cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The influence of water on extinction and ignition of hydrogen and methane flames

Abstract The influence of water vapor on critical conditions of extinction and autoignition of premixed and nonpremixed flames is investigated. The fuels tested are hydrogen (H2) and methane (CH4). Studies on premixed systems are carried out by injecting a premixed reactant stream made up of fuel, oxygen (O2), and nitrogen (N2) from one duct, and an inert-gas stream of N2 from the other duct. Critical conditions of extinction are measured for various amounts of water vapor added to the premixed reactant stream. The ratio of fuel to oxygen is maintained at a constant value, and the amounts of water vapor and nitrogen are so chosen that the adiabatic temperature remains the same. This ensures that the physical influence of water is the same for all cases. Therefore, changes in values for the critical conditions of extinction are attributed to the chemical influence of water vapor. Studies on nonpremixed systems are carried out by injecting a fuel stream made up of fuel and N2 from one duct ,and an oxidizer stream made up of O2 and N2 from the other duct. Critical conditions of extinction are measured with water vapor added to the oxidizer stream. The concentrations of reactants are so chosen that the adiabatic temperature and the flame position stay the same for all cases. Critical conditions of autoignition are measured by preheating the oxidizer stream of the nonpremixed system. Water vapor is added to the oxidizer stream. Numerical calculations are performed using a detailed chemical-kinetic mechanism and compared with measurements. Experimental and numerical studies show that addition of water makes the premixed and nonpremixed flames easier to extinguish and harder to ignite. The chemical influence of water is attributed to its enhanced chaperon efficiency in three body reactions.
Are we scientists or engineers

Like those sophomoric debates about trees falling in the forest, the answer depends on the definition. In my dictionary, the preferred definition of science involves discovering properties of the natural world. Engineering involves the application of those properties to solve practical problems. By those definitions we are neither scientists nor engineers. The principal objects of our study are manmade, not natural. The third definition in my dictionary is more expansive, focuses more on the method of discovery, and includes the rigorous study of any phenomena. By that definition we are perhaps both scientists and engineers, since we both study and apply computation. But I am not sure that is a useful response to the original question, since it reflects only that the level of abstraction has been raised—at a some even higher level of abstraction we are probably also humanists. If we abstract too lmuch, we lose the intent of making the distinction in the first place. Does the answer matter? In some ways, I suppose so. It’s handy to have an analogy to help explain what we do. Certainly we share a lot with both science and engineering-the scientific method on the one hand and the construction of useful, reliable, and cost-effective artifacts on the other. No one can contest that the foundations of computation are as deep and intellectually rich as those of any natural science, and the systems we engineer are clearly among the most sophisticated ever devised. Since most people have positive feelings about both science and engineering, the analogies are generally useful, even if they aren’t perfect and even if the listener doesn’t really understand what it means to be a scientist or engineer anyway. The problem with analogies, however, is that they cut both ways. If we ever decided the question, we would have to live with inferences that we might not like. As a case in point, there is a movement in engineering education to structure the core curriculum on the common applications of the conservation laws and the second law of thermodynamics. Proponents of this view recommend that, to be accredited, the first two years of all engineering curricula be organized exclusively around these. If we’re engineers, then presumably that applies to us. I, for one, believe that computing professionals need the earliest possible introduction of discrete mathematics and forma 1 methods. My own depart-
Variation of Salinity in Brackish-water Lenses of Two Florida Keys

Abstract Electromagnetic profiling and groundwater sampling on Sugarloaf Key and Little Torch Key in the Lower Keys of Florida show that these small, low-lying islands support only brackish-water lenses. On both islands, the lenses have central cores with lower salinities surrounded by areas of increasing salinity. The uppermost few meters of these central zones are uniform and slightly brackish (∼3 ppt) year-round on Sugarloaf Key. On Little Torch Key, which is smaller, there is a similar central, uniform brackish zone during the wet season, with salinity slightly higher than on Sugarloaf Key. These lenses are similar in form to many freshwater lenses, except that the central zone is slightly brackish rather than fresh. During the dry season Little Torch Key loses the central brackish zone, and salinities increase approximately linearly with depth. This dry-season pattern, in which the freshwater/saltwater mixing zone effectively extends throughout the lens, is similar to that documented on Enjebi Island...
Heavy metal ion hydrogelation of a self-assembling peptideviacysteinyl chelation

Hydrogel materials are finding use in heavy metal ion detection and remediation. MBHP is a twenty-residue peptide capable of undergoing hydrogelation in response to heavy metal ion binding. The unstructured peptide binds monomethylarsonous acid, Pb2+, Zn2+, Cd2+ or Hg2+ and subsequently folds into an amphiphilic β-hairpin that rapidly self-assembles into a β-sheet rich fibrillar network as shown by CD spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. LCMS shows that MBHP binds metal ions with a 1 : 1 stoichiometry. Oscillatory rheology indicates that moderately rigid hydrogels are formed as a result of metal ion binding, peptide folding and ultimate self-assembly with storage moduli (G′) ranging from ∼1000–4000 Pa.
Piercing and tattooing in patients with congenital heart disease: patient and physician perspectives.

