cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wal-Mart China: Tian Tian Pingjia

Having taken stock of where the division was, Scott Price, Wal-Mart China's interim CEO, wanted to lay the groundwork to be able to hand over the reins to the new CEO with an idea of where it was headed. At the end of his assignment, Price would like to leave a report with recommendations that would help position the next leader to be even more successful. What did day-to-day operations look like in 2012? Was there urgency anywhere along the line? Where was Wal-Mart China positioned and where was the market heading? Excerpt UVA-OM-1472 Rev. Apr. 19, 2018 Wal-Mart China: Tian Tian Pingjia From “It's the real thing,” to “We move the world,” to “Low prices. Every day. On everything.” Scott Price had years of experience in Asia—first at Coca-Cola, then DHL, and now as EVP, president, and CEO of Wal-Mart Asia. In October 2011, when the former China Wal-Mart CEO decided to leave, Price stepped up to serve as interim CEO. Fully understanding transition management, Price wanted to get the China operations ready for a new leader. Holding the fort meant more than coasting along. Price had several issues to keep tabs on: the Trust-Mart conversions to Wal-Mart systems and merchandise, the logistics of opening more stores in Tier II and III cities, and the fallout from the pork product mislabeling that shut down some stores for 15 days in Chongqing. Having taken stock of where the division was, Price wanted to lay the groundwork to be able to hand over the reins to the new CEO with an idea of where it was headed. At the end of his assignment, Price would like to leave a report with recommendations that would help position the next leader to be even more successful. What did day-to-day operations look like in 2012? Was there urgency anywhere along the line? Where was Wal-Mart China positioned and where was the market heading? . . .
Adverse Safety Event Characteristics and Predictive Factors in Hospital Encounters for Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.

Background Adverse safety events (ASE) during hospitalization may contribute to renal decline or poor outcomes. Understanding factors contributing to ASE in chronic kidney disease (CKD) is limited. The objective is to compare differences and determine predictors of renal pertinent ASE in discharges for CKD. Method A cross-sectional analysis of the National Inpatient Sample, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 2012 data. The study included adults age ≥18 years with discharge diagnosis for CKD stages 1-4, excluding cancer of the kidney and renal pelvis, renal transplant, end-stage renal disease. Predictors included study sample characteristics, including patient demographics, comorbidity, and hospitalization-related variables. Outcomes assessed included distribution of ASE (angioedema, confusion, muscle weakness or cramps, lower extremity edema (LEE), falls, hypoglycemia, nausea-vomiting-diarrhea (NVD), and skin rash), mean total charge per hospital event, and length-of-stay. The analytical approach used descriptive statistics (means and proportions) and bivariate analysis to compare differences (ASE versus none). Predictors of ASE were explored using multivariate logistic regression. Results 10.3% of inpatient discharges for CKD showed an ASE. Mean charges (USD 48,072 vs. 46,996), days length-of-stay (6.8 vs. 5.7), number of diagnosis on record (6.8 vs. 5.7), geographical region (Midwest, and West), and type of hospital (rural) were significantly associated with ASE. Most common ASEs were confusion (18%), LEE (21.3%), and NVD (50.7%). Odds of ASE increased for age, female gender, rural hospitals, geographical region, and diagnosis for anemia, coagulopathies, depression, fluid and electrolyte disorders, neurological disorders, psychoses, and weight loss. Conclusions We identified key factors that increase the risk of ASE in patients with CKD. Opportunities exist to reduce ASE in CKD.
Abstract 214: Preclinical evaluation of a novel MET antibody-drug conjugate in uveal melanoma models

Uveal melanoma is the most common primary intraocular malignant tumor in adults. These tumors are characterized by mutations in G-proteins (GNAQ and GNA11) and high expression of MET, a receptor tyrosine kinase. While inhibition of MET signaling delays the development of uveal melanoma metastases in preclinical models (possibly by inhibiting cell migration), primary tumor growth is not inhibited, indicating a lack of dependence on the MET pathway. Thus, treatment of established metastatic uveal melanoma with MET signal blockers is unlikely to be effective. However, the high expression of MET protein in metastatic uveal melanoma presents an opportunity to directly kill tumor cells with a MET-targeted antibody drug conjugate (ADC). METxMET-ADC is a novel bispecific antibody that binds to two distinct epitopes on MET and is conjugated to a maytansinoid payload via a cleavable linker. The METxMET-ADC potently induces receptor internalization and mitotic arrest of cancer cells. Our in vitro studies show that the METxMET-ADC significantly and specifically decreases the viability of MET expressing uveal melanoma cell lines in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50 of less than 1 nM. A longer 7-day cell viability assay shows significantly enhanced inhibition of proliferation of several MET expressing cell lines (Mel270, Mel202, OMM1.3 and MP65) but not of OCM3 cells which express low levels of MET. Apoptosis is also induced up to 40% in the MET-expressing cell lines when treated with 10 nM of the METxMET-ADC for 48 hours. Cell cycle analysis shows a significant increase of OMM1.3 and Mel202 cells in mitosis after 6-24 hours of treatment and appearance of a sub-G1 population after 24-48 hours. Western blots confirm a decrease of MET protein levels, presumably due to receptor internalization and trafficking to lysosomes. Finally, treatment with the METxMET ADC is associated with induction of PARP cleavage and phosphorylation of histone H3 after 24 hours in OMM1.3 and Mel202 cells, but not in OCM3 cells. In summary, conjugation of a METxMET bispecific antibody with a cytotoxic payload allows for potent and selective killing of MET-expressing uveal melanoma cells. The METxMET-ADC demonstrates promising therapeutic potential for the treatment of uveal melanoma. Citation Format: Oliver Surriga, John DaSilva, Gary K. Schwartz. Preclinical evaluation of a novel MET antibody-drug conjugate in uveal melanoma models [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 214.
Resisting gentrification: The theoretical and practice contributions of social work:

