cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthesis and Spectroscopic Characterization of a Zeolite-Entrapped Ru(bpy)(2)(dpp)(2+) Complex.

The heteroleptic ruthenium(II) complex Ru(bpy)2(dpp)2+ (where bpy = 2,2‘-bipyridine and dpp = 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine) has been prepared in the supercages of Y-zeolite and characterized by diffuse reflectance, electronic absorption, electronic emission, and resonance Raman (RR) spectroscopy, as well as lifetime measurements. The spectral results confirm the identity of the entrapped complex. The diffuse reflectance spectrum of the zeolite-entrapped complex is slightly red-shifted in the visible region compared to the absorption spectrum of the free complex in water solution. The emission maximum for the zeolite-entrapped complex is red-shifted by 16 nm with respect to the complex in water solution and by 38 nm relative to the complex in acetonitrile solution. The emission maximum for a zeolite surface-adsorbed complex is blue-shifted by 12 nm with respect to the complex in water solution, but the emission maxima of the liberated complex after dissolution of the zeolite matrix, for both the entrapped an...
Percutaneous Gene-Delivery Mediated Intervertebral Body Fusion

and analysis of variance. A p-value !0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Intra-operative waste occurred in 20.2% of the procedures prior to the educational program and in 10.3% of the procedures after the implementation of the program (p!.0001). Monthly costs associated with surgical waste were, on average $17680,29 prior to the awareness intervention, and $5876.87 afterwards (p5.0006). Prior to the intervention, surgical waste represented 4.3% of total operative spine budget. After the awareness program this proportion decrease to an average of 1.2% (p5.003). Further analysis of our results showed that the most common reason for waste was ‘‘Surgeon changed mind’’ and that this was the main driver of the cost burden. Surgical implants were the type of item associated with a higher cost per item wasted. The awareness program was successful in decreasing the cost burden associated with intraoperative waste by 66%. We achieved these results by decreasing the proportion of implants wasted (44.11% to 24.48%, p!.0001), and decreasing the incidence of surgeons’ change of mind (42.20% to 24.10%, p!.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative waste in spine surgery exacerbates the already costly procedures. Extrapolation of this data to the national level leads to an annual estimate of $126,722,000.00 attributable to intra-operative spine waste. A simple educational program proved to be and continues to be effective in making surgeons aware of the import of their choices and the costs related to surgical waste. FDA DEVICE/DRUG STATUS: This abstract does not discuss or include any applicable devices or drugs.
A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial of Two Different Sedation Sequences for Third Molar Removal in Adults

Purpose In oral and maxillofacial outpatient surgery, sedation techniques are an important component in patient management for a wide variety of surgical procedures. Fentanyl and midazolam are commonly used sedatives with different mechanisms of action and specific analgesic or amnestic properties. This study examined whether the order of their administration would affect a patient's pain perception or procedural vital signs. Materials and Methods After institutional review board approval and written informed consent, a prospective, randomized, parallel-group clinical trial was conducted in patients who planned to undergo removal of at least 2 third molars under intravenous moderate sedation. Patients were randomly assigned to 1 of 2 groups. The fentanyl-first group received fentanyl and then midazolam; the midazolam-first group received midazolam and then fentanyl. Recollection of the intraoperative pain score was assessed 24 hours after surgery using the Wong-Baker FACES pain scale. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to assess for the presence of a statistically significant difference between the 2 groups. Statistically significant differences in procedural vital sign fluctuations were examined using the t test. Patients' satisfaction with the procedure was assessed and intergroup comparisons were made. Results Sixty-six patients were enrolled, 1 of whom did not complete the study. Recollected procedural pain scores at 24 hours after surgery were not statistically different between groups. Median scores on the Wong-Baker FACES pain scale for the 2 groups were 2.0 (interquartile range, 3.1) for the fentanyl-first group and 1.5 (interquartile range, 2.5) for the midazolam-first group (P = .333). There was no statistical difference in the change in vital signs from baseline to 2 surgical end points in the 2 groups. In addition, patient satisfaction with the procedure did not statistically differ between the 2 groups. Conclusions In this study, selective sequencing of midazolam or fentanyl during an intravenous moderate-sedation procedure did not result in a measurable difference of recollected procedural pain scores at 24 hours after third molar extraction. The choice of the sedation agents and the order of their administration should be tailored to the patient's needs, type of surgical procedure, and surgeon preference.
2MASS Discoveries of Cool, Dust‐enshrouded Carbon Stars out of the Galactic Plane1

