cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Loss of idealism or realistic optimism? A cross-sectional analysis of dental hygiene students' and registered dental hygienists' professional identity perceptions.

Objectives The dental hygiene profession in the U.S. is in the process of establishing a direct access model of care and contributing to the creation of the profession of a dental therapist. The objectives were to analyse the professional role perceptions of dental hygiene students and registered dental hygienists in these times of change. Specifically, it was explored whether dental hygiene students’ current professional identities differ (i) from their expected future identities, and (ii) from dental hygienists’ current and (iii) past identities. Methods Survey data were collected from 215 dental hygiene students concerning their present and future role perceptions, and from 352 registered dental hygienists concerning their present and past professional identity perceptions. Results Students’ future professional identity perceptions were even more positive than their very positive current perceptions of their professional role components. Students’ current perceptions of professional pride, professional ambition, work ethic and patient relations were more positive than dental hygienists’ current perceptions of these professional role components. A comparison of students’ current perceptions with dental hygienists’ current and retrospective descriptions showed that students were more positive than dental hygienists in each case. Conclusions The fact that dental hygienists had less positive role perceptions than dental hygiene students might lead to the conclusion that a loss of idealism occurs over the course of a professional lifespan. However, dental hygienists actually improved their role perceptions over time and students’ future descriptions were more positive than their current descriptions, supporting the interpretation that realistic optimism dominates professional role perceptions in these times of change.
Utility of the Uzgiris and Hunt Scales of Sensorimotor Development with Severely and Profoundly Retarded Children.

The reliability and validity of the Uzgiris and Hunt (1975) scales of sensorimotor development were examined with severely and profoundly retarded children. The subjects were 63 severely or profoundly retarded children between 42 and 126 months of age. Thirty of the subjects were living in residential facilities, and 33 were living at home and attending day schools. All of the subjects were assessed on all six scales of the Uzgiris and Hunt instrument. Interexaminer and test-retest reliabilities were computed. Scalogram analyses were also computed for all but the Schemes scale. The findings were that the scales were reliable and, as theorized by Piaget, ordinal with the present sample. These findings were interpreted as indicating that these scales could be used reliably and validly with severely and profoundly retarded children. This was discussed in terms of the present and potential uses of these scales.
A simple and effective methodology for estimating urea selective catalytic reduction systems states based on NO x sensor measurement

NO x sensor-based state estimations for urea-based selective catalytic reduction (SCR) systems have attracted much attention in the past several years because of their significant importance in achieving high NO x conversion efficiency and low ammonia slip as well as low operation cost. Most of the existing estimation techniques require sophisticated design processes and significant tuning effort, which may prevent them from widespread applications to production urea-SCR systems. In addition, the existing nonlinear dynamic observers may not be able to achieve accurate estimations fast enough due to the estimation error dynamics. The purpose of this study was to design a straightforward and effective NO x sensor-based estimation algorithm for decoupling post-SCR NO x sensor signals (NO x concentration, ammonia concentration), and for estimating ammonia coverage ratio of urea-SCR systems. Singular-perturbation based approach was applied to decouple fast NO and NH 3 concentration dynamics from slow ammonia coverage ratio dynamics. Two solution candidates can be obtained by utilizing fast SCR dynamic models and NO x sensor model. Physics-based criteria were developed for further down selecting the solution candidates. Simulation verification results under US06 cycle proved the effectiveness of proposed method in accurately estimating the aforementioned key SCR states. The proposed estimation algorithm can potentially be popularly applied to production SCR systems for cost reduction and for further improvement of NO x sensor-based advanced SCR control systems and on-board diagnostics.
Are you mad at me? Social anxiety and early visual processing of anger and gaze among Asian American biculturals

Eyes are not universally attended to across different populations. Directly looking at the eyes of other people is a socially constrained behavior in many non-Western countries. Furthermore, perceiving emotions and faces are culturally regulated processes (Elfenbein and Ambady, in Psychol Bull 128(2):203–235, 2002; Caldara, in Curr Direct Psychol Sci 26(3):249–255, 2017). This study aims to bridge the gap between the cross-cultural and social cognition literature on gaze and threatening eye perception by understanding the relations between the early visual event-related potentials (ERPs) and social anxiety among Asian American biculturals. EEG was recorded from Asian American undergraduates while they watched isolated eye stimuli under four conditions: Angry Expression with an Averted Gaze, Angry Expression with a Direct Gaze, Neutral Expression with an Averted Gaze, and Neutral Expression with a Direct Gaze. The P1 ERP was sensitive to the combined effect of eye gaze and expression such that the largest amplitudes were recorded during the Angry-Averted eye condition. In contrast, no differences among the four conditions were found for the N170. Furthermore, we found an indirect effect between interdependent self-construal and social anxiety mediated by the P1. Interdependent self-construal was associated with smaller P1 s, which were related to greater social anxiety. The indirect effect supports the Asian American double bind (Lau et al., in Cult Divers Ethnic Minor Psychol 15(1), 77–85, 2009) and identifies a neural mechanism of lessened attention to eyes that may mediate increased social unease. These results emphasize the important role of culture in emotion perception via the eyes.
Effect of Long Protocol on the Outcome of In Vitro Fertilization-embryo Transfer in Patients with Endometriosis Compared with Prolonged Protocol

