cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Towards an ethnography of small hydropower in China: Rural electrification, socioeconomic development and furtive hydroscapes

Abstract This paper critically analyzes the disjuncture between rural electrification initiatives, utilization and socioeconomic development resulting from development of small hydropower (SHP) operations in rural Yunnan Province. Across China, a contemporary rapid and sustained proliferation of SHP is driven by government-led programs endorsing the technology as a means to provide energy for isolated communities in areas where grid connectivity is deficient or absent. Through SHP development, rural electrification programs (REP’s) are purported to raise quality-of-life indicators in some of the country’s poorest and most marginalized areas. Currently, there is a significant dearth of research critically analyzing the success or failures of SHP based REP’s in China to improve livelihoods for ethnic minority communities in rural and remote areas. This paper adds to a shallow body of China based research by analyzing outcomes of SHP development through a comparative study undertaken in two rural village communities in the upper Nu River Valley. The study analyzed a range of quantitative economic data before undertaking a suite of qualitative methods such as participant observation, household surveys, semi-structured interviews and focus groups, staggered over multiple field visits. Findings indicate substantial scope exists for SHP based REP’s to achieve stated objectives for improving socioeconomic indicators in rural and remote communities. Due to a range of challenges, however, projects often underachieve or further marginalize residents, commonly mired by failures in strategic planning, lack of implementation frameworks and genuine engagement with community members. A number of recommendations are offered as pathways to improve SHP based REP’s as a means to provide conditions for more equitable modes of socioeconomic development across rural and marginal China.
Novel measurements for radiodermatitis research and clinical care: A pilot and feasibility study.

Abstract Purpose The role of clinician-measured breast length and bra cup size in the development of radiodermatitis over time and the efficacy of using multiple measurements of skin toxicity during radiotherapy were piloted. The feasibility of measures to be used in a larger future study was assessed. Methods and materials Participants included women receiving normofractionated or accelerated external breast radiotherapy provided in the supine position using 3-dimensional conformal techniques at a US community cancer center. Acute skin toxicity was assessed using the RTOG scale in 7 areas within the treatment field across 6 timepoints. The total score for the 7 areas was calculated each week. Breast length was measured, examined as an acute radiodermatitis risk factor, and compared against reported bra cup size. RM-ANOVAs examined radiodermatitis using maximum skin toxicity and 7 sites in the radiotherapy field over 6 timepoints. Correlation was implemented to explore the relationship between study variables. Results Forty women consented to this study. Increase in breast length significantly correlated with increase in maximum RTOG score (p = .04); increased RTOG score in the upper medial breast quadrant (p = .04), upper lateral quadrant (p = .02), lower lateral quadrant (p = .02), inframammary fold (p = .001); with increasing BMI (p = .002) and bra cup size (p = .0003). The clinician-measured breast lengths and participant-reported bra cup sizes were discordant. Participants completed all measures and measurements including breast length. Conclusions Our results suggest that measuring breast length and assessing radiodermatitis in multiple areas of the treatment field is feasible. These measures may increase the sensitivity of skin toxicity assessment.
Use of a best practice alert linking Clostridioides difficile infection test results to a severity-based treatment order set

We evaluated provider adherence to practice guidelines for inpatients diagnosed with Clostridoides difficile infection (CDI) before and after implementation of a best practice alert (BPA) linking a positive test result to guideline-based orders. After implementation of the BPA, guideline-based prescribing increased from 39.4% in 2013 to 67.7% in 2016 (P = .014).
Reliability of reported peri-ictal behavior to identify psychogenic nonepileptic seizures.

Abstract Purpose Differentiating psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) from epileptic seizures (ES) can be difficult, even when expert clinicians have video recordings of seizures. Moreover, witnesses who are not trained observers may provide descriptions that differ from the expert clinicians’, which often raises concern about whether the patient has both ES and PNES. As such, quantitative, evidence-based tools to help differentiate ES from PNES based on patients’ and witnesses’ descriptions of seizures may assist in the early, accurate diagnosis of patients. Methods Based on patient- and observer-reported data from 1372 patients with diagnoses documented by video-elect roencephalography (vEEG), we used logistic regression (LR) to compare specific peri-ictal behaviors and seizure triggers in five mutually exclusive groups: ES, PNES, physiologic non-epileptic seizure-like events, mixed PNES plus ES, and inconclusive monitoring. To differentiate PNES-only from ES-only, we retrospectively trained multivariate LR and a forest of decision trees (DF) to predict the documented diagnoses of 246 prospective patients. Results The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) of the DF and LR were 75% and 74%, respectively (empiric 95% CI of chance 37–62%). The overall accuracy was not significantly higher than the naive assumption that all patients have ES (accuracy DF 71%, LR 70%, naive 68%, p > 0.05). Conclusions Quantitative analysis of patient- and observer-reported peri-ictal behaviors objectively changed the likelihood that a patient’s seizures were psychogenic, but these reports were not reliable enough to be diagnostic in isolation. Instead, our scores may identify patients with “probable” PNES that, in the right clinical context, may warrant further diagnostic assessment.
Population Research Briefs in Population Research and Policy Review