ABSTRACT Several very cool carbon stars have been found in or beyond the Galactic halo in the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS). All appear to be N (C‐N) type asymptotic branch giants, much redder than most carbon stars found at high Galactic latitude at optical wavelengths. Three are heavily dust enshrouded, radiate primarily in the thermal infrared at temperatures of order 1000 K, and are IRAS sources. Low‐resolution red spectrophotometry with the Keck II and Palomar 5 m telescopes shows red to extremely red continua with CN absorption bands, similar to IRAS SSC 08546+1732, which is detected here (2MASSI J0857258+172052). One object, 2MASSI J0401097+182807, featured an overlying low‐excitation emission‐line spectrum with neutral alkalis (K i, Rb i, and Cs i), which disappeared after 19 months. This is argued to be due to vigorous mass loss probably associated with Mira‐like pulsations. These initial results suggest that 2MASS can be used to define a useful sample at high Galactic latitude as tracers of ...
Liquid flow in heterogeneous biofilms

Liquid flow was studied in aerobic biofilms, consisting of microbial cell clusters (discrete aggregates of densely packed cells) and interstitial voids. Fluorescein microinjection was used as a qualitative technique to determine the presence of flow in cell clusters and voids. Flow velocity profiles were determined by tracking fluorescent latex spheres using confocal microscopy. Liquid was flowing through the voids and was stagnant in the cell clusters. Consequently, in voids both diffusion and convection may contribute to mass transfer, whereas in cell clusters diffusion is the dominant factor. The flow velocity in the biofilm depended on the average flow velocity of the bulk liquid. The velocity profiles in biofilms were linear and the velocity was zero at the substratum surface. The velocity gradients within biofilms were 50% of that near walls without biofilm coverage. The influence of the biofilm roughness on the flow velocity profiles was similar to that caused by rigid roughness elements.
Exploiting high-level coherence information to optimize distributed shared state

InterWeave is a distributed middleware system that supports the sharing of strongly typed, pointer-rich data structures across a wide variety of hardware architectures, operating systems, and programming languages. As a complement to RPC/RMI, InterWeave facilitates the rapid development of maintainable code by allowing processes to access shared data using ordinary reads and writes.Internally, InterWeave employs a variety of aggressive optimizations to obtain significant performance improvements with minimal programmer effort. In this paper, we focus on application-specific optimizations that exploit dynamic high-level information about an application's spatial data access patterns and the stringency of its coherence requirements. Using applications drawn from computer vision, datamining, and web proxy caching, we illustrate the specification of coherence requirements based on the (temporal) concept of "recent enough" to use, and introduce two (spatial) notions of views, which allow a program to limit coherence management to the portion of a data structure actively in use. Experiments with these applications show that InterWeave can reduce their communication traffic by up to one order of magnitude with minimum effort on the part of the application programmer.
Sender credibility and deception detection

Abstract Recent research has demonstrated that the most important determinant of deception detection success was the perceived credibility of the sender. If so, then what accounts for differences in perceived sender credibility, especially when communication is conducted solely via computer-mediated communication modes where sender and receiver cannot see each other? We investigated the relationships between credibility, its antecedents, deception detection success, and the generation of false alarms. We conducted an experiment involving 74 pairs of undergraduate students. We found that the perceived credibility of the sender significantly affected both detection success and false alarms, such that the less credible the sender, the better the detection and the more false alarms generated. We also found significant relationships between three of the four antecedents and credibility: participants who were trained to detect cues to deception, who were motivated to find deception, and who communicated via e-mail were more likely to perceive senders as not credible, compared to participants who were not trained, not motivated, and who communicated via VOIP. Our findings have implications for both research and practice.
A practical method for long‐range forecasting of ice severity in the Beaufort Sea

[1] A linear regression model is used to forecast end of summer ice conditions in the Beaufort Sea with a few months lead-time. The model retains four sea ice and atmospheric parameters, where decreased spring total and winter multiyear ice concentrations, negative October East Atlantic phases, and positive March North Atlantic Oscillation phases are associated with lighter sea ice conditions. Monte Carlo simulations suggest that the results are not adversely affected by artificial skill, while Durbin-Watson and Variance Inflation Factor statistics imply the final model is statistically valid. Cross validation diagnostics indicate that variations in the four predictors are related to 85% of the variation in sea ice conditions, suggesting that a relatively simple ice-atmosphere statistical model can be used to forecast end of summer ice conditions in the Beaufort Sea.
White response to potentially discriminatory actions in a services setting

Discrimination in the marketplace is a significant problem for many blacks and for service providers. However, recent research suggests that some whites may respond similarly to blacks when they witness what they perceive to be a discriminatory act in a service encounter. Using an experimental design methodology, this research investigates the extent to which this occurs. The degree to which an observing customer values the other customer's welfare and feels empathy has been found to explain differences in service failure perceptions among white study participants. White participants high in empathy for blacks were found to react similarly to blacks relative to the inherent negativity of the service failure. This suggests that a service failure involving black customers that hints of discrimination has a greater overall impact on the long-term success of the service firm than originally envisioned. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Public Health Risk Assessment Linked to Climatic and Ecological Change

Disturbances of climatic and ecological systems can present risks to human health, which are becoming more evident from health studies linked to climate variability, landuse change and global clima...
Sub ablation effects of the KTP laser on wound healing

