cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the Serologic Cross-Reactivity between Transmissible Gastroenteritis Coronavirus and Porcine Respiratory Coronavirus Using Commercial Blocking Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Kits

ABSTRACT This study compared the performances of three commercial transmissible gastroenteritis virus/porcine respiratory coronavirus (TGEV/PRCV) blocking enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) using serum samples (n = 528) collected over a 49-day observation period from pigs inoculated with TGEV strain Purdue (n = 12), TGEV strain Miller (n = 12), PRCV (n = 12), or with virus-free culture medium (n = 12). ELISA results were evaluated both with “suspect” results interpreted as positive and then as negative. All commercial kits showed excellent diagnostic specificity (99 to 100%) when testing samples from pigs inoculated with virus-free culture medium. However, analyses revealed differences between the kits in diagnostic sensitivity (percent TGEV- or PRCV-seropositive pigs), and all kits showed significant (P IMPORTANCE Current measures to prevent TGEV from entering a naive herd include quarantine and testing for TGEV-seronegative animals. However, TGEV serology is complicated due to the cross-reactivity with PRCV, which circulates subclinically in most swine herds worldwide. Conventional serological tests cannot distinguish between TGEV and PRCV antibodies; however, blocking ELISAs using antigen containing a large deletion in the amino terminus of the PRCV S protein permit differentiation of PRCV and TGEV antibodies. Several commercial TGEV/PRCV blocking ELISAs are available, but performance comparisons have not been reported in recent research. This study demonstrates that the serologic cross-reactivity between TGEV and PRCV affects the accuracy of commercial blocking ELISAs. Individual test results must be interpreted with caution, particularly in the event of suspect results. Therefore, commercial TGEV/PRCV blocking ELISAs should only be applied on a herd basis.
Multidimensional Mining of Massive Text Data

Abstract Unstructured text, as one of the most important data forms, plays a crucial role in data-driven decision making in domains ranging from social networking and information retrieval to scien...
A new approach to reduce springback in sheet metal bending using digital image correlation

Abstract Springback caused by elastic recovery is known to be a major disadvantage in sheet metal forming. Many studies focused on the prediction and compensation of springback in the bending proce...
Recent Advances in the Green, Sustainable Synthesis of Semiconducting Polymers

There is a significant need for economic and environmentally sustainable chemistry in both academia and industry. The field of organic electronics is also rapidly growing due to substantial interest in semiconducting polymers. A major limitation associated with semiconducting polymers is their synthesis, which often requires many synthetic steps and relies on stoichiometric amounts of toxic metallic reagents. For a technology to be sustainable, both the economic and environmental costs must be feasible. Recently, significant effort has been expended towards synthesizing semiconducting polymers with greener biomass-derived solvents, more sustainable catalysts, and under energy-efficient reaction conditions. This review highlights key efforts in synthesizing environmentally benign, scalable, and high-performing semiconducting polymers.
Sexuality, Sexual Violence, and Sexual Barter in the Auschwitz-Birkenau Women’s Camp

