cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Continuum stress intensity factors from atomistic fracture simulations

Abstract Stress intensity factors (SIFs) are used in continuum fracture mechanics to quantify the stress fields surrounding a crack in a homogeneous material in the linear elastic regime. Critical values of the SIFs define an intrinsic measure of the resistance of a material to propagate a crack. At atomic scales, however, fracture occurs as a series of atomic bonds breaking, differing from the continuum description. As a consequence, a formal analog of the continuum SIFs calculated from atomistic simulations can have spatially localized, microstructural contributions that originate from varying bond configurations. The ability to characterize fracture at the atomic scale in terms of the SIFs offers both an opportunity to probe the effects of chemistry, as well as how the addition of a microstructural component affects the accuracy. We present a novel numerical method to determine SIFs from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The accuracy of this approach is first examined for a simple model, and then applied to atomistic simulations of fracture in amorphous silica. MD simulations provide time and spatially dependent SIFs, with results that are shown to be in good agreement with experimental values for fracture toughness in silica glass.
The bifurcation of advanced packaging

Following a similar trend from the 1990's, IC package design is experiencing a sea change. As a refresher, the 1990's is when the ball grid array (BGA) came along, introducing a whole new set of de...
Estimates of the prevalence of speech and motor speech disorders in adolescents with Down syndrome

Although there is substantial rationale for a motor component in the speech of persons with Down syndrome (DS), there presently are no published estimates of the prevalence of subtypes of motor spe...
Topology of the real part of hyperelliptic Jacobian associated with the periodic Toda lattice

This paper concerns the topology of the isospectral {\it real} manifold of the ${\mathfrak sl}(N)$ periodic Toda lattice consisting of $2^{N-1}$ different systems. The solutions of those systems contain blow-ups, and the set of those singular points defines a devisor of the manifold. Then adding the divisor, the manifold is compactified as the real part of the $(N-1)$-dimensional Jacobi variety associated with a hyperelliptic Riemann surface of genus $g=N-1$. We also study the real structure of the divisor, and then provide conjectures on the topology of the affine part of the real Jacobian and on the gluing rule over the divisor to compactify the manifold based upon the sign-representation of the Weyl group of ${\mathfrak sl}(N)$.
Safety risk analysis of restricted-speed train accidents in the United States

An understanding of accident risk based on historical safety data can support the development and prioritization of effective accident prevention strategies. While previous studies have focused ext...
Rapamycin increases breast tumor burden in young wheel-running mice.

ABSTRACTRapamycin is an immunosuppressive and anti-cancer drug recently shown to enhance healthy aging in animal models. Regular physical exercise is associated with healthy aging and reduced risk ...
Modern water: A biocultural approach to water pollution at the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation.

Objectives The goal of this article is to review a body of research around water contamination conducted in the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation between 1995 and 2016, place these findings in a biocultural context, and consider implications for a human biology of water. Methods This review draws on research projects conducted in partnership with the Akwesasne Mohawk Nation living along the St. Lawrence River as well as published research by others on water contamination at Akwesasne. Quantitative and qualitative methods including toxicological and epidemiological methods, surveys, and ethnographic studies are included. Results Pollution of a river with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) contaminated local fish, a major, traditional, food source. Following health advisories to avoid consuming local fish, consumption and PCB levels decreased. PCB levels were negatively associated with health outcomes. In adolescents, higher PCB levels were associated with advanced sexual maturation in females, reduced testosterone in males and reduced thyroxine levels in young adults. Avoiding fish consumption altered traditional dietary patterns and social interactions, generational transmission of knowledge, and relations between generations, all of which impacted cultural forms and may have added to the perceived injustices in this Native American community. Items substituted for fish may have contributed to increasing rates of obesity as well. Conclusions Water pollution has immediate direct health consequences as well as cultural impacts related to changed food consumption and altered patterns of social interaction.
Afterword: Reflections on the Documentational Approach to Didactics

In this afterword, I briefly summarize the documentational approach to didactics (DAD) since a number of authors have already comprehensively done so earlier in this volume. The 2018 Re(s)sources International Conference demonstrated the breadth, promise, and growth of DAD and how it allows the field to productively problematize the interactions between curriculum resources and those who use them. As a friendly outsider, I have explored DAD and grown increasingly familiar with it. Below, I explore key contributions of DAD and the strengths of its theoretical underpinnings. I then provide challenges and limitations of DAD before connecting it to my recent work in curriculum ergonomics.
Point-Counterpoint: Theory U – A Debate on Community

Theory U, the change management philosophy discussed in Otto Scharmer’s (2009) book of the same title, continues to have broad relevance today. With recent reports of bias in Google’s search algori...
The swarm of disaster

Abstract In this essay the author responds to the contributors of the form on “The Coloniality of Disaster” and addresses the unfolding earthquakes and “disaster swarm” facing Puerto Rico and the contemporary Caribbean.
Unique and Cumulative Effects of Intimate Partner Cybervictimization Types on Alcohol Use in Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Emerging Adults.