Abstract Purpose: The frequency and safety of ear piercing and tattooing were assessed in a group of children, adolescents, and adults with congenital heart disease (CHD). Also, a group of physicians who care for adolescents and adults with CHD were surveyed for opinions and experiences regarding piercing and tattooing. Methods: An eight-question survey was mailed to 445 patients (181 adults and 264 children) from one center. A different five-question survey was mailed to 176 physician members of the International Society of Adult Congenital Cardiac Disease. Results: The patient survey was completed by 152 of 445 (34%) patients (mean age ± standard deviation 19.8 ± 16.2 years; range 0.25–67 years). Eighty-eight of 152 (58%) patients were female. Ear piercing occurred in 65 of 152 (43%) patients (mean age 12.4 ± 8.7 years; range 0.25–45 years). Prior to piercing, only 4 of 65 (6%) patients took antibiotics, but 15 of 65 (23%) had piercing-related infections. No patient had endocarditis. Infections occurred 1 week to 3 years after piercing. All were local skin infections. Tattoos were placed in 8 of 152 (5%) patients (median age 17.5 years; range 13–56 years). No antibiotic use or infections were reported in patients with tattoos. The physician survey was completed by 118 of 176 (67%) physicians. The majority of physicians did not approve of patients having piercing or tattooing performed. However, 60% of physicians believed that antibiotic prophylaxis is indicated for these procedures. Conclusions: Despite the opinion of many physicians, most patients do not take antibiotic prophylaxis for piercing and tattooing. Patients apparently do not suffer serious sequelae. The efficacy of standard antibiotic regimes as applied to ear piercing and tattooing requires further study, since these procedures are increasingly popular in modern society.
Structural effects of Na promotion for high water gas shift activity on Pt–Na/TiO2

Abstract Sodium (1–10 wt.%)-promoted 1 wt.% Pt/TiO2 catalysts were prepared by a co-impregnation method and tested for the water gas shift (WGS) reaction under differential reaction conditions. Significantly higher intrinsic activity is achieved with 2–4 wt.% Na addition, when 2–4 layers of NaOx are deposited on the support and the Pt particles are partially covered by NaOx, with moderate surface basicity and exposed Pt surface areas. In addition to the physical coverage, XPS data suggest that interactions between Pt and NaOx may occur by Pt electron donation to O in NaOx through Pt–O–Na. The strong metal–promoter interactions provide highly active sites for the WGS reaction at the periphery of the Pt–NaOx interface and also inhibit Pt particles from sintering. Optimal 4 wt.% Na (Na/Pt = 34) improves the intrinsic reaction rate and turnover frequency of Pt/TiO2 at 300 °C by 8 and 11 times, respectively, and appears to be significantly higher than reported in the literature. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption, CO chemisorption, transmission electron microscopy, H2 temperature-programmed reduction, CO2 temperature-programmed desorption, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.
Potential utility of p53 immunopositivity in differentiation of adenocarcinomas from reactive epithelial atypias of the lung

Abstract Reactive atypia of alveolar epithelium occurs in many types of lung injury and may sometimes raise suspicions of adenocarcinoma or bronchioloalveolar carcinoma. To assess whether there is sufficient difference in the frequency of p53 protein immunopositivity in these lesions to provide a practical basis for differentiating malignancy from reactive atypia, we immunostained 110 malignant and inflammatory/fibrotic lung specimens for p53 protein. Paraffin-embedded sections were immunostained with p53 protein antibody (clone BP53-12; BioGenex, San Ramon, CA) and standard capillary gap (Microprobe; Fisher Scientific, Fairlawn, NJ) avidin-biotin complex technique with antigen retrieval solution. Percent of immunopositive cells was semiquantitatively categorized as follows: 0%, less than 1%, 1% to 10%, 10% to 50%, more than 50%. Of reactive atypias, 94% are negative or show p53 immunopositivity in less than 10% of cells. Of p53 positive malignancies, 86% are positive in more than 10% of cells. When p53 immunopositivity occurs in more than 10% of atypical cells, the lesion is usually a malignancy, primarily adenocarcinoma. Most reactive atypias are immunopositive in less than 10% of atypical cells. Important caveats were noted. Rare reactive atypias are p53 immunopositive in greater than 10% of cells. Bronchioloalveolar carcinomas are infrequently p53 immunopositive. Therefore, this approach would be less useful in their differentiation from reactive atypias.
The role of attorney mental models of law in case relevance determinations: an exploratory analysis

This article examines the information seeking and evaluative behavior of attorneys as they search the corpus of law for primary authority in order to solve context sensitive legal issues. First, the dynamic mental models attorneys construct of the law as expressed in its published artifacts is explored. The relevance judgment of cases is then explicated in terms of these models. The conclusion reached is that relevance judgments shift along a knowledge continuum depending on the status of the attorney's mental model, and that the factors underlying these judgments are complex, multidimensional, and knowable. Current empirical research into the retrieval effectiveness of two full-text legal databases is evaluated in light of the behavioral theory and mental models developed. The implications of attorney information seeking behavior for future information retrieval system design for this domain are also explored. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Path-following approaches to the solution of multicomponent, multistage separation process problems

