cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fusiform erythrocytes resembling sickle cells in angora goats: observations on osmotic and mechanical fragilities and reversal of cell shape during anaemia

Osmotic and mechanical fragilities of erythrocytes were determined for seven goats having 3.4-71 per cent fusiform erythrocytes. The osmotic fragility was related to the erythrocyte shape in that the osmotic resistance was considerably higher for bloods containing more than 26 per cent fusiform erythrocytes. A decrease in the proportion of fusiform erythrocytes in the same goats was related to an increase in the osmotic fragility. Anaemia was induced in two goats by removal of 200-400 ml of blood at three or four day intervals for eight weeks. Red cell values decreased by 28-43 per cent within three weeks, but further bleeding produced either no or less (0-21 per cent) reductions in these values. Slight reticulocytosis was seen during the anaemic phase and there was a concomitant increase in the mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular haemoglobin values. Reticulocytosis diminished before the start of recovery from anaemia and disappeared during the recovery phase. The most significant finding was the change in the erythrocyte morphology during production of and recovery from anaemia. The development of anaemia was associated with a gradual reduction in the proportion of fusiform erythrocytes or discoid cells and simultaneous increase in the proportion of erythrocytes exhibiting distinct poikilocytosis. Recovery from the anaemia was rapid (within five weeks), but reversal of the erythrocyte shape took several months. Severe blood loss anaemia in the goat is known to induce synthesis of haemoglobin C, and in these anaemic goats formation of a new haemoglobin, most likely haemoglobin C, was demonstrated by electrophoretic and column chromatographic analyses. It was concluded that the formation of haemoglobin C was responsible for the morphological changes in the erythrocytes.
Trends in Susceptibility to Smoking by Race and Ethnicity.

OBJECTIVES: Examine racial/ethnic differences in smoking susceptibility among US youth nonsmokers over time and age. METHODS: We used nationally representative samples of youths who never tried cigarettes ( N = 143 917; age, 9–21, mean, 14.01 years) from National Youth Tobacco Survey, 1999 to 2014. We used time-varying effect modeling to examine nonlinear trends in smoking susceptibility adjusted for demographics, living with smokers, and exposure to tobacco advertising. RESULTS: Compared with non-Hispanic whites (NHWs), Hispanics were more susceptible to smoking from 1999 to 2014 (highest adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.67 in 2012). Non-Hispanic blacks were less susceptible to smoking than NHWs from 2000 to 2009 (lowest aOR, 0.80 in 2003–2005). Non-Hispanic Asian Americans were less susceptible to smoking from 2000 to 2009 (aOR, 0.83), after which they did not differ from NHWs. Other non-Hispanics were more susceptible to smoking than NHWs from 2012 to 2014 (highest aOR, 1.40 in 2014). Compared with NHWs, non-Hispanic blacks and other non-Hispanics were more susceptible to smoking at ages 11 to 13 (highest aOR, 1.22 at age 11.5 ) and 12 to 14 (highest aOR, 1.27 at age 12 ), respectively. Hispanics were more susceptible to smoking throughout adolescence peaking at age 12 (aOR, 1.60) and age 16.5 (aOR, 1.46). Non-Hispanic Asian Americans were less susceptible to smoking at ages 11 to 15 (lowest aOR, 0.76 at ages 11–13 ). CONCLUSIONS: Racial/ethnic disparities in smoking susceptibility persisted over time among US youth nonsmokers, especially at ages 11 to 13 . Interventions to combat smoking susceptibility are needed.
Mere Exposure and Aesthetic Realism: A Response to Bence Nanay

ABSTRACT Where does the quality of an artwork reside? Is it in the work or in the perceiver and her culture? Belief in the former can be called aesthetic realism, the latter aesthetic antirealism. Nanay suggests that Cutting is an antirealist because he has found that multiple brief exposures to an artwork enhance viewers’ judgments of it. In fact, Cutting is agnostic on the distinction, but as a scientist is unable to discern how quality might be objectively measured in art.
Teaching in Grief: Critical Reflections, Redefining Justice, and a Reorientation to Teaching

Since the creation of the #BlackLivesMatter movement, many scholars from historically underrepresented communities have revisited discourse on social movements. Many supporters of the #BlackLivesMatter movement are outsiders participating in solidarity with organizers across the globe. But what happens when questions of police brutality and injustice adversely impact your family and your career? Using the self-narrative method and grief framework, the author describes her teaching transformation in a pilot Multicultural Education course immediately following the death of her cousin in police custody. The author describes how the terms injustice, action, and pedagogy changed over time and took on new meanings during an extended grieving period.
Ionizing Dose-Tolerant Enhancement-Mode Cascode for High-Voltage Power Devices

