cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cosmological constraints from thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich power spectrum revisited

Thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich (tSZ) power spectrum is one of the most sensitive methods to constrain cosmological parameters, scaling as the amplitude $\sigma_8^8$. It is determined by the integral over the halo mass function multiplied by the total pressure content of clusters, and further convolved by the cluster gas pressure profile. It has been shown that various feedback effects can change significantly the pressure profile, possibly even pushing the gas out to the virial radius and beyond, strongly affecting the tSZ power spectrum at high $l$. Energetics arguments and SZ-halo mass scaling relations suggest feedback is unlikely to significantly change the total pressure content, making low $l$ tSZ power spectrum more robust against feedback effects. Furthermore, the separation between the cosmic infrared background (CIB) and tSZ is more reliable at low $l$. Low $l$ modes are however probing very small volumes, giving rise to very large non-gaussian sampling variance errors. By computing the trispectrum contribution we identify $90<l<350$ as the minimum variance scale where the combined error is minimized. Using the measurement at this $l$ provides constraints that are almost as strong as using the entire power spectrum. We extend the work by the Planck collaboration by including a full trispectrum and feedback effects in the analysis. We perform a Markov-Chain Monte Carlo analysis over the two dimensional parameter space and find constraints on $\sigma_8$ by marginalizing over the feedback nuisance parameter.We obtain $\sigma_8 =0.820^{+0.021}_{-0.009}\left(\Omega_m/0.31\right)^{0.4}$, when fixing other parameters to Planck cosmology values. Our results suggest it is possible to obtain competitive cosmological constraints from tSZ without cluster redshift information, and that the current tSZ power spectrum shows no evidence for a low amplitude of $\sigma_8$.
Investigating Cultural Learning in Digital Environments through Perudigital

This article examines the PeruDigital project, a digital ethnography project that presents Peruvian festivals and folklore on the Internet through an immersive and interactive environment. This project, like others that employ the Participatory Design model, is an iterative process, one that involves evaluation and garnering feedback into the design loop. In addition to employing. Participatory Design principles, the project seeks to bridge current work in digital heritage with the concerns of current anthropological theory. This article focuses on current interdisciplinary research between faculty in Digital Media, Anthropology, and Education to study what and how students learn about cultural heritage from the website. The experience tentatively suggests that the role-playing and immersive potential of digital environments can be used to facilitate cultural learning, but that pathways through those environments need to be carefully structured so that cultural knowledge can be learned.
PHEROMONE TRAPS FOR MONITORING FALL ARMYWORM, SPODOPTERA FRUGIPERDA (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE), POPULATIONS

Comparisons of traps for capturing fall army worm, Spodoptera frugiperda, baited with virgin females or synthetic pheromone were conducted at Dade County and Quincy, FL, Brownsville, TX, and Tifton...
Uncertainty quantification for modeling pulsed laser ablation of aluminum considering uncertainty in the temperature-dependent absorption coefficient

Abstract In this paper, an extension of the result of Wang et al. (“Modeling pulsed laser ablation of aluminum with finite element analysis considering material moving front,” Int. J. Heat & Mass Transfer, 113, 1246–1253, 2017) concerning the problem of uncertainty quantification for pulsed laser ablation (PLA) of aluminum is considered, when the source of uncertainty is due to an inherent randomness of the temperature-dependent absorption coefficient. In particular, we use a generalized polynomial chaos (gPC) method to incorporate the parameter uncertainty for the temperature-dependent absorption coefficient within the representation of the laser heat conduction phenomena. Furthermore, numerical simulation studies for the PLA of aluminum, with nanosecond Nd:YAG 266 nm pulsed laser, that demonstrate the proposed gPC predictions are presented. Finally, a sensitivity study is performed to identify whether small changes in the lower and/or upper parameter values of the absorption coefficient provide the most variance in the thermal and ablation responses.
Excitation of Free Shear-Layer Instabilities for High-Speed Flow Control

Free shear layers are building blocks of many flows of interest in applications, including jets, cavity flows, and separated flows. It was found several decades ago that free shear layers are unsta...
High-frequency inverters: From photovoltaic, wind, and fuel-cell-based renewable- and alternative-energy DER/DG systems to energy-storage applications

Publisher Summary Photovoltaic (PV), wind, and fuel-cell (FC) energy are the front-runner renewable- and alternate-energy solutions to address and alleviate the imminent and critical problems of existing fossil-fuel-energy systems. There will be severe voltage spikes and ringing across the switches during turn-off. They are caused by the transformer and other parasitic leakage inductances combined with a very high current reverse going through the transformer primary side. A key aspect of these renewable- or alternative-energy systems is an inverter that feeds the energy available from the energy source to application load and/or grid. There will be severe voltage spikes and ringing across the switches during turn-off. They are caused by the transformer and other parasitic leakage inductances combined with a very high current reverse going through the transformer primary side. The leakage inductance of the high-frequency (HF) transformer enhances the zero-voltage switching (ZVS) range of the dc–ac converter but reduces the duty ratio of the converter, which increases the conduction loss.
The Clinical Challenges of Assimilative Integration

