cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The History of Cocaine

Cocaine derives from the leaves of coca plants—Erythroxylon coca —which are indigenous to South America. Use of coca leaves may date as far back as 5000 years before the Christian era. Burial sites from 2500 BCE in what is now Peru reveal coca leaves apparently stockpiled to assist the dead in their afterlife.1 Archaeologists have also found evidence that by 1500 BCE our ancestors may have used a liquid coca-leaf compound as an anesthetic during brain surgery. The Incan word for the coca plant, kuka, is the antecedent of our word coca.
Cryptography with asynchronous logic automata

We introduce the use of asynchronous logic automata (ALA) for cryptography. ALA aligns the descriptions of hardware and software for portability, programmability, and scalability. An implementation of the A5/1 stream cipher is provided as a design example in a concise hardware description language, Snap, and we discuss a power- and timing-balanced cell design.
Out of sight, out of mind? Investigating the longitudinal impact of the Fukushima nuclear accident on public opinion in the United States

Abstract Public opinion on nuclear accidents has important implications regarding energy planning and policy making. However, the long-term impacts of these event on citizens’ opinions is unclear. This question assumes relevance especially in the context of rising citizen involvement in development and decision making. This study compiles and examines seven years of public opinion survey data to investigate whether there was a long-term change in support for nuclear energy in the US following the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan. The analysis uses a logistic regression model to estimate the long-term trends in opinion on nuclear power among the US public and its major drivers. Results show that public support for nuclear energy has not rebounded to its pre-accident levels. While it isn’t clear whether the accident in Fukushima was the only driving factor, there has been a gradual decline in support following the incident, suggesting that short-term negative changes in public support for nuclear power have long-term consequences for energy policy. These findings have implications for policymakers since short-term impacts can be mitigated but long-term opposition is more difficult to address, especially in the context of developing countries that are investing in nuclear energy to meet growing demand.
Time to pull the trigger? Examining the ethical permissibility of minimum age restrictions for gun ownership and use.

Abstract A series of prominent mass shootings in the United States (US) has prompted renewed interest in revising gun policy. One proposal that has gained political traction is raising the minimum age for purchase and possession of guns to 21. While some commentators have suggested that the public mood may be shifting on gun policy, proposals to raise the minimum age have nevertheless provoked controversy. In this manuscript, we examine the ethical acceptability of raising the minimum age of purchase and possession of guns to 21. First, we examine the nature of the rights claim at issue. Second, we examine liberty-based objections to minimum age laws, and offer counter-arguments to these claims. Then, we examine the nature of the harm to be prevented via minimum age laws. We conclude that gun ownership is an important right, but one that nevertheless is ethical to regulate. We argue that liberty-based objections to minimum age laws are not as strong as critics of these laws claim. While we acknowledge the data limitations on assessing their likely success in reducing gun-related harms, we argue that minimum age laws are an ethically permissible policy strategy. We conclude with several recommendations for further research and policy responses to addressing the toll of gun-related morbidity and mortality.
Knee mechanics during a change of direction movement in division I athletes following full return to sport from anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Abstract Objectives The objective of this study was to determine whether Division I athletes following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR), and who are medically cleared to return to sport, demonstrate faulty knee mechanics during a change of direction maneuver, as evidenced by the presence of genu valgum on VICON® motion analysis system of 5° or greater. Study design Cross-sectional study. Setting University. Participants Ten Division I athletes performed a 90° change of direction movement on both the ACLR and unaffected limbs. Main outcome measures Knee mechanics were assessed using the VICON® motion analysis system. Knee position was analyzed in the frontal plane and peak genu valgum position was determined during the functional movement. Results Eight out of ten athletes (80%) demonstrated genu valgum ≥ 5° on the ACLR limb during a 90° cutting movement. Fourteen out of twenty (70%) of the knees assessed demonstrated genu valgum ≥ 5° during a 90° cutting movement. Conclusion Athletes who have fully returned to sport following an ACLR demonstrate substantial genu valgum during a cutting maneuver, which suggests an increased risk for future injury. These results show an increased need during ACL rehabilitation to focus on existing biomechanical deficits during sport-specific movements.
Financial Aid and Student Persistence in Online Education in the United States.

ABSTRACTDistance education has historically had lower completion rates. Several models of persistence, for on-campus students, indicate that students’ financial status affects their decision to per...
Valve-in-Valve for CoreValve Pop Out.

Transcatheter heart valve embolization is a rare and a serious complication of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with a reported incidence of 0.3%, and it is associated with higher mortality and stroke rates [(1)][1]. A 78-year-old woman presented to our institution with fatigue and
Schoolwide Discipline Policies: An Analysis of Discipline Codes of Conduct

School personnel typically highlight their discipline regulations in policies called codes of conduct. Discipline codes of conduct are documents that contain the schoolwide discipline procedures that students must follow. The focus of this chapter is on discipline codes of conduct because they are thewrittenmeans bywhich sanctionedbehaviors are communicated to students, parents, and the larger school community. Codes of conduct are generally distributed to school staff, students, and parents at the beginning of the school year. Discipline codes of conduct are often used by deans of students or those with the responsibility for addressing discipline in the school after a student commits an infraction.
Outpatient thyroidectomy in the pediatric population.

