cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
PEF Inactivation of Vegetative Cells, Spores, and Enzymes in Foods

This chapter discusses how pulsed electric field (PEF) inactivates microbes, enzymes, and spores in model and real foods. Microbial challenge tests are conducted to determine the effect of electric fields on the inactivation kinetics of selected microorganisms inoculated in real or model foods. The tests are conducted by applying an electric field, which causes the inactivation of a maximum number of microorganisms without an electrical breakdown of the food. The results show that the intensity of the electric field, treatment time, and number of pulses affect the inactivation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae suspended in different treatment media. The direct relationship between the effects of the pulse treatment on cell inactivity and membrane damage—as measured by poor to no spheroplast formation—demonstrates that the death of Staphylococcus aureus spp. is a result of membrane damage. The high inactivation levels obtained over enteric and pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella spp. give confidence in the pasteurization abilities of PEF. This chapter presents PEF studies of many other microorganisms and describes in detail the enzymatic activity reduction and spore inactivation phenomena. It also demonstrates the usefulness of kinetic models to compare the sensitivity of different microorganisms and species under the same treatment conditions.
A single mutation in rapP induces cheating to prevent cheating in Bacillus subtilis by minimizing public good production

Cooperation is beneficial to group behaviors like multicellularity, but is vulnerable to exploitation by cheaters. Here we analyze mechanisms that protect against exploitation of extracellular surfactin in swarms of Bacillus subtilis. Unexpectedly, the reference strain NCIB 3610 displays inherent resistance to surfactin-non-producing cheaters, while a different wild isolate is susceptible. We trace this interstrain difference down to a single amino acid change in the plasmid-borne regulator RapP, which is necessary and sufficient for cheater mitigation. This allele, prevalent in many Bacillus species, optimizes transcription of the surfactin operon to the minimum needed for full cooperation. When combined with a strain lacking rapP, NCIB 3610 acts as a cheater itself-except it does not harm the population at high proportions since it still produces enough surfactin. This strategy of minimal production is thus a doubly advantageous mechanism to limit exploitation of public goods, and is readily evolved from existing regulatory networks.
A Laparoscopic Approach to Epiphrenic Diverticula

Epiphrenic diverticula are an uncommon form of esophageal diverticula that occur in the distal esophagus and are associated with esophageal motility disorders. These pseudodiverticuli develop due to localized esophageal muscle weakness and high intraluminal pressure seen in esophageal disorders that cause outflow obstruction. Patients with epiphrenic diverticula can experience dysphagia, regurgitation, and chest pain. The diagnosis is typically made after a barium esophagram, which also allows for localization and measurement of the diverticulum. Patients with severe or intractable symptoms are indicated for surgery. There are multiple surgical approaches to treating epiphrenic diverticula. However, for the scope of this chapter, the focus will be on the most common approach which is laparoscopic transhiatal diverticulectomy and Heller myotomy with partial fundoplication. This minimally invasive approach allows patients to avoid the associated pain, increased hospital length of stay, and increased morbidity seen with other surgical approaches.
The Development of Pain Circuits and Unique Effects of Neonatal Injury

Pain is a necessary sensation that prevents further tissue damage, but can be debilitating and detrimental in daily life under chronic conditions. Neuronal activity strongly regulates the maturation of the somatosensory system, and aberrant sensory input caused by injury or inflammation during critical periods of early postnatal development can have prolonged, detrimental effects on pain processing. This review will outline the maturation of neuronal circuits responsible for the transmission of nociceptive signals and the generation of pain sensation-involving peripheral sensory neurons, the spinal cord dorsal horn, and brain-in addition to the influences of the neuroimmune system on somatosensation. This summary will also highlight the unique effects of neonatal tissue injury on the maturation of these systems and subsequent consequences for adult somatosensation. Ultimately, this review emphasizes the need to account for age as an independent variable in basic and clinical pain research, and importantly, to consider the distinct qualities of the pediatric population when designing novel strategies for pain management.
Writing as an Epistemological Tool: Perspectives from Personal, Disciplinary, and Sociocultural Landscapes

Representations have two functions for students learning in science: a cognitive function and a contextual function. There has been a long history of cognitive research into students’ knowledge and ability to externalize their perception of a particular concept and phenomena. From a cognitive pedagogical perspective, different modes (e.g., diagrams, drawings, tables) and genre structures (e.g., argument structure) become useful means to organize information, inscribe mental models, and crystalize meanings from chaotic thoughts. Writing is a powerful learning tool to achieve the goals. By contrast, from a social contextual perspective, constructed representations not only simply transfer the information from individuals but also recreate shared meanings for communication and consensus building as a community through searching for deficiencies in those representations by solving cognitive conflict. Several scholars advocate talk that plays an important role to explain, debate, and negotiate meanings. However, science is not “solely verbal concepts, though they have verbal components. They are semiotic hybrids, simultaneously and essentially verbal, mathematical, visual-graphical, and actional-operational” (Lemke J, Reading science: critical and functional perspectives on discourses of science. Routledge, London, p 87, 1998). A recent study conducted by Chen, Park, and Hand (Cognit Instruct 34(2):100–147, 2016) suggest that the synergetic use of talk and writing creates more powerful and meaningful learning environment for student learning in science than talk only and writing only. However, little empirical evidence exists to show what environment and classroom norms have better potential to create dual functions of representations for students. A paucity of empirical research and theoretical framework exists on explaining how students learn science through the dual functions of representations and how students shift their single function of representations to dual functions if they possess single in the beginning. This book chapter proposes a framework and questions from the perspective of the dual functions of representations that may help future research in student learning.
Knowledge of postpartum care and postbirth warning signs among midwives in Ghana.