Over the past decade, historical research has generated a nuanced understanding of the role of sexual violence during the Holocaust and of how those targeted experienced and responded to such violence. A point of contention is the problem of sexual agency. Some scholars contend that we cannot speak of sexual agency in the context of the Holocaust, particularly with regard to Jewish women. Others counter that women carved out space in which to make choices, including those regarding sexual activity—“choiceless choices,” but choices nonetheless. Focusing on Auschwitz-Birkenau, this chapter examines and analyzes sexual violence and sexual agency in the women’s camp. It argues that women’s experiences of sexuality were not exclusively those of violence and exploitation. Women engaged in a range of agency: seeking intimacy, pleasure, escape; and using sexuality to engage in “sexual barter.” Still, even as agency characterized some sexualized interactions between prisoners, some women were sexually exploited by other prisoners, men and women alike; and there is evidence of sexual assault and murder by male (and sometimes female) camp personnel.
Electrosurgery Turbinate Reduction Revisited: Can Comparable Volumetric Heating be Achieved Without Feedback Control?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Temperature-controlled radiofrequency inferior turbinate ablation (TCRFA) uses a feedback system to control thermal injury and achieve precise volumetric heating to induce specific scar formation. However, it requires costly single-use proprietary consumables. Comparable volumetric tissue heating may be achieved for a fraction of the cost by adjusting the power settings on traditional monopolar electrosurgery devices that use low-cost needle tips. This pre-clinical study aims to determine the optimized power parameters to achieve electrosurgical coagulum volume similar to that of TCRFA. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: An electrosurgery submucosal diathermy (SMD) system (cut mode, 4-32 W, 5-120 seconds) and a temperature-controlled radiofrequency ablation system (standard clinical parameters for treating inferior turbinate hypertrophy) were used to coagulate egg white and chicken breast. Coagulum major and minor axis were measured, and lesion volume was approximated as prolate spheroid. RESULTS: No significant difference in volume was found between the temperature-controlled system and the electrosurgery system at 8 W for 30 seconds, 8 W for 60 seconds, 16 W for 30 seconds, 32 W for 5 seconds, and 32 W for 15 seconds. The time to achieve equivalent lesion size was significantly less in the SMD system when compared to the temperature-controlled system (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Electrosurgery handpieces may achieve similar lesion volume effects as the temperature feedback-controlled, single-use handpieces when set to the optimized parameters. SMD handpieces are significantly more cost and time effective than proprietary devices, and they are easily used in the office. SMD devices may be a more affordable alternative to temperature-controlled systems with comparable lesion volume effect and may be valuable for office-based therapy. Lasers Surg. Med. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.
Impact of a Parent Video Viewing Program in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Purpose: Video visits, or televisits, have become increasingly popular across various medical subspecialties. Within the University of California, Davis, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a video visitation program known as FamilyLink allows families to remotely view their babies when they are otherwise unable to visit. This study aimed to explore parents' perceived effects of video camera use as well as the relationship of video visit use with rates of breast milk feedings at hospital discharge. Materials and Methods: Families enrolled in this study completed a series of two identical surveys that gathered self-reported data on their experiences during their infant's hospitalization. Comparisons were made considering whether the FamilyLink program was utilized during the admission as well as changes in self-reported experiences over the time course of the hospital admission. The type of enteral feeding at discharge was recorded and reviewed for each baby. Results: Of 100 families enrolled in the study, 30 were found to have used FamilyLink to visit with their baby. The use of FamilyLink was associated with survey findings of sustained intention to breastfeed or provide breast milk to the baby, as well as increased perceived parental involvement in the baby's care. Improved rates of breast milk feedings at the time of discharge were also found among babies whose families conducted televisits using FamilyLink. Conclusions: Video viewing in the NICU has effected a positive impact on breast milk feedings and parents' feelings of involvement during the admission, with the potential to further improve on families' experiences with a hospitalized baby.
‘Clean up your rain gutters!’: mosquito control, responsibility, and blame following the 2009–2010 dengue fever outbreak in Key West, Florida

During the summer of 2009 the city of Key West saw the first outbreak of dengue fever in the southeastern United States in nearly 70 years. The outbreak was set amidst a growing trend of increased global incidence and distribution, and required an integrated effort amongst local residents and numerous agencies tasked with managing viruses, vectors, and ecological habitats. By using semi-structured interviews with residents and local health and vector control officials, this paper examines the control of the mosquito and tensions surrounding dengue fever on the island more generally. While local agencies view residents as not taking enough action around their properties to clear breeding sites, this research suggests that residents are taking extensive action by not only being aware of sites in their yards, but actively surveilling and intervening in their neighbors’ spaces. Further, important socio-environmental factors were identified that limit residents' abilities to take recommended control actions. Such research is important for the southern US, which has seen a growing increase in dengue and other similar diseases in recent years, as mosquitoes that were previously only annoyances now vector infectious agents.
Late Pleistocene environments of the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming-Montana, USA

Limited numbers of high-resolution records predate the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) making it difficult to quantify the impacts of environmental changes prior to peak glaciation. We examined sediments from Last Canyon Cave in the Pryor Mountains of Montana and Wyoming to construct a >45 ka environmental record from pollen and stable isotope analysis. Artemisia pollen was hyper-abundant at the beginning of the record. Carbon isotope values of bulk organic matter (>40 ka) showed little variation (-25.3 ± 0.4‰) and were consistent with a arid C3 environment, similar to today. After 40 cal ka BP, Artemisia pollen decreased as herbaceous taxa increased toward the LGM. A significant decrease in δ13C values from 40–30 cal ka BP (~1.0‰) established a new baseline (-26.6 ± 0.2‰), suggesting cooler, seasonally wetter conditions prior to the LGM. These conditions persisted until variation in δ13C values increased significantly with post-glacial warming, marked by two spikes in values at 14.4 (-25.2‰) and 13.5 cal ka BP (-25.4‰) before δ13C values dropped to their lowest values (-26.9 ± 0.2‰) at the onset of the Younger Dryas (12.8 ka). These results provide insights into late Pleistocene conditions and ecological change in arid intermontane basins of the Rocky Mountains.
Distributed exploratorium for high performance computational techniques

The exploratorium described here consists of hyper-linked tutorials and quizzes on high performance computational concepts and computational modules implemented on different computer systems: desktop workstations, vector and parallel supercomputers. The exploratorium provides a highly interactive environment in which students can experiment with computational modules and visually compare algorithms, numerical techniques, performance and implementation related issues. Such a hands-on simulation and experimentation based learning will enable students to gain a deeper understanding of advanced concepts. The World Wide Web based exploratorium fosters the easy development of instructional material from research software.
The Evolution of Inversion Strategies: Rule of Law Changes and Managerial Agency

