cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Autoignition of wood under combined convective and radiative heating

Abstract Many wildland fire models assume radiation heat transfer controls fuel particle ignition. However, evidence suggests that radiation is insufficient to ignite the predominantly small, thin fuel particles in wildlands and that convective heating by flame contact is a critical component. Here, convective ignition was studied using an apparatus containing two 6.5 kW electrical heaters to heat air from 600 °C to 800 °C. Steel screens straightened the flow and provided background radiant heat. This apparatus produced autoignition of dry red oak cylinders and disks. Cylinder diameter was varied from 0.64 to 1.91 cm and length from 2.5 to 7.5 cm. Disk diameters varied from 2.54 to 5.08 cm and 1 to 4 mm thick. The airflow rate varied slightly from 1.55 to 1.71 m/s due to the density difference. A simplified analytical model was developed that predicted the measured times reasonably well for air temperatures of 700 °C and above.
Reinforcing Effects of Cathinone NPS in the Intravenous Drug Self-Administration Paradigm

Since the mid- to late 2000s, there has been a dramatic rise in the use and abuse of synthetic derivatives of cathinone, a stimulant alkaloid found in the African shrub Catha edulis. Cathinone novel psychoactive substances (NPS), also referred to as synthetic cathinones or “bath salt”-type drugs, have gained popularity among drug users due to their potency, low cost, ease of procurement, and diverse array of evolving chemical structures. While the ability of cathinone NPS to produce psychotomimetic effects, multiple organ system toxicity, and death in humans is well documented, there has been limited scientific investigation into the reinforcing effects and abuse liability of these drugs. In this chapter, we will summarize the existing literature on the reinforcing effects of cathinone NPS in rodents using the intravenous self-administration (IVSA) paradigm. We will also compare the ability of cathinone NPS to serve as reinforcers to that of classical psychostimulants such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). The chapter will conclude with a summary and indications for future avenues of research on cathinone NPS.
Panretinal Photocoagulation (PRP)

Panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) uses light energy to create thermal injury to the retinal tissue. When PRP is applied to areas of poorly perfused retina, pathologic levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are suppressed. PRP is an effective method of treating ischemic retinal vascular disease such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Fluorescein angiography should be performed to identify areas of neovascularization and retinal ischemia to guide application of PRP. A clear view of the fundus facilitates delivery of PRP. Effective delivery of PRP may be limited or delayed if the ocular media is obscured by corneal edema, cataract, and/or vitreous hemorrhage.
Unplugging with off-the-gridders

Abstract This activity asks students to adopt alternative and historical techniques/technologies into their daily routines. Currently, two billion individuals in the world currently do not have access to grid-based electricity; by having students metaphorically “unplug” from their machines, they will reflect on the nature of technology and its impact on their lives/careers, and they will be provided with a stronger sense of autonomy. The lesson begins by defining technology, specifically by introducing students to the famous technology theorist Jacques Ellul and his theory of the three milieus. Students, then, live for a few days much like off-the-gridders do: they find unique solutions to modern problems, often by adopting older or less efficient techniques. For example, students might stop wearing a watch and use a sundial, or they might write an essay using paper/pen rather than on a word processor. Afterwards, students write a reflective memo, addressed to the instructor of the course, detailing their experiences with the new technologies, answering questions such as: ● What is technology? ● How does it impact my life? ● Does living inefficiently change my perspective about my technological choices? ● Is there value in living “off-the-grid”? ● How might these ideas be utilized as a student? As an employee? As a parent?
Dietary Oxidized Linoleic Acid Modulates Plasma Lipids beyond Triglycerides Metabolism

Introduction. Triglyceride (TG) is an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease. Previous work has shown that short-term supplementations of mouse chow with oxidized linoleic acid (OxLA) significantly reduce the level of plasma triglycerides. Study Objective. This study aims to determine the effects of longer-term supplementation of mouse chow with various concentrations of oxidized linoleic acid (OxLA) on plasma triglycerides. Study Design. The study consisted of forty C57BL/6 wildtype mice divided into four groups ( ). Two groups were kept as controls. One control group (P) was fed plain chow and the second control group (C) was fed chow supplemented with linoleic acid. The other two experimental groups (A) and (B) were fed oxidized linoleic acid supplemented chow in the following doses: 9 mg/day of oxidized linoleic acid and 18 mg/day of oxidized linoleic acid/mouse. Results and Conclusion. Mice that were on a diet supplemented with the higher dose of oxidized linoleic acid showed a 39% decrease in hepatic PPAR-α and a significant decrease in the plasma HDL levels compared to the mice that were fed diets of plain and linoleic acid supplemented chow. Interestingly, the longer-term consumption of oxidized linoleic acid may predispose to atheropathogenesis.
Chapter 20 – Sources of the Vitamins