SummaryGentrification is changing the landscape of many cities worldwide, exacerbating economic and racial inequality. Despite its relevance to social work, the field has been conspicuously absent ...
Factors associated with severity of immune checkpoint inhibitor gastroenterocolitis requiring hospitalization in melanoma patients.

81Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have resulted in a subset of patients experiencing durable responses in solid and liquid malignancies. ICIs can be associated with adverse events, ...
Prevalence Rates for Black Lung Epidemic Likely Underestimated for Coal Miners in Appalachia

Epidemiologists have recently declared coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, more commonly known as “black lung disease”, an epidemic in the economically underserved areas of eastern Kentucky, southwestern Virginia and southern West Virginia. The epidemic was declared after black lung cases increased significantly after decades of declining estimates. The circumstances associated with verifying the presence of black lung disease and obtaining subsequent compensation benefits have a long-standing and controversial history clouded by allegations of bias and corruption. In the article, I question the accuracy of government reported estimates and discuss why true estimates of black lung disease likely are greatly underestimated due to a combination of poor data collection methodologies and unique social, cultural, economic and political factors surrounding underserved and vulnerable coal miners in Appalachia.
Binge alcohol use is not associated with alterations in striatal dopamine receptor binding or dopamine release.

Abstract Background Previous imaging studies using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) have shown that alcohol use disorder (AUD) is associated with a decrease in dopamine type 2/3 receptor (D2/3) binding and dopamine transmission. Although binge drinking is a risk factor for future AUD, little is known about the neurobiology of binge drinking in young adults. This study measured D2/3 receptor binding and stimulant-induced dopamine release using PET and [11C]raclopride in binge drinkers without an AUD. Methods This study included 14 healthy controls (HC) and 14 young adult binge drinkers (BD), aged 18-25. The BD met National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) criteria for binge drinking and the HC subjects were social drinkers. The subjects were scanned with [11C]raclopride before and after the administration of oral methylphenidate (60 mg) to measure D2/3 binding and dopamine release. Results There was no significant difference in the PET measures of D2/3 binding or methylphenidate-induced dopamine release between the two groups. There was no significant association between Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores or 30-day drinking history and the imaging data. Conclusion In this sample of 18–25-year-old binge drinkers without a diagnosis of a substance use disorder, there were no significant differences in D2/3 receptor binding potential or methylphenidate-induced dopamine release relative to healthy controls.
Prokaryotic and eukaryotic microbiomes associated with blooms of the ichthyotoxic dinoflagellate Cochlodinium (Margalefidinium) polykrikoides in New York, USA, estuaries.

While harmful algal blooms caused by the ichthyotoxic dinoflagellate, Cochlodinium (Margalefidinium) polykrikoides, are allelopathic and may have unique associations with bacteria, a comprehensive assessment of the planktonic communities associated with these blooms has been lacking. Here, we used high-throughput amplicon sequencing to assess size fractionated (0.2 and 5 μm) bacterial (16S) and phytoplankton assemblages (18S) associated with blooms of C. polykrikoides during recurrent blooms in NY, USA. Over a three-year period, samples were collected inside (‘patch’) and outside (‘non-patch’) dense accumulations of C. polykrikoides to assess the microbiome associated with these blooms. Eukaryotic plankton communities of blooms had significantly lower diversity than non-bloom samples, and non-bloom samples hosted 30 eukaryotic operational taxonomic units (OTUs) not found within blooms, suggesting they may have been allelopathically excluded from blooms. Differential abundance analyses revealed that C. polykrikoides blooms were significantly enriched in dinoflagellates (p 0.2μm fraction of blooms was dominated by an uncultured bacterium from the SAR11 clade, while the >5μm size fraction was co-dominated by an uncultured bacterium from Rhodobacteraceae and Coraliomargarita. Two bacterial lineages within the >0.2μm fraction, as well as the Gammaproteobacterium, Halioglobus, from the >5μm fraction were unique to the microbiome of blooms, while there were 154 bacterial OTUs only found in non-bloom waters. Collectively, these findings reveal the unique composition and potential function of eukaryotic and prokaryotic communities associated with C. polykrikoides blooms.
Gothic Childbearing, Monstrous Reproduction, and a Science Fiction Turn: Rosario Ferré’s “La muñeca menor” and Pedro Cabiya’s “Relato del piloto”