BACKGROUND In Ghana, midwives are the primary maternity care practitioners. Their knowledge of postpartum care is critical for preventing and reducing maternal deaths because it affects the quality of care provided to women. In addition, midwives' knowledge of postbirth warning signs is important for early identification and management of complications. This study assessed midwives' knowledge of postpartum care and postbirth warning signs to develop interventions to improve patient care. METHODS A cross-sectional survey of 246 midwives was conducted in the four main hospitals of Tamale, Ghana. Data were collected using a postpartum care knowledge questionnaire developed by JHPIEGO. Data were analyzed in SAS version 9.4 using descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate statistics. RESULTS Mean age of midwives was 31.9 years. The percentage of midwives who responded correctly to each postpartum care question ranged from 41.6% to 84.9%. Most midwives were knowledgeable about breastfeeding-however, knowledge about fundus location, postpartum examination, and care during first 2 hours postpartum was low. Hospital was associated with knowledge of postpartum care (P < .001). Only 28.1% of midwives identified all nine warning signs of complications. Most midwives could identify severe bleeding, severe headaches, and high temperature as warning signs-however, knowledge of warning signs of some life-threatening complications such as chest pain, obstructed breathing, and thoughts of hurting oneself was low. More years of experience was associated with better knowledge of postbirth warning signs (P = .03). DISCUSSION Findings suggest a need for additional training of midwives in how to care for postpartum patients and accurately identify warning signs for life-threatening complications.
805. Fatality in Mice Due to Oversaturation of Cellular Micro/Short Hairpin RNA Pathways

Induction of RNA interference (RNAi) by expression of short hairpin RNA (shRNA) holds significant promise for functional genomics and human gene therapy. Therefore, numerous non-viral and viral shRNA expression vectors are currently being developed and evaluated in pre-clinical models of human disease. Here we report efficient expression of shRNAs in entire murine livers from intravenously delivered Adeno-associated virus (AAV) serotype 8, carrying a novel stabilized double-stranded (sds) vector genome with the shRNA cassette flanked by an intact AAV-2 and a truncated AAV-4 terminal repeat (ITR). As opposed to conventional dsAAV with two AAV-2 ITRs, the use of heterologous repeats prevented recombination of the genome ends and thus markedly enhanced vector stability and yield. We engineered a panel of 49 distinct sdsAAV-8 vectors to express shRNAs unique in stem length (19 to 29 nucleotides), sequence, loop structure, and target (human alpha-1-antitrypsin or luciferase gene, or human Hepatitis B or C virus genome). Strikingly, their in vivo evaluation in various wildtype mice, or in animals transgenic for the targets, showed that 36 shRNAs resulted in dose-dependent and often massive liver injury. Typical observations were rises in liver enzymes, emergence of icteric sera, drops in liver-derived albumin, and as a result of the latter, frequent occurrence of ascites. Moreover, histological analyses revealed the presence of megakaryocytes, indicative of liver damage and hepatocyte repopulation. In fact, shRNA-induced liver injury was often associated with a transient RNAi effect, peaking within weeks after vector delivery and completely lost thereafter. Immunohistochemical and Southern blot analyses confirmed that shRNA expression caused individual cell death and liver regeneration with hepatocytes lacking the AAV/shRNA, explaining the transient phenotype. Most strikingly, 23 of the tested shRNA vectors ultimately caused death of the treated animals within a month after the injection. Northern blot analysis of total liver RNA showed that morbidity correlated with high shRNA expression levels, which were in turn frequently associated with down-regulation of liver-derived micro-RNAs. The latter remained stable in alternative models of liver injury, implying a global competition mechanism specifically from shRNA overexpression. In fact, subsequent in vitro and in vivo studies hinted at the karyopherin Exportin-5 as a limiting factor in the common pathway. At this point, we hypothesize that this carrier is used by shRNAs and miRNAs for nuclear export, and that its saturation with over-abundant shRNAs is a main cause for the observed liver toxicity and animal morbidity. Our findings thus strongly imply that control over intracellular shRNA expression levels will be mandatory for the clinical RNAi use, and generally underscore the inherent risks of this technology. These can likely be minimized by optimizing shRNA dose and sequence, as shown by our findings of persistent and therapeutic RNAi against human Hepatitis B virus in vivo.
From Kerry to Chiconcuac: Marie Jones’s Stones in His Pockets and Sabina Berman’s eXtras