The total vitamin intake of a human or animal is the sum of the amount of bioavailable vitamins consumed in foods/feedstuffs and any supplements. Estimates of the vitamin contents of most foods and feedstuffs are available from different sources, including the USDA's National Nutrient Database, which has compiled the nutrient content of foods common to the American diet. Most humans consume the vast majority of their vitamins from 50 to 200 core food items. In less developed nations, people rely on staple foods, such as wheat, rice, and corn (maize), for most of their vitamins. Bioavailability and vitamin losses are important considerations in meeting requirements for humans and animals. A number of extrinsic factors, such as chemical and physical form, and intrinsic factors, such as age and health status affect the bioavailability of vitamins. Vitamin losses occur due to storage, milling, processing, and cooking. National programs mandate the fortification of particular foods with vitamins in a number of nations to include the fortification of folate to wheat products in the United States. Dietary supplements are also meaningful contributors of vitamins to the diet, particularly in developed nations.
Introduction to Time Series

(1999). Introduction to Time Series. Journal of Quality Technology: Vol. 31, No. 1, pp. 128-129.
A new algorithm based on evolutionary computation for hierarchically coupled constraint optimization: methodology and application to assembly job-shop scheduling

Hierarchically coupled constraint optimization (HCCO) problems are omnipresent, both in theoretical problems and in real-life scenarios; however, there is no clear definition to identify these problems. Numerous techniques have been developed for some typical HCCO problems, such as assembly job-shop scheduling problems (AJSSPs); however, these techniques are not universally applicable to all HCCO problems. In this paper, an abstract definition and common principles amongst different HCCO problems are first established. Next, based on the definitions and principles, a new optimization algorithm based on evolutionary computation is developed for HCCO. The new optimization algorithm has three key new features: a new initial solution generator, a level barrier-based crossover operator, and a level barrier-based mutation operator. In the initial solution generator, a partial solution is created in the first step that satisfies the lowest level hierarchically coupled constraint (HCC) and each consecutive step afterwards adds on to the partial solution to satisfy the next higher level of HCC. In the level barrier-based operators, the operations are only performed between genes satisfying the same level of HCCs to ensure feasibility of the new solutions. The developed optimization algorithm is used to solve a variety of AJSSPs and the results obtained using the proposed algorithm are compared to other methods used to solve AJSSPs.
Fast Chemical Separations for the Study of Short-Lived Nuclides

Study of short-lived nuclides has fascinated nuclear chemists ever since the discovery of radioactivity. Fast-decaying nuclides with half-lives in the range of several seconds to several tens of seconds have been explored in the last ten to twenty years. Automatic batch (autobatch) processes as well as continuous separation procedures are being used for the study of these nuclides. Autobatch processes and continuous production and separation techniques are reviewed in this paper.
Survival and transcendence of transnational indigenous latina immigrants (ILIS) in the US

Transnational indigenous Latino immigrants today seem to live multiple lives across multiple borders. Based on a 3-year Mix methods research study that took place in a new immigrant-receiving community in North Carolina, the manuscript describes the experiences of Indigenous Latina Immigrants (ILIs) living in the United States, specifically pedagogies of survival based on fluid social identities. The indigenous women who took part in this study had to adopt fluid unknown identities both in the home for cultural survival, and also outside the home (external identities) for physical and social survival, often in hostile environments. In addition, it raises questions about the ways multilingualism affects border mobility and transnationality as well as how indigenous Latina immigrants become Camaleonas guerreras (Chameleon Warriors) who use “critical survival tools” as a transnational bridge to facilitate their survival in a hostile US environment, the community, and in schools.
Pathways to news commenting and the removal of the comment system on news websites

Many major news websites have recently opted to remove comment sections that appear beneath their online news articles. However, researchers know very little about how news audiences feel about the...
Assessment and validation of total water storage in the Chesapeake Bay watershed using GRACE

Abstract The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States, and its catchment has heterogeneous hydrological and geomorphologic characteristics. It includes seven major river basins: James, Patuxent, Potomac, Rappahannock, Susquehanna, Western Shore, Eastern Shore, and York. Remote sensing data, along with in-situ observations of streamflow and simulated water budget components, can provide significant understanding of variability in water resources availability in this diverse watershed. In this study, we quantify the terrestrial water storage using both remote sensing and in-situ data and hydrologic model outputs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Total water storage change (TWSC) was calculated based on the combination of three methods to identify the best approach in estimating TWSC. These methods evaluated different sources of data, including Parameter elevation Regression on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) precipitation, MODIS ET, U.S. Geological Survey observed streamflow, and the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model. Estimated TWSC were in close agreement with GRACE-derived TWSC when we employed VIC-simulated streamflow after calibration with observed streamflow. However, the use of VIC-simulated ET or MODIS-derived ET yielded similar results for TWSC. Assessment of TWSC during extreme events (drought) during the summer months revealed that predicting ET is critical for TWSC in June–August and that VIC-simulated TWSC could be a reliable proxy for GRACE data to assess the water availability in the watershed.
Binding is not enough; autoantibodies do more to garner complements

Pathogenic autoantibodies in neuromyelitis optica require antigen array assembly and a specific epitope to initiate robust complement activation.
Pain Relief in Persons with Substance Use and Addictive Disorders