S. B. Messer (1992) introduced the notion of assimilative integration in psychotherapy, theorizing that integrative practitioners adhere to their preferred theoretical paradigms while judiciously blending aspects from other models. His assimilative approach offers a conceptual and clinical middle ground between technical eclecticism and a grand, unified theory of psychotherapy. However, the practice of competent assimilative integration is fraught with many challenges, both theoretical and clinical. The goal of the present paper is to explore the challenges of implementing assimilative integration. First, the theoretical and clinical barriers to assimilative approaches are considered. Second, the use of assimilative integration to avoid therapeutic failures is discussed. Finally, a case example is presented to illustrate the author's attempt to assimilate narrative, interpretive interventions within his preferred cognitive–behavioral treatment paradigm.
Observation of the Microstructural Evolution in a Structural Polymeric Foam Using Incremental Digital Volume Correlation

Polymeric structural foams are widely used in many engineering applications due to their exceptional properties including high specific strength and energy absorption. The mechanical properties depend strongly on their microstructures, which also dictate their load-bearing capability under deformation. However, the mechanical behavior of polymer foams in compression is not well understood, due to the complex local deformation and strain characteristics associated with the cellular microstructure. In this paper, unconfined uniaxial compression of a polymeric structural foam was conducted while its microstructure was determined using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) subjected to large deformations. The detailed local deformations and strains are obtained by using three dimensional digital volume correlations (DVC) method. This incremental DVC allows the use of intermediate bridging images to determine large nonlinear deformations in the foam under compression. The evolution and deformation mechanism of the microstructure are observed during different compression stages using the incremental DVC techniques.
Optimizing the advanced accelerator simulation framework synergia using OpenMP

Synergia is an advanced accelerator simulation framework widely used in the accelerator community. Unfortunately, its performance and scalability suffers significantly from very high communication requirements. In this paper, we address this issue by replacing the flat MPI programming model with the hybrid OpenMP+MPI programming model. We describe in detail how the code has been parallelized in OpenMP and what the challenges are. The improved hybrid code can perform over 1.7 times better than the original program for a realistic benchmark problem.
Indigenous Individual Rights: Theory, Praxis and 'Special Privileges'

Tribal governments before the European invasion had little need for a theory of individual rights. Governmental structures varied widely, but most cultures recognized the right of the tribe to exile a dissenter or the right of a dissenter to go his own way. Subject to these minor disruptions, most tribal cultures were homogeneous. Most modern tribal governments are based upon United States government of a particular time, before sunshine laws and before the due process revolution. These governments remain frozen in the form adopted from the United States while United States government has continued to evolve. As a result, the ability of individual Indians to deal with corruption in tribal government is severely limited. Policies that tend to empower individual Indians do so at the expense of tribal sovereignty, which is why few Indians endorse an expansion of remedies available under the Indian Civil Rights Act. Corruption in tribal governments obstructs attempts to attract capital to Indian Country economies and feeds the myth of Indian "special privileges" at the center of attacks on sovereign immunity, gaming, and treaty rights. The solution is an Indian theory of individual rights enforceable against tribal governments without resort to state or federal courts. Unless Indians bind themselves to a code of fundamental fairness enforced by Indian laws, public opinion will eventually lead Congress to invoke the plenary powers doctrine in ways that are unpredictable except in that tribal governments will be marginalized on what remains of their own lands.
How to Build a National Reputation for Academic Promotion

Developing an outstanding local, regional, and ultimately, national or international reputation in an area of expertise is an essential component of advancement and promotion in most academic departments. For residents, getting off to a strong start by selecting a program with a positive track record of helping residents to successfully launch academic careers is an important first step to establishing a successful career. For faculty members, it is important to join departments that have supported the successful development of faculty who have attained reputations of excellence, value mentorship and are equipped to provide the necessary resources and time to facilitate your career development. Once faculty members discover their unique academic passions, they are in a better position to focus on activities that will bring them the most satisfaction, which is the foundation necessary for establishing a record of academic excellence that fosters recognition in one’s field of interest. This chapter focuses on the following principles to help early career academicians best position themselves for academic success by seizing and capitalizing on opportunities as well as obstacles to avoid. Important guiding principles are: strive for excellence, not for reputation; be known as a good friend, classmate, and colleague first and foremost; learn to focus on what is most important to one’s academic passions and values, even if it means sometimes saying “no”; publish—often and well; network; volunteer; collaborate; reach out to others, including to faculty more junior than you and to the public.
Job Placement Rates Among First-Generation Hospitality Students