This editorial is aimed at promoting the new series of Research Briefs in Population Research and Policy Review. These shorter, more data-centric articles complement the longer and more conceptually organized research articles published in the journal. Other major demography and population science journals, as well as interdisciplinary journals that feature demographic research, provide opportunities for this type of publication. We are very excited to offer this option for submissions to PRPR. This new publication type presents scholars working within and across different social science disciplines a new outlet for publishing demographic research that is innovative and policy relevant but does lend itself to a full-length article.
Functional Scores of Disability

The development of disability after critical illness is a complex process that is not well understood. Functional status, disability, and impairments are related terms that describe how a person performs in socially defined activities required to care for oneself. Confusion and misuse of these terms limits cross talk between professionals and slows research collaboration. Conceptual models from other disciplines focused on how disabilities develop can be useful for critical care providers and researchers to understand these processes. Improved use of terminology and an understanding of these models are important first steps in reducing this component of post-critical illness suffering.
Neuro-urologic Imaging: A Practical Guide

Many patients with degenerative neurologic conditions undergo imaging as a routine part of a neurogenic bladder care plan. Fluoroscopy is frequently utilized during urodynamic testing to better define anatomic considerations, which could impact storage and emptying pressure measurements. Ultrasound is a common modality because it does not expose patients to radiation and gathers accurate information regarding renal unit size, shape, and degree of hydronephrosis. Computer tomography offers more anatomic and detail than fluoroscopy and ultrasound, but the radiation exposure from these studies can be considerable. Advances in magnetic resonance imaging, particularly functional MRI, now allowing practitioners to combine detailed anatomic pictures with physiologic information to better understand disease pathology. Despite the multiple different available technologies, there are few standardized recommendations as to which study to use and at what interval. Neurogenic bladder care may involve all of these imaging types at some point.
Becoming-Teacher: A rhizomatic look at first-year teaching

Strom and Martin engage with the non-linear philosophy of Deleuze and Guattari (1987) to trouble linear thinking about classroom practices, teachers’ work, and subjectivities. The authors, with the...
A Pragmatic Epidemiological Approach to Confronting the Genocidal Death Effect of Homicide and Suicide among Young Black Males in the United States

ABSTRACTGenocide is a dehumanizing crime that threatens the welfare of any civilized society. Yet, before the annihilation of any targeted human group, the collective outcomes of the genocidal proc...
Real-Time PM10 Emission Rates From Paved Roads by Measurement of Concentrations in the Vehicle's Wake Using On-Board Sensors Part 1. SCAMPER Method Characterization

Abstract Based on emission factors derived from the AP-42 algorithm, particulate matter from paved roads has been estimated to be a major source of PM10 of geologic origin. This is an empirical formula based on upwind-downwind measurement of PM10 concentrations and is dependent solely on the silt loading of the pavement and the weight of vehicles. A number of upwind-downwind studies conducted in urban areas to validate this algorithm have been generally inconclusive because the PM10 concentration difference between upwind and downwind often is within the measurement uncertainty. In the approach presented here PM10 concentrations were measured directly behind a moving vehicle in order to improve the measurement sensitivity for estimating the emission rates for vehicles on paved roads. Optical sensors were used to measure PM10 concentrations with a time resolution of approximately 10 s. Sensors were mounted in the front of the vehicle and behind it in the well-mixed wake. A special inlet probe was designed to allow isokinetic sampling under varying speed conditions. As a first approximation the emission rate was calculated by multiplying the PM10 concentration difference between the front and rear of a moving vehicle by the frontal area of the vehicle. This technique is also useful for quickly surveying large areas and for investigating hot spots on roadways caused by greater than normal deposition of PM10 forming debris. The method is designated as SCAMPER: System for the Continuous Aerosol Measurement of Particulate Emissions from Roads. Part I describes SCAMPER development and Part II describes a comprehensive field testing of mobile methods.
Application of Multiplex Bisulfite PCR–Ligase Detection Reaction–Real-Time Quantitative PCR Assay in Interrogating Bioinformatically Identified, Blood-Based Methylation Markers for Colorectal Cancer

