cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Charting the relationship between phase type-surface area-interactions between the constituent atoms and oxygen reduction activity of Pd-Cu nanocatalysts inside fuel cells by in operando high-energy X-ray diffraction

The activity and stability of nanoalloy catalysts for chemical reactions driving devices for clean energy conversion, in particular the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), depend critically on optimizing major structural characteristics of the nanoalloys, such as the phase composition, surface area and bonding interactions between the constituent atoms, for the harsh operating conditions inside the devices. The effort requires good knowledge of the potential effect of changes in these characteristics on the catalytic functionality of the nanoalloys and, hence, on the devices' performance. We present the results from an in operando high-energy X-ray diffraction (HE-XRD) study on the concurrent changes in the structural characteristics and ORR activity of Pd–Cu nanoalloy catalysts as they function at the cathode of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC). We find that the as-prepared Pd–Cu nanoalloys with a chemical composition close to Pd1Cu1 are better ORR catalysts in comparison with Pd1Cu2, i.e. Pd-poor, and Pd3Cu1, i.e. Pd-rich, nanoalloys. Under operating conditions though, the former suffers a big loss in ORR activity appearing as a slow-mode oscillation in the current output of the PEMFC. Losses in ORR activity suffered by the latter also exhibit sudden drops and rises during the PEMFC operation. Through atomic pair distribution function (PDF) analysis of the in operando HE-XRD data, we identify the structural changes of Pd–Cu alloy NPs that are behind the peculiar decay of their ORR activity. The results uncover the instant link between the ever-adapting structural state of ORR nanocatalysts inside an operating PEMFC and the performance of the PEMFC. Besides, our results indicate that, among others, taking control over the intra-particle diffusion of metallic species in nanoalloy catalysts may improve the performance of PEMFCs significantly and, furthermore, in operando HE-XRD can be an effective tool to guide the effort. Finally, we argue that, though showing less optimal ORR activity in the as-prepared state, monophase Pd–Cu alloy catalysts with a composition ranging between Pd1Cu1 and Pd3Cu1 may deliver optimal performance inside operating PEMFCs.
Utility of intraoperative and postoperative radiographs in pediatric cochlear implant surgery

Abstract Objective Routine plain film radiographs are often obtained to confirm proper placement of electrode after pediatric cochlear implant surgery. Objective is to evaluate necessity of routine radiographs in pediatric cochlear implant cases. Study design Retrospective review. Setting Two tertiary care academic centers. Subjects and methods Review of all children that underwent cochlear implantation from January 2003 thru June 2015. Exclusions include patients without intraoperative evoked compound action potential (ECAP) data or radiographs and patients undergoing revision surgeries. Results 235 pediatric patients underwent 371 cochlear implants. ECAP measurements were not available in two cases and were excluded from study. Radiographs were obtained in 35/369 cases due to intraoperative concern and four had abnormal findings. All four cases underwent change in management. One other patient had an x-ray because of difficult insertion and abnormal ECAP. Radiograph was normal; however, incision was opened and electrodes inserted further. Overall, 5/369 cases had changes in management intraoperatively. In all five cases, abnormalities were suspected by clinician judgment or abnormal ECAP measurements. Routine radiographs were completed in 349/369 cases and one was abnormal. This patient had known partial insertion due to cochlear fibrosis from meningitis and abnormal radiograph did not result in change in management. Conclusion Clinician suspicion and/or abnormal ECAP prompted suspicion for abnormal electrode placement prior to evaluation with radiograph in all cases in which change in management occurred. Intraoperative radiographs may be valuable in setting of clinical suspicion. Routine radiographs do not result in change in management and are, therefore, unnecessary.
Continuing Medical Education Effect on Physician Knowledge

Background Physicians are continuously engaging in continuing medical education (CME) activities. Whether CME activities actually improve their knowledge and whether multiple media, instructional techniques, and exposures are better than single experiences are questions that are still under discussion. Methods The Johns Hopkins Evidence-based Practice Center for Healthcare Research and Quality conducted a systematic review of the effectiveness of CME (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Evidence Report) from which the guideline panel used 28 (± 2) studies to answer these questions about improvements in knowledge. The studies were selected based on the presence of an adequate control group from an initial pool of 136 studies on CME. Results Despite the heterogeneity of the studies reviewed and the low quality of the evidence, the results from the majority of the studies (79%) showed that CME activities were associated with improvements in physician knowledge. Conclusions The evidence gathered about the use of media and instructional techniques and the frequency of exposure suggests that multimedia, multiple instructional techniques, and multiple exposures be used whenever possible in CME. Future studies of CME should include assessment of applied knowledge, and should incorporate programmatic and collaborative studies of CME.
Relational Goods, Democracy, and the Paradox of Epistemic Privilege