This study compared the job placement status of 1st-generation college students and traditional students graduating from a 4-year hospitality program. Data were collected through a survey of gradua...
One plus one does not always equal two, especially with regard to hypomethylating agents: the question of synergy of azacitidine and lenalidomide for treatment of relapsed acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic syndromes post allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant

Key paper evaluation: Craddock C, et al. Combination Lenalidomide and Azacitidine: A Novel Salvage Therapy in Patients Who Relapse After Allogeneic Stem-Cell Transplantation for Acute Myeloid Leukemia. J Clin Oncol. 2019; 37: 580-8. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) is the only potentially curative treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). However, most patients relapse after allo-HSCT and treatment options are limited. Craddock et al. reported recently in the Journal of Clinical Oncology results from a small phase Ib study combining azacitidine (AZA) and lenalidomide (LEN) for treatment of 29 patients (24 AML and 5 MDS patients) who relapsed after allo-HSCT. Overall response rate was 24%. Patients who received ≥3 cycles of treatment had a higher response rate and responders had a better survival compared to non-responders (27 months vs. 10 months; p = 0.004). Combination treatment was well tolerated with three cases of graft-versus-host disease. While this study suggests a potential synergistic effect of LEN + AZA combination therapy, many questions remain. Efficacy and safety should be confirmed in larger, ideally randomized, studies. Further research on mechanism of action of this combination, comparison with other treatment combinations (e.g. AZA + venetoclax) and use during other disease stages are needed.
Prudence and Moderation: George H. W. Bush and Federal Indian Policy

In November 2008, the Pacific Historical Review published Dean Kotlowski’s excellent article “From Backlash to Bingo: Ronald Reagan and Federal Indian Policy.” This article, based on extensive research conducted in the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library in College Station, Texas, seeks to continue the story through an examination of the Indian policies advanced by Reagan’s successor—George H.W. Bush. As a moderate Republican, Bush “41” demonstrated considerable flexibility and a willingness to compromise with Congress. That said, federal Indian policies enacted during the Bush administration demonstrated continuity with those of Reagan, but differed in two areas—education and various symbolic acts. Most often remembered for his foreign policy pursuits and for breaking his “no tax” pledge, Bush left a largely positive legacy in Indian affairs.
Measures of obesity are associated with MRI markers of brain aging: The Northern Manhattan Study

Objective To examine associations between measures of obesity in middle to early-old age with later-life MRI markers of brain aging. Methods We analyzed data from the Northern Manhattan MRI Sub-Study (n = 1,289). Our exposures of interest were body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio, and plasma adiponectin levels. Our outcomes of interest were total cerebral volume (TCV), cortical thickness, white matter hyperintensity volume (WMHV), and subclinical brain infarcts (SBI). Using multivariable linear and logistic regression models adjusted for sociodemographics, health behaviors, and vascular risk factors, we estimated β coefficients (or odds ratios) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and tested interactions with age, sex, and race/ethnicity. Results On average at baseline, participants were aged 64 years and had 10 years of education; 60% were women and 66% were Caribbean Hispanic. The mean (SD) time lag between baseline and MRI was 6 (3) years. Greater BMI and WC were significantly associated with thinner cortices (BMI β [95% CI] −0.089 [−0.153, −0.025], WC β [95% CI] −0.103 [−0.169, −0.037]) in fully adjusted models. Similarly, compared to those with BMI Conclusions Adiposity in early-old age is related to reduced global gray matter later in life in this diverse sample. Future studies are warranted to elucidate causal relationships and explore region-specific associations.
Integral transform methods in goodness-of-fit testing, I: the gamma distributions

We apply the method of Hankel transforms to develop goodness-of-fit tests for gamma distributions with given shape parameters and unknown rate parameters. We derive the limiting null distribution of the test statistic as an integrated squared Gaussian process, obtain the corresponding covariance operator and oscillation properties of its eigenfunctions, show that the eigenvalues of the operator satisfy an interlacing property, and make applications to two data sets. We prove consistency of the test, provide numerical power comparisons with alternative tests, study the test statistic under several contiguous alternatives, and obtain the asymptotic distribution of the test statistic for gamma alternatives with varying rate or shape parameters and for certain contaminated gamma models. We investigate the approximate Bahadur slope of the test statistic under local alternatives, and we establish the validity of the Wieand condition under which approaches through the approximate Bahadur and the Pitman efficiencies are in accord.
Connected Health and Mobile Apps in Obstetrics and Gynecology

Mobile apps and mobile health interventions have the potential to alter the landscape of medicine significantly, from how care is provided at the bedside to the ability to recruit patients and conduct medical research. Mobile apps have the potential to be used for prenatal care, postsurgical follow-ups, informing patients about conditions, and helping with the management of illness. They have the ability to remodel prenatal care and strive toward more personalized medicine. The most remote and vulnerable patients can be reached. Guidelines must be created, however, for optimal use of mobile health apps and a structured way to vet them.
Using simulation to evaluate exam scores in a public health nursing course.