Firms invert either through a pure inversion strategy or by merging with a foreign entity. We document that the impact of corporate inversions on the cost of equity is significantly different between the two strategies. We find that pure inversions increase the cost of equity by 10%, whereas inversions through mergers decrease it by 13%. Although both inversion strategies increase the inverting firm's shareholder value, inversions through mergers appear to create more value. However, before the tax reform of 2004, which eliminated the tax savings from pure inversions, most inversions were pure, whereas after the tax reform most were done through mergers. This finding suggests that the tax reform had an unintended consequence of reducing a managerial agency problem by eliminating the less beneficial inversion option.
Disruptive Transformation Fueling Gig Economies

In 2014, the Gig Economy in US was made up of about 14-20% of the total workforce. By 2021, this workforce has now grown to 35%, representing 57 Million workers with over 1 Trillion USD annual market size. Due to the economic challenges and unemployment brought on by the Covid-19 Pandemic, the concept of work is shifting at a much faster rate than was taking place beforehand. Additionally, Gen Z-ers and younger digital natives are finding themselves with fewer traditional vocational options (school to internship to career) and are getting into the Gig Economy from both a necessity perspective, as well as a lifestyle choice. The disruptive technology advances are fueling this growth. The technology platform needed to facilitate the full set of enterprise needs for a Gig Economy marketplace with component solutions is integrated with a mesh of technology components that cover the marketing, finance, logistics, and exchange features supporting this space. There are key business model advancements that can be fulfilled with a modern marketplace technology platform to enable a true disruption to the concept of work. These creative business models, along with appropriate government rules and regulations will dictate how the Gig Economy of the future will develop. Our paper leverages modern technology advancements to showcase a new disruptive entrepreneurial ecosystem which can change the concept of work in the home improvement sector. We focus on the home improvement sector as an example and aim to make a bigger statement on how Gig workers could be enabled as entrepreneurs by a modern marketplace to run their own gigs with new business models.
The missing exposure-outcome link: “equivalent” outdoor ambient temperatures for assigning heat-health effects to individual-level temperature exposures in three U.S. cities

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Heat-health epidemiologic studies often lack information on key determinants of exposure, including occupation, housing, and air conditioning, at the individual or parcel (home)...
Recent developments in filtration media and respirator technology in response to COVID-19.

The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a surge in demand for N95 or equivalent respirators that the global supply chain was unable to satisfy. This shortage in critical equipment has inspired research that addresses the immediate problems and has accelerated the development of the next-generation filtration media and respirators. This article provides a brief review of the most recent work with regard to face respirators and filtration media. We discuss filtration efficiency of the widely utilized cloth masks. Next, the sterilization of and reuse of existing N95 respirators to extend the existing stockpile is discussed. To expand near-term supplies, optimization of current manufacturing methods, such as melt-blown processes and electrospinning, has been explored. Future manufacturing methods have been investigated to address long-term supply shortages. Novel materials with antiviral and sterilizable properties with the ability for multiple reuses have been developed and will contribute to the development of the next generation of longer lasting multi-use N95 respirators. Finally, additively manufactured respirators are reviewed, which enable a rapidly deployable source of reusable respirators that can use any filtration fabric.
Ineffective and Counterproductive Intervention

Coordinated intervention in the foreign exchange market has been another important element of G7 cooperation since the 1970s. It has been the object of two different kinds of critique. The first class of arguments, an “ineffectiveness thesis,” holds that foreign exchange intervention, whether coordinated or not, is largely ineffective for the following three reasons: (1) intervention is mostly sterilized, (2) the market volume is vast and (3) signaling (intervention as a signal of future monetary policy) does not work. The second class of critique, a “counterproductiveness thesis,” goes further and argues that intervention can exacerbate the very problem that it is supposed to cure. Compared to the literature on monetary policy coordination, the counterproductiveness thesis is a distinct minority, but to the extent that it concerns counterproductive international cooperation, it needs to be examined. The following examination shows that this area also suffers from a considerable degree of model uncertainty, which contributes to the perception of the futility of international cooperation.
Comparison of Clifford and Grassmann algebras in applications to electromagnetics