In solving the nonlinear algebraic equations that are normally used to model multicomponent separation processes, one is not guaranteed that Newton's method or any of its relatives will converge to the solution. This paper describes two homotopies and their use in the solution of difficult equilibrium stage separation process problems. The first, the Newton homotopy, is able to solve more problems than a standard implementation of Newton's method but is not the most reliable homotopy. Since the equations being solved no longer model a separation process unit, the Newton homotopy sometimes suffers from intermediate solutions that are physically meaningless. The second, the thermodynamic homotopy, is strongly based on the thermodynamic properties of the systems involved. This new homotopy is able to handle not only the more traditional distillation problems (hydrocarbon systems and mildly nonideal systems), but is also extremely effective at solving azeotropic and extractive distillation problems. The implementation of these methods requires only minor modifications to existing software.
Media Relations in the Travel and Tourism Industry: A Coorientation Analysis

ABSTRACT Public relations practitioners and journalists need each other, but just how much are they willing to work together? This research uses one element of the coorientation model to investigate media relations in the travel and tourism industry. One hundred and twenty three travel editors and travel and tourism public relations practitioners indicated their level of agreement with 24 statements about the media coverage of the travel and tourism industry. The practitioners and journalists have similar attitudes toward the coverage of their field and are often on the same side of the issue. Statistically significant differences in the responses of the groups are more often due to the level of agreement, rather than major disagreement.
Phosphorylative respiratory activity of mitochondria isolated from the left and right ventricles of rabbit hearts following partial pulmonary trunk occlusion.

Right ventricular hypertrophy was produced by placing a spiral Monel metal clip around the pulmonary trunks of rabbits causing a sustained 67% occlusion of the vessel. The operation produced a doubling of right ventricular weight, by 13 days post-surgery, which persisted throughout the post-operative period studied (13 to 84 days); only a slight increase in left ventricular free wall weight was observed. Isolated mitochondria exhibited region-specific changes with time in state 3 Qo2. Thirteen days after operation, the state 3 Qo2 of right ventricular mitochondria was depressed to about 85% of controls. Thereafter, respiration increased fairly sharply, peaking at just above control values by 40 days post-operation. Finally, it declined abruptly to about 70% of controls by 84 days. A very different pattern of change was observed when left ventricular mitochondrial respiratory activities were examined. Thirteen days after the operation, state 3 Qo2 was elevated somewhat above controls. Thereafter, it declined linearly and gradually, dropping to about 85% of controls by 84 days.
Mitochondrial fusion and function in Charcot–Marie–Tooth type 2A patient fibroblasts with mitofusin 2 mutations

Charcot-Marie-Tooth Type 2A is a dominantly inherited peripheral neuropathy characterized by axonal degeneration of sensory and motor nerves. The disease is caused by mutations in the mitochondrial fusion gene MFN2. Mfn2 is an integral outer mitochondrial membrane protein composed of a large GTPase domain and two heptad repeat (HR) domains that face the cytoplasm. Mitochondrial membrane fusion and division are balanced processes that are necessary to maintain tubular mitochondrial morphology, respiratory function, and uniform distribution of the organelle throughout the cell. We have utilized primary fibroblasts from CMT2A patients to survey mitochondrial phenotypes associated with heterozygous MFN2 alleles expressed at physiological levels. Our results indicate that, in fibroblasts, mitofusin expression, mitochondrial morphology, ultrastructure, mtDNA content, and respiratory capacity are not affected by the presence of mutant Mfn2 protein. Consistent with a lack of mitochondrial dysfunction, we also show that mitochondrial fusion occurs efficiently in CMT2A patient-derived fibroblasts. Our observations are in agreement with the neuronal specificity of the disease and are consistent with a recent finding that mitochondrial fusion can be maintained in cells that express mutant Mfn2 protein due to complementation by a second mitofusin, Mfn1. We discuss our results and those of others in terms of a comprehensive model for the mechanism(s) by which mutations in MFN2 may lead to CMT2A disease.
The Enormous Vogue of Things Mexican: Cultural Relations between the United States and Mexico, 1920-1935

The histories of Mexico and the United States have been intertwined since the beginning of their existence as independent nations. Diplomatic relations were established in 1822 and were maintained despite occasional ruptures, and economic links were forged early in the 19th century and became increasingly important with the passage of time. Beginning about 1900 the expanded international role of the United States brought increased attention to the cultures of other peoples, and an important aspect was a growth of interest in Latin America. By 1910, Spanish language classes were offered in American secondary schools, and because of substantial economic investments the American community in Mexico consisted of nearly 21,000 residents. Reviewing two books with Mexican themes in 1929, Waldo Frank saw them as heralds of "a campaign of an aesthetic, emotional, intellectual infiltration" of the United States by Mexico. Frank was referring to a flowering of cultural relations between the United States and Mexico that began in the 1920s and matured in the mid-1930s. The term "cultural relations" is used here to designate connections, both personal and institutional, that exposed artists and intellectuals in each country to developments in art, music, literature, and archaeology in the other. One result of these relationships was unprecedented exposure to all facets of Mexican culture in the United States, either in original form or as filtered through the consciousness of US interpreters. Delpar describes the development of cultural relations as well as the conditions in both countries that made it possible. These include the early enthusiasm of American liberals and leftists for the Mexican Revolution of 1910, the rise of cultural nationalism in Mexico and the United States, and the admiration of American neoromantics for "authentic" peoples and cultures such as might be found in Mexico. By drawing attention to the cultural link between the neighbouring republics at a time of creative ferment in both, this book complements studies of diplomatic and economic relations.
Maternal factors associated with misperceptions of the second-trimester sonogram