The challenge of managing pain in patients with substance use and addictive disorders is receiving considerable attention. The increased prevalence of patients with addiction merits a deeper understanding of how clinicians can effectively manage pain in this population. In this chapter we explore the underlying mechanisms of addiction and how these interact with various pain syndromes. Ultimately, the analgesic response to medications and appropriateness for opioids, in particular, is varied but predictors can help determine treatment. The chapter also focuses on some of the issues that limit effective access of appropriate care for patients with pain and addiction.
Securing the kids: Geofencing and child wearables:

This article provides a critical analysis of the child wearable Jiobit, a locational tracking device that is designed to allow parents to monitor how children move through space. Emphasizing the de...
El gringuito, Mr. Kate: transnational ethnographic fieldwork as a gender-nonconforming queer

Using ethnographic data from a study in Honduras, this article looks at how my research was shaped by shifting perspectives on my gender, especially from the perspectives of the participants within the unique context, Gender identity was not always a personal conception, as is common in contemporary U.S. queer culture; instead, gender was co-constructed and dependent on the language used (Spanish or English), whether I had my children with me in the field, and visible access to material resources (a motorcycle, for example). This article is significant to the fields of qualitative and educational research methods, queer and gender studies, and transnational feminism.
Roles of C/EBP class bZip proteins in the growth and cell competition of Rp ('Minute') mutants in Drosophila .

Reduced copy number of ribosomal protein (Rp) genes adversely affects both flies and mammals. Xrp1 encodes a reportedly Drosophila-specific AT-hook, bZIP protein responsible for many of the effects including the elimination of Rp mutant cells by competition with wild type cells. Irbp18, an evolutionarily conserved bZIP gene, heterodimerizes with Xrp1 and with another bZip protein, dATF4. We show that Irbp18 is required for the effects of Xrp1, whereas dATF4 does not share the same phenotype, indicating that Xrp1/Irbp18 is the complex active in Rp mutant cells, independently of other complexes that share Irbp18. Xrp1 and Irbp18 transcripts and proteins are upregulated in Rp mutant cells by auto-regulatory expression that depends on the Xrp1 DNA binding domains and is necessary for cell competition. We show that Xrp1 is conserved beyond Drosophila, although under positive selection for rapid evolution, and that at least one human bZip protein can similarly affect Drosophila development.
Cost-Effectiveness of Using LDL-Direct Versus Lipid-Panel as Part of the Inpatient Stroke Workup.

Abstract Objective: To investigate whether utilizing a LDL-direct laboratory test rather than a lipid panel to determine LDL-C as part of the inpatient stroke and TIA workup is more cost-effective to the patient and hospital system. A retrospective analysis was conducted on all patients admitted to UCSD La Jolla and Hillcrest Hospital and discharged with a final diagnosis of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack between 7/2016 and 6/2019. A cost-analysis was extrapolated based on the current cost of each test as provided by the UCSD hospital billing department as of June 2020. Patients started on a statin, who were not on one prior to admission, were also analyzed to highlight the importance of an accurate LDL-C on management of dyslipidemia. Results: A total of 1245 patients were included in the study with 87% representing Ischemic strokes and 13% transient ischemic attacks. Over the three-year period, a total savings of $77,545 would be achieved if LDL-direct were used in place of a lipid-panel, representing an overall cost savings of 33%. Over the same time-frame, 536 (43%) patients were started on a statin that were not previously on one. Conclusions: Ordering a LDL-direct test should be considered over a lipid panel to evaluate LDL-C as it may prove to be the most cost effective approach to both the patient and Healthcare system.
Utilization of additive manufacturing in hybrid rocket technology: A review

Abstract The focus of this review is to collect and compare research studies on hybrid rocket fuels and components produced via additive manufacturing. The use of hybrid rocket propulsion for launching applications is limited due to its inherently low regression rate and actual specific impulse. To address these limitations, various additive manufacturing methods have been employed so far to fabricate fuel grains with complex port geometries or composite fuel grains possessing intricate shaped, printed scaffolds into which a second fuel material is incorporated. In addition to the fuel grains, additive manufacturing technology has also proven to be beneficial for fabricating a considerable number of hybrid rocket components, thereby reducing the part count, production time and cost. In this review, the rationale, types of the materials used, methods and comparison of performance data are presented. Future directions that use additive manufacturing to enhance hybrid rocket propulsion are also provided.
12621 Targeted Chemical-Genetic Screen Platform for Identifying Drug Modes-of-Action