Abstract Preoperative optimization and patient education have allowed for the transition of thyroid surgery to the outpatient setting over the last few decades. Performing these operations in the outpatient setting has proven to be cost-effective and safe in the adult population. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety and efficacy of outpatient thyroid surgery in the pediatric population. A retrospective review from December 2015 to February 2019 of patients under the age of 18 years of age undergoing thyroidectomy performed by two endocrine surgeons at a large academic was performed. There were 55 consecutive operations performed in 51 patients for thyroid pathology, two were excluded as they were inpatient procedures. Cases were reviewed for complications, unplanned same-day admission, 30-day admission, unplanned reoperation, and death. Mean age was 15 ± 0.3 years (range 9–18 years), 79% of the patients were female. Operations were performed for Graves’ disease (n = 29), thyroid cancer (n = 9), thyroid nodule (n = 6), multinodular goiter (n = 4), Hashimoto’s disease (n = 3), and toxic adenoma (n = 2). Operations performed included: total thyroidectomy (n = 36), thyroid lobectomy (n = 13), total thyroidectomy with lymph node dissection (n = 2), and lateral neck dissection (n = 2). All patients were discharged home within 6 h after completion of the operation. Five (9.4%) patients had transient hypoparathyroidism, with parathyroid hormone levels
Devotional Politics as States of Exception: Santa Muerte’s Challenge to Church and State Sovereignties

In this paper, I argue that popular veneration of Santa Muerte challenges state and church sovereignty in Mexico. In turn, I look at “deviance” as a rich theoretical space through which to consider...
The 1791 Amendments as the 'Bill of Rights,' Founding to Reconstruction (A Response to Revisionists)

Unlike the “Declaration of Rights” annexed to many state constitutions, the ten amendments added to the federal Constitution in 1791 have no formal title at all. It is only by cultural tradition that Americans refer to these provisions as our national “Bill of Rights.” Until recently, most scholars assumed that this tradition could be traced back to the moment of ratification. Over the last decade or so, however, a number of scholars have challenged this assumption. These “Bill of Rights revisionists” claim that Americans did not commonly refer to the first ten amendments as “the bill of rights” until the twentieth century. Prior to that, most Americans either did not believe they had a national bill of rights or they would have more likely pointed to the Declaration of Independence as the country’s “bill of rights” than to the 1791 amendments. If the revisionists are right, then a substantial portion of constitutional historical scholarship is shot through with historical error, in particular scholarship supporting the incorporation of the Bill of Rights as part of the Fourteenth Amendment. This essay examines the historical record in order to determine whether the claims of the Bill of Rights revisionists are correct. It presents the results of an exhaustive investigation of political, legal and cultural references to the “bill of rights” from the time of the Founding to Reconstruction (and beyond). These references, most of which are presented here for the first time, suggest that the revisionist claims about the ten amendments are false. Long before the twentieth century, and decades before Reconstruction, Americans commonly referred to the first ten constitutional amendments as “the Bill of Rights.” Moreover, references to the 1791 amendments as the national bill of rights vastly outnumber historical references to the Declaration of Independence as a “bill of rights,” and indicate that nineteenth century Americans were not at all confused about the meaning and content of their national “Bill of Rights.” If any “revision” is in order, it is the need to (1) revisit and revise our understanding of the original theoretical role played by the Bill of Rights at the time of the Founding and (2) recognize the remarkably broad coalition of Americans who, by the time of Reconstruction and the Fourteenth Amendment, embraced an altogether different theory of the 1791 amendments.
Public Policy toward Non-Governmental Organizations in Developing Countries

If a developing country government is not good at providing public services such as health care, education, and social protection, would NGOs be better at doing so? What advantages do NGOs have over for-profit providers of publicly funded services? And considering the importance of donor funding, which is better for delivering such services, an international NGO or a grassroots NGO? Jack presents two descriptive models of nongovernmental organizations and poses normative questions about public policy toward NGOs. In situations in which optimal government intervention in a distorted or inequitable economy employs an NGO-like body, he considers which kinds of NGO might be used. First, in many developing countries NGOs participate in the delivery of what are essentially private goods - in particular, health care and education. In an economy without NGOs, there may be good redistributive and efficiency reasons for the government to provide these goods in kind. But if direct government provision of such services is ineffective or inefficient, when is contracting out to an NGO-like institution preferable to using a traditional for-profit firm? (Another way to frame this is to ask: What is the optimal taxation and regulation of private providers of publicly financed services?) NGOs also provide useful real and financial links with external donors. They are used to provide services the government favors and donors are willing to fund. In this model, the service provider is chosen to yield the best outcome for both government and donor. In this context, Jack compares an international NGO and a grassroots organization. It may be more efficient to transfer donor funds through an international NGO than through a local NGO, but when donor-government cooperation fails, a project implemented by an international NGO is effectively killed. If a project implemented by a local organization can limp along, this otherwise less efficient organization might be preferred. This paper - product of Public Service Delivery, Development Research Group - is part of a larger effort in the group to understand the role of NGOs in delivering basic public services. The author may be contacted at wgj@georgetown.edu.
Digital Solutions to Improve Medication Safety in CKD.