Objective Prior studies have shown that patients have poor understanding of prenatal screening tests. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the frequency with which patients have poor understanding of the sensitivity and safety of the second-trimester fetal sonogram and to identify maternal factors associated with poor understanding. Method One hundred fifty-five women presenting for a routine fetal anatomy scan completed a survey that assessed their understanding of the diagnostic sensitivity and safety of ultrasound, their demographic characteristics, and the sources of information of their knowledge of ultrasound. The frequency of misperception with regard to sonographic sensitivity or safety was determined, and both univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify factors associated with misperception. Results Fifty-one percent of women had a misperception of the sensitivity or safety of a second-trimester sonogram. Although multiple characteristics (age, ethnicity, education, income, source of ultrasound information) were associated with this misperception in univariable analysis, only education and income remained independently associated with misperception in multivariable regression. Conclusion Lower educational attainment and lower income are associated with misperception of the sensitivity and safety of a second-trimester sonogram. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Distinct Roles for Two Gα–Gβ Interfaces in Cell Polarity Control by a Yeast Heterotrimeric G Protein

Saccharomyces cerevisiae mating pheromones trigger dissociation of a heterotrimeric G protein (Gαβγ) into Gα-guanosine triphosphate (GTP) and Gβγ. The Gβγ dimer regulates both mitogen-activated pro...
Tight integration of combinational verification methods

Combinational verification is an important piece of most equivalence checking tools. In the recent past, many combinational verification algorithms have appeared in the literature. Previous results show that these algorithms are able to exploit circuit similarity to successfully verify large designs. However, none of these strategies seems to work when the two input designs are not equivalent. We present our combinational verification algorithm, with evidence, that is designed to be robust for both the positive and the negative problem instances. We also show that a tight integration of different verification techniques, as opposed to a coarse integration of different algorithm, is more effective at solving hard instances.
Towards Prognostics of Power MOSFETs: Accelerated Aging and Precursors of Failure

This paper presents research results dealing with power MOSFETs (metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor) within the prognostics and health management of electronics. Experimental results are presented for the identification of the on-resistance as a precursor to failure of devices with die-attach degradation as a failure mechanism. Devices are aged under power cycling in order to trigger die-attach damage. In situ measurements of key electrical and thermal parameters are collected throughout the aging process and further used for analysis and computation of the on-resistance parameter. Experimental results show that the devices experience die-attach damage and that the on-resistance captures the degradation process in such a way that it could be used for the development of prognostics algorithms (data-driven or physics-based).
Allosteric Regulation in Gating the Central Channel of the Nuclear Pore Complex

Summary The nuclear pore complex (NPC) arose in evolution as the cell's largest and most versatile transport channel. Current models for selective transport mediated by NPCs are focused on properties of intrinsically disordered regions of nucleoporins that bind transport factors. In contrast, structured regions are considered to provide static anchoring sites for the disordered regions without affecting transport factor binding. Here, we demonstrate allosteric coupling between a structured domain of a channel nucleoporin (Nup58) and its neighboring disordered domain in interaction with another channel nucleoporin (Nup54) and a transport factor (Kapβ1). Analysis of multiple equilibria showed that multivalent interactions of Kapβ1 with the disordered domains of Nup58 stabilize the neighboring structured domain associated with Nup54, shifting conformational equilibria from homo-oligomers to hetero-oligomers. Based on these and previous crystallographic results, a quantitative framework was established to describe constriction and dilation of the central channel as a function of transport factor occupancy.
First trimester PAPP-A levels correlate with sFlt-1 levels longitudinally in pregnant women with and without preeclampsia

First trimester Pregnancy Associated Plasma Protein A (PAPP-A) levels, routinely measured for aneuploidy screening, may predict development of preeclampsia. This study tests the hypothesis that first trimester PAPP-A levels correlate with soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) levels, an angiogenic marker associated with preeclampsia, throughout pregnancy. sFlt-1 levels were measured longitudinally in 427 women with singleton pregnancies in all three trimesters. First trimester PAPP-A and PAPP-A Multiples of Median (MOM) were measured. Student’s T and Wilcoxon tests compared preeclamptic and normal pregnancies. A linear mixed model assessed the relationship between log PAPP-A and serial log sFlt-1 levels. PAPP-A and PAPP-A MOM levels were significantly lower in preeclamptic (n = 19), versus normal pregnancies (p = 0.02). Although mean third trimester sFlt-1 levels were significantly higher in preeclampsia (p = 0.002), first trimester sFlt-1 levels were lower in women who developed preeclampsia, compared with normal pregnancies (p = 0.03). PAPP-A levels correlated significantly with serial sFlt-1 levels. Importantly, low first trimester PAPP-A MOM predicted decreased odds of normal pregnancy (OR 0.2, p = 0.002). Low first trimester PAPP-A levels suggests increased future risk of preeclampsia and correlate with serial sFlt-1 levels throughout pregnancy. Furthermore, low first trimester PAPP-A status significantly predicted decreased odds of normal pregnancy.
Effects of Age on Rapid Ankle Torque Development