Scott Eacott’s passionate advocacy for a relational approach to researching in educational administration borders on missionary zeal. It is almost a catechism. In his exposition of the virtues of adopting his version of a relational approach, he derides and criticizes much contemporary research on leadership as unproblematic and tautological where the a priori presence of a leader position in a bureaucracy is used as the raison d’etre for leadership itself. His disdain for much traditional “leadership studies” as amounting to a kind of folk wisdom is continuously hammered for the lack of scientific rigor replete with the absence of a specialized and technical terminology as dysfunctional and pre-scientific at best, self-deluding at worst. Relationality is more than simple civility or even mutual respect; rather it is centered on the more rational principles of reciprocity and at least intellectual parity among viewpoints so that there is an exchange. This is clearly not the case with Eacott’s advocacy and criticisms of educational administration and its lack of alleged scientificity as I shall illustrate in this brief chapter.
Dynamic Mechanical and Dielectric Properties of Sulfonylated Poly(2, 6-Dimethyl-1, 4-Phenylene Oxide) Copolymers

Sulfonylated poly(2, 6-dimethyl-1, 4-phenylene oxide) copolymers with a degree of sulfonylation of less than 40 wt % have been studied by measuring dynamic mechanical and dielectric properties. A very broad mechanical β-relaxation centered around −10°C at 10Hz was displayed by the dry copolymer. The relaxation disappears upon exposure of the copolymer to water and can be made to reappear when the copolymer is fully dried. A broad dielectric secondary β-relaxation is also observed around 0°C at 50KHz. These findings indicate that water appears to hinder the localized motion responsible for the β-relaxation by associating with polar pendant phenyl sulfone groups. The apparent activation energy for the mechanical α-relaxation of the copolymer has been estimated and found to be larger for copolymers with increased degrees of sulfonylation, indicating that the sulfonylated copolymers have a much stiffer molecular backbone compared to PPO.
Converging mass media and public records media

Cet article se penche sur le rapprochement d'un reseau de television d'acces gouvernemental aux Etats-Unis et d'Internet. L'avantage de cette convergence reside dans le fait qu'elle permet de combiner les possibilites des mass medias avec celles des technologies d'enregistrement et d'interaction
Comments on “A Third-Law Isentropic Analysis of a Simulated Hurricane”

AbstractThe atmospheric overturning can be estimated by computing an isentropic streamfunction, defined as the net upward mass transport of all air parcels with the potential temperature less than ...
Electrochemical specific adsorption of halides on Cu 111,100, and 211: A density functional theory study

Abstract The specific adsorption of ions onto electrode surfaces can affect electrocatalytic reactions. Density functional theory is used to investigate the specific adsorption of aqueous F−, Cl−, Br−, and I− onto Cu (111), (100), and (211) surfaces. The adsorption is increasingly favorable in the order of F−
Simulated Casualty Evacuation Performance Is Augmented by Deadlift Peak Force.

INTRODUCTION The purpose of the current study was to examine if isometric peak force and rate of force development (RFD) were related to the ability to successfully perform a simulated casualty evacuation task in both unweighted and weighted conditions. METHODS Eighteen male participants from Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) completed a maximum isometric deadlift on a force plate (IRB#HE16227). Isometric peak force and RFD were calculated from ground reaction force. Two simulated casualty evacuation performance trials were then completed. The unweighted trial consisted of lifting and carrying a 75 kg dummy as quickly as possible for 50 m. The weighted trial was similar except 9 kg vests were added to both the simulation dummy and the participant to represent 18 kg of duty gear. Independent sample t-tests and Pearson correlations were performed to compare the characteristics of those who passed and failed the weighted trial. RESULTS All of the participants (n = 18) completed the unweighted casualty evacuation trial, while 72% (n = 13) were able to complete the weighted casualty evacuation trial. The participants that successfully completed the weighted evacuation trial had significantly (p < 0.05) greater isometric peak force (1420 ± 165 vs. 1076 ± 256 N) and lean mass (74.18 ± 3.89 vs. 65.34 ± 3.89 kg) when compared to participants (n = 5) that could not complete the weighted evacuating task trial. Additionally, greater Army Physical Fitness Test scores (288 ± 13 vs. 269 ± 16 arbitrary units) and significantly faster (30.34 ± 4.41 vs. 44.92 ± 10.62 seconds) unweighted evacuation trial times were observed in participants that could complete the weighted evacuation task. Peak force was also significantly correlated with lean mass (r = 0.51, p < 0.05). There was no relationship between RFD and performance of the unweighted or weight trial. CONCLUSION Isometric deadlift peak force represents an important determinant for the success of a simulated casualty evacuation task and may be a useful marker to include in periodic fitness evaluations of military personnel.
Roads Not Traveled and Future Paths

Since the book was written over a rather long period of time, there are a number of problems and ideas that we considered but did not pursue. In this somewhat disorganized chapter we provide some discussion which can point the reader to potential avenues of investigation.
Measuring Stability and Change in Personal Culture Using Panel Data

Models of population-wide cultural change tend to invoke one of two broad models of individual change. One approach theorizes people actively updating their beliefs and behaviors in the face of new...
Length of Stay in a Community Psychiatric Emergency Room: An Analysis of Contributing Factors