The analysis of CpG methylation in circulating tumor DNA fragments has emerged as a promising approach for the noninvasive early detection of solid tumors, including colorectal cancer (CRC). The most commonly employed assay involves bisulfite conversion of circulating tumor DNA, followed by targeted PCR, then real-time quantitative PCR (alias methylation-specific PCR). This report demonstrates the ability of a multiplex bisulfite PCR–ligase detection reaction–real-time quantitative PCR assay to detect seven methylated CpG markers (CRC or colon specific), in both simulated (approximately 30 copies of fragmented CRC cell line DNA mixed with approximately 3000 copies of fragmented peripheral blood DNA) and CRC patient–derived cell-free DNAs. This scalable assay is designed for multiplexing and incorporates steps for improved sensitivity and specificity, including the enrichment of methylated CpG fragments, ligase detection reaction, the incorporation of ribose bases in primers, and use of uracil DNA glycosylase. Six of the seven CpG markers (located in promoter regions of PPP1R16B, KCNA3, CLIP4, GDF6, SEPT9, and GSG1L) were identified through integrated analyses of genome-wide methylation data sets for 31 different types of cancer. These markers were mapped to CpG sites at the promoter region of VIM; VIM and SEPT9 are established epigenetic markers of CRC. Additional bioinformatics analyses show that the methylation at these CpG sites negatively correlates with the transcription of their corresponding genes.
Vegetation responses to Quaternary volcanic and hydrothermal disturbances in the Northern Rocky Mountains and Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (USA)

Abstract Volcanic and hydrothermal processes produce disturbances by diverse mechanisms and ecological responses are varied. New and published pollen records from the Northern Rocky Mountains and Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem document the response of vegetation to three different types of volcanic and hydrothermal disturbances: (1) Pleistocene rhyolite lava flows in the central Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem created infertile landscapes that have shaped vegetation since rhyolite emplacement. Nutrient-poor, well-drained soils that developed on these flows supported low-diversity grassland during late-glacial time and Pinus contorta forests in interglacial periods. (2) Ash layers from eruptions of Pacific Northwest stratovolcanoes are commonly preserved in lake-sediment records in the Northern Rocky Mountains, and associated pollen records show enhancement of steppe vegetation for years to decades. (3) Local hydrothermal explosions have resulted in vegetation changes in hydrothermal areas that indicate tree mortality following deposition of explosion debris, followed by recovery in years. Thus, the type and duration of the vegetation response to volcanic and hydrothermal disturbances are highly contextual and governed by the antecedent plant communities and the magnitude and mechanism of the volcanic or hydrothermal disturbance. Vegetation resilience varied between disturbances, ranging from enduring ecosystem parameter changes to short-lived state changes in resilient plant communities.
Effects of Different Organic Fertilizers on Some Bioactive Compounds and Yield of Cherry Tomato Cultivars

The tomato is an important fruit, both fresh and processed, for human nutrition worldwide, and plays a significant role in agriculture. Especially in the agricultural system where chemical fertilizers are not used, there may be significant differences in the quantity and quality of tomatoes. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of four types of fertilizer applications (microbial, compost, mixture [2 t da−1 manure +2 t da−1 compost +300 g 100 L−1 microbial fertilizer], and manure) on some bioactive compounds and yield of three hybrid cherry tomato cultivars (Pekbal F1, Yeniceri F1, and Inci F1) obtained from two Turkish seed companies. Interactions between cultivars and fertilizers were investigated for qualitative and quantitative parameters. The highest yields were obtained by application of the compost in Inci, Pekbal, and Yeniceri (1780, 1790, and 668 kg da−1, respectively). Inci F1 had the highest total soluble solids (8.82%) followed by Yeniceri (7.64%) and Pekbal (6.90%). Yeniceri was the least-producing cultivar with four different fertilizer applications. Another important parameter, vitamin C, was highest (32.18 mg 100 g−1) in Inci F1 followed by Yeniceri (30.44 mg 100 g−1) and Pekbal (30.20 mg 100 g−1). Pekbal and Inci cultivars were the most productive under the different applications. Among the organic fertilizers used in this study, compost application was the most productive for all three cherry tomato cultivars.
Continuous Empirical Wavelets Systems

The recently proposed empirical wavelet transform was based on a particular type of filter. In this paper, we aim to propose a general framework for the construction of empirical wavelet systems in...
Growth of the Eigensolutions of Laplacians on Riemannian Manifolds II: Positivity of the Initial Energy

In this paper, the energy function is used to investigate the eigen-solutions of −Δu + V u = λu on the Riemannian manifolds. We give a new way to prove the positivity of the initial energy of energy function, which leads to a simple way to obtain the growth of eigen-solutions.
Neuromorphic System for Spatial and Temporal Information Processing

Neuromorphic systems that learn and predict from streaming inputs hold significant promise in pervasive edge computing and its applications. In this article, a neuromorphic system that processes spatio-temporal information on the edge is proposed. Algorithmically, the system is based on hierarchical temporal memory that inherently offers online learning, resiliency, and fault tolerance. Architecturally, it is a full custom mixed-signal design with an underlying digital communication scheme and analog computational modules. Therefore, the proposed system features reconfigurability, real-time processing, low power consumption, and low-latency processing. The proposed architecture is benchmarked to predict on real-world streaming data. The network's mean absolute percentage error on the mixed-signal system is 1.129 X lower compared to its baseline algorithm model. This reduction can be attributed to device non-idealities and probabilistic formation of synaptic connections. We demonstrate that the combined effect of Hebbian learning and network sparsity also plays a major role in extending the overall network lifespan. We also illustrate that the system offers 3.46 X reduction in latency and 77.02 X reduction in power consumption when compared to a custom CMOS digital design implemented at the same technology node. By employing specific low power techniques, such as clock gating, we observe 161.37 X reduction in power consumption.
What We Bring With Us: Investing in Latinx Students Means Investing in Families:

The educational landscape of the United States has shifted as more low-income, first-generation Latinx students enroll in 4-year universities. Despite this, many underlying structures and practices...
Sleeping with the Enemy: Customary Law as a Tool for Addressing Violence Against Women?

