cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SuperContra: Cross-Language, Cross-Runtime Contracts as a Service

This paper presents SuperContra - a Design-by- Contract (DbC) framework that can ship with future PaaS offerings to enforce lightweight contracts across different programming systems, as-a-service. SuperContra is unique in that developers employ a familiar, high-level language to write contracts regardless of the programming language used to implement the component under test. We evaluate SuperContra using widely used, open-source software and compare its performance against existing DbC frameworks. Our results show that SuperContra performs on par with non-service-based DbC approaches and in some cases similarly to code running without contracts.
Molecular characterization of a membrane transporter for lactate, pyruvate, and other monocarboxylates: Implications for the Cori cycle

Abstract Lactate and pyruvate cross cell membranes via a monocarboxylate transporter (MCT) with well-defined properties but undefined molecular structure. We report the cloning of a cDNA encoding MCT1, a monocarboxylate transporter whose properties resemble those of the erythrocyte MCT, including proton symport, trans acceleration, and sensitivity to α-cyanocinammates. A Phe to Cys substitution in MCT1 converts it to Mev, a mevalonate transporter. MCT1 is abundant in erythrocytes, cardiac muscle, and basolateral intestinal epithelium. In skeletal muscle it is restricted to mitochondria-rich myocytes. As sperm traverse the epididymis, MCT1 switches from sperm to epithelial cells. MCT1 is present at low levels in liver, suggesting another MCT in this tissue. By exporting lactate from intestine and erythrocytes, MCT1 participates in the Cori cycle. It also participates in novel pathways of monocarboxylate metabolism in muscle and sperm.
Twenty Years of Publishing Research on Social Work Practice Past Accomplishments, New Initiatives

he inaugural issue of Research on Social WorkPractice was published in January, 1991, fully 20years ago. At the time, some social workers believedthat there was no need for a further social work journalfocusedonresearch,butacomprehensivemarketsurveyofDeansandDirectorsofsocialworkprogramsbySagePublications produced such positive resultsthat the pub-lisher was encouraged to move ahead on the develop-ment of a new research journal.Over the years, I have chosen to author very few edi-torials (Thyer, 1991, 1992, 1995, 2000), one in the 1stissue,withothersmarkingthejournal’s2ndissueandits5th, and 10th years of publication. And now, here weare, two decades old. As an avid reader of journals, Ialways mildly resented the commonplace practice of theeditors of our professional periodicals taking advantageof their appointment to insert an Editorial into eachissue. Usually these are vapid recitations of that issue’scontents, but sometimes we get treated to the Editor’sunsolicited views on some topic of interest to him or her(and often not to the reader). One editor I knowsubsequently coaxed the publications office of a profes-sional association to publish as a book a collection ofsuch editorials written during her tenure as editor. Edi-torials appearing in each issue also serve to artificiallyinflate a journal’s impact factor (see discussion of thesebelow), which is based on the extent to which articlesare cited. The more an Editor cites works recently orconcurrently appearing in his or her journal, the moreelevated that journal’s impact factor will be. However,this is an artificial elevation, not truly reflective of thegenuine extent to which a given article is rapidly citedby independent scholars. I have always thought itunseemlytoengageinsuchpractices, thinkingthatjour-nal space and resources should be devoted to actual arti-cles, not vanity pieces, and I have largely resisted suchtemptations. Largely but not completely, as you can see!However,sinceithasbeen10yearssincemylastformaleditorial, indulge me for a few minutes while I reviewthe history and successes of Research on Social WorkPractice (and cite a few of our more recentlypublished works).
Verification of the BISON fuel performance code

Complex multiphysics simulations such as those used in nuclear fuel performance analysis are composed of many submodels used to describe specific phenomena. These phenomena include, for example, mechanical material constitutive behavior, heat transfer across a gas gap, and mechanical contact. These submodels work in concert to simulate real-world events, like the behavior of a fuel rod in a reactor. If a simulation tool is able to represent real-world behavior, the tool is said to be validated. While much emphasis is rightly placed on validation, model verification is equally important. Verification involves showing that a submodel computes results consistent with its mathematical description. This paper reviews the differences between verification, validation, and calibration as well as their dependencies on one another. Verification problems specific to nuclear fuel analysis are presented. Other verification problems suitable to assess the correctness of a finite element-based nuclear fuel application such as BISON (written to be applicable to many fuel forms and arbitrary geometry) are also presented. BISON calculates the correct solution to each of the verification tests, laying the foundation for subsequent validation.
Mass spectrometry-based carboxyl footprinting of proteins: Method evaluation

Protein structure determines function in biology, and a variety of approaches have been employed to obtain structural information about proteins. Mass spectrometry-based protein footprinting is one fast-growing approach. One labeling-based footprinting approach is the use of a water-soluble carbodiimide, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC) and glycine ethyl ester (GEE) to modify solvent-accessible carboxyl groups on glutamate (E) and aspartate (D). This paper describes method development of carboxyl-group modification in protein footprinting. The modification protocol was evaluated by using the protein calmodulin as a model. Because carboxyl-group modification is a slow reaction relative to protein folding and unfolding, there is an issue that modifications at certain sites may induce protein unfolding and lead to additional modification at sites that are not solvent-accessible in the wild-type protein. We investigated this possibility by using hydrogen deuterium amide exchange (H/DX). The study demonstrated that application of carboxyl group modification in probing conformational changes in calmodulin induced by Ca2+ binding provides useful information that is not compromised by modification-induced protein unfolding.
Spin and orbital rotation of electrons and photons via spin-orbit interaction