The KTP laser (wavelength 532 nm) was used in a sub ablative format to determine the effect of low energy density irradiation on the normal healing by primary intention of scalpel skin incisions in rats. Two longitudinal lased strips were created by a 1 cm diameter defocused beam on the shaved, cleaned dorsal epidermis of 32 Sprague-Dawley rates; one strip was produced with a 2.0 W beam (54 J, or 18 J/cm2 total dose), and the other with a 3.5 W beam (94.5 J or 31.5 J/cm2, total dose). Scalpel incisions were made longitudinally within the irradiated zones, using contra lateral scalpel incisions on unirradiated skin as controls. Tensiometric analysis of wound strength was performed at 3, 7, 14, and 23 days following surgery. The data from fresh tissue tensiometry indicate that KTP laser irradiation of skin incisions results in a lower tensile strength for the wound at 7 and 14 days. The decrease in tensile strength is proportional to the total energy density of the exposure. At day 3 and 23, the tensile strength of the wound was independent of the sub ablative laser exposure. The results are in general agreement with studies of the healing process of laser incisions and may help us to understand the details of the healing process from laser incisions.
Time dependence of the depolarization ratio in picosecond time-resolved Raman spectroscopy. Effect of reorientation

We usually assume randomly orientated molecules when discussing depolarization ratios in Raman spectroscopy. This assumption does not hold, however, in picosecond time-resolved Raman spectroscopy. Because samples are, in most cases, excited with linearly polarized laser light and the time resolution of the measurement is shorter than the reorientation lifetime of the sample, the probability distribution of the excited molecules is largest along the axis of the polarization of the laser light and smallest for the perpendicular direction. The depolarization ratios at t=0 should be different from the “normal” values because of this anisotropy and should change as the time delay increases. We have measured the time dependence of the depolarization ratio of trans-stilbene in the lowest excited singlet (S1) state and observed that the depolarization ratio changes depending on the time delay, which can be explained well by our simple, but realistic model.
Analysis of device failures in a power-combining array

The circuit performance of a power-combining array with device degradation was analyzed. The theoretical result shows that the circuit still oscillates in the in-phase mode when the open-circuit failure occurs, while it cannot oscillate in the in-phase mode when the short-circuit failure occurs. The radiation pattern and the Effective Radiated Power(ERP) were measured to verify the theoretical analysis.
Strategic behaviour in contests: evidence from the 1992 Barcelona olympic games

Analyses of strategic behaviour in contests conclude that the manner in which a contest participant exerts effort over time is systematically related to her status as a pre-race underdog or favourite. Recently, Baik and Shogren (1992) extented Dixit's (1987) original work by incorporating endogenous order of moves by the race participants. They conclude that it is always in the best interest of the underdog to move first, while the favourite's optimal strategy is to wait, moving second. The particular economic context in which this work was framed - e.g. research and development races - makes it extremely difficult to subject the game theoretic conclusions to empirical scrutiny. We solve this problem by applying the theoretical hypotheses to the track and field events held during the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Using a fixed effects estimation procedure, we find ample support for the conclusions of Baik and Shogren that favourites tend to start slowly in races and increase effort as the event transpires, whi...
Variation of nitrogenous components in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers produced under organic and conventional crop management

Abstract The information related to protein and other nitrogenous components in organically produced potato tubers can be interesting for consumers with specific diets. Such information is still limited. Here we report results on the effects of organic and conventional production systems on accumulation of nitrogenous substances including total tuber protein and the nutritiously most important tuber protein, patatin, observed in five cultivars on two localities during three consecutive years. Organically produced potato tubers contained significantly lower content of total nitrogen, crude protein, nitrates and glycoalkaloids (α-solanine and α-chaconine). Protein content, patatin relative abundance in total tuber protein and patatin content in organically produced potato tubers were slightly lower than in conventional ones but the differences were not statistically significant. The cultivar and interactions between cultivars and other production factors affected considerably contents of crude protein, protein, glycoalkaloids and patatin relative abundance. The effect of cultivar on these nitrogenous characteristics was stronger for potatoes produced under conventional farming indicating the sensitive reaction of organically produced potatoes on less favourable agro-ecological production conditions. The results indicate that cultivar-specific genetic factors play the predominant role in the reciprocal interaction with other cultivation factors affecting the nitrogenous qualitative parameters of organically produced potato tubers. This should be considered to include primarily the cultivar in quality standards of organic farming. The late maturing cultivar Bionta exhibited high instability in tubers yield, total protein and patatin protein characteristics when produced under organic farming system, while the early maturing cultivar Karin reacted on the conditions of organic farming by an increase of the patatin content.
From Birth Control to Sex Control: Unruly Young Women and the Origins of the National Abstinence-Only Mandate