Domestic violence has been globally identified as a huge impediment in the realization of women's rights as human rights. International efforts to address the issue have resulted in regional and national responses by women's organizations, religious establishments and governments. Ghana joined this global movement when in 2007 the Parliament passed the Domestic Violence Act (732), which was heralded as a monumental gain for women's rights. The goal of this article is to examine the fulfillment of the legal obligations espoused by the law. In particular, it focuses on the institutional arena of the judiciary and examines two strategies employed in attempts to enforce the law--the use of court-connected alternative dispute resolution and the establishment of gender based violence courts. This paper argues that the adoption of strategies such as the use of court-connected alternative dispute resolution mechanisms and the establishment of gender-based violence courts, while innovative and in consonance with customary law mechanisms, have not proven very effective in the prosecution of domestic violence cases in Ghana.
A Concise History of Romania

Introduction 1. Beginnings 2. Between East and West, 14th century to 1774 3. From East to West, 1774-1866 4. The national state, 1866-1919 5. Peace and war, 1919-47 6. Romanian Communism, 1948-89 7. After 1989.
Flexibility and Dividends

We develop a model of corporate dividend policy without agency or signaling considerations. The model is based on the idea that management will value operating flexibility when there is a possibility that shareholders may disagree with management and block management decisions. By reducing dividends and conserving cash, management increases its flexibility. This improves its ability to invest in projects that it believes are good for the shareholders in the long run but which shareholders would not provide the capital for because they think at the time these are value reducing. However, the cost of not paying dividends is that the current stock price is lowered. Management trades off these two aspects of dividends. Flexibility considerations help us understand various dimensions of dividend policy that are hard to make sense of with existing theories. Our theory generates numerous testable predictions that we confront with the data. The evidence is supportive of the model.
Gleaning data from disaster: a hospital-based data mining method to study all-hazard triage after a chemical disaster.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the methods of evaluating currently available triage models for their efficacy in appropriately triaging the surge of patients after an all-hazards disaster. Design: A method was developed for evaluating currently available triage models using extracted data from medical records of the victims from the Graniteville chlorine disaster. Setting: On January 6, 2005, a freight train carrying three tanker cars of liquid chlorine was inadvertently switched onto an industrial spur in central Graniteville, SC. The train then crashed into a parked locomotive and derailed. This caused one of the chlorine tankers to rupture and immediately release ~60 tons of chlorine. Chlorine gas infiltrated the town with a population of 7,000. Participants: This research focuses on the victims who received emergency care in South Carolina. RESULTS: With our data mapping and decision tree logic, the authors were successful in using the available extracted clinical data to estimate triage categories for use in our study. CONCLUSIONS: The methodology outlined in this article shows the potential use of well-designed secondary analysis methods to improve mass casualty research. The steps are reliable and repeatable and can easily be extended or applied to other disaster datasets. Language: en
Catalysis of water oxygen and of acetate incorporation into fatty acids by Escherichia coli fatty acid synthetase.

During synthesis of long chain fatty acids by an Escherichia coli fatty acid synthetase preparation in the presence of acyl carrier protein (ACP), fatty acyl-ACP is cleaved. The cleavage in H18OH resulted in the incorporation of about 1.7 atoms of water oxygen into each molecule of fatty acid synthesized. A portion of these water oxygens entered the fatty acid as a result of an exchange reaction. Addition of acetate and malonate decreased the number of water oxygens incorporated per fatty acid synthesized to 1.2 and inhibited the exchange of oxygen between the fatty acid carboxyl group and water. Free acetate and to a much lesser extent free malonate were incorporated into fatty acid. The synthesis of fatty acid and the incorporation of acetate were differentially inhibited by high levels of ACP fraction. No transfer of oxygen from the carboxyl group of acetate to the carboxyl group of long chain fatty acids was noted. These data support the proposal that fatty acyl-ACP is hydrolytically cleaved by the E. coli fatty acid synthetase preparation. The hydrolysis reaction was not rate-limiting as shown by the lack of detectable fatty acyl-ACP levels at any time during the course of the incubation.
INHIBITION BY GLUCOSE OF THE INDUCED SYNTHESIS OF THE β-GALACTOSIDE-ENZYME SYSTEM OF ESCHERICHIA COLI. ANALYSIS OF MAINTENANCE