Background: The length of patients’ stay in the emergency room is a key measure of service delivery and a marker to measure the quality of care. Studies have shown that patients with psychiatric and substance use disorders have a prolonged length of stay in the emergency room compared to medical and surgical patients. Various factors have been found to contribute to this disparity. Method: This is a retrospective case by case review of four hundred and ninety-three consecutive patients who presented to a community psychiatric emergency. Results: Our results show a length of stay ranging between 1.21 – 33.48 hours. The mean length of stay of 8.72 hours and the median was 7.41 hours. Furthermore, the utilization of emergency medication and age above 44 have a significant influence on patients’ length of stay in the psychiatric emergency room (p<0.05). Conclusion: The length of stay in the psychiatric emergency room deserves more study in literature as it remains a metric for service delivery. Although, factors contributing to a prolonged length of stay may vary, in different settings and situations, understanding these factors will improve outcomes for patients in psychiatric emergency rooms.
Incompatible with life: Embodied borders, migrant fertility, and the UK’s ‘hostile environment’:

In this piece, I consider the uncomfortable and intimate intersection of bodies and borders through an autoethnographic account of encountering UK migration controls while losing a pregnancy. While...
The plurinational state and Bolivia’s formación abigarrada

This paper examines how the concept of plurinationality relates to the notion of Bolivia as a formacion abigarrada (motley, disjointed social formation), and how that social form corresponds with t...
A Survey on Cyber Security IDS using ML Methods

The growing rate of cyber-attacks on system networks in recent years exacerbates the privacy and security of computer infrastructure and personal computers. Intrusion Detection and Prevention systems are turning into a significant section of computer networks and cyber security. Various techniques are proposed by individuals to mitigate this problem. This gives rise to another problem of which technique should be used for a given scenario. This survey paper provides a solution to the aforementioned problem and presents a comparative study of different proposed models for intrusion detection and prevention systems which consist of machine learning algorithms to attain better performance and accuracy and to enhance cyber security. This paper aims to discern pros and cons of various intrusion detection and prevention techniques to gain better understanding and help researchers make more informed choices in selecting the appropriate security model to produce successful results.
Continuous sensing of nutrients and growth factors by the mTORC1-TFEB axis

mTORC1 senses nutrient and growth factor status and phosphorylates downstream targets, including the transcription factor TFEB, to coordinate metabolic supply and demand. The molecular mechanisms of mTORC1 activation are thought to enforce a strict requirement for simultaneous amino acid and growth factor stimuli, but this model has not been evaluated with quantitative or single-cell methods. Here, we develop a series of fluorescent protein-TFEB fusions and investigate how combinations of stimuli jointly regulate signaling from mTORC1 to TFEB at the single-cell level. Live-cell imaging of individual cells revealed that mTORC1-TFEB signaling responds with graded changes to individual amino acid and growth factor inputs, rather than behaving as a logical "AND" gate. We find that mTORC1 inputs can be sequentially sensed, with responses that vary between mTORC1 substrates and are amplified by input from other kinases, including GSK3{beta}. In physiologically relevant concentrations of amino acids, we observe fluctuations in mTORC1-TFEB signaling that indicate continuous responsiveness to nutrient availability. Our results clarify how the molecular regulation of mTORC1 enables homeostatic processes at the cellular level and provide a more precise understanding of its behavior as an integrator of multiple inputs.
Industry evolution with a sequence of technologies and heterogeneous ability

Abstract A model of industrial evolution with a succession of process types and the presence of heterogeneous research ability is presented. First, a model of Schumpeter's ‘creative destruction’ process is proposed Revolutionary change in technology is shown to bring waves of upheaval to a stable industry order. Second, aspects of the debate as to whether all firms in an industry benefit from concentration, or whether increased profits accrue solely to firms with superior ability, are assessed. Simulations of the model show that firm profit rates are more closely correlated with firm size than research ability.
Prediction of the Solubility, Activity Coefficient and Liquid/Liquid Partition Coefficient of Organic Compounds

Solvation models, based on fundamental chemical structure theory, were developed in the SPARC mechanistic tool box to predict a large array of physical properties of organic compounds in water and in non-aqueous solvents strictly from molecular structure. The SPARC self-interaction solvation models that describe the intermolecular interaction between like molecules (solute-solute or solvent-solvent) were extended to quantify solute-solvent interaction energy in order to estimate the activity coefficient in almost any solvent. Solvation models that include dispersion, induction, dipole-dipole and hydrogen bonding interactions are used to describe the intermolecular interaction upon placing an organic solute molecule in any single or mixed solvent system. In addition to estimation of the activity coefficient for 2674 organic compounds, these solvation models were validated on solubility and liquid/liquid distribution coefficient in more than 163 solvents including water. The RMS deviations of the calculated versus observed activity coefficients, solubilities and liquid/liquid distribution coefficients were 0.272 log mole fraction, 0.487 log mole fraction and 0.44 log units, respectively.
Distributed Cache Index