In the early 1980s, conservative politicians in the United States argued that the federal government was promoting promiscuity by providing teens with confidential access to government-funded family planning servi- ces. Claiming the problem was not that young women were getting pregnant but that they were having sex, they promised a new national policy—one that would stress self-discipline and family values over sexual indulgence. As argued in this paper, the resulting abstinence-only federal mandate both draws upon and reinforces traditional sexual scripts, which hold young women responsible for keeping male passion in check, thus selectively burdening them with the work of "doing abstinence."
TRPV4 Dysfunction Promotes Renal Cystogenesis in Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease

The molecular mechanism of cyst formation and expansion in autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD) is poorly understood, but impaired mechanosensitivity to tubular flow and dysfunctional calcium signaling are important contributors. The activity of the mechanosensitive Ca(2+)-permeable TRPV4 channel underlies flow-dependent Ca(2+) signaling in murine collecting duct (CD) cells, suggesting that this channel may contribute to cystogenesis in ARPKD. Here, we developed a method to isolate CD-derived cysts and studied TRPV4 function in these cysts laid open as monolayers and in nondilated split-open CDs in a rat model of ARPKD. In freshly isolated CD-derived cyst monolayers, we observed markedly impaired TRPV4 activity, abnormal subcellular localization of the channel, disrupted TRPV4 glycosylation, decreased basal [Ca(2+)]i, and loss of flow-mediated [Ca(2+)]i signaling. In contrast, nondilated CDs of these rats exhibited functional TRPV4 with largely preserved mechanosensitive properties. Long-term systemic augmentation of TRPV4 activity with a selective TRPV4 activator significantly attenuated the renal manifestations of ARPKD in a time-dependent manner. At the cellular level, selective activation of TRPV4 restored mechanosensitive Ca(2+) signaling as well as the function and subcellular distribution of TRPV4. In conclusion, the functional status of TRPV4, which underlies mechanosensitive Ca(2+) signaling in CD cells, inversely correlates with renal cystogenesis in ARPKD. Augmenting TRPV4 activity may have therapeutic potential in ARPKD.
What is Positive Youth Development

This article explores the recent approach to youth research and practice that has been called positive youth development. The author makes the case that the approach grew out of dissatisfaction with a predominant view that underestimated the true capacities of young people by focusing on their deficits rather than their developmental potentials. The article examines three areas of research that have been transformed by the positive youth approach: the nature of the child; the interaction between the child and the community; and moral growth. It concludes with the point that positive youth development does not simply mean an examination of anything that appears to be beneficial for young people. Rather, it is an approach with strong defining assumptions about what is important to look at if we are to accurately capture the full potential of all young people to learn and thrive in the diverse settings where they live.
Virtual probe: a statistically optimal framework for minimum-cost silicon characterization of nanoscale integrated circuits

In this paper, we propose a new technique, referred to as virtual probe (VP), to efficiently measure, characterize and monitor both inter-die and spatially-correlated intra-die variations in nanoscale manufacturing process. VP exploits recent breakthroughs in compressed sensing [15]-[17] to accurately predict spatial variations from an exceptionally small set of measurement data, thereby reducing the cost of silicon characterization. By exploring the underlying sparse structure in (spatial) frequency domain, VP achieves substantially lower sampling frequency than the well-known (spatial) Nyquist rate. In addition, VP is formulated as a linear programming problem and, therefore, can be solved both robustly and efficiently. Our industrial measurement data demonstrate that by testing the delay of just 50 chips on a wafer, VP accurately predicts the delay of the other 219 chips on the same wafer. In this example, VP reduces the estimation error by up to 10× compared to other traditional methods. Categories and Subject Descriptors B.7.2 [Integrated Circuits]: Design Aids — Verification General Terms Algorithms
Multiple Intelligence for Every Classroom

This article presents an overview of multiple intelligence (MI) theory along with practical applications of the model. In particular, three basic aspects of the theory (teaching strategies, curricu...
A Positive Regulatory Role for Cbl Family Proteins in Tumor Necrosis Factor-related Activation-induced Cytokine (TRANCE) and CD40L-mediated Akt Activation *

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-related activation-induced cytokine (TRANCE) is a TNF family member essential for osteoclast differentiation, and it induces the activation and survival of osteoclasts and mature dendritic cells. We recently demonstrated that TRANCE activates Akt via a mechanism involving TRANCE receptor (TRANCE-R)/RANK, TRAF6, and c-Src. Here, we show that TRANCE-R and CD40 recruit TRAF6, Cbl family-scaffolding proteins, and the phospholipid kinase phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase in a ligand-dependent manner. The recruitment of Cbl-b and c-Cbl to TRANCE-R is dependent upon the activity of Src-family kinases. TRANCE and CD40L-mediated Akt activation is defective in Cbl-b −/− dendritic cells, and CD40L-mediated Akt activation is defective in c-Cbl −/− B cells. These findings implicate Cbl family proteins as not only negative regulators of signaling but as positive modulators of TNF receptor superfamily signaling as well.
Early patterns of migration, morphogenesis, and intermediate filament expression of subventricular zone cells in the postnatal rat forebrain