Objective Public health nursing courses typically incorporate clinical components but rarely offer simulation education as part of clinical practice. There is limited research examining the impact of simulation for public health nursing courses on final exam scores. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of simulation training on final exam scores in a public health nursing course. Design Public health scenarios were created to provide hands-on experience in two settings. Home and school environments were used with discussion of students' performance during debriefing. Sample Using a convenience sample, final exam scores were compared between nursing students (n = 79) who participated in a public health nursing simulation and two similar student groups (n = 97) that did not participate in simulation. Results Students with simulation training scored higher in both public health domains (Community Health; Clinical Prevention and Population Health). A significant difference in total mean final scores (p = .04; p = .02) was noted between groups of students with simulation training and those without. Conclusion The difference in mean final scores suggests that simulation may be an effective educational modality in preparing students toward their state board or end of semester exams.
Teaching Religious Education: Julian Stern, (Bloomsbury Academic, London, England, 2018)

Jewish education gradually came of age as an academic discipline once there was established a set of criteria for it. These included tenured professors, doctoral students, and researchers working i...
Short-Term Outcomes of Pediatric Keratoprosthesis With the Near-Complete Conjunctival Flap.

Purpose The Boston keratoprosthesis (KPro) has been used for certain indications in pediatric patients with congenital corneal opacities. Here, we describe the use of a near-complete conjunctival flap at the time of Boston type 1 KPro surgery in pediatric patients, with the goal of improving pediatric KPro outcomes. Methods We performed a retrospective chart review of 21 eyes from 16 patients who received their first KPro before the age of 18 years at a tertiary care center in Rochester, NY. Surgeries were performed between 2011 and 2017 (3 years before and after the incorporation of a conjunctival flap, which began in 2014 as part of the pediatric KPro procedure). Patients who had a minimum 1-year postoperative follow-up, or had corneal melts within 1 year of KPro implantation, were included in our study. The main outcome measure in this study was a comparison of the number of complications that required surgical intervention, including retroprosthetic membrane, corneal melt, retinal detachment, and endophthalmitis, in eyes that received KPro implantation without a conjunctival flap compared with eyes that received KPro implantation with a conjunctival flap. Change in the visual acuity up to 1 year postoperatively was also measured. Results Ten eyes received KPro with no conjunctival flap, and 11 eyes received KPro with a near-complete conjunctival flap. After 1-year postoperative follow-up, eyes receiving a KPro with a conjunctival flap had fewer KPro-related complications requiring surgical intervention (5 vs. 16, P = 0.0002). Corneal melt was seen in 2 of 11 (18%) eyes in the conjunctival flap group and 5 of 10 (50%) eyes in the nonflap group (P = 0.12). No eyes developed endophthalmitis in the flap group, whereas 1 of 10 (10%) eyes developed endophthalmitis in the nonflap group. Visual acuity at 1-year follow-up improved in 9 of 11 (82%) eyes in the flap group compared with 5 of 10 (50%) eyes in the nonflap group (P = 0.3). Conclusions Implementation of a conjunctival flap in pediatric KPro may help decrease the short-term postoperative complications requiring surgical procedures and may lead to improved visual acuity after 1 year. Further investigation, including longer-term follow-up, is needed to better understand how the described technique affects surgical outcomes in children.
Political power of older voters, political alignment, and state responses to Covid-19

As older individuals are more vulnerable to the virus and are more likely to vote than younger individuals, a state with a higher share of the older population is expected to impose a more stringen...
Innovation Institutions and COVID-19

The COVID-19 crisis has starkly illustrated both the strengths and limitations of U.S. biomedical innovation institutions as deployed to fight a pandemic. These innovation institutions include not just intellectual property law, but also other legal systems that structure incentives for production and allocation of knowledge goods, including regulation by health agencies like the Food and Drug Administration, programs like Medicare and Medicaid that govern healthcare reimbursement, and government subsidies for research and development through agencies such as the National Institutes of Health. In this collection of essays from March 2020 through April 2021, originally published at Written Description, we explore the response of these legal institutions to a variety of COVID-19-related technologies including vaccines, diagnostics, pharmaceutical treatments, and medical devices. While each technology brings its own challenges, we find a number of common innovation inefficiencies present during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as a lack of robust interagency coordination, poor incentives to generate health information, and persistent difficulties in manufacturing health care technologies at scale. In addition, throughout our work we highlight inequities in the healthcare innovation ecosystem related to race, gender, wealth, and geography. Although U.S. innovation institutions have resulted in some remarkable successes—such as the record-breaking speed of vaccine development—the pandemic has also drawn attention to innovation policy failures. Policymakers should focus on addressing these problems now—before the next pandemic strikes.
FlowIO Development Platform – the Pneumatic “Raspberry Pi” for Soft Robotics