This paper presents some points of comparison between Grassmann and Clifford algebras in their applications to electromagnetics. The Grassmann algebra applies directly to (exterior) differential forms leading to Cartan’s calculus. Forms of various degrees correspond most naturally to electromagnetic quantities and their relations are expressed by means of the exterior differential operator d.These relations are conveniently represented either in space or space-time by flow diagrams. They reveal the existence of potentials (Poincare’s Lemma), the independence from coordinate systems, and the role of the metric. All of these properties are briefly reviewed. A calculus for functions having their values in a Clifford algebra can also be developed based on the Dirac operator D, whose square is a generalized Laplacian. Besides its role in Dirac’s theory of the electron, this Clifford calculus can also be adapted to electromagnetics, although less directly than with Cartan’s calculus. The point of departure is the role of a metric in a Clifford algebra. This can be remedied by introducing the Hodge star operator in the Grassmann algebra, an operation that is needed to express the property of matter usually represented by means of e and μ.
An Eye Motion Dependent Interactive Display

Using readily available equipment, we assembled a digital graphics system to investigate several facets of how the human visual system gathers information. Of particular interest is the relationship and interaction between central and peripheral visual processes, investigated by selectively prohibiting foveal or peripheral visual access to pertinent details in a display. This process requires realtime display modification in response to eye movements and is accomplished by utilizing the capabilities of a graphics array processor to manipulate the 512x512x8 bit images at TV line rates. An infra-red limbus reflection technique is used to track the observer's gaze. Our applications involved radiologists looking at x-ray images of the human chest. We describe both hardware and software aspects of our interactive visual display system and mention its applications in our laboratory.
Judicial Review in an Age of Moral Pluralism

Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Public justification and constitutional theory 2. Freedom and equality in constitutional history 3. The challenge of public justification 4. Competing conceptions of public reason 5. Constitutional public reason 6. The limits of public justification 7. Standard objections to public reason 8. Easier cases 9. Harder cases 10. The case for judicial review Conclusion References Index.
Security assessment of DC zonal naval-ship power system

Security assessment of naval-ship power system under different fault conditions is important for real time operation of naval-ship power system. The existing indices of security assessment did not incorporate the probability of disturbances: therefore this paper proposes a probabilistic security assessment index. As the naval ship architecture is integrated with DC zonal distribution, then a special power flow analysis is needed for the AC/DC IPS system. The paper addresses the incorporation of power flow analysis of naval-ship power system with power electronic devices, security analysis of architecture based on the expected contingency margin, and rank of different contingencies and their implication on system security. The approach is tested on one of the DC zonal naval ship power system topologies.
Prophylactic endocrine therapy in artificial menopause

Abstract Conclusions and observations derived from the combined study of 519 cases may be summarized as follows: Any combination of symptoms of the syndrome occurring prior to, during or after the so-called “menopause” must be given consideration as evidence of estrogenic deficiency. Clinical response provides an accurate and delicate criterion for confirmation of diagnosis and determination of therapeutic requirements whenever these symptoms are encountered. Therapeutic results may be more promptly and effectively obtained by accurate determination of therapeutic requirements which vary in each instance. Early institution of therapy results in more prompt and effective response with smaller dosages than late or delayed therapy. While parenteral therapy is most effective for the determination of therapeutic requirements, oral therapy provides a more satisfactory and sustained effect. Vaginal smears provide an efficient and accurate index to physiologic action of the estrogens and although of value in the individual case are not essential routinely. Prophylactic estrogenic therapy in artificially induced menopause is suggested. Although the method has been utilized in only 21 cases of artificially induced menopause the significance of the results would seem to be considerably enhanced by the rather similar results of the entire series of 519 cases.
Access to Canadian government publications on acid rain: The university of Vermont's HEA title II-C grant

Abstract In October 1987, the U.S. Department of Education awarded The University of Vermont (UVM) a Higher Education Act Title II-C grant entitled “A Cataloging, Text Digitizing and Optical Disc Project: United States and Canadian Documents on Acid Rain.” The University proposed to identify, acquire, and catalog all Canadian and selected U.S. government documents dealing with acid rain. Dissemination of the documents will be accomplished in part through the use of traditional interlibrary loan procedures and in part by the use of CD-ROM optical technology. The project is a follow-up project to the National Agricultural Text Digitizing Project (NATDP) for agricultural information, initiated by land grant libraries in cooperation with the U.S. National Agricultural Library. This article will review the background of the UVM grant. The process of identification and acquisition will be described in some detail. Finally, the relevance to the NATDP project will be described.
Hawks, Serpents and Bird-Men: Emergence of the Oneota Mode of Production

AbstractThe late prehistoric Oneota society of the midwestern United States is analyzed for its politicoeconomic structure. Oneota cultural organization is compared with Mississippian chiefdoms to ...
Information Quality and the Law, or, How to Catch a Difficult Horse