ABSTRACT IMPACT: The key to advancing precision medicine is to deepen our understanding of drug modes-of-action (MOA). This project aims to develop a novel method for predicting MOA of potential drug compounds, providing an experimental and computational platform for more efficient drug discovery. OBJECTIVES/GOALS: To develop (1) a targeted CRISPR-Cas9 chemical-genetic screen approach, and (2) a computational method to predict drug mode-of-action from chemical-genetic interaction profiles. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Screening drugs against a gene deletion library can identify knockouts that modulate drug sensitivity. These chemical-genetic interaction (CGI) screens can be performed in human cell lines using a pooled lentiviral CRISPR-Cas9 approach to assess drug sensitivity/resistance of single-gene knockouts across the human genome. A targeted, rather than genome-wide, library can enable scaling these screens across many drugs. CGI profiles can be derived from phenotypic screen readouts. These profiles are analogous to genetic interaction (GI) profiles, which represent sensitivity/resistance of gene knockouts to a second gene knockout rather than a drug. To computationally predict a drug’s genetic target, we leverage the property that a drug’s CGI profile will be similar to its target’s GI profile. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Five proof-of-principle screens will be conducted with compounds that have existing genome-wide profiles and well-characterized MOA. I will generate CGI profiles for these five compounds and identify genes that are drug-sensitizers or drug-suppressors. I will then evaluate whether targeted library screens can recapitulate the CGIs found in genome-wide screens. Finally, I will develop a computational tool to integrate these CGI profiles with GI profiles (derived from another project) to predict gene-level and bioprocess-level drug targets. These predictions (from both targeted and genome-wide profiles) will be benchmarked against a drug-target and drug-bioprocess standard. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF FINDINGS: This work will develop a scalable, targeted chemical-genetic screen approach to discovering how putative therapeutics work. The targeted screen workflow provides a method for higher-throughput drug screening. The computational pipeline provides a powerful tool for exploring the MOA of uncharacterized drugs or repurposing FDA-approved drugs.
GCAP 2.0: A global 3-D chemical-transport model framework for past, present, and future climate scenarios

Abstract. This paper describes version 2.0 of the Global Change and Air Pollution (GCAP 2.0) model framework, a one-way offline coupling between version E2.1 of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) general circulation model (GCM) and the GEOS-Chem global 3-D chemical-transport model (CTM). Meteorology for driving GEOS-Chem has been archived from the E2.1 contributions to phase 6 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP6) for the pre-industrial era and the recent past. In addition, meteorology is available for the near future and end of the century for seven future scenarios ranging from extreme mitigation to extreme warming. Emissions and boundary conditions have been prepared for input to GEOS-Chem that are consistent with the CMIP6 experimental design. The model meteorology, emissions, transport, and chemistry are evaluated in the recent past and found to be largely consistent with GEOS-Chem driven by the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications version 2 (MERRA-2) product and with observational constraints.
Classifying muscle parameters with artificial neural networks and simulated lateral pinch data.

Objective Hill-type muscle models are widely employed in simulations of human movement. Yet, the parameters underlying these models are difficult or impossible to measure in vivo. Prior studies demonstrate that Hill-type muscle parameters are encoded within dynamometric data. But, a generalizable approach for estimating these parameters from dynamometric data has not been realized. We aimed to leverage musculoskeletal models and artificial neural networks to classify one Hill-type muscle parameter (maximum isometric force) from easily measurable dynamometric data (simulated lateral pinch force). We tested two neural networks (feedforward and long short-term memory) to identify if accounting for dynamic behavior improved accuracy. Methods We generated four datasets via forward dynamics, each with increasing complexity from adjustments to more muscles. Simulations were grouped and evaluated to show how varying the maximum isometric force of thumb muscles affects lateral pinch force. Both neural networks classified these groups from lateral pinch force alone. Results Both neural networks achieved accuracies above 80% for datasets which varied only the flexor pollicis longus and/or the abductor pollicis longus. The inclusion of muscles with redundant functions dropped model accuracies to below 30%. While both neural networks were consistently more accurate than random guess, the long short-term memory model was not consistently more accurate than the feedforward model. Conclusion Our investigations demonstrate that artificial neural networks provide an inexpensive, data-driven approach for approximating Hill-type muscle-tendon parameters from easily measurable data. However, muscles of redundant function or of little impact to force production make parameter classification more challenging.
Revisiting 'Falling Man' at 20: the 9/11 Archive and Missing Images of Jumpers

Images of jumpers represent an emotionally charged symbol of 9/11, yet just after 9/11 their circulation was quickly and dramatically censored. Yet twenty years later, the 9/11 archive continues to...
Hormonal Regulation of Sodium Chloride and Water Transport in Epithelia

In higher animals, the regulation of the ionic composition of the extracellular and intracellular fluids is critically dependent on the control of net rates of ion and water movement across transporting epithelia. Thus, the control of ion and water absorption across the gut and kidney in mammals, and also the skin and urinary bladder in amphibians, plays a determining role in the maintenance of electrolyte and fluid homeostasis. In addition, the regulation of specific ion transport processes in secretory epithelia underlies the elaboration of fluid secretions, and also contributes to electrolyte balance in many species.
Plasma and red cell volumes during pregnancy.