Objective To investigate the effect of different down-regulation protocol on the in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) outcomes in infertile patients with endometriosis (EMs). Methods A retrospective case control study was performed. Totally 294 infertile patients with EMs were enrolled. And 109 patients (116 cycles) received prolonged protocol as the control, 185 patients (193 cycles) received long protocol as case group, all followed by standard controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH). Response to gonadotropins, the fertilization rate, the cleavage rate, the implantation rate, the clinical pregnancy rate and the miscarriage rate were measured and analyzed between the two groups. Results A trend toward better ovarian response was observed in long protocol group. Higher fertilization rate, lower total dose of rFSH, shorter duration of stimulation and more endometrial thickness on the day of hCG injection were observed in long protocol group compared with those of prolonged protocol group, and the difference was significant (P Conclusion Long protocol regimen before IVF-ET in patients with EMs resulted in a trend toward better ovarian response and higher clinical pregnancy rates than prolonged protocol regimen did.
Negative Chest Radiography and Risk of Pneumonia.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The ability of the chest radiograph (CXR) to exclude the diagnosis of pneumonia in children is unclear. We sought to determine the negative predictive value of CXR in children with suspected pneumonia. METHODS: Children 3 months to 18 years of age undergoing CXRs for suspected pneumonia in a tertiary-care pediatric emergency department (ED) were prospectively enrolled. Children currently receiving antibiotics and those with underlying chronic medical conditions were excluded. The primary outcome was defined as a physician-ascribed diagnosis of pneumonia independent of radiographic findings. CXR results were classified as positive, equivocal, or negative according to radiologist interpretation. Children with negative CXRs and without a clinical diagnosis of pneumonia were managed for 2 weeks after the ED visit. Children subsequently diagnosed with pneumonia during the follow-up period were considered to have had false-negative CXRs at the ED visit. RESULTS: There were 683 children enrolled during the 2-year study period, with a median age of 3.1 years (interquartile range 1.4–5.9 years). There were 457 children (72.8%) with negative CXRs; 44 of these children (8.9%) were clinically diagnosed with pneumonia, and 42 (9.3%) were given antibiotics for other bacterial syndromes. Of the 411 children with negative CXRs who were managed without antibiotics, 5 were subsequently diagnosed with pneumonia within 2 weeks (negative predictive value of CXR 98.8%; 95% confidence interval 97.0%–99.6%). CONCLUSIONS: A negative CXR excludes pneumonia in the majority of children. Children with negative CXRs and low clinical suspicion for pneumonia can be safely observed without antibiotic therapy.
Visualization of the comprehensive birefringent information in polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (Conference Presentation)

We propose a novel method to visualize the integrated birefringence information for polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) of biological tissue. A strategy that integrates the comprehensive birefringence property in a resultant image is introduced to obtain high contrast images of the birefringent samples. Then, color-based automatic segmentation of birefringent components from 3D scanned tissue volume is proposed to isolate the 3D network of the nerve bundles in a whole mouse brain. Experimental validation and demonstrations are given by imaging ex vivo mouse tail and whole brain tissues to show the usefulness of proposed comprehensive birefringent imaging and segmentation methods. These results sufficiently demonstrate the practical usefulness of the proposed strategy of using comprehensive polarization as the imaging parameter in the PS-OCT imaging of biological samples, indicating potential applications in both pre-clinical and clinical environments where accurate identification of birefringent tissue components is important, for example the nerve identification in delicate surgical remove of the diseased tissue mass in surgery.
Algebraic Operations in Linguistic Structure

Mathematical linguistics includes on one hand the applications of mathematical calculation to investigations of the systemic phenomena of natural language. On the other, it includes the study of the objects of linguistics as mathematical objects. The latter is possible because natural language, which is a set of discourses (utterances), can be described as a distinguished subset of sequences in a set of arbitrary symbols. The interest here is not in constructing a mathematically definable system which has some limited relation to language (as a simplification or a generalization or a small subset of it), but in formulating in a mathematical system precisely those properties sufficient and necessary to characterize the whole of natural language and its unique power.
FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO POOR PERFORMANCE OF AGRICULTURAL CO-OPERATIVES IN LESS DEVELOPED AREAS / Faktore wat bydra tot die swak prestasie van landboukoöperasies in minder ontwikkelde gebiede