FlowIO is a miniature, modular, pneumatic development platform with a software toolkit for control, actuation, and sensing of soft robots and programmable materials. Five pneumatic ports and multiple fully-integrated modules to satisfy various pressure, flow, and size requirements make FlowIO suitable for most wearable and non-wearable pneumatic applications in HCI and soft robotics. FlowIO includes a software stack with APIs, Bluetooth capabilities, and web-GUI supported on all major mobile and desktop operating systems. The system is fully compatible with Arduino, JavaScript, and Google Chrome, while support for Scratch, Python, and Unity is planned for future development, making FlowIO suitable for makers from any technical background. Over a dozen people have used the FlowIO platform, ranging from high-school and college students to graduate students and researchers. In this paper I introduce the FlowIO platform, its significance to the HCI community, and preliminary efforts towards deploying FlowIO as a community-driven open-source project.
Analytical Analysis of Educational Apps for Young Children: An Exploratory Study.

The acceptability of mobile devices and mobile applications (apps) has resulted in exponential growth and consumption of such media. Although more than 50% of children under age eight have used a mobile app, there is still limited research on the utility of mobile devices and apps. With the growth in usage of apps especially by young children, there is tremendous potential for educational apps to become an important medium for education delivery as well as source of revenues for app developers. Using the most popular apps category of Google Play Store “Educational Games”, we examine market dynamics and emerging opportunities within the field of educational paid and free apps marketed to young children. Our initial text and data analysis provide guidelines for app developers in terms of app description, ratings, and pricing. Our findings have implications for research and practice.
Maturation of the adrenal medulla. II. Content and properties of catecholamine storage vesicles of the rat

Abstract Albino Wistar rats were sacrificed at 10-day intervals from birth to 50 days of age. The adrenals were analyzed for catecholamines (CA) and dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBO), and purified storage vesicles were analyzed for CA and ATP. At birth, all three parameters were 3–5 per cent of 50-day levels, about 10 per cent at 10 days, 20–30 per cent at 20 days, 40–55 per cent at 30 days and 70–75 per cent at 40 days. Although all three increased approximately in parallel, CA/DBO was below normal from birth to 20 days and CA/ATP was above normal at 10 days. At birth, the vesicles were more fragile, but discontinuous density gradient studies indicated fewer “light” vesicles (vesicles deficient in CA and ATP which do not penetrate 1.6 M sucrose) compared to adults. At 10 and 20 days, however, more light vesicles were present and vesicle fragility was the same as in adults. Neonates did not secrete adrenal CA in response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia, but secretion was observed at all other ages. Isolated neonatal adrenals as well as adult adrenals exhibited Ca 2+ -dependent CA secretion when exposed to high K + concentrations. These data suggest that there are age-dependent changes in the content and properties of adrenal CA storage vesicles which affect the uptake and storage of amines in the vesicles. The maturation of vesicles is probably dependent on the relative rates of synthesis of vesicle components, which in turn are affected by the degree of neural input to the gland.
Closed-form approximate solutions to the porous-medium equation

We consider approximate similarity solutions to the porous-medium equation. Porous-medium equation models laminar filtration of gas through porous media, and it represents filtration of moisture through soils when diffusivity has a power-law form. We consider initial-boundary conditions that allow the introduction of dimensionless variables and the reduction of an original partial differential equation to a boundary value problem for a nonlinear ordinary differential equation. We consider a couple of classes of approximate solutions to this nonlinear ODE, and we compare the approximate results with the exact results calculated by Shampine's method [9]. In addition we describe potential future directions of research.
An Interview with Henry L. Roediger III

Henry L. Roediger III is presently the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis and Chair of the Psychology Department. Dr Roediger has published about 150 articles and chapters, mostly on issues concerning human memory. He is coauthor of three textbooks (which have been through a combined 18 editions) and has coedited four other books. He was Editor of the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition from 1985 to 1989 and was the founding Editor of Psychonomic Bulletin & Review (1994 98). He has served as President of the Midwestern Psychological Associa tion, Chair of the Governing Board of the Psychonomic Society, President of Division 3 (Experimental Psychology) of the American Psychological Association, and on the Board of Directors of the American Psychological Society. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Psychological Association, the American Psycholog ical Society, and the Canadian Psychological Association. He was elected to the Society of Experimental Psychologists in 1994 and held a Guggenheim Fellowship for the 1994-95 academic year. According to a study by the In stitute of Scientific Information that covered the years 1990-94, papers by Dr Roediger had the greatest impact (average citation count) of those of any psychologist during this period. Roediger was recently elected Presi dent of the American Psychological Society and will serve his term during 2003-2004 academic year. In this interview, he discusses his current research and examines cru cial concerns regarding memory, false memories, hypermnesia, educational psychology, and the field of education in general.
Studies on polynucleotides. LXXXVI. Enzymic hydrolysis of N-acylaminoacyl-transfer RNA.

