cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of nitrogen as a growth-limiting nutrient in wastewaters and coastal marine waters through continuous culture algal assays

Abstract Two series of continuous culture algal assays conducted in 1973 and 1974, totalling 63 experiments, were performed on mixtures of seawater and wastewater—both treated and untreated— from five locations along the coasts of MA and RI. The results conclusively show that nitrogen was the growth-limiting nutrient in these wastewaters and in coastal marine environments receiving such wastes. There was a linear relationship between total inorganic nitrogen (ΣN) in the influent and particulate nitrogen (PN) representing algal biomass up to a ΣN concentration of about 10 mg1 −1 . In addition, the N:P ratios in the test alga. Phaeodactylum tricornutum , varied between 10 and 20 (by atoms), whereas the N:P ratios in the wastewater-seawater mixtures were between 4 and 12, thus providing additional evidence that nitrogen was limiting. Enrichment with nitrogen and/or phosphorus to span a range of N:P ratios from 3.9 to 20 resulted in a linear response in PN concentration to ΣN additions. Additions of P had no effect on algal growth. Removal of detergent-P in communities practicing marine waste disposal will hence have little impact on the control of eutrophication in coastal waters.
Attributing population-scale human exposure to various source categories: Merging exposure models and biomonitoring data

Abstract Information about the distribution of chemical-production mass with respect to use and release is a major and unavailable input for calculating population-scale exposure estimates. Based on exposure models and biomonitoring data, this study evaluates the distribution of total production volumes (and environmental releases if applicable) for a suite of organic compounds. We used Bayesian approaches that take the total intake from our exposure models as the prior intake distribution and the intake inferred from measured biomarker concentrations in the NHANES survey as the basis for updating. By carrying out a generalized sensitivity analysis, we separated the input parameters for which the modeled range of the total intake is within a factor of 2 of the intake inferred from biomonitoring data and those that result in a range greater than a factor of 2 of the intake. This analysis allows us to find the most sensitive (or important) parameters and the likelihood of emission rates for various source emission categories. Pie charts of contribution from each exposure pathway indicate that chemical properties are a primary determinant of the relative contribution of each exposure pathway within a given class of compounds. For compounds with relatively high octanol–water partition coefficients ( K ow ) such as di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), pyrene, 2,2′,4,4′-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE-47), and 2,2′,4,4′,5,5′-hexabromodiphenyl ether (PBDE-153), more than 80% of exposure derives from outdoor food ingestion and/or indoor dust ingestion. In contrast, for diethyl phthalate (DEP), di-iso-butyl phthalate (DiBP), di-n-butyl phthalate (DnBP), butylbenzyl phthalate (BBP), and naphthalene, all relatively volatile compounds, either inhalation (indoor and outdoor) or dermal uptake from direct consumer use is the dominant exposure pathway. The approach of this study provides insights on confronting data gaps to improve population-scale exposure estimates used for high-throughput chemical prioritization.
ECONOMISTS' USES FOR COGNITIVE DISSONANCE: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY NOTE '

Summary.-Since its publication in 1957, A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance by Festinger has generated much discussion and debate among psychologists. In recent years economists have begun employing tlus theory to explain economic behavior and various other economic issues. This research note summarizes some of the economic studies in which cognitive dissonance has been employed. As discussed, the application of this theory is gaining some popularity with economists. Interdisciplinary approaches for explaining human behavior have traditionally been avoided by economists. The simplifying assumption of "rational" behavior among economists has perhaps obviated interest in using alternative theories for understanding the behavior of individuals. The trend of highly specialized research continues among economists in general; however, some economists have begun to borrow theories from other social sciences to produce a richer explanation of human behavior and fuller understanding of certain economic issues. Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance is among those theories. The purpose of this research note is to discuss some of the more recent studies in which economists have applied Festinger's theory. In his theory of cognitive dissonance (1957), Festinger asserted that individuals strive toward consistency within themselves. While humans like to think of themselves as rational, he argues they are more rationalizers than they are rational. That is, they attempt to appear to be rational to themselves and others. Individuals tend to form attitudes, beliefs, values, etc. which are internally harmonious-a state of mind which is psychologically harmonious. Various phenomena, however, may preclude an individual from maintaining psychological harmony continually. These phenomena include decision making, involuntary exposure to new information, and lack of social support. Festinger defined cognitive dissonance as the psychological disharmony that arises when individuals, confronted with one or more of the above phenomena, do not maintain consistency within themselves (Festinger, 1957). Since its formulation, psychologists have made many attempts to prove or disprove Festinger's theory of cognitive dissonance. While all aspects of the theory were never universally accepted, experimental studies continue to confirm some of Festinger's original propositions. The diverse application
Experimental and Theoretical Studies of a One‐Flask Synthesis of 3H‐1‐Benzazepines from 2‐Haloanilines and α,β‐Unsaturated Ketones