The thirty years between the 1972 publication of Rosario Ferre’s short story “La muneca menor” and Pedro Cabiya’s 2003 novella “Relato del piloto que dijo adios con la mano” span the cultural, political, and economic “shift” from a “regulatory state” to a neoliberal global order that, per Rebekah Sheldon’s analysis, has articulated and contextualized similar contrasting takes on biological and material reproduction. Focusing on their transformed imaginary of “monstrous” reproduction, I explore in this paper how the texts’ Gothic and SF modalizations refract local conditions as well as critical elements of that shift, full of increasingly urgent and extreme consequences in Puerto Rico, and even farther afield.
Development of a Sleep Apnea-Specific Health State Utility Algorithm.

Importance With the increasing emphasis on economic evaluations, there is a need for additional methods of measuring patient utility in the obstructive sleep apnea population. Objective To develop and validate a utility scoring algorithm for a sleep apnea–specific quality-of-life instrument. Design, Setting, and Participants Development and validation were conducted at 2 tertiary referral sleep centers and associated sleep clinics and included patients with newly diagnosed obstructive sleep apnea from a randomized clinical trial and an associated observational cohort study. Baseline participants were randomly divided into a model development group (60%) and a cross-validation group (40%). Main Outcomes and Measures Utility scoring of the Symptoms of Nocturnal Obstruction and Related Events (SNORE-25) was mapped from the SF-6D utility index through multiple linear regression in the development sample using the Akaike information criterion to determine the best model. Results A total of 500 participants (development, n = 300; validation, n = 200) were enrolled; the analyzed sample of 500 participants included 295 men (59%), and the mean (SD) age was 48.6 (12.8) years, with a range of 18 to 90 years. The mean (SD) SF-6D utility among participants with untreated sleep apnea was 0.61 (0.08; range, 0.40-0.85) with similar utility across sleep apnea severity groups. The best-fit model (the SNORE Utility Index) was the natural log conversion of the instrument subscales (r2 = 0.32 in the development sample). The SNORE Utility Index retained this association within the validation sample (r2 = 0.33). Conclusions and Relevance The SNORE Utility Index provides a validated, disease-specific, preference-weighted utility instrument that can be used in future studies of patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
Revisiting "Over-smoothing" in Deep GCNs.

Oversmoothing has been assumed to be the major cause of performance drop in deep graph convolutional networks (GCNs). In this paper, we propose a new view that deep GCNs can actually learn to anti-oversmooth during training. This work interprets a standard GCN architecture as layerwise integration of a Multi-layer Perceptron (MLP) and graph regularization. We analyze and conclude that before training, the final representation of a deep GCN does over-smooth, however, it learns anti-oversmoothing during training. Based on the conclusion, the paper further designs a cheap but effective trick to improve GCN training. We verify our conclusions and evaluate the trick on three citation networks and further provide insights on neighborhood aggregation in GCNs.
2.207 – Extracellular Matrix: Inspired Biomaterials

This chapter focuses on how the structural and functional principles derived from the native cell microenvironment, the extracellular matrix (ECM), have been applied to biomaterial design and construction. By mimicking the ECM, researchers are able to take inspiration from defined cell–matrix interfaces to subsequently control cell–biomaterial interactions. Furthermore, the hierarchical structure of ECM architecture is a desirable characteristic to incorporate into material design. Several methodologies are covered ranging from directly incorporating ECM proteins to utilizing self-assembly principles to construct materials. An overview of basic ECM structural and functional features is given followed by selected examples throughout the chapter that illustrate how these bioactive attributes are incorporated into biomaterials.
Combating Loneliness With Nostalgia: Nostalgic Feelings Attenuate Negative Thoughts and Motivations Associated With Loneliness

Loneliness is difficult to overcome, in part because it is associated with negative social cognitions and social motivations. We argue that nostalgia, a positive emotional experience that involves reflecting on cherished memories, is a psychological resource that regulates these maladaptive intrapsychic tendencies associated with loneliness. We tested this hypothesis across 4 studies. Study 1 examined whether nostalgia mitigates the inverse relation between loneliness and social confidence. Studies 2, 3, and 4 examined nostalgia's potential to mitigate the inverse relation between loneliness and approach-oriented social goals and intentions. The results provided support that nostalgia mitigates reduced social confidence and low approach-oriented social goals/intentions associated with loneliness. The associations between loneliness and reduced social confidence, and loneliness and less approach-oriented social goals/intentions, respectively, were found to be weaker as a function of nostalgia. This weakening appeared to be due to nostalgia's positive effect on social confidence and approach-oriented social goals/intentions, respectively, particularly at high levels of loneliness.
Effects of 3D Printed Preform Annealing on Structural and Optical Properties of Fibers