Abstract: This article focuses on the Mexican play, eXtras, Sabina Berman's translation and adaptation of the Irish hit play Stones in His Pockets by Marie Jones. Linda Hutcheon, Thomas Leitch, and other contributors to adaptation studies shed light on the process used by Berman to tradapt and glocalize Stones in His Pockets for the Mexican stage, where the combined forces of Hollywood and globalization have likewise ravaged the local economy and where Jones's tragicomic story of exploitation and anonymization played every bit as well as it did in Ireland.
Oxide-free three-dimensional germanium/ silicon core−shell metalattice made by high-pressure confined chemical vapor deposition

Metalattices are crystalline arrays of uniform particles in which the period of the crystal is close to some characteristic physical length scale of the material. Here, we explore the synthesis and...
"Am I Overwhelmed with this Information?": A Diary Study of Couples' Everyday Account Sharing

Many couples report sharing digital accounts for convenience even though this puts their privacy and security at risk. In order to design for couples' secured information sharing needs, we need to look at their day-to-day account sharing behaviors in context. We conducted a 30-day diary study of daily account sharing behaviors with 14 participants currently in a romantic relationship. We analyzed 382 diary entries and 529 sharing stories to understand couples' everyday sharing behaviors. Our study also coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing us to discover new sharing behaviors and account uses in quarantine.
What Social Construction Isn’t

Just as contemporary metaphysics, in general, is marked by an interest in ground, contemporary social metaphysics, in particular, is marked by an interest in social construction. It’s no surprise, then, that some contemporary metaphysicians have come to understand social construction in terms of ground. In this paper, I argue that this is a mistake. In particular, I argue that any otherwise plausible account of construction as ground is objectionably revisionary. First, I discuss an argument for the view that construction is ground that is endorsed by its proponents, and identify its weaknesses. I then consider, and dispense with, different versions of the view that construction is ground, and argue that these either overgeneralize, undergeneralize, or both. After responding to the objection that my arguments presuppose monism with respect to construction, I conclude that though ground is relevant to construction, extant ground-theoretic accounts of its relevance fail to capture it.
EXPERIÊNCIA NO ENSINO DE MATEMÁTICA ENTRE ESTUDANTES SURDOS

Este artigo tem por objetivo relatar o envolvimento de dois estudantes surdos vinculados ao ensino medio regular de uma instituicao federal de ensino do Espirito Santo na semana da matematica. O trabalho foi apresentado nesse evento por alunos surdos cujo objetivo foi trabalhar o conceito de funcao, em Libras, para alunos surdos, muito embora tenha ocorrido enorme participacao de alunos ouvintes na apresentacao do trabalho na semana da matematica. A metodologia adotada e de natureza qualitativa configurando-se um estudo de caso e os dados foram obtidos a partir das observacoes descritas em um diario de bordo. Com base nessa pesquisa, pode-se afirmar que os surdos envolvidos nesta pesquisa tiveram um excelente desempenho ao ser protagonista do processo e ao expor suas experiencias aos participantes, surdos e ouvintes, sendo esta pratica essencial para se reconhecerem enquanto sujeitos surdos, evidenciando aspectos relacionados a sua cultura e seu papel na difusao da mesma, junto a comunidade ouvinte.
Investigation of the enzymes required for the biosynthesis of an unusual formylated sugar in the emerging human pathogen Helicobacter canadensis

It is now well-established that the Gram-negative bacterium, Helicobacter pylori, causes gastritis in humans. In recent years it has become apparent that the so-called non-pylori Helicobacters, normally infecting pigs, cats, and dogs, may also be involved in human pathology via zoonotic transmission. Indeed, more than 30 species of non-pylori Helicobacters have been identified thus far. One such organism is Helicobacter canadensis, an emerging pathogen whose genome sequence was published in 2009. Given our long-standing interest in the biosynthesis of N-formylated sugars found in the O-antigens of some Gram-negative bacteria, we were curious as to whether H. canadensis produces such unusual carbohydrates. Here we demonstrate using both biochemical and structural techniques, that the proteins encoded by the HCAN_0198, HCAN_0204, and HCAN_0200 genes in H. canadensis, correspond to a 3,4-ketoisomerase, a pyridoxal 5'-phosphate aminotransferase, and an N-formyltransferase, respectively. For this investigation, five high-resolution X-ray structures were determined and the kinetic parameters for the isomerase and the N-formyltransferase were measured. Based on these data, we suggest that the unusual sugar, 3-formamido-3,6-dideoxy-d-glucose, will most likely be found in the O-antigen of H. canadensis. Whether N-formylated sugars found in the O-antigen contribute to virulence is presently unclear, but it is intriguing that they have been observed in such pathogens as Francisella tularensis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, and Brucella melitensis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Medication Interactions with Contraceptives