The observation has been made repeatedly that the induced synthesis of many different enzymes can be inhibited by a wide variety of carbohydrates (Benzer, 1953; Cohn, 1957, 1958; Epps and Gale, 1942; Gale, 1943; Happold and Hoyle, 1936; Herzenberg, 1958; Monod, 1941, 1947, 1956; Monod and Cohn, 1952; Neidhardt and Magasanik, 1956). One of the most characteristic and potent of these carbohydrate inhibitors is glucose. As a result the general phenomenon has been called the glucose effect (Cohn, 1956; Cohn and Monod, 1953). During an investigation of the glucose effect, it was observed that under certain conditions a remarkable situation arose: two bacterial populations of identical genotype growing under identical conditions could be maintained indefinitely with different phenotypes; one population produced f3-galactosidase whereas the other did not (maintenance). Furthermore, a heterogeneity with respect to the induced synthesis of ,B-galactosidase simulating genetic differences could be provoked within a growing population of otherwise identical cells. An investigation of maintenance as well as of heterogeneity in the ",B-galactoside-enzyme system" under conditions of low inducer concentration has been described by Novick and Weiner (1957). The Novick-Weiner effect and the one to be analyzed here prove to be aspects of the same situation. Our studies will be described in three papers.
The Importance of Being Various

Abstract Any ere ative work of art takes on a life of its own af ter its ere ator has re leased it to the world. While this is cer tainly true of text ma teri als, it is dou bly true of mu sic scores. Mu sic is writ ten for per for mance, and so the per form ing art ist plays a cru cial me di at ing role in bring ing a mu sicscore to fru ition. While the the o ret i cal “pure” score is im por tant for schol arly pur poses and as an in di cation of the com poser'sintentions, the various edi tions of a work also con tainimportant informationabout how the score has been in ter preted by ed i tors. In the ab sence of anurtext edi tion, the var i ous per form ing edi tions com pete for the “stan dard” edition. Often ed i tors have al tered and cut works, usu ally with out anyin dr cationofwhathas been altered or deleted. Thisarticle ex amines various edi tions of three works: Smetana's AusderHeimat (a relatively obscure work by a well-known com poser), Rode's Sixth Con certo (an ob scure work-thoughstill in pr...
Carbonaceous films in midcrustal rocks from the KTB borehole, Germany, as characterized by time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry

[1] Amphibolites from 4.6 and 9.1 km depth in the Kontinentales Tiefbohrprogramm der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (KTB) borehole have developed extensive, interconnected networks of carbonaceous films on cracks and grain boundaries as determined by electron probe and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry. In the sample from 9.1 km depth, the carbon is dominantly to completely elemental. In contrast, the carbonaceous matter in the samples from 4.6 km depth comprises a mixture of elemental carbon and simple hydrocarbons such as alkanes, and possibly C-O-H compounds. The microcracks within the 4.6 km sample also contain a retrograde micro-assemblage consisting of ferri-oxy-hydroxide, calcite, and possibly clay minerals, suggesting that the carbonaceous matter and retrograde minerals formed together at relatively high crustal levels and at a time much later than the peak metamorphism. Because the carbon films likely influence the electrical conductivity of the rocks in situ, it is proposed that production of hydrocarbons during retrograde metamorphism of grain boundary and microcrack carbon tends to increase the resistivity of the rocks. This chemical destruction of the interconnectivity of electrical pathways may contribute to the observed diminished conductivity of the shallow crust relative in relation to thto the deep crust.
Potassium channel agonists cause penile erection in cats

Using a feline model, erections caused by a new class of vasodilator agents that specifically activate potassium (K+-ATP) channels (lemakalim, nicorandil, and pinacidil) were compared to baseline and maximal erections induced by a standard drug combination (1.65 mg papaverine, 25 μg phentolamine and 0.5 μg PGE1) injected intracavernosally. The responses were characterized by the maximal intracavernosal pressure, the duration of maximal pressure, the total duration of drug effect, the change in penile length, and alterations in systemic arterial blood pressure. All three K+-ATP channel openers caused erections in a dose-dependent manner. All agents caused similar increases in penile length with full erection, but the duration of maximal pressure and duration of action were significantly shorter (P<0.01) than with the standard drug combination. Lemakalim did not decrease systemic blood pressure as did nicorandil, pinacidil, and the standard drug combination. This study supports the use of an in-vivo feline model for the evaluation of vasoactive agents and suggests that a new class of agents can pharmacologically activate the erectile response selectively by an alternate pathway.
Generalization, lemma generation, and induction in ACL2.

Formal Verification is becoming a critical tool for designing software and hardware today. Rising complexity, along with software's pervasiveness in the global economy have meant that errors are becoming more difficult to find and more costly to fix. Among the formal verification tools available today, theorem provers offer the ability to do the most complete verification of the most complex systems. However, theorem proving requires expert guidance and typically is too costly to be economical for all but the most mission critical systems. Three major challenges to using a theorem prover are: finding generalizations, choosing the right induction scheme, and generating lemmas. In this dissertation we study all three of these in the context of the ACL2 theorem prover.
Isolation and culture of micromeres and primary mesenchyme cells.