Abstract Agricultural co-operatives are instruments used to accelerate the process of agricultural development in less developed countries. Co-operatives in less developed areas of South Africa have not, with a few exceptions, been successful in fostering agricultural development and improving the level of living of the rural poor. The paper provides some explanations for the failure of co-operatives to achieve these goals. These include: lack of membership's identity with co-operatives; lack of understanding on the part of members of the co-operative way of doing things; failure of co-operatives to compete with other businesses; inability of members to dismiss inefficient management; failure of co-operatives to provide transportation; inability of co-operatives to keep adequate stocks of requisites; insufficient credit; and the Subsistence nature of agriculture. The study concludes with proposals to improve the performance of agricultural co-operatives in less developed areas of South Africa.
Effect of Low Tunnels and Planting Dates on the Fruit Quality of Organic Day-Neutral Strawberries in High Tunnels in North Carolina

Fresh strawberry is in high demand because of the fruit’s unique flavor, taste, and high nutritional value. Berry quality is vital for fresh markets. Day-neutral strawberry varieties such as Albion...
Calorie labeling law and fast food chain performance: The value of capital responsiveness under sales volatility

Abstract With increasing health consciousness around calorie intake, we assess the influence of calorie labeling law on the stock market performance of publicly-traded fast-food chains. Using the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) final calorie labeling guidelines released on May 5, 2016, as the main event, we assess the cumulative abnormal return (CAR) of fast-food chains. Prior studies have focused on consumer behavior changes following the regulation; yet, the aggregate effects of the law on the financial outcomes remain unexplored. Our findings suggest that the regulation may not have had a significantly negative financial impact on publicly traded firms in the retail food industry. We found that publicly traded firms in the retail food industry with higher sales volatility in the past experienced a negative CAR while firms with high historic sales volatility accompanied by high levels of investment responsiveness – signaling of responsiveness to such laws – had a positive CAR.
Copper Homeostasis in Mammals, with Emphasis on Secretion and Excretion. A Review

One of the hallmarks of Cu metabolism in mammals is that tissue and fluid levels are normally maintained within a very narrow range of concentrations. This results from the ability of the organism to respond to variations in intake from food and drink by balancing excretion, which occurs mainly via the bile and feces. Although this sounds straightforward and we have already learned a great deal about aspects of this process, the balance between overall intake and excretion occurs over a high background of Cu recycling, which has generally been ignored. In fact, most of the Cu absorbed from the GI tract actually comes from digestive fluids and is constantly "re-used". A great deal more recycling of Cu probably occurs in the interior, between cells of individual tissues and the fluid of the blood and interstitium. This review presents what is known that is pertinent to understanding these complexities of mammalian Cu homeostasis and indicates where further studies are needed.
Navigation Along Windborne Plumes of Pheromone and Resource-Linked Odors.

Many insects locate resources such as a mate, a host, or food by flying upwind along the odor plumes that these resources emit to their source. A windborne plume has a turbulent structure comprised...
Using Critical Race Theory to Understand Trial Participation Among Black Individuals With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Qualitative Study of Patients and Caregivers.

OBJECTIVE Black patients with systemic lupus erythematous (SLE) experience greater disease incidence and severity than White patients, and yet they are underrepresented in SLE clinical trials. We applied Critical Race Theory to qualitatively explore the influence of racism on the underrepresentation of Black patients in SLE clinical trials and to develop a framework for future intervention. METHODS We conducted focus group sessions in Chicago and Boston with Black adults (ages ≥18 years) with SLE and their caregivers. We queried the participants about their knowledge regarding clinical trials, factors that might motivate or hinder trial participation, and how race and experiences of racism might impact clinical trial participation. Focus group responses were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. RESULTS We held 4 focus groups (n = 31 participants); 20 participants had SLE, and 11 were caregivers. All participants were Black, 90% were women, and the mean age was 54 years. Qualitative analyses revealed several themes that negatively impact trial participation, including mistrust related to racism, concerns about assignment to placebo groups, strict study exclusion criteria, and SLE-related concerns. Factors that motivated trial participation included recommendations from physicians and reputable institutions, a desire to help the greater good, and culturally sensitive marketing of trials. CONCLUSION Actions to improve clinical trial participation among Black individuals should focus on reframing how trial information is presented and disseminated and on reevaluating barriers that may restrict trial participation. Additionally, researchers must acknowledge and respond to the presence of racial bias in health care. Community-academic partnerships may help build trust and reduce fears of mistreatment among Black individuals with SLE.
Bacterial reduction effect of four different dental lasers on titanium surfaces in vitro