Background. When balance is disturbed, often only fractions of a second are available in which to make the initial responses needed for its restoration. Abilities to develop joint torques rapidly may be critical to such responses. We undertook this study to quantify age effects among healthy adults in abilities to develop ankle joint torques rapidly. Methods.. Ankle dorsiflexion (DF) and plantarflexion (PF) torque development during rapid isometric and during isokinetic (30, 60, 120, 180, and 240 deg/sec) exertions was assessed in 24 healthy young (mean age 23 years) and 24 healthy old adults (mean age 72 years). The effects of age, gender, and torque direction on the times needed to reach given torque magnitudes, maximum rates of isometric torque development (MRTD), and maximum isokinetic torques were examined. Results.. The old adults required substantially more time to reach given torque magnitudes than the young adults. For example, the young and old females needed approximately 236 and 337 msec to develop 15 Nm of DF torque, of which 141 and 164 msec were reaction times. Isometric MRTD were 25 to 36% lower in the old than in the young adults. The age declines in isometric torque development time were associated with losses in maximum isometric strength. Maximum isokinetic torques developed by the old were 20 to 40% lower than those of young adults. The percent losses in isokinetic torques with age were independent of joint angular velocity for PF, but increased with velocity for DF. Conclusions.. We found substantial age declines in abilities of healthy old adults to rapidly develop ankle joint torques. The capacities of even healthy old adults to recover balance or to carry out other time-critical actions that require moderate-to-substantial strengths may be considerably degraded by these declines.
Histone deacetylase activity of Rpd3 is important for transcriptional repression in vivo

Eukaryotic organisms from yeast to human contain a multiprotein complex that includes Rpd3 histone deacetylase and Sin3 corepressor. The Sin3‐Rpd3 complex, when recruited to promoters by specific DNA-binding proteins, can direct transcriptional repression of specific classes of target genes. It has been proposed that the histone deacetylase activity of Rpd3 is important for repression, but direct evidence is lacking. Here, we describe four Rpd3 derivatives with mutations in evolutionarily invariant histidine residues in a putative deacetylation motif. These Rpd3 mutants lack detectable histone deacetylase activity in vitro, but interact normally with Sin3 in vivo. In yeast cells, these catalytically inactive mutants are defective for transcriptional repression. They retain some residual Rpd3 function in vivo, however, suggesting that repression by the Sin3‐Rpd3 complex may not be attributable exclusively to its intrinsic histone deacetylase activity. Finally, we show that a human Rpd3 homolog can interact with yeast Sin3 and repress transcription when artificially recruited to a promoter. These results suggest that the histone deacetylase activity of Rpd3 is important, but perhaps not absolutely required, for transcriptional repression in vivo.
Constructing a proximity-aware power law overlay network

Peer-to-peer (P2P) networks offer a message exchanging overlay for distributed applications such as file sharing, application layer multicast, and publisher/subscriber system. The communication efficiency of the underlying overlay network is thus one of the primary factors that determine the performance of those applications. In this paper, we propose a P2P overlay network aiming at offering the low maintenance overhead of unstructured P2P networks and the scalability and communication efficiency of structured P2P networks. We design a distributed algorithm to construct low-diameter overlay networks with power law topologies. Peers consider both network proximity information and capacity of existing peers when choosing their P2P network neighbors. Using an application layer multicast system as our example, we demonstrate that our system can provide generic, scalable, and low diameter overlay networks for distributed applications that demand efficient P2P communication supports
Evidence for a narrow baryonic state decaying to K0(S) p and K0(S) anti-p in deep inelastic scattering at HERA

A resonance search has been made in the K(S)(0)p and K-S(0)(p) over bar invariant-mass spectrum measured with the ZEUS detector at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 121 pb(-1). The search was performed in the central rapidity region of inclusive deep inelastic scattering at an ep centre-of-mass energy of 300-318 GeV for exchanged photon virtuality, Q(2), above 1 GeV2. Recent results from fixed-target experiments give evidence for a narrow baryon resonance decaying to K(+)n and K(S)(0)p, interpreted as a pentaquark. The results presented here support the existence of such state, with a mass of 1521.5 +/- 1.5(stat.)(-1.7)(+2.8)(syst.) MeV and a Gaussian width consistent with the experimental resolution of 2 MeV The signal is visible at high Q(2) and, for Q(2) > 20 GeV2, contains 221 +/- 48 events. The probability of a similar signal anywhere in the range 1500-1560 MeV arising from fluctuations of the background is below 6 x 10(-5). (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Commuter Services in the Boston Area, 1835–1860

In the late 1840's, under the leadership of the Boston and Maine management, the seven steam railroads in Boston promoted the development of suburbs by lowering fares and providing frequent commuter trains. By 1855 the volume of commuter traffic was of sufficient magnitude and the fares so low as to depress the earning power of the seven roads. When the managements attempted to offset increases in wages and material costs with higher commuter fares, the commuters on one line dramatically and successfully staged a revolt. The policy of deliberately developing commuter service as a by-product not only stimulated the urban development of Greater Boston but also influenced the philosophy of railroad management itself.
CaM kinase II regulation of CRHSP-28 phosphorylation in cultured mucosal T84 cells.