The use of modern technology has inadvertently created newer platforms for intimate partner victimization to take place. The present study investigated (1) whether psychological, sexual, and stalki...
55-P: IMPACT OF DONOR SPECIFIC ANTIBODIES (DSA) IN RETRANSPLANTATION OF LIVER

Aim With availability of specific and sensitive HLA antibody assays, the importance of donor specific antibodies (DSA) in liver transplant has grown. Patients undergoing 2nd liver transplant are at high risk of DSA. We present contrasting outcomes in 2 patients. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the DSA in 2 liver recipients and compared them to the clinical outcomes. Results Pt #1: A 28 year old woman with PBC underwent a living donor liver transplant in 2006. In the next 4 years she received her 2nd, 3rd and 4th liver transplants due to graft failures. Plasmapheresis and IVIG were used at the 3rd & 4th transplants due to high PRA. A positive B cell flow crossmatch was noted at the last transplant. DSA monitoring was initiated after the 4th transplant. Elevated levels of class II antibodies to DR4, DR53 and DQ8 persisted. Patient had recurrence of jaundice after 6 months and showed short lived response to thymoglobulin, plasmapheresis, IVIG and Rituximab with rebound of DSA within a month of antibody therapy. Coincidentally, donors 2, 3 and 4 all had DR4, DR53 and DQ8. The patient underwent Bortezomib therapy as liver biopsy continued to show mixed portal infiltrate & bile duct injury. Pt #2: A 25 yr old woman with autoimmune hepatitis underwent liver transplant in 2006. Graft function deteriorated following steroid non-responsive rejection treated with Thymoglobulin & OK T3. Retransplant was done in early 2011. B cell crossmatch was positive and patient received thymoglobulin, plasmapheresis and IVIG. DSA assay showed the presence of anti-A2, -A11, -DR53, and -DQ8. During a follow up of 11 months, graft function was excellent despite the persistence of high titers of Class II antibodies. In contrast, level of class I antibodies remain under cutoff. Conclusions Sensitization status needs serious consideration in retransplantation of liver. Avoidance of donors with unacceptable antigens may be crucial in some liver retransplant recipients. A positive B cell crossmatch may portend a poor outcome.
Who funds Alzheimer's disease drug development?

Introduction Despite the increase in Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases in the United States, no new treatments have been approved in the United States since 2003. The costs associated with drug development programs are high and serve as a significant deterrent to AD therapeutic investigations. In this study, we analyze the sponsorship data for AD clinical trials conducted since 2016 to assess the fiscal support for AD clinical trials. Methods We analyzed the funding sources of all AD trials over the past 5 years as reported on ClinicalTrials.gov. Results There were 136 trials being conducted for treatments in the US AD therapeutic pipeline on the index date of this study. Among non-prevention trials, disease-modifying therapies (DMT) in Phase 3 were almost entirely sponsored by the biopharmaceutical industry; Phase 2 DMT trials were split between the biopharmaceutical industry and funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to academic medical centers (AMCs). The majority of prevention trials received sponsorship from public-private partnerships (PPP). Trials of symptomatic agents are equally likely to have biopharmaceutical or NIH/AMC sponsorship. Most trials with repurposed agents had NIH/AMC funding (89%). Since 2016, there has been consistent growth in the number of trials sponsored both in part and fully by NIH/AMC sources and in PPP, and there has been a reduction in biopharmaceutical company-sponsored trials. Discussion The number of trials supported by the biopharmaceutical industry has decreased over the past 5 years; trials supported from federal sources and PPP have increased. Repurposed compounds are mostly in Phase 2 trials and provide critical mechanistic information.
Ethical Challenges in Psychiatric Administration and Leadership

As with all professional ethical principles, those in psychiatry have to evolve over time and societal changes. The current ethical challenges for psychiatric administration and leadership, especially regarding for-profit managed care, need updated solutions. One solution resides in the development by the American Association of Psychiatric Administrators (AAPA) of the first set of ethical principles designed specifically for psychiatric administrators. These principles build on prior Psychological Theories of leadership, such as those of Freud, Kernberg, and Kohut. Supplementing these theories are the actual real life models of psychiatrist leadership as depicted in the memoirs of various psychiatrists. Appreciating these principles, theories, and models may help emerging leaders to better recognize the importance of ethical challenges. A conclusion is that psychiatrists should have the potential to assume more successful leadership positions once again. In such positions, making the skills and well-being of all in the organization seems now to be the foremost ethical priority.
CoA‐Dependent Enzymes, Chemistry of

Coenzyme A (CoA) and its thioesters play a diverse array of roles in biologic systems. The enzymes that catalyze reactions of CoA are of interest for a variety of reasons, including, but not limited to, their potential as drug targets. The enzymology of CoA biosynthesis is now well understood, and the genes for all of the enzymes involved have been identified. Thioesters are inherently reactive toward acyl transfer reactions and toward reactions involving deprotonation of the α-carbon, and these are the primary reactivity patterns in enzyme-catalyzed reactions of CoA thioesters. CoA utilizing enzymes have been widely studied mechanistically and structurally. Analogs of the natural CoA thioester substrates have been widely used in these studies, including thioesters of unnatural or uncommon acyl groups as well as a large number of analogs in which the thioester is replaced with alternative functionality. Recent technical applications of CoA have included the tagging of carrier protein domains and carrier protein fusions with tagged phosphopantetheine derivatives transferred enzymatically from the corresponding tagged CoA derivatives using promiscuous phosphopantetheinyl transferases.
Assessing congenital malformation risk from medications used in pregnancy: The contribution of NBDPS in pregnancy labeling of prescription drug products.

