cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Gastrointestinal System and Aging

Normal aging is associated with structural and functional alterations in most organs, with the gastrointestinal (GI) tract being no exception. Confounding factors render age-related GI functional changes difficult to interpret, since there is the concurrent existence and influence of neurological, endocrine, gastrointestinal, and other disorders in the older adults. Normal aging by itself is insufficient to account for major alterations, whether they are secretory, absorptive, hormonal, motor, or sensory in older adults. Hormone effects on the gut and complex and age consequences are not always clear. While aging is accompanied by subtle alterations in structure and function of several components of the GI system, the implications for daily living and function are minimal and only become an issue in most instances when accompanied by disease. The chapter discusses morphological and physiological changes with age in the GI system and provides clinical applications where relevant.
The Use of Mentoring to Enhance the Academic Experience

AbstractThe purpose of the article is to discuss the use of mentoring in enhancing the academic experience. Today colleges and universities are experimenting with using mentoring as an aid in increasing student retention, graduation rates, and satisfaction with the overall educational experience. The establishment and implementation of a formal mentoring program can provide a plethora of benefits to students, faculty, and the university community. A model for a formal mentoring program, which can be used by recreation and parks curricula, is presented.
THE JUSTIFICATION OF SOLAR RESIDENCES: BUILDING VALUES

ABSTRACT If we rely on economic justification for the use of solar energy in our homes, we will not succeed. Passive solar heated homes provide the real justification in the manner in which lifestyles, values and the family unit are reinforced by the natural relationship with our environment.
The Sulfonylurea Controversy: More Questions From the Heart

Myocardial ischemia and infarction are associated with substantially increased morbidity and mortality among patients with diabetes mellitus. Although many factors contribute to the increased morbidity and mortality, in patients with non-insulin-dependent (type II) diabetes mellitus, one contributor may be the use of sulfonylurea drugs, the most widely used oral hypoglycemic agents. Such a possibility, which first arose over a 25 years ago when it was observed that patients taking sulfonylurea drugs had increased cardiovascular mortality, has recently resurfaced after the discovery that sulfonylureas act by inhibiting adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-sensitive potassium channels. In the pancreas, inhibition of ATP-sensitive potassium channels induces release of insulin; but in the heart, inhibition of these channels prevents ischemic preconditioning, an endogenous cardioprotective mechanism that protects the heart from lethal injury. This review outlines the current understanding of the molecular and cellular pharmacodynamics of sulfonylurea drugs and discusses the potential clinical consequences of inhibition of ATP-sensitive potassium channels in the heart of diabetic patients with cardiac disease in whom the use of sulfonylureas may be harmful.
Other Preservatives: Sorbic Acid, Benzoic Acid, and Dimethyldicarbonate

Sorbic acid is a short-chained unsaturated fatty acid widely used in the wine and food industry as a preservative. Since this compound is not readily soluble, it usually is sold as the soluble salt, potassium sorbate. Effective primarily as a fungistat, sorbic acid is added to sweet wines (those with a reducing sugar content of more than 1.5 g/L) immediately prior to bottling.
Jailhouse Informants and the Need for Judicial Use Immunity in Habeas Corpus Proceedings

Jailhouse informants who recount their fellow prisoners' "confessions" are often used by the state as witnesses in criminal prosecutions. It has recently become public knowledge that such confessions are easily fabricated. However, many defendants convicted on the basis of allegedly perjured jailhouse confessions remain imprisoned because they lack the mechanism necessary to compel the informant to recant his earlier testimony in habeas corpus proceedings based on false evidence introduced at trial. Without such a mechanism, an informant will invoke his fifth amendment privilege out of fear of a perjury prosecution for the earlier perjured testimony. In this Comment, the author argues that California courts have the power, and indeed the obligation, to grant immunity to jailhouse informants in this context. The author justifies this grant of immunity on several bases. First, she argues that the court, and not the prosecutor, is the logical and likely source of this immunity grant. Second, the grant would further the legislative purpose of the habeas corpus writ. Finally, the author concludes that such a grant of immunity correctly balances the prisoner's constitutional rights to fairness of process against the state's interest in perjury prosecutions.
The role of architecture in the Republic of Georgia’s European aspirations

Alignment with Europe has been a popular foreign policy objective among post-socialist nations. In the Republic of Georgia, discourse surrounding the country’s Euro-Atlantic orientation surged in t...
Klagesangen over skammens død