While in Europe legal problems related to information quality have been primarily of academic interest, a publicly recognized debate on information quality, which is also relevant for legal practice, has emerged in the United States. The origin of this discussion was the enactment of section 515 of the Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2001, better known as the Federal Data Quality Act, and its implementing Guidelines for Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality, Objectivity, Utility, and Integrity of Information Disseminated by Federal Agencies, issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). In essence, the Act and OMB Guidelines are intended to ensure and maximize the quality, objectivity, utility, and integrity of information (including statistical information) disseminated by Federal agencies. Agencies, in turn, were required to issue their own implementing guidelines by October 1, 2002. This essay seeks to provide, first, a brief overview over the genesis and content of the Federal Data Quality Act and the implementing OMB Guidelines. Second, against this background, the article examines this set of rules and regulations from the viewpoint of what - at least in the European context - is termed information law. It may be of interest to compare the U.S.'s attempt at a functional and open regulation of information quality by law with earlier contributions of European theorists to this area of law.
The Balanced Budget and Interperiod Equity: Implications for Financial Reporting

A critical issue in international financial management is that of "balancing the government's books" (The Economist 1994, p. 73). Since governmental commitments to maintaining or improving citizens' well-being are subject to re­source constraints, the Governmental Accounting Standards Board (which is the accounting standard setting body for state and local governments in the U.S.) has noted the need for governments to "live within their means" and has espoused the notion of interperiod equity (IPE) as a performance measure (GASB 1987, para 59, 61). The objective of this paper is to increase the common understanding of concepts such as the balanced budget, intergenerational equity, and the relevance of IPE information, and the notion of a targeted level of service capacity as the appropriate capital maintenance concept for governments.
Minecraft as Web 2.0: Amateur Creativity & Digital Games

This chapter considers how the digital game Minecraft has both enabled and benefited from various Web 2.0 practices. I begin with an explanation of the concept of Web 2.0 and then consider how that concept applies to the space of digital games. I then look at Minecraft specifically. As I explain, Minecraft’s surprise success as an “indie” game is largely attributable to the ways in which it draws upon amateur creativity. I conclude the chapter by suggesting that more games like Minecraft may be socially desirable, but noting that current intellectual property laws discourage the creation of these sorts of games.
Challenging Beliefs, Practices, and Content: How Museum Educators Change.

Educators in informal settings can be a key part of the learning experience, yet they are often poorly supported as professionals. This study followed the professional development of museum educators who participated in iterative implementation of a new school trip program focused on climate change. The learner-centered pedagogy, inquiry format, and controversial content of this program all presented challenges to the educators’ existing models of learning and teaching in the museum. We offer four case studies that explore how part-time museum docents engaged in reflective practice through iterative implementation and how their approaches to learning and teaching in the museum changed, or failed to change. Findings have implications for addressing the challenge of effective professional development for informal educators, particularly in content areas that may be scientifically challenging or socially controversial.
Light-driven electron transport through a molecular junction based on cross-conjugated systems

This work explores light-driven electron transport through cross-conjugated molecules with different numbers of alkenyl groups. In the framework of coherent quantum transport, the analysis uses single-particle Green's functions together with non-Hermitian Floquet theory. With realistic parameters stemming from spectroscopy, the simulations show that measurable current (∼10−11 A) caused by photon-assisted tunneling should be observed in a weak driving field (∼2 × 105 V/cm). Current-field intensity characteristics give one-photon and two-photon field amplitude power laws. The gap between the molecular orbital and the Fermi level of the electrodes is revealed by current-field frequency characteristics. Due to generalized parity symmetry, the cross-conjugated molecules with odd and even numbers of alkenyl groups exhibit completely different current-polarization characteristics, which may provide an advantageous feature in nanoelectronic applications.
A phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase-dependent anti-inflammatory pathway activated by Salmonella in epithelial cells

Salmonella activates the phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt pathway in epithelial cells, but its role in inflammation has not been previously elucidated. We show here that inhibition of PI3K in T84 intestinal epithelial cells results in augmentation of Salmonella-induced interleukin-8 (IL-8) production at the level of both protein and mRNA. The mechanism of this effect appears to involve altered activation of the extracellular growth factor-regulated kinase (ERK), a molecule that is implicated in the regulation of IL-8 expression. These results identify activation of the PI3K/Akt pathway as an anti-inflammatory signal that may contribute to the establishment of Salmonella in the intestine.
Some optimal low-acceleration rendezvous maneuvers

For each of three specific rendezvous missions, the low-acceleration piogram which optimizes performance, as referred to some figure of merit, is obtained Specifically, these figures of merit are either propellant or time, and each of the missions is pei formed in a manner that will minimize one of these quantities subject to suitable constraints Whenever possible, the differential equations of motion are integrated, with the use of the optimum acceleiation program, to obtain the trajectory of the vehicle(s) as an explicit function of time In general, the equations from which the desired optimal results are to be extracted are sufficiently complicated so that some machine computation is required The emphasis on such computation varies between the three solutions An illustrative example comparing an optimum acceleration program with an "equivalent" constant tangential acceleration program is included in the paper This comparison shows that the optimum program is slightly superior to the tangential program The magnitude and direction of the optimal acceleration vector is shown to vary The optimum low-acceleration programs are obtained by employing the technique of differential games A brief summary of the philosophy involved in this optimization procedure and a list of required equations are included for reference purposes
Conserved amphipathic helices near the N-terminus and C-terminus of the alpha subunit of cranin (dystroglycan).