3H-1-Benzazepines are prepared in one step from the reaction of 2-fluoro- or 2-chloroaniline and several aryl vinyl ketones. Enones 9a-c gave benzazepines 11a-c as expected, showing that alkyl substitution at C4 and C5 in the benzazepines is possible. However, enone 9d underwent decomposition due to conjugate addition of the 2-fluoroaniline, while enone 10 gave unsaturated imine 12 as the only product able to be isolated. The failure of unsaturated imine 12 to undergo cyclization may indicate that placement of an alkyl group at C3 of the benzazepines may not be possible. Isolation of by-products buttressed by a computational study verifies a postulated multi-step process for benzazepine formation: a [1,5] sigmatropic shift in fluoroimine 3, addition elimination to give carbocation 15, formation of the unstable 5H-1-benzazepine 7, and acid-catalyzed isomerization to give the stable 3H-1-benzazepine 2. The calculations also indicate why unsaturated imine 12 fails to cyclize. NMR spectroscopic experiments show that the 3H-benzazepines undergo fast conformational exchange on the NMR time scale at room temperature except when there is an alkyl substituent at C5.
Foundations of direct methods for power system transient stability analysis

Considerable progress has been made in recent years in the application of direct methods to power system transient stability analysis. The methods are derived largely based on heuristics and simulations. In this paper, a theoretical foundation for the direct methods is presented. A complete topological characterization of the stability boundary of a stable equilibrium point is derived. The closest u.e.p. method and the controlling u.e.p. method are interpreted and justified in terms of this result. Improvements of these methods are proposed. Characterizations of the closest u.e.p. and the controlling u.e.p. are provided. The stability region is shown to be unbounded.
Pertussis toxin stimulates IL-17 production in response to Bordetella pertussis infection in mice.

In a mouse model of respiratory tract infection by Bordetella pertussis, bacteria multiply in the airways over the first week and are then cleared over the next 3–4 weeks by the host immune response. Pertussis toxin (PT), a virulence factor secreted exclusively by B. pertussis, promotes bacterial growth in the airways by suppression and modulation of host immune responses. By comparison of wild type and PT-deficient strains, we examined the role of PT in modulating airway cytokine and chemokine responses affecting neutrophil recruitment during B. pertussis infection in mice. We found that, despite early inhibition of neutrophil recruitment by PT, high numbers of neutrophils were recruited to the airways by 4 days post-infection with the wild type strain, but not with the PT-deficient strain, and that this correlated with upregulation of neutrophil-attracting chemokine gene expression. In addition, there was similar upregulation of genes expressing the cytokines IL-17A (IL-17), TNF-α and IFN-γ, indicating a mixed Th1/Th17 response. Expression of IL-6, a cytokine involved in Th17 induction, was upregulated earlier than the IL-17 response. We showed that PT, rather than bacterial numbers, was important for induction of these responses. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that the IL-17-producing cells were macrophages and neutrophils as well as T cells, and were present predominantly in the airways rather than the lung tissue. Antibody neutralization of IL-17 significantly reduced chemokine gene expression and neutrophil recruitment to the airways, but only modestly increased peak bacterial loads. These data indicate that PT stimulates inflammatory responses by induction of Th1- and Th17-associated cytokines, including IL-17, during B. pertussis infection in mice, but a role for IL-17 in protection against the infection remains to be established.
Hashing it out in public: common failure modes of DHT-based anonymity schemes

We examine peer-to-peer anonymous communication systems that use Distributed Hash Table algorithms for relay selection. We show that common design flaws in these schemes lead to highly effective attacks against the anonymity provided by the schemes. These attacks stem from attacks on DHT routing, and are not mitigated by the well-known DHT security mechanisms due to a fundamental mismatch between the security requirements of DHT routing's put/get functionality and anonymous routing's relay selection functionality. Our attacks essentially allow an adversary that controls only a small fraction of the relays to function as a global active adversary. We apply these attacks in more detail to two schemes: Salsa and Cashmere. In the case of Salsa, we show that an attacker that controls 10% of the relays in a network of size 10,000 can compromise more than 80% of all completed circuits; and in the case of Cashmere, we show that an attacker that controls 20% of the relays in a network of size 64000 can compromise 42% of the circuits.
Protein, calcium and iron content of wild and cultivated species of Echinochloa

Two species ofEchinochloa millets and their direct wild ancestor species were analyzed for proximate composition, and amino acid, calcium, and iron content. Additionally, lactate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) was performed to separate and resolve prolamin polypeptide present in the wild and domesticated species. The protein, calcium, and iron content of the four species were comparable to or greater than in other major cereals. Calcium was higher in each of the wild species than their domesticated counterpart. Essential amino acid values for the three species analyzed were generally higher than the FAO/WHO standards, except for lysine. Densitometric analysis of lactate PAGE gels revealed that the domesticated species contained prolamin polypeptides that were either absent or present in smaller amounts in the wild species. The results indicate a wide variation in the content of examined nutrients and suggest that there is opportunity for improvement in the nutritional value of theEchinochloa millets via selective crossbreeding of wild and domesticated species.
A culture system for mitogen-induced proliferation of channel catfish ( Ictalurus punctatus ) peripheral blood lymphocytes