An enhancement-mode cascode power device topology is described in which a high-voltage commercial device is used in conjunction with a low-voltage radiation-tolerant device to enable a switch that functions well at high total ionizing dose. Although the threshold voltage of the commercial high-voltage power transistor changes significantly with ionizing dose, the threshold voltage of the input device is relatively constant and presents a stable load to the power device drive circuit. Experimental data showing stable input characteristics for the composite devices are presented.
The Effect Of Product Involvement On Store Preference And Clothing Benefits Sought For African-American Female Students

Clothing is one of the most essential things that human bodies need for the multipurpose reasons. Such clothing has been recognized as the high involvement product for many years, resulting to one of the very interesting subjects in consumer research. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influences of clothing involvement on clothing store preference and clothing benefits sought for African-American female college students. This study demonstrates that African-American female college students are generally satisfied with the current ready-to-wear (RTW) clothing. To purchase such RTW clothing, internet store is revealed as one of very exciting shopping centers. Instead, catalog or mail ordering does not strongly attract to the African-American female college consumers. Compared to other involvement groups, high clothing involvement consumers are actively seeking for the fashion image, one of the factors in clothing benefits sought, as well as actively shopping at department store, specialty stores, outlet stores, and internet in Types of Stores. Interestingly, low involvement consumers are generally less interested in store preference or clothing benefits sought than other involvement groups except for the camouflage benefits.
Airfoil-based electromagnetic wind energy harvester (Conference Presentation)

Vibration energy is one of the most common sources of energy that can be harvested from. Two vibration-to-energy conversion mechanisms are piezoelectric and electromagnetic [1,3]. The vibration of a cantilever beam is a popular method to harvest energy from piezoelectric and electromagnetics. When a cantilever beam vibrates from an external force the beam deflects back and forth. A piezoelectric material produces energy from the strain the beam is under. An electromagnetic array produces energy as a coil that is attached to the beam moves across the magnetic field of the array. More energy can be produced when a coil moves through a larger and more concentrated magnetic field. We propose a two degree of freedom aeroelastic energy harvester that uses a Halbach electromagnetic array and microfiber composite (MFC) piezoelectric patches, shown in Fig. 1. A Halbach array is a specific arrangement of magnets that focuses the magnetic field onto one side of the array while negating the field on the other side [2] whereas a normal alternating array has its magnetic field even distributed both sides of the array. The microfiber composite (MFC) patch is primarily for increasing the stiffness while negligibly increasing the mass of the cantilever beam. Wind tunnel test results are presented to characterize power output and the flutter speed of the energy harvester at different wind speeds. The harvester reaches the flutter speed at 3.5 m/s and operates up to 5 m/s and produces a power of 300 mW. The harvester is compact and fits inside an 8in square duct.
Constraining the rate of oceanic deoxygenation leading up to a Cretaceous Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE-2: ~94 Ma)

The rates of marine deoxygenation leading to Cretaceous Oceanic Anoxic Events are poorly recognized and constrained. If increases in primary productivity are the primary driver of these episodes, progressive oxygen loss from global waters should predate enhanced carbon burial in underlying sediments-the diagnostic Oceanic Anoxic Event relic. Thallium isotope analysis of organic-rich black shales from Demerara Rise across Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 reveals evidence of expanded sediment-water interface deoxygenation ~43 ± 11 thousand years before the globally recognized carbon cycle perturbation. This evidence for rapid oxygen loss leading to an extreme ancient climatic event has timely implications for the modern ocean, which is already experiencing large-scale deoxygenation.
How to detect Berry phase in graphene without magnetic field

We discuss the topological properties of graphene superlattices excited by ultrafast circularly-polarized laser pulses with strong electric field amplitude, aiming to directly observe of the Berry phase, a geometric quantum phase encoded in the graphene’s electronic wave function. As a continuing research on our recent paper, Phys. Rev. B 96, 075409, we aim to show that the broken symmetry system of graphene superlattice and the Bragg reflection of electrons creates diffraction and “which way” interference in the reciprocal space reducing the geometrical phase shift and making it directly observable in the electron interferograms. Such a topological phase shift acquired by a carrier moving along a closed path of crystallographic wave vector is predictably observable via time and angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (tr-ARPES). We believe that our result is an essential step in control and observation of ultrafast electron dynamics in topological solids and may open up a route to all-optical switching, ultrafast memories, and petahertz-scale information processing technologies.
Enhanced airport surface multi-carrier communication systems: Filterbank advantages over AeroMACS OFDM

