cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Improved electrodes for the continuous measurement of sodium and potassium

Abstract A method for constructing sodium and potassium selective glass electrodes is described. The electrodes are capable of continuous, accurate, and reproducible recording of Δ(Na + ) and Δ(K + ). The pair of electrodes is able to discriminate a change of less than 0.5 mequiv l . of sodium and 0.5 mequiv l . of potassium when used in mixed sodium and potassium solutions in the biological range of 130–150 mequiv l . of sodium and 2–6 mequiv l . of potassium. When used for continuous measurements a simple circuit reduces the “sodium error” inherent in the potassium electrode to less than 0.25 mequiv l . of potassium with changes in sodium from 130 to 150 mequiv l .
Alteration in the zooplankton community of a fly ash treated lake

The zooplankton community in Lake Charles East, Indiana, was sampled from June, 1974 through September, 1977 as part of a lake restoration study. About 1.8 × 104 kg of lime and 1.8 × 106 kg of ponded fly ash were added to the lake during May through August, 1975 to precipitate phosphate and seal the sediments. Annual mean species number (5.2–11.3) and annual mean species diversity (H′, 0.9–1.3) were highest in 1976, the first year after treatment. By the second post-treatment year these variables had returned to pretreatment levels. Prior to treatment Cladocera were dominant during fall and early winter (Sept.–Dec. 1974), with Copepoda dominant in late winter and spring (Jan.–May 1975). After treatment Cladocera were dominant throughout the fall and winter (Nov. 1957–May 1976). Copepoda were again dominant in August 1976. The short term effect of the treatment appeared to be termination of the latter part of the copepod annual cycle through elimination of aestivating copepodites in the summer and increased abundance of Cladocera during the winter and spring immediately following treatment. Community composition one year after treatment was similar to that observed prior to treatment.
Diversification of glial lineages: a novel method to clone brain cells in vitro on nitrocellulose substratum

We have developed a novel in vitro method to analyze the diversification of glial cells during development. The primary advantage of the approach is that glial lineages are formed in discrete clones on a nitrocellulose substratum where the relationship of the progeny is strictly defined. This method facilitates the comparison of a large complement of astrocyte and oligodendrocyte lineages under controlled conditions. Clones were formed by plating a brain dissociate on nitrocellulose at very low density (5,000-40,000 cells/154 mm2). However, growth depended on diffusible factors produced by brain cells growing under the nitrocellulose support at high density (feeder layer). The cloning efficiency of cells from mouse forebrain (P0) was 1-3%. This means we can detect 100,000 to 300,000 clonal progenitors in the dissociate (10(7) cells per forebrain) using the clonal culture technique. Cell phenotypes were determined by immunocytochemical staining with anti-glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) to label astrocytes and anti-galactocerebroside (GC) and anti-myelin basic protein (MBP) to label oligodendrocytes. There was a remarkable diversity of glia represented in different lineages. The number of astrocyte clones was greater than the number of oligodendrocyte clones but combined their total was 90%. Clone sizes were distributed over a wide range, which indicated that growth rates varied. Clones appeared compact or dispersed but astrocyte clones exhibited three different morphologies-fibroblast-like, stellate, and elongated. Oligodendrocytes had different morphologies distinct from astrocytes. Although there were different glial lineages the cells in most clones were homogeneous, indicating the progeny had the same fate. However, a small number of the clones, approximately 2%, were heterogeneous and contained both astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. The application of this technique to glial lineages demonstrates that intrinsic factors have a role in determining cell fate since different clones formed under the same external conditions. Finally, these results are consistent with the existence of multiple glial progenitors or the continued presence of multipotential progenitors at the time of birth.
Two- and three-dimensional asteroid impact simulations

Performing a series of simulations of asteroid impacts using the SAGE code, the authors attempt to estimate the effect of tsunamis and other important environmental events. The code they developed treats multiple fluids with different equations of state and different constitutive models for material strength. The adaptive mesh can refine based on a number of criteria including gradients in physical conditions or material properties. The code uses MPI for portability among many parallel-processing platforms, but hides much of this interface in a library that gives the programmer maximum flexibility. The authors' ocean impact simulations have as a goal the estimation of impact-generated tsunami events as a function of the size and energy of the projectile, partly to aid further studies of potential threats from modest-sized Earth-crossing asteroids. The authors also present a preliminary report on a simulation of the impact that created the Chicxulub crater in Mexico's Yucatan peninsula, widely believed to be responsible for the mass extinctions at the end of the Cretaceous period. They also report on progress in developing better constitutive models for the geological materials involved in this impact and in cratering processes in general.
The Nature of Membrane Anchorage Determines Kinase Associations and Detergent Solubility of CD4