We show that when an electron or photon propagates in a cylindrically symmetric waveguide, its spin angular momentum (SAM) and its orbital angular momentum (OAM) interact. Remarkably, we find that the dynamics resulting from this spin-orbit interaction are quantitatively described by a single expression applying to both electrons and photons. This leads to the prediction of several rotational effects: the spatial or time evolution of either particle's spin-polarization vector is controlled by its OAM quantum number or, conversely, its spatial wave function is controlled by its SAM. We show that the common origin of these effects in electrons and photons is a universal geometric phase. We demonstrate how these phenomena can be used to reversibly transfer entanglement between the SAM and OAM degrees of freedom of two-particle states.
Influenza vaccination in the elderly as a strategy to improve vaccine effectiveness

Evaluation of: Nichol KL, Nordin JD, Nelson DB, Mullooly JP, Hak E: Effectiveness of influenza vaccine in the community-dwelling elderly. N. Engl. J. Med. 357(14), 1373–1381 (2007). Recent publications have questioned the benefit of influenza vaccination in the older adult population. To address this issue, Nichol et al. reported a study of 713,872 person-seasons over ten influenza seasons, which showed that influenza vaccination was associated with significant reductions in influenza-related hospitalizations and deaths among community-dwelling older adults. The comprehensive database ensured adequate baseline and follow-up data for annually defined influenza seasons. This analytic method reduces the potential of survivor bias when the baseline is established in the summer months preceding the influenza season, as has been used in other studies. The results were further supported by a sensitivity analysis using a hypothetical confounder to detect a healthy vaccinee bias and showed that the hospitalization...
Indomethacin Prophylaxis to Prevent Intraventricular Hemorrhage: Association between Incidence and Timing of Drug Administration

Objective To test the hypothesis that administration of indomethacin prophylaxis before 6 hours of life results in a lower incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) compared with administration after 6 hours of life, and that the effects of early prophylaxis depend on gestational age (GA) and sex in very low birth weight infants (birth weight Study design Very low birth weight infants admitted to our neonatal intensive care unit between 2003 and 2010 who received indomethacin prophylaxis were analyzed retrospectively. Exclusion criteria included unknown time of indomethacin prophylaxis, death at 6 hours of life) to compare incidence of IVH all grades and severe (grade 3-4) IVH. Secondary analyses examined the effects of the time of indomethacin prophylaxis initiation by GA and sex on the incidence of IVH. Results A total of 868 infants (431 males and 437 females) met the criteria for analysis. Indomethacin prophylaxis was given at 6 hours of life to 168 infants. The 2 groups differed with respect to antenatal steroid exposure, GA, outborn prevalence, and pneumothoraces. After multivariate analysis, there were no between-group differences in all-grade or severe IVH. However, females, but not males, treated at P Conclusion Prophylactic indomethacin administered before 6 hours of life is not associated with lower incidence of IVH.
The Choice of a Vocation

Any discussion of selective recruitment of students for teacher education must turn upon a number of assumptions re garding the way in which young people make vocational choices. In this article, Dr. Jordaan reviews current research re garding the choice of a vocation and of fers a summary of our present knowledge of the subject. He argues that vocational "development" is a better term than "choice" because "Every vocational deci sion has a history.... The final decision ... is the result of a process stretching over many years."The author is Visiting Assistant Pro fessor of Education in Teachers College, Columbia University.
Feature selection for physics model based object discrimination

We investigated the application of two state-of-the-art feature selection algorithms for subsurface target discrimination. One is called joint classification and feature optimization (JCFO), which imposes a sparse prior on the features, and optimizes the classifier and its predictors simultaneously via an expectation maximization (EM) algorithm. The other selects features by directly maximizing the hypothesis margin between targets and clutter. The results of feature selection and target discrimination are demonstrated using wideband electromagnetic induction data measured at data collected at the Aberdeen Proving Ground Standardized Test Site for UXO discrimination. It is shown that the classification performance is significantly improved by only including a compact set of relevant features.
A maternal high-fat diet is accompanied by alterations in the fetal primate metabolome

Objective To characterize the serum metabolome of a primate model of in utero high-fat exposure. Study Design Serum from maternal and fetal (e130) macaque monkeys exposed to either a high-fat or control diet were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Multivariate data analysis was performed to reduce the generated data set. Candidate metabolites were further analyzed for significance by using the analysis of variance and comparative t tests. Results Approximately 1300 chromatographic features were detected. Through multivariate data analysis this number was reduced to 60 possible metabolites. With the use of comparative t tests, 22 metabolites had statistical significance ( P P Conclusion In utero high-fat diet exposure is associated with an altered fetal epigenome and parlays a characteristic modification in the fetal metabolite profile.
Robust machine tool thermal error modeling through thermal mode concept