Background Obtaining human pregnancy data to inform product labeling is important for drug and biological products. Methods Collection and analyses of safety data on their use during pregnancy is usually performed after approval. Results The Centers for Disease Control National Birth Defects Prevention Study has provided important data on the relationship between drug use in pregnancy and birth defects. Conclusion The Pregnancy and Lactation Labeling Rule will set new and improved standards for the inclusion of information about the use of prescription drugs and biological products during pregnancy; the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, along with other data sources, will be critical for providing safety data to inform product labeling. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 103:718–720, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Extension of AOAC Official Method 996.01 to the analysis of Standard Reference Material (SRM) 1846 and infant formulas.

There is currently no official method for the analysis of fatty acids (including trans fatty acids) in infant formulas. AOAC Official Method 996.01 for Fat Analysis in Cereal Products was extended to the analysis of milk-based infant formula Standard Reference Material (SRM)1846 to determine its applicability for use with infant formulas. Following the analysis of SRM 1846, 2 infant formulas, one milk-based liquid and one soy-based powdered infant formula, were analyzed for total fatty acid composition. Fatty acid methyl esters were prepared and analyzed by gas chromatography. The results of the analysis of SRM 1846 show that the mean analyzed values were highly reproducible as indicated by low coefficients of variation (CV). The CVs were <5% for the major fatty acids. Mean analyzed values for individual fatty acids in SRM 1846 were within ± 1 standard deviation of the certificate values. The analyzed value for total fat as triglycerides (26.27 ± 0.25%) agreed well with the certificate value (27.1 ± 0.59%). Analyses of infant formulas showed that the concentrations of linoleic acid and fat meet the requirements for such formulas.
CGR3: A Golgi-Localized Protein Influencing Homogalacturonan Methylesterification

Plant cell walls are complex structures that offer structural and mechanical support to plant cells and are ultimately responsible for plant architecture and form. Pectins are a large group of complex polysaccharides of the plant cell wall that are made in the Golgi and secreted to the wall. The methylesterification of pectins is believed to be an important factor for the dynamic properties of the cell wall. Here, we report on a protein of unknown function discovered using an extensive proteomics analysis of cotton Golgi. Through bioinformatic analyses, we identified the ortholog of such protein, here named cotton Golgi-related 3 (CGR3) in Arabidopsis and found that it shares conserved residues with S-adenosylmethionine methyltransferases. We established that CGR3 is localized at the Golgi apparatus and that the expression of the CGR3 gene is correlated with that of several cell wall biosynthetic genes, suggesting a possible role of the protein in pectin modifications. Consistent with this hypothesis, immunofluorescence microscopy with antibodies for homogalacturonan pectins (HG) indicated that the cell walls of cgr3 knockout mutants and plants overexpressing CGR3 are decreased and increased in HG methylesterification, respectively. Our results suggest that CGR3 plays a role in the methylesterification of homogalacturonan in Arabidopsis.
AFM-based analysis of human metastatic cancer cells

Recently biomechanics of cancer cells, in particular stiffness or elasticity, has been identified as an important factor relating to cancer cell function, adherence, motility, transformation and invasion. We report on the nanomechanical responses of metastatic cancer cells and benign mesothelial cells taken from human body cavity fluids using atomic force microscopy. Following our initial study (Cross et al 2007 Nat. Nanotechnol. 2 780-3), we report on the biophysical properties of patient-derived effusion cells and address the influence of cell morphology on measured cell stiffness. Using a cytocentrifugation method, which yields morphologically indistinguishable cells that can be prepared in 1 min and avoids any possible artifacts due to 12 h ex vivo culture, we find that metastatic tumor cells are more than 80% softer than benign cells with a distribution over six times narrower than that of normal cells. Consistent with our previous study, which yielded distinguishable cell populations based on ex vivo growth and morphological characteristics, our results show it is unlikely that morphology alone is sufficient to explain the difference in elastic moduli for these two cell types. Moreover, analysis of non-specific cell adhesion inherent to tumor and normal cells collected from patients show surface adhesion of tumor cells is ∼33% less adhesive compared to that of normal cells. Our findings indicate that biomechanical-based functional analysis may provide an additional platform for cytological evaluation and diagnosis of cancer in the future.
Students With Limited English Proficiency: Legal Considerations