Publisher Summary The chapter covers the interaction between mesenchyme cells and other cell types, primarily studied by transplantation of micromeres or mesenchyme cells. The general approach used for the isolation and culture of micromeres is to dissociate the embryo into single cells at the 16-cell stage—a stage when the difference in size between micromeres and other blastomeres is maximal. There are three essential considerations: (1) a suitable species of sea urchin must be used, (2) undamaged micromeres should be quickly isolated, and (3) the culture medium must contain 1% to 4% horse serum. The isolation and culture of micromeres involve fertilization and demembranation, weakening the hyaline membrane, embryo dissociation, and purification of micromeres on a sucrose gradient. The culture medium is Millipore filter sea water (MPFSW) containing gentamycin with the addition of 2% to 4% (v/v) horse serum. The isolation and culture of primary mesenchyme cells involve embryo dissociation, coating of dishes with wheat germ agglutinin (WGA), and WGA panning. Embryos are cultured at 15oC as a 1% (v/v) suspension in MFSW until the hatching blastula stage. Following dissociation and counting, the cells are plated on the WGA-coated dishes.
Grid-BGC: a grid-enabled terrestrial carbon cycle modeling system

Grid-BGC is a Grid-enabled terrestrial biogeochemical cycle simulator collaboratively developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and the University of Colorado (CU) with funding from NASA. The primary objective of the project is to utilize Globus Grid technology to integrate inexpensive commodity cluster computational resources at CU with the mass storage system at NCAR while hiding the logistics of data transfer and job submission from the scientists. We describe a typical process for simulating the terrestrial carbon cycle, present our solution architecture and software design, and describe our implementation experiences with Grid technology on our systems. By design the Grid-BGC software framework is extensible in that it can utilize other grid-accessible computational resources and can be readily applied to other climate simulation problems which have similar workflows. Overall, this project demonstrates an end-to-end system which leverages Grid technologies to harness distributed resources across organizational boundaries to achieve a cost-effective solution to a compute-intensive problem.
Estrogenic induction of ornithine decarboxylase in vivo and in vitro.

Injection of estrogens (17β-estradiol or diethylstilbestrol) into immature chicks results in a marked (30- to 50-fold) increase in the ornithine decarboxylase activity of oviductal homogenates within a 4-hour period. Similar stimulations were obtained when estrogen was injected into hypophysectomized or castrated rats and the uterus was examined for decarboxylase activity. An elevation of decarboxylase activity was obtained in vitro when oviducts from immature chicks were incubated in the presence of estrogen. These data indicate a direct action of estrogen on oviduct tissue to promote a rapid increase in the activity of a specific enzyme and represent the first example of a completely in vitro enzyme response to estrogen.
Evaluation of "credit card" libraries for inhibition of HIV-1 gp41 fusogenic core formation.

Protein−protein interactions are of critical importance in biological systems, and small molecule modulators of such protein recognition and intervention processes are of particular interest. To investigate this area of research, we have synthesized small-molecule libraries that can disrupt a number of biologically relevant protein−protein interactions. These library members are designed upon planar motif, appended with a variety of chemical functions, which we have termed “credit-card” structures. From two of our “credit-card” libraries, a series of molecules were uncovered which act as inhibitors against the HIV-1 gp41 fusogenic 6-helix bundle core formation, viral antigen p24 formation, and cell−cell fusion at low micromolar concentrations. From the high-throughput screening assays we utilized, a selective index (SI) value of 4.2 was uncovered for compound 2261, which bodes well for future structure activity investigations and the design of more potent gp41 inhibitors.
Plant Architecture and Growth Response of Kudzu (Fabales: Fabaceae) to Simulated Insect Herbivory

Kudzu [Pueraria montana variety lobata (Willd.) Maesen & S. M. Almeida] plant architecture and growth were compared for plants subjected to 4 wk of simulated herbivory (75% leaf cutting) and no damage. Simulated herbivory reduced above-ground and root biomass by 40 and 47%, respectively, whereas total vine length and average length of the 10 longest vines were reduced by 48 and 43%, respectively, compared with control plants. Plant architecture was also affected, with damaged plants showing a significantly reduced proportion of primary vines, shorter secondary vines, and reduced average internode distances compared with the control plants. In natural situations, these changes would reduce the ability of kudzu to compete for light and other resources by affecting the plant's climbing habit.
Assessment of errors in intensity measurements of pulse echo ultrasound using miniature hydrophones

Total transmitted power and intensity distributions from diagnostic ultrasound systems have been measured with a radiation force balance and with a miniature hydrophone and instrumentation available in many medical centers. In assessing the accuracy of absolute intensity and power determinations from measurements of acoustic pressure with a hydrophone, ultrasonic power was computed from hydrophone measurements. This power value was compared with the power determined by a radiation force technique. On five pulse echo ultrasound systems, the ratio of the power measured with a radiation force balance to the power determined with the hydrophone varied from 0.25 to 5.5. These differences are attributed mainly to the known large variations in hydrophone response as a function of frequency, and possible time, since several other possible sources of error were evaluated and estimated to have a reasonably small net effect of 25%. The errors evaluated were those dealing primarily with measurement procedures.
Modelling and simulating commercial hot water blanching of potatoes