Cranin (dystroglycan) is a ubiquitously expressed extracellular matrix receptor, synthesized as a single precursor, which is cleaved into an extracellular subunit (alpha) and a transmembrane subunit (beta). The primary sequence of cranin (dystroglycan) is known from cDNA cloning, and the protein has been strongly implicated in morphogenesis, cell adhesion and human disease. Nevertheless, the domain structure of the alpha subunit has not been well studied; although the protein binds to matrix proteins, to the beta subunit. to cell surfaces, and possibly to other membrane proteins such as sarcoglycans, the domains responsible for mediating these interactions remain unknown. Here I report computer analyses that identify two distinctive amphipathic alpha-helical regions near the N-terminus and C-terminus of the alpha subunit, which are conserved in all species for which sequence information is currently available. This finding should stimulate and guide experimental studies designed to understand how the alph...
Composite Resin in Medicine and Dentistry

Composite resin has been used for nearly 50 years as a restorative material in dentistry. Use of this material has recently increased as a result of consumer demands for esthetic restorations, coupled with the public's concern with mercury-containing dental amalgam. Composite is now used in over 95% of all anterior teeth direct restorations and in 50% of all posterior teeth direct restorations. Carbon fiber reinforced composites have been developed for use as dental implants. In medicine, fiber-reinforced composites have been used in orthopedics as implants, osseous screws, and bearing surfaces. In addition, hydroxyapatite composite resin has become a promising alternative to acrylic cement in stabilizing fractures and cancellous screw fixation in elderly and osteoporotic patients. The use of composite resin in dentistry and medicine will be the focus of this review, with particular attention paid to its physical properties, chemical composition, clinical applications, and biocompatibility.
Study of the Interfacial Reaction of Styrene/Maleic Anhydride Copolymerand (Amine)-Terminated Butadiene-Acrylonitrile Copolymer Using FTIR Imaging Techniques

The interfacial reaction between styrene/maleic anhydride copolymer (SMA) and amine-terminated butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymer (ATBA) was observed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) imaging spectroscopy. The anhydride and amine reacted to form an imide. Each component was detected using a characteristic wavenumber, which was 1601 cm −1 for SMA, 2237 cm −1 for ATBA, and 1701 cm −1 for the imide. FTIR images were taken as the reaction proceeded at 150, 160, 170, and 180°C. At low temperatures (150 and 160°C), diffusion-controlled kinetics were observed since interdiffusion between the reactants did not appear in the images. On the other hand, both the diffusion front and the reaction front are observed in the images at high reaction temperatures (170 and 180°C), which indicates that the kinetics became reaction-controlled rather than diffusion-controlled. Absorbance profiles were extracted from the images and used for the calculation of the extent of reaction. The data were analyzed using the Frederi...
Estimation of land surface window (8–12 μm) emissivity from multi‐spectral thermal infrared remote sensing — A case study in a part of Sahara Desert

[1] Land surface window emissivity is an important parameter for estimating the longwave radiative budget. This study focuses on estimating the window (8–12 μm) emissivity from the waveband emissivities of the five thermal infrared channels of the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER). ASTER data along with the Temperature-Emissivity Separation (TES) algorithm allows us to estimate surface channel emissivities with 90 m spatial resolution globally. Multiple regression was used to relate window emissivity to the five ASTER emissivities. This regression was developed using spectral libraries. Its residual error was less than 0.005 (RMSE) for values ranging between 0.81 and 1.00. We applied this regression to ASTER emissivities extracted from data acquired in 2001 and 2002 over a 240 × 1200 km area in a desert of North Africa. A comparison against a classification based emissivity map showed significant differences ranging between −0.08 and +0.06.
A reflectivity equation for acoustic media with absorption

Abstract The wave equation which governs the propagation of dilatational stress (pressure) in viscoacoustic media can be reduced to the lossless acoustic wave equation by the introduction of a complex traveltime coordinate. An interesting property of this equation is that it contains a term which is proportional to the reflectivity function in its single scattering approximation.
Predictors of systemic recurrence and disease-specific survival after ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence.