Compare the effectiveness of selected dental lasers for decontamination of machined titanium surfaces in vitro. Seventy-two sterile machined surface titanium discs were individually inoculated with strains of Streptococcus mutans (Sm), Streptococcus oralis (So), Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa), or all three bacteria together (MIX) at 34.0° C, 20.8% O2 and 5% CO2 for 12 h. After incubation, the discs were divided into six groups: 1) no treatment, 2) 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX), and 3) 10,600 CO2, 4) 810 nm diode, 5) 2780 nm Er,Cr:YSGG, 6) 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser groups. After treatment, any remaining viable bacteria were liberated from the discs via sonication, transferred onto brain heart infusion (BHI) agar plates for culturing, and colony-forming units (CFUs) were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed. There were statistically significantly differences (SSD) (p < 0.01) in bacterial reduction of discs individually inoculated with Aa between the Er,Cr:YSGG and Nd:YAG lasers. There was also a SSD (p < 0.01) lower effect with the MIX with the Er,Cr:YSGG compared with all other modalities. Bacterial reduction with the CO2 was better (p < 0.001) than treatment with CHX or the Er,Cr:YSGG laser on killing of So. Although all modalities of treatment showed a mean of 98% or greater viable bacterial reduction, the most consistent bacterial reduction of all titanium discs was with the Nd:YAG laser (100%).
Technology clusters: Using multidimensional scaling to evaluate and structure technology clusters: Research Articles

Empirical evidence suggests that the ownership of related products that form a technology cluster is significantly better than the attributes of an innovation at predicting adoption. The treatment of technology clusters, however, has been ad hoc and study specific: Researchers often make a priori assumptions about the relationships between technologies and measure ownership using lists of functionally related technology, without any systematic reasoning. Hence, the authors set out to examine empirically the composition of technology clusters and the differences, if any, in clusters of technologies formed by adopters and nonadopters. Using the Galileo system of multidimensional scaling and the associational diffusion framework, the dissimilarities between 30 technology concepts were scored by adopters and nonadopters. Results indicate clear differences in conceptualization of clusters: Adopters tend to relate technologies based on their functional similarity; here, innovations are perceived to be complementary, and hence, adoption of one technology spurs the adoption of related technologies. On the other hand, nonadopters tend to relate technologies using a stricter ascendancy of association where the adoption of an innovation makes subsequent innovations redundant. The results question the measurement approaches and present an alternative methodology. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hardiness as the existential courage to grow through searching for meaning.

This chapter considers the role of personality hardiness in helping people turn stressful circumstances from potential disasters into growth opportunities. Hardiness is conceptualized as the existential courage that facilitates facing stresses directly and learning from transforming them to advantage. In this explanation, life is considered to be an inherently stressful phenomenon, which involves having to make decisions concerning ongoing developmental requirements, to which get added imposed megatrends of change. In all this, the hardy attitudes and skills involve not only surviving but also thriving. This form of resilience leads to enhanced meaning, performance, health, and fulfillment. The chapter also summarizes relevant research, which supports this position, and has led to validated procedures for hardiness assessment and training.
Ghost Dances and Identity: Prophetic Religion and American Indian Ethnogenesis in the Nineteenth Century

List of Maps Acknowledgments Introduction: Endings and Beginnings Part One. Identity and Prophecy in the Newe World 1. Snakes and Diggers: The Origins of Newe Ethnic Identities 2. Shamans, Prophets, and Missionaries: Newe Religion in the Nineteenth Century Part Two. Identity, Prophecy, and Reservation Life 3. Treaty Making and Consolidation: The Politics of Ethnogenesis 4. Two Trails: Resistance, Accommodation, and the 1870 Ghost Dance 5. Culture Wars, Indianness, and the 1890 Ghost Dance Conclusion: Prophecy and American Identities Notes Selected Bibliography Index
Chemical-regulated, site-specific DNA excision in transgenic plants

We have developed a chemical-inducible, site-specific DNA excision system in transgenic Arabidopsis plants mediated by the Cre/loxP DNA recombination system. Expression of the Cre recombinase was tightly controlled by an estrogen receptor-based fusion transactivator XVE. Upon induction by β-estradiol, sequences encoding the selectable marker, Cre, and XVE sandwiched by two loxP sites were excised from the Arabidopsis genome, leading to activation of the downstream GFP (green fluorescent protein) reporter gene. Genetic and molecular analyses indicated that the system is tightly controlled, showing high-efficiency inducible DNA excision in all 19 transgenic events tested with either single or multiple T-DNA insertions. The system provides a highly reliable method to generate marker-free transgenic plants after transformation through either organogenesis or somatic embryogenesis.
Species richness and floristic composition of Choco Region plant communities

The Choco phytogeographical region of coastal Colombia and adjacent Ecuador is well known as a region of unusually high endemism in plants (GENTRY, 1982a, 1986b), birds (TERBORGH & WINTER, 1982), and butterflies (BROWN, 1975, 1982). The region is also reputed to be unusually diverse biologically (GENTRY, 1978, 1982a) but much of the data base for this assumption is rather anecdotal and for birds and heliconiinae butterflies (probably the best known groups of organisms) it is clear that faunistic community diversity of the coastal Choco is substantially less than in much of upper Amazonia (J. TERBORGH, pers. comm., K. BROWN, pers. comm.).
Chapter 1 Introduction: A Historical Survey of Research on Gallium Nitride