Techniques are described for the isolation and culture of channel catfish peripheral blood leukocytes in the presence of lymphocyte mitogens. The mitogens used are lipopolysaccharide, concanavalin A, and a mixture of a phorbol ester and the calcium ionophore A23187. Each of these mitogens cause channel catfish lymphocytes to proliferate vigorously in vitro at an optimal culture temperature of 27° C. Essential components of the tissue culture medium employed are 10% human plasma and 5% catfish sera, which act synergistically in supporting the in vitro proliferation of channel catfish lymphocytes.
The oligodendroglial reaction to brain stab wounds: an immunohistochemical study.

Myelin/oligodendrocyte specific protein was compared to glial fibrillary acidic protein and 2′3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterase expression in normal rat brains and following stab wounds to the cerebral cortex, corpus callosum and hippocampus. Animals with stab wounds were allowed to recover for 5,15,28, 45 and 70 days post-operation before fixation by perfusion. Sections were reacted with antibodies against myelin/oligodendrocyte specific protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein and 2′3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterase, and observed by light and electron microscopy. Normal cerebral cortex had very few myelin/oligodendrocyte specific protein-positive and 2′3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterasepositive cells, but some glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive cells. The myelinated fibres of the corpus callosum were heavily stained for myelin/oligodendrocyte specific protein but unstained by glial fibrillary acidic protein or 2′3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterase antibodies. Some immunopositive cells were present in the corpus callosum and hippocampus with all three antibodies. After stab wound myelin/oligodendrocyte specific protein-positive reactive cells had more and longer processes and stained more intensely than equivalent cells in normal brain. These cells were distributed along the wound track, including within the cerebral cortex. The numbers of these cells increased until 28 days post-operation and then decreased so that very few were found at 70 days post-operation except in the corpus callosum. Where demyelination occurred myelin/oligodendrocyte specific protein-staining was lost. Staining for 2′3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterase revealed a similar pattern. Glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive reactive cells, which were also more robust than the normal cells, were more widely distributed. They increased in number throughout the time periods studied and gliosis was evident on the contralateral side. The glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive astrocytes were also different from the myelin/oligodendrocyte specific protein-positive and 2′3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphodiesterase-positive oligodendrocytes in terms of cell shape. With electron microscopy myelin/oligodendrocyte specific protein-positive cells showed features typical of immature oligodendrocytes. We conclude that the injury caused a numerical increase in oligodendrocytes and that myelin/ oligodendrocyte specific protein is a good marker for the oligodendroglial response and demyelination in pathological conditions.
Dexamethasone mimicks the antimotion sickness effects of amphetamine and scopolamine.

Based on preliminary suggestions that individual differences in susceptibility to stressful motion might be related to physiological differences in responses of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, the efficacy of dexamethasone and metyrapone is tested in subjects exposed to cross-coupled accelerative semicircular canal stimulation on a rotating chair. Subjects given 0.5 mg of dexamethasone every 6 h for 48 h could endure 80 percent more stressful motion (P = 0.03) in a within-subjects design study, whereas, no improvement followed treatment with 750 mg of metryapone every 4 h for 24 h. The efficacy of dexamethasone might be explained in terms of its neurochemical actions on several neurotransmitter systems which are also modulated by such classical antimotion sickness drugs as amphetamine and scopolamine. Because dexamethasone induces adaptive changes within the central nervous system it may prove superior to scopolamine and amphetamine which possess significant side effects, are short acting, and rapidly tolerated.
Immunization to regulate fertility: biological and cultural frameworks.