The presence of a glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchor on a membrane protein is thought to influence aspects of the protein's biochemistry. While it has been demonstrated that a GPI-anchor is sufficient for altering the detergent solubility of integral membrane proteins, it has not been shown that the anchor is sufficient for changing the phosphoprotein associations of membrane proteins. In order to define the influence of GPI-anchors on the biochemistry of membrane proteins we compared the phosphoprotein associations and detergent solubility of wild-type and GPI-anchored CD4 expressed on HSB cell transfectants. While wild-type CD4 was mostly associated with lck kinase, GPI-anchored CD4 was associated with the 'GPI-anchored pattern of phosphoproteins'. The Triton X-100 solubilities of the two forms of CD4 were also distinct: wild-type CD4 was > 95% soluble, whereas GPI-anchored CD4 was only 65% soluble. These results underscore the deterministic role of the GPI-anchor in the properties associated with GPI-anchored proteins.
Cross-cultural Child Development for Social Workers: An Introduction

Cross-cultural Child Development for Social Workers: An Introduction Lena Robinson Basingstoke, Hampshire, Palgrave Macmillan, 2007 222 pp., ISBN 9780333726105, A$60.00 (paperback) Social workers a...
ELECTRON MICROSCOPE STUDIES ON THE DEGRANULATION OF RABBIT PERITONEAL LEUKOCYTES DURING PHAGOCYTOSIS.

Electron microscopic observations have established the mechanisms underlying degranulation of neutrophils and eosinophils during phagocytosis. The content of the granules is released into the phagocytic vacuole when their membranes fuse with the membrane lining the vacuole. The discharge mechanism appears to be applicable to the various morphological types of granules seen in rabbit polymorphs. It has been proposed that the release of material to the outside of the cell or the discharge of material into intracellular vacuoles, events involving membrane fusion, be termed "exoplasmosis."
Modeling and Simulation of GIG Networking Scenarios Using Efficient HAIPE Discovery

In an earlier paper, we described a proof of concept and a simulation model for HAIPE peer discovery using the Border Gateway Protocol as a transport mechanism for exchanging mapping information between peering HAIPEs. In this paper we are expanding our HAIPE discovery approach to support some DoD specific requirements, such as network mobility, and to reduce its technology-insertion cost. The new approach conforms to the standard HAIPE v3.1 client specification. The purpose of this paper is to discuss our HAIPE peer discovery approach, its operation, and the OPNET model that we used to demonstrate its correct operation. In addition, this paper reports on some results that can be used to quantify the impact of HAIPEs and to allow conducting the Analysis of Alternatives for various GIG design approaches.
Patch based blind image super resolution

In this paper, a novel method for learning based image super resolution (SR) is presented. The basic idea is to bridge the gap between a set of low resolution (LR) images and the corresponding high resolution (HR) image using both the SR reconstruction constraint and a patch based image synthesis constraint in a general probabilistic framework. We show that in this framework, the estimation of the LR image formation parameters is straightforward. The whole framework is implemented via an annealed Gibbs sampling method. Experiments on SR on both single image and image sequence input show that the proposed method provides an automatic and stable way to compute super-resolution and the achieved result is encouraging for both synthetic and real LR images.
Lessons learned when gathering real-time formative assessment in the university classroom using Tablet PCs

Worldwide, higher education instructors are exploring ways of enhancing classroom learning experiences with their Tablet PC-equipped students. To collect real-time formative assessment, instructors pose an open-format question to the class and the students utilize the digital ink of Tablet PCs to respond with answers in the form of handwriting, diagrams, graphs, equations, proofs, etc. Instructors receive the responses instantaneously. Built on principles well-grounded in educational research, this not only actively engages the students in their learning, but also increases student metacognition and provides valuable real-time formative assessment to guide the instructor. Several types of software are readily available both commercially and for free to facilitate this classroom exchange. This paper transcends the specifics of various types of software and discusses the experiences of instructors as they mesh their use of this technology-enabled feedback with the delivery of their undergraduate courses. The lessons presented here are drawn from our own experiences as well as input from instructors at other institutions on four continents, received by their voluntary completion of a written survey (n=19).
Sensitivity to ailanthus pollen

Abstract 1.1. Cases of two patients clinically sensitive to Ailanthus tree pollen are presented. The marked conjunctivitis was a noteworthy clinical feature in the cases cited. 2.2. The variability of antigenic activity of pollen obtained from different sources is discussed. 3.3. The value of the nasal test in cases of pollen allergy is again stressed.
Using analogy discovery to create abstractions

Concept formation is a form of abstraction that allows for knowledge transfer, generalization, and compact representation. Concepts are useful for the creation of a generally intelligent autonomous agent. If an autonomous agent is experiencing a changing world, then nearly every experience it has will be unique in that it will have at least slight differences from other experiences. Concepts allow an agent to generalize these experiences and other data. In some applications, the concepts that an agent uses are explicitly provided by a human programmer. A problem with this approach is that the agent encounters difficulties when it faces situations that the programmer had not anticipated. For this reason, it would be useful for the agent to automatically form concepts in an unsupervised setting. The agent should be able to depend as little as possible on representations tailored by humans, and therefore it should develop its own representations from raw uninterpreted data.
A Few Good Boys Masculinity at a Military-Style Charter School

Through four years of ethnographic participant observation, and in-depth interviews, this article examines how militarism and masculinity are bound together in the social space of a military-style ...
BCNU-induced quantitative and qualitative changes in hepatic cytochrome P-450 can be correlated with cholestasis.