Thermal errors are among the most significant contributors to machine tool errors. Successful reduction in thermal errors has been realized through thermal error compensation techniques in the past few decades. The effectiveness of thermal error models directly determines the compensation results. Most of the current thermal error modeling methods are empirical and highly rely on the collected data under specific working conditions, neglecting the insight into the underlying mechanisms that result in thermal deformations. In this paper, an innovative temperature sensor placement scheme and thermal error modeling strategy are proposed based on the thermal mode concept. The modeling procedures for both position independent and position dependent thermal errors are illustrated through numerical simulation and experiments. Satisfactory results have been achieved in terms of model accuracy and robustness.
Modeling of reciprocating internal combustion engines for power generation and heat recovery

This paper presents a power generation and heat recovery model for reciprocating internal combustion engines (ICEs). The purpose of the proposed model is to provide realistic estimates of performance/efficiency maps for both electrical power output and useful thermal output for various capacities of engines for use in a preliminary CHP design/simulation process. The proposed model will serve as an alternative to constant engine efficiencies or empirical efficiency curves commonly used in the current literature for simulations of CHP systems. The engine performance/efficiency calculation algorithm has been coded to a publicly distributed FORTRAN Dynamic Link Library (DLL), and a user friendly tool has been developed using Visual Basic programming. Simulation results using the proposed model are validated against manufacturer’s technical data.
Primary pulmonary artery leiomyosarcoma

Primary pulmonary artery sarcomas are uncommon neoplasms with up to 20% of cases being leiomyosarcomas. In many instances, the diagnosis is difficult and delayed. We report the case of a 75-year-old male who presented with symptoms suggestive of recurrent pulmonary thromboemboli, in which a primary leiomyosarcoma of the pulmonary artery was successfully removed surgically. Three years after surgery, the patient is well and with no evidence of recurrence or metastatic disease.
Data mining in an engineering design environment: OR applications from graph matching

Data mining has been making inroads into the engineering design environment--an area that generates large amounts of heterogeneous data for which suitable mining methods are not readily available. For instance, an unsupervised data mining task (clustering) requires an accurate measure of distance or similarity. This paper focuses on the development of an accurate similarity measure for bills of materials (BOM) that can be used to cluster BOMs into product families and subfamilies. The paper presents a new problem called tree bundle matching (TBM) that is identified as a result of the research, gives a non-polynomial formulation, a proof that the problem is NP-hard, and suggests possible heuristic approaches.In a typical life cycle of an engineering project or product, enormous amounts of diverse engineering data are generated. Some of these include BOM, product design models in CAD, engineering drawings, manufacturing process plans, quality and test data, and warranty records. Such data contain information crucial for efficient and timely development of new products and variants; however, this information is often not available to designers. Our research employs data mining methods to extract this design information and improve its accessibility to design engineers. This paper focuses on one aspect of the overall research agenda, clustering BOMs into families and subfamilies. It extends previous work on a graph-based similarity measure for BOMs (a class of unordered trees) by presenting a new TBM problem, and proves the problem to be NP-hard. The overall contribution of this work is to demonstrate the OR applications from graph matching, stochastic methods, optimization, and others to data mining in the engineering design environment.
The correlation of excess molar refraction and excess volume for some binary solutions; a new approach

Abstract It has long been known that the molar refractions of solutions,Rν= {(n2- 1)/(n2+ 2}νVm, can be estimated from those of the separated components using additivity relations, but deviations from such rules have been large enough to prevent practical application (such as the calculation of excess volumes from excess refractive index data, or vice versa). The present paper develops an empirical correction to additivity resulting from asymmetry in the concentration dependence of the dispersion energy, thus permitting practical application of additivity rules forRν. With this new approach, it becomes possible to use conveniently obtained continuous-dilution differential refractometry data (c.d.d.r.) to yield both excess molar refractions and excess volumes over the entire concentration range.
A modern analgesics pain 'pyramid'.

Summary What is known and objective In an effort to provide guidance for the use of analgesics for pain management – while at the same time acknowledging the professional, patient and regulatory–legal concerns about the use of strong opioids – the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1986 suggested a conservative stepwise approach. In addition to the use of non-pharmacologic measures, the WHO recommended that pharmacotherapy be initiated using a non-opioid analgesic first and then progress through ‘weak’ opioids or analgesic combinations to ‘strong’ opioids if, and only if, needed. This approach gave a rationale, and a justification if necessary, for the use of opioids. This stepwise approach became widely known as the WHO analgesic ‘ladder’. Comment Since the initial WHO guidance, there have been significant changes in the understanding of pain. It is increasingly considered a physiological process that merits and deserves independent treatment. In addition, more analgesic options are available now than in 1986. What is new and conclusion Because of the evolving understanding of the physiology of pain and better approaches to its management, we suggest that more modern best practice is an analgesic ‘pyramid’.
Error Analysis Using the Variance-Covariance Matrix