Recent studies using retroviral labeling of subventricular zone (SVZ) progenitors in vivo in neonatal rats have directly demonstrated the generation of both astrocytes and oligodendrocytes from these progenitors. In the present study, we used a recombinant retroviral vector encoding beta-galactosidase, and analyzed brains within the first week after retroviral injection to trace the early routes that SVZ cells take as they migrate into white matter and cortex and characterized the early morphological and antigenic changes that accompanied their differentiation. SVZ cells follow specifically definable migratory routes as they colonize the cortex and subcortical white matter. Glial progenitors do not populate the cortex in a systematic, laminar fashion, as do neuroblasts. The abundance of labeled progenitors in radial arrangements and the close apposition of many immature cells to vimentin+ radial glial processes, suggest that glial progenitors migrate along radial glia. Labeled SVZ cells, which displayed a simple, unipolar or bipolar morphology, lacked detectable vimentin and nestin intermediate filaments. Similarly, beta- galactosidase-positive cells in white matter lacked these filaments. In contrast, labeled, multipolar cells in the cortex, and a few of the immature-appearing cortical cells expressed nestin and vimentin. At these early time points, GFAP was not detected in beta-galactosidase- labeled cells. Multipolar cells in cortex frequently displayed processes extending toward and contacting blood vessels. These observations suggest that the expression of nestin and vimentin occurs after progenitors emigrate from the SVZ and that filament expression and contact with blood vessels represent an early stage of astrocyte differentiation.
Determination of the Adhesive Strength of Film-Substrate Interfaces Using the Constant Depth Scratch Test

A constant depth scratch test (CDST) has been recently developed to quantify the shear strength of film-substrate interfaces. This test is capable of measuring interfacial adhesion as a function of position on the sample surface during a continuous scratch. Unlike many of the currently available tests which are applicable to a limited array of materials systems, or are experimentally complex, this test is quite versatile, and is relatively straightforward to conduct and interpret because of the constant depth geometry. The theoretical basis and the experimental set-up for the test have been previously presented. In this paper, extensions of the theoretical formulation to account for different debonding behaviors of different film-substrate systems are discussed. Experimental results generated with a number of systems, including chromium on glass, gold on aluminum nitride, gold on aluminum nitride with a chromium inter-layer, and polycrystalline diamond on aluminum nitride are presented.
Actin- and myosin-driven movement of viruses along filopodia precedes their entry into cells.

Viruses have often been observed in association with the dense microvilli of polarized epithelia as well as the filopodia of nonpolarized cells, yet whether interactions with these structures contribute to infection has remained unknown. Here we show that virus binding to filopodia induces a rapid and highly ordered lateral movement, “surfing” toward the cell body before cell entry. Virus cell surfing along filopodia is mediated by the underlying actin cytoskeleton and depends on functional myosin II. Any disruption of virus cell surfing significantly reduces viral infection. Our results reveal another example of viruses hijacking host machineries for efficient infection by using the inherent ability of filopodia to transport ligands to the cell body.
The Era of Pathway Quantification

Biochemistry is in its third era, the Era of Quantification. So argues Koshland in his commentary, in which he describes this era as one in which the rates of production and degradation of substrates and products of biochemical pathways are quantified. In an example of this sort of analysis by Ferrel and Machleder in this issue, cell cycle regulation by the MAP kinase cascade is analyzed.
Simulation and Evaluation of Thermal Stratification in a Sloped Surge Nozzle Correlated With Plant Measurements

Thermal stratification is a common phenomenon in the surge lines of Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR). The stratification temperature difference (ΔT) and cyclic action severities are most prevalent during the heatup and cooldown operations of a PWR, when the system ΔT between the pressurizer and the Reactor Coolant System (RCS) hot leg is the greatest and system inventory fluctuations are highest. This paper describes the computer simulation of thermal stratification loading in a surge line nozzle connected to the RCS hot leg to correlate to unusual behavior of plant sensor data in the hot leg and the subsequent development of a monitoring model to account for thermal stratification effects in the transient and fatigue evaluation performed in the online monitoring system. What makes this particular investigation unique is the geometry of the nozzle of interest. In many PWRs, the surge line and the surge line hot leg nozzle are horizontal at the hot leg connection. This particular nozzle is oriented at an upward angle before the attached surge line piping bends into a horizontal configuration. This orientation required a more detailed treatment of the stratification effects than has been typically developed for horizontal nozzles, with respect to both the orientation and the potentially detrimental effects of increased cyclic behavior indicated by nearby temperature sensors. This investigation combined Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling of the system to correlate the plant data with a detailed stress model that will enable the fatigue usage factor calculation in the plant’s online transient and fatigue monitoring system.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Examining the effect of linkage disequilibrium on multipoint linkage analysis