BACKGROUND In patients with breast carcinoma, ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence (IBTR) after breast-conserving therapy (BCT) is an independent predictor of systemic recurrence and disease-specific survival (DSS). However, only a subgroup of patients with IBTR develop systemic recurrences. Therefore, the management of isolated IBTR remains controversial. The objective of the current study was to identify determinants of systemic recurrence and DSS after IBTR. METHODS The medical records of 120 women who underwent BCT for Stage 0–III breast carcinoma between 1971 and 1996 and who subsequently developed isolated IBTR were reviewed. Clinicopathologic factors were studied using univariate and multivariate analyses for their association with DSS and the development of systemic recurrence after IBTR. RESULTS The median time to IBTR was 59 months. At a median follow-up of 80 months after IBTR, 45 patients (37.5%) had a systemic recurrence. Initial lymph node status was the strongest predictor of systemic recurrence according to the a univariate analysis (P = 0.001). Other significant factors included lymphovascular invasion (LVI) in the primary tumor, time to IBTR ≤ 48 months, clinical and pathologic IBTR tumor size > 1 cm, LVI in the recurrent tumor, and skin involvement at IBTR. In a multivariate logistic regression analysis, initially positive lymph node status (relative risk [RR], 5.3; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.4–20.1; P = 0.015) and skin involvement at IBTR (RR, 15.1; 95% CI, 1.5–153.8; P = 0.022) remained independent predictors of systemic recurrence. The 5-year and 10-year DSS rates after IBTR were 78% and 68%, respectively. In a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model analysis, only LVI in the recurrent tumor was found to be an independent predictor of DSS (RR, 4.6; 95% CI, 1.5–14.1; P = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS Patients who initially had lymph node-positive disease or skin involvement or LVI at IBTR represented especially high-risk groups that warranted consideration for aggressive, systemic treatment and novel, targeted therapies after IBTR. Determinants of prognosis after IBTR should be taken into account when evaluating the need for further systemic therapy and designing risk-stratified clinical trials. Cancer 2005. © 2005 American Cancer Society.
Photochemistry and Photobiology of lmidazole-4(5)-Methylidene Malonic Acid: An Analog of Both E- and Z-Urocanic Acid*

Imidazole-4(5)-methylidene malonic acid (IMMA) may be thought of as having its imidazole and carboxyl functionalities permanently fixed in a configuration that is simultaneously analogous to both E- (trans) and Z- (cis) urocanic acid (UA). Because the UA isomers affect the photoinactivation of bacteriophage single-stranded DNA differently (E-UA increases and Z-UA decreases viral DNA inactivation), IMMA was similarly tested and was found to change the inactivation rate by a factor of 0.43, which is intermediate between the values for E- and Z-UA (1.6 and 0.014, respectively). The IMMA likewise sensitizes double-stranded DNA by a factor of 10.3 compared to a value of 13 for UA. In several ways the effects of IMMA parallel the distinctive effects of UA on the UV inactivation of single- and double-stranded DNA, including the ability to prevent the formation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers in irradiated single-stranded DNA and to sensitize a large increase in the formation of those dimers in irradiated double-stranded DNA. The IMMA photodecarboxylates to UA with a low quantum efficiency (ca 1 × 10−3) and photochemically binds to calf-thymus DNA.
Drugs in Latin America

Drugs in Latin America. Edmundo Morales. (ed.)- Williamsburg, Va: Studies in Third World Societies. Publication 37, Department of Anthropology, College of William and Mary, November, 1988, xvlil. 203 pp., maps, tables, photographs. $xx.xx. LCCCN 87-073040
Argillation of Three Silicate Rocks Expressed in Terms of Ion Transfer

The transfer of ions during the weathering of a Medford diabase, a granite from British Guiana, and of the Cheto Arizona tuff is traced by recasting the analyses of the fresh rocks and their altered counterparts into 160-oxygen rock cells, and by comparing algebraically the products of the weathering reaction with the original reactants. Hydrolysis and hydration are the first steps in the reaction. H ions were added in the weathering environment of the diabase and granite, but Mg ions were added in the change of tuff to bentonite. Silica and alkali metal ions are dissolved and removed during weathering of the diabase and granite, presumably under acid conditions, but it appears that the Cheto tuff was formed under a non-acid environment where Mg was added. During the hydrolysis of silicate rocks, H ions are concentrated temporarily in the clay minerals on land, while OH ions go to the ocean. More examples of ion transfer during weathering than the three given herein are needed to define the reactions occurring in the many environments of alteration which rocks encounter.
Sequence-dependent cytotoxic effects due to combinations of cisplatin and the antimicrotubule agents taxol and vincristine