The variance-covariance matrix for a linear fit to y = b + mx is defined, and its use in computing the errors for derived quantities from the fit is illustrated. The matrix formalism is used to derive analytical expressions for the vertical and horizontal error bands, calibration curve error bands, and the error in the area under the regression line. Although most spreadsheet regression routines do not make the complete variance-covariance matrix available, the missing covariance matrix element can be computed easily. An Excel spreadsheet is presented that uses the matrix formalism to compute the error in analyte concentration from a fit of standard additions data.
The Post-Embryonic Development of Ophiotaenia gracilis Jones, Cheng and Gillespie, 1958, A Cestode Parasite of Bullfrogs

The development of the larval stages of Ophiotaenia gracilis Jones, Cheng and Gillespie, 1958, was experimentally demonstrated to occur in the copepod Eucyclops agilis. Eggs were recovered from worms found in naturally infected bullfrogs in Colorado. This is the first report of this parasite in Colorado. Twenty-four hours after ingestion of the embryonated egg, procercoids were seen in the hemocoel of the copepod. Calcareous bodies appeared 9 days after infection. The larvae developed a cercomer by the 13th day of infection and lost it on the 16th day. Measurements and illustrations are given for the developmental stages.
Materialist Mappings of Knowing in Being: Researchers Constituted in the Production of Knowledge.

In keeping with the editor's call for this special issue, this paper demonstrates how reading data with and through a new materialist lens opens up different ways of seeing and thinking. Drawing on material feminist theory, the author presents an illustration of how such practices produce a different encounter with data, research settings, and participants as she is made and unmade in intra-actions with matter, both material and discursive.
The Notch response inhibitor DAPT enhances neuronal differentiation in embryonic stem cell-derived embryoid bodies independently of sonic hedgehog signaling

During development of the neural tube, inhibition of the Notch response as well as the activation of the Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) response results in the formation of neuronal cell types. To determine whether Shh and Notch act independently, we tested the effects of the Notch inhibitor DAPT (N-[N-(3,5-difluorophenacetyl)-l-alanyl]-S-phenylglycine t-butyl ester) on neuralized, embryonic stem (ES) cell-derived embryoid bodies (EBs), while varying the levels of Shh pathway activation. Shh-resistant EBs were derived from Smo null ES cells, while EBs with constitutive high level of Shh pathway activation were derived from Ptc1 null ES cells. Intermediate levels of Shh pathway activation was achieved by the addition of ShhN to the EB culture medium. It was found that DAPT-mediated inhibition of the Notch response resulted in enhanced neuronal differentiation. In the absence of Shh, more interneurons were detected, while the main effect of DAPT on EBs with an activated Shh response was the precocious loss of ventral neuronal precursor-specific markers. Developmental Dynamics 236:886–892, 2007. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Evidence for a noradrenergic projection to the subcommissural organ

Several physiological studies have shown that the subcommissural organ (SCO) is influenced by catecholamines. This study provides immunohistochemical evidence for a noradrenergic input to the SCO of rats. A light plexus of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-and dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (D beta H)-positive axons present in the SCO of both Long-Evans and Sprague-Dawley rats. The innervation density was greatest in the hypendymal wing of the rostral aspect of the SCO and it declined both caudally in the hypendymal wing and medially in the hypendymal layer. Some TH- and D beta D beta H-immunoreactive fibers entered the lateral margin of the ependymal layer along the basal surface of ependymal cells; others coursed medially in the transverse plane to ramify along the base of the ependymal cells. These fibers are presumed to be noradrenergic because phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase immunoreactivity was absent in adjacent sections through the SCO. Considering the potential role of the SCO region in sodium homeostasis, these data suggest that central noradrenergic input to the SCO may parallel peripheral catecholaminergic mechanisms that regulate sodium balance.
Outcome of treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder in a primary care unit serving Vietnam veterans.

Veterans diagnosed with PTSD (PTSD in-treatment,N=39), newly admitted to a comprehensive 90-day inpatient treatment program, were tracked at 4-week intervals from admission to discharge. Two control groups were also tracked over 12-week periods — one of previously PTSD diagnosed and treated veterans (PTSD out-of-treatment,N=26), and a second that combined non-PTSD Vietnam era veterans (N=17) and non-veterans (N=16) (non-PTSD nontreatment). As measured by the Penn Inventory for PTSD, 48% of those who completed treatment showed some or substantial gains, 39% showed no gain, and 13% reported some increase in symptoms at the time of discharge. Several patterns were observed on other assessment measures. One year follow-up for those who completed treatment showed a return to pretreatment levels on the PTSD symptom measures employed in this study. These results are discussed in relation to other treatment program outcome studies as a baseline for further research.
LEARNER‐CONTROLLED STATISTICS

Abstract This paper describes a qualitatively new approach to computer‐assisted instruction which combines the qualities of information retrieval and programmed sequences into a series of maps. Thus, the student can chart his own path through introductory statistics. Throughout the process he is confronted with both structure and content simultaneously while making selections that fit his needs.
‘NORMAL POLITICAL ACTIVITIES’: RHODESIA, THE PEARCE COMMISSION, AND THE AFRICAN NATIONAL COUNCIL