How to address the educational needs of students with limited English proficiency (LEP) is a particularly challenging and often controversial endeavor. Failure to address the needs of students with LEP often results in denial of meaningful educational opportunities and leads to disproportionate representation in special education programs. This article reviews relevant legislation and litigation regarding students with LEP and provides recommendations for improved practice. The case law reviewed addresses (a) equal opportunities for all students, regardless of native language, English language proficiency, or disabilities, (b) nondiscriminatory assessments, (c) assessments done in a timely fashion, and (d) parental involvement.
Implicit objective integration for sensitivity analysis in non-linear solid mechanics

Incrementally objective integration schemes are proposed for the accurate and efficient determination of design sensitivity coefficients (DSCs) for solid mechanics problems with both material and geometrical non-linearities. The derivation of these schemes are based on the direct differentiation of objective schemes that are used in stress analysis for problems of this class. Two widely used objective stress rates, the Jaumann rate and the Green–Naghdi rate, are considered here within the same setting with only minor changes of the integration scheme. Numerical results are presented for a simple shear problem with different material constitutive laws, including a hypoelastic model and a unified isotropic viscoplastic model, for these two objective rates. The numerical results are compared with analytical solutions or direct integration solutions. The close agreement among these solutions demonstrates the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed scheme.
Ice crystal terminal velocities.

Terminal velocities of different ice crystal forms were calculated, using the most recent ice crystal drag coefficients, aspect ratios, and densities. The equations derived were primarily for use in calculating precipitation rates by sampling particles with an aircraft in cirrus clouds, and determining particle size in cirrus clouds by Doppler radar. However, the equations are sufficiently general for determining particle terminal velocity at any altitude, and almost any crystal type. Two sets of equations were derived. The 'general' equations provide a good estimate of terminal velocities at any altitude. The 'specific' equations are a set of equations for ice crystal terminal velocities at 1000 mb. The calculations are in good agreement with terminal velocity measurements. The results from the present study were also compared to prior calculations by others and seem to give more reasonable results, particularly at higher altitudes.
Validation of the revised Schwartz estimating equation in a predominantly non-CKD population

Recently, Schwartz et al. (J Am Soc Nephrol 20:629-637, 2009) used data from the National Institutes of Health-funded Chronic Kidney Disease in Children (CKiD) study to generate new equations for estimating the glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), including an update of the commonly used bedside equation. However, it is unclear if the equation can be generalized to a broader pediatric population. We have used the updated equation on a sample of pediatric patients with less impaired renal function to evaluate the correlation between the new Schwartz equation and measured GFR by iothalamate clearance. We retrospectively analyzed 738 iothalamate clearance tests from 503 patients with a mean serum creatinine of 0.50 mg/dl whose ages ranged from 1 to 16 years. We measured bias, precision, and accuracy and performed a Bland-Altman plot to determine the measure of agreement between the two methods. The mean GFR by iothalamate clearance was 110.6 ml/min/1.73 m(2) and by the new Schwartz estimation 104.7 ml/min/1.73 m(2). The mean difference was 5.84 ml/min/1.73 m(2) (95% CI 4.00-7.67). The newly purposed bedside Schwartz equation therefore demonstrated good agreement with the iothalamate renal clearances in our patient population and appears to be a valid bedside estimating equation for GFR in this sample of children.
Effects of Counselor Sex, Student Sex, and Student Attractiveness on Counselors' Judgments.

Abstract Thirty-two male and thirty-two female high school counselors in a large metropolitan school district were provided with routine student profile data and asked to make predictions about the student's potential for post-high school education and to suggest occupations for the student to explore. All data reviewed by the counselors were identical except for a photograph of the student attached to the profile. Within counselor sex groups, counselors were randomly assigned to one of the following four photograph conditions: (a) attractive female; (b) unattractive female; (c) attractive male; and (d) unattractive male. Male subjects were found to discriminate on the basis of student sex when they suggested occupations for the student to explore. Predictions of post-high school education and the social status of suggested occupations were not found to be related to counselor sex, student sex, or student attractiveness.
Electrophoretic properties of low molecular weight DNA fragments in agarose-acrylamide gels.

Abstract The electrophoretic behavior of double-stranded and single-stranded DNA fragments of known molecular weight has been examined in composite agarose-acrylamide gels. At an optimal gel concentration and voltage gradient, polynucleotides having molecular weights between 2 × 104 and 2 × 106 appear to fall into two classes with respect to having mobilities which are consistent with their molecular weight: one class consists of single-stranded polynucleotides which have been derived by the dissociation of molecules that are normally double-stranded; the other class consists of linear double-stranded polynucleotides and naturally occurring single-stranded polynucleotides such as ribosomal RNA's. At molecular weights below about 4 × 105, both classes of polynucleotides have retardation coefficients which are proportional to molecular weight, while, above this size, the retardation coefficients of linear doublestranded molecules are independent of molecular weight.
Max Weber on Causal Analysis, Interpretation, and Comparison