Women with chronic medical conditions often require pharmacologic therapy for management of symptoms or control of disease. Certain medications and classes of medications are known to interact with certain hormonal contraceptive methods. An understanding of the pharmacokinetics of synthetic steroid hormones is crucial to understanding these interactions. Drug interactions may decrease the effectiveness of contraceptives, potentially leading to unintended pregnancy. Conversely, drug interactions may decrease the effectiveness of the non-contraceptive medication, potentially leading to suboptimal control of chronic disease. It is important that clinicians understand these interactions so that they can counsel their patients on safe and effective contraceptive options and provide the appropriate medical therapy for chronic disease.
Foundations Problems in General Relativity

Gravity has attracted the concern and the enthusiasm of a small but enduring number of physicists, which in the last two decades has even shown signs of rapid growth. I shall attempt to explain the fascination of this subject, its role within the sweep of physics research, and comment on some current activities.
Geographies of Cosmic War: Comparing Secular and Religious Terrorism in Space and Time

Following the September 11, 2001 attacks in the U.S., the agenda of social scientists with interest in international security issues has become dominated by religiously-motivated terrorism. This scholarship often emphasizes the claims that religious terrorists are fighting what they perceive as a “cosmic war” of good against evil and that these groups have no interest in potential negotiation with secular authorities as they aim to commit massive acts of violence that will usher in a period of final judgment for humankind. We investigate the geography of religious terrorism as a form of geopolitical agency to critically engage whether religious terrorism involves new representations of old political motivations or whether new geographies of violence are actually emerging. We theorize that a geographic form of terrorism that is consistent with the rhetoric of cosmic war may be more violent, more urban, and less focused on historically-disputed territory or on places that represent centralized state authority. Through a case study of terroristic violence in India, we found little that is consistent with this theory. Instead, we found that religious terrorism was no more violent than it had been previously, although it became more rural while also remaining concentrated in disputed areas. These practices provide no indication of the pursuit of a religiously-motivated cosmic war. Rather, we see the rhetoric as a form of geopolitical representation that connects the use of violence against civilians or non-combatants to larger struggles of good versus evil. A rush to find something new about terrorism after the attacks of September 11 has contributed to an imbalanced understanding that has overly emphasized religious themes in geopolitical representations. A more sensible approach considers geopolitical practices as well. Doing so can clarify what is fundamentally new the next time terrorism seems to reshape international security.
Abstract W MP22: Impact of Difference in Definitions of M1 and M2 segment of Middle Cerebral Artery on Acute Stroke Endovascular Therapy

BACKGROUND: The involvement of the different segment of middle cerebral artery has different implications in terms of acute stroke endovascular therapy as learnt from recent trials. It has been suggested in prior trials that M1 segment occlusion might benefit more from acute endovascular therapy as compared to M2 segment. Ongoing trials have different definitions for segments of middle cerebral artery. METHODS: Retrospective review of latest 71 cases of either M1/M2 confirmed on Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) in prospectively maintained database of acute stroke interventions at our institute is performed. Of these, 49 cases have CTA performed prior to DSA (69%). Stroke Neurologist has blindly reviewed CTA angiogram. Conventional angiogram findings are considered accurate for the exact site of occlusion. Two definitions from REVASCAT trial and SWIFT PRIME trial are then scored based on CTA and assessed in respect to findings in DSA RESULTS: As per RESVASCAT defintion, 34 out of 49 cases on CTA/MRA (69%) have M1 occlusion on CTA. Of these 34 cases, 32 are then found to have M1 occlusion on DSA as well. The number of M2 occlusions were 9 out of 49 (18%) on CTA and all of them were found to have M2 occlusion of DSA as well. The accuracy of RESVASCAT definition of M1 and M2 were 32/34 (94%) are 9/9 (100%) respectively. As per SWIFT PRIME definition, 27 out of 49 cases (58%) on CTA/MRA have M1 occlusions on CTA. Of these 27 cases, all cases were found to have M1 occlusions on DSA as well. The number of M2 occlusions were 15 out of 49 (31%) on CTA and 9 were found to have M2 occlusions on DSA. The accuracy of SWIFT PRIME definition of M1 and M2 were 27/27 (100%) and 9/15(60%). 6 cases (12%) with M1 occlusions on CTA as per REVASCAT definition were defined as M2 occlusions as per SWIFT PRIME. CONCLUSIONS: The examination of angiographic data found discrepancies between these two definitions. The accuracy of REVASCAT definition was better for M2 whereas the accuracy of SWIFT PRIME definition was better for M1. The different definition of middle cerebral artery segments could potentially lead to discrepancies in the eligibility criteria for acute endovascular interventions. The criteria used in determining the M1 and M2 segments should be consistent across the field.
Development of a Back-Illuminated 4K×4K CCD with Low-Noise Outputs