Civil aviation is continuing to grow, and along with growth in numbers of flights and passengers comes growth in communications. In particular airport surface environments are one of the areas in which rapid development of communication systems is taking place. Several years ago the Federal Aviation Administration, EUROCONTROL, and the International Civil Aviation Organization proposed a communication system based on WiMAX technology for airport surface areas: AeroMACS. The AeroMACS communication system is designed for civil aircraft but could also be applied to military airports as well. In this paper we investigate a new communication system for the unique airport surface environment. Our system has physical layer specifications similar to the orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) approach used in AeroMACS, but is instead based on the filterbank multicarrier (FBMC) technique. Via computer simulations, using channel models based on measured data collected by NASA Glenn Research Center, we illustrate the FBMC advantages over AeroMACS. Our results show that using zero-forcing or least-square (LS) channel estimation techniques, FBMC and AeroMACS have similar performance, but FBMC affords a significant gain in throughput. Although FBMC has slightly worse bit error ratio (BER) performance than AeroMACS at high signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) the throughput advantage of the proposed FBMC design is approximately 23 percent.
Manhole Cover Displacement Caused by the Release of Entrapped Air Pockets

Stormwater systems undergoing rapid filling may present a variety of operational problems, one such being the displacement of manhole covers, which can threate…
Biochemistry of the nervous system.

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an introduction to the primary biochemical mechanisms that contribute to the functioning of the peripheral and central nervous systems. The chemical transmission occurs at a specifically defined neuroanatomic site called the “synapse.” A great deal of research has been directed toward understanding the myriad processes that contribute to that that has been deemed synaptic transmission. This particular area of neurochemistry deals with the release of neurotransmitters, their binding to specific recognition sites on neurons, and those factors that contribute to the inactivation of the transmitter, such as neuronal reuptake and enzymatic catabolism. The chapter focusses on understanding mechanisms by which the synthesis of neurotransmitters can be controlled and ways by which neurons can respond intracellularly to the binding of neurotransmitters to cell membranes. One such means of response is through the generation of second messengers, such as cyclic nucleotides and prostaglandins. Numerous techniques are available to study the chemical behavior of subcellular fractions of neurons or glia. The vast majority of the biochemical properties apply to the peripheral and central nervous systems.
Endosomal pH Regulation and the Maturation Model for Lysosome Biogenesis

The mechanisms by which the recycling and degradation of endocytosed material are regulated have been the subject of intense study since the initial description of lysosomes (for reviews see Steinman et al 1983; von Figura & Hasilik 1986). While a number of questions remain, significant evidence points to the important role played by low in controlling and facilitating processing of endocytosed ligands. The dissociation of many ligand-receptor complexes is induced by acidification below 7, and many lysosomal hydrolases have low optima (Mellman et al 1986). Within the last five years, it has become clear that, at least in many non-erythroid cells, the to which material destined for lysosomes is exposed decreases continuously with time after internalization (Murphy et al 1984; Roederer & Murphy 1986; Kielian et al 1986; Roederer et al 1987; Yamashiro & Maxfield 1987).
Factors involved in delaying the rise in peripheral resistance in developing heart failure.

The development of heart failure (HF) on peripheral vascular control was studied in 10 conscious dogs with measurements of cardiac output (CO) and left ventricular (LV), arterial, and right atrial ...
Molecular Interactions Governing Plasma Membrane Structure

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the molecular interactions governing plasma membrane structure. It presents the experiments that show that direct verification of the interaction between membranes and fiber-forming elements at its cytoplasmic surface is possible. In the case of the human erythrocyte, the work to date focuses on band 2.1 and spectrin rather than the transmembrane proteins and motility-related proteins that are presumed to interact in many nucleated eukaryotes. Preliminary experiments suggest there are specific links between band 2.1 and band 3, the major transmembrane protein, and also links between spectrin and erythrocyte actin. The availability of inside-out vesicles and purified components has made it possible to apply direct biochemical assays to measure interactions between spectrin and its membrane attachment site. Therefore, the availability of such preparations allows one to explore the full continuum of interactions and specificities extending between band 3 and actin. Purified membrane preparations with a defined orientation are available from other eukaryotic cells and similar attempts to investigate the interactions linking shape-determining or motility related proteins to the plasma membrane should be undertaken.
Increasing Global Awareness through Professional Learning Community: A Study from LATTICE

Using three components of PLCs by DuFour (2004), I explored the learning communities at LATTICE (Linking All Types of Teachers to International, Cross-cultural Education). DuFour (2004) argued that PLCs is a form of learning communities held at the school level to improve the school quality. It means PLCs happen in the school context. However, Easton (2011) contended that learning community could happen inside or outside schools. This paper intends to analyze a learning community at LATTICE in creating more global perspective teachers. The study found that PLC s can also occur outside schools by including participants other than teachers. Based on the interviews and observations analysis, this study found that LATTICE did reflect PLCs and significantly helped K-12 educators foster their global understanding.
Bone mineral density changes after parathyroidectomy are dependent on biochemical profile.