Additive manufacturing of fiber preforms enables greater flexibility on fiber cross-sectional geometry. We compare the optical properties and geometry preservation of fibers drawn from 3D-printed preforms both annealed and non-annealed before the draw process.
Sequential change point detection for high‐dimensional data using nonconvex penalized quantile regression

In this paper, a sequential change point detection method is developed to monitor structural change in smoothly clipped absolute deviation (SCAD) penalized quantile regression (SPQR) models. The asymptotic properties of the test statistic are derived from the null and alternative hypotheses. In order to improve the performance of the SPQR method, we propose a post-SCAD penalized quantile regression estimator (P-SPQR) for high-dimensional data. We examined the finite sample properties of the proposed methods via Monte Carlo studies under different scenarios. A real data application is provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the method.
"Caine's Stake": Aimé Césaire, Emmett Till, and the Work of Acknowledgment

Our reasons for avoiding death are manifold, encompassing among others, motives that are personal, political, and historical. Still, are there ways that we might use words to overcome these common everyday aversions to death and the dead through another modality of language, that of poetry for example? Can the poetic word get us to acknowledge the particulars of death despite the various reasons we have to disavow it? Might we use language not simply grasp death abstractly (or more accurately, fail to grasp it) but instead to realize what death means in its awful particularity? These questions are prompted by Aime Cesaire’s poerty and his prose, and by his elegy for Emmett Till in particular. Through his writings and his political work, one of Cesaire’s key aims was to get people to acknowledge what they would prefer to avoid. Cesaire’s work, both his poetry and prose, urges readers to see the things they would prefer not to see and to show us how language stakes us to the world in all its terrifying awfulness and wondrous splendor, despite our desperate attempts to avoid this realization. This essay is divided into two parts. The first part looks at how this problem of alienation and the need to acknowle this alienation motivates Cesaire’s writing more generally, focusing on the ten years between 1945 (when his essay “Poetry and Knowledge” is published) and 1955 (when the second edition of his Discourse on Colonialism is published) . In order to consider how alienation and acknowledgement work in this celebrated text, I consider related works and their contexts from the period from 1950-1956, including his famous letter of resignation from the French Communist Party. This sets the stage for the reading of Cesaire’s Ferraments provided in the second section. The second part examines how and why Cesaire sought acknowledgement for Emmett Till’s brutal murder through his poetry, focusing specifically on his poem “…On the State of the Union” from his 1960 collection Ferraments.
Foreign Currency Translation Reporting and the Exchange- Rate Exposure Effect

This study further explores a structural break in the relation between stock returns of firms with foreign currency positions and lagged exchange rate changes (exchange rate exposure effect) documented in Bartov and Bodnar (l994). We examine whether changes in the financial accounting reporting of foreign currency positions from SFAS No. 52 might have improved investors' ability to characterize firms' economic exchange rate exposures, and thus the impact of exchange rate movements on firm value. Our findings indicate that only firms reporting using the dollar as the functional currency (i.e., those reporting as if they were still under SFAS No. 8) retain a significant relation between the lagged change in the dollar and firm value in the post-SFAS No. 52 period. For firms reporting using the foreign currency as the functional currency (i.e., those who switched to the new translation method) the significant lagged relation disappears. This is consistent with the use of a foreign currency as the functional currency under SFAS No. 52 facilitating valuation of U.S. firms with foreign operations.
Channel Emulation for the Characterization of Wearable RFID Systems

Wearable sensors with RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tags are considered to be an integral part of the upcoming revolution in the IoT (Internet of Things) sector. As with many deployed IoT sensor systems, dynamic environment conditions present challenges in reliably measuring system performance; this difficulty is enhanced due to proprietary details about the sensors, such as an RFID chip embedded within a novel knitted antenna acting as a passive sensor. A repeatable and scalable platform is necessary to evaluate the performance of the entire system in the pre-deployment stage in order to compare the predicted effects of varying components, design, and integration of sensors in an integrated IoT device. This paper demonstrates the development of an RFID channel emulation testbed in the United States ISM band (902-928 MHz). The testbed includes a commercial RFID interrogator, a custombuilt circuit board housing a commercial passive RFID chip, and a dynamic spectrum environment emulator (DYSE) for wireless channel emulation. A single link scenario was considered where the DYSE emulates the antenna gain fluctuation due to the sensing of breathing with a fabric-based RFID. Two regular and one irregular breathing scenarios were emulated, and breathing rate or anomaly was detected from post-processed RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator) data received by the RFID interrogator.
Old Errors and New Corrections in X-Ray Line Profile Analysis