Lockheed Martin Fairchild Systems (LMFS) is introducing a new line of large format charge-coupled-device (CCD) sensors specifically designed for scientific applications. In addition to their large formats, the devices deliver optimum responsivity in the near UV in backside illuminated versions, and feature excellent charge transfer efficiency (CTE) and low readout noise. Performance characteristics of the recently completed CCD447, a 2048(H)×2048(V) imager, will be presented as well as the objectives and development status of a new 4096(H)×4096(V) sensor, the CCD486.
The Many Facets of Statistics Education: 175 Years of Common Themes

The American Statistical Association's primary founder, Lemuel Shattuck, was driven by a passion for collecting and disseminating accurate information on vital statistics, public health, and other statistically related concerns. The 175th anniversary provides an opportunity to reflect on the education-related reasons ASA was founded and what it has done in education since its founding, especially in the past 25 years since the 150th anniversary. An examination of early and more recent issues of the ASA's journals reveals some common themes that have recurred over the past 175 years. We discuss what those themes are and what the ASA is doing to address them currently, and then conclude by discussing what ASA members can do to help.
Temperature evolution of exciton absorptions in Cd1-xZnxTe materials

These studies consist of measuring the frequency dependent transmittance (T(ω)) and reflectance (R(ω)) above and below the optical band-gap in the UV/Visible and infrared frequency ranges for Cd1-xZnxTe materials for x=0 and x=0.04. Measurements were also done in the temperature range from 5 to 300 K. The results show that the optical gap near 1.49 eV at 300 K increases to 1.62 eV at 5 K. Finally, we observe sharp absorption peaks near this gap energy at low temperatures for the x=0.04 sample. The close proximity of these peaks to the optical transition threshold suggests that they originate from the creation of bound electron-hole pairs or excitons. The decay of these excitonic absorptions may contribute to a photoluminescence and transient background response of these back-illuminated HgCdTe CCD detectors.
A Quantitative Analysis of Undisclosed Conflicts of Interest in Pharmacology Textbooks.

Background Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest (CoI) is a standard practice for many biomedical journals but not for educational materials. The goal of this investigation was to determine whether the authors of pharmacology textbooks have undisclosed financial CoIs and to identify author characteristics associated with CoIs. Methods and Findings The presence of potential CoIs was evaluated by submitting author names (N = 403; 36.3% female) to a patent database (Google Scholar) as well as a database that reports on the compensation ($USD) received from 15 pharmaceutical companies (ProPublica’s Dollars for Docs). All publications (N = 410) of the ten highest compensated authors from 2009 to 2013 and indexed in Pubmed were also examined for disclosure of additional companies that the authors received research support, consulted, or served on speaker’s bureaus. A total of 134 patents had been awarded (Maximum = 18/author) to textbook authors. Relative to DiPiro’s Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiologic Approach, contributors to Goodman and Gilman’s Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics and Katzung’s Basic and Clinical Pharmacology were more frequently patent holders (OR = 6.45, P 1 patent (OR = 0.15, P < .0005). A total of $2,411,080 USD (28.3% for speaking, 27.0% for consulting, and 23.9% for research), was received by 53 authors (Range = $299 to $310,000/author). Highly compensated authors were from multiple fields including oncology, psychiatry, neurology, and urology. The maximum number of additional companies, not currently indexed in the Dollars for Docs database, for which an author had potential CoIs was 73. Conclusions Financial CoIs are common among the authors of pharmacology and pharmacotherapy textbooks. Full transparency of potential CoIs, particularly patents, should become standard procedure for future editions of educational materials in pharmacology.
Financing Water Reform in the Western United States

Water scarcity threatens much of the American West yet farmers who use 70-80% of each state’s water, often use flood irrigation — the least efficient method — to water their crops (USGS 2011). Almost half of all the water used to irrigate western croplands is delivered by flood irrigation (USGS 2011). To make this point is not to blame farmers, who, after all, have operated this way for generations. Legal rules are fairly permissive when it comes to insisting that farmers use modern, technologically sophisticated irrigation technologies that cost huge sums of money to install (Glennon 2009). Instead, it’s to suggest that the non-farm sector has an enormous interest in financing the overhaul of agricultural irrigation practices in the West (Glennon 2009). In this article, we sketch a program for financing the reform of western water that would achieve greater sustainability of food systems as well as the freshwater ecosystems that depend on increasingly scarce supplies of freshwater in the western U.S.
Weapons of STAT destruction

The signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) family of proteins function to activate gene transcription downstream of myriad cytokine and growth factor signals. The prototype STAT proteins, STAT1 and STAT2, are required for innate and adaptive antimicrobial immune responses that result from interferon signal transduction. While many viruses have evolved the ability to avoid these antiviral cytokines, the Paramyxoviruses are distinct in their abilities to interfere directly with STAT proteins. Individual paramyxovirus species differ greatly in their precise mechanism of STAT signaling evasion, but a virus-encoded protein called V plays a central role in this process. The theme of V-dependent interferon evasion and its variations provide significant insights into virus-host interactions and viral immune evasion that can help define targets for antiviral drug design. Exposure of the viral weapons of STAT destruction may also be instructive for application to STAT-directed therapeutics for diseases characterized by STAT hyperactivity.
Accuracy and repeatability of an inertial measurement unit system for field-based occupational studies