Deliberate immunization to control fertility differs from that to control disease. Those differences can be discussed within various frameworks, e.g., intent, recipient population, biological bases, and immunological targets. Others include differing perspectives of developers, providers and users, and rights of the state to impose programs of control. Almost all of the differences are grounded in the social, economic, and gendered aspects of societies. The intent of providing a fertility-regulating vaccine is to prevent pregnancy. In theory, men as well as women could receive such vaccines; in reality, most are designed for women. Traditional vaccines are intended to prevent disease and are generally given to susceptible individuals whether male or female, child or adult. The biological bases of contraceptive vaccines are molecules specific to reproduction. The immune response generated by most anti-fertility vaccines is directed toward 'self', one's own cells and molecules. In contrast, the bases of traditional vaccines are materials derived from non-self, disease-causing microorganisms; the immunological targets are those microorganisms or their toxic products. From a developer perspective vaccines that regulate fertility differ little from those that control disease; both prevent a particular condition. Developers cite these advantages to contraceptive vaccines: non-invasive, no serious side-effects, easy to use, reduced patient failure, and long-lasting but naturally reversible. Because anti-fertility vaccines have been tested only in small-scale clinical trials, information on user reactions and experiences is limited. Not surprisingly, the perspectives of women's health advocates and of potential users (mostly women) often differ markedly from those of developers. Women cite as disadvantages the cryptic nature of immunity which leaves one without an obvious signal for the beginning of protection (against pregnancy) and its decline, and the inability to 'turn-off' an immune response. Further, long-acting contraception can complicate alleviation and side-effects, and it leaves women always vulnerable to sexual demands. Most women object to the lack of user control and are especially concerned about the enormous potential for misuse and coercion by population control programs should fertility-regulating vaccines become widely available. Many scholars and government officials subscribe to the following logic: the global environmental crisis is due to over-population which necessitates population control programs; thus pregnancy can be considered a disease subject to state control. But pregnancy is not a disease nor is over-population the single major cause of environmental degradation. However, as governments grapple with the economic, social, and ecological consequences of population growth, draconian measures to control fertility will be ever more tempting.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Mechanical Properties of Plant Underground Storage Organs and Implications for Dietary Models of Early Hominins

The diet of early human ancestors has received renewed theoretical interest since the discovery of elevated δ13C values in the enamel of Australopithecus africanus and Paranthropus robustus. As a result, the hominin diet is hypothesized to have included C4 grass or the tissues of animals which themselves consumed C4 grass. On mechanical grounds, such a diet is incompatible with the dental morphology and dental microwear of early hominins. Most inferences, particularly for Paranthropus, favor a diet of hard or mechanically resistant foods. This discrepancy has invigorated the longstanding hypothesis that hominins consumed plant underground storage organs (USOs). Plant USOs are attractive candidate foods because many bulbous grasses and cormous sedges use C4 photosynthesis. Yet mechanical data for USOs—or any putative hominin food—are scarcely known. To fill this empirical void we measured the mechanical properties of USOs from 98 plant species from across sub-Saharan Africa. We found that rhizomes were the most resistant to deformation and fracture, followed by tubers, corms, and bulbs. An important result of this study is that corms exhibited low toughness values (mean = 265.0 J m−2) and relatively high Young’s modulus values (mean = 4.9 MPa). This combination of properties fits many descriptions of the hominin diet as consisting of hard-brittle objects. When compared to corms, bulbs are tougher (mean = 325.0 J m−2) and less stiff (mean = 2.5 MPa). Again, this combination of traits resembles dietary inferences, especially for Australopithecus, which is predicted to have consumed soft-tough foods. Lastly, we observed the roasting behavior of Hadza hunter-gatherers and measured the effects of roasting on the toughness on undomesticated tubers. Our results support assumptions that roasting lessens the work of mastication, and, by inference, the cost of digestion. Together these findings provide the first mechanical basis for discussing the adaptive advantages of roasting tubers and the plausibility of USOs in the diet of early hominins.
School contexts that encourage reflection: teacher perceptions

The following is a report of a study of the relationship between school context and learning how to teach. The study is based on the assumption, among others, that learning to teach is enhanced by “reflection,” which is understood to be collaborative problem solving. The context for reflective practice in seven schools is discussed. Teacher interview data provide the basic information. The data include the identification of factors within each school that facilitated collaborative work. These data and the analysis were used to increase collaborative leadership in schools and to continue research into that type ofleadership.
Abstract 1828: Omega-3 fatty acids delay the growth of mammary tumors in MMTV-Erbb2 mice

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Purpose: Dietary fats have long been suspected of contributing to breast cancer risk, but the effects of various fatty acids are still not clear. We used MMTV-Erbb2 transgenic mice to determine how different fatty acids influence mammary tumor development and what the possible mechanisms are. Methods and Results: Female MMTV-Erbb2 transgenic mice (FVB-Tg(MMTV-Erbb2)NK1Mul/J, n=13-14 per group) were placed on defined diets with 30% calories from fat, enriched in different types of fatty acids: saturated fatty acids (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA), omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-6 PUFA) and control diet with a nutritionally balanced mixture of the above fatty acids. The results showed that the incidence of palpable mammary tumors, their multiplicity and average tumor weight were significantly lower in the n-3 PUFA enriched diet group than in other diet groups (p<0.05, ANOVA). Moreover, the tumors from the n-3 PUFA diet group showed decreased cell proliferation and increased apoptosis (as determined by immunohistochemical staining for Ki67 and cleaved caspase3, respectively) compared to other groups. However, there were no significant differences in the number of hyperplasic nodules detected in mammary glands by carmine alum whole mount staining. SFA, MUFA and n-6 PUFA were not statistically different from control. Conclusions: Our results suggest that n-3 PUFA can inhibit HER-2/neu-induced mammary tumor growth in this mouse model, but that n-3 PUFA has no effect on the very early stage of tumorigenesis. The mechanism of the antitumor effects of n-3 PUFA may be related to inhibition of cell proliferation and promotion of apoptosis. This project was supported by an Intramural Research Support Grant (Kulynych Fund) entitled: “Pilot study on the effects of different dietary fatty acids on mammary cancer risk”. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1828. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1828
Pressure dependence of the optical absorption edge of KRS-5: an interferometric study