Publisher Summary Gallium nitride (GaN) was synthesized by Juza and Hahn, who passed ammonia over hot gallium. Their purpose was to study the crystal structure and lattice constant of GaN as part of a systematic study of many compounds. Evidence for high defect concentration appeared in the electron microscopy studies of Lester et al . and the photoconductivity spectra of Qiu et al . The photoconductivity spectrum reveals the presence of a high density of states in the bandgap of GaN. Unlike GaAs, which has an abrupt Urbach edge, GaN exhibits an extensive absorption tail. To obtain a low threshold injection laser with GaN, absorption losses due to absorption at the lasing wavelength must be eliminated. Another factor affecting threshold current is the width of the emitted spectrum because threshold current is proportional to spectral width. Excitons are destroyed by local fields in heavily perturbed semiconductors. Quantum wells (QWs) of InN and GaN barriers are suitable for a wide range of lasing wavelengths tunable by the width of the wells. The most impressive developments in GaN-related devices have been achieved by using metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) of InN, and GaN barriers are suitable for a wide range of lasing wavelengths tunable by the width of the wells. The large kinetic barrier to the decomposition of III nitrides hinders the etching of these materials, yet etching is needed to fabricate devices.
CCP Estimation of Dynamic Discrete Choice Models with Unobserved Heterogeneity

We adapt the Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm to incorporate unobserved hetero- geneity into conditional choice probability (CCP) estimators of dynamic discrete choice problems. The unobserved heterogeneity can be time-invariant, fully transitory, or follow a Markov chain. By exploiting finite dependence, we extend the class of dynamic optimization problems where CCP estimators provide a computationally cheap alternative to full solution methods. We also develop CCP estimators for mixed discrete/continuous problems with unobserved heterogeneity. Further, when the unobservables affect both dynamic discrete choices and some other outcome, we show that the probability distribution of the unobserved heterogeneity can be estimated in a first stage, while simultaneously accounting for dynamic selection. The probabilities of being in each of the unobserved states from the first stage are then taken as given and used as weights in the second stage estimation of the dynamic discrete choice parameters. Monte Carlo results for the three experimental designs we develop confirm that our algorithms perform quite well, both in terms of computational time and in the precision of the parameter estimates.
Regulation of expression of the cytochrome d terminal oxidase in Escherichia coli is transcriptional

The cytochrome d complex is one of the two terminal oxidases in the aerobic respiratory system of Escherichia coli. This enzyme is not present in cells grown with high levels of dissolved oxygen in the culture medium but accumulates after mid-exponential growth, reaching high levels in stationary-phase cells. In this study, the transcriptional activity of the cyd operon, encoding the two subunits of the enzyme, was examined under a variety of growth conditions. This was accomplished by the use of a chromosomal operon fusion, cyd-lacZ, generated in vivo by a lambda plac-Mu hopper bacteriophage and also by the use of a cyd-lacZ protein fusion created in vitro on a plasmid, transferred onto a lambda transducing phage, and examined as a single-copy lysogen. Transcription of the gene fusions was monitored by determination of beta-galactosidase activity. The data clearly show that cyd is transcriptionally regulated and that induction is observed when the culture reaches a sufficient cell density so as to substantially reduce the steady-state levels of dissolved oxygen. The transcriptional activity is also regulated by other growth conditions, including the carbon source. The turn-on of cyd under semianaerobic conditions does not require the fnr gene product, cyclic AMP, or the cyclic AMP-binding protein.
Technological Determinism and its Discontents

This book review takes a critical review of the claim advanced by Susan Crawford in Captive Audience that the merger between Comcast and NBC Universal would harm consumers and that policymakers should instead promote common carriage regulation and subsidize municipal symmetrical gigabit fiber-to-the-home (FTTH). First it evaluates the extent to which next-generation digital subscriber lines (DSL) and wireless broadband technologies can serve as effective substitutes for cable modem service, identifying FCC data showing that the market has become increasingly competitive and likely to continue to do so. Furthermore, the market is not structured in a way that would permit the combination between content and conduit to harm competition. Furthermore, past attempts to recalibrate the balance between content producers and distribution channels have had the unintended consequence of reducing incentives to invest in network infrastructure. It can also deter technical leadership and innovation within the communications platform itself.
Near-Infrared Spectroscopy for Measuring Urea in Hemodialysis Fluids

Background: Near-infrared spectroscopy is proposed as a method for providing real-time urea concentrations during hemodialysis treatments. The feasibility of such noninvasive urea measurements is evaluated in undiluted dialysate fluid. Methods: Near-infrared spectra were collected from calibration solutions of urea prepared in dialysate fluid. Spectra were collected over three distinct spectral regions, and partial least-squares calibration models were optimized and compared for each. Selectivity for urea was demonstrated with two-component samples composed of urea and glucose in the dialysate matrix. The clinical significance of this approach was assessed by measuring urea in real hemodialysate samples. Results: Urea absorptions within the combination and short-wavelength, near-infrared spectral regions provided sufficient spectral information for sound calibration models in the dialysate matrix. The combination spectral region had SEs of calibration (SEC) and prediction (SEP) of 0.38 mmol/L and 0.26 mmol/L, respectively, over the 4720–4600 cm−1 spectral range with 5 partial least-square factors. A second calibration model was established over the combination region from a series of solutions prepared with independently variable concentrations of urea and glucose. The best calibration model for urea in the presence of variable glucose concentrations had a SEC of 0.6 mmol/L and a SEP of 0.4 mmol/L for a 5-factor model over the 4600–4350 cm−1 spectral range. There was no significant decrease in SEP when the 4720–4600 cm−1 calibration model was used to measure urea in real samples collected during actual hemodialysis. Conclusions: Urea can be determined with sufficient sensitivity and selectivity for clinical measurements within the matrix of the hemodialysis fluid.
A Radiochemical Assay for Aminopeptidase N