Distributed-Cache-Index ist ein Verfahren zur effizienten Zusammenarbeit von Caching-Web-Proxies. Im Unterschied zu anderen Verfahren wird ein globaler, verteilter Index aller Dokumente aufgebaut, ohne eine zusatzliche Hierarchie von CachingRechnern einzufuhren. Die Dokumente verbleiben im Gegensatz zu ihrem Index auf dem Caching-Rechner, bei dem das Dokument zuerst angefordert wurde. Das Verfahren ist skalierbar und sowohl fur ein lokales Netz als auch innerhalb des Backbones z. B. eines Internet-Service-Providers einsetzbar.
Relative Well-Being Among Children and the Elderly: The Effects of Age Group Size and Family Structure

While recent decades have witnessed sharply divergent trajectories in the well-being of children and the elderly, little research explores the social-structural forces behind these trends. This study examines several key elements of Preston's theory relating relative age group size to the well-being of children and the elderly. First considered is the degree to which membership in a relatively large age group enhances well-being; second, the role of family structure in promoting well-being; third, differences between these processes for children and the elderly. An analysis of three indicators of group well-being-poverty, mortality, and suicide rates-for U.S. states provides mixed support for Preston's theory. Among the elderly, group size is inversely related to suicide and mortality, but unrelated to poverty. Contrary to Preston's view, larger group size diminishes the well-being of children. However, consistent with Preston's theory, family structure is substantially more important for the well-being of children than for the elderly.
Cellulolytic Enzyme System of Thermoactinomyces sp. Grown on Microcrystalline Cellulose

The carboxymethyl-cellulase and Avicelase activities of Thermoactinomyces sp., strain YX, were produced simultaneously with cell growth. Throughout the growth phase these activities were primarily extracellular, with up to 50% adsorbed to residual cellulosic substrate at any one time. On the other hand, the beta-glucosidase activity was associated with the culture solids throughout the entire fermentation and appears to be intracellular. Preparative isoelectric focusing of the culture filtrate, in the pH range 3 to 5, separated three major fractions with cellulolytic activities towards both carboxymethyl-cellulose and Avicel. Based on the carboxymethyl-cellulase and Avicelase activities of these separated fractions, it was not possible to discriminate between endo- and exoglucanases produced by Thermoactinomyces sp. Analytical isoelectric focusing of culture filtrates obtained throughout the growth phase of Thermoactinomyces indicated that all the extracellular cellulolytic enzymes are produced and released into the culture filtrate simultaneously, with no evidence of a sequential appearance of the various enzymes or isoenzymes.
Development of plasmonics-active SERS substrates on a wafer scale for chemical and biological sensing applications

This paper describes the fabrication of highly efficient plasmonics-active SERS substrates - having metallic nanowire structures with pointed geometries and sub-5 nm gap between the metallic nanowires enabling concentration of high EM fields in these regions - on a wafer-scale by a reproducible process that is compatible with large-scale development of these substrates. These SERS substrates were employed for detecting chemical and biological molecules of interest.
A near fundamental decadal data record of airs infrared surface brightness temperatures

Aqua provides a direct measurement of the surface infrared radiation for a near decade (2003–2011) from a single satellite platform with two completely independent instruments (AIRS and MODIS). We produced a 0.5°×1.0° lat-lon daily gridded near fundamental decadal data record (FDDR) of AIRS all sky brightness temperatures (BT) for all 2378 AIRS channels including the 4µ and 12µ surface windows for the 9-year period. We show (i) that decadal difference trends between the spectrally convolved AIRS and MODIS IR surface channels 3.96µ, 4.05µ and 12.03µ are as small as 0.01K, 0.016K and 0.001K per year respectively, suitable to detect year to year decadal trends of AIRS global surface BTs as small as 0.1K over the decade. (ii) The analysis of gridded AIRS surface BT channel 4.16µ and 12.18µ reveals no global annual warming trend between 2003–2011 and negligible trends for both hemispheres in the 9-year period. (iii) Both AIRS channels 4.16µ and 12.18µ show a statistically significant global annual BT warming trend of 0.6K and 0.87K respectively in the Arctic (60N–90N) with yearly changes varying by as much as 1.6K. (iv) Finally, we show that AIRS global surface BT spectral channel 4.16µ has a correlation with annual, seasonal and monthly GISS global station surface temperature data records 0.96, 0.9, 0.82 respectively. We conjecture that direct satellite level 1B AIRS IR radiance sounding observations constitute a FDDR and that well calibrated IR surface BTs can serve as a surrogate for directly observing global climate surface temperatures.
Auditory-like filterbank: An optimal speech processor for efficient human speech communication

The transmitter and the receiver in a communication system have to be designed optimally with respect to one another to ensure reliable and efficient communication. Following this principle, we derive an optimal filterbank for processing speech signal in the listener’s auditory system (receiver), so that maximum information about the talker’s (transmitter) message can be obtained from the filterbank output, leading to efficient communication between the talker and the listener. We consider speech data of 45 talkers from three different languages for designing optimal filterbanks separately for each of them. We find that the computationally derived optimal filterbanks are similar to the empirically established auditory (cochlear) filterbank in the human ear. We also find that the output of the empirically established auditory filterbank provides more than 90% of the maximum information about the talker’s message provided by the output of the optimal filterbank. Our experimental findings suggest that the auditory filterbank in human ear functions as a near-optimal speech processor for achieving efficient speech communication between humans.
Origin of the spectral dependence of the nonradiative efficiency in hydrogenated amorphous silicon.