In 1972 a British commission arrived in Rhodesia to test how acceptable the latest and most comprehensive proposals to end Rhodesia's rebellion were to its entire people. Africans rejected the proposals in overwhelming numbers. Such powerful opposition was attributed to the African National Council, said to be a new and spontaneous organization, but in fact the creation of the banned political parties. This article examines the political agitation during the Pearce Commission's visit to show how commonplace the layers of political affiliation, substitution, and deception were in the groups that both supported and opposed the proposals in 1970s Rhodesia.
Atrial septal defect in older age groups

ATRIAL SEPTAL defect is the most common congenital cardiac malformation in middleaged patients .'.' It may be compatible with long life and may actually be an incidental finding at postmortem examination? The clinical picture of this disorder is well recognized in children and young adults. In the middle-aged or elderly patients, however, the clinical profile may be bizarre and may suggest acquired or degenerative heart disease or primary pulmonary disease . The purpose of this communication is to contrast ten such instances of clinically atypical atrial septal defect, masquerading as other forms of cardiopulmonary disorder .
Pro-BDNF–induced synaptic depression and retraction at developing neuromuscular synapses

Postsynaptic cells generate positive and negative signals that retrogradely modulate presynaptic function. At developing neuromuscular synapses, prolonged stimulation of muscle cells induces sustained synaptic depression. We provide evidence that pro–brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a negative retrograde signal that can be converted into a positive signal by metalloproteases at the synaptic junctions. Application of pro-BDNF induces a dramatic decrease in synaptic efficacy followed by a retraction of presynaptic terminals, and these effects are mediated by presynaptic pan-neurotrophin receptor p75 (p75NTR), the pro-BDNF receptor. A brief stimulation of myocytes expressing cleavable or uncleavable pro-BDNF elicits synaptic potentiation or depression, respectively. Extracellular application of metalloprotease inhibitors, which inhibits the cleavage of endogenous pro-BDNF, facilitates the muscle stimulation–induced synaptic depression. Inhibition of presynaptic p75NTR or postsynaptic BDNF expression also blocks the activity-dependent synaptic depression and retraction. These results support a model in which postsynaptic secretion of a single molecule, pro-BDNF, may stabilize or eliminate presynaptic terminals depending on its proteolytic conversion at the synapses.
The hypothesis that antagonism of fentanyl analgesia by 2-chloroprocaine is mediated by direct action on opioid receptors.

Background and Objectives Although 2-chloroprocaine continues to be a useful drug for epidural anesthesia in obstetrics, it has the anomalous action of decreasing the analgesic effectiveness of subsequently administered epidural fentanyl. Some investigators have suggested that 2-chloroprocaine may act at an opioid receptor site to antagonize the effects of fentanyl. The purpose of our studies was to investigate this hypothesis. Methods Radioligiand binding assays using the mu and kappa opioid receptor-selective radioligands [3H]-DAMGO and [3H]-U69,593, respectively, were performed to determine the potencies of lidocaine, 2-chloroprocaine, and 2-chloroprocaine metabolites at the mu and kappa opioid receptor sites. Electrophysiologic experiments in in vitro hippocampal slice preparations were then used to examine the effects of 2-chloroprocaine at these opioid receptor subtypes. Results Lidocaine caused a partial reduction of [3H]-DAMGO binding, which was dose-limited owing to the solubility of lidocaine. 2-Chloroprocaine caused complete displacement of [3H]-DAMGO binding, with a median effective concentration of 1.44 ± 0.36 mM. The EC50 values for [3H]-U69,593 displacement were 177 ± 47 μM for 2-chloroprocaine and 2.53 ± 0.48 mM for lidocaine. Assuming a competitive interaction between anesthetic and opioid, the Ki value for 2-chloroprocaine was 435 μM at mu receptors and 49 μM at kappa receptors. In the mu activity bioassay, 2-chloroprocaine reversed the increased neuronal excitability caused by fentanyl, but this effect was further reduced by naloxone. In addition, 2-chloroprocaine did not reverse the afterdepolarization caused by fentanyl. In the kappa activity bioassay, 2-chloroprocaine produced effects similar to the kappa agonist U69,593, but these were not antagonized by naloxone. Conclusions Although 2-chloroprocaine has binding affinity at mu and kappa opioid receptor sites, it does not appear to act through an opioid receptor to antagonize the physiologic effects of fentanyl.
Measurement of nonenzymatically glucosylated serum protein by an improved thiobarbituric acid assay

We describe here some useful modifications of the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) assay for measurement of nonenzymatic glucosylation of serum protein. The modified assay minimizes interference by glucose without a lengthy dialysis step, and does not require an independent blank determination. These modifications should make the TBA assay more convenient for evaluating glycemic control in diabetes. Serum protein is first precipitated with cold ethanol to remove endogenous glucose. The protein is then hydrolyzed in an oxalic acid solution to release glucose as hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). The HMF is reacted with TBA to form a chromophore which is extracted into isobutanol for spectrophotometric analysis (lambda max = 435 nm). The absorbance at 435 nm is corrected by subtracting a blank reading at 500 nm, and the nmol HMF released is determined using a standard curve prepared with pure HMF. Normal values of this assay for both adults and children are 0.38 +/- 0.10 nmol HMF/mg serum protein (means +/- 2 SD). When the assay was applied to serum samples from a group of 39 Type I diabetic children more than 90% of the children exceeded the normal range of the assay.
Introducing the Newborn Hearing Screening Training Curriculum

Abstract Although hospital based universal newborn hearing screening programs have been implemented in the majority of hospitals in the country, state Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI...
Preemptive perineural bupivacaine attenuates the maintenance of mechanical and cold allodynia in a rat spinal nerve ligation model.