Male Sprague-Dawley rats were given single i.p. injections of 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-Nitrosourea (BCNU) to investigate changes in hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 content and metabolic activity. On day 14 after treatment (20 mg/kg), cytochrome P-450 content had decreased by approximately 25% and ethylmorphineN-demethylase activity (nmol product/nmol P-450/min) had decreased by 36%. In contrast, ethylmorphineO-deethylase and 7-ethoxycoumarinO-deethylase activities were not significantly decreased by BCNU treatment. Hepatic delta-aminolevulinic acid synthetase activity was only 60% of control values, and microsomal heme oxygenase activity was slightly but not statistically elevated. Cytochrome P-450 content in control and BCNU-treated rats increased in a similar manner after phenobarbital or β-naphthoflavone induction. Electrophoretic analysis of cytochrome P-450 proteins isolated from hepatic endoplasmic reticular membranes of treated and control rats suggested that alterations in these proteins occurred in BCNU-treated rats. These changes in cytochrome P-450 content and activity are very similar to those reported in isolated systems exposed to bile acids or in rats with experimentally produced cholestasis. BCNU has been shown to produce cholestasis, which precedes its effects on microsomal mixed-function oxygenase activity. Thus, the delayed effects of BCNU on microsomal drug metabolism are probably secondary to its interference with bile formation.
Taurine: effect on myocardial relaxation.

SUMMARY 1. The effects of taurine on cardiac inotropic state and relaxation were studied in the isolated rabbit heart using solutions containing three concentrations of calcium: 0.7, 1.8 and 3.0 mmol/l. 2. Increases in Ca2+ caused increases in inotropic indices, but had no effect on rate constant of relaxation. 3. Taurine had a positive inotropic effect at Ca2+= 0.7 mmol/l, an equivocal effect at Ca2+= 1.8 mmol/l and a negative inotropic effect at Ca2+= 3.0 mmol/l. 4. Taurine had no effect on the rate constant of relaxation at any Ca2+ concentration. 5. Taurine modulates the positive inotropic effect of Ca2+ but neither taurine nor Ca2+ affect the rate constant of relaxation.
Emergency medicine residency selection: factors influencing candidate decisions.

Background: Published information is limited regarding factors considered by emergency medicine resident candidates when selecting a residency program. Objective: To identify factors considered important by applicants when making decisions about residency programs. Methods: A self-administered survey questionnaire was mailed to all applicants who interviewed at the authors’ emergency medicine residency program for the 2003–2004 match year. Results: Surveys were completed by 105 respondents (53% response rate). Factors were rank-ordered by the proportion of respondents who indicated that the factor was ‘‘very important’’ or ‘‘important’’ when selecting residency programs. The five most important factors were friendliness (95%), environment (87%), interview day (81%), academics (76%), and location (74%). Male applicants were more likely to consider the existence of a flight program important or very important (55%), compared with female applicants (33%, p , 0.05, chi-square). Older respondents (over the age of 30 years) were more likely to consider gender issues (16%, compared with 13%) and research (32%, compared with 20%) as important factors (p , 0.05, chi-square). Conclusions: Residency applicants indicated that the most important factors when selecting residency program(s) were friendliness, environment, interview day, academics, and location. Key words: residency; emergency medicine; interview; candidates; match day; emergency. ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2005; 12:559–561. Graduate training in emergency medicine (EM) has been a rapidly expanding field. Between 1991 and 2001, the proportion of academic departments of EM at medical schools increased from 18% to 48%. The proportion of EM residencies at academic medical centers increased from 42% to 66%. The largest increment of 37% in EM residencies located at academic medical centers occurred within medical schools
Large-scale insertional mutagenesis of Chlamydomonas supports phylogenomic functional prediction of photosynthetic genes and analysis of classical acetate-requiring mutants

Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is a unicellular green alga that is a key model organism in the study of photosynthesis and oxidative stress. Here we describe the large-scale generation of a population o ...
Recovery and nutritional evaluation of proteinaceous solids separated from whey by coagulation with chitosan.

Abstract Chitosan, a cationic carbohydrate polymer manufactured from chitin in shrimp and crab wastes, coagulated suspended solids in cheese whey as effectively or more so than ten commercial synthetic polymers. Concentrations of suspended solids after settling were reduced over 90% by coagulation at pH 6.0 with a ratio of chitosan to suspended solids of 2.15%(1:46.5). The yield of coagulated solids was approximately 2,270 mg/liter. The proximate composition of the coagulated solids after freeze drying was 73% protein, 6% lactose, 10% ash, and 7% moisture. Without the aid of a coagulating agent, settling for 1 or 3 h reduced suspended solids by only 34% and 49%, respectively. Rat feeding studies showed no significant differences in the protein efficiency ratio of casein, coagulated whey solids containing chitosan, and whey solids containing no polymer. These results provide evidence of utility for coagulated whey solids as a protein supplement.
Structural Basis of Heteromeric Smad Protein Assembly in TGF-β Signaling