The antineoplastic activity that taxol has demonstrated in advanced ovarian cancer and other neoplasms in which the platinum analogues are among the most active agents has been the impetus for the development of taxol/platinum combination regimens. Since both classes of agents are known to induce cell-cycle-dependent effects and to delay cell-cycle traverse in specific phases of the cycle, an evaluation of drug sequence dependence was incorporated into initial clinical studies of the drug combination. To complement clinical studies, sequence-dependent interactions were assessed in vitro using L1210 leukemia. Cytotoxicity resulting from the combination of taxol and cisplatin was significantly increased over that achieved with cisplatin alone only when cisplatin was administered after taxol. This sequence was significantly superior to both the reverse sequence and to simultaneous drug treatment. Results achieved with sequence iterations of vincristine and cisplatin were nearly identical. In addition, alkaline-elution studies, using the optimal sequence of cisplatin and either taxol or vincristine, demonstrated that these antimicrotubule agents do not increase the formation of cisplatin-induced DNA interstrand and DNA-protein crosslinking over that produced by cisplatin alone. Although the mechanisms for the sequence-dependent cytotoxic interactions between cisplatin and the antimicrotubule agents have not been determined, it is likely that antagonistic interactions occur with the suboptimal sequences, probably because of cell-cycle-dependent phenomena.
A light- and electron-microscopic investigation of the optic tectum of the frog, Rana pipiens , I: The retinal axons

There are several different groups of ganglion cells in the retina of the frog. Although their axons are thought to terminate in different layers of the optic tectum, little is known about the morphology of their terminal arbors or their synaptic targets. The present paper reports the results of a layer-by-layer study of horseradish peroxidase labeled retinal axons in the optic tectum of Rana pipiens. Light and electron microscopy was used to study the axon's laminar distribution, patterns of arborization, and synaptic contacts. Labeled retinal axons were found in all of the superficial layers of the tectum (A-G). From layer to layer, the retinal axons differed markedly in the diameter of their parent axons (0.2-3.0 microns) and in the morphology and horizontal extent of their terminal arbors. Five classes of synaptic terminals could be distinguished in the tectum. The retinal terminals belonged to a class characterized by round, medium-sized synaptic vesicles. They made synaptic contact with dendrites and other axon terminals in each of the layers. They were always the presynaptic component. The postsynaptic dendrites were often the vertically oriented processes of cells located in the deeper layers. The postsynaptic terminals belonged to a class distinguished by their flat, medium-sized vesicles. These terminals in turn contacted what appeared to be dendrites. In layer eight, the retinal axons were often large, spoon-shaped boutons that ended in apposition with the somata of the layer.
Global sourcing strategy and sustainable competitive advantage

Global sourcing strategy has been one of the most hotly debated management trends in the last 20 years. In its early years, global sourcing was examined mostly from “in-house” development and procurement perspectives; and in the last several years, research focus has shifted to “outsourcing” activities. Along with this shift from internal to external focus on global sourcing, many researchers and business practitioners have applied a core competency argument to justify increased levels of outsourcing activities on a global basis. Although the beneficial aspects of outsourcing are assumed in most cases, no consensus exists in reality as to the effect of outsourcing. Furthermore, the increased instability of the exchange rate environment in the last several years has also led to increased difficulties in managing globally scattered operations that were once fashionable in the 1980s-90s under the rubric of global strategy. In this article, the authors explore potential limitations and negative consequences of outsourcing strategy on a global scale.
Enhancing adolescent self-efficacy and collective efficacy through public engagement around HIV/AIDS competence: A multilevel, cluster randomized-controlled trial

Abstract The potential capacity of children to confront the HIV/AIDS pandemic is rarely considered. Interventions to address the impact of the pandemic on children and adolescents commonly target only their vulnerabilities. We evaluated the Young Citizens Program, an adolescent-centered health promotion curriculum designed to increase self- and collective efficacy through public education and community mobilization across a municipality in the Kilimanjaro Region of Tanzania. The theoretical framework for the program integrates aspects of human capability, communicative action, social ecology and social cognition. The design consists of a cluster randomized-controlled trial (CRCT). Fifteen pairs of matched geopolitically defined neighborhoods of roughly 2000–4000 residents were randomly allocated to treatment and control arms. Within each neighborhood cluster, 24 randomly selected adolescents, ages 9–14, deliberated on topics of social ecology, citizenship, community health and HIV/AIDS competence. Building on their acquired understanding and confidence, they dramatized the scientific basis and social context of HIV infection, testing and treatment in their communities over a 28-week period. The curriculum comprised 5 modules: Group Formation, Understanding our Community, Health and our Community, Making Assessments and Taking Action in our Community and Inter-Acting in our Community. Adolescent participants and adult residents representative of their neighborhoods were surveyed before and after the intervention; data were analyzed using multilevel modeling. In treatment neighborhoods, adolescents increased their deliberative and communicative efficacy and adults showed higher collective efficacy for children. Following the CRCT assessments, the control group received the same curriculum. In the Kilimanjaro Region, the Young Citizens Program is becoming recognized as a structural, health promotion approach through which adolescent self-efficacy and child collective efficacy are generated in the context of civil society and local government.