Measurements of the excitation kinetics and model calculations of the wavelength dependence of the room-temperature nonradiative efficiency in hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) are described. The nonradiative efficiency, defined as the ratio of the heat released per absorbed photon, is measured using photopyroelectric spectroscopy and displays a fairly sharp minimum when the a-Si:H is illuminated with near-band-gap photons. The results reported here indicate that this minimum arises from the variation in the amount of heat generated by free-carrier thermalization with incident photon energy.
Synthesis and circular dichroism studies of steroidal schiff bases of biogenic amines

Abstract A number of imines (Schiff bases) have been prepared from ketosteroids (estrone, estrone-3-methyl ether, androsterone, epiandrosterone, 5α-cholestan-3-one, 6-ketocholestanol and testosterone) and primary amines (phenethylamine, tyramine and hexanamine). The CD spectra of these compounds have been measured in methanol. Except for the testosterone imines, the azomethine n-π* band (~ 235 nm) exhibited the same sign (but not as high an ellipticity) as the parent ketone's n - π* band (~295 nm). The imines of the estrogens (estrone and estrone 3-methyl ether) gave CD spectra characterized by a negative 1Lb Cotton effect ([θ] ⋍ -1000) near 280 nm and a band near 230 nm ([θ] ⋍ +19,000) which is considered the sum of a positive azomethine n - π* Cotton effect and positive aromatic 1La Cotton effect(s). The 1La band originating in the amine moiety was prominent in the CD of 5α-cholestan-3-one and 6-ketocholestanol phenethylamine imines. When aromatic Cotton effects originating in the amine moiety were detected, they were of the same sign as the n - π* Cotton effect.
Estimated prevalence and patterns of presumed osteoporosis among older Americans based on Medicare data

Introduction Estimates of osteoporosis (OP) prevalence based on bone mineral density testing and fracture occurrence may be imprecise for small demographic groups. Medicare data are a useful supplemental source of information on OP.
Neural anomalies during visual search in schizophrenia patients and unaffected siblings of schizophrenia patients

Schizophrenia patients and their unaffected first-degree relatives exhibit performance deficits on attention tasks, perhaps indicating genetic influence over attentional abnormalities in schizophrenia. To identify anomalous brain function associated with attention in individuals who likely have unexpressed genetic liability for schizophrenia, we studied electrophysiological characteristics of unaffected siblings of schizophrenia patients during a visual serial search task. We gathered behavioral and electrophysiological data from 19 schizophrenia patients, 18 unaffected biological siblings of schizophrenia patients, and 19 nonpsychiatric control participants during performance of the Span of Apprehension (Span) task and a control task. Schizophrenia patients had lower Span task accuracy than the other two groups. Schizophrenia and sibling groups exhibited diminished late positive potentials (P300) over parietal brain regions during Span trials. Compared to control task stimuli, attentional demands of Span stimuli elicited augmented early negative potentials (N1, P2) over posterior brain regions. The degree of augmentation was reduced in schizophrenia patients but not in siblings compared to control subjects. Unaffected siblings of schizophrenia patients appear to modulate early attentional functions of posterior brain regions more effectively than schizophrenia patients but show later electrophysiological anomalies suggestive of abnormal updating of task-relevant information. While the latter may reflect neural mechanisms predisposing performance deficits on attentional tasks, the former may reflect compensatory processes present in unaffected relatives of schizophrenia patients.
Appetitive and Defensive Arousal in Violent Video Games: Explaining Individual Differences in Attraction to and Effects of Video Games

Evidence surrounding the attraction to media violence is mixed and the effects of violent video game play on players varies across experimental participants. Differences in both may be explained by differences in experienced positive or negative arousal. This study utilizes the limited capacity model of motivated mediated message processing (LC4MP) and the motivation activation measure (MAM), which measures resting activation of the appetitive and aversive arousal systems, to explore the relationship between attraction to media violence, arousal, and aggression. In part 1, a questionnaire found that men and frequent players of violent games expected to enjoy violent games more than nonviolent games. In addition, participants whose scores on the MAM characterized them as risk takers (high scores on appetitive arousal and low scores on aversive arousal) indicated a stronger preference for violent games compared to the other three arousal types, which is in line with the LC4MP. In the experimental portion of...
Solution Structure of the Binuclear Zinc Finger of Cytoplasmic Polyadenylation Element Binding Protein (CPEB)

Synaptic plasticity, the experience dependent variation in the strength of a synapse, is a means of encoding memory through a network of specific connections between neurons. Cytoplasmic polyadenylation element binding protein (CPEB) is a key factor in establishing the synaptic mark through translational regulation of protein synthesis. A neuronal isoform (CPEB1) participates in sequence specific recognition of a uracil-rich cytoplasmic polyadenylation element (CPE) within the 3’ UTR of mRNA. The C-terminal region of CPEB1 binds to mRNA utilizing three structured domains including two RNA recognition motifs and a zinc finger domain. We have characterized the structure of the binuclear zinc finger domain by NMR spectroscopy.
Bioluminescent bioreporter integrated circuits: potentially small, rugged and inexpensive whole-cell biosensors for remote environmental monitoring.