There has been much recent interest in infrared-transmitting materials because of their potential of becoming the next generation of optical communication fibers. One of these polycrystalline fibers, thallium bromo-iodide (commonly known as KRS-5), is considered to be a good candidate because it is both transparent down to 25 μm and, unlike fluoride glasses, is not hygroscopic. Moreover, it has been found that the long 10.6-μm wavelength is strongly absorbed by animal tissues and thus the combination of a CO2 laser with a KRS-5 fiber would be good choice for medical surgery. Usually, fibers of KRS-5 are extruded continuously from a high-pressure ram extrusion apparatus; thus it is important to understand the effect of pressure on the optical properties of KRS-5 fibers, particularly as pressure has been shown to induce a large red shift in the optical absorption edges of thallium halide salts. Furthermore, it is not clear whether the frequency shift is a reversible process in KRS-5 and thus whether the pressure used in the manufacturing process will have an impact on the transmitting characteristics of the final products.
The Factor Structure of the Life Orientation Test

This study disputed the unidimensionality of the Life Orientation Test (LOT). The eight-item LOT was administered to undergraduates in its original mixed form and in consistent optimism and consistent pessimism forms. Within the original form, two factors of optimism and pessimism were identified. However, when items had the same connotations, only one factor emerged. Researchers should acknowledge the two-factor structure of the LOT or reconstruct the items to maintain the unidimensional interpretation of the test.
The ‘Space’ at the Intersection of Platonism and Nominalism

This essay explores the use of platonist and nominalist concepts, derived from the philosophy of mathematics and metaphysics, as a means of elucidating the debate on spacetime ontology and the spatial structures endorsed by scientific realists. Although the disputes associated with platonism and nominalism often mirror the complexities involved with substantivalism and relationism, it will be argued that a more refined three-part distinction among platonist/nominalist categories can nonetheless provide unique insights into the core assumptions that underlie spatial ontologies, but it also assists in critiquing alternative uses of nominalism (Field, Arntzenius), platonism (Psillos), and both ontic and epistemic structural realism (French).
Meat Yield of Commercially Deboned Turkey

Abstract THE manufacture of deboned turkey products has progressed from small table top operations to fairly large conveyorized productions. Meat yields standards and the factors affecting yields are primarily based on laboratory or pilot plant units with no data available from modern commercial further processing plants. This study provides comparative yield data from three commercial turkey further processing plants that operate on a year round basis. It was also the intention of this study to provide a reference point for commercial yield measurements taken from plants using standard conveyorized shackles for comparison with yield measurements taken when new equipment and handling methods are installed. It has been well established that meat yields are influenced by a number of biological and environmental factors. These include body conformation (Jaap and Penquite, 1938); sex, age and strain (Asmundson and Lerner, 1940; Fry et al., 1962; Hartung and Froning, 1968; MacNeil and Buss, 1968; MacNeil,…
Carbon monoxide uptake kinetics in unamended and long-term nitrogen-amended temperate forest soils.

The effect of nitrogen (N) additions on the dynamics of carbon monoxide consumption in temperate forest soils is poorly understood. We measured soil CO profiles, potential rates of CO consumption and uptake kinetics in temperate hardwood and pine control plots and plots amended with 50 and 150 kg N ha−1 year−1 for more than 15 years. Soil profiles of CO concentrations were above atmospheric levels in the high-N plots of both stands, suggesting that in these forest soils the balance between consumption and production may be shifted so that either production is increased or consumption decreased. Highest rates of CO consumption were measured in the organic horizon and decreased with soil depth. In the N-amended plots, CO consumption increased in all but one soil depth of the hardwood stand, but decreased in all soil depths of the pine stand. CO enzyme affinities increased with soil depth in the control plots. However, enzyme affinities in the most active soil depths (organic and 0–5 cm mineral) decreased in response to low levels of N in both stands. In the high-N plots, affinities dramatically-increased in the hardwood stand, but decreased in the organic horizon and increased slightly in the 0–5 cm mineral soil in the pine stand. These findings indicate that long-term N addition either by fertilization or deposition may alter the size, composition and/or physiology of the community of CO consumers so that their ability to act as a sink for atmospheric CO has changed. This change could have a substantial effect on the lifetime of greenhouse gases such as CH4 and therefore the future of Earth's climate.
Babesia: impact of cold storage on the survival and the viability of parasites in blood bags