Abstract We developed an assay for aminopeptidase N (AmN) in which substrate, Arg-Phe-[ 3 H]anilide (24.9 Ci/mmol), can be used at concentrations (1-200 nM) well below K m (12 μM) and at or below enzyme concentration ([E]). Such reaction conditions simulate those in vivo where peptide hormones in picomolar concentrations (⪡ K m ) are degraded by nano- or micromolar concentrations of enzyme. The Arg-Phe-[ 3 H]anilide:AmN reaction obeyed first-order enzyme kinetics when human serum, human seminal plasma, guinea pig serum, or homogeneous porcine kidney AmN was used as enzyme source and substrate was within the concentration range of 1-200 nM. For porcine AmN, k cat / K m was 1.47 × 10 9 M −1 min −1 , k cat 17,640 min −1 . Human serum AmN was in a concentration (about 4.6 nM) in great excess over those reported for substrates such as angiotensin III. Several advantages accrue under conditions of first-order enzyme kinetics: (1) V max / K m is measured directly. (2) When k cat / K m is known, [E] can be computed in mol/liter. (3) IC 50 values for alternative substrates can be taken as K m values. (4) IC 50 values for inhibitors are K i values when K i ⪢ [E]. Arg-Phe-[ 3 H]anilide can be used to measure AmN activity in the presence of chromophores and fluorophores that interfere with photometric and fluorometric assays. We have confirmed that alleged substrates such as angiotensin III and Met-Lys- and Lys-bradykinin are bound by AmN with high affinities ( K m values, 5.7, 9.1, and 14.3 μM). Bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cell cultures were found to possess AmN-like activity. Given the wide distribution of AmN on cell surfaces and its high affinities for the peptide hormones tested, it appears increasingly plausible that AmN functions in vivo as a peptide hormone degrading enzyme.
A note on disc-electrophoresis of human haptoglobin in acrylamide gel.

Four techniques for the electrophoretic separation of human haptoglobins have been experimented. The results are compared, and the conclusion drawn that disc-electrophoresis with 5.5% acrylamide (Cyanogum), ammonium persulphate as gelling catalyst, and TRIS-glycine buffer for the electrode compartments, gives the optimal separation of Hp polymers.
Performance measurement and analysis of low data rate wireless communication under interference sources in buildings

Interference from collocated networks operating over the same frequency range becomes an increasingly severe problem as the number of networks overlapping geographically increases within commercial and residential buildings. This paper aims to highlight the issues affecting co-existence of IEEE 802.15.4 (ZigBee) systems in the presence of interference. ZigBee uses the IEEE 802.15.4 PHY and MAC layer standards to handle devices. The practical performance of ZigBee systems are established with reference to supporting empirical and simulated data. Our experiments show that, among different interferers, interference from microwave ovens is indeed a major problem. Guidelines are provided for installing sensors inside buildings.
Improving the Performance of Difference Frequency THz Generation in Waveguides

Improving the performance of THz generation by difference frequency generation is presented for waveguide interactions. A numerical model is used to show how to optimize THz generation and understand cascaded processes in the waveguide.
En block C-terminal charge cluster reversals in prestin (SLC26A5): Effects on voltage-dependent electromechanical activity

Abstract Prestin, the transmembrane motor protein is a novel protein underlying the motility of the outer hair cells. Nonlinear capacitance (NLC) or gating charge current, which can be observed in both auditory and transfected non-auditory cells, is the electrical signature of prestin's electromechanical activity. To test the functional role of the C-terminus of prestin, several charged residue clusters were reversed en-block by site-directed mutagenesis. They are D/E to K at 516, 518, 522, 524, 527, 528 and 531 ( cluster a ); R/K to D at 571, 572, 573, 576, 577 and 580 ( cluster b ); R to D at 571; and E/D to K at 608, 609, 610, 611, 612 and 613 ( cluster c ). These constructs were transfected into Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO) and NLC recordings were performed to evaluate the effects of these charge substitutions. All of the mutants showed NLC. Charge cluster a reversal significantly reduced the maximum charge movement ( Q max ). All but one mutation (charge cluster c reversal) shifted V h , indicative of the operating voltage range, in the depolarizing direction. None of the mutations affected unitary charge movement ( z ). These data suggest that the C-terminus of prestin lies outside the membrane voltage field, and may play an important role in controlling the operating voltage range through control of the protein's conformational energy profile via allosteric means.
Development of an Attribution of Racial/Ethnic Health Disparities Scale