1. SUMMARYA bioluminescent bioreporter integrated circuit (BBIC) is anovel whole-cell biosensor that combines the environmentalmonitoring capabilities of genetically engineered biolu-minescent micro-organisms (bioreporters) with optical appli-cation-speciﬁc integrated circuits. A BBIC device consistsof bioreporters sustained within a micro-environment, theintegrated circuit microluminometer, and a light-tightenclosure. The bioreporter typically contains the luxCDABEreporter genes encoding the enzymes required for biolumin-escence. In the presence of a targeted analyte, a gene(transcriptional) regulatory system induces the expressionof the luxCDABE genes. Analytical benchmark data forexposure of the bioreporter Pseudomonas ﬂuorescens 5RLto salicylate was determined using a ﬂow-through testsystem. The detection limit (after a 45 min exposure) wasca 50 lgl
Varieties of population mobility in relation to development in China.

China in its efforts to effect economic modernization has come to recognize the need for labor mobility to promote the development of small towns to develop frontier agriculture and to provide a tertiary sector in the cities and towns. Of Chinas 1 billion people (3rd census 1982) 206 million or 20% of the population lived in 236 cities and 2664 towns. 50% of the urban dwellers were concentrated in the 3 metropolises of Shanghai Beijing and Tianjin. On the other hand 30% lived in the 2664 towns which China wishes to develop. In the past large numbers of people have migrated to the large cities because there they were assured the life-long security of employment in state-owned industries -- the "iron rice bowl." However Chinas present policy is to limit the size of big cities develop medium-sized cities (between 200000 and 500000 people) and encourage the growth of small cities. Chinas 7th Five-Year Plan (1986-1990) calls for a massive movement of the agricultural labor force not to the cities but to the towns. To control population movement China instituted the Household Registration System in accordance with which a household must obtain permission to move permanently beyond the local area. Migration from the populous East Coast areas to the underdeveloped Northwest and to the rural impoverished areas of Gansu Ningxia and Qinghai is encouraged. But controlled migration has become more difficult since the decentralization which has accompanied the new economic policies and the urban population has grown except for the 3 major cities. Moreover as a result of the new "economic responsibility system" introduced in 1979 many surplus agricultural workers have been absorbed into nonagricultural activities in villages and townships. By the end of 1985 67 million workers had moved from agriculture to industries and peasants may now be granted temporary residence permits in towns. The total number of towns increased to 7280 by 1985; however the new towns are concentrated in the more productive agricultural areas which can support them. In addition to these more or less permanent migrants large numbers of temporary migrants have come to the cities as representatives of local businesses as construction workers to operate urban outlets for agricultural and industrial products to provide various services including domestic service and as itinerant workers. 1986 statistics indicated that 3.21 million people were living as temporary residents of Chinas top 10 cities. The new economic policy has encouraged the resurgence of private plots and free markets and hence has stimulated the increased movement of peasants to rural markets and to free markets in cities.
A triple on AL amyloidosis, waiting for a home run

[Comment on Dispenzieri et al, page 465, ][1][comment on Sanchorawala et al, page 492, and ][2][comment on Wechalekar et al, page 457][3]New therapies for amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis are sorely needed. This issue of Blood brings encouraging results from 3 studies of new and old antimyeloma
Benefit-Cost Analysis of Rubella Vaccination Policy

To analyze rubella vaccination strategies we calculated benefits and costs of prevention of rubella. With no vaccination, lifetime expenditures for congenital rubella syndrome in offspring of females are greater than $35 per female (present value). Expenditures for acute rubella are less than $2.70 per person. Cost, when monovalent vaccine is used, is $3.00 per person. Vaccination of females at 12 years of age yields net benefits 80 per cent larger than vaccination of children at two. When only 80 per cent of the target group accepts vaccine, vaccination at 12 years reduces congenital rubella by 30 per cent more than vaccination at six or two. Vaccination at two and revaccination at 12 (with 80 per cent acceptance at each age) reduces expected natural infections by 80 per cent and expected congenital rubella by 95 per cent. Either single vaccination of females at 12 years or vaccination at two ages would be better than current United States practice of vaccinating children once at an early age.
Dietary pattern changes of Asian immigrants