The formation of protein complexes between phosphorylated R-Smads and Smad4 is a central event in the TGF-β signaling pathway. We have determined the crystal structure of two R-Smad/Smad4 complexes, Smad3/Smad4 to 2.5 A, and Smad2/Smad4 to 2.7 A. Both complexes are heterotrimers, comprising two phosphorylated R-Smad subunits and one Smad4 subunit, a finding that was corroborated by isothermal titration calorimetry and mutational studies. Preferential formation of the R-Smad/Smad4 heterotrimer over the R-Smad homotrimer is largely enthalpy driven, contributed by the unique presence of strong electrostatic interactions within the heterotrimeric interfaces. The study supports a common mechanism of Smad protein assembly in TGF-β superfamily signaling.
Impact of recent compression/decompression technologies in video distribution systems

The authors present the fundamental principles, techniques, and algorithms for compression/decompression currently available in the marketplace (JPEG/CCITT/MPEG) and a potentially superior method for cockpit video distribution applications under investigation. It is noted that JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group), CCITT (International Consultative Committee for Telephone and Telegraph), or MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group) alone will not solve the myriad of issues that must be addressed before digital imagery will be fully integrated within next generation cockpit high definition video distribution systems. After careful consideration of each standard's capabilities and original objectives, it is found that each group provides extremely relevant techniques and foundation to their accomplishments, but that none is necessarily ideal for avionic applications. JPEG imposes compression ratio limitations to maintain quality levels. CCITT limits image resolution, allows a 150-ms latency, and is geared toward limited motion applications. In MPEG's attempt to overcome the CCITT deficiencies, additional hardware complexity is required. The MPEG standard supports extended motion search and is optimized for motion-intensive video applications at the expense of the high compression ratios achievable by the CCITT approach. The most complex implementation issue that exists is being able to achieve the high pixel rates required at moderate complexity, weight, size, and power. While most silicon vendors have been struggling with the lower resolution H.261 and MPEG real-time implementation, the wavelet transform may allow a very acceptable low complexity solution. >
Finite-horizon FEC-rate adaptation for real-time wireless multimedia

In this work, we propose an error-control technique for efficient streaming of packetized multimedia over time-varying wireless channels. Our objective is to obtain maximum media presentation quality for a given channel capacity. In the proposed technique, forward error correction (FEC) redundancy rate of media packets are optimized based on a distortion model. Such multimedia-source and channel characteristics as the packet importance, dependencies, decoding deadlines and channel state information are utilized in the optimization process. In addition, we also consider the effect of residual channel resources for future transmissions on the overall quality. Real-time streaming simulations with H.263+ video sequences show that the proposed technique achieves up to 1.8 dB quality improvement over nonoptimized error control methods.
Are Juries More Likely to Second-Guess Auditor Judgment under Imprecise Accounting Standards?

Auditors are concerned that less precise accounting standards will result in more second-guessing of their judgments and thus greater legal liability. We report the results of an experiment that tests the validity of this concern. In the experiment, mock jurors deliberate to arrive at jury verdicts for a lawsuit alleging an audit firm is negligent for allowing a particular client reporting decision. We manipulate the client’s reporting decision (Aggressive, Conservative) and the precision of the accounting guidance related to the reporting decision (Precise, Imprecise). When the client’s reporting is conservative and complies with the precise standard, we observe more second-guessing of auditor judgments under the imprecise standard. However, when the auditor allows aggressive client reporting, we observe the opposite of second-guessing — over-leniency — under the imprecise standard. Juries are surprisingly hesitant to find the auditor negligent for allowing aggressive reporting and return fewer verdicts against the auditor under the imprecise standard than the precise standard. Our results suggest a role for tools to help jurors evaluate auditor reporting judgments under imprecise standards, both to avoid second-guessing of auditors’ conservative reporting choices and to hold auditors responsible for overly aggressive reporting choices.
THERMOELASTIC STABILITY OF A FINITELY DEFORMED SOLID UNDER NONCONSERVATIVE LOADS.

Local stability of a finitely deformed solid with internal dissipation, subjected to followed type loads, has been studied by Nemat-Nasser [1], neglecting all thermal effects. On the other hand, thermoelastic stability under conservative loads was considered by Ericksen [2] and Koiter [3]. In the present paper, we combine the results in [1–3] to develop conditions for thermoelastic stability of solids subjected to nonconservative surface tractions. We ignore body forces, although they can easily be included.
Leading the way: directional sensing through phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase and other signaling pathways