Abstract Background Bone mineral density (BMD) has been found to improve after parathyroidectomy (PTX) in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. There are few data on the effect of PTX on BMD in normocalcemic and normohormonal primary hyperparathyroidism. Methods A retrospective analysis of 92 primary hyperparathyroidism patients who underwent PTX between 2004 and 2012 with pre- and post-PTX dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry was performed. Within-person changes in BMD pre- and post-PTX were analyzed using log linear mixed models, stratified by biochemical status. Results Bone mineral density increased post-PTX in the whole cohort at the lumbar spine (+2.5%), femoral neck (+2.1%), and total hip (+1.9%) and decreased at the one-third radius (–0.9%). On comparison of BMD changes by profile, BMD increased in those with the typical profile at the lumbar spine (3.2%), femoral neck (2.9%), and total hip (2.9%) but declined at the one-third radius (–1.5%). In contrast, BMD improved only at the femoral neck (4.3%) in the normohormonal group and did not change at any site in the normocalcemic group. The typical group had a greater increase in BMD over time at the femoral neck and total hip compared with normocalcemic patients. Conclusion Our results indicate that the skeletal benefit of PTX was attenuated in normocalcemic and normohormonal patients, suggesting that skeletal changes after PTX may depend on biochemical profile.
Power with and Power Over: How Domestic Violence Advocates Manage their Roles as Mandated Reporters

Domestic violence (DV) advocates aim to restore survivors’ choice and control, a process that involves sharing power with survivors, to the extent possible. At the same time, as mandated reporters, they are legally required to observe, evaluate, and potentially report survivors’ parenting to the Department of Children and Families (DCF), an activity that involves exerting enormous power over survivors. Although research has long documented the tension between systems that support DV survivor-mothers and systems that support children, almost no research has explored how advocates think about and manage on a daily basis these perhaps contradictory roles. This study aimed to fill this gap. Using a qualitative, focus-group methodology, we conducted six focus groups with advocates across four programs. Findings demonstrate that advocates perceive profound tension between their role as facilitators of empowerment and their obligations as mandated reporters, especially given their (advocates’) general distrust of DCF. They use myriad strategies to manage the resultant conflict, including inward facing strategies, designed to manage their own biases and see survivors in context; survivor-facing strategies, designed to name, share, and use their power in every way possible within the systemic constraints they face; and system-facing strategies that balance cooperation with DCF and continued advocacy for survivor-mothers. Despite their thoughtful and strategic efforts to minimize “power-over” dynamics, however, advocates report that navigating this tension often exacts an emotional toll on them, causes irreparable damage to their advocacy relationships, and harm survivors. A number of actionable recommendations follow, including the need to establish opportunities for survivors to talk with each other, outside the earshot of staff, about their parenting challenges.
Improving Precursor Selectivity in Data-Independent Acquisition Using Overlapping Windows

A major goal of proteomics research is the accurate and sensitive identification and quantification of a broad range of proteins within a sample. Data-independent acquisition (DIA) approaches that acquire MS/MS spectra independently of precursor information have been developed to overcome the reproducibility challenges of data-dependent acquisition and the limited breadth of targeted proteomics strategies. Typical DIA implementations use wide MS/MS isolation windows to acquire comprehensive fragment ion data. However, wide isolation windows produce highly chimeric spectra, limiting the achievable sensitivity and accuracy of quantification and identification. Here, we present a DIA strategy in which spectra are collected with overlapping (rather than adjacent or random) windows and then computationally demultiplexed. This approach improves precursor selectivity by nearly a factor of 2, without incurring any loss in mass range, mass resolution, chromatographic resolution, scan speed, or other key acquisition parameters. We demonstrate a 64% improvement in sensitivity and a 17% improvement in peptides detected in a 6-protein bovine mix spiked into a yeast background. To confirm the method’s applicability to a realistic biological experiment, we also analyze the regulation of the proteasome in yeast grown in rapamycin and show that DIA experiments with overlapping windows can help elucidate its adaptation toward the degradation of oxidatively damaged proteins. Our integrated computational and experimental DIA strategy is compatible with any DIA-capable instrument. The computational demultiplexing algorithm required to analyze the data has been made available as part of the open-source proteomics software tools Skyline and msconvert (Proteowizard), making it easy to apply as part of standard proteomics workflows.
Excitations and Their Interactions in High Tc Materials

The nature of electronic excitations in high Tc materials and in their undoped parent Compounds is discussed. In the weak doping limit, hole-like excitations are found to correspond to antiferromagnetic polarons or bags whose structure varies smoothly from the weak coupling (U 4t) Mott-Hubbard-Heisenberg case. These excitations exhibit an attractive pairing interaction in the 2D planes. For weak and intermediate doping x, Fermi liquid behavior breaks down and a new approach is required. Several possible scenarios are discussed, including the question of whether pairing theory is valid for this System, regardless of the nature of the effective pairing potential. Experiments currently underway are essential in resolving whether exotic condensates, such as those involving anyons, flux phases, etc., occur in these materials, or if pairing theory can correctly describe the condensate if one generalizes the approach to include pairing due to strong spin and charge fluctuations between hole or electron excitations which have anomalous dressing.
Assessing effectiveness and implementation of a perioperative enhanced recovery protocol for children undergoing surgery: study protocol for a prospective, stepped-wedge, cluster, randomized, controlled clinical trial