Abstract Migrant epidemiologic studies have shown that the risk of certain chronic diseases may be associated with changes in lifestyle. The process of immigration provides an opportunity to examine more closely dietary pattern changes. These changes then provide potential clues as to subsequent health conditions. Food preparation habits, food practices, and nutrition beliefs before and after immigration of 124 Asian immigrants (men 80, women 44) were surveyed. Results indicate that the post-immigration diet is a relatively low-fat (23.6% of total calories), high-carbohydrate (56.7% of total calories) and high-fiber (28.5 gm/d) diet. Comparison of the post-immigration diet to the pre-immigration diet, indicated a significant increase in the intake of cholesterol (from 265.8 to 305.85 Mg/d), fat (from 49.21 to 56.49 gm/d), especially saturated fat (from 14.09 to 18.23 gm/d) and monounsaturated fat (from 15.49 to 19.58 gm/d) intake; conversely there was a decrease in carbohydrate (from 324.9 to 300.3 gm/d) and fiber (from 32.9 to 28.5 gm/d) intake. It is concluded that: 1) upon immigration, the Asian immigrants increased fat and cholesterol intake, decreased CHO and fiber intake, 2) yet, by American standards, the Asian immigrant's current diet is relatively low fat, high CHO and high fiber, and 3) further research is needed to study the health effects of these changes.
Accessibility and illicit drug crop production: Lessons from Northern Thailand

Abstract There is a controversy among rural development workers regarding the effect that roads have on the production of illicit drug crops. Do roads promote or discourage their production? This paper examines the effect of roads on illegal opium cultivation in northern Thailand. Accessibility indexes are developed at district levels. Relationships among the indexes and opium production are analysed. The results show a weak relationship between accessibility and production and lead to the conclusion that neither the location nor the amount of opium production is significantly related to the road network. The findings suggest that a complete assessment of the role of transportation in drug production will require a more detailed information base than presently exists. Data are needed from source countries that allow network modelling of drug flow, law enforcement strategies and economic constraints.
Selective looking by infants.

Abstract Previous studies of selective looking have shown that adults and young children can easily follow one visually specified event while ignoring another on which it is optically superimposed. The present experiments show that 4-month-old infants have the same ability. Two films were shown superimposed on the same screen, while one soundtrack was played in an attempt to influence the subjects' perceptual selection. When the films were separated during test periods, the infants looked mostly at the previously silent film, suggesting that it was novel for them. Control experiments showed that completely unfamiliar films elicited comparable novelty preferences in the same situation, that the soundtrack could also influence perceptual selection during side-by-side presentation of the same films, and that cross-modal habituation to the soundtrack alone could not account for the results. Perception is inherently selective, even in the first months of life.
A decomposition approach to nonlinear multi-area generation scheduling with tie-line constraints using expert systems

The authors propose a rigorous method to treat multiarea generation scheduling with tie line limits. An expert system was used for obtaining the initial solution. As the generation scheduling problem involves unit commitment and economic dispatch, the method adopts an iterative procedure to deal with these two phases. The hourly load demand and the area power generation will cause the tie flows to change. To maintain the operation security in every area, the spinning reserve should comply with the area power generation rather than its load demand. After economic dispatch, it is necessary to adjust the unit commitment in each area for preserving the spinning reserve requirements. Heuristics were used to modify the generation unit combinations. The objective is to find an economic generation schedule for a multiarea system. The interchange transactions among areas represent the transportation problem, embedded within the nonlinear optimization process. The equivalent system concept is adopted, and the transmission losses are included in this study. A four-area system with each area consisting of 26 units was used to test the efficiency of the proposed algorithm. >
Gastrointestinal problems in geriatric patients: what’s new about growing old?

In the next five issues of the American Journal of Gastroenterology, a series entitled "Gastrointestinal Problems in Geriatric Patients" will be featured. It will include the following articles:
KTP and isomorphs-recent progress in device and material development

Abstract Potassium Titanyl Phosphate (KTiOPO4) is one of the best nonlinear optical crystals for the frequency doubling of 1.06 μm Nd:YAG lasers. Its large optical nonlinearity, high optical damage threshold and outstanding thermal stability has made it the material of choice for high power industrial and medical laser applications where reliability are of prime importance. Yet, KTP is just one member of the isomorphic compounds having the generic composition MTiOXO4 where {M = NH4, K, Rb, TI and Cs} and {X = P and As}. Along with its isomorphs, KTP offers exceptional versatility for device design and optimization in both bulk- and micro-optical applications. This versatility is directly related to the open covalent crystal structure of KTP. In this paper, we review recent progress in the understanding of the crystal chemistry of the KTP family of isomorphs and summarize recent progress in KTP-based devices.
The refined crystal structure of subtilisin Carlsberg at 2.5 A resolution.

We report here the X-ray crystal structure of native subtilisin Carlsberg, solved at 2.5 A resolution by molecular replacement and refined by restrained least squares to a crystallographic residual (Formula see text): of 0.206. we compare this structure to the crystal structure of subtilisin BPN'. We find that, despite 82 amino acid substitutions and one deletion in subtilisin Carlsberg relative to subtilisin BPN', the structures of these enzymes are remarkably similar. We calculate an r.m.s. difference between equivalent alpha-carbon positions in subtilisin Carlsberg and subtilisin BPN' of only 0.55 A. This confirms previous reports of extensive structural homology between these two subtilisins based on X-ray crystal structures of the complex of eglin-c with subtilisin Carlsberg [McPhalen, C.A., Schnebli, H.P. and James, M.N.G. (1985) FEBS Lett., 188, 55; Bode, W., Papamokos, E. and Musil, D. (1987) Eur. J. Biochem., 166, 673-692]. In addition, we find that the native active sites of subtilisins Carlsberg and BPN' are virtually identical. While conservative substitutions at residues 217 and 156 may have subtle effects on the environments of substrate-binding sites S1' and S1 respectively, we find no obvious structural correlate for reports that subtilisins Carlsberg and BPN' differ in their recognition of model substrates. In particular, we find no evidence that the hydrophobic binding pocket S1 in subtilisin Carlsberg is 'deeper', 'narrower' or 'less polar' than the corresponding binding site in subtilisin BPN'.
The Disinvestment of Public Sector Enterprises: The Indian Experience