Ca2+-regulated heat-stable protein of 28 kDa (CRHSP-28; a member of the tumor protein D52 family) is highly expressed in exocrine glands and was shown to regulate digestive enzyme secretion from pa...
Cognitive-Linguistic Functioning and Learning to Read in Preschoolers.

There were 11 4-year-olds who were taught to read with Book 1 of Fuller's Ball-Stick-Bird System, while 12 control subjects received reading-related activities with Book 1. Before and after the intervention phase of 13 weeks, all subjects were given a task which involved remembering a sequence of picture items (short-term memory functioning) and a task which involved sensitivity to the syllabic and phonemic segments of spoken words (metalinguistic functioning). There was a reciprocal relationship between reading instruction and metalinguistic functioning but not between reading instruction and short-term memory functioning. Theoretical implications for the concept of reading readiness and several practical implications for the teaching and assessment of beginning reading were discussed.
Differential Effect of Features of Autism on IQs Reported Using Wechsler Scales.

Many children with autistic disorder, or autism, are described as having low intelligence quotients. These descriptions are partially based on use of various editions of the Wechsler Intelligence S...
Culture‐dependent and culture‐independent analyses reveal no prokaryotic community shifts or recovery of Serratia marcescens in Acropora palmata with white pox disease

Recently, the etiological agent of white pox (WP) disease, also known as acroporid serratiosis, in the endangered coral Acropora palmata is the enteric bacterium Serratia marcescens with the source being localized sewage release onto coastal coral reef communities. Here, we show that both culture-dependent and culture-independent approaches could not recover this bacterium from samples of tissue and mucus from A. palmata colonies affected by WP disease in the Bahamas, or seawater collected adjacent to A. palmata colonies. Additionally, a metagenetic 16S rRNA pyrosequencing study shows no significant difference in the bacterial communities of coral tissues with and without WP lesions. As recent studies have shown for other coral diseases, S. marcescens cannot be identified in all cases of WP disease in several geographically separated populations of A. palmata with the same set of signs. As a result, its identification as the etiological agent of WP disease, and cause of a reverse zoonosis, cannot be broadly supported. However, the prevalence of WP disease associated with S. marcescens does appear to be associated with proximity to population centers, and research efforts should be broadened to examine this association, and to identify other causes of this syndrome.
Efficient production of indigoidine in Escherichia coli

Indigoidine is a bacterial natural product with antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. Its bright blue color resembles the industrial dye indigo, thus representing a new natural blue dye that may find uses in industry. In our previous study, an indigoidine synthetase Sc-IndC and an associated helper protein Sc-IndB were identified from Streptomyces chromofuscus ATCC 49982 and successfully expressed in Escherichia coli BAP1 to produce the blue pigment at 3.93 g/l. To further improve the production of indigoidine, in this work, the direct biosynthetic precursor l-glutamine was fed into the fermentation broth of the engineered E. coli strain harboring Sc-IndC and Sc-IndB. The highest titer of indigoidine reached 8.81 ± 0.21 g/l at 1.46 g/l l-glutamine. Given the relatively high price of l-glutamine, a metabolic engineering technique was used to directly enhance the in situ supply of this precursor. A glutamine synthetase gene (glnA) was amplified from E. coli and co-expressed with Sc-indC and Sc-indB in E. coli BAP1, leading to the production of indigoidine at 5.75 ± 0.09 g/l. Because a nitrogen source is required for amino acid biosynthesis, we then tested the effect of different nitrogen-containing salts on the supply of l-glutamine and subsequent indigoidine production. Among the four tested salts including (NH4)2SO4, NH4Cl, (NH4)2HPO4 and KNO3, (NH4)2HPO4 showed the best effect on improving the titer of indigoidine. Different concentrations of (NH4)2HPO4 were added to the fermentation broths of E. coli BAP1/Sc-IndC+Sc-IndB+GlnA, and the titer reached the highest (7.08 ± 0.11 g/l) at 2.5 mM (NH4)2HPO4. This work provides two efficient methods for the production of this promising blue pigment in E. coli.
More than just right or wrong: Using concept questions to discern students' thinking in mechanics