An enzymic activity which hydrolyzes N -acylaminoacyl-tRNA's to N -acylamino acids and tRNA, has been detected in crude extracts of Escherichia coli . The activity has been purified approximately 160-fold by DEAE cellulose chromatography and by gel filtration. The partially purified enzyme shows the following properties. (a) It hydrolyzes N -acetylaminoacyl-tRNA and not aminoacyl-tRNA; the products are N -acetyl-amino acid and tRNA. (b) N -Acetyl- d -tyrosyl-tRNA is not a substrate, indicating specificity for l -amino acids. (c) N -Formylmethionyl-tRNA F and N -acetylmethionyl-tRNA F are not cleaved to any appreciable extent by this enzyme; however, N -acetylmethionyl-tRNA M is cleaved. (d) N -Acetylaminoacyl-oligonucleotides are hydrolyzed very slowly if at all. (e) N -Benzoyltripeptidyl-tRNA is hydrolyzed to N -benzoyltripeptide and tRNA. Crude extracts of bakers' yeast contain activities which hydrolyze aminoacyl-tRNA or N -acylaminoacyl-tRNA to tRNA and the corresponding amino acid or its derivative.
Generation of electrical potentials by synthetic plaques of the indigenous oral microflora: Influence of species, temperature, and load on voltage output

Abstract Mats, or plaques, of organisms indigenous to the oral cavity were found to produce redox gradient or duel cell potentials up to slightly more than 0.5 V, with an output load of 1 MΩ. Potential decreased proportionately as the load increased. Steady current flow was calculated as approximately 1 × 10 −6 A. Stimulation of bacterial activity by the addition of glucose increased the voltage, but essentially no voltage was produced by the cells at temperatures below 20 °C, whereas there was a linear increase in output potential between 23 and 38 °C. Measurements of pH change were made of pure and mixed culture bacterial mats. For the most part, voltage changes occurred much more rapidly, and to a greater degree than pH changes in the same bacterial system. A suggestion is offered that such voltages may influence the caries process.
Sharing the Best: The Dissemination System in Vocational and Adult Education.

Abstract This article describes vocational and adult education's dissemination strategies; discusses the criteria, if any, being used within each strategy to classify, label, or screen content being disseminated; assesses the extent to which consumers are supplied any quality and effectiveness information collected; and suggests directions for the future.
Influence of Photoperiod, Ambient Temperature and Melatonin on Testosterone Synthesis and Release During Reproductive Maturation in Male Deer Mice

Four experiments were designed to investigate the influence of photoperiod and other environmental factors on androgen production and reproductive maturation in deer mice. Male prairie deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), born in a light/dark cycle of 6L:18D, either remained in this short photoperiod or were switched to a long day regimen of 16L:8D at weaning. In a cross-sectional experiment, the deer mice were killed between 3 and 8 weeks of age for measurement of serum testosterone concentration and reproductive organ weights. In a second experiment, blood was collected from each mouse at weekly intervals between 3 and 9 weeks of age. This repeated measures design was used to reduce the high variability in testosterone values observed in the first experiment. Reproductive organs were weighed at the termination of the experiment. Testosterone concentrations and reproductive organ weights were greater in males reared in the long photoperiod in both experiments. In a third experiment, the animals were housed under five different conditions to test the influence of high ambient temperature and melatonin as well as photoperiod. At 7 weeks of age, they received an injection of hCG or saline. More testosterone was released in deer mice reared in 16L:8D and 27 C than in those reared in short days (6L:18D) or those reared in high ambient temperature (35 C) or those treated with exogenous melatonin. One week later, animals were sacrificed. The single hCG treatment caused significant reversal of the suppression of accessory sex organ weights following melatonin, short days or 35 C temperature. In a fourth experiment, the additive influence of melatonin and 35 C temperature was tested. Animals treated with 35 C or both melatonin and 35 C had lower serum testosterone at 7 weeks of age, released less testosterone after hCG, and had smaller organ weights with or without hCG than long day controls. The influence of melatonin treatment and 35 C temperature appears to be additive for testicular weight and testosterone release after hCG. Thus, the attenuation of reproductive development that accompanied short days, melatonin treatment and high ambient temperature occurred via diminished testosterone secretion, which can be overcome at least in part by gonadotropin treatment.
Big Data and the 'New' Privacy Tradeoff