Chemoattractant-responsive cells are able to translate a shallow extracellular chemical gradient into a steep intracellular gradient resulting in the localization of F-actin assembly at the front and an actomyosin network at the rear that moves the cell forward. Recent evidence suggests that one of the first asymmetric cellular responses is the localized accumulation of PtdIns(3,4,5)P3, the product of class I phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) at the site of the new leading edge. The strong accumulation of PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 results from the localized activation of PI3K and also from feedback loops that amplify PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 synthesis at the front and control its degradation at the side and back of cells. These different pathways are temporally and spatially regulated and integrate with other signaling pathways during directional sensing and chemotaxis.
The utilization of an ultrasound-guided 8-gauge vacuum-assisted breast biopsy system as an innovative approach to accomplishing complete eradication of multiple bilateral breast fibroadenomas

Ultrasound-guided vacuum-assisted breast biopsy technology is extremely useful for diagnostic biopsy of suspicious breast lesions and for attempted complete excision of appropriately selected presumed benign breast lesions. A female patient presented with 16 breast lesions (eight within each breast), documented on ultrasound and all presumed to be fibroadenomas. Over a ten and one-half month period of time, 14 of these 16 breast lesions were removed under ultrasound guidance during a total of 11 separate 8-gauge Mammotome® excision procedures performed during seven separate sessions. Additionally, two of these 16 breast lesions were removed by open surgical excision. A histopathologic diagnosis of fibroadenoma and/or fibroadenomatous changes was confirmed at all lesion excision sites. Interval follow-up ultrasound imaging revealed no evidence of a residual lesion at the site of any of the 16 original breast lesions. This report describes an innovative approach of utilizing ultrasound-guided 8-gauge vacuum-assisted breast biopsy technology for assisting in achieving complete eradication of multiple bilateral fibroadenomas in a patient who presented with 16 documented breast lesions. As such, this innovative approach is highly recommended in similar appropriately selected patients.
Accurate Calculations of Binding, Folding, and Transfer Free Energies by a Scaled Generalized Born Method.

The Poisson−Boltzmann (PB) equation is widely used for modeling solvation effects. The computational cost of PB has restricted its applications largely to single-conformation calculations. The gene...
Constitutional Amendments and the Rule of Law in Francophone West Africa: Case Study of Benin, Burkina Faso, and Senegal

Constitutional stability is usually perceived as an invaluable asset in democratic countries (Cabanis & Martin 2010; Okoth-Ogendo, 1996; Ebeku, 2005). Constitutional amendments become democratically suspicious when they occur too often, particularly in countries newly engaged in the democratic process. In my work, I intent to show that recent constitutional amendments that occurred in democratizing francophone West African countries are not necessarily made to advance or consolidate democracy or the rule of law. Instead, they are designed to reinforce the political agenda of incumbent power-holders. Using case studies of three Francophone African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, and Senegal), I try to understand why there are so many constitutional amendments in so short time in these newly democratized countries. Is it due to the nature of their constitutions that are made too easy to amend? Is it rather because of the weakness of the opposition parties and civil society, or can the phenomenon be explained by the absence of judicial independence, due to an overshadowing of other branches of the government by the executive power?
Comparing Encrypted Strings

Database outsourcing, also known as database as a service, has become a popular way to store and process large amounts of data. Unfortunately, remote data storage can compromise confidentiality. An obvious solution is to encrypt data, prior to storage, but encrypted data is more difficult to query. We describe and demonstrate an efficient scheme for comparing ciphertexts, corresponding to arbitrary plaintexts, in such a way that the result is the same as if the plaintexts had been compared. This allows queries to be processed remotely and securely. Comparison is not limited to equality. For example, encrypted employee names can be sorted remotely without decryption. Any encryption algorithm can be used. Demonstration queries are shown in SQL.
The Three Times

In this chapter Nāgārjuna examines the three temporal relations, namely, earlier than, later than and simultaneous with. He attempts to show that the production of particular things is impossible because it cannot occur in any temporal moment and because a temporal relation between events cannot be established. This chapter ends his discussion of the possibility that a particular object or event can be causally produced. In his last chapter Nāgārjuna will argue that production as such cannot be established.
Incorrigible Vagabonds and Suspicious Spaces in Nineteenth-Century New Orleans

Urban archaeological projects routinely incorporate official documents, like census records, probate inventories, and city directories in order to present a nuanced interpretation of the historical material record with a goal of “giving voice” to populations marginalized on the basis of race, ethnicity, class, or other ideas of social difference. By reifying archaeological knowledge around a vision of the city rooted in the stability of documents, however, such projects risk reproducing a dominant narrative of orderly development, itself meant to conceal the contradictions and inequalities associated with the rise of capitalism. An archaeological data recovery at the probable site of a ca. 1840s tavern and boardinghouse located along New Orleans’s riverfront, coupled with a critical reading of census records and newspaper reports of crime and urban disorder, provide opportunities through which the social identity of those existing on the margins of the city may be interrogated.
Biosynthetic Studies of 13-Desmethylspirolide C Produced by Alexandrium ostenfeldii (= A. peruvianum): Rationalization of the Biosynthetic Pathway Following Incorporation of 13C-Labeled Methionine and Application of the Odd–Even Rule of Methylation