This paper outlines five concept questions from Statics and Mechanics of Materials from which instructors can easily learn about student thinking when the students select incorrect answers. These questions represent vertical transfer assessment tools and show the potential of using such questions. They can be used as part of a pre-test or in some other manner such as a warm-up exercise. The questions discussed here all show good correlation between students' answer selections and the misconceptions or specific difficulties that they are exhibiting with the concept covered in the question. Simply by assessing the answer distributions instructors can easily learn enough about student thinking to tailor instruction and classroom activities.
Effect of alginate microencapsulation on the catalytic efficiency and in vitro enzyme-prodrug therapeutic efficacy of cytosine deaminase and of recombinant E. coli expressing cytosine deaminase

Cytosine deaminase (CD) catalyses the enzymatic conversion of the non-toxic prodrug 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) to the potent chemotherapeutic form, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Intratumoral delivery of CD localises chemotherapy dose while reducing systemic toxicity. Encapsulation in biocompatible microcapsules immunoisolates CD and protects it from degradation. We report on the effect of alginate encapsulation on the catalytic and functional activity of isolated CD and recombinant E. coli engineered to express CD (E. coli(CD)). Alginate microcapsules containing either CD or Escherichia coli(CD) were prepared using ionotropic gelation. Conversion of 5-FC to 5-FU was quantitated in unencapsulated and encapsulated CD/E. coli(CD) using spectrophotometry, with a slower rate of conversion observed following encapsulation. Both encapsulated CD/5-FC and E. coli(CD)/5-FC resulted in cell kill and reduced proliferation of 9 L rat glioma cells, which was comparable to direct 5-FU treatment. Our results show that encapsulation preserves the therapeutic potential of CD and E. coli(CD) is equally effective for enzyme-prodrug therapy.
CRISPR/Cas9: An inexpensive, efficient loss of function tool to screen human disease genes in Xenopus

Congenital malformations are the major cause of infant mortality in the US and Europe. Due to rapid advances in human genomics, we can now efficiently identify sequence variants that may cause disease in these patients. However, establishing disease causality remains a challenge. Additionally, in the case of congenital heart disease, many of the identified candidate genes are either novel to embryonic development or have no known function. Therefore, there is a pressing need to develop inexpensive and efficient technologies to screen these candidate genes for disease phenocopy in model systems and to perform functional studies to uncover their role in development. For this purpose, we sought to test F0 CRISPR based gene editing as a loss of function strategy for disease phenocopy in the frog model organism, Xenopus tropicalis. We demonstrate that the CRISPR/Cas9 system can efficiently modify both alleles in the F0 generation within a few hours post fertilization, recapitulating even early disease phenotypes that are highly similar to knockdowns from morpholino oligos (MOs) in nearly all cases tested. We find that injecting Cas9 protein is dramatically more efficacious and less toxic than cas9 mRNA. We conclude that CRISPR based F0 gene modification in X. tropicalis is efficient and cost effective and readily recapitulates disease and MO phenotypes.
The Effect of Perioperative Corticosteroids in Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Prospective Double-Blind Placebo Controlled Pilot Study

Abstract Background Surgery produces a rapid rise in interleukin 6 (IL-6) which may increase the risk of deep vein thrombosis and medical complications. Perioperative corticosteroids suppress IL-6 release in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty. This study evaluates the effects of a perioperative corticosteroid regimen on IL-6 formation, thrombogenesis, fibrinolysis, and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing unilateral, uncemented, total hip arthroplasty. Methods Twenty-seven patients (14 placebo and 13 study) were enrolled in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. The study group received 20 mg of prednisone orally followed by 2 doses of intravenous hydrocortisone, each 8 hours apart. Blood was drawn at several time points for IL-6, prothrombin fragment 1.2, and plasmin-alpha-2-antiplasmin complex, a marker of fibrinolysis. In-hospital visual analog pain (visual analog scale) scores, patient-controlled analgesia use, and ability to climb stairs were recorded. Results Mean serum IL-6 levels at 6 and 24 hours postoperatively were significantly lower for the study group, whereas serum prothrombin fragment 1.2 and plasmin-alpha-2-antiplasmin were not statistically different at any study time point. Average pain scores were similar ( P > .05), but study group experience less severe pain ( P P = .02). At 3 months, 4 patients in the placebo and 1 patient in the study group had difficulty going up and down staircases ( P = .08). Conclusion The use of corticosteroids was associated with a statistically significant decrease in IL-6 at 6 and 24 hours postoperatively but did not affect thrombogenic markers. The study group had improved postoperative analgesia and a trend toward improved functional outcome at 3 months postoperatively.
Competitive Flow Time Algorithms for Polyhedral Scheduling