Denne bog handler om et faenomen, jeg kalder Klagesangen over skammens dod. Klagesangen er en nostalgisk historie om en fiktiv fortid, der repraesenterer en laengsel efter myternes sted og tid, hvor skam sikrede og regulerede det sociale liv. Den fungerer som en fortaelling om civilisationens forfald, der udtrykker en frygt for ubundne, autoktone, selvskabende og selvbekraeftende subjekter, der forvolder odelaeggelse af den sociale orden og status quo. Disse subjekter benaevnes og disciplineres som ”skamlose” trusler, der drives af et uhaemmet og ureguleret begaer efter at tilfredsstille deres egne behov uden noget hensyn til andre. De beskrives som blottet for refleksion, dommekraft og respekt for andre, og de karakteriseres som naturkraefter – brusende floder eller det stormfulde hav, der har brug for civilisationens diger, daemninger og kanaler til at inddaemme deres uovervejede og uciviliserede drifter og lidenskaber.
Contexts of Belonging: Toward a Multilevel Understanding of Caring and Engagement in Schools:

Policy makers are increasingly attentive to the importance of supportive school climates, even as many students report that schools seem to be uncaring places. Using recent scholarship that foregro...
Oxidative Kerogen Degradation: A Potential Approach to Hydraulic Fracturing in Unconventionals

Oil and gas production from shale formations has proven to be economical because of advances in hydraulic fracturing but remains very challenging in part because of the presence of the ductile, polymer nature of the hydrocarbon source material, kerogen. This organic matter is intertwined among silicates, aluminosilicates, and other minerals as fine laminae that weave among the shale rock fabric, adding soft mechanical cohesion to the material. A potential solution has been developed, a new type of reactive fracturing fluid composed of strong oxidizers such as bromate (BrO3–), which could mitigate the adverse effects of the polymeric nature of kerogen on the hydraulic conductivity of the fractured shale formation. High-resolution scanning electron microscopy of kerogen-rich shale samples before and after fluid treatment demonstrates notable porosity enhancement evident by cracks forming in the macerals and augmenting the volumetric porosity. The stability of the reactive components at elevated reservoir te...
Electronic and structural properties of few-layer antimonene

Monolayer black phosphorus (termed 'phosphorene') possesses intriguing tunable electronic properties. Here we report a theoretical study of the antimony analogue of phosphorene, 'antimonene'. Detailed structural parameters and band structures of antimonene films with thickness up to a few atomic layers are obtained by first-principles calculations. Interestingly, a partially degenerate Dirac band emerges in odd atomic layers, which can be attributed to unsaturated bonds and structural flatness.
Non-Partner Violence in Sub-Saharan Africa and the Built Environment: A Multicountry Analysis of the Effects of Sanitation, Water Access, and Urban Settings.

This multicountry study used Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data from 138,097 women to explore the relationship between non-partner violence (NPV) and sanitation, water, and urbanization in s...
Sex Differences in the Spine

This paper aims to review anatomic and pathology-specific sex differences of the spine. While cadaveric and imaging analyses have shown differences in planar orientation of vertebral anatomy and alignment, the data is less conclusive for clinically correlating these differences. Reports show that predilection to injury in athletes is influenced by both gender and the nature of the sport, which makes it difficult to determine the exact contribution of sex differences to injury rates. Multiple articles report an increased incidence of spondylolysis, disc degeneration, and ankylosing spondylitis in males and an increased incidence of scoliosis in females. There is no clear consensus regarding whether sex influences postoperative outcomes after spinal surgery. Studies pertaining to clinical manifestations of differences in spine anatomy and physiology have been predominantly inconclusive. While multiple reports show gender predilection for certain pathologic conditions and post-surgical outcomes, further studies are needed to determine gender differences in relation to the spine and its clinical relevance.
Systems engineering the organ preservation process for transplantation

Improving organ preservation and extending the preservation time would have game-changing effects on the current practice of organ transplantation. Machine perfusion has emerged as an improved preservation technology to expand the donor pool, assess graft viability and ensure adequate graft function. However, its efficacy in extending the preservation time is limited. Subzero organ preservation does hold the promise to significantly extend the preservation time and recent advances in cryobiology bring it closer to clinical translation. In this review, we aim to broaden the perspective in the field from a focus on these individual technologies to that of a systems engineering. This would enable the creation of a preservation process that integrates the benefits of machine perfusion with those of subzero preservation, with the ultimate goal to provide on demand availability of donor organs through organ banking.
Assistive and Educational Technology Standards and Teacher Competencies in Relation to Evidence-Based Practice: Identification and Classification of the Literature