This paper examines the disinvestment of shares of public sector enterprises (PSEs) in India since 1991. The poor performance of PSEs made reform increasingly urgent in the context of the broader strategy of the liberalization of the economy to deal with the perceived weaknesses of India's development strategy. The paper argues that the main aim of disinvestment has been to reduce the public sector borrowing requirement, at the cost of the restructuring and rationalization of PSEs in particular and the public sector in general. The process of disinvestment has been a complex one and has not been free of criticism. Alleged under-pricing of shares sold, lack of transparency, limited public support for disinvestment and the absence of a common set of objectives between the Government of India and the Disinvestment Commission have been major problems. In many respects, India provides a checklist of how not to disinvest.
The effect of various nitric oxide-donor agents on hydrogen peroxide-mediated toxicity: a direct correlation between nitric oxide formation and protection.

The role that nitric oxide (NO) plays in various degenerative and disease states has remained a mystery since its discovery as a biological messenger, prompting the question, "NO, friend or foe?" Some reports have suggested that NO is cytotoxic, and yet others have shown that it possesses protective properties against reactive oxygen species (ROS). Many studies have used various NO donor complexes arriving at seemingly different conclusions. This report will address the effects of various NO donor compounds on ROS-mediated toxicity. Consistent with our previous study, the NO donor compound, DEA/NO ((C2H5)2N[N(O)NO]-Na+), afforded protection against hydrogen peroxide-mediated cytotoxicity in V79 Chinese hamster lung fibroblasts at concentrations as low as 10 microM DEA/NO. Furthermore, a survey of other NO donor complexes revealed that some either protected or potentiated hydrogen peroxide-mediated cytotoxicity. 3-Morpholinosynodiomine.HCl (SIN-1) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) enhanced hydrogen peroxide-mediated cytotoxicity, while S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO), and S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) afforded protection. Electrochemical detection of NO in cell culture medium revealed that neither 1000 microM SIN-1 nor SNP yielded appreciable NO concentrations ( 1.0 microM. Thus, a direct correlation between inhibition of hydrogen peroxide cytotoxicity and NO production was observed: agents that release NO during hydrogen peroxide treatment afford significant protection, whereas agents that do not release NO do not protect. Similar results were observed for NO donors studied when hypoxanthinesolidusxanthine oxidase was used as the source for ROS, although the S-nitrosothiol agents were much less protective. These results demonstrate that NO possesses properties which protect against ROS toxicity and demonstrate how the use of different NO donor compounds can lead to different conclusions about the role that NO can play in the cytotoxicity of ROS.
Invariant measures for unipotent translations on homogeneous spaces.

Abstract It is shown that all Borel probability measures invariant under unipotent translations on homogeneous spaces of connected Lie groups are algebraic.
Increasing breastfeeding rates in New York City, 1980-2000.

Our objective was to determine temporal patterns of breastfeeding among women delivering infants in New York City (NYC) and compare national breastfeeding trends. All hospitals in NYC with obstetric units were contacted in May and June 2000 to provide information on the method of infant feeding during the mother’s admission for delivery. Feeding was categorized as “exclusive breastfeeding,” “breast and formula,” or “exclusive formula.” The first two categories were further grouped into “any breastfeeding” in the analysis. Hospitals were classified as “public” and “private,” and patients were classified by insurance type as “service” and “private.” Data between public and private hospitals and service and private patients were compared. Breastfeeding trends over time were compared by using previous iterations of the same survey. Of 16,932 newborns, representing approximately 80.0% of all reported live births in the city during the study period, 5,305 (31.3%) were exclusively breastfed, 6,189 (36.6%) were fed a combination of breast milk and formula, and the remaining 5,438 (32.1%) were exclusively formula-fed. Infants born in private hospitals were 1.6 times more likely to be exclusively breastfed compared with infants discharged from public hospitals (33% vs. 21%, respectively). Similarly, private patients were more likely than service patients to exclusively breastfeed their infants (39.6% vs. 22.9%, respectively) and to use a combination of breast and formula (i.e., any breastfeeding) (73.6% vs. 62.0%, respectively). From 1980 to 2000, the proportion of exclusive breastfeeding increased from 25.0% to 31.0%, the percentage of combined feeding increased from 8.0% to 37.0%, and the percentage of any breastfeeding increased from 33.0% to 68.0%. NYC has more than doubled the rate of breastfeeding since 1980. However, there is much progress to be made, and continued efforts are vital to maintain current gains in breastfeeding, improve the rates further, and prolong the duration of breastfeeding.