Modern health care systems require that treatment occur in the most cost-effective setting, which is often at home. This framework shifts the duty for care provision to patients and their loved ones. Self-management is particularly dangerous for patients who suffer from multiple comorbidities and
Health Professional Shortage Areas and Physician Location Decisions

In order to address geographic disparities in healthcare provision, the U.S. government designates primary care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provide ten percent bonus payments for Medicare services billed by physicians in these areas. We link together several sources of administrative data from CMS covering the near-universe of Medicare-billing physicians and employ a matched difference-in-differences design to identify the causal effects of shortage area designations on physician location decisions. We find evidence that counties designated as HPSAs experience a 23% increase in the number of early-career primary care physicians, many of whom are likely making initial location decisions for their practices. The increase is driven entirely by physicians who attended ranked medical schools, perhaps reflecting the ability of the program to attract high-quality physicians just completing residency. However, we find no evidence that HPSA designation induces physicians in later career stages to relocate to shortage areas. Overall, our findings suggest that targeting financial incentives to locate in shortage areas towards newer physicians may improve the effectiveness and cost-efficiency of policies aimed at addressing physician shortages.
In Vitro Assay for Quantifying Clumping of Staphylococcus aureus

Staphylococcus aureus interacts with fibrinogen in plasma to form macroscopic clumps of cells. A simple and rapid slide agglutination test using rabbit plasma has been employed in clinical labs to distinguish S. aureus from most coagulase-negative Staphylococci. The method described here is a quantitative clumping assay in which S. aureus cells are mixed with either plasma or purified fibrinogen, and clumps are allowed to sediment out of solution. Clearing of the overlying solution is monitored over time by measuring the optical density at 600 nm and comparing these values to the initial turbidity. This simple assay can be used to study regulation and expression of various cell wall-anchored adhesins.
Using Deep Learning Sequence Models to Identify SARS-CoV-2 Divergence.

SARS-CoV-2 is an upper respiratory system RNA virus that has caused over 3 million deaths and infecting over 150 million worldwide as of May 2021. With thousands of strains sequenced to date, SARS-CoV-2 mutations pose significant challenges to scientists on keeping pace with vaccine development and public health measures. Therefore, an efficient method of identifying the divergence of lab samples from patients would greatly aid the documentation of SARS-CoV-2 genomics. In this study, we propose a neural network model that leverages recurrent and convolutional units to directly take in amino acid sequences of spike proteins and classify corresponding clades. We also compared our model's performance with Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) pre-trained on protein database. Our approach has the potential of providing a more computationally efficient alternative to current homology based intra-species differentiation.
Advancing the Rebirth of Environmental Common Law

Federal law often fails to mitigate environmental harm. An alternative litigation response when federal avenues prove ineffective is reliance on state common law doctrines, especially public and private nuisance. A rebirth of the common law is occurring. This Article provides examples of the rebirth of the environmental common law and suggests how common law claims and remedies in the environmental context can mitigate environmental harm.
Controller Scheduling: A Possible Algebraic Viewpoint

In the applications, one common way to design a control system for a nonlinear plant is to localize its behavior along lines of operation specified by the plant manufacturer, to develop linear multivariable controls for these localizations, and to schedule those controls with key plant variables which vary smoothly along operating lines. An important part of practical design lore, the art of controller scheduling has received little modern attention from the conceptual point of view. This paper describes four basic types of scheduling questions and outlines some of the theoretical issues associated with them. Schedules are considered in terms of state equations; however, some relations with the input/output description are discussed, together with an analysis of the effects on the overall configuration of approximations made to the individual subsystems.
The Salt of Europa

The Galileo mission to Jupiter has provided strong evidence that its moon Europa supports a deep water ocean covered by a layer of ice. In his research commentary, Kargel discusses spectroscopic results reported in the same issue by McCord et al . indicating that Europa9s icy surface is paved with regions of hydrated salts interspersed with areas of pure ice. The findings also suggest that the conductive salt water could be a giant electrical circuit and that Europa9s unusual magnetic field could result from interactions with Jupiter9s field.
Job stress, drinking networks, and social support at work : A comprehensive model of employees' problem drinking behaviors

Most research examining the problem drinking behaviors of employees has sought to demonstrate that variation in alcohol consumption derives from nonrewarding or stressful aspects of modern work tha...
Specific Recognition of Mycobacterial Protein and Peptide Antigens by γδ T Cell Subsets following Infection with Virulent Mycobacterium bovis