Perioperative enhanced recovery protocols (ERPs) have been found to decrease hospital length of stay, in-hospital costs, and complications among adult surgical populations but evidence for pediatric populations is lacking. The study is designed to evaluate the adoption, effectiveness, and generalizability of a 21-element ERP, adapted for pediatric surgery. The multicenter study is a stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized, pragmatic clinical trial that will evaluate the effectiveness of the ENhanced Recovery In CHildren Undergoing Surgery (ENRICH-US) intervention while also assessing site-specific adaptations, implementation fidelity, and sustainability. The target patient population is pediatric patients, between 10 and 18 years old, who undergo elective gastrointestinal surgery. Eighteen (N = 18) participating sites will be randomly assigned to one of three clusters with each cluster, in turn, being randomly assigned to an intervention start period (stepped-wedge). Each cluster will participate in a Learning Collaborative, using the National Implementation Research Network’s five Active Implementation Frameworks (AIFs) (competency, organization, and leadership), as drivers of facilitation of rapid-cycle adaptations and implementation. The primary study outcome is hospital length of stay, with implementation metrics being used to evaluate adoption, fidelity, and sustainability. Additional clinical outcomes include opioid use, post-surgical complications, and post-discharge healthcare utilization (clinic/emergency room visits, telephone calls to clinic, and re-hospitalizations), as well as, assess patient- and parent-reported health-related quality of life outcomes. The protocol adheres to the Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials (SPIRIT) checklist. The study provides a unique opportunity to accelerate the adoption of ERPs across 18 US pediatric surgical centers and to evaluate, for the first time, the effect of a pediatric-specific ENRICH-US intervention on clinical and implementation outcomes. The study design and methods can serve as a model for future pediatric surgical quality improvement implementation efforts. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04060303 . Registered on 07 August 2019.
Paper Title Needed

The ideology of Eritrean exceptionalism, Eritreanism, which was behind the thirty-year-war for independence from Ethiopia, is not a conventional nationalist doctrine. As a mal d Italia, it is about a flight from nativism. Eritreanism delivered Eritrea in 1991 (de facto) and 1993 (de jure). And yet, for this ideology, making Eritreans, which has involved revisionist historiography, colonial heritage, and the border war,  appears more difficult than making Eritrea.
Evaluation of a "tummy time" intervention to improve motor skills in infants after cardiac surgery.

Background Infants who require open heart surgery are at increased risk for developmental delays including gross motor impairments which may have implications for later adaptive skills and cognitive performance. We sought to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of a tummy time intervention to improve motor skill development in infants after cardiac surgery. Methods Infants Results Parents of infants (n = 64) who had cardiac surgery at a median age of 5 days were randomly assigned to tummy time instruction (n = 20), tummy time + outpatient reinforcement (n = 21) or standard of care (n = 23). Forty-nine (77%) returned for follow-up. At follow-up, reported daily tummy time was not significantly different between groups (p = 0.17). Fifteen infants had 15 minutes of tummy time daily had a significantly greater improvement in motor scores than infants with Conclusion In infants following cardiac surgery,
In Vivo and In Vitro Studies of Plasma Post-Heparin Lipolytic Activity in Subjects with Hyperchylomicronemia (Fat-Induced Lipemia)

Havel and Gordon (1), in 1960, described three hyperglyceridemic siblings (“P” family) in whom plasma post-heparin lipoprotein lipase activity was diminished. This disorder is relatively rare (2) and is characterized by markedly increased serum triglyceride levels with little if any increase of serum cholesterol and phospholipid values (3,4). The hypertriglyceridemia is due to the retention in the blood of cholesterol-poor chylomicrons, hence the designation “hyperchylomicronemia” (3) or “fat-induced” lipemia (4). Serum triglyceride levels in these subjects may be reduced by withholding dietary fat (1) or by providing triglycerides containing medium chain length (C8 and C10) fatty acids, as the sole source of dietary fat (5).
Autophagy in neuroprotection and neurodegeneration: a question of balance

A central issue in developing therapies for neurodegenerative diseases involves understanding why adaptive responses to stress or injury fail to prevent synaptic dysfunction and neuronal cell death. Macroautophagy is a major, evolutionarily conserved response to nutrient and bioenergetic stresses, which has the capacity to remove aggregated proteins and damaged organelles such as mitochondria. This has prompted intense interest in autophagy-related therapies for Huntington's, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, stroke and other neurological diseases. However, excessive or imbalanced induction of autophagic recycling can actively contribute to neuronal atrophy, neurite degeneration and cell death. Oxidative-, aging- and disease-related increase in demand for autophagy, coupled with declining axonal trafficking, lysosomal degradation or biosynthetic efficiencies promote increased susceptibility to a harmful state of autophagic stress. A more complete understanding of dysfunction along the entire spectrum of autophagic recycling, from autophagosome formation through clearance and regeneration of new cellular components is necessary to restore balance to the system, promote neuronal health and maximize therapeutic potentials.
Mass Spectrometers for the Analysis of Biomolecules