Understanding the biosynthesis of dinoflagellate polyketides presents many unique challenges. Because of the remaining hurdles to dinoflagellate genome sequencing, precursor labeling studies remain the only viable way to investigate dinoflagellate biosynthesis. However, prior studies have shown that polyketide chain assembly does not follow any of the established processes. Additionally, acetate, the common precursor for polyketides, is frequently scrambled, thus compromising interpretation. These factors are further compounded by low production yields of the compounds of interest. A recent report on the biosynthesis of spirolides, a group belonging to the growing class of toxic spiroimines, provided some insight into the polyketide assembly process based on acetate labeling studies, but many details were left uncertain. By feeding 13C methyl-labeled methionine to cultures of Alexandrium ostenfeldii, the producing organism of 13-desmethylspirolide C, and application of the odd–even methylation rule, the c...
Reading at Bedtime Associated With Longer Nighttime Sleep in Latino Preschoolers

Objective. To characterize bedtime routines (BR) and associations between reading at bedtime and sleep behaviors in a sample of Latino preschoolers. Methods: A convenience sample of Latino parents of a 4-year-old child completed standardized questionnaires assessing BRs, bedtime reading frequency and other sleep variables. Family demographics and home environment were also assessed. Results. Parents of 62 children completed questionnaires. A consistent BR was reported by 48%. Frequent reading at bedtime was reported in 42%. After controlling for key confounders, reading at bedtime was significantly associated with longer total nighttime sleep (P < .01), but not with other sleep behaviors. Conclusion. Reading at bedtime was significantly associated with longer total nighttime sleep duration. This, together with the relatively low frequency of reading found in this sample, suggests that interventions aimed at increasing reading at bedtime among Latino preschoolers may improve overall sleep health.
Procoagulant activity in stored units of red blood cells.

The procoagulant activity (PA) of stored units of red blood cells (RBC) increases over time, which is related to the expression/exposure of tissue factor (TF). However, there is a discrepancy between the TF measured and changes in PA observed, suggesting that other blood components contribute to this activity. Our goal was to evaluate changes in PA of stored RBCs and to determine possible contributors to it. RBC units from 4 healthy donors were prepared and stored at 4 °C. On selected days, RBC aliquots were reconstituted with autologous plasma and tested in the thromboelastography assay. Corresponding supernatants were tested in a clotting assay. For all donors, the clotting time (CT) of reconstituted RBC units decreased from ∼3000-4000s on day 1 to ∼1000-1600s on day 30, with the most dramatic changes occurring between days 1 and 5. Anti-TF antibody slightly prolonged the CT. The concentration of TF did not change significantly over time and was within the range of 0.3-2.3 pM. Bovine lactadherin (LTD) prolonged the CT of the RBC (by 2.4-3.4-fold in days 3-5 and by 1.3-1.8-fold at day 30). Anti-TF antibody together with LTD had a cumulative effect on the CT prolongation. CT of supernatants responded to both anti-TF and anti-FXIa antibodies. Three contributors to the PA of stored RBC were identified, i.e. FXIa in solution and phosphatidylserine and TF exposed on blood cells and microparticles. Failure of LTD and antibodies to completely eliminate PA suggests that other components of blood could contribute to it.
Design and analysis on special-purpose craning structure for installing large-scale thermal generating set

The conceptual design for a special-purpose craning structure is introduced to install the large-scale thermal generating set.In this regard,a finite element model is developed using shell element.Based on various working conditions,the craning strength and intensity are first analyzed to optimize the structural design.Then,the modal analysis is conducted to obtain the fundamental dynamical properties.By comparing the calculated results and on-site testing data,the model accuracy is finally verified.Therein,this approach can be beneficial to analysis and design on such craning structures as gantry cranes.
Scour and repair of the inlet of release structure in Gezhouba project

Gezhouba key water conservancy project has been in operation more than 20 years.Recent underwater examination shows that there exists scour in the water release structure,and some is serious that threatens the safety of the construction.The paper analysed the cause of scour and advanced some advice.
Relationship between proliferation and glucose metabolism in primary cultures of rabbit proximal tubules

Primary cultures of rabbit proximal tubules, which revert to a glycolytic profile as reflected by increased activity of pyruvate kinase (PK) paralleled by increased glucose consumption and lactate ...
Number of General Medicine Hospital Admissions Performed by Internal Medicine Residents Before and After the 2011 Duty-Hour Regulations.