Neuropathic pain is evasive to treat once developed, however evidence suggests that local administration of anesthetics near the time of injury reduces the development of neuropathic pain. As abnormal electrical signaling in the damaged nerve contributes to the initiation and maintenance of neuropathic pain, local administration of anesthetics prior to injury may reduce its development. We hypothesized that local treatment with bupivacaine prior to nerve injury in a rat model of spinal nerve ligation (SNL) would attenuate the initiation and/or maintenance of neuropathic pain behaviors. On the day prior to SNL, baseline measures of pre-injury mechanical, thermal, and/or cold sensitivity were recorded in adult male Sprague–Dawley rats. Immediately prior to SNL or sham treatment, the right L5 nerve was perineurally bathed in either 0.05 mL bupivacaine (0.5 %) or sterile saline (0.9 %) for 30 min. Mechanical allodynia, thermal hyperalgesia, and/or cold allodynia were then examined at 3, 7, 10, 14 and 21 days following SNL. Rats exhibited both mechanical and cold allodynia, but not thermal hyperalgesia, within 3 days and up to 21 days post-SNL. No significant pain behaviors were observed in sham controls. Preemptive local bupivacaine significantly attenuated both mechanical and cold allodynia as early as 10 days following SNL compared to saline controls and were not significantly different from sham controls. These data indicate that local treatment with bupivacaine prior to surgical manipulations that are known to cause nerve damage may protect against the maintenance of chronic neuropathic pain.
Phosphorus equivalency value of an Escherichia coli phytase in the diets of White Pekin ducks

Male White Pekin ducks at 7 d posthatch were used in a 10-d experiment to determine the equivalency value of an Escherichia coli phytase (Phyzyme XP) in corn-soybean meal-based mash diets. Two hundred fifty-six ducks were grouped by weight into 8 blocks of 8 cages with 4 ducks per cage. The 8 diets consisted of a P-adequate positive control corn-soybean meal formulated to contain CP, Ca, total P, and nonphytate P at 220, 8, 6.6, and 4 g/kg, respectively; a low-P negative control (NC) corn-soybean meal basal diet formulated to contain CP, Ca, total P, and nonphytate P at 220, 6.5, 3.9, and 1.3 g/kg, respectively; NC diet plus 0.5, 1.0, or 1.5 g of inorganic P from monosodium phosphate/kg; and NC diet plus E. coli phytase at 500, 1,000, or 1,500 units/kg. Ducks were provided ad libitum access to water and experimental diets. Feeding the low-P NC diet to ducks reduced (P<0.01) BW gain, feed intake, G:F, tibia ash, ileal digestibility, and utilization of P. Supplementation of the NC diet with inorganic P or phytase linearly improved (P<0.01) final weight, BW gain, feed intake, G:F, tibia ash, and ileal P digestibility. There were linear increases (P<0.01) in the utilization of P from 33.8 to 42% or from 33.8 to 46.6% as dietary added inorganic P or phytase increased from 0 to 1.5 g/kg or 0 to 1,500 units/kg, respectively. Linear regression equations for the tibia ash as the dependent variable and supplemental intake of inorganic P and phytase or supplemental level of inorganic P and phytase as independent variables were used to generate P equivalency values of phytase. The mean P equivalency values of phytase from linear regression equations derived from ducks fed a low-P NC diet supplemented with graded levels of inorganic P or phytase from d 7 to 17 posthatch for 500, 1,000, and 1,500 phytase units/kg of diet were 0.453, 0.847, and 1.242 g/kg of diet, respectively. The results of this study showed that this phytase was efficacious in hydrolyzing phytate P for bone mineralization and growth of ducks.
pH dependencies of the Tetrahymena ribozyme reveal an unconventional origin of an apparent pKa