Babesiosis is a tick-borne zoonotic disease endemic in the north-east and Midwest US[1]. There are multiple species of Babesia that invade and infect the red blood cells of various animal species, however, only a few of them have been shown to be zoonotic. Primarily among these are B. microti, a rodent parasite that is responsible for most of the infection in the US; B. divergens, a cattle parasite seen primarily in Europe [2], although B. divergens like variants have been found in the US [3]; and B. duncani, a few cases of which have been identified in California [4,5]. Besides their natural route of transmission through tick bites, the spread of Babesia is becoming increasingly common and problematic through blood transfusions. In fact, babesiosis has become the most frequent transfusion-transmitted infection with approximately 162 cases reported since 1980 and 12 associated fatalities in the period 2005–2008 [6–9]. These figures probably undercount the actual number of transfusion-associated cases [6]. This is because the disease is clinically silent in most healthy adults who are the bulk of blood donors. In the absence of a licensed test, current safeguards against babesia remain a questionnaire relating to past history of the infection and have not proven to be effective in protecting against the parasite [10]. In order that the parasite be successfully transmitted by transfusion, it has to survive at 4°C, under the same conditions used for storing donor blood [11]. A recent paper on P. falciparum, the malaria parasite showed that the parasite remains detectable in blood smears upto 28 days, although after 14 days it is no longer viable [12]. As this question has not been reliably investigated for babesia, we performed a similar study, using B. divergens, which is currently the only babesial pathogen capable of causing disease in man that can be cultured in human RBCs in vitro. B. divergens, however, has been shown to be a transfusion threat only in Europe and not in the US.
Culturally tailored diabetes prevention in the workplace: focus group interviews with Hispanic employees.

PurposeThe purpose was to conduct focus groups with Hispanic employees to obtain input into adaptation of previous DSME interventions for use as a workplace diabetes prevention program.MethodsFrom a list of interested Hispanic employees who attended a local health fair (n = 68), 36 were randomly selected to participate in focus groups held during supper mealtime breaks. An experienced bilingual moderator directed the sessions, using interview guidelines developed by the research team.ResultsParticipants’ ages ranged from 22 to 65 years (mean = 50.4, n = 36, SD = 10.7), 7 males and 29 females attended, and 53% had type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Employees expressed a keen interest in diabetes classes and recommended a focus on preparing healthier Hispanic foods. Primary barriers to promoting healthier lifestyles were work schedules; many employees worked 2 part-time or full-time jobs. Administrators and direct supervisors of the employees were highly supportive of a workplace diabetes prevention program.C...
Soft real-time scheduling of networked control systems with dropouts governed by a Markov chain

This paper derives an equation for a networked control system's performance as a function of the network's dropout process. The dropout process is governed by a Markov chain. The equation computes the system output power as a function of the Markov chain's transition matrix. This equation is used to pose an optimization problem whose solution yields the transition matrix the optimized closed loop output power for fixed average dropout rates.
The rate of attachment of amoebae to the substratum: A study of nuclear-cytopolasmic relationships

The rate of attachment to the substratum was found to be a strain specific character of certain large free-living amoebae. Two strains, which differed significantly in this respect, were compared with regard to the rate of attachment of enucleated cytoplasm, nuclear-cytoplasmic hybrids and amoebae injected with cytoplasm from another strain. It was found that both the nucleus and the cytoplasm of the more rapidly attaching strain were able to transmit this character to amoebae of the more slowly attaching strain. The possible mechanisms underlying attachment and transmission of the rate of attachment are discussed.
P1E-5 Feasibility of Inducing and Imaging Thermal Strain for High-Risk Plaque Identification in Peripheral Arteries Using Ultrasound Arrays

The feasibility of inducing and imaging thermal strain to identify vulnerable plaques in peripheral arteries based on conventional ultrasound scanners is demonstrated. Vulnerable plaque usually consists of a large lipid-rich core. Because lipid-bearing tissue has a negative temperature dependence of sound speed, whereas water-based tissue has a positive one, thermal strain imaging can differentiate the two different types of tissues with high contrast and thus is useful for plaque composition characterization. In this study, we aimed at inducing thermal strain with the same linear array used for imaging to develop a thermal strain imaging system highly compatible with conventional scanners. Accordingly, we developed a technique to design ultrasound heating patterns based on linear programming. Simulation results based on a linear array (64 elements, 5 MHz, and 0.3-mm element spacing) show that raising the temperature in a region of interest (10 mm wide) 30 mm from the array by 1.9degC within 1 second is possible even if the tissue is highly attenuating (e.g., 0.8 dB/MHz/cm)
The effect of Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus (TMEV) VP1 carboxyl region on the virus- induced central nervous system disease