Most linkage programs assume linkage equilibrium among multiple linked markers. This assumption may lead to bias for tightly linked markers where strong linkage disequilibrium (LD) exists. We used simulated data from Genetic Analysis Workshop 14 to examine the possible effect of LD on multipoint linkage analysis. Single-nucleotide polymorphism packets from a non-disease-related region that was generated with LD were used for both model-free and parametric linkage analyses. Results showed that high LD among markers can induce false-positive evidence of linkage for affected sib-pair analysis when parental data are missing. Bias can be eliminated with parental data and can be reduced when additional markers not in LD are included in the analyses.
Clostridium botulinum Growth and Toxigenesis in Shelf‐Stable Noodles

Unacidified and acidified noodles were inoculated with a composite of C botulinum types A and B spores. Noodles were cooked, packaged in oxygen-permeable polypropylene bags, steamed, cooled, then stored aerobically at 7 or 23 degrees C, or anaerobically at 30 degrees C. Toxin did not develop in any aerobically stored samples at pH less than or equal to 4.5. Toxin developed in samples with pH >5.0, stored aerobically and anaerobically. In addition, toxin was detected in one anaerobically incubated acidified unit where pH had been increased by microbial growth. Proper acidification of product prevented toxic growth of C botulinum.
The United Nations and Spain

Few issues to come before the United Nations have illuminated more aspects of international affairs than the Spanish question. The extent of drift of the Cold War can be measured with some precision by the changing attitudes toward Spain since 1945, changes which exhibit rather dramatically what might be called the impact of politics on morals. In the field of international organization, the voting behavior of the various blocs in the General Assembly on this issue is enlightening as to the balance of force operating therein, while on the juridical side that hardy and fundamental perennial, the problem of domestic jurisdiction and intervention, has come in for close scrutiny. Well before the establishment of the United Nations, the Spanish question had intensely engaged the emotions of the western world as had few other international issues, and that intensity persisted for the most part throughout the United Nations consideration of the problem. The fact that the question still has considerable relevance with respect to the defense of the West may make an investigation of recent United Nations policy toward Spain of some contemporary significance.
Evaluation of Variability in Material Properties and Chemical Composition for Midland Reactor Weld WF-70

The Heavy-Section Steel Irradiation (HSSI) Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) includes a task, the Tenth Irradiation Series, to investigate the effects of radiation on the fracture toughness of the low upper-shelf submerged-arc welds in the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) of the canceled Midland Unit 1 nuclear plant. The welds carry the Babcock and Wilcox Co. (B and W) designation WF-70, a weld which exists in many commercial pressurized-water reactors. Various sections of both the beltline weld and the nozzle course weld were studied. A major part of the study involved the determination of variations in chemical composition and reference temperature (RT{sub NDT}) throughout the as-received welds. The RT{sub NDT}s, all controlled by the Charpy behavior, varied from {minus}20 to 37 C ({minus}4 to 99 F) while the upper-shelf energies varied from 77 to 108 J (57 to 80 ft-lb). Even though all the welds carry the WF-70 designation, the bulk copper contents range from 0.21 to 0.34 wt % in the beltline weld and from 0.37 25 data sets of the Midland weld was 17 C and is comparable to that for the high upper-shelf HSSI weld 72W and that from 13 data sets for HSST Plate 01.more » Statistical analyses of the Charpy and chemical composition results are discussed. Although the NDT temperatures and CVN transition temperature ranges were similar for the two welds, the fracture toughness results indicated that the nozzle course weld had a 27 C (49 F) higher transition temperature than the beltline weld. Some postirradiation data are available and are presented in this paper, but the major part of the irradiation effects study will be reported subsequently.« less
Conflict and education: Some personal reflections

This article deals with the relationship between conflict and education. The author examines that linkage in both causal directions. A particular paradigm dominant in educational and policy systems, Realpolitik, tends to be reinforced by conflict; an alternative paradigm, Idealpolitik, tends to facilitate and strengthen development of a peace and conflict studies culture.
Grey parrots do not always ‘parrot’: the roles of imitation and phonological awareness in the creation of new labels from existing vocalizations

Evidence exists for a form of imitation, vocal segmentation, by a Grey parrot. Data show that the bird understands that his labels are comprised of individual units that can be recombined in novel ways to create a novel referential vocalization; that is, a novel act. Previous data suggested, but could not substantiate, this behaviour. Such evidence implies that a parrot not only has phonological awareness but also demonstrates true imitation rather than mimicry, and has implications for the studies of both the evolution of communicative competence and the development of robotic speech.
NAP (no ALU processor): the great communicator

A processor chip for use in massively parallel computer called the no ALU (arithmetic and logic unit) processor (NAP) is described. This processor is an experimental design incorporating several architectural features which make it simple to program, general-purpose, and efficient. The arithmetic functions normally performed by an ALU are instead performed by table lookups into memory. In addition, a very flexible programming model is provided, which supports indirect addressing and multiple concurrent instructions while operating in a single-instruction multiple-data (SIMD) or multiple-SIMD (MSIMD) mode. The instruction set architecture of the NAP and the processor design and the implementation of the NAP chip are discussed. The NAP is evaluated, and the lessons learned from this project are summarized. >
Model AI assignments 2014