The federal No Child Left Behind Act mandates the application of the principles of evidence-based practice (EBP) in U.S. education. The purpose of this study was to identify available assistive technology (AT) and educational technology (ET) literature that relates to standards and teacher competencies, and to categorize that literature in relation to Sweeney's (1999) definition of standards and Davies' (1999) EBP hierarchy. Literature was identified through subject index searching, browsing, footnote chasing, and consultation. Content analysis was conducted on 110 documents from years 1995–2009 that met inclusion criteria. The majority of literature is based upon expert opinion evidence, which is not highly rigorous. The most rigorous evidence identified came from survey and correlation descriptive studies; a complete lack of experimental evidence was noted. AT and ET are in the beginning stages of implementing EBP in the area of teacher standards and competencies. Advancing AT and ET practice through ev...
Abrasive brushing reduces pathogen biofilms at cantaloupe rind surface.

Foodborne pathogens constitute a major food safety risk for cantaloupe, and pathogen biofilms formed are particularly difficult to remove. The goal of this study was to evaluate abrasive brushing in removing biofilms from cantaloupe surface using Listeria monocytogenes V7 and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium ATCC 13311 as models. Cantaloupe rind pieces were inoculated and then subjected to 30 min or 24 h incubations. The incubated rind pieces were subject to different washing and/or brushing procedures and then the bacterial cells were enumerated. Cryo-SEM showed planktonic cells after 30 min incubation, whereas biofilms formed at rind surfaces after 24 h incubation. For L. monocytogenes 30 min incubation group, the log reductions were 1.4 for brushing, 2.1 for brushing with diatomaceous earth (DE), 2.8 for peroxyacetic acid (PAA) washing, 4.2 for brushing with PAA, and 4.0 for brushing with DE and PAA. In contrast, for the 24 h incubation group, the log reductions were 0.4 for brushing, 1.5 for brushing with DE, 1.1 for PAA washing, 1.6 for brushing with PAA, and 3.0 for brushing with DE and PAA. Similar results were observed for the S. Typhimurium group. These outcomes showed the pathogen-removal efficacy of brushing with DE (abrasive brushing) in the presence of biofilms, suggesting the potential application of abrasive brushing in cleaning cantaloupe for improved food safety.
Recent Updates in Female Pelvic Ultrasound

Ultrasound of gynecologic diseases has evolved with growing understanding of disease pathophysiology and technical advancements. We review recent literature and summarize relevant changes in practice guidelines for evaluation of endometrial thickening, ovarian masses, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Endometrial thickening can be a sign of endometrial cancer, but normal thickness varies greatly by menstrual state and medication use. Endometrial thickness should raise suspicion at cut-offs of > 5 mm by SRU and > 4 mm by ACOG guidelines for symptomatic postmenopausal women and ≥ 11 mm for asymptomatic postmenopausal women, but is less useful in the premenopausal state or with tamoxifen use. It is now understood that simple ovarian cysts are widely prevalent with a very low likelihood of malignancy, and follow-up and treatment guidelines have been revised. The recently proposed Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting and Data System provides consistent terminology and management guidelines for additional ovarian masses. Polycystic ovarian syndrome diagnosis includes imaging and clinical criteria, with imaging findings requiring > 20 follicles per ovary and/or ovarian volume ≥ 10 mL without presence of corpora lutea, cysts, or dominant follicles. This review provides updates of recent changes in female pelvic ultrasound imaging, and we hope it will aid radiologists in accurate diagnosis and management of gynecologic diseases.
Low dose continuous lenalidomide in heavily pretreated patients with relapsed or refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma: a retrospective case series.

Patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) following autologous stem cell transplant (ASCT) remain a management challenge with few reliably effective treatments. Le...
HLA class I genotypes customize vaccination strategies in immune simulation to combat COVID-19

Memory CD8+ T cells are associated with a better outcome in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and recognized as promising vaccine targets against viral infections. This study determined the efficacy of population-dominant and infection-relevant human leukocyte antigens (HLA) class I proteins to present severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) peptides through calculating binding affinities and simulating CD8+ T cell responses. As a result, HLA class I proteins distinguished or shared various viral peptides derived from viruses. HLA class I supertypes clustered viral peptides through recognizing anchor and preferred residues. SARS-CoV-2 peptides overlapped significantly with SARS but minimally with common human coronaviruses. Immune simulation of CD8+ T cell activation using predicted SARS-CoV-2 peptide antigens depended on high-affinity peptide binding, anchor residue interaction, and synergistic presentation of HLA class I proteins in individuals. Results demonstrated that multi-epitope vaccination, employing a strong binding affinity, viral adjuvants, and heterozygous HLA class I genes, induced potent immune responses. Therefore, optimal CD8+ T cell responses can be achieved and customized contingent on HLA class I genotypes in human populations, supporting a precise vaccination strategy to combat COVID-19.
Evaluation of smartphone interactions on drivers’ brain function and vehicle control in an immersive simulated environment