Promoting effective immunity to Mycobacterium bovis infection is a challenge that is of interest to the fields of human and animal medicine alike. We report that γδ T cells from virulent M. bovis–infected cattle respond specifically and directly to complex, protein, and nonprotein mycobacterial Ags. Importantly, to our knowledge, we demonstrate for the first time that bovine γδ T cells specifically recognize peptide Ags derived from the mycobacterial protein complex ESAT6:CFP10 and that this recognition requires direct contact with APCs and signaling through the T cell Ag receptor but is independent of MHC class I or II. Furthermore, we show that M. bovis infection in cattle induces robust IL-17A protein responses. Interestingly, in contrast to results from mice, bovine CD4 T cells, and not γδ T cells, are the predominant source of this critical proinflammatory mediator. Bovine γδ T cells are divided into subsets based upon their expression of Workshop Cluster 1 (WC1), and we demonstrate that the M. bovis–specific γδ T cell response is composed of a heterogeneous mix of WC1-expressing populations, with the serologically defined WC1.1+ and WC1.2+ subsets responding in vitro to mycobacterial Ags and accumulating in the lesions of M. bovis–infected animals. The results described in this article enhance our understanding of γδ T cell biology and, because virulent M. bovis infection of cattle represents an excellent model of tuberculosis in humans, contribute to our overall understanding of the role of γδ T cells in the mycobacterial-specific immune response.
Influence of monovalent cations on magnesium binding to poly-RNA by solution titration calorimetry: an analysis of the salt dependence of binding enthalpies and entropies

The salt dependence of the binding constant (K) and enthalpic (ΔH) and entropic (ΔS) components for magnesium binding to poly-RNA was determined as a function of the concentration and identity of monovalent counter ions (M+). Both ΔH and ΔS were found to vary linearly with ln [M+]. A theoretical analysis of the experimental data revealed that the temperature dependence of the product of the density of bound counter ions and the electrostatic interaction parameter, δ(m′ψ)/δT, is non-negligible, although it has previously been ignored. The sign of δ(m′ψ)/δT was negative for poly(A) and positive for poly(U), indicating that the charge density of poly(A) decreased with temperature, while that of poly(U) increased. These results are related to the distinct solution structures of the RNA homopolymers. Considerable support was lent to this calorimetric approach by the excellent agreement obtained in a test comparison between experimental and calculated parameters. From the intercept of energy term versus ln [M+] plots, the non-electrostatic contributions, ΔH° and ΔS°, were determined. For each polynucleotide, the similarity in ΔG° over the series of monovalent ions used in each study suggests a compensatory relationship between ΔH° and ΔS°, each of which shows significant variation. The non-electrostatic contribution to binding of divalent magnesium is generally entropically favorable and enthalpically unfavorable for both poly(A) and poly(U).
Immunoblastic lymphoma of small intestine complicating late‐onset immunodeficiency

A malignant lymphoma of the small bowel developed in a 75-year-old woman who had severe late-onset hypogammaglobulinemia with intestinal malabsorption and nodular lymphoid hyperplasia. The tumor arose in the midst of the abnormal lymphoid follicles and appeared to be of B-immunoblastic type. Immunoperoxidase staining, however, failed to reveal immunoglobulins in the tumor cells. In vitro immunologic studies showed that immunoglobulin production by the patient's peripheral lymphocytes had decreased and that this decrease was mediated by hydrocortisone-sensitive suppressor cells. These findings suggest that nodular lymphoid hyperplasia of the intestine in the context of severe immunodeficiency is a premalignant condition.
Margaret Altmann: a rugged pioneer in rugged fields.

A pioneer in descriptive ethology and developmental psychobiology, Margaret Altmann almost singlehandedly initiated the modern naturalistic study of the behavior of large animals in their normal habitat. After obtaining a doctorate in agriculture in Germany, she worked for several years in the German Ministry of Agriculture before coming to the United States in the early 1930s. At Cornell University she did research on animal behavior and earned a second doctoral degree in psychobiology, then moved to Hampton Institute and thence to the University of Colorado in 1958. From 1948 to her death in 1984 she studied large animals in the wilderness.
SU‐GG‐T‐240: New Method of An HPGe Detector Precise Efficiency Calibration with Experimental Measurements and Monte Carlo Simulations