Predictions of transformative change surround Big Data. It is routine to read, for example, that "with the coming of Big Data, we are going to be operating very much out of our old, familiar ballpark." But, as both Niels Bohr and Yogi Berra are reputed to have observed, "Prediction is difficult, especially about the future." And, they might have added, especially regarding the effects of major technological change. In the Railroad Mania of nineteenth century England, for example, some made the typical prediction that a new communication network meant the end of an old one: namely, that that face-to-face communication over the emerging railroad network would entail a drastic drop in postal mail. In fact, mail volume increased. Given the difficulty of forecasting transformative change, we opt for a "prediction" about the present: Big Data already presents a "new" and important privacy challenge. As the scare quotes indicate, the challenge is not truly new. What Big Data does is compel confrontation with a difficult trade-off problem that has been glossed over or even ignored up to now. It does so because both the potential benefits and risks from Big Data analysis are so much larger than anything we have seen before.We confine our inquiry to the private sector. Governmental concerns are critically important, but they require separate treatment.
Differential regulation of protein kinase C isozymes by thyrotropin-releasing hormone in GH4C1 cells.

GH4C1 cells, which express Ca(2+)-dependent alpha- and beta- as well as Ca(2+)-independent gamma-, epsilon- and zeta-protein kinase C (PKC) isozymes, provide a cell culture model for studying isozyme-specific properties and functions. Hormonal activation of PKCs regulates the differentiated functions of these cells, namely secretion and synthesis of prolactin (PRL). We previously reported that thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) selectively down-modulates epsilon-PKC with no effect on alpha- or beta-PKCs (Kiley, S.C., Schaap, D., Parker, P., Hsieh, L.-L., and Jaken, S. (1990) J. Biol. Chem. 265, 15704-15712). We now extend those studies to explore the relationship between TRH-stimulated diacylglycerol (DAG) levels and epsilon-PKC down-modulation. TRH stimulates three distinct DAG phases in GH cells. Phase 1 DAG peaks at 15 s, is accompanied by a 6-fold increase in intracellular Ca2+, and causes the redistribution of alpha-, beta-, delta, and epsilon-PKC isozymes from a soluble to a detergent-insoluble particulate compartment. Phase 2 DAG peaks at 10 min, is not associated with a Ca2+ signal, and does not activate PKC by any criteria tested. Phase 3 DAG peaks at 6 h and is sustained through 12 h. This novel DAG phase is not associated with increased intracellular Ca2+. The time course of phase 3 DAG formation corresponds to the time course of TRH-stimulated epsilon-PKC down-regulation; maximal effects are observed at 6-12 h for both events. Unlike alpha-, beta-, and delta-PKCs which are preferentially distributed in the soluble fraction of resting GH cells, epsilon-PKC is also distributed in the detergent-insoluble particulate fraction. The selective compartmentalization of epsilon-PKC in the particulate fraction may render this pool uniquely susceptible to proteolytic degradation. The time course of phase 3 DAG formation and epsilon-PKC down-modulation corresponds to the time course of decreasing PRL message synthesis in GH4 cells. The data suggests that loss of epsilon-PKC may be associated with the down-regulation of prolactin synthesis and that regulation of PRL gene transcription may be an epsilon-PKC-specific function in GH cells.
Oxidative Stress and IgG Antibody Modify Periodontitis-CRP Association

In a previous report, we demonstrated the inverse association of high serum 8-isoprostane levels, a marker for oxidative stress, with decreased serum IgG antibodies to oral bacteria. The association between increased serum IgG with increased plaque and periodontitis (increased probing depths) was attenuated by high systemic oxidative stress. Other investigations have reported a role for systemic oxidative stress as a stimulus of hepatic C-reactive protein (CRP) response. These observations led us to hypothesize that the reported relationship of periodontitis to elevated serum CRP, a systemic inflammatory marker, may be modified by oxidative stress and that the levels of serum antibodies to oral bacteria might be an intermediary explanatory variable linking the association of systemic oxidative stress, periodontal disease, and levels of CRP. This hypothesis was explored as a secondary analysis of the Dental ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities) study using serum levels of CRP, serum IgG levels to 16 oral organisms, serum levels of 8-isoprostane, and periodontal status. The findings indicate periodontitis is associated with high CRP in the presence of elevated oxidative stress that serves to suppress the IgG response. Only within the highest 8-isoprostane quartile was periodontitis (pocket depth) associated with increased serum CRP levels (P = 0.0003). Increased serum IgG antibody levels to oral bacteria were associated with lowered serum CRP levels. Thus, systemic oxidative stress, which has been demonstrated to be associated with increased levels of CRP in other studies, appears to be associated with the suppression of bacterial-specific IgG levels, which in the presence of periodontal disease can result in an enhanced systemic CRP response. Conversely, individuals with increased serum IgG antibodies to plaque bacteria exhibit lowered serum CRP levels. These 2 factors, oxidative stress and the serum IgG response, appear to function in opposing directions to modify serum levels of CRP and the association with periodontitis.
Screening and surveillance for hereditary pancreatic cancer