A method of applying the leaching model for hot water blanching to predict component losses during commercial scale potato processing was developed. The method involves characterizing an individual blancher to adjust the model to account for nonuniform mixing flow. The leaching model is based on the assumption that the water in the blancher is completely back mixed and the temperature and concentration are uniform throughout. The concentration of the blanch water for back mix flow was calculated using the mean blancher temperature. The blanch water concentration for nonideal flow (e.g., plug flow) corresponding to the temperature distribution was calculated. Using some combination of back mix and plug flow the blanch water concentration was calculated. Comparing the calculated and experimental values, a factor to adjust the model-calculated concentration to agree with the real value was determined. This factor then is used to correct future calculations made on this particular blancher with the model. Potassium is used as a key component because it is stable for sampling and analysis. However, the method should work for other components.
To not be afraid

The psychological aspects of epilepsy are lifelong. To maximize a healthy life, it is critical that the patient with epilepsy not view such illness as a stigma. During the Twentieth International Epilepsy Congress, the author presented an autobiographical poem entitled: ‘Life with epilepsy: 1960–1992' 1 . The following poem represents his feelings following the presentation, and his underlying fear of rejection even by educated colleagues.
Comparative effect of gastrin on hydrogen ion secretion, antroduodenal motility and the interdigestive motility complex (IDMC) in man

The physiological role of gastrin in H+ secretion is well established. We decided to study the effects of physiological doses of gastrin (as evidenced by H+ secretion and postprandial serum gastrin levels) on antroduodenal motility in order to delineate its role in antral motility regulation. Nine healthy male subjects, mean age 31 years, had two studies on different days. On day 1, gastroduodenal motility was monitored with a continuously perfused catheter system while gastric secretions were aspirated. After a basal period of 45 min, human synthetic gastrin (hG-17) was infused intravenously in consecutive doses of 6.25, 25, 100, and 400 pmol/kg/hr during 45 min each. On day 2, all subjects had a standard protein meal. Blood was withdrawn on both days for gastrin measurement by RIA. Increasing amounts of hG-17 caused a stepwise increase in serum gastrin and acid output. The D 50 for H+ secretion was 25 pmol/kg/hr hG-17. The mean postprandial gastrin level was 31±5 pM, a level which was comparable to that seen during infusion of hG-17 6.25 pmol/kg/hr. At these serum gastrin levels, antral motility was either reduced or unchanged. Duodenal motility was unchanged. A reduction in the antroduodenal motility ratio was seen at these levels, but there was no interruption of the interdigestive motility complex. These results suggest that at physiological levels, gastrin by itself does not seem to have a major role in human antroduodenal motility regulation.
Comparison of initial pull-out strength of arthroscopic suture and staple Bankart repair techniques.

Abstract This study was performed to investigate the initial failure strength of arthroscopic suture and staple techniques use to treat recurrent anterior shoulder instability. Eight canine shoulder complexes were fashioned so that four 1-cm wide strips of capsule remained attached to the glenoid in each specimen (total of 32 test specimens) these specimens were tested to tensile failure on an Instron model 1331 testing machine either intact (n = 5), or after the capsule was sharply dissected off the bone and repaired with an arthroscopic staple (n = 11) or arthroscopic suture technique (n = 12). The control group failed at 17.75 ± 7.14 kg, the suture repair at 11.0 ± 2.56 kg, and the staple repair at 4.77 ± 2.32 kg. These failure strengths were all statistically different from each other (p
Modification of the Cuticle and Primary Wall of Cotton by Corona Treatment

Transmission electron microscope studies of the surface of air-corona and air-chlorine corona treated cotton fibers reveal essentially no topographical changes. Air-chlorine coronas apparently modify the wax, causing increased wettability, and C-chlorination occurs in about one of every three carbon atoms in the cuticle. About one half of the chlorine that reacts with cotton is covalently bonded to carbon in the wax, the remainder to nonextractable constituents of the cuticle or the primary wall. The secondary wall remains essentially unchanged by corona treatment as indicated by tenacity, crystallinity, solubility in cupriethylenediamine hydroxide, iodine uptake, and moisture regain (the latter may be marginally decreased). Increased accessibility of the fiber interior or secondary wall component to swelling reagents such as caustic, and yarn setting reagents such as benzyltrimethylammonium hydroxide, indicates that corona treatments modify the surface layer or primary wall in such a way as to weaken it ...
Advances in psychotherapy for mental illness in late life.