The Model AI Assignments session seeks to gather and disseminate the best assignment designs of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Education community. Recognizing that assignments form the core of student learning experience, we here present abstracts of five AI assignments from the 2014 session that are easily adoptable, playfully engaging, and flexible for a variety of instructor needs. Assignment specifications and supporting resources may be found at http://modelai.gettysburg.edu.
Areal moments of inertia revisited: on the distinction between the principal directions

Three commonly used methods to determine the principal moments of inertia of a plane area and their directions are based on: (i) the stationarity condition for the axial moment of inertia, (ii) the eigenvalue analysis, and (iii) Mohr's circle. In this paper we provide two new derivations, which are based on: (a) the matrix diagonalization and the invariant tensor properties, and (b) the conjugacy property of the moment of inertia vectors. A new general expression is derived which specifies the principal directions of inertia, as well as the directions of the maximum and minimum product of inertia. A comparative study of the five presented approaches is given, which is of interest from both conceptual and methodological points of view. The con- nection between the deviatoric part of the moment of inertia tensor and Land's circle of inertia is also given. The presented analysis applies to any two-by-two symmetric second order tensor. The determination of the principal moments of inertia of a plane area and their principal directions is of great importance in the mechanics of rigid and deformable bodies, as evidenced by its detailed coverage in every undergraduate textbook on these subjects. The three commonly used methods to accomplish this are based on: (i) the condition of stationary axial moment of inertia about an arbitrary axis, (ii) the eigenvalue analysis of the moment of inertia tensor, and (iii) Mohr's circle. The objective of this paper is to present two additional deriva- tions, which have not been reported in the literature before. The first is based on the matrix diagonalization of the moment of inertia tensor and its invariant tensor properties, and the second on the conjugacy property of the moment of inertia vectors. These methods also apply to an analogous determination of the principal stresses and their directions in two dimensional continuum mechanics problems (or any other two-by-two symmetric second order tensor), with the main difference that the moment of inertia tensor is a positive definite tensor, while the stress tensor is not necessarily so. In Sect. 2 we diagonalize the moment of inertia tensor and use its invariant tensor properties to derive the expressions for the principal moments of inertia, and the expressions for the tangens of the angle that specifies each principal direction separately. The well-known derivation based on the eigenvalue analysis is included for comparison. In Sect. 3 we introduce the conjugacy property of the moment of inertia vectors, previously not explored in the literature in the context of moments of inertia, but well-known in the context of stress
Services Planned in Abusive Elder Care Situations

This study contrasted 96 physically abusive caregivers of elderly persons with 266 non-caregiver abusers and examined service plans for the two groups of victims and abusers. While elderly persons victimized by caregivers were offered home health care, case management, and adult day care at higher rates than victims of non-caregivers, less than 20% of the victims of caregivers were offered any of these services and 5% or less were offered outreach, counseling, and crisis intervention. Persons abused by caregivers were at particular risk of nursing home placement. Although 25% of the caregiving abusers and 34% of the non-caregiver abusers were reportedly alcoholic, only 3% in each group were referred for alcohol or drug treatment.
Macrocystic serous adenoma of the pancreas: radiologic-pathologic correlation.

OBJECTIVE. Macrocystic serous adenoma is a rare benign pancreatic neoplasm, recently described in the pathology literature. We describe the CT and MR imaging features in a series of five consecutive pathologically proven cases.MATERIALS AND METHODS. Of seven cases fulfilling the pathology criteria for macrocystic serous adenoma over an 11-year period, five patients underwent preoperative CT and MR imaging at our institution. In addition to the clinical presentation and pathologic features of the tumor, the following CT and MR imaging features were reviewed: size and location; wall thickness; internal septations; and presence of mural nodules, papillary projections, or calcifications.RESULTS. All patients but one were women (age range, 36–78 years; mean age, 48.6 years). The sizes of the tumors ranged from 1.5 to 5.0 cm (mean, 3.1 cm). Three (60%) of five tumors were located in the pancreatic head. The wall measured less than 2 mm in four lesions and 4 mm in one. No mural nodules, papillary projections, or...
An interpretation of the Navier-Stokes-alpha model as a frame-indifferent Leray regularization

Abstract We show in this note that the Leray regularization of the Navier–Stokes equations is almost frame-indifferent but for one second-order term. Neglecting this term, we readily recover the Navier–Stokes-alpha equations introduced by Holm et al. [Adv. Math. 137 (1998) 1; Phys. Fluids 11 (8) (1999) 2343]. Hence, as an alternative to the exposition in [Adv. Math. 137 (1998) 1; Phys. Fluids 11 (8) (1999) 2343], we propose to interpret the Navier–Stokes-alpha model as a frame-indifferent perturbation of the Leray regularization.
Patients' experiences of psychiatric care in emergency departments: A secondary analysis