Abstract A reduction in plasma volume with hemoconcentration occurs during eclampsia and pre-eclampsia, roughly in proportion to the severity of the disease. There is some indication that the subnormal plasma volume may antedate the appearance of hypertension, proteinuria, and edema.
Role of protein phosphatase 2A in modulating autophagy and mitophagy (LB220)

Protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) is a holoenzyme composed of a scaffolding/catalytic dimer that binds to a regulatory (B) subunit which dictates subcellular targeting and substrate specificity of PP2A. The PP2A holoenzymes that modulate autophagy and mitophagy in neurons are not known to date. Bβ2 is a regulatory subunit that redirects PP2A from the cytosol to the mitochondrion to induce mitochondrial fission and apoptosis of neurons. Given that mitochondrial fission precedes mitophagy, we surmised that Bβ2 regulates mitophagy in neurons. To address this hypothesis, we used a combination of cell imaging and biochemical approaches to quantify autophagy and mitophagy in SH-SY5Y cells transiently expressing the cytosolic regulatory subunit Bβ1 and the mitochondrial regulatory subunits Bβ2 and B56α. Western blot analyses showed that all three PP2A holoenzymes decrease the levels of the autophagosome marker microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3-II) and prevent further increases in LC3-II as induced ...
REGULATION OF INTESTINAL CYTOCHROME P-450 AND HEME BY DIETARY NUTRIENTS CRITICAL ROLE OF SELENIUM

The intestinal cytochrome P-450 (I-P-450)-dependent mixed function oxidase (MFO) system is regulated to a remarkable extent by various ingested xenobiotics, including drugs and carcinogens, as well as dietary nutrients. Accordingly, acute dietary iron deprivation is found to result in a marked decrease in I-P-450 content and activity. This decrease is most pronounced in the villous tip cells, the very cells committed to absorption of ingested materials. We investigated the mechanistic basis for such acute reduction and report that iron was not only required as a co-substrate for I-P-450 heme formation, but also as a regulator of two key heme-synthetic enzymes, delta-aminolevulinic acid synthetase and ferrochelatase. In addition, our studies revealed that dietary deprivation of selenium for a single day dramatically reduced I-P-450-dependent MFO activity. This prompt reduction apparently reflects impaired I-P-450 formation resulting from lowered ferrochelatase activity and consequently decreased intestinal heme availability, and was not a consequence of intracellular peroxidation presumably enhanced by concomitant lowering of the seleno-dependent glutathione peroxidase. Thus, we report the novel observation that dietary selenium also appears to be a critical modulator of intestinal cytochrome P-450-dependent metabolism of ingested drugs, carcinogens, and toxins that are absorbed by the intestinal mucosa.
Immunosuppression by human gangliosides. II. Carbohydrate structure and inhibition of human NK activity.

Gangliosides shed by tumors enhance tumor formation, possibly by suppressing host antitumor immune function, and gangliosides purified from animal tissues and cultured cells inhibit human cellular immune function in vitro. Determination of immunosuppressive activity of highly purified gangliosides, to uncover structure-activity relationships, is therefore important. Here we have studied a series of gangliosides obtained from human tissue and determined their effects on human natural killer (NK) activity. Total gangliosides from human brain tissue were moderately inhibitory; 100 nmol/ml reduced NK activity of human nonadherent PBMC by 43%. The influence of carbohydrate structure upon inhibitory activity was determined by study of eight highly (HPLC) purified individual gangliosides. Of these, we unexpectedly found that the two minor brain gangliosides with the simplest carbohydrate structures, GM2 and GM3, were very active inhibitors (75 and 47%, respectively, at 50 nmol/ml). In contrast, the structurally more complex major species, GM1, GD1a, GD1b, GT1b, and two other minor gangliosides, GD2 and GD3, were inactive. Reduced effector-target binding in a single-cell binding assay by GM2 but not GM3 suggests different mechanisms of inhibition by these two active gangliosides. Since GM2 and GM3 are present in high concentrations in, and are shed by, several common human tumors (e.g., neuroblastoma, melanoma, and glioma), their ability to inhibit NK cytotoxicity supports the hypothesis of a role of shed tumor gangliosides in the enhancement of tumor formation.
Native and introduced pollinators promote a self‐incompatible invasive woody vine (Paederia foetida L) in Florida1

Abstract Liu, H. (Department of Biology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Ave., SCA 110, Tampa, FL 33620), R. W. Pemberton (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Invasive Plant Research Laboratory, 3225 College Ave., Ft. Lauderdale, Florida 33314), and P. Stiling (Department of Biology, University of South Florida, 4202 East Fowler Ave., SCA 110, Tampa, FL 33620). Native and introduced pollinators promote an invasive woody vine (Paederia foetida L) in Florida. J. Torrey Bot. Soc. 133(2): 303– 311. 2006.—Little is known about the role of mutualistic relationships with local species in promoting or limiting introduced invasive plant species. In this study we carried out controlled pollination treatments and floral visitor watches at three sites varying in degree of human disturbance in central Florida to determine the breeding system and potential pollinators of Paederia foetida L (skunk vine). A native of eastern Asia, P. foetida is invasive in natural and human create...
Yeasts, enteric rods and pseudomonads in the subgingival flora of severe adult periodontitis.