Mass spectrometry (MS) has become a vital enabling technology in the life sciences. This chapter summarizes the fundamental aspects of MS, with reference to topics such as isotopic abundance and accurate mass and resolution. A broad and comprehensive overview of the instrumentation, techniques, and methods required for the analysis of biomolecules is presented. Emphasis is placed on describing the soft ionization methods and separation techniques employed in current state-of-the-art mass spectrometers.
Standardization of a Calcined Coke Bulk Density Test

One of the major factors affecting Hall cell anode performance is the porosity of the calcined coke used in its manufacture. Relatively simple, rapid, and inexpensive bulk density tests can give a good indication of coke porosity. However, without an industry-wide standard test, comparison of coke bulk density results among various suppliers and users is meaningless. A standard test is being developed under the sponsorship of ASTM Committee D-2 on Petroleum Products and Lubricants. This paper describes some of the bulk density tests currently used and their short-comings. Effects of crushing equipment and strategy are shown. In most coke bulk density tests, mechanical action such as vibration is used to increase sample compaction. Selection and calibration of a vibrator and ancillary equipment are discussed. Efforts to reduce test result differences due to operator variability are described also.
Secure, blind image watermarking technique for copyright protection

We present a new oblivious digital watermarking method for copyright protection of still images. The technique is based on decorrelating the image samples then embedding the watermark by taking block DCT of the decorrelated image. Watermark insertion is obtained by amplitude modulating the DC component of the DCT blocks with the watermarking bits. The technique shows satisfactory robustness to Stirmark benchmark test and other class of geometric deformations. Image decorelation is achieved using a key to increase the security of the watermarking system. The watermark is a readable sequence of binary digits channel encoded to increase its robustness against various types of attacks.
Introductory review some new thoughts about some old malaria models

Abstract Simple models for the dynamics of endemic malaria are reviewed. A reanalysis of Ross's models explains Lotka's interpretation of them, and finds a historical context for the vectorial-capacity construction of an inoculation rate. Important epidemiological parameters are scrutinized. Inference problems are discussed concerning estimating mosquito density, recognizing the maternal-antibody effect, choosing among models for superinfection, and accounting for diagnostic error.
Response of mononuclear cells to recombinant bovine interleukin‐1β during the non‐lactating period

Interleukin‐1 has been shown to play a critical role in the initial stages of lymphocyte proliferation. Recombinant bovine interleukin‐1 may be useful as an immunoenhancer of bovine mammary gland mononuclear cells to enhance resistance of the mammary gland to infection during the non‐lactating period. The objective of this study was to determine if recombinant bovine interleukin‐1β influenced proliferation of blood and mammary gland mononuclear cells obtained during the non‐lactating period. Bovine mononuclear cells were isolated from five primiparous Holstein cows at 14–18 and 28–32 days of involution, and 7–13 days prior to parturition. Proliferation of mononuclear cells in response to recombinant bovine interleukin‐1β was evaluated in the presence and absence of suboptimal concentrations of concanavalin A and pokeweed mitogen. Varying concentrations (0.78–25 ng ml−1) of recombinant bovine interleukin‐1β did not influence blood or mammary gland mononuclear cell proliferation in the presence or absence o...
Preparation of Au–Pd bimetallic nanoparticles in porous germania nanospheres: A study of their morphology and catalytic activity

Abstract Size controlled Au–Pd bimetallic nanoparticles with an average size of 7–10 nm were grown in porous germania nanospheres. The properties of the resulting nanocomposites were characterized by electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy. The catalytic activity of the nanocomposites was also examined by studying the degradation of p -nitroaniline.
Effects of l-tyrosine and carbohydrate ingestion on endurance exercise performance

To test the effects of tyrosine ingestion with or without carbohydrate supplementation on endurance performance, nine competitive cyclists cycled at 70% peak oxygen uptake for 90 min under four dif...
The organizational antecedents of a firm’s supply chain agility for risk mitigation and response