The accuracy and repeatability of an inertial measurement unit (IMU) system for directly measuring trunk angular displacement and upper arm elevation were evaluated over eight hours (i) in comparison to a gold standard, optical motion capture (OMC) system in a laboratory setting, and (ii) during a field-based assessment of dairy parlour work. Sample-to-sample root mean square differences between the IMU and OMC system ranged from 4.1° to 6.6° for the trunk and 7.2°-12.1° for the upper arm depending on the processing method. Estimates of mean angular displacement and angular displacement variation (difference between the 90th and 10th percentiles of angular displacement) were observed to change <4.5° on average in the laboratory and <1.5° on average in the field per eight hours of data collection. Results suggest the IMU system may serve as an acceptable instrument for directly measuring trunk and upper arm postures in field-based occupational exposure assessment studies with long sampling durations. Practitioner Summary: Few studies have evaluated inertial measurement unit (IMU) systems in the field or over long sampling durations. Results of this study indicate that the IMU system evaluated has reasonably good accuracy and repeatability for use in a field setting over a long sampling duration.
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) disease progression in people who inject drugs (PWID): A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Understanding HCV disease progression rates among people who inject drugs (PWID) is important to setting policy to expand access to detection, diagnosis and treatment, and in forecasting the burden of disease. In this paper we synthesize existing data on the natural history of HCV among PWID, including fibrosis progression rates (FPR) and the incidence of compensated cirrhosis (CC), decompensated cirrhosis (DC), and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
Cell-surface Vimentin: A mislocalized protein for isolating csVimentin+CD133- novel stem-like hepatocellular carcinoma cells expressing EMT markers

Recent advances in cancer stem cell biology have shown that cancer stem-like cells with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotypes are more aggressive and cause relapse; however, absence of a specific marker to isolate these EMT stem-like cells hampers research in this direction. Cell surface markers have been identified for isolating cancer stem-like cells, but none has been identified for isolating cancer stem-like cells with EMT phenotype. Recently, we discovered that Vimentin, an intracellular EMT tumor cell marker, is present on the surface of colon metastatic tumor nodules in the liver. In our study, we examined the potential of targeting cell surface Vimentin (CSV) to isolate stem-like cancer cells with EMT phenotype, by using a specific CSV-binding antibody, 84-1. Using this antibody, we purified the CSV-positive, CD133-negative (csVim(+) CD133(-) ) cell population from primary liver tumor cell suspensions and characterized for stem cell properties. The results of sphere assays and staining for the stem cell markers Sox2 and Oct4A demonstrated that csVim(+) CD133(-) cells have stem-like properties similar to csVim(-) CD133(+) population. Our investigation further revealed that the csVim(+) CD133(-) cells had EMT phenotypes, as evidenced by the presence of Twist and Slug in the nucleus, the absence of EpCAM on the cell surface and basal level of expression of epithelial marker E-cadherin. The csVimentin-negative CD133-positive stem cells do not have any EMT phenotypes. csVim(+) CD133(-) cells exhibited more aggressively metastatic in livers than csVim(-) CD133(+) cells. Our findings indicate that csVim(+) CD133(-) cells are promising targets for treatment and prevention of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma.
Spectral line-by-line pulse shaping

We experimentally demonstrate spectral line-by-line pulse shaping. The shaped pulses overlap in time, which leads to observable fluctuations due to comb-offset frequency variations. Preliminary results of arbitrary waveform generation based on this technique are also presented.
Distribution of liver allantoinase and allantoicase activity in fresh-water teleosts

Abstract 1. 1. Liver allantoinase activity was examined in eighteen species of fresh-water teleosts. Allantoinase activity ranged from 4·17 units/mg of protein in the shortnose gar ( Lepisosteus platostomus ) to 38·41 units/mg of protein in the white bass ( Roccus chrysops ). 2. 2. Liver allantoicase activity was examined in eleven species of fresh-water teleosts. Allantoicase activity ranged from 0·90 units/mg of protein in the wall-eye ( Stizostedion vitreum ) to 2·72 units/mg of protein in the northern redhorse ( Moxostoma macrolepidotum ). 3. 3. Certain parameters of allantoinase and allantoicase kinetics were measured. 4. 4. Findings support the theory that uricolysis may contribute substantially to urea production in fresh-water teleosts.
Birefringence effects in estar base reconnaissance film in an optical correlator

Abstract Coherent optical correlators using Fourier transform matched filters are generally constructed using the interference between a transformed signal beam and an equipolarized collimated coherent reference beam. Polarization effects of any system elements must be accounted for in using such a correlator, or in any system using holographic techniques, particularly if analysers are used. Birefringence effects of estar base film, used almost exclusively in aerial reconnaissance work, have been examined by the authors when such film is placed in the signal path. Methods of compensation for such effects are suggested.
Aging and Recognition Failure