The purpose of this study was to develop an Attribution of Racial/Ethnic Health Disparities (AREHD) scale. A convenience sample of undergraduate college students (n = 423) at four Midwestern universities was recruited to respond to the survey. A pilot test with undergraduate students (n = 23) found the survey had good acceptability and readability level (SMOG = 11th grade). Using exploratory factor analysis we found the two a priori subscales were confirmed: individual responsibility and social determinants. Internal reliabilities of the subscales were: individual responsibility (alpha = 0.87) and social determinants (alpha = 0.90). Test–retest stability reliabilities were: individual responsibility (r = 0.72) and social determinants (r = 0.69). The AREHD subscales are satisfactory for assessing college student’s AREHD.
The Wallace Vote and Political Change in Tennessee

The significance of the Wallace vote, its origins and durability, and its function in the changing southern political scene are still in need of empirical data and realistic analysis. A large portion of the presidential (and other) voting public in the South has become detached from its moorings and is the object of many who would form a new national voting majority coalition. While the South has been less moved than other areas by some developments, it has shown a great tendency toward regional change and volatility in its electoral alignments since the Second World War. It has moved toward greater susceptibility to Republican presidential candidates and/or conservative third-party movements. The 1960s have been particularly marked by major upheavals in the fortunes of the Democratic party there. Goldwater victories in the South in 1964 plus the electoral successes and strengths of Nixon and Wallace in 1968 have aroused renewed, pressing interest in questions of southern political change and party realignment. Though by no means entirely new, these questions have special relevance in a rapidly changing America today.' A look at the presidential voting patterns in Tennessee, a rim state of this changing South, sheds some light on past hypotheses
Reexamining the economics of aerosol geoengineering

In this paper, we extend the work of Goes, Tuana, and Keller (Climatic Change 2011; GTK) by reexamining the economic benefit, of aerosol geoengineering. GTK found that a complete substitution of geoengineering for CO2 abatement fails a cost-benefit test over a wide range of scenarios regarding (i) the probability that such a program would be aborted and (ii) the economic damages caused by geoengineering itself. In this paper, we reframe the conditions under which GTK assumed geoengineering would/could be used. In so doing, we demonstrate that geoengineering may pass a cost-benefit test over a wide range of scenarios originally considered by GTK.
FENIX, a test facility for ITER and other new superconducting magnets

The Fusion Engineering International Experimental (FENIX) Test Facility is a 76-t set of superconducting magnets housed in a 4-m-diameter cryostat. It represents a significant step toward meeting the testing needs for the development of superconductors appropriate for such large-scale magnet applications as the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The magnet set is configured to allow radial access to the 0.4-m-diameter high-field region where maximum fields of up to 14 T will be provided. The facility is fitted with a thermally isolated test well with a port to the high-field region that allows insertion and removal of test conductors without disturbing the cryogenic environment of the magnets. Its general design features, construction, and capabilities are discussed.
ITALY AND THE COMPANIES OF ADVENTURE IN THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY

(1996). Italy and the Companies of Adventure in the Fourteenth Century. The Historian: Vol. 58, No. 4, pp. 795-810.
A new phase space method for target discrimination

We have developed a method for radar/sonar target discrimination employing techniques from non-linear dynamics. We demonstrate our method by simulating radar scattering from four similar targets where the radar wavelength and bandwidth resolution is on the order of the target size. We find that this method results in a high probability of target discrimination even in the presence of large amplitude noise and spurious clutter. We also present experimental data for acoustic wave scattering from two similarly sized targets. This bench top data was taken in the presence of large random noise and clutter. The identification method is shown to work over a wide range of angles.
Disparities in Salaries: Metropolitan versus Nonmetropolitan Community College Faculty.

This article explores disparities in faculty salaries between metropolitan and nonmetropolitan Texas community colleges. The analysis reveals a significant difference in faculty salaries for the 2000 and 2005 academic years respectively. The study found no significant difference in the rate of change in faculty salaries from 2000 to 2005. Implications for policy and practice are identified.
Effects of 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis[p-chlorophenyl]ethylene (DDE) on lactation in rats

An inverse correlation between the concentration of DDE in human breast milk samples and the duration of breast feeding prompted the present study of the effects of DDE administration on the lactational performance of primiparous rats. Daily doses of 10 mg p,p'-DDE/kg body weight were given to virgin female Sprague-Dawley rats 5 d/wk for 5 wk prior to mating and continued throughout the gestation and lactation periods. Lactation capacity was determined by monitoring neonatal growth and by measuring milk production, milk composition (total protein, total lipid, and lactose), and mammary-gland weight and nucleic acid content on d 9 and 20 postpartum. Gross toxicity was assessed by monitoring clinical signs and body weight of the dams, and by measuring organ weights of the dams on lactation d 9 and 20. Histopathological evaluation of the mammary glands and selected organs in the dams and pups was also performed. The dose level of DDE employed was apparently not toxic to the dams and did not have a pronounced effect on neonatal mortality. No significant differences between DDE-treated and control groups were observed for any of the lactation parameters, even though the concentration of DDE in the milk of treated rats was approximately two orders of magnitude greater than the upper range of the DDE levels measured in human milk samples. These findings indicate that DDE does not adversely affect lactation or neonatal growth in Sprague-Dawley rats at the dose level used in this study.
GPA: An algorithm for LC/MS based glycan profile annotation