The subgingival occurrence of yeasts and species of Enterobacteriacae and Pseudomonas was studied in 500 adults with severe periodontitis. All subjects had sites non-responding or “refractory” to conventional periodontal therapy. Most subjects had received one or more courses of broad-spectrum systemic antibiotics. Subgingival microbial samples were collected with paper points and transported in VMGA III. The bacterial samples were plated on enriched brucella blood agar and incubated anaerobically, and on TSBV, TBC, and Sabouraud agar, which were incubated in 10% CO2. Yeasts were speciated using the API 20C micro-method system and the germ tube test (for Candida albicans). Enteric organism's and pseudomonads were speciated with the API 20E kit system. Yeasts, enteric rods and pseudomonads were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility testing. The occurrence of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Bacteroides gingivalis, and Bacteroides intermedium was also determined in the patients studied. In the 500 periodontitis patients, yeasts were detected in 84 (16.8%), enteric rods or pseudo-monads in 51 (10.2%), and both yeasts and enterics or pseudomonads in 6 (1.2%). Candida albicans comprised 83.3% of the isolated yeasts. Enterobacteriaceae averaged 21–39% of the cultivable flora in culture-positive cases, with Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter agglomerans, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsietta pneumonias, and Klebsiella oxytoca being the most frequent species. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was isolated from 10 patients, averaging 23.4% of the cultivable subgingival flora. All Candida isolates, and 86–95% of the enteric rods and pseudomonads, were resistant to 1 μg/ml of tetracycline, penicillin G, and erythromycin. In patients positive for yeasts, enteric rods or pseudomonads, A. actinomycetemcomitans was isolated from about one-fifth, B. intermedius from about one-third, and B. gingivalis from 5% of the individuals. The present findings suggest that yeasts or enteric rods or pseudomonads occur in the subgingival flora of about one-third of “refractory” adult periodontitis patients. We caution against using antibiotics without prior microbiological screening in treating this patient group.
Enemies Evermore: US Policy Towards Cuba After Helms-Burton

When Cuban MiGs blasted two civilian planes out of the sky over the Straits of Florida on February 24 1996, they also destroyed any chance of improved relations between Cuba and the United States as long as Fidel Castro remains in power. In Washington, outrage over the shoot-down resurrected the Helms-Burton bill, the most punitive legislation on Cuba since the early 1960s. On 12 March, President Bill Clinton signed the bill into law as the Cuban Liberty and Democratic Solidarity Act of 1996. In addition to assorted sanctions aimed at foreigners doing business in Cuba, the most consequential provision incorporates the US economic embargo into law. Heretofore, the embargo was based on presidential executive orders; it could be tightened or loosened at the president's discretion as conditions warranted. Under Helms-Burton, no president can lift or even relax the embargo until Fidel Castro and the existing Cuban regime fall from power. At a time when Cuba's domestic social and economic system is changing at break-neck speed, Washington's 35-year-old policy of hostility has just been chiselled in stone.
Mechanisms of aural encoding: IV. Hear-see, say-write interactions for vowels

Six vowel sounds were presented in rondom orders for recall from short-term memory. Four groups of 25 Ss each in a2by 2 design either heard or saw the words, and either had to say them or write them. In general, accuracy was greater when the sounds were seen rather than heard, especially when they were verbatty reported. The major concern was the degree to which the major distinctive feature systems could predict the intrusion errors in each of the four conditions. The best prediction occurred in the auditory-input/verbal-output condition, as would be expected from the models on which distinctive feature specifications are based. However, as in a previous study by these authors, the most accurate predictions were not always made by the same combination of distinctive features. It is concluded that distinctive features are identifled in the initial encoding bef ore any retrieval processes are activated and that further errors made at the time of retrieval are aho related to distinctive features. Most importantly, however, both at initial registration and at retrieval, different features are implicated, depending upon the sound presented for recall and the input-output modalities involved.
Thermal Stress Relaxation due to Plastic Flow in the Fiber Coating of a Continuous Fiber Reinforced Composite

An analytical solution is obtained for the elastic response of a three coax ial cylinder model of a composite to thermal and mechanical loading. Calculations of the thermal stresses for various fiber coatings reveal certain relationships between the coating stresses that make it possible to solve for the plastic flow of the coating. In the case of a high expansivity coating, the elastic solution indicates that the radial and hoop stresses are the extreme stresses which satisfy the conditions for Tresca flow in the r-θ plane. However, as the temperature changes, plastic flow is shown to relax the hoop stress to the extent that it becomes less than the axial stress which violates the condition for Tresca flow. In order to obtain solutions for plastic flow in the coating it is then necessary to consider plastic flow in more than a single plane. The Prandtl-Reuss flow rule can be used to solve for flow in three planes but because of the mathematical complexity it is necessary to use numeri cal techniques for ...
Solute contributions to osmotic potential in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) callus