Received September 25, 2002; revised, accepted October 3, 2002. From the Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco. Address correspondence to Dr. Arean, UCSF Department of Psychiatry, 401 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94143-0984; e-mail: pata@lppi.ucsf.edu Copyright 2003 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry When I first started working in geriatric mental health, the prominent clinical lore (begun by Freud nearly 50 years ago) was that older people could not benefit from psychotherapy because they were too mentally and cognitively inflexible to learn new information or reprocess past experiences. In fact, the most common type of therapy at the time was reminiscence therapy, which focused predominantly on helping older people rehash past events in an attempt to better understand and accept their lives. Although reminiscence is certainly an important component of geropsychotherapy today, the use of this technique alone implied that there was not much older people could do about their situation other than accept it. It also implied that mental illness in late life was largely due to an inability to accept one’s past, rather than stress related to the complications of aging. In the early 1980s, Drs. Gallagher-Thompson and Thompson demonstrated empirically that once psychotherapy had been modified to accommodate age-related changes in cognitive processing, older adults could benefit from active, problemfocused treatment and experience better psychosocial functioning and improved quality of life. Were it not for the seminal work by Drs. Gallagher-Thompson and Thompson, and, later, the work by Reynolds et al. on interpersonal therapy, psychological and behavioral treatment of late-life mental illness would still be focused on containment of symptoms, rather than on improving quality of life. Fortunately, other psychotherapy researchers and geropsychologists have taken the lead and have begun to further enhance the research database on geropsychotherapy. Although the majority of studies currently published focus predominantly on the treatment of depressive disorders, the field is now expanding to address the role psychotherapy can play in the treatment and management of other mental illnesses. We are also learning that psychotherapy is adaptable and can “flex” to be delivered in settings other than those for specialtymental health. This special issue focuses on some of the latest developments in geropsychotherapy for a variety of mental health issues, from the treatment of depression to the management of psychosis in board-and-care facilities. Although the articles in this issue are not an exhaustive list of the work being done in the field, they are certainly representative of advances in geropsychotherapy.
High-sensitivity vibrational imaging with frequency modulation coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (FM CARS) microscopy

We demonstrate a new approach to coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy that significantly increases the detection sensitivity. CARS signals are generated by collinearly overlapped, tightly focused, and raster scanned pump and Stokes laser beams, whose difference frequency is rapidly modulated. The resulting amplitude modulation of the CARS signal is detected through a lock-in amplifier. This scheme efficiently suppresses the nonresonant background and allows for the detection of far fewer vibrational oscillators than possible through existing CARS microscopy methods.
Convenient determination of resonance states in atomic collisions

Abstract A new method, using the finite-difference boundary value method, is proposed for finding the wavefunctions and energies of shape-resonance states in atomic collisions. A numerical illustration is presented for the l = 50 states of OH (X 2 Π).
Fracture toughness testing of graphite/epoxy and graphite/PEEK composites

Abstract The combined Mode I (crack opening) and Mode II (forward shearing) fracture behaviour of unidirectional T300/1034C graphite/epoxy and graphite-reinforced APC-1 polyetheretherketone is characterized using the notched off-axis tensile test. The results and limitations of the test are discussed. The modified three rail shear test is used to obtain the in-plane Mode II fracture toughness, and results for the epoxy and thermoplastic system are compared. Scanning electron microscope images of the epoxy and thermoplastic at various mixed-mode ratios are presented and discussed.
Distribution and morphology of the catecholaminergic neural elements in the human hypothalamus

Previous studies have demonstrated that catecholaminergic, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive (IR) perikarya and fibers are widely distributed in the human hypothalamus. Since TH is the key and rate-limiting enzyme for catecholaminergic synthesis, these IR neurons may represent dopaminergic, noradrenergic or adrenergic neural elements. However, the distribution and morphology of these neurotransmitter systems in the human hypothalamus is not entirely known. Since the different catecholaminergic systems can be detected by identifying the neurons containing the specific key enzymes of catecholaminergic synthesis, in the present study we mapped the catecholaminergic elements in the human hypothalamus using immunohistochemistry against the catecholaminergic enzymes, TH, dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) and phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PNMT). Only a few, PNMT-IR, adrenergic neuronal elements were found mainly in the infundibulum and the periventricular zone. DBH-IR structures were more widely distributed in the human hypothalamus occupying chiefly the infundibulum/infundibular nucleus, periventricular area, supraoptic and paraventricular nuclei. Dopaminergic elements were detected by utilizing double label immunohistochemistry. First, the DBH-IR elements were visualized; then the TH-IR structures, that lack DBH, were detected with a different chromogen. In our study, we conclude that all of the catecholaminergic perikarya and the majority of the catecholaminergic fibers represent dopaminergic neurons in the human hypothalamus. Due to the extremely small number of PNMT-IR, adrenergic structures in the human hypothalamus, the DBH-IR fibers represent almost exclusively noradrenergic neuronal processes. These findings suggest that the juxtapositions between the TH-IR and numerous peptidergic systems revealed by previous reports indicate mostly dopaminergic synapses.