Members of the Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus GDVII subgroup, which includes GDVII strain, are highly neurovirulent and induce a rapidly fatal polioencephalomyelitis. By contrast, Theiler's original subgroup members, which includes DA strain, are not as neurovirulent, and produce a chronic, demyelinating disease with virus persistence. We investigated the importance of the carboxyl region of the capsid protein VP1 in TMEV-induced disease since a trypsin-cleavable immunodominant neutralization epitope is situated in the VP1 carboxyl region, and since this region is believed to lie adjacent to the putative receptor binding site. The present studies support the role of DA VP1 residue 268 (and the aligned GDVII VP1 270) in Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus-induced CNS disease; however, the effect of this residue varies depending on its context: mutation of DA VP1 268 attenuates demyelination; mutation of GDVII VP1 270 in a GDVII/DA recombinant virus has no effect on demyelination but reduces early deaths (neurovirulence); mutation of GDVII VP1 270 in GDVII virus has no effect on neurovirulence. These data suggest that DA VP1 268/GDVII VP1 270 are not functionally equivalent and that a residue in recombinant viruses can differ in function from the same residue situated in a parental strain. Additional mutagenesis studies suggest that: the trypsin cleavage site of TMEV, which affects virus viability, is located at the lysine at DA VP1 261 (GDVII VP1 263); GDVII VP1 276, the predicted carboxyl terminus of VP1, affects VP1/2A processing and virus infectivity.
Error Rate Comparison during Polymerase Chain Reaction by DNA Polymerase

As larger-scale cloning projects become more prevalent, there is an increasing need for comparisons among high fidelity DNA polymerases used for PCR amplification. All polymerases marketed for PCR applications are tested for fidelity properties (i.e., error rate determination) by vendors, and numerous literature reports have addressed PCR enzyme fidelity. Nonetheless, it is often difficult to make direct comparisons among different enzymes due to numerous methodological and analytical differences from study to study. We have measured the error rates for 6 DNA polymerases commonly used in PCR applications, including 3 polymerases typically used for cloning applications requiring high fidelity. Error rate measurement values reported here were obtained by direct sequencing of cloned PCR products. The strategy employed here allows interrogation of error rate across a very large DNA sequence space, since 94 unique DNA targets were used as templates for PCR cloning. The six enzymes included in the study, Taq polymerase, AccuPrime-Taq High Fidelity, KOD Hot Start, cloned Pfu polymerase, Phusion Hot Start, and Pwo polymerase, we find the lowest error rates with Pfu, Phusion, and Pwo polymerases. Error rates are comparable for these 3 enzymes and are >10x lower than the error rate observed with Taq polymerase. Mutation spectra are reported, with the 3 high fidelity enzymes displaying broadly similar types of mutations. For these enzymes, transition mutations predominate, with little bias observed for type of transition.
Linguistic capital in Taiwan: The KMT's Mandarin language policy and its perceived impact on language practices of bilingual Mandarin and Tai-gi speakers

From 1945 until 1987, the KMT (Nationalist) government enforced its strict Mandarin Language Policy in schools throughout Taiwan, and students were forbidden to speak local languages or dialects. Recent reversal of this policy allows schools to teach these formerly forbidden varieties. Despite some attention from scholars, it remains to explore the impact of these policies on successive generations of bilingual speakers. This study explores the perceptions of parents, grandparents, and young adults. The data show that school-based policies have an impact on family-based speaking practices. They also demonstrate the complex interplay between public and private histories in the development of linguistic ideologies and language as capital. (Language ideologies, language revitalization, Taiwan, identity, bilingualism, language socialization)*
Electrically pumped ultraviolet ZnO diode lasers on Si

Electrically pumped ZnO quantum well diode lasers are reported. Sb-doped p-type ZnO/Ga-doped n-type ZnO with an MgZnO/ZnO/MgZnO quantum well embedded in the junction was grown on Si by molecular beam epitaxy. The diodes emit lasing at room temperature with a very low threshold injection current density of 10 A/cm2. The lasing mechanism is exciton-related recombination and the feedback is provided by close-loop scattering from closely packed nanocolumnar ZnO grains formed on Si.
Approach Guardrail Transition for Concrete Safety Shape Barriers

An approach guardrail transition for use with concrete safety shape barriers was developed and crash-tested. The transition was constructed with two nested thrie-beam rails, measuring 2.66 mm thick, and supported by nine W150 x 13.5 steel posts. Post spacings consisted of one at 292 mm, five at 476 mm, and three at 952 mm. Structural tube spacer blockouts were used in the transition system. The system successfully met the Test Level 3 requirements specified in NCHRP Report 350: Recommended Procedures for the Safety Performance Evaluation of Highway Features.
Shear madness: new orthonormal bases and frames using chirp functions