Many scheduling problems can be viewed as allocating rates to jobs, subject to convex packing constraints on the rates. In this paper, we consider the problem of rate allocation when jobs of unknown size arrive online (non-clairvoyant setting), with the goal of minimizing weighted delay or flow time. Though this problem has strong lower bounds on competitive ratio in its full generality, we show positive results for natural and fairly broad sub-classes. More specifically, the subclasses we consider not only generalize several well-studied models such as scheduling with speedup curves and related machine scheduling, but also capture as special cases hitherto unstudied scheduling problems such as routing multi-commodity flows, routing multicast (video-on-demand) trees, and multi-dimensional resource allocation. We establish several first positive results by making connections with two disparate disciplines: Economics and Queueing theory. First, we view the instantaneous allocation of rates as a resource allocation problem. We analyze the natural proportional fairness algorithm from economics. To do this, we extend results from market clearing literature, particularly the Eisenberg-Gale markets and the notions of Walrasian equilibria and Gross Substitutes. This yields the first constant competitive algorithm with constant speed augmentation for single-sink flow routing, routing multicast trees, and multidimensional resource allocation with substitutes resources. Next, we consider the general scheduling problem with packing constraints on rates, but with the restriction that the number of different job types is fixed. We model this problem as a non-stochastic queueing problem. We generalize a natural algorithm from queueing literature and analyze it by extending queueing theoretic ideas. We show that the competitive ratio, for any constant speed, depends polynomially only on the number of job types. Further, such a dependence on the number of job types is unavoidable for non-clairvoyant algorithms. This yields the first algorithm for scheduling multicommodity flows whose competitive ratio depends polynomially on the size of the underlying graph, and not on the number of jobs.
Ten years of Midwifery Group Practice (MGP) at the Women's and Children's Hospital (WCH), Adelaide

Introduction: Management of Group B streptococcus (GBS) in well pregnant women continues to be a contentious issue. Although neonatal GBS infection is rare and treatable, it remains a cause of neonatal mortality therefore is an issue of concern. During labour, the infant will be exposed to a range of organisms present in the vaginal micro-flora (or microbiome), with strategies introduced to reduce transmission of GBS from mother to infant. These include applying a chlorhexidine preparation to the vagina or, more commonly, givingprophylactic, intrapartum, antibiotics to the mother. Therefore large numbers of GBS colonised, well women are exposed to intrapartum antibiotics in the hope of preventing this rare event. Of concern, two recent Cochrane systematic reviews concluded that the evidence for each of these methods is of poor quality. There is emerging evidence that antibiotics may have negative effects on the gut microbiome and epigenetic profiles of mother and baby. How do wemake sense of this evidence and how could/should this be translated into practice? Aim: To increase midwives’ knowledge and skills around Group B streptococcus (GBS) in pregnancy. Methods: This poster will include:
Description of a new pterygosomatid mite (Acari, Actinedida: Pterygosomatidae) parasitic on Liolaemus spp. (Iguania: Liolaemini) from Argentina

Pterygosoma patagonica n. sp. (Acari: Pterygosomatidae) is described from endemic iguanid lizards (Liolaemus spp.) of Argentina, based on its morphology. This external parasite is also known to parasitize Old World agamid lizards.
Dengue in Peace Corps Volunteers, 2000-14.

Background Dengue is an arboviral disease estimated to cause 50-100 million infections each year in >100 tropical and subtropical countries. Urbanization, human population growth and expanded global travel have resulted in an increase in the incidence of dengue worldwide. International travellers to areas with endemic dengue are at risk of contracting dengue and US Peace Corps Volunteers are one specific group of long-term travellers who are exposed to environments where dengue can be contracted. Methods Cases of dengue among Peace Corps Volunteers, defined as clinically apparent infections with laboratory-confirmation by a positive NS1 antigen test, demonstration of IgM antibodies or by a 4-fold increase in IgG antibodies, between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2014, reported to the Peace Corps’ Epidemiologic Surveillance System were analyzed. Results Overall there were 1448 cases of dengue reported among Volunteers, with an incidence rate of 1.12 cases per 1000 Volunteer-months (95% CI 1.06-1.17). The highest rate of dengue among Volunteers was reported in the Caribbean region, with a rate of 5.51 cases per 1000 Volunteer-months (95% CI 4.97-6.10), followed by the East Asia/South Asia region (3.34, 95% CI 2.96-3.75) and Central America (2.55, 95% CI 2.32-2.79). The rate of dengue peaked in 2007, 2010 and 2013. Each peak year was followed by a trough year. Conclusions Globally, there appears to be a 3-year cyclical pattern of dengue incidence among Volunteers, with differences by region. Dengue continues to be a priority health issue for travellers to endemic areas, and enhanced surveillance of dengue among international travellers may result in improved patient education and prevention efforts.
Rapid Heating of Alaska Pollock and Chicken Breast Myofibrillar Protein Gels as Affecting Water-Holding Properties

The gelation response of salted muscle minces to rapid versus slow heating rates is thought to differ between homeotherm and poikilotherm species. This study investigated water-holding (WH) properties of pastes prepared from refined myofibrils, at equal pH, of chicken breast versus Alaska pollock both during [cook loss (CL)] and following [expressible water (EW)] their cooking by rapid [microwave (MW)] versus slow [water bath (WB)] heating and whether such properties were related to gel matrix structure parameters and water mobility. Results did not confirm the industrial experience that pastes of meat from homeotherms benefit from slower cooking. Gels of equally high WH ability (low CL or EW) were made by rapid heating when the holding time did not exceed 5 min prior to cooling, which was sufficient for completion of gelation. Reduced CL and EW correlated with larger and smaller amplitudes of T21 and T22 water pools, respectively, measured by time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance (TD-NMR).