Glycomics helps investigate the role glycosylation plays in complex diseases. Liquid chromatography (LC) coupled with mass spectrometry (MS) is routinely used to profile the glycans released from proteins in a biological sample. This enables us to compare observed glycans and their abundances among different biological samples to discover candidate biomarkers. One of the challenges in label-free LC/MS-based glycan profiling is the presence of various charge states and derived adduct ions. We propose a novel Glycan Profile Annotation (GPA) algorithm to automatically cluster and annotate these ions using a graphical model. Specifically, GPA aims to generate a list of unique neutral masses representing putative glycan composition derived from various charge states and multiple adducts. We demonstrate the performance of GPA in recognizing ions derived from the same glycan through analysis of LC/MS data from a serum biomarker discovery study. In addition, a simulation study is carried out to evaluate GPA's performance against existing tools in handling ambiguous cases.
A numerical investigation of the near-wake structure in the variable frequency forced oscillation of a circular cylinder

The near-wake structure of a uniform flow past a circular cylinder undergoing a constant-amplitude transverse forced oscillation is studied numerically using a 2-D large eddy simulation (LES) calculation with a Reynolds number range from 500 to 8000. Two effects are considered: First, a comparison is made between the wake structures of periodic and nonperiodic forced oscillations of the cylinder. This was done to emphasize the importance of wake-structure differences of a periodic forced oscillation and a self-excited oscillation of a circular cylinder with the latter being characterized as a nonperiodic forced oscillation. The nonperiodic constant-amplitude forced oscillations were obtained by modulating the frequency of the periodically oscillating cylinder. The differences in the vortex-shedding behavior were made evident by analyzing the vorticity field in the entire wake domain. Second, the effect of changes in the moderate values of the Reynolds number for constant and variable frequency oscillation was investigated. Significant effects on the vortex-shedding patterns in the near wake were observed for both aspects of this study.
Antisense oligonucleotides containing conformationally constrained 2',4'-(N-methoxy)aminomethylene and 2',4'-aminooxymethylene and 2'-O,4'-C-aminomethylene bridged nucleoside analogues show improved potency in animal models.

To identify chemistries and strategies to improve the potency of MOE second generation ASOs, we have evaluated gapmer antisense oligonucleotides containing BNAs having N−O bonds. These modification...
Isolation of the outer membrane of Branhamella catarrhalis.

Abstract The emergence of Branhamella catarrhalis as an important human pathogen has stimulated interest in investigations of the outer membrane (OM) of the bacterium. In this study, the OM of B. catarrhalis was isolated and partially characterized. Radiolabelled cells were lysed and fractionated by isopycnic centrifugation in a continuous sucrose gradient. Five fractions were identified. Fraction A consisted of OM fragments of varying density. Fractions B and C were OM of a discrete density containing some cytoplasmic membrane. Fraction D was cytoplasmic membrane and Fraction E contained smaller less dense fragments of cytoplasmic membrane. The protein composition of the Branhamella OM is typical for that of Gram-negative bacteria in that approximately 10 to 20 proteins were present with six to eight of these proteins predominating. Having isolated and partially characterized the OM by sucrose density centrifugation, five simpler techniques for isolating OM were employed and the preparations compared to OM isolated on the gradient. Techniques that are based on differential detergent solubility of OM and cytoplasmic membrane were ineffective in isolating OM of B. catarrhalis. By contrast, techniques that involved collection of OM vesicles were successful in isolating OM of B. catarrhalis. Collection of vesicles from broth culture supernatants and EDTA-heat-induced vesicles were identified as convenient and reliable methods for isolating OM. Isolating and partially characterizing the OM of B. catarrhalis represents an initial step in a systematic study of outer membrane antigens of the bacterium.
Management of Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Primary Care

This article presents an overview of current human immunodeficiency (HIV) management for primary care practitioners. Discussion is focused on appropriate screening, antiretroviral treatment, opportunistic infection prophylaxis, laboratory testing and prevention. Improved screening can identify the 20-25% of persons living with HIV in the United States who remain undiagnosed. Expansion of treatment recommendations to include all HIV-infected persons and expanded opportunities for prophylaxis will likely significantly increase the number of persons who receive antiretroviral treatment. Understanding of opportunistic infection prophylaxis, proper vaccination, and comorbid risk factor modification can improve life expectancy for many patients living with chronic stable HIV infection.