Abstract Today’s marketplace is characterized by intense competitive pressures as well as high levels of turbulence and uncertainty. Organizations require agility in their supply chains to provide superior value as well as to manage disruption risks and ensure uninterrupted service to customers. Thus the cultivation of agility is approached as a risk management initiative that enables a firm to respond rapidly to marketplace changes, as well as anticipated and actual disruptions in the supply chain. Agility is of value for both risk mitigation and response. This research investigates the impact of two cultural antecedents, market orientation and learning orientation, and three organizational practices, all aimed at augmenting the supply chain agility of a firm. A firm’s supply chain agility (FSCA) is defined as the capability of the firm, both internally and in conjunction with its key suppliers and customers, to adapt or respond in a speedy manner to marketplace changes as well as to potential and actual disruptions, contributing to the agility of the extended supply chain. The two cultural antecedents of market and learning orientations are posited to affect the organizational practices of internal integration, external integration with key suppliers and customers, and external flexibility, and eventually impact the firm’s supply chain agility. The external flexibility elements considered are volume and mix flexibility. In addition, the specific organizational characteristics and practices exhibited by firms with high levels of supply chain agility are also investigated. Through the use of the structural equation modeling technique, partial least squares (PLS), it is shown that strong linkages exist among the cultural antecedents, the three organizational practices considered, and the firm’s supply chain agility. All three organizational practices, internal integration, external integration with key suppliers and customers, and external flexibility are shown to have significant positive impact on the firm’s supply chain agility. Market orientation is shown to significantly impact both internal and external supply chain integration, along with the two elements of external flexibility. Learning orientation, on the other hand, is shown to have a strong and direct influence only on the level of internal integration. Firms with high levels of external integration are also shown to have high levels of internal integration, consistent with past research. Internal and external integration efforts are also seen to be unrelated to the levels of external flexibility present. The results serve to establish a set of key drivers for augmenting supply chain agility as a risk management initiative.
Mechanisms and clinical effects of thiazolidinediones

Studies of pioglitazone, troglitazone, BRL 49653 and other thiazolidinediones in preclinical animal models of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and obesity led to the observation that these compounds were effective in reducing hyperglycaemia and hyperlipidaemia. In these models, animals treated with thiazolidinediones had notable improvements in blood glucose levels, hepatic glucose output, peripheral insulin resistance, and serum lipid levels. Mechanistic studies indicate that thiazolidinediones act at many intracellular sites and can influence several processes to increase cell sensitivity to insulin. These include influence on insulin receptor kinase activity, control of insulin receptor phosphorylation, change in number of insulin receptors, quantity and activity of GLUT-4, modulation of tumour necrosis factor (TNF) activity, activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPAR-gamma) and alteration of hepatic glucose metabolism. Available data on pioglitazone and troglitazone from clinical studies support the efficacy and safety of this class of compounds in reducing hyperglycaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia and insulin resistance associated with NIDDM. Currently, only troglitazone is approved for use in the United States and only in combination with insulin. This new pharmacological class of drugs has great promise for the treatment of NIDDM and also as a valuable research tool to further the understanding of the mechanisms that underlie NIDDM and insulin resistance syndrome.
Spectroscopy of He2∗ floating on the liquid helium surface

Abstract Metastable helium molecules produced in electron bombarded helium nanodroplets subsequently are detached by infrared radiation. Electron emission when the detached metastable molecules strike surrounding surfaces permits highly sensitive detection of the absorption spectrum. Recent experiments utilize a new tunable infrared laser source and permit much higher resolution measurements than previously obtained. The rotational structure is clearly resolved and sharply structured as a result of the molecule–surface interaction.
Visualization of the maturation transition in bacteriophage P22 by electron cryomicroscopy.

Large-scale conformational transitions are involved in the life-cycle of many types of virus. The dsDNA phages, herpesviruses, and adenoviruses must undergo a maturation transition in the course of DNA packaging to convert a scaffolding-containing precursor capsid to the DNA-containing mature virion. This conformational transition converts the procapsid, which is smaller, rounder, and displays a distinctive skewing of the hexameric capsomeres, to the mature virion, which is larger and more angular, with regular hexons. We have used electron cryomicroscopy and image reconstruction to obtain 15 A structures of both bacteriophage P22 procapsids and mature phage. The maturation transition from the procapsid to the phage results in several changes in both the conformations of the individual coat protein subunits and the interactions between neighboring subunits. The most extensive conformational transformation among these is the outward movement of the trimer clusters present at all strict and local 3-fold axes on the procapsid inner surface. As the trimer tips are the sites of scaffolding binding, this helps to explain the role of scaffolding protein in regulating assembly and maturation. We also observe DNA within the capsid packed in a manner consistent with the spool model. These structures allow us to suggest how the binding interactions of scaffolding and DNA with the coat shell may act to control the packaging of the DNA into the expanding procapsids.
Incorporation of measurement models in the IHCP: validation of methods for computing correction kernels