Purpose: Developing a method of an HPGe detector precise γ efficiency calibration which is very important for accurate radiation detection during cancerradiotherapy practices. Method and Materials: 24 Al radioactive nucleus produced and separated with Momentum Achromat Recoil Spectrometer (MARS) at the K500 superconducting cyclotron of Texas A&M University has positron decays followed by γ transitions up to 8 MeV from 24 Mg excited states, which is used for a β‐γ coincidence measurement with a 1‐mm‐thick BC404 plastic scintillator, an HPGe detector and a fast tape‐transport system to calibrate the HPGe detector.Results: By carefully considering the effects of summing, positron annihilation, internal conversion, and β detector efficiency when analyzing 24 Al spectrum, we got the efficiency for γ‐ray 7070 keV at 49 mm distance away from the source sample 24 Al , which was 0.192(6)%. The Monte Carlo(MC) simulation with CYLTRAN code gave a value of 0.189%, which was in agreement with our measurements. The precise efficiency calibration curve of the HPGe detector up to 7070 KeV at 49 mm distance away from the source sample was obtained. By using the same procedure, we got the efficiency for the 7070 keV γ‐ray at 151 mm distance away from the source sample 24 Al , which was 0.0385(8)%. MC simulation value was 0.0399%, which differed from measurement by 4(2)%. This discrepancy led us to assign an uncertainty of 4% to our efficiencies at 151 mm up to 7070 KeV. The Monte Carlo calculations also reproduced the intensity of observed single‐and double‐escape peaks, providing that the effects of positron annihilation‐in‐flight were incorporated. Conclusion: A new method was established. The precise calibration curves obtained from this work are useful for accurate radiation detection and improving quality control to quality assurance (QA) for intensity‐modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Research sponsored by Department of Energy and Robert Welch Foundation.
Territory re-establishment in Cyprinodon variegatus lacépède

Cyprinodon variegatus males were allowed to establish territories in small aquaria. The ability of a male to maintain a territory was examined under conditions that varied group composition and sequentially varied space availability. Three cohorts of males were identified: non‐territorial individuals, rarely territorial individuals, and frequently territorial individuals. The results indicate that group social structure is not affected by changes in available space. Although no single male was always territorial in trials that varied group composition, a small number of males were frequently territorial. Often these successful males were temporarily displaced, but they typically regained a territory in subsequent trials.
A Fiberoptic Antibody-Based Biosensor With Time-Resolved Detection

A phase-resolved fiberoptic antibody-based biosensor is desci ibed, which combines the biochemical specificity of antigen-antibody reaction, the high sensitivity of laser excitation, the versatility of fiberoptic sensors, and the selectivity of phase-resolved detection. The device can differentiate benzo(a)pyrene and benzo(a)pyrene tetrol, a DNA-adduct product of the carcinogen benzo(a)pyrene. The limit of detection of benzo(a)pyrene tetrol is in the attomole range (10 -18 moles).
Leveraging Application Frameworks: Why frameworks are important and how to apply them effectively

In today’s competitive, fast-paced computing industry, successful software must increasingly be: (1) extensible to support successions of quick updates and additions to address new requirements and take advantage of emerging markets; (2) flexible to support a growing range of multimedia data types, traffic flows, and end-to-end QoS (quality of service) requirements; (3) portable to reduce the effort required to support applications on heterogeneous operating-system platforms and compilers; (4) reliable to ensure that applications are robust and tolerant to faults; (5) scalable to enable applications to handle larger numbers of clients simultaneously; and (6) affordable to ensure that the total ownership costs of software acquisition and evolution are not prohibitively high.
Molecular Imaging of Phosphorylation Events for Drug Development

Protein phosphorylation mediated by protein kinases controls numerous cellular processes. A genetically encoded, generalizable split firefly luciferase (FL)-assisted complementation system was developed for noninvasive monitoring phosphorylation events and efficacies of kinase inhibitors in cell culture and in small living subjects by optical bioluminescence imaging. An Akt sensor (AST) was constructed to monitor Akt phosphorylation and the effect of different PI-3K and Akt inhibitors. Specificity of AST was determined using a non-phosphorylable mutant sensor containing an alanine substitution (ASA). The PI-3K inhibitor LY294002 and Akt kinase inhibitor perifosine led to temporal- and dose-dependent increases in complemented FL activities in 293T human kidney cancer cells stably expressing AST (293T/AST) but not in 293T/ASA cells. Inhibition of endogenous Akt phosphorylation and kinase activities by perifosine also correlated with increase in complemented FL activities in 293T/AST cells but not in 293T/ASA cells. Treatment of nude mice bearing 293T/AST xenografts with perifosine led to a 2-fold increase in complemented FL activities compared to that of 293T/ASA xenografts. Our system was used to screen a small chemical library for novel modulators of Akt kinase activity. This generalizable approach for noninvasive monitoring of phosphorylation events will accelerate the discovery and validation of novel kinase inhibitors and modulators of phosphorylation events.
Development of a downhole tool measuring real-time concentration of ionic tracers and pH in geothermal reservoirs

For enhanced or Engineered Geothermal Systems (EGS) geothermal brine is pumped to the surface via the production wells, the heat extracted to turn a turbine to generate electricity, and the spent brine re-injected via injection wells back underground. If designed properly, the subsurface rock formations will lead this water back to the extraction well as heated brine. Proper monitoring of these geothermal reservoirs is essential for developing and maintaining the necessary level of productivity of the field. Chemical tracers are commonly used to characterize the fracture network and determine the connectivity between the injection and production wells. Currently, most tracer experiments involve injecting the tracer at the injection well, manually collecting liquid samples at the wellhead of the production well, and sending the samples off for laboratory analysis. While this method provides accurate tracer concentration data at very low levels of detection, it does not provide information regarding the location of the fractures which were conducting the tracer between wellbores. Sandia is developing a high-temperature electrochemical sensor capable of measuring tracer concentrations and pH downhole on a wireline tool. The goal of this effort is to collect real-time pH and ionic tracer concentration data at temperatures up to 225 °C and pressures up to 3000 psi. In this paper, a prototype electrochemical sensor and the initial data obtained will be presented detailing the measurement of iodide tracer concentrations at high temperature and pressure in a newly developed laboratory scale autoclave.
A structural and computational study of tetraaqua[2,6-diacetylpyridinebis-(semicarbazone)]-gadolinium(III) trinitrate