Max Weber's methodological writings offered a model of singular causal analysis that anticipated key elements of contemporary Anglo-American philosophy of the social and cultural sciences. The model accurately portrayed crucial steps and dimensions of causal reasoning in these disciplines, outlining a dynamic and probabilistic conception of historical processes, counterfactual reasoning, and comparison as a substitute for counterfactual argument. Above all, Weber recognized the interpretation of human actions as a subcategory of causal analysis, in which the agents' visions of desired outcomes, together with their beliefs about how to bring them about, cause them to act as they do.
Simple tests for the validity of correlation function models on the circle

We present two simple and efficient tests for the positive definiteness of a given function on the circle. The first criterion is an analogue of Polya's theorem, and the second is a necessary condition in terms of derivatives. Some hints at applications in geostatistics are given as well.
The effects of chronic potassium deficiency on myocardial contractility and oxygen consumption

Abstract The effects of chronic intracellular cation deficiency on myocardial function and myocardial oxygen consumption were defined by characterizing myocardial contractility and oxygen utilization following dietary-induced potassium depletion. After 25 to 44 days of a low potassium diet, the mechanics of contraction and myocardial oxygen consumption of right ventricular papillary muscles from control and potassium deficient kittens were determined. With severe hypokalemia ([K+] = 2.4 ± 0.2 mequiv./L), myocardial potassium was 68 ± 3 mequiv./kg (control = 85 ± 5, P 0.1). The average forcevelocity curve was shifted downward and to the left with significant depression of preload velocity to 0.49 ± 0.14 muscle length/s (control = 1.24 ± 0.08, P d P d t , was depressed, (13.9 ± 1.9 g/mm2/s; control = 26.9 ± 2.2; P
Stereoselective inhibition of dopaminergic activity by gamma vinyl-GABA following a nicotine or cocaine challenge: a PET/microdialysis study.

Abstract Elevation of endogenous GABA by the racemic mixture of gamma vinyl-GABA (GVG, Vigabatrin®) decreases extracellular nucleus accumbens (NAc) dopamine (DA) levels and diminishes the response to many drugs of abuse known to elevate DA in the mesocorticolimbic system. We investigated the effects of the individual enantiomers (S(+)-GVG, R(−)-GVG) on cocaine-induced NAc DA in rodents as well as the effects of nicotine-induced increases in primates. In a series of microdialysis experiments in freely moving animals, S(+)-GVG (150 mg kg ), R(−)-GVG (150 mg kg ) or racemic (R, S) GVG (300 mg kg ) was administered 2.5 hours prior to cocaine (20 mg kg ) administration. When compared with cocaine alone, the R(−) enantiomer did not significantly inhibit cocaine induced NAc DA release. S(+)-GVG, at half the dose of the racemic mixture (150 mg kg ), inhibited cocaine-induced DA elevation by 40%, while the racemic mixture (300 mg kg ) inhibited cocaine-induced DA release by 31%. In addition, our PET studies in primates demonstrated that S(+)-GVG completely inhibits nicotine-induced increases in the corpus striatum, again at half the dose of the racemic mixture. The R(−) enantiomer was ineffective. Although the S(+) enantiomer has been well established as the active compound in the treatment of epilepsy, the efficacy of this enantiomer with regard to mesolimbic DA inhibition generates a complex series of clinical and neurochemical issues. Further investigations will determine the locus of action and physiologic properties of each enantiomer.
Light scattering by two parallel glass fibers

Angular- and spectral-light-scattering measurements have been made for a glass fiber parallel to and at varying distances from a mirror. Scattering calculations have been made for two parallel fibers. The multiple-scattering effects between a fiber and its mirror image or between two fibers are shown to be quite similar, even for an imperfectly conducting mirror. The multiple scattering becomes less important when one fiber is not in the shadow of the other and when the separation is large. Also, the morphology-dependent resonances shift, and the line shapes change as the separation decreases. In the fiber–mirror configuration, the evanescent fields of the fiber couple to propagating surface plasmons of the metal mirror for TE polarization, greatly damping the scattered intensity.
Thermodynamic consequences of the hyperoxidized guanine lesion guanidinohydantoin in duplex DNA.

Guanidinohydantoin (Gh) is a hyperoxidized DNA lesion produced by oxidation of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydroguanine (8-oxoG). Previous work has shown that Gh is potently mutagenic both in vitro and in vivo coding for G → T and G → C transversion mutations. In this work, analysis by circular dichroism shows that the Gh lesion does not significantly alter the global structure of a 15-mer duplex, and that the DNA remains in the B-form. However, we find that Gh causes a large decrease in the thermal stability, decreasing the duplex melting temperature by ~ 17 °C relative to an unmodified duplex control. Using optical melting analysis and differential scanning calorimetry the thermodynamic parameters describing duplex melting were also determined. We find that the Gh lesion causes a dramatic decrease in the enthalpic stability of the duplex. This enthalpic destabilization is somewhat tempered by entropic stabilization yet Gh results in an overall decrease in thermodynamic stability of the duplex relative to a control which lacks DNA damage, with a ΔΔG° of −7 kcal/mol. These results contribute to our understanding of the consequences of hyperoxidation of G and provide insight into how the thermal and thermodynamic destabilization caused by Gh may influence replication and/or repair of the lesion.
Incidence and ecology of Campylobacter jejuni and coli in animals