Summary Solute contributions to the callus Ψ s were assessed in loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda L.) callus while growing on medium at 2 Ψ w 's over a 5-week period. Murashige and Skoog medium with 30 g 1- 1 sucrose was used to produce a high Ψ w of −0.4 MPa (H) and the same medium was used to create a moderate Ψ w of −0.7 MPa (M) by adding 10% (w/v) polyethylene glycol (PEG, MW = 8000). Callus growth, Ψ w , Ψ s , and 4 solute classes (potassium, malate, soluble carbohydrates and amino acids) were measured and Ψ p (Ψ w -Ψ s ) was calculated. Callus Ψ p was maintained over time on both H and M media. H-callus Ψ w approached equilibrium with that of the external H medium after 5 weeks, whereas M-callus Ψ w was lower than that of the M medium. After 5 weeks on either medium, no increase was observed in the level of total solutes, when expressed per unit of either tissue DW or FW. At 5 weeks, the 4 solute classes were calculated to account for 87% of the H-callus Ψ s and 42% of the M-callus Ψ s . Apoplastic PEG accounted for an additional 14% (0.21 MPa) of theM-callus Ψ s . H-callus Ψ s increased with time because of increased water uptake, whereas M-callus Ψ s decreased because of PEG accumulation and probable PEG blockage of Mcallus hydration. Osmotic adjustment was not observed in this callus system.
Bilateral thalamic stimulation for the treatment of essential tremor

Objective: To determine the safety and efficacy of bilateral thalamic stimulation in the treatment of essential tremor (ET). Methods: Nine ET patients with disabling tremor refractory to pharmacotherapy underwent bilateral staged implants. Tremor was assessed by the Fahn-Tolosa-Marin Tremor Rating Scale at baseline 1 (before first implant), baseline 2 (before second implant), and at 6-month and 1-year follow-up. Blinded evaluations were performed at 3 months. Associated changes in speech were evaluated in six patients. There were seven men and two women with a mean age of 73.8 years. Results: There was a significant improvement in the mean total tremor score from a baseline of 66.1 ± 11.6 to 28.4 ± 12.8 12 months after the second surgery. Similarly, the mean motor tremor subscore was 20.1 ± 5.0 before the first surgery and improved significantly to 14.1 ± 3.6 before the second surgery. Motor tremor scores 6 months after the second surgery (6.0 ± 3.7) and 12 months after the second surgery (7.5 ± 3.9) also improved significantly relative to the preoperative scores. The mean activities of daily living (ADL) subscore at baseline was 18.2 ± 2.9 and improved significantly before the second surgery to 9.0 ± 3.2. These ADL scores further improved 6 months (6.2 ± 5.2) and 12 months (7.9 ± 5.7) following the second surgery, but these gains were not significant. Blinded evaluations also revealed a similar degree of improvement. Complications were noted in five patients: asymptomatic intracranial hematoma (1), postoperative seizures (1), a hematoma over the implanted pulse generator (IPG) (1), lead repositioning (1), and IPG malfunction (1). Adverse effects related to stimulation were mild and resolved with adjustment of the stimulation parameters. Three of the six patients demonstrated worsening of dysarthria with both stimulators on. Conclusions: Bilateral thalamic stimulation is effective in reducing tremor and functional disability in ET; however, dysarthria is a possible complication.
Erratum to: Naturalism, fallibilism, and the a priori

The original version of this article unfortunately has been published with certain errors that are corrected below. In Sect. 4, the initial line of the 2nd paragraph should read as Suppose we think the distributive law p q v r ð Þ :: ðp qÞ v ðp rÞ holds true and is a priori, but we want to be fallibilist about a priori justification. In the Acknowledgements section the name should read ‘Otavio Bueno’ (and not ‘Octavio Bueno’).
A novel inhibitor of glutamate release reduces excitotoxic injury in vitro.

Abstract Excessive release of glutamate has been implicated in the pathogenesis of excitotoxic neurologic disorders, such as stroke. BW 1003C87, an inhibitor of glutamate release and a putative Na + channel antagonist, reduced veratridine-stimulated, tetrodotoxin- and dizocilpine-sensitive toxicity (measured by lactate dehydrogenase efflux) in neuron-enriched cortical cultures (IC 50 = 5 μ M). In contrast, BW 1003C87 (300 μM) had no effect on toxicity induced by direct application of 1 mM glutamate or 1 mM N- methyl- d -aspartate , or by depolarization with 50 mM KCl. Glutamate release inhibitors such as BW 1003C87 may provide a novel approach to protection from excitotoxicity.
Controlling the efficiency of excision repair