Thermocouples or other measuring devices are often imbedded into a solid to provide data for an inverse calculation. It is well-documented that such installations will result in erroneous (biased) sensor readings, unless the thermal properties of the measurement wires and surrounding insulation can be carefully matched to those of the parent domain. Since this rarely can be done, or doing so is prohibitively expensive, an alternative is to include a sensor model in the solution of the inverse problem. In this paper we consider a technique in which a thermocouple model is used to generate a correction kernel for use in the inverse solver. The technique yields a kernel function with terms in the Laplace domain. The challenge of determining the values of the correction kernel function is the focus of this paper. An adaptation of the sequential function specification method[1] as well as numerical Laplace transform inversion techniques are considered for determination of the kernel function values. Each inversion method is evaluated with analytical test functions which provide simulated measurements. Reconstruction of the undisturbed temperature from the measured temperature and the correction kernel is demonstrated.
Workshop: Data management for a 2000-patient anticoagulation clinic

The concept of specialized anticoagulation services has attracted a great deal of enthusiasm because this type of systematic approach offers a number of benefits for patients and providers alike. The computerization of such services challenges the health care team but is ultimately a great aid to clinicians in providing quality care. The Anticoagulant Therapy Unit (ATU) at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston, Massachusetts was first organized in 1969 and is among the largest in the United States. The patient population is presently more than 2400. Full computerization has been the key to the success of this unit in managing the large number of patients and the volume of anticoagulation data. We describe some aspects of how this unit operates, with emphasis on how a computerized database is essential to providing optimal monitoring and tracking for such a large patient population.
Craft Requirements for Construction of Electric Power Plants

The construction of electric-power-generating plants tends to exacerbate manpower problems common to the industry. Because the location of power-generating facilities is usually far removed from population centers, local socio-economic impacts are severe, and work-force requirements may greatly exceed an area's ability to handle them without prior knowledge and planning. These labor-market imbalances and complementary socio-economic impacts are best obviated and mitigated when reliable forecasts are available. One objective of the US Department of Labor's (DOL's) Construction Labor Demand System (CLDS) is to provide manpower planners at the local, regional, and national levels with timely and accurate project-based forecasts of construction-labor requirements for 29 crafts at several levels of disaggregation. The CLDS short-run forecasting model is presented, the short run defined as that period in which information is available on all projected power-plant-construction starts as well as on all current activity. Environmental-impact statements, licensing requirements, construction permits, and other regulations provide sufficient lead time to determine the number, size, fuel type, and location of future generating facilities. 7 references, 4 tables.
The effect of anesthesia and surgery on pulmonary and cardiac function

Abstract Preoperative medication, anesthesia, assisted ventilation and surgery are all potentially detrimental to pulmonary and cardiac function. Unless skillfully handled, they may lead to acute respiratory acidosis, cardiac complications and postoperative pulmonary infection in patients with underlying heart or lung disease. These deleterious effects can be avoided or mitigated by expert professional care.
Training the Staff of a Drug Addiction Treatment Facility: A Case Study of Hogar De Encuentro:

A treatment program was established for Spanish-speaking (and other) drug addicts. A staff training program was established to: 1) Increase the trainees' knowledge of the etiology and treatment of drug addiction; 2) Challenge their attitudes regarding the use of licit and illicit drugs; 3) Increase their competence in counseling skills. An evaluation of the program indicated that there was improvement in the first and third of these three areas, but there was no perceptible change in the second area.
Differential blockade of hippocampal excitatory synaptic responses by an analogue of aspartate

L-Aspartic acid-beta-benzyl ester blocks the mossy fiber-CA3 and medial perforant path-dentate gyrus synaptic responses in the rat hippocampal slice with an IC50 of about 1 mM. Higher concentrations (IC50 greater than 10 mM) are necessary to block the Schaffer collateral/commissural-CA1, commissural/associational-CA3 and lateral perforant path-dentate gyrus synaptic responses. These results indicate that it is possible to differentiate between excitatory synaptic responses which have previously appeared pharmacologically similar.
Influence of Ammonium and Nitrate Nutrition on Plant Growth and Zinc Accumulation by Indian Mustard

ABSTRACT The source of nitrogen (N) used in soil fertility practices affects plant growth, nutrient absorption, and the availability of nutrients. Consequently, the potential of plants to extract zinc (Zn) from soils may be increased by controlling the ratio of NH4 + to NO3 − to maximize growth and Zn accumulation. The objectives of this research were to determine the effects of Zn supply and different molar ratios of NH4 + to NO3 − on growth and Zn accumulation in Indian mustard (Brassica juncea Czern.). In a factorial experiment with solution culture, Indian mustard (accession 182921) was supplied with two concentrations of Zn (0.05 and 4.0 mg L−1) in combination with six N treatments with different molar percentage ratios of NH4 + to NO3 − (0:100, 10:90, 20:80, 30:70, 40:60, and 50:50) for three weeks. Zinc supplied at 0.05 mg Zn L−1 represented a common concentration of Zn in solution culture, whereas 4.0 mg Zn L−1 was excessive for plant nutrition. If the supply of Zn in solution was excessive, plant...