Since its initial emergence in the 1970s, Campylobacter has become one of the most common causative agents of bacterial foodborne illness. Campylobacter species readily colonize the gastrointestinal tracts of domestic, feral and wild animals and while they rarely cause clinical disease in food animals, they can produce severe acute gastroenteritis in humans. Prevalence of Campylobacter in food animals can exceed 80% thus challenging processors to employ post-harvest pathogen reduction strategies. Reduction of pathogens before arrival to the abattoir is also of interest because the implementation of pre-harvest interventions may compliment existing post-harvest control techniques to further diminish possible retail sources of infection. Such multiple hurdle approaches that simultaneously utilize pre- and post-harvest control techniques are expected to be the most effective approach for decreasing human illness associated with foodborne pathogens.
Periodic boundary value problems for second order integro-differential equations of volterra type

The existence of solutions of periodic boundary value problems for second order integro-differential equation is considered. When the function involved is assumed to be increasing relative to integral terms, the results become straight-forward. On the otherhand, when increasing nature is not assumed, the proofs breakdown since the existing com- parison results demand it. This paper deals with this case and obtains deeper results.
Delta excitations in neutrino-nucleus scattering

We derive the contribution of {Delta}-{ital h} excitations to quasielastic charged-current neutrino-nucleus scattering in the framework of relativistic mean-field theory. We discuss the effect of {Delta} production on the determination of the axial mass {ital M}{sub {ital A}} in neutrino scattering experiments. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}
ExPlates: spatializing interactive analysis to scaffold visual exploration

Visual exploration involves using visual representations to investigate data where the goals of the process are unclear and poorly defined. However, this often places unduly high cognitive load on the user, particularly in terms of keeping track of multiple investigative branches, remembering earlier results, and correlating between different views. We propose a new methodology for automatically spatializing the individual steps in visual exploration onto a large visual canvas, allowing users to easily recall, reflect, and assess their progress. We also present a web-based implementation of our methodology called ExPlatesJS where users can manipulate multidimensional data in their browsers, automatically building visual queries as they explore the data.
Forty-Six Years of Pretty Straight Going The Life of a Family Dairy Farm

Oral history’s greatest strength is that it allows for life stories to be heard that would not otherwise be. When people eat, little do they realize what it takes to get that vegetable, slice of me...
Subarray technology for time delayed scanning arrays

This paper describes several of the approaches to insert time delay at subarrays for scanning wide band phased arrays. In order to avoid the large quantization lobes that result from the use of rectangular subarrays, researchers have developed techniques for overlapping subarrays, randomizing subarray locations and using irregular subarrays. This paper introduces each of these approaches, and reviews the latest developments in each.
Characterization of the substrate mimic bound to engineered prostacyclin synthase in solution using high-resolution NMR spectroscopy and mutagenesis: implication of the molecular mechanism in biosynthesis of prostacyclin.

High-resolution NMR spectroscopy was used to determine the docking of a substrate (prostaglandin H 2 ) mimic (U46619) to the engineered prostacyclin (PGI 2 ) synthase (PGIS) in solution. The binding of U46619 to the PGIS protein was demonstrated by 1D NMR titration, and the significant perturbation of the chemical shifts of protons at C-ll, H2C, and H20 of U46619 were observed upon U46619 binding to the engineered PGIS in a concentration-dependent manner. The detailed conformational change and 3D structure of the PGIS-bound U46619 were further demonstrated by 2D 1 H NMR experiments using the transferred NOE technique. The distances between the protons H20 and H2, H18 and H2, and H18 and H4 are shorter following their binding to the PGIS in solution-down to within 5 A. These shorter distances resulted in a widely open conformation, where the triangle shape of the unbound U46619 changed to a more compact conformation with an oval shape. The bound conformation of U46619 fits the crystal structure of the PGIS substrate binding pocket considerably better than that of the unbound U46619. The residues important to the substrate binding in the active site pocket of PGIS were also predicted. For example, Trp282 could be one of the most important residues and is suspected to play a role in the determination of specific catalytic function, which has been established by the docking studies using the NMR structure of the PGIS-bound form of U46619 and the PGIS crystal structure. These studies have provided the structural information for the interaction of the PGIS with its substrate mimic. The noted conformational changes where the C-6 position is closer to the C-9 position of U46619 provided the first experimental data for understanding the molecular mechanism of the catalytic function of PGIS in the isomerization of PGH 2 to prostacyclin.
Structure and stability analysis of general Mamdani fuzzy dynamic models