The L-21 ScaI ribozyme derived from the Tetrahymena thermophila pre-rRNA group I intron catalyzes a site-specific endonucleolytic cleavage of RNA, DNA, and chimeric RNA/DNA oligonucleotides: CCCUCUA5 + G-->CCCUCU + GA5. The pH-rate dependence was determined for the reaction of the E.G complex with the oligonucleotide substrate d(CCCUC)r(U)d(A5) [(kcat/Km)S conditions]. Although it was shown that the pH dependence is not affected by specific buffers, there is inhibition by specific monovalent cations. The intrinsic pH-rate dependence is log-linear with slope 1 below pH 7, displays an apparent pKa of 7.6, remains nearly level until pH 8.5, and then begins to fall. Two models to explain the apparent pKa were ruled out: (1) the pKa represents loss of a proton from the nucleophilic 3' OH of G, and (2) the pKa arises from a change in rate-limiting step from a pH-dependent to a pH-independent step. In addition, these models, or others involving a single titration, cannot account for the decrease in activity at high pH. A third, unconventional, model is consistent with all of the data. It involves inactivation of the ribozyme by any of several independent titrations of groups with pKa values considerably higher than the apparent pKa of 7.6. The data are consistent with loss of catalytic function upon release of a proton from any one of 19 independent sites with pKa = 9.4 (the unperturbed pKa of N1 of G and N3 of U in solution). Independent experiments investigating the effect of pH on different reaction steps supported this model and suggested the identity of some of the required protons. This mechanism of inactivation is expected to generally affect the behavior of RNAs at pH values removed from the pKa of the titrating bases.
Requirement for continuous antigenic stimulation in the development and differentiation of antibody-forming cells. The effect of passive antibody on the primary and secondary response.

The essential role of continuous antigenic stimulation in the development and differentiation of antibody-forming cells as defined in the X-Y-Z immune cell maturation scheme was examined in these studies. Mice were primed with sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) in an attempt to induce maximum immune progenitor cell conversion (X → Y). Subsequently antigen was depleted at 1 or 4 days after priming with isologous specific antibody in order to interrupt further immune cell differentiation (Y → Z). It was reasoned that this condition would result in depression of the functional antibody-producing cell compartment as measured in the intact mice and subsequently in enhancement of the sensitized (Y cell) compartment as measured in the spleen cell transfer system. These data were also correlated with systematic studies of the hyperplasia of the spleen germinal centers. The effect of passive antibody on the primary response to SRBC was a marked decrease indirect and indirect hemolysin-producing cells (DPFC and IPFC). However, there was a lack of correlation in the degree of antibody-mediated 19S and 7S immune cell suppression during the primary response, the DPFC being much less depressed than the IPFC. As measured in the transfer system there was an enhanced 19S sensitized cell compartment and a depressed 7S sensitized cell compartment in 1 day passively immunized mice. This was true whether or not transfers were performed 1, 2, or 4 wk after priming. Similarly, there was an enhanced 19S-sensitized cell compartment with little or no effect on the 7S-sensitized. cell compartment in 4 day passively immunized mice. These data suggest that progeny of the antigen-stimulated progenitor cells (X cell), as a consequence of lack of further antigenic stimulation, were forced into maturation arrest. These studies further demonstrate that isologous passive antibody suppresses germinal center growth regardless of whether the antibody is infused 1, 2, or 4 days after priming. In terms of formation of sensitized cells, the marked depression of 7S sensitized cell compartment after passive immunization at 24 hr in contrast to the enhancement of the 19S sensitized cell compartment corresponds to the suppressed growth of germinal centers during the primary response. Thus, if the germinal center is, as suggested, the site of proliferative expansion of immunocompetent cells, these data indicate that the germinal center growth is related to the 7S antibody response and in the formation of "7S memory."
Evidence for a Commensal, Symbiotic Relationship between Gardnerella vaginalis and Prevotella bivia Involving Ammonia: Potential Significance for Bacterial Vaginosis

Six strains of Prevotella bivia and 4 of Gardnerella vaginalis were examined for nutrient substrate utilization as part of ongoing studies on the pathogenesis of bacterial vaginosis. Addition of single amino acids to vaginal defined medium (VDM) was stimulatory to the growth of P. bivia but not to G. vaginalis. However, peptides significantly promoted the growth of both organisms. Growth of P. bivia in VDM and VDM supplemented with either amino acids or peptone was accompanied by net ammonia production, while growth of G. vaginalis under the same conditions resulted in net ammonia utilization. Ammonia-enriched supernatants from the growth of P. bivia in peptone-supplemented VDM were stimulatory to G. vaginalis growth. However, ammonia-reduced supernatants from G. vaginalis growth in peptone-supplemented VDM had a neutral effect on P. bivia growth. A commensal relationship between P. bivia to G. vaginalis is proposed, with ammonia flow as a mechanism to support this hypothesis.
Optimization of a Marchand balun isolation circuit

A folded planar Marchand balun with a parametrized isolation circuit is presented. The circuit is proposed for use in efficient, low-cost, high-volume test applications. Many radio designs use radio-frequency integrated circuits (RFICs) with differential inputs or outputs to reduce the effects of common-mode noise or interference. Most RF testing instrumentation, however, only provide single-ended inputs and outputs; thus requiring a balun on the evaluation or test board. The Marchand balun has been a popular circuit since its introduction because it has larger bandwidth than other types of combiners and because it can simultaneously be used as an impedance transformer. The Marchand balun, however, suffers from poor impedance matching and isolation at the output ports. To improve the performance of the Marchand balun, a parametrized compact isolation circuit was designed. The balun shows greatly improved impedance match at the output ports and increased isolation between them, with only a slight increase in circuit complexity.
Time-domain electromagnetic analysis of interconnects in a computer chip package