The proportional-bandwidth and constant-bandwidth time-frequency signal decompositions of the wavelet, Gabor, and Wilson orthonormal bases have attracted substantial interest for representing nonstationary signals. However, these representations are limited in that they are based on rectangular tessellations of the time-frequency plane. While much effort has gone into methods for designing nice wavelet and window functions for these frameworks, little consideration has been given to methods for constructing orthonormal bases employing nonrectangular time-frequency tilings. The authors take a first step in this direction by deriving two new families of orthonormal bases and frames employing elements that shear, or chirp, in the time-frequency plane, in addition to translate and scale. The new scale-shear fan bases and shift-shear chevron bases are obtained by operating on an existing: wavelet, Gabor (1946), or Wilson basis set with two special unitary warping transformations. In addition to the theoretical benefit of broadening the class of valid time-frequency plane tilings, these new bases could possibly also be useful for representing certain types of signals, such as chirping and dispersed signals. >
Explaining Away Incompatibilist Intuitions

The debate between compatibilists and incompatibilists depends in large part on what ordinary people mean by ‘free will’, a matter on which previous experimental philosophy studies have yielded conflicting results. In Nahmias, Morris, Nadelhoffer, and Turner (2005, 2006), most participants judged that agents in deterministic scenarios could have free will and be morally responsible. Nichols and Knobe (2007), though, suggest that these apparent compatibilist responses are performance errors produced by using concrete scenarios, and that their abstract scenarios reveal the folk theory of free will for what it actually is—incompatibilist. Here, we argue that the results of two new studies suggest just the opposite. Most participants only give apparent incompatibilist judgments when they mistakenly interpret determinism to imply that agents’ mental states are bypassed in the causal chains that lead to their behavior. Determinism does not entail bypassing, so these responses do not reflect genuine incompatibilist intuitions. When participants understand what determinism does mean, the vast majority take it to be compatible with free will. Further results indicate that most people’s concepts of choice and the ability to do otherwise do not commit them to incompatibilism, either, putting pressure on incompatibilist arguments that rely on transfer principles, such as the Consequence Argument. We discuss the implications of these findings for philosophical debates about free will, and suggest that incompatibilism appears to be either false, or else a thesis about something other than what most people mean by ‘free will’.
Expression and membrane localization of MCT isoforms along the length of the human intestine

Recent studies from our laboratory and others have demonstrated the involvement of monocarboxylate transporter (MCT)1 in the luminal uptake of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) in the human intestine...
Trading places on DNA--a three-point switch underlies primer handoff from primase to the replicative DNA polymerase.

Abstract This study reports a primase-to-polymerase switch in E. coli that closely links primase action with extension by DNA polymerase III holoenzyme. We find that primase tightly grips its RNA primer, protecting it from the action of other proteins. However, primase must be displaced before the β sliding clamp can be assembled on the primed site. A single subunit of the holoenzyme χ , is dedicated to this primase displacement task. The displacement mechanism depends on a third protein, SSB. Primase requires contact to SSB for its grip on the primed site. The χ subunit also binds SSB, upon which the primase-to-SSB contact is destabilized leading to dissociation of primase and assembly of β onto the RNA primer. The conservation of this three-point switch, in which two proteins exchange places on DNA via mutually exclusive interaction with a third protein, is discussed.
Making an Almost Joyful Noise: Augustan Imitation and the Psalms of David

This essay examines the transformation of psalmody in the long eighteenth century, from metrical translation set to music and sung by an English congregation into a purely literary imitation designed to be appreciated like any other form of modern poetry. Under the influence of an Augustan theory of poetic imitation, poets move beyond simple paraphrase or translation to create a new literary commodity. While these poems identify themselves as Psalms, assuming the cachet of scriptural authority, they seem largely unrelated to worship or liturgy; they are intended not so much to express private devotion as to ‘amuse’ ingenious readers.
Earthen embankment breaching

Embankment breaching processes are very complex and involve mixed-regime free-surface flow with overfalls and hydraulic jumps, pressurized pipe flow, strong vertical and lateral erosion, discrete mass failure, and headcut migration. The failure mode and mechanism are affected by upstream and downstream water conditions, embankment configurations, and soil properties and state. Great progress has been made to investigate embankment breaching processes through laboratory and field experiments and real-world case studies. However, most laboratory experiments were for smallscale homogeneous embankments, only a few outdoor experiments were conducted at large scales (up to several meters in height) and/or were of composite construction, and only limited data sets for historical embankment failures were sufficiently documented. A number of parametric, simplified physically-based, and detailed multidimensional physically-based embankment breach models have been established in the past decades, but prediction with these models involves significant uncertainties. The biggest limitation of the existing breach models is quantifying erosion rates or erodibility of cohesive soils and sediment entrainment under embankment break/breaching flows. It is important to conduct more large-scale laboratory experiments and field case studies to improve existing embankment breach models or develop new ones. These models should also be enhanced by incorporating better physical insights, by using more efficient computational technologies, and integrating them into more robust flood forecasting and risk assessment systems with comprehensive relevant databases