyviridae, PepMoV-FL was most closely related to PepMoV-California (PepMoV-CA), Potato virus Y-H (PVY-H), PVY-N, PVYo and Potato virus V-DV42 (PVV-DV42). Using the PepMoV-FL sequence as a basis for comparison, the overall nucleotide sequence identity was highest between PepMoV-FL and PepMoV-CA at 93%, while the relationship was more distant with PVV-DV42 at 64% and for the PVY strains at 61%. A unique direct repeat sequence of 76 nucleotides was identified in the PepMoV-FL 3′-untranslated region (UTR), and this repeat sequence was confirmed not to occur in the PepMoV-CA sequence. Since the Florida isolate was among the first of the PepMoV isolates described, extensive biological and serological data on this isolate are available, and it has now been cloned and sequenced, we recommend that PepMoV-FL be recognized as the PepMoV type strain.
Type A botulinum neurotoxin proteolytic activity: development of competitive inhibitors and implications for substrate specificity at the S1′ binding subsite

Type A botulinum neurotoxin (botox A) is a zinc metalloprotease that cleaves only one peptide bond in the synaptosomal protein, SNAP-25. Single-residue changes in a 17-residue substrate peptide were used to develop the first specific, competitive inhibitors of its proteolytic activity. Substrate analog peptides with P4, P3, P2′ or P3′ cysteine were readily hydrolyzed by the toxin, but those with P1 or P2 cysteine were not cleaved and were inhibitors. Peptides with either d- or l-cysteine as the N-terminus, followed by the last six residues of the substrate, were the most effective inhibitors, each with a Ki value of 2 μM. Elimination of the cysteine sulfhydryl group yielded much less effective inhibitors, suggesting that inhibition was primarily due to binding of the active-site zinc by the sulfhydryl group. Botox A displayed an unusual requirement for arginine as the P1′ inhibitor residue, demonstrating that the S1′ binding subsite of botox A is dissimilar to those of most other zinc metalloproteases. This characteristic is an important element in shaping the substrate specificity of botox A.
Determination of small dilatations and surface stress by birefringence measurements

Birefringence induced in a suitably oriented transparent optically isotropic body by a zone which has undergone a dilatation is used to determine the local dilatation in that zone from a solution of the photoelastic problem. Dilatations < 1010−6 have been determined, a sensitivity of measurement greater than in conventional interferometry, using specimens of modest optical specification. Local dilatations have been determined in transparent zones 0.2 mm or more in thickness. Mean dilatations have been determined in opaque layers or in zones too thin to observe (some < 1 μm thick) from birefringence in the unaffected zone. Problems which arise in the measurements are discussed. Applications are described. Instrumentation and automation techniques are given. It appears possible to extend sensitivity to measure dilatations < 10−7, which would be the equivalent of determining the effect of inserting a sheet of molecular dimensions.