Abstract An X-ray structural analysis of tetraaqua[2,6-diacetylpyridi- nebis(semicarbazone)]-gadolinium(III)trinitrate, GdC11H21−N10O15, FW = 690.59 g/mol, P21/n, a = 10.021(7), b = 22.944(3), c = 10.185(2) A, β = 96.91(4)°, V = 2325(2) A3, Z = 4, Dx = 1.973 g/cm3, Mo Kα radiation (λ = 0.71073 A), μ = 29.2 cm−1, F(000) = 1364, and R = 0.036 for 3875 reflections, revealed at Gd(III) cation in a nine-coordinate environment displaying pseudo-tricapped trigonal prismatic geometry. The coordination sphere consists of 3N and 60. Four of the oxygen donors are coordinated water molecules. A relativistic extended Huckel (REX) calculation at the experimental geometry indicates that the 4f electrons mix only slightly with the ligand orbitals. A calculation of the bond overlap population (BOP) reinforces the highly ionic nature of the Gdligand bonds in the complex.
French for the Feeble‐Minded: An Experiment

Author's summary.— (1) It is possible to include modern language instruction as a kind of natural recreational activity in the present institutional care of the feeble-minded. (2) Some interesting and, perhaps, significant observations on modern language methodology can be made in language learning and teaching among the feeble-minded.
Reconsidering Nationalism: The Baltic Case of Latvia in 1989

This study analyzes the revolution of 1989 in the Baltic State of Latvia and considers its effects on democracy since the reestablishment of independence in 1991. Scholarly and popular accounts tend to depict the 1989 movement as an ethno-nationalist one. While recognizing the importance of ethnicity and cultural nationalism, this article suggests that transnationalism was an equally important force. An analysis of the information bulletin of the Popular Front of Latvia, Awakening [Atmoda] reveals that independence activists deliberately sought to place their movement in a global and transnational framework. The article concludes with a discussion of the fate of this transnational vision after 1991. In the immediate post-independence period, strict citizenship and language legislation indicated a retreat from transnational ideals. However, more recent reforms suggest that this retreat was not permanent and that the discussions of 1989 continue to shape the building of democracy in Latvia. Evidence of the continued existence of transnationalism can be found in government legislation, participation in institutional networks such as the European Union, and individual decisions to apply for citizenship.
Non-tropical sprue-like syndrome caused by a dilated pouch following side-to-side anastomosis

Abstract 1. 1. A brief resume of the literature, experimental and clinical, on the formation of a blind loop following side-to-side anastomosis has been presented. 2. 2. Examples of the inflammatory and/or obstructive type, and of the stasis type with failure of absorption of hematinic principles have been presented. 3. 3. A mechanism has been described following resection with side-to-side anastomosis in which a small blind loop acts as a “trigger” area, resulting in a chronic recurring progressive diarrhea and anemia simulating non-tropical sprue. This has not previously been described. 4. 4. A case has been described in detail in which this mechanism was present, and two others reported from literature. Removal of the loop resulted in complete cure in two cases. One case was not treated surgically.
Flavor changing neutral current transitions on the lattice for heavy-light systems

Abstract Flavor changing neutral current transitions are a very important test of the standard model. Some of the channels can also be very useful for extracting the Kobayashi-Maskawa mixing matrix elements. However, their potential applications are limited by the uncertainties in the relevant hadronic matrix elements. We show that these matrix elements are also amenable to lattice techniques. In this study, we focus on radiative transitions such as B → K ∗ γ and present preliminary results obtained by using 24 3 × 40 lattices at β = 6.0.
A High-Performance Nanobio Photocatalyst for Targeted Brain Cancer Therapy

We report pronounced and specific antiglioblastoma cell phototoxicity of 5 nm TiO2 particles covalently tethered to an antibody via a dihydroxybenzene bivalent linker. The linker application enables absorption of a visible part of the solar spectrum by the nanobio hybrid. The phototoxicity is mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS) that initiate programmed death of the cancer cell. Synchrotron X-ray fluorescence microscopy (XFM) was applied for direct visualization of the nanobioconjugate distribution through a single brain cancer cell at the submicrometer scale.
BEHAVIOR OF FERRITES IN THE MICROWAVE FREQUENCY RANGE