Smartphones and other modern technologies have introduced multiple new forms of distraction that color the modern driving experience. While many smartphone functions aim to improve driving by providing the driver with real-time navigation and traffic updates, others, such as texting, are not compatible with driving and are often the cause of accidents. Because both functions elicit driver attention, an outstanding question is the degree to which drivers' naturalistic interactions with navigation and texting applications differ in regard to brain and behavioral indices of distracted driving. Here, we employed functional near-infrared spectroscopy to examine the cortical activity that occurs under parametrically increasing levels of smartphone distraction during naturalistic driving. Our results highlight a significant increase in bilateral prefrontal and parietal cortical activity that occurs in response to increasingly greater levels of smartphone distraction that, in turn, predicts changes in common indices of vehicle control.
The Research Role in Comparative Perspective

Countries differ widely in their academic traditions, the massification of their higher education systems, their wealth, and the emphasis they place on academic research. These differences are reflected in their levels of scientific productivity as measured by the number of refereed research articles. But the point in this chapter is to stress that refereed research articles are only one dimension of the research vitality of academic systems. It is also important to look at non-STEM fields and at other modes of research such as the publication of books, newspaper articles, and the development of artistic and musical expression.
4-hydroxy-2-ketoglutarate aldolase of rat liver. Purification, binding of substrates, and kinetic properties.

Abstract 4-Hydroxy-2-ketoglutarate aldolase of rat liver has been purified to near homogeneity. Binding studies, in which glyoxylate or pyruvate is covalently linked to the enzyme by reduction with sodium borohydride, suggest that 1 or 2 moles of each substrate are bound per mole of enzyme inactivated. With the use of minimum effective borohydride, enzyme inactivation requires lower concentrations of pyruvate than of glyoxylate. Pyruvate and glyoxylate appear to exclude each other in direct measurements of binding. In kinetic studies, high ratios of glyoxylate to pyruvate are inhibitory to the condensation reaction and there is a less clear suggestion of pyruvate inhibition competitive with glyoxylate. All of these findings suggest that glyoxylate and pyruvate may be bound by the same lysine residue or residues. There is also nonspecific inhibition by monovalent salts of the condensation reaction, but not of the cleavage reaction. Both glyoxylate and pyruvate tend to reduce the magnitude of inhibition by salt.
A History of Exile in the Roman Republic: The leges Clodiae Concerning Cicero's Exile

T he laws sponsored by the tribune p. clodius connected with the exile of Cicero in 58 provide us with the most detailed account of the legislative activity associated with exilium . Although there is much evidence for these leges , the ancient sources must be used with caution. Most of the information we have regarding these acts comes from Cicero himself and is understandably biased and one-sided. Later ancient authors seem to have consulted the orator's works and thus also display his singular point of view. Cicero attempted to depict the leges Clodiae concerning his banishment as illegal and technically flawed. His speeches post reditum particularly stress that he was forced from Rome due to Clodius' unconstitutional legislation and violent gangs. In short, Cicero strove to illustrate that his downfall did not occur in the course of standard judicial procedure. For example, there were two Clodian laws that contributed to Cicero's eighteen-month exile from Rome, but Cicero in his public speeches telescoped these two measures into one and distorted events to make his opponent's legislation appear irregular. Cicero's argument that he had been the victim of a privilegium by Clodius partially relied on this bit of sophistry. Indeed, Cicero's exile was not as unusual as the orator would have us believe and was largely accomplished in accordance with long-standing legal precedents. An initial Clodian law established that the execution of a Roman citizen without trial was a capital offense.
Risks due to X-ray flares during astronaut extravehicular activity

[1] Solar hard X-ray flares can expose astronauts on lunar and deep space extravehicular activities (EVAs) to dangerous acute biological doses. We combine calculations of radiative transfer through shielding materials with subsequent transfer through tissue to show that hazardous doses, taken as ≥0.1 Gy, should occur with a probability of about 10% per 100 hours of accumulated EVA inside the current spacesuit. The rapid onset and short duration of X-ray flares and the lack of viable precursor events require strategies for quick retreat, in contrast to solar proton events, which usually take hours to deliver significant fluence and can often be anticipated by flares or other light speed precursors. Our results contrast with the view that only particle radiation poses dangers for human space exploration. Heavy-element shields provide the most efficient protection from X-ray flares, since X rays produce no significant secondary radiation. We calculate doses due to X-ray flares behind aluminum shields and estimate the required shield masses to accompany EVA rovers.
Neutron Capture Prompt Gamma-Ray Activation Analysis of Meat Homogenates