Hereditary factors are estimated to be involved in approximately 10% of patients with pancreatic carcinoma. Family members of patients with pancreatic cancer often worry about their own risk, especially after seeing the impact of the disease on the quality of life of their, usually deceased, relative. Some families with an increased risk of pancreatic cancer have genetic syndromes with known germ line mutations, such as hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC), familial atypical mole melanoma (FAMM), and Peutz-Jeghers syndrome. More common are families with multiple family members with pancreatic cancer and no identifiable genetic syndrome. The risk of pancreatic cancer increases with the number of first-degree relatives who have pancreatic cancer.1 A number of patients with pancreatic cancer were cared for in a large kindred in Washington State (Family X).2-4 Several members of this family developed diarrhea and diabetes in their third and fourth decade of life and then almost universally died of pancreatic cancer in the next several years. Family members with new symptoms of diarrhea and diabetes understandably believed that they were destined for an early death from pancreatic cancer and sought our advice. Our objective was to discover objective imaging findings that would identify which family members were destined to have pancreatic cancer so they could be offered pancreatectomy and avoid near certain death from the disease. Body imaging techniques, including CT, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET), did not detect abnormalities in selected members of this family. However, EUS detected abnormalities in many of the family members. In addition, patients with abnormal EUS imaging were often found to have abnormalities on pancreatography. This led to our current approach to members of this family as well as other families with multiple members having pancreatic cancer.2 The approach described herein is an initial attempt at offering at-risk patients a chance of avoid
A thermodynamically consistent surface reaction mechanism for CO oxidation on Pt

Abstract The thermodynamic inconsistency of catalytic combustion reaction mechanisms has been a long-standing, fundamental, and practical problem. Here, we develop a thermodynamically consistent catalytic reaction mechanism for CO oxidation on Pt. First, we propose a modification of the bond index of the unity bond index–quadratic exponential potential (UBI-QEP) semiempirical framework for calculation of the activation energy of the Langmuir–Hinshelwood-type bimolecular surface reaction between co-adsorbed CO ∗ and O ∗ . Thermodynamic consistency is then ensured in the reaction mechanism by combining the semiempirical UBI-QEP theory, statistical mechanics, and constraint-based optimization against experimental data. Atmospheric pressure ignition and ultrahigh vacuum molecular beam experiments are selected as targets for optimization. The optimized mechanism is validated against redundant experiments, including temperature-programmed desorption, temperature-programmed reaction, and molecular beam experiments. Our microkinetic model is able to capture multiple types of data while being thermodynamically consistent over a wide range of conditions.
Effects of ethanol on glutathione conjugation in rat liver and lung.

Abstract The ability of ethanol to alter glutathione (GSH) conjugation and its dependence upon duration of administration were investigated in rats in correlation with lipid peroxidation and the induction of microsomal enzymes. Significant decreases in hepatic GSH and glutathione- S -transferase(GST) activity in both liver and lung were found in rats treated acutely with ethanol (4g/kg body weight 6hr prior to killing). These decreases were accompanied by an increased loss of both GSH and GST into the plasma and increased hepatic lipid peroxidation. On the other hand, there was a dose-dependent increase in hepatic GSH after chronic administration of ethanol in drinking water (5 and 10%) for 3 weeks. This increase in hepatic GSH may be due to increased synthesis of GSH in the liver. No significant induction of GST by chronic ethanol treatment was observed in either organ. Ethanol was compared with the well-known inducers phenobarbital and β-naphthoflavone. Although there was some evidence of increases in lipid peroxidation and/or microsomal enzyme activity with the inducers, no simple link between these increases and the induction of GST activity was identified.
Derived data for decision support systems

Abstract In decision-making situations requiring “what-if” analysis, in statistical databases, and in distributed databases, it is desirable to explicitly store derived data without losing consistency with the original data. We introduce independently-updated views (IUVs) for storage and use of derived data for decision-support systems. IUVs support multiple versions, provide derivation transparency, maintain data consistency, and afford control over time of derivation. The notion of data consistency is extended to allow for multiple versions so that versions are consistent with the actively updated database on which they are defined. Implementation issues are discussed and the cost of retrieving IUVs representing different types of derived data is estimated.
Industry-Emulated Projects in the Classroom

Since the "2008 Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate Degree Programs in Information Technology" report was published, it has been acknowledged that capstone courses play an important role in the Information Technology curriculum. As we move into the future, we need to reconsider what should go into a capstone course. The Curriculum Guidelines report discussed multicultural in terms of disciplines, but among employers today, multicultural often means multinational. Further, beginning with the Standish Group's CHAOS report and continuing with the introduction of Agile project development, industry has wrestled with dynamic software development environments. Balancing the need to deliver projects on time, on budget, and on spec with changing requirements and resources can be an overwhelming task for project managers and IT professionals. This paper describes a new type of capstone course that attempts to expose students to the realities of project development in the 21st century and equip the students to deal with them.