In recent years there has been an increasing awareness of the errors involved in X-Ray line profile analysis which is used to calculate coherently diffracting particle size, local strains and stacking fault probabilities in materials. Here a modified version of a Least Squares Analysis (L.S.A.) of the Fourier coefficients is presented. This method gives a possibility of making new corrections in a more natural and accurate way to the errors in the line profile analysis.
Contracting Frictions and Cross-Border Capital Flows: Evidence from Venture Capital

Analyzing a large sample of cross-border investments by U.S. venture capital firms, we find that average round sizes and the fraction of financing raised in the first round are larger for companies in countries with poorer legal enforcement. This evidence, which is consistent with third-best contracting where investors take larger stakes to mitigate contractual enforcement problems, suggests that the staging of investments in weak enforcement countries may be less than an optimal. We develop a contracting friction measure, based on the degree of sub-optimal staging, and find that it is negatively related to aggregate cross-border venture capital flows. We interpret the evidence as consistent with a "staging channel" through which frictions that lead to third-best contracting and sub-optimal staging limit cross-border investment.
Gerontology: A Field of Practice

Advances in health care and technology have contributed to a longevity revolution. In 2004, life expectancy at birth in the United States is now 75.2 years for men and 80.4 years for women (National Center for Health Statistics), and life expectancy for both men and women is expected to continue to increase, creating a demographic imperative to attend to the very old, who may be frail and or suffer from chronic health and cognitive impairments. Geriatric social work practice encompasses a broad spectrum of roles and functions and addresses a variety of client needs ranging from acute health care to supportive social care. Social workers who specialize in assisting older adults and their families are employed in an array of settings, including hospitals, government agencies, and advocacy organizations. They may be engaged in direct service, in program planning and evaluation, in education and training, and in administration and policy, planning organizational structures and activities. This chapter provides an overview of the practice spectrum in which geriatric social work is conducted, and the broader attitudinal, political, social, economic, and demographic context within which it takes place. Keywords: older adults; families; aging; biopsychosocial and spiritual function; longevity revolution; baby boomers; Medicaid; Medicare; Social Security; policies
Computational approaches to analogical reasoning: a comparative analysis

Abstract Analogical reasoning has a long history in artificial intelligence research, primarily because of its promise for the acquisition and effective use of knowledge. Defined as a representational mapping from a known “source” domain into a novel “target” domain, analogy provides a basic mechanism for effectively connecting a reasoner's past and present experience. Using a four-component process model of analogical reasoning, this paper reviews sixteen computational studies of analogy. These studies are organized chronologically within broadly defined task domains of automated deduction, problem solving and planning, natural language comprehension, and machine learning. Drawing on these detailed reviews, a comparative analysis of diverse contributions to basic analogy processes identifies recurrent problems for studies of analogy and common approaches to their solution. The paper concludes by arguing that computational studies of analogy are in a state of adolescence: looking to more mature research areas in artificial intelligence for robust accounts of basic reasoning processes and drawing upon a long tradition of research in other disciplines.
Occurrence of high-level aminoglycoside resistance in environmental isolates of enterococci

High-level resistance to aminoglycosides was observed in environmental isolates of enterococci. Various aquatic habitats, including agricultural runoff, creeks, rivers, wastewater, and wells, were analyzed. Strains of Enterococcus faecalis, E. faecium, E. gallinarum, and other Enterococcus spp. demonstrated multiple antibiotic resistance patterns to aminoglycosides.
Poly-logarithmic Approximation Algorithms for Directed Vehicle Routing Problems

This paper studies vehicle routing problems on asymmetric metrics. Our starting point is the directed k-TSPproblem: given an asymmetric metric (V,d), a root ri¾? Vand a target k≤ |V|, compute the minimum length tour that contains rand at least kother vertices. We present a polynomial time O(log2n·logk)-approximation algorithm for this problem. We use this algorithm for directed k-TSP to obtain an O(log2n)-approximation algorithm for the directed orienteeringproblem. This answers positively, the question of poly-logarithmic approximability of directed orienteering, an open problem from Blum et al.[2]. The previously best known results were quasi-polynomial time algorithms with approximation guarantees of O(log2k) for directed k-TSP, and O(logn) for directed orienteering (Chekuri & Pal [4]). Using the algorithm for directed orienteering within the framework of Blum et al.[2] and Bansal et al.[1], we also obtain poly-logarithmic approximation algorithms for the directed versions of discounted-reward TSPand the vehicle routing problem with time-windows.
Complexity Reduction in Optimization-Based Design of Control Systems with Uncertain Plant

This paper explores the use of semi-infinite programming (SIP) algorithms for solving complex SISO control system design problems when the plant model contains both parametric and unstructured uncertainty. It is shown that to make such a design computationally tractable, it is necessary to replace the original performance-specifying semi-infinite inequalities by majorizations.
Simplified technic for the determination of serum protein-bound iodine.