Young and old adults studied lists of A-B paired associates that were subsequently tested for both cued recall and recognition of the B items. Significant age deficits were found for both recall and recognition. The age deficit in recognition was attributed to differences in the effectiveness of the retrieval process in recognition, with no age deficit in the process of evaluating an item's familiarity. Recognition failure, the failure to recognize items that are subsequently recalled, was also observed; older adults showed a higher recognition failure rate than younger adults. These results are discussed within the context of current theories of the recognition failure phenomenon.
Reculturing for equity through integrated services: a case study of one district's reform

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the early stages of an urban district's special education reform effort in which the entire district moved from a programme model to an integrated services d...
Identifying Common Patterns in Diverse Systems: Effects of Exurban Development on Birds of the Adirondack Park and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, USA

We examined the impacts of exurban development on bird communities in Essex County, New York and Madison County, Montana by comparing differences in abundance of songbirds between subdivisions and control sites in both regions. We hypothesized that impacts to bird communities would be greater in the relatively homogeneous, closed canopy Adirondack forest of northern New York State than they would be in the more naturally heterogeneous grasslands interspersed with trees and shrubs of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. We examined birds in five functional groups expected to be responsive to exurban development, and determined relative abundance within subdivisions and control sites across these two distinct regions. We found little support for our hypothesis. For birds in the area-sensitive, low nesting, and Neotropical migrant functional groups, relative abundance was lower in subdivisions in the Adirondacks and in Madison County, while relative abundance of edge specialists was greater in subdivisions in both regions. The direction and magnitude of change in the avian communities between subdivisions and controls was similar in both regions for all guilds except microhabitat specialists. These similarities across diverse ecosystems suggest that the ecological context of the encompassing region may be less important than other elements in shaping avian communities in exurban systems. This finding suggests that humans and their specific behaviors and activities in exurban areas may be underappreciated but potentially important drivers of change in these regions.
Preventing sports injuries: opportunities for intervention in youth athletics

Participation in youth sports has steadily grown over the past 30 years and continues to rise. During the 1998-1999 school year over 360,000 collegiate athletes and almost 6.5 million high school athletes participated in sports. This expansion has been accompanied by an increased awareness of the injury problem associated with participation in youth sports. Estimates are that one-third of high school athletes will sustain an injury during a sports season serious enough to result in time lost from participation. While there may always be some risk associated with sports participation, health professionals can actively encourage injury prevention. In this paper, we describe the benefits of sport participation, the injury problem associated with sports, injury prevention frameworks, and conclude by discussing the changing role of the team physician in youth sports.
Affirmative Action: An Ethical Evaluation

This paper examines four major arguments advanced by opponents of race and gender conscious affirmative action and rebuts them on the basis of moral considerations. It is clear that the problem of past racial/gender discrimination has not disappeared; its effects linger, resulting in a wide disparity in opportunities and attainments between minorities/women and whites/males. Affirmative action, although not the “perfect solution,” is by far the most viable method of redressing the effects of past discrimination. Thus it cannot be dismissed lightly by way of arguing for mere colorblindness.
Introduction: what are the issues in addressing the allergenic potential of genetically modified foods?

There is growing concern among the general public and the scientific community regarding the potential toxicity of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The use of biotechnology to enhance pest resistance or nutritional value has raised a number of fundamental questions including the consequences of insertion of reporter genes, the spread of resistance genes to surrounding plants, and the use of suicide genes to prohibit reuse of seed from engineered plants. Of particular interest is the ability of proteins from GMOs to elicit potentially harmful immunologic responses, including allergic hypersensitivity. The lack of information of the potential toxicity of these products suggests a need to identify the critical issues and research needs regarding these materials and to develop testing strategies to examine the allergenicity of these compounds.
Sounding Like Your Race in the Employment Process: An Experiment on Speaker Voice, Race Identification, and Stereotyping

Research has shown that listeners can identify black and white speakers with high accuracy rates from voice alone, but few studies have investigated whether individuals can identify Asian American native English speakers. In a three-part hypothetical employment process experiment, recordings of white, black, and US-born Asian American voices are used to test participants’ (N = 49) race identification of unseen speakers, evaluations of speakers’ employability, and accuracy of race identification with the introduction of headshots. Key findings show the following: judges demonstrate high accuracy rates of identifying white and black speakers based on voice alone, judges rated the black speaker at least eight times less likely to be hired than the white and Asian American speakers, and accuracy rates of race identification for the Asian American speaker rose dramatically with the introduction of headshots. The study contributes to research on Asian American English speech and extends work on stereotyping and employment discrimination.
Contractile activity of neonatal heart cells in culture derived from offspring of exercised pregnant rats

5-day-old neonatal offspring of exercised or non-exercised pregnant Sprague Dawley rats were used to prepare primary cultures of beating myocardial cells. The cells from the exercise group exhibited a slower beating rate for both single and aggregate cells; a larger cell size; an increased percentage of contracting cells; a greater capacity to form confluent monolayers, and a greater viability. It was concluded that exercise during the period of pregnancy produced morphological alterations in the myocardium of the progeny.
Use of perfusion- and diffusion-weighted imaging in differential diagnosis of acute and chronic ischemic stroke and multiple sclerosis.