OBJECTIVES In July 2011 the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education implemented new resident duty-hour regulations in an effort to improve resident well-being, clinical performance, and patient care. These regulations have the potential, however, to reduce the number of new patient encounters handled by trainees and thereby could be detrimental to resident education. Our objective was to describe how the 2011 duty-hour regulations affected the volume of new inpatient general medicine encounters at two large academic medical centers. We looked specifically at new patient encounters because we assumed they provided the richest learning opportunities. We hypothesized that the implementation of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education regulations would be associated with a reduction in the number of new admissions per day and result in a decrease in the number of annual admissions performed by first-year medical residents. METHODS We conducted a retrospective ecological study. We reviewed general medicine admissions data from two large academic hospitals affiliated with the University of Washington: Harborview Medical Center and the University of Washington Medical Center. We abstracted the number of admissions, source of admission, and average intern census on 56 randomly selected days before and after the regulations were implemented (academic years 2010-2011 [AY11] and 2011-2012 [AY12]). We generated descriptive statistics (means, proportions, and 95% confidence intervals) and then used a two-sample t test to compare the number of admissions per day, admission source, and average daily intern census between AY11 and AY12. RESULTS At the University of Washington Medical Center, single-intern teams admitted 4.5 patients per day in AY11 compared with 3.1 in AY12 (P < 0.001). At Harborview Medical Center, two-intern teams admitted 11.1 patients per day in AY11 versus 7.9 in AY12 (P < 0.001). Night interns admitted 0.9 patients per shift in AY11 versus 2.4 in AY12 (P < 0.001). After implementing the new duty hours, daytime admissions from the emergency department decreased and admissions as transfers from the intensive care unit increased. The average intern census was not affected by the duty-hour regulations. CONCLUSIONS Medicine residents admit fewer patients on daytime inpatient general medicine services under the new duty-hour regulations; however, this is completely offset by an increase in the number of admissions performed on the night rotation, resulting in no net change in the total number of new inpatient encounters handled by first-year medical residents during the course of the academic year. Although this is reassuring, changes that were made in response to the work-hour rules have altered how new admissions are distributed to teams, which has important implications for curricular design and supervision.
Prediction of pathological stage based on clinical stage, serum prostate-specific antigen, and biopsy Gleason score: Partin Tables in the contemporary era.

Objective To update the Partin Tables for prediction of pathological stage in the contemporary setting and examine trends in patients treated with radical prostatectomy (RP) over the past three decades. Patients and Methods From January 2010 to October 2015, 4459 men meeting inclusion criteria underwent RP and pelvic lymphadenectomy for histologically confirmed prostate cancer at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Preoperative clinical stage, serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, and biopsy Gleason score (i.e. prognostic Grade Group) were used in a polychotomous logistic regression model to predict the probability of pathological outcomes categorised as: organ-confined (OC), extraprostatic extension (EPE), seminal vesicle involvement (SV+), or lymph node involvement (LN+). Preoperative characteristics and pathological findings in men treated with RP since 1983 were collected and clinical-pathological trends were described. Results The median (range) age at surgery was 60 (34–77) years and the median (range) PSA level was 4.9 (0.1–125.0) ng/mL. The observed probabilities of pathological outcomes were: OC disease in 74%, EPE in 20%, SV+ in 4%, and LN+ in 2%. The probability of EPE increased substantially when biopsy Gleason score increased from 6 (Grade Group 1, GG1) to 3 + 4 (GG2), with smaller increases for higher grades. The probability of LN+ was substantially higher for biopsy Gleason score 9–10 (GG5) as compared to lower Gleason scores. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curves for binary logistic models predicting EPE, SV+, and LN+ vs OC were 0.724, 0.856, and 0.918, respectively. The proportion of men treated with biopsy Gleason score ≤6 cancer (GG1) was 47%, representing a substantial decrease from 63% in the previous cohort and 77% in 2000–2005. The proportion of men with OC cancer has remained similar during that time, equalling 73–74% overall. The proportions of men with SV+ (4.1% from 3.4%) and LN+ (2.3% from 1.4%) increased relative to the preceding era for the first time since the Partin Tables were introduced in 1993. Conclusions The Partin Tables remain a straightforward and accurate approach for projecting pathological outcomes based on readily available clinical data. Acknowledging these data are derived from a tertiary care referral centre, the proportion of men with OC disease has remained stable since 2000, despite a substantial decline in the proportion of men with biopsy Gleason score 6 (GG1). This is consistent with the notion that many men with Gleason score 6 (GG1) disease were over treated in previous eras.
Mumps Virus: Modification of the Identify-Isolate-Inform Tool for Frontline Healthcare Providers

Mumps is a highly contagious viral infection that became rare in most industrialized countries following the introduction of measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine in 1967. The disease, however, has been re-emerging with several outbreaks over the past decade. Many clinicians have never seen a case of mumps. To assist frontline healthcare providers with detecting potential cases and initiating critical actions, investigators modified the “Identify-Isolate-Inform” tool for mumps infection. The tool is applicable to regions with rare incidences or local outbreaks, especially seen in college students, as well as globally in areas where vaccination is less common. Mumps begins with a prodrome of low-grade fever, myalgias and malaise/anorexia, followed by development of nonsuppurative parotitis, which is the pathognomonic finding associated with acute mumps infection. Orchitis and meningitis are the two most common serious complications, with hearing loss and infertility occurring rarely. Providers should consider mumps in patients with exposure to a known case or international travel to endemic regions who present with consistent signs and symptoms. If mumps is suspected, healthcare providers must immediately implement standard and droplet precautions and notify the local health department and hospital infection control personnel. [West J Emerg Med. 20XX;XX(X)XX-XX.]
Secularizing Science: Secularism and the Emergence of Scientific Naturalism