A simplified technic for the determination of serum protein-bound iodine (PBI) is presented. Endogenously labeled l131 PBI is completely recovered. The technic is based on the method of Barker et al. (1) and includes the following modifications: The number of washes of the precipitated serum proteins are decreased. Unashed iodide standards are used in a sodium carbonate solution rather than an internal standard. A temperature-correction formula is employed to allow the cericarsenite-iodide reaction to be carried out at room temperature, and a stable cerate color is produced with brucine sulfate so that the colorimetry is carried out with greater convenience. The serum PBI concentrations are read directly from a graph, which simplifies the calculations.
Properties of thymineless strains of Bacillus megaterium.

Both Bacillus megaterium KM:T-R1, a strain partially resistant to thymineless death, and strain KM:T-, the parent strain, can satisfy their thymine requirement with either thymidine, 5-methyldeoxycytidine, or 5-methyluridine. Neither strain can use 5-methylcytosine, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, 5-hydroxymethyluracil, or 5-aminouracil for this purpose. Strain KM:T-R1 requires as little as 0.01 mM thymine for maximum growth, whereas strain KM:T- requires 0.10 to 0.20 mM thymine. Lysogenic KM:T-R1 dies more rapidly in the presence of mitomycin C than the corresponding phage-sensitive strain. Unexpectedly, the lysogenic strain was found to be less sensitive to thymineless death than the phage-sensitive strain. Lysogenic KM:T-R1 is induced by exposure to mitomycin C and by thymineless incubation. It is concluded that thymineless death occurs by a mechanism which is unrelated to phage induction and that a major lethal effect of mitomycin C is probably a consequence of phage induction.
Laserspray and Matrix-Assisted Ionization Inlet Coupled to High-Field FT-ICR Mass Spectrometry for Peptide and Protein Analysis

We present the first coupling of laser spray ionization inlet (LSII) and matrix assisted ionization inlet (MAII) to high-field Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) for generation of electrospray-like ions to take advantage of increased sensitivity, mass range, and mass resolving power afforded by multiple charging. We apply the technique to top-down protein analysis and characterization of metalloproteins. We also present a novel method for generation of multiply-charged copper–peptide complexes with varying degrees of copper adduction by LSII. We show an application of the generated copper–peptide complexes for protein charge state and molecular weight determination, particularly useful for an instrument such as a linear ion trap mass analyzer.
Modern high-speed measurement techniques

Today's high-speed electronic devices and networks challenge the capabilities of commercially available test instrumentation. Modern techniques using ultrashort light pulses and electron beams are now routinely used to characterize these fast circuits but are not without their limitations. In this paper I discuss the performance characteristics common to all these measurement techniques and compare some of them in a context that will be applicable to future techniques as they develop.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Computers in Scientific Instrumentation

Abstract : The rapid evolution of computer applications in scientific instrumentation is briefly traced from early data processing to modern computer-based instruments. Computer and interface developments have both contributed to this evolution. The form of the computer used strongly affects the ease of instrument operation and the degree of functional adaptability. Probable pathways toward instruments with increased 'intelligence' include the development and intelligent control of powerful 'multidimensional' instruments, the implementation of hierarchical computer networks and multiprocessor controllers, and the simplification of programming. The importance of the scientist's involvement in these developments is discussed. (Author)
Comparative morphology of primate spermatozoa using scanning electron microscopy. II. Families cercopithecidae, Lorisidae, Lemuridae

Spermatozoa from 16 primate species, representing Families Cercopithecidae, Lorisidae and Lemuridae were viewed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Specimens were obtained by rectal probe electroejaculation, and prepared using critical point drying with carbon dioxide. Details of ultrastructure and identifying features of these families are presented, with correlation between transmission and scanning electron microscopy provided where appropriate. Dimensions of spermatozoa were calculated from light micrographs and add to the interpretation of overall morphology. This paper comprises the second in a series on comparative surface morphology of primate spermatozoa and represents the first extended use of SEM to study prosimian spermatozoa. SEM is of considerable value in understanding many details of spermatozoan structure and should contribute to further study of taxonomic affinities among various primate groups.
The curer as cultural intermediary in southern Thailand.

Abstract A glimpse at the life of an illustrious Buddhist monastic curer in Pattani, Thailand, reveals a significant multiethnic component of Southeast Asia's traditional medical systems. The prominence of this curer and the prosperity of his monastery derive in large part from his command of alien occult knowledge. which he uses to combat outside supernatural aggression. The paper concludes with a discussion of how centers of outside magical power are conceptualized among various groups in Thailand.
The study of 3-dimensional structure at the node of ranvier and specimen contrast enhancement techniques

In determining what to write about for this volume to honor Keith Porter, we thought about our projects and considered which ones Keith had either stimulated or otherwise influenced with his technological wizardry or intuition about cell structure and function. Perhaps, not surprisingly, we found something of Keith in everything we are working on. We therefore chose a topic that we presently are very interested in, and that we hope he will enjoy reading about and following in the years to come.
Effects of UV-Visible Irradiation on Pool Boiling Behavior of Copper