Mamdani fuzzy models have always been used as black-box models. Their structures in relation to the conventional model structures are unknown. Moreover, there exist no theoretical methods for rigorously judging model stability and validity. I attempt to provide solutions to these issues for a general class of fuzzy models. They use arbitrary continuous input fuzzy sets, arbitrary fuzzy rules, arbitrary inference methods, Zadeh or product fuzzy logic AND operator, singleton output fuzzy sets, and the centroid defuzzifier. I first show that the fuzzy models belong to the NARX (nonlinear autoregressive with the extra input) model structure, which is one of the most important and widely used structures in classical modeling. I then divide the NARX model structure into three nonlinear types and investigate how the settings of the fuzzy model components, especially input fuzzy sets, dictate the relations between the fuzzy models and these types. I have found that the fuzzy models become type-2 models if and only if the input fuzzy sets are linear or piecewise linear (e.g., trapezoidal or triangular), becoming type 3 if and only if at least one input fuzzy set is nonlinear. I have also developed an algorithm to transfer type-2 fuzzy models into type-1 models as far as their input–output relationships are concerned, which have some important properties not shared by the type-2 models. Furthermore, a necessary and sufficient condition has been derived for a part of the general fuzzy models to be linear ARX models. I have established a necessary and sufficient condition for judging local stability of type-1 and type-2 fuzzy models. It can be used for model validation and control system design. Three numeric examples are provided. Our new findings provide a theoretical foundation for Mamdani fuzzy modeling and make it more consistent with the conventional modeling theory. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Int Syst 20: 103–125, 2005.
Greenhouse Studies of Host Plant Suitability to Graminella nigrifrons, a Vector of Corn Stunt Virus

The suitability of 34 plant selections, representing 28 species, for feeding, survival, oviposition or nymphet development of the black-faced leafhopper, Graminella nigrifrons (Forbes), was tested in the greenhouse. Of the test leafhoppers, 20% or more survived 10 days on 14 of 30 test plants. Percent survival of females was significantly higher than that of males. Twelve of 30 test plants had 20 or more eggs laid in them within a 10-day period. Millet, oats, rice, and sorghum with 67, 56, 54, and 51 eggs, respectively, were the preferred hosts for oviposition. Incubation of eggs varied from 13 to 19 days on 12 test plants, being shortest on barley, oats, and rye and longest on common Bermuda grass. Development of nymphs to adulthood required from 17 to 18 clays on 9 plant species. Nymphs were observed on 29 of 33 test plants. However development to adulthood occurred on only 15 of these. Barley and rye appeared to be good hosts for colony development, while millet, oats, tall fescue, orchard grass, wheat, and perennial ryegrass were considered fair to poor host plants.
Virtue and beauty : Remarks on McGinn's aesthetic theory of virtue

Etude de la theorie esthetique de la vertu developpee par C. McGinn dans «Ethics, evil and fiction» (1997) dans le sens d'une theorie non-reductive de la survenance. Distinguant la beaute morale de l'âme et la beaute non-morale des objets sensibles, ainsi que la forme de plaisir qui leur est associe, l'A. examine la definition de l'esthetisme etablie au chapitre VI de l'ouvrage de McGinn, ainsi que l'opposition entre la poursuite de la beaute et la poursuite de la vertu illustree par H. James dans «The portrait of a lady» (1975). L'A. verifie ainsi la formule de Nabokov avancee par McGinn selon laquelle le monde ou l'art est la norme est aussi le monde des ideaux
Generalized modular forms

Abstract The theory of “generalized modular forms,” initiated here, grows naturally out of questions inherent in rational conformal field theory. The latter physical theory studies q -series arising as trace functions (or partition functions), which generate a finite-dimensional SL(2, Z )-module. It is a natural step to investigate whether these q -series are in fact modular forms in the classical sense. As it turns out, the existence of the module does not, of itself, guarantee that this is so. Indeed, our Theorem 1 shows that such q -series of necessity behave like modular forms in every respect, with the important exception that the multiplier system need not be of absolute value one. The Supplement to Theorem 1 shows that such q -series are classical modular forms exactly when the scalars relating the q -series generators of the module have absolute value one. That is, the SL(2, Z )-module in question is unitary. (There is the further restriction that the associated representation is monomial.) We prove as well that there exist generalized modular forms which are not classical modular forms. (Hence, as asserted above, the q -series need not be classical modular forms.) Beyond Theorem 1 and its Supplement, which serve to relate our generalized modular forms to classical modular forms (and thus justify the name), this work develops a number of their fundamental properties. Among these are a basic result relating generalized modular forms to classical modular forms of weight 2 and so, as well, to abelian integrals. Further, we prove two general existence results and a complete characterization of weight k generalized modular forms in terms of generalized modular forms of weight 0 and classical modular forms of weight k .
Using primary productivity as an index of coastal eutrophication: the units of measurement matter