The received notion regarding the relationship between science and secularism is that modern science is undoubtedly a secular and secularizing formation. As science advances, so this story goes, religion inevitably retreats and is eliminated from the domains of knowledge production, the public sphere, and even private belief. As we saw in Chapter 1, Richard Carlile’s hopes for a materialist science were leveraged on such a narrative. Assuming this article of positivist faith, at least until the last quarter of the twentieth century, Whiggish historians and positivist sociologists continued to work under the assumption that in order to understand secularization, one should begin with science (among other factors) and chart its impact on the broader public sphere.1 As I suggest in Chapter 2, this approach begs the question of just how science became secular in the first place — or moreover, how science came to be understood as secularizing per se. Matthew Stanley notes in a related context that scientific naturalism was not always the dominant philosophical framework for conducting science; its emergence and later prominence were by no means natural or inevitable.2 Similarly, science was not always ‘secular’, and there is nothing inevitably secularizing about its growth and development. It should be quite clear that the belief in an essentially secular and secularizing science is itself in need of explanation (although this chapter does not aim at such an explanation, at least not directly).
Continuous-wave laser particle conditioning: Thresholds and time scales

Abstract The optical absorption of contaminants on high reflectivity mirrors was measured using photo thermal common-path interferometry before and after exposure to high power continuous-wave laser light. The contaminants were micron-sized graphite flakes on hafnia-silica distributed Bragg reflectors illuminated by a ytterbium-doped fiber laser. After one-second periods of exposure, the mirrors demonstrated reduced absorption for irradiances as low as 11 kW cm −2 and had an obvious threshold near 20 kW cm −2 . Final absorption values were reduced by up to 90% of their initial value for irradiances of 92 kW cm −2 . For shorter pulses at 34 kW cm −2 , a minimum exposure time required to begin absorption reduction was found between 100 μs and 200 μs, with particles reaching their final minimum absorption value within 300 ms. Microscope images of the surface showed agglomerated particles fragmenting with some being removed completely, probably by evaporation for exposures between 200 μs to 10 ms. Exposures of 100 ms and longer left behind a thin semi-transparent residue, covering much of the conditioned area. An order of magnitude estimate of the time necessary to begin altering the surface contaminants (also known as ”conditioning”) indicates about 200 μs seconds at 34 kW cm −2 , based on heating an average carbon particle to its sublimation temperature including energy loss to thermal contact and radiation. This estimation is close to the observed exposure time required to begin absorption reduction.
Statistical analysis of monitoring data regarding urinary iodine level of infants and babies in Ningxia in 2009

Objective To determine urinary iodine level among babies and infants aged 0-30 months in Ningxia, and to provide scientific evidence for strengthening iodine supplement or decreasing salt iodine level in special population. Methods One thousand four hundred and eighty-three babies and infants were selected randomly from 664 administrative villages of 22 counties (city or district) by two-stage sampling method. Urinary iodine was tested with the arsenic cerium catalysis spectrophotometric method and related influencing factors were analyzed. Results Urinary iodine median was 216.5 μg/L of the whole autonomous region, and the value that was lower than 100 μg/L, accounted for 19.1%(283/1483), 100 - 300 μg/L accounted for 49.3%(731/1483), higher than 300 μg/L, accounted for 31.6% (469/1483). Urinary iodine median was in 130.6 - 328.4 μg/L of all counties, which was higher than 100 μg/L. The urinary iodine median of men(223.2 μg/L) was slightly higher than that(210.2 μg/L) of female, no significant difference was observed(Z = - 1.76, P > 0.05). Urinary iodine level changed little when child was younger than one year old(Z = - 0.624, P > 0.05). Then the value dropped gradually after one year old(χ2 = 13.59, P < 0.05), decreased with age by month, and the proportion of the value smaller than 100 μg/L was increased gradually. Urinary iodine level(257.5 μg/L) of child whose mother had taken iodine oil pills was higher than that (221.2 μg/L) of child whose mother had significant difference was observed(Z = - 2.54, P < 0.05). The urinary iodine level (239.1 μg/L) of child who received breast feeding was higher than that (204.2 μg/L) of child without breast feeding among one year old and younger infants and babies, significant difference was observed (Z = - 2.74, P < 0.05). Conclusions Current iodine level in iodized salt is probably higher than suitable in Ningxia, and the value could be decreased. It is unnecessary to strengthen iodine supplement procedure in special population other than people in Xiji county. Key words: Iodine; Infants and babies; Nutrition status
Growth Rate Reduction of GaN Due to Ga Surface Accumulation

GaN(0001) has been grown on Al2O3 (0001) by molecular beam epitaxy where NH3 was used as the nitrogen precursor. Desorption mass spectroscopy and reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) were used to monitor the relationship between growth rate and the incident fluxes during growth. Excess surface Ga decreases the GaN formation rate when the substrate temperature is too low or the Ga flux is too high. A simple rate equation is used to describe the observed behavior.