Roughened copper substrates were exposed to a broadband UV-VIS light source during nucleate boiling at a heat flux of 60–70% of the amount expected to result in critical heat flux (CHF) without exposure to a light source. The surface temperature decreased by 0.5–1.0°C within minutes after the UV-VIS light exposure began. CHF occurred after less than 20 minutes of exposure to the light source. Nanoscale features were observed in the light-exposed region of the copper surface after boiling, which were primarily associated with formation of Cu2 O. The induced CHF likely occurred due to surface oxide formation, a resultant decrease in wettability of the surface.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Development and Economic-Injury Level of the Green Cloverworm on Soybean in Iowa

Developmental and feeding trials were conducted with Plathypena scabra (F.) under 3 sets of environmental conditions. Durations of the egg, larva, prepupa, pupa, and adult stages were 4.8, 18.7, 1.3, 9.4, and 9.3 days, respectively. Significant differences were found between trials for the egg and total life cycle, but no significant difference in larval stadium was indicated. Soybean leaf consumption of each larval instar was determined with a photometric device. The mean soybean-foliage consumption was 19.89 in2 per larva in trial 1 and differed significantly from the 17.06 in2 and 15.55 in2 obtained in trials 2 and 3. Estimates of total leaf area per soybean plant were made from field measurements. Predictive equations to establish the relationship between soybean defoliation and subsequent yield loss were calculated by using data from previous hail-damage investigations. Theoretical economic-injury levels for P. scabra on soybean in Iowa were calculated by using economists' cost and market data, agronomists' damage-yield data, and feeding data from this study. Calculated levels were 5.9, 18.3, 33.5, 28.7, and 40.5 larvae/row ft for soybean stages 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9, respectively. These values suggested that most recommended chemical treatment levels should be revised upward.
On the Modeling of Quasi-Steady and Unsteady Dynamic Friction in Sliding Lubricated Line Contact

A simple but realistic dynamic friction model for the lubricated sliding contact is developed based on decoupling the steady and unsteady terms in Reynolds equation. The model realistically captures the physics of friction behavior both when speed is increased unidirectionally or when operating under oscillating condition. The model can simulate the transition from boundary to mixed to full film regimes as the speed is increased. Two different classes of simulations are performed to show the utility of the model: the so-called quasisteady, where the sliding velocity is varied very slowly, and the oscillating sliding velocity, where the friction coefficient exhibits a hysteresis type behavior. Both categories of simulation are verified by comparing the results with published experimental data.
Festphasen‐Synthese (Nobel‐Vortrag)

Description des developpements de la synthese de Merrifield sur support solide pour les peptides et nucleotides; choix du support, automatisation
Pulsar glitches as probes of neutron star interiors

PULSAR rotation rates generally decrease steadily owing to external electromagnetic braking torques, but occasionally show sudden increases ('glitches') followed by gradual recoveries that may last days or years. These events are thought to be consequences of angular momentum transfer between a solid crust, which rotates at the measured pulsar periodicity, and a more rapidly rotating "loose' component of the neutron star interior. Sudden braking of the differential rotation between the two components will cause a glitch1, and the subsequent re-establishment of rotational equilibrium between the two components represents the recovery2. Earlier studies, using particular models for the coupling between crust and interior, showed that the loose component carries ∼2.8% and ≳1% of the total moment of inertia of the Vela pulsar3 and PSR 1737 – 30 (ref. 4) respectively. Here, we analyse post-glitch recovery in four pulsars, and deduce that the loose component carries at least 0.8% of the total moment of inertia, independent of the form of the coupling. In the context of the 'vortex creep' model of recovery, in which the loose component is the inner-crust neutron superfluid2'5–7, the constraint on the moment of inertia rules out equations of state that are soft at high densities.
Analysis of Escherichia coli K12 F factor transfer genes: traQ, trbA, and trbB.

Abstract The genes that encode the transfer properties of plasmid F, the fertility factor of Escherichia coli K12, are known to be clustered over a large, 33.3-kb segment of F DNA. As the central segment of the transfer region has not previously been well characterized, we constructed a detailed restriction map of the large F EcoRI DNA fragment, f1, and isolated a series of plasmid derivatives that carry various overlapping segments of this F tra operon DNA. We also analyzed the protein products of those clones that carried DNA segments extending over the region between traF and raH. This region was known to include traQ, a gene required for efficient conversion of the direct product of traA to the 7000-Da pilin polypeptide. We identified the traQ product as a polypeptide that migrates as a 12,500-Da protein on sodium dodecyl sulfatepolyacrylamide gels. We also detected the products of two other new genes that we have named trbA and trbB. These polypeptides migrate with apparent molecular weights of 14,200 and 18,400, respectively. Analysis of plasmid deletion derivatives that we constructed in vitro shows that these genes map in the order traF trbA traQ trbB traH. The presence of a plasmid carrying a small 0.43-kb fragment that expressed only the 12,500 traQ product caused the traA product of a co-resident compatible plasmid to be converted to the 7000-Da pilin polypeptide, demonstrating that TraQ is the only tra operon product required for this step of F-pilin biosynthesis.
Effect of ridge morphology on guided bone regeneration outcome: conventional tomographic study.