The determination of an equivalent circuit to approximate the behavior of an interconnect in a computer package is addressed. Equivalent circuits allow the analysis of a complete interconnect path in a circuit simulator where a full-wave analysis tool would require more memory or computer time than in currently available. Two important components of an interconnect in a computer package are uniform transmission lines, such as a microstrip line or a stripline, and discontinuities in the interconnects, such as a via between two transmission lines. A methodology for deriving a frequency-dependent description of coupled transmission lines and an equivalent circuit of a via using time-domain full-wave solutions of Maxwell's equations is presented. >
Seasonal Rhythm in the Thyroid Hormone Secretion of the Chick

Abstract ALTHOUGH methods for the actual measurement of thyroid hormone secretion have not been available until recently, it is generally assumed from indirect evidence that the thyroid gland undergoes seasonal cycles of activity, being most active, under natural environmental conditions, in winter and least active in summer. Recent investigations on certain goitrogenic compounds, typified by thiouracil and thiourea, have resulted in the development of a technique whereby either the average thyroid hormone secretion of animals can be estimated, or the thyroidal activity of unknown compounds can be assayed. This method was first outlined by Dempsey and Astwood (1943) for rats, and applied to day-old chicks by Mixner, Reineke and Turner (1944). In this method sufficient thiouracil is given to inhibit the formation of hormone by the chick’s own thyroid, permitting an increased output of thyrotrophic hormone by the pituitary and compensatory enlargement of the thyroid gland. If thyroxine is injected at . . .
ARTHUR MACHEN AND THE HORRORS OF DEEP HISTORY

In what is surely his best-known “shocker” of the 1890s, Arthur Machen has one of his ubiquitous bachelor heroes (Clarke by name) try to warn another off his pursuit of the truth about a preternaturally dangerous femme fatale figure, a woman responsible for the hideous deaths of a number of English gentlemen. “I am,” he writes to his friend, “like a traveller who has peered over an abyss, and has drawn back in terror. What I know is strange enough and horrible enough, but beyond my knowledge there are depths and horrors more frightful still” (“Pan” 89). But to what “depths,” exactly, does the fearful Clarke refer? What “horrors”? And why, here as elsewhere in this text, do depth and horror seem so intimately interconnected? The tale in question, “The Great God Pan” (1890), bristles with multifarious horrors, to be sure. In the novella's opening episode, a mad scientist figure performs experimental brain surgery on a young woman (“a slight lesion in the grey matter, that is all,” he says to an over-scrupulous chum), causing her to “see the god Pan,” and reducing her to idiocy and death (“Pan” 62, 68). The bulk of the subsequent narrative concerns a sequence of seemingly unrelated tragedies – the mysterious death of one gentleman in London, a rash of particularly horrid suicides by a number of others, the demise of an English artist in Buenos Aires – which prove all to be connected to a single figure of monstrous evil, a woman who goes by the name of Helen Vaughn (among others). She is, it turns out, the offspring of the subject of the surgical experiment and Pan himself, and her own (forced) suicide at the end of the story leads to a gruesome tableau of bodily dissolution reminiscent of Poe's M. Valdemar (or, to update the reference, the gooey, B-movie slime Slavoj Žižek seems to have claimed in the name of the Lacanian Real).
Worm evolution tracking via timing analysis

We present a technique to infer a worm's infection sequence from traffic traces collected at a network telescope. We analyze the fidelity of the infection evolution as inferred by our technique, and explore its effectiveness under varying constraints including the scanning rate of the worm, the size of the vulnerable population, and the size of the telescope itself. Moreover, we provide guidance regarding the point at which our method's accuracy diminishes beyond practical value. As we show empirically, this point is reached well after a few hundred initial infected hosts (possibly including "patient zero'') has been reliably identified with more than 80% accuracy. We generalize our mechanism by exploiting the change in the pattern of inter-arrival times exhibited during the early stages of such an outbreak to detect the presence and approximate size of the hit-list. Our mechanism is resilient to varying parameters like the worm scanning rate and the size of the vulnerable population, and can provide significant insights into the characteristics of the hit-list even under spreading dynamics that exceed that of currently known worms. Lastly, to illustrate the practicality of our solution, we apply our approach to real-world traces of the Witty worm and provide a refined estimate on the previously suspected hit-list size.
Characteristics of Adolescent Sierra Leonean Refugees in Public Schools in New York City

The tendency to view immigrant students as a monolithic group has masked the needs of specific groups of students. This study gives visibility to Sierra Leonean refugee students and indicates to po...
Oxotremorine does not enhance acetylcholine release from rat diaphragm preparations.

Abstract We have reinvestigated the dramatic effect of oxotremorine on acetylcholine release from the rat diaphragm reported by Das, Ganguly & Vedasiromoni (1978), using a rigorous gas chromatographic mass spectrometric/isotope dilution method for identification and measurement of acetylcholine and choline. Oxotremorine (10 microM) causes no significant change in the spontaneous or evoked (1 or 10 Hz) release or in the tissue levels of acetylcholine or choline.