The early studies are recounted, that led to the discovery of the ubiquitous process of DNA excision repair, followed by a review of the pathways of transcription-coupled repair (TCR) and global genomic nucleotide excision repair (GGR). Repair replication of damaged DNA in UV-irradiated bacteria was discovered through the use of 5-bromouracil to density-label newly synthesized DNA. This assay was then used in human cells to validate the phenomenon of unscheduled DNA synthesis as a measure of excision repair and to elucidate the first example of a DNA repair disorder, xeroderma pigmentosum. Features of the TCR pathway (that is defective in Cockayne syndrome (CS)) include the possibility of "gratuitous TCR" at transcription pause sites in undamaged DNA. The GGR pathway is shown to be controlled through the SOS stress response in E. coli and through the activated product of the p53 tumor suppressor gene in human cells. These regulatory systems particularly affect the efficiency of repair of the predominant UV-induced photoproduct, the cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer, as well as that of chemical carcinogen adducts, such as benzo(a)pyrene diol-epoxide. Rodent cells (typically lacking the p53-controlled GGR pathway) and tumor virus infected human cells (in which p53 function is abrogated) are unable to carry out efficient GGR of some lesions. Therefore, caution should be exercised in the interpretation of results from such systems for risk assessment in genetic toxicology. Many problems in excision repair remain to be solved, including the mechanism of scanning the DNA for lesions and the subcellular localization of the repair factories. Also there are persisting questions regarding the multiple options of repair, recombination, and translesion synthesis when replication forks encounter lesions in the template DNA. That is where the field of DNA excision repair began four decades ago with studies on the recovery of DNA synthesis in UV-irradiated bacteria.
How Google Uses Metadata to Improve Search Results

This article critically examines four Google search products (Google Advanced Search, Google News Advanced Search, Google Books Advanced Search, and Google Advanced Scholar Search) and shows how each uses metadata to enhance or improve search results. In addition, the article shows how metadata can increase search precision and recall in information discovery systems. From a library perspective, this article analyzes some of the metadata-enabled features of Google's advanced search pages and compares these features to those found in a typical online library catalog. From a serials perspective, Google News Advanced Search demonstrates how Google indexes news websites, sites that are essentially continuing resources. As Google incorporates more and more metadata functionality into its advanced search pages, they increasingly begin to function more like online library catalogs and less like search pages found in a traditional Internet search engine. The simple search box has many limitations, and like librar...
Digital stereoscopic imaging

The convergence of inexpensive digital cameras and cheap hardware for displaying stereoscopic images has created the right conditions for the proliferation of stereoscopic imaging applications. One application, which is of growing importance to museums and cultural institutions, consists of capturing and displaying 3D images of objects at multiple orientations. In this paper, we present our stereoscopic imaging system and methodology for semi-automatically capturing multiple orientation stereo views of objects in a studio setting, and demonstrate the superiority of using a high resolution, high fidelity digital color camera for stereoscopic object photography. We show the superior performance achieved with the IBM TDI-Pro 3000 digital camera developed at IBM Research. We examine various choices related to the camera parameters (aperture, focal length, focus), image capture geometry (distance of camera to the object, distance between the two camera positions, angle of elevation etc.) and suggest a range of optimum values that work well in practice. We also examine the effect of scene composition and background selection on the quality of the stereoscopic image display. We will demonstrate our technique with turntable views of objects from the IBM Corporate Archive.
A gold nanopopcorn attached single-walled carbon nanotube hybrid for rapid detection and killing of bacteria

We report a strategy to fabricate a rapid and stable surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based hybrid nanomaterial using gold nanopopcorns attached single-walled carbon nanotubes (AuNP@f3-SWCNTs) for label-free detection and photothermal killing of bacteria. Herein, previously ester-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (f1-SWCNTs) undergo 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction with in situ generated nitrile imine under Microwave (MW) irradiation to form a doubly ester terminated SWCNT cycloadduct (f2-SWCNT). The ester terminals are further modified with 4-aminothiophenol (4-ATP) under MW-irradiation to form thiol-terminated SWCNT templates (f3-SWCNTs) that allow gold nanopopcorns (AuNPs) to covalently and uniformly attach at a minimum inter-particle distance thus yielding a hybrid nanomaterial (AuNP@f3-SWCNT) with good aqueous stability and abundant ‘hotspots’. Consequently, monoclonal E. coli antibody-conjugated bioassays fabricated with our AuNP@f3-SWCNT substrates (mAb-AuNP@f3-SWCNT) rapidly detect E. coli in water with good selectivity and impressive SERS sensitivity. The detection limit of E. coli 49979, selected as a model to establish proof of principle, was found to be 1.0 × 102 CFU mL−1. Furthermore, the AuNP@f3-SWCNT hybrid nanomaterial offers impressive photothermal pathogen killing effects. The synergy-type enhancement effect arising from the inherent noble properties of the respective components of the hybrid nanomaterial indicate that our AuNP@f3-SWCNT has the potential for further application in multiplex detection in samples.
Damage modes in 3D glass fiber epoxy woven composites under high rate of impact loading

A qualitative analysis of experimental results from small caliber ballistic impact and dynamic indentation on a 3D glass fiber reinforced composite are presented. Microscopic analysis of the damaged specimens revealed that the current 3D weaving scheme creates inherently two weak planes which act as potential sites for delamination in the above experiments. It is concluded that while the z-yarns may be effective in limiting the delamination damage at low loads and at low rates of impact, at high loads and high loading rates delamination continues to be the dominant failure mode in 3D woven composites. It is shown that dynamic indentation can be used to capture the progression of damage during impact of 3D woven composites.