Background: This study retrospectively analyzed conventional tomograms to estimate the prognostic value of the cross-sectional ridge morphology on the clinical outcome of guided bone regeneration (GBR). Methods: Presurgical conventional tomograms of 23 single-implant sites were analyzed retrospectively in 20 patients. All sites had a non–space-making buccal dehiscence defect associated with the subsequently placed dental implant. Simultaneous GBR procedures were performed, and 6-month clinical outcomes were assessed. Measurements at baseline and at the 6-month reentry included defect height (from smooth–rough junction to the most apical part of the defect) and horizontal bone gain at three locations (smooth–rough junction, middle, and most apical portion of the defect). All measurements were taken from a reference template. Tomographic parameters included the implant-associated ridge angle and width measured at 6 mm below the alveolar crest and at the most apical point of the implant. Implant exposure and the presence of the barrier membrane were controlled for during statistical analyses. Results: The presurgical ridge angle had a significant negative correlation with the percentage of defect height reduction (r =- 0.621; P = 0.002) and horizontal bone gain (r =- 0.469; P = 0.024). This difference remained significant even after controlling for implant/membrane exposure (P = 0.001 and P = 0.019, respectively). A statistically and clinically greater percentage of defect height reduction was observed for ridge angles <28� (P = 0.023). Ridge width did not have a significant effect on the regenerative outcome. Conclusion: Cross-sectional presurgical ridge angles may have prognostic value in estimating the outcome of simultaneous GBR. J Periodontol 2009;80:1231-1236.
Backbone conformations, bend structures, helix structures and other tests of an improved conformational energy program for peptides: ECEPP83

Improvements in the potentials used in the computer program ECEPP (empirical conformational energy program for peptides) and a variety of test cases using a new program (ECEPP83) are described. The changes made in ECEPP are based on recent results of ab initio geometry optimized dipeptide studies, and also on the inability of ECEPP potentials to predict low-energy conformations in regions of O-O space where experimental β-bends occur. The concept of the thermal ellipsoid is also developed as a method for visualizing correlated conformational motion about energy minima. A series of previously studied bend structures in proteins are examined again using the improved program, ECEPP83. The changes made to the program are found to result in significant modifications in the ordering of computed energy minima, protein bend structures, and in the values of O and O at the energy minimum for helical homopolymers. Agreement with experiment is improved over that found using ECEPP.
Expression Of aquaporin-1 (AQP-1) in rat heart

Abstract Background. AQP-1, a channel-forming integral membrane protein of 28 kDa prevalent in red blood cells and renal proximal tubules, was recently shown to be expressed in rat heart. Aims : Our purpose was to charaterise the experssion of the AQO-1 gene in rat heart with respect to cell type, developmental stage and pathophysiological condition. Methods: To determine in which heart cell type the water channel was expressed, we measured AQP-1 mRNA and protein levels and immunolocalised protein in freshly isolated myocytes from adult rats and cultured myocytes and fibroblasts from neonatal rats. Results: Northern blot analysis showed that AQP-1 mRNA is expressed in adult cardiac myocytes, neonatal myocytes, and neonatal cardiac fibroblasts of rats at levels nearly as high as those observed in rat kidney. Western blot analysis, however, detected AQP-1 protein only in purified adult and neonatal cardiac myocytes at levels markedly less than kidney. Immunohistochemistry and confocal imaging localised AQP-1 protein to the sarcolemmal membrane of myocytes. Since the expression of other membrane-spanning proteins is altered during hypertrophy, we determined the level of AQP-1 mRNA in hearts of aortic-constricted (AC) rats. The level of AQP-1 mRNA decreased progressively after AC, and was 42% less than the level in left ventricles (LVs) of sham-operated control rats after 3 days of AC. Conclusions: These data indicate that AQP-1 is expressed in cardiac myocytes of adult and neonatal rats, and its expression is modulated in the rat heart during pressure-overload hypertrophy.
Corporate Identity, Ethics and Reputation in Supplier-Buyer Relationships

Multi-national corporations (MNCs) have been criticised for not behaving ethically in some situations, which could have a negative effect on their reputation. This study examines the ethics of a large MNC in its relationship with its suppliers. A brief literature review of corporate identity, business ethics and buyer–supplier relationships is undertaken. The views and perceptions of the buying staff and the suppliers to a large South African MNC are obtained and discussed. The results indicate that this MNC has a good corporate reputation among both its suppliers (an important stakeholder) and its own buying department. The existence and implementation of formal codes of ethics was found to be a necessary, but not sufficient condition for good ethical practice. Candid relationships with suppliers emerged as a second and important factor. Ethical perceptions of buyers by suppliers are driven by the management of corporate identity, through the elements of ethical standards and candid relationships. We present a model of corporate identity/reputation in Buyer–Supplier Relationships.