The number of psychiatric emergencies presenting to EDs in the United States continues to rise. Evidence suggests that psychiatric ED care encounters can have less than optimal outcomes, and result in stress for providers. The primary aim of this study is to describe the perceptions of ED visits by persons experiencing emotional distress, identifying themes among these that may guide nursing interventions that minimize stress and optimize outcomes in the treatment of psychiatric emergency. This secondary analysis used a qualitative, phenomenological method to analyze a de-identified data set originally collected in a study of experiences of psychiatric emergency in a community based crisis management setting. Findings consist of three major themes: "Emergency rooms are cold and clinical", "They talk to you like you're a crazy person", and "You get put away against your will". An overarching theme through all three is the influence of RN communication, both positive and negative, on patient perceptions of their ED encounters. While nurse-patient communication is basic to all areas of practice, it may be a low priority in the urgent and chaotic context of the ED. However, our findings suggest that increased attention to timely, empathic and validating communication and openness to the patient's reality may decrease severity of symptoms, optimize outcomes, and decrease provider stress.
Acute gout: Oral steroids work as well as NSAIDs

A 68-year-old man with a history of ulcer disease and mild renal insufficiency comes to your office complaining of severe pain in his right foot. You note swelling and redness around the base of the big toe and diagnose acute gout. Wishing to avoid nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and colchicine because of the patient’s medical history, you wonder what you can safely prescribe for pain relief.
Organic Photovoltaics

Solid-state organic photovoltaic technologies are emerging and maturing with reports of power conversion efficiencies close to 5%. This tutorial will provide an overview of the chemistry, the physics and engineering of solar cells based on organic materials.
Prospective evaluation of bacteremia rates and infectious complications among patients undergoing single-operator choledochoscopy during ERCP.

Background and study aims: Choledochoscopy is increasingly performed during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) for direct bile duct visualization. Choledochoscopy necessitates irrigation of the bile duct with water or saline, which may increase intrabiliary pressure and consequently the risks of bacteremia and cholangitis. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the risk of bacteremia and infectious complications in patients undergoing single-operator choledochoscopy (SOC). Patients and methods: Patients requiring ERCP with SOC at two tertiary care centers were enrolled prospectively. Blood cultures were obtained immediately before the ERCP, after completion of the ERCP portion of the procedure (to determine ERCP-related bacteremia), and 15 minutes after completion of SOC. Results: A total of 72 patients (mean age 64 years; 51.4 % male) underwent ERCP with SOC. True positive blood cultures were noted in 20 patients (27.8 %; 95 % confidence interval [CI] 17.86 % – 39.59 %), of whom 6 patients (8.3 %; 95 %CI 3.12 % – 17.26 %) had transient bacteremia following ERCP. Of 14 patients (19.4 %; 95 %CI 11.05 % – 30.46 %) with sustained bacteremia following ERCP or SOC, 10 patients (13.9 %; 95 %CI 6.86 % – 24.06 %) had sustained bacteremia related to SOC. Despite the use of post-procedure intravenous antibiotic administration, seven patients (9.7 %; 95 %CI 3.99 – 19.01 %) required further antibiotic treatment for infectious complications, three of whom (4.2 %; 95 %CI 0.86 % – 11.69 %) were hospitalized in order to receive intravenous antibiotic therapy. Conclusion: The bacteremia associated with ERCP with SOC and the subsequent risk of hospitalization for infectious complications suggest that preprocedure antibiotic prophylaxis should be considered for patients undergoing SOC, particularly in older patients and those with prior stent placement or undergoing intraductal stone lithotripsy. Trial registration: clinical trials.gov (NCT01414400).
Seminal Plasma Protein Concentration as a predictor of Fertility and Hatchability in Large White Domestic Turkeys

Abstract Two flocks of yearling Large White turkeys representing high (61 toms; 123 hens) and low (63 toms; 111 hens) hatchability lines were pedigree mated: 1 tom/1-3 hens. In the fifth month of a six month breeding season, infertility (of unknown origin) and poor hatchability were experienced in both flocks. At this time, semen was collected once from the males, and seminal plasma protein concentrations were measured and correlated with fertility and hatchability for a 20 week breeding period. Males with high seminal plasma protein (equal to or greater than 6 g/100mL) were afflicted severely with yellow semen syndrome (YSS). Hens with which these males were mated produced eggs with significantly reduced fertility and hatchability. When the protein concentration was less that 6 g/100mL, no significant relationship between seminal plasma protein concentration and fertility or hatchability of total or fertile eggs occurred. These responses held true for both the high and low hatchability lines. We conclude that a single determination of seminal plasma protein concentration can be used to detect breeder males of poor reproductive potential.