Abstract Objective: To investigate differences in lesions and surrounding normal appearing white matter (NAWM) by perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in patients with acute and chronic ischemic stroke and multiple sclerosis (MS). Methods: Study subjects included 45 MS patients, 22 patients with acute ischemic stroke and 20 patients with chronic ischemic stroke. All subjects underwent T2-weighted imaging (WI), flair attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), DWI and dynamic contrast enhanced PWI. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and mean transit time (MTT) maps were generated and values were calculated in the acute and chronic ischemic and demyelinating lesions, and in NAWM for distances of 5, 10 and 15 mm. Fifty-three acute ischemic and 33 acute demyelinating lesions, and 775 chronic ischemic and 998 chronic demyelinating lesions, were examined. Univariate, multivariate and data mining analyses were used to examine the feasibility of a prediction model between different l...
Dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of N'-dimethylaminonaphthalene-5-sulfonyl-proteins: a covalently attached fluorescent label.

Abstract Five reduced and alkylated proteins have been labeled with l-dimethylamino-naphthalene-5-sulfonyl (DNS) chloride in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solution. The fluorescent DNS-proteins have been subjected to disc gel electrophoresis. Sensitivity of the method is such that a few micrograms of labeled protein can be easily revealed on conventional gels by UV light. By reduction of the gel diameter to 1 mm, a minimum of 0.05 μg of protein can be detected. The DNS group has at most a minor effect on the migration of the protein in the SDS-disc gel electrophoresis system.
Distributed global ID assignment for wireless sensor networks

A sensor network consists of a set of battery-powered nodes, which collaborate to perform sensing tasks in a given environment. It may contain one or more base stations to collect sensed data and possibly relay it to a central processing and storage system. These networks are characterized by scarcity of resources, in particular the available energy. We present a distributed algorithm to solve the unique ID assignment problem. The proposed solution starts by assigning long unique IDs and organizing nodes in a tree structure. This tree structure is used to compute the size of the network. Then, unique IDs are assigned using the minimum number of bytes. Globally unique IDs are useful in providing many network functions, e.g. configuration, monitoring of individual nodes, and various security mechanisms. Theoretical and simulation analyses of the proposed solution have been performed. The results demonstrate that a high percentage of nodes (more than 99%) are assigned globally unique IDs at the termination of the algorithm when the algorithm parameters are set properly. Furthermore, the algorithm terminates in a relatively short time that scales well with the network size.
A domain-specific compiler theory based framework for automated reaction network generation

Catalytic chemical reaction networks are often very complicated because of the numerous species and reactions involved. Hence, automating the network generation process is necessary as it is quite labor intensive and error prone to write down all the reactions manually. We present an automated integrated framework for reaction network generation based on domain-specific compiler theory using a knowledge base of chemistry rules. The chemistry rules represent basic reaction mechanisms that the reactants can undergo. The system's domain-specific compiler takes the rules and initial reactants as inputs, parses the rule text, generates the intermediate representation, and finally produces the reaction network by interpreting the intermediate representation. We chose the Abstract Syntax Tree (AST) as the intermediate representation because of its transparency and ease of search. The system executes the AST using the initial reactants, and generates the reaction network. The Reaction Description Language (RDL) has been extended to describe the chemistry rules for catalytic systems, and the molecules are represented by Simplified Molecular Input Line Entry System (SMILES). This framework separates the molecules and the behavior of catalysts, represented by the chemistry rules. This approach accelerates the speed of generating hypotheses for building the kinetic models for catalytic systems.
Globalizing Compassion, Photography, and the Challenge of Terror

In his article, "Globalizing Compassion, Photography, and the Challenge of Terror," Ariel Dorfman reflects on the use of photography to make global violence visible and to mourn the losses caused by acts of terror. Dorfman draws on events that range from the attacks on the World Trade Center to Pinochet's dictatorship to other similar atrocities and he shows that, while these events always feel singular in the moment, they are best understood comparatively. At the core of the paper is a central question: does the shared practice of using photos to represent terror help build bridges across humanity or does it serve as a form of separation? Does it help to globalize compassion or does it justify isolationism and protectionism? And behind these questions lies an even more disturbing concern: How do we mourn those who leave behind no photographic record? In a world that often seems like a superspectacle and where everything is offered up for visual consumption, the ultimate challenge to globalization lies in the lives that leave no visual record. Ariel Dorfman, "Globalizing Compassion, Photography, and the Challenge of Terror " page 2 of 6 CLCWeb: Comparative Literature and Culture 9.1 (2007): Thematic Issue, Representing Humanity in an Age of Terror. Ed. Sophia A. McClennen and Henry James Morello