Eutrophication is a serious environmental and economic problem in coastal marine ecosystems worldwide. It has recently been recommended that measurements of primary productivity, being a sensitive and accurate indicator of eutrophication, should be mandatory when monitoring and assessing the ecological status of coastal waters. The units of primary productivity chosen for eutrophication assessment will be very important because not all measures of primary productivity vary monotonically (or even straightforwardly) with changes in aquatic fertility. Volumetric expressions of primary productivity (rates of carbon fixation per unit volume of seawater) may prove to be the most sensitive and most reliable measures to use when evaluating the eutrophication status of coastal marine ecosystems. Another potential measure of primary productivity, the light-saturated rate of photosynthesis per unit Chlorophyll a (P:B Chl ) ratio, is unsuitable for the assessment of aquatic ecosystem responses to nutrient enrichment.
Metabolism of Uniformly C14-Labeled Fructose, Sorbitol, and Glycerol in Lactating Goats

Abstract This investigation compared utilization of C 14 -fructose with C 14 -sorbitol, and C 14 -glycerol after intravenous injection (pulse-label) of each substance into lactating goats. Autoradiograms of plasma samples showed rapid removal of fructose and early appearance of C 14 in glucose. The initial half-life for disappearance of fructose glycerol from plasma was less than three minutes. Plasma glucose reached maximum specific activity in approximately 10min following injection of each compound. Calculations showed that, 54% of the glycerol, 60% of the fructose, and 64% of the sorbitol had entered the plasma glucose pool during three hours after pulse labeling. A smaller amount of each compound, about 30% of that injected, was oxidized to CO 2 but nearly four-fifths of this appeared in glucose prior to oxidation. The respired CO 2 reached maximum specific activity between 45 and 55 minutes after injection of fructose or sorbitol and 22 minutes after injection of glycerol. The magnitude of the peak specific activity after glycerol injection was nearly twice that reached with either fructose or sorbitol. More of the glycerol was oxidized and less was converted to glucose than for either fructose or sorbitol.
The 3′ untranslated regions of the duplicated human α-globin genes are unexpectedly divergent

DNA sequence analysis of a cloned partially deleted human alpha-thalassemia globin gene revealed a novel 3' untranslated region displaying at least nineteen differences when compared with previously published alpha mRNA sequences. Restriction enzyme mapping established the origin of the alpha-thalassemia gene as the more 3' of the normal, duplicated alpha genes (alpha 1). DNA sequencing of a previously isolated alpha 1 gene revealed a 3' untranslated region identical to that of the alpha-thalassemia gene. The sequence of the corresponding region of the more 5' alpha gene (alpha 2) was consistent with published mRNA sequences except in three probably polymorphic positions. Therefore the 3' untranslated regions of the highly homologous alpha-globin genes differ significantly. The recognition that the duplicated alpha genes differ in a region expressed in mature mRNA should not permit direct assessment of relative gene output in various normal and pathologic states. The divergence of the alpha gene 3' untranslated regions in the face of minimal coding sequence differences must be reconciled with current models for matching homologous gene sequences by recombination events.
Independent variation of β-adrenergic receptor binding and catecholamine-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in rat erythrocytes

Abstract Isoproterenol-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in membrane preparations of reticulocyte-rich (90%) erythrocytes from phenylhydrazine-treated rats is 9 times greater than in untreated animals (1% reticulocytes); basal and fluoride-stimulated activities are also enhanced 2 and 4-fold respectively. In contrast, the number of β-adrenergic receptor sites detected by the binding of 125 I-hydroxybenzylpindolol ( 125 I-HYP) is increased only 40% in these same preparations. The dissociation constant (K D ) of 125 I-HYP and the IC 50 of (-)-isoproterenol for receptor binding sites are unchanged, as is the EC 50 of (-)-isoproterenol for activation of adenylate cyclase. The disproportionately large increase in the activity of the isoproterenol-sensitive adenylate cyclase, compared with the small increase in the number of 125 I-HYP binding sites indicates that the functions of catecholamine recognition and consequent adenylate cyclase response can vary independently and suggest that the receptor and the cyclase may be autonomous molecular entities.
Central Nervous System Complications of Sickle Cell Disease in Children: An Overview

Complications involving the central nervous system are among the most devastating manifestations of sickle cell disease. Although overt stroke occurs in 1 in 10 children with Hemoglobin SS, “silent cerebral infarcts” are even more frequent. Both are associated with significant neuropsychological deficits. The end result of these effects on the CNS often is diminished school performance. The use of transcranial Doppler ultrasonography screening allows the identification of patients at high risk for clinical stroke as well as stroke prevention by chronic transfusion. However, definitive prophylaxis and treatment for most CNS complications of sickle cell disease have yet to be determined.
Lesbian Behavior as an Adaptation to the Occupation of Stripping

Simon and Gagnon have drawn attention to the importance of linking patterns of homosexual behavior to nondeviant behavior or roles. A complementary perspective is suggested wherein the choice of sexual object is influenced by structural factors, as appears to be the case in the total institutional setting. Some occupations may provide conditions to which homosexual behavior emerges as an adaptation. Stripping appears to be such an occupation in which the following conditions exist: 1) isolation from affective social relationships, 2) unsatisfactory relationships with males, and 3) an opportunity structure allowing a wide range of sexual behavior.