Present and foreseen applications of ferrites in the microwave frequency range are reviewed. The material parameters that are required or desirable for these applications are discussed. Special attention is given to the losses observed in polycrystals at biasing fields much smaller or much larger than the field for resonance. The loss may be characterized by an effective linewidth ƊHeff, which is a function of frequency and dc magnetic fieldstrength. In low loss polycrystals ƊHeff is typically much smaller in the off-resonance regions than near resonance, but even in the best polycrystals it is considerably larger than in good single crystals. The near-resonance behavior of ƊHeff can be explained quite well in terms of inhomogeneity induced scattering of energy into spin waves, having wavenumbers comparable to the inverse grain size. The off-resonance behavior is less well understood. Inhomogeneity induced scattering into phonons is discussed as a possible loss mechanism. For fine-grain ferrites the observed dependence of ƊHeff upon grain size and that of the spinwave linewidth (inferred from the instability threshold) upon grain size and frequency is in rough agreement with .the behavior expected theoretically for this mechanism. The microwave properties of partially magnetized ferrites are discussed. A simple theoretical formula, applicable in the demagnetized state, is derived. It is shown to agree reasonably well with the observed behavior both at high frequencies (where the losses are low) and at intermediate frequencies (0.1-3 GHz) (where the losses are high).
Time-Resolved Fluorescence Study of Conformational Dynamics in Opioid Peptides

Rotational correlation times have been determined from fluorescence anisotropy decays of the tyrosyl residue in the opioid pentapeptides DPDPE (Tyr-d-Pen-Gly-Phe-d-Pen), DPDPE(SH)2, and [Leu5]-enkephalin, revealing internal peptide motions. Fluorescence decays were measured by time-correlated single-photon counting. For all three peptides, the fluorescence emission is characterized by three-exponential intensity decays with amplitudes that are consistent with ground-state populations of rotamers of the tyrosyl side chain. Rotational correlation times in water determined from single-exponential fits are 80−130 ps, in good agreement with molecular dynamics simulations [Wang, Y.; Kuczera, K. J. Phys. Chem. 1996, 100, 2555−2563]. Internal peptide motions were studied by measurement of the rotational correlation times in solutions of 50% propylene glycol in water over the temperature range from 258 to 313 K. Two distinct temperature regions were observed. In the low-temperature regime the thermal viscosity coe...
Design of validation studies for estimating the odds ratio of exposure-disease relationships when exposure is misclassified.

SUMMARY. We compared several validation study designs for estimating the odds ratio of disease with misclassified exposure. We assumed that the outcome and misclassified binary covariate are available and that the error-free binary covariate is measured in a subsample, the validation sample. We considered designs in which the total size of the validation sample is fixed and the probability of selection into the validation sample may depend on outcome and misclassified covariate values. Design comparisons were conducted for rare and common disease scenarios, where the optimal design is the one that minimizes the variance of the maximum likelihood estimator of the true log odds ratio relating the outcome to the exposure of interest. Misclassification rates were assumed to be independent of the outcome. We used a sensitivity analysis to assess the effect of misspecifying the misclassification rates. Under the scenarios considered, our results suggested that a balanced design, which allocates equal numbers of validation subjects into each of the four outcome/mismeasured covariate categories, is preferable for its simplicity and good performance. A user-friendly Fortran program is available from the second author, which calculates the optimal sampling fractions for all designs considered and the efficiencies of these designs relative to the optimal hybrid design for any scenario of interest.
Clinically important body weight gain following total hip arthroplasty: a cohort study with 5-year follow-up

Summary Objective Literature examining the effects of total hip arthroplasty (THA) on subsequent body weight gain is inconclusive. Determining the extent to which clinically relevant weight gain occurs following THA has important public health implications. Design We used multi-variable logistic regression to compare data from one of the largest US-based THA registries to a population-based control sample from the same geographic region. We also identified factors that increased risk of clinically important weight gain specifically among persons undergoing THA. The outcome measure of interest was weight gain of ≥5% of body weight up to 5 years following surgery. Results The multi-variable adjusted [age, sex, body mass index (BMI), education, comorbidity and pre-surgical weight change] odds ratio for important weight gain was 1.7 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.06, 2.6] for a person with THA as compared to the control sample. Additional arthroplasty procedures during the 5-year follow-up further increased odds for important weight gain (OR = 2.0, 95% CI, 1.4, 2.7) relative to the control sample. A patient with THA had increased risk of important post-surgical weight gain of 12% (OR = 1.12, 95% CI, 1.08, 1.16) for every kilogram of pre-operative weight loss. Conclusions While findings should be interpreted with caution because of missing follow-up weight data, patients with THA appear to be at increased risk of clinically important weight gain following surgery as compared to peers. Patients less than 60 years and who have lost a substantial amount of weight prior to surgery appear to be at particularly high risk of important post-surgical weight gain.
Lambda: The Constant That Refuses to Die

Histoire de la constante cosmologique d'Einstein au 20e siecle notamment a travers ses travaux et sa theorie de la relativite.
Acute Uveitis Associated With Rifabutin Use in Patients With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection

Purpose We studied patients with a n ew anterior uveitis syndrome associated with rifabutin use. Methods Nine patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) who developed acute anterior uveitis were identified retrospectively from institutional ophthalmology, infectious disease, and AIDS primary care practices. Five patients initially had hypopyon; in three patients hypopyon was bilateral and recurrent. The medical history, initial signs and symptoms, diagnostic examination, clinical course, and response to therapy were ascertained by a review of the medical records. Results All nine patients were being treated with rifabutin for treatment of, or prophylaxis against, Mycobacterium avium complex. In no patient was another untreated cause of uveitis found. In each patient the uveitis resolved rapidly without sequelae with treatment with topical corticosteroids alone. In eight patients uveitis resolved completely while treatment or prophylaxis for M. avium complex was maintained. Conclusions We studied a new hypopyon uveitis syndrome in patients with AIDS who are being treated with rifabutin. The interaction of multiple drugs may contribute to this uveitis syndrome. This uveitis is remarkable because it is fulminant yet responds rapidly to topical corticosteroids. Characterization of this syndrome i s important because hypopyon in the immunocompromised patient generally mandates intensive, and sometimes invasive, ophthalmic and systemic examination and therapy. Additional study is required to determine whether immune status, underlying infection, or drug-related factors contribute to the development of this uveitis syndrome. Although this syndrome remains a diagnosis of exclusion, ophthalmologists must be aware of it, so that intervention is guided appropriately.
Attachment of immunoglobulin to liposomal membrane via protein carbohydrate.

Abstract A general method has been developed for the covalent attachment of immunoglobulin molecules to the outer layer of liposomal membranes. Aldehyde groups are generated by the mild oxidation with periodate or galactose oxidase of the carbohydrate groups on the constant region of the heavy chain. The oxidized protein is then reacted with a hydrazide group linked to a membrane component. Detailed studies were carried out with monomers of a monoclonal human IgM and two monoclonal murine IgM antibodies specific for the 1-dimethylaminonaphthalene-5-sulfonyl (Dns) group. Two hydrazide-containing hydrophobic reagents were used: N α -lauroyl, N ϵ -Dns-lysine hydrazide and lauric acid hydrazide. The number of protein aldehyde groups formed was assayed by reaction with N -(2,4-dinitrophenyl)- β -alanylglycylglycine hydrazide. Measurement of the intrinsic affinity for Dns-lysine of the processed anti-Dns IgMs demonstrated no substantial impairment of the specific reactivity of the antibody either from the oxidation step or the subsequent attachment to small unilamellar vesicles. The extent of attachment of antibody to small unilamellar vesicles was evaluated with respect to the mol% of hydrazide in the membrane, the duration of the incubation period for the aldehyde-hydrazide reaction and the ratio of protein to hydrazide. The yield of attached protein was significantly dependent on each of these experimental parameters over the ranges tested. Under the most favorable conditions the extent of covalent attachment of IgMs to small unilamellar vesicles was 535 μg of protein per μ mol of phospholipid, corresponding to 0.3 mol% of protein. Under these conditions, 61% of the total protein was associated with the small unilamellar vesicle fraction after fractionation by gel filtration. The attachment of the antibody to small unilamellar vesicles did not destroy the integrity of the vesicles, as demonstrated by the retention of carboxyfluorescein following initial encapsulation during the formation of small unilamellar vesicles.
Congenital and genetic disorders associated with hypopigmentation

The distinctive clinical and pathologic features of congenital and genetic disorders associated with hypopigmentation are reviewed. Disorders in which focal hypopigmentation are seen include piebaldism, Waardenburg syndrome, and hypomelanosis of Ito. A number of syndromes resulting in premature graying of the hair, including those associated with premature aging, are also discussed. Diffuse hypopigmentation is a hallmark of disorders grouped under the rubric of oculocutaneous albinism, including type I and II albinism, the Hermansky-Pudlak, Chediak-Higashi, and Griscelli-Prunieras syndromes. Recent advances in the molecular and genetic aspects of many of the aforementioned disorders are also discussed.
A baculovirus homolog of aCu/Znsuperoxide dismutase gene

Abstract A gene with greater than 50% amino acid sequence identity to eukaryotic Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase genes (sod) was found at 19 map units in the genome of the baculovirusAutographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus (AcMNPV). This gene was transcribed into 1.4- and 1.5-kb RNAs late in virus infection. The two late RNAs have coterminal 3′ ends but initiate from two different start points, both of which map to the central adenine of the sequence motif ATTAAG. The late gene product was found to be a low abundance 20-kDa polypeptide which was observed only upon partial purification by chloroform/ethanol extraction. Viruses with mutations in sodwere able to replicate normally both in cell culture and in insect larvae. Viruses lacking an intactsod showed no evidence of a replication disadvantage even in the presence of paraquat, an inducer of superoxide anions. A viral-encoded superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity was not detected although endogenous insect SODs appeared to be induced in insect hemolymph and in other tissues following virus infection. The function ofsod in the baculovirus infection process remains unclear.