Thermal neutron capture prompt gamma-ray activation analysis (PGAA) was used to determine mass fractions of H, B, C, N, Na, Cl, K, and S in 2 meat homogenates. Twelve units of candidate Standard Reference Material (SRM) 1546 Meat Homogenate produced by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) were analyzed to provide NIST with certification data. This SRM is a realistic processed food matrix, ideal for food analysis programs such as the Food and Drug Administration's Total Diet Study. Another meat homogenate, Certified Reference Material LGC 7002 Pork/Chicken (along with NIST SRMs 1549 Non-Fat Milk Powder and 1571 Orchard Leaves) was analyzed for quality control. Candidate SRM 1546 unit-to-unit heterogeneity was <2% for H, Na, Cl, and K, and 3.5% for N and within-unit heterogeneity was <2% for H, N, Cl, and K, and 2.9% for Na, similar to LGC 7002 homogeneity results. Control material mass fractions agreed well with certificate and consensus values. Protein mass fractions, calculated from N results, were 15.2% and 11.9% for candidate SRM 1546 and LGC 7002, respectively. Protein content calculated for SRM 1549 (36.0%) agreed well with known values for dried non-fat milk powder.
Temperature dependence of the critical Josephson current in superconductor-insulator-normal-metal proximity junctions near Tc.

The temperature dependence of the Josephson critical current ${I}_{c}$(T) of a superconductor\char21{}insulator\char21{}normal-metal proximity junction near its ${T}_{c}$ is derived from Ginzburg-Landau theory and the de Gennes boundary conditions. The theoretical result is in good agreement with experimental measurements of the proximity-induced Josephson effect obtained from Ta/Mo and Nb/Ta point-contact junctions.
State Failure, Corruption, and Warfare: Challenges for Forest Policy

ABSTRACT Forest policies are failing in large areas of the world. In too many nations, forest area is declining, timber revenues are not capturing actual economic values, management plans—where they exist at all—are ignored, and ecologically significant areas are being degraded. In many places, public lands and even national parks cannot be protected against encroachment. Bitter local controversies over forest tenure and use rights persist. In many places, the underlying preconditions for sustainability do not exist in the face of state weakness and failure, corruption, and war. States generally recognized as failed or fragile encompass 15% of the world's forest. A cross tab of forest area (2005) against the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index shows that nearly half of the world's forest is in nations with what TI calls “rampant” corruption. This includes several major nations with extensive forests and important biodiversity hotspots. An encouraging upsurge of willingness to face this...
Rapid and tunable post-translational coupling of genetic circuits

One promise of synthetic biology is the creation of genetic circuitry that enables the execution of logical programming in living cells. Such 'wet programming' is positioned to transform a wide and diverse swathe of biotechnology ranging from therapeutics and diagnostics to water treatment strategies. Although progress in the development of a library of genetic modules continues apace, a major challenge for their integration into larger circuits is the generation of sufficiently fast and precise communication between modules. An attractive approach is to integrate engineered circuits with host processes that facilitate robust cellular signalling. In this context, recent studies have demonstrated that bacterial protein degradation can trigger a precise response to stress by overloading a limited supply of intracellular proteases. Here we use protease competition to engineer rapid and tunable coupling of genetic circuits across multiple spatial and temporal scales. We characterize coupling delay times that are more than an order of magnitude faster than standard transcription-factor-based coupling methods (less than 1 min compared with ∼20-40 min) and demonstrate tunability through manipulation of the linker between the protein and its degradation tag. We use this mechanism as a platform to couple genetic clocks at the intracellular and colony level, then synchronize the multi-colony dynamics to reduce variability in both clocks. We show how the coupled clock network can be used to encode independent environmental inputs into a single time series output, thus enabling frequency multiplexing (information transmitted on a common channel by distinct frequencies) in a genetic circuit context. Our results establish a general framework for the rapid and tunable coupling of genetic circuits through the use of native 'queueing' processes such as competitive protein degradation.
Punishing Maternal Behavior: Potential Legal Consequences for Obesity-Associated Poor Fetal Outcome in the United States

In June of 2009, a South Carolina woman was arrested and charged with criminal child neglect after her 14-year-old son's weight topped 555 pounds 1 Holding parents criminally or civilly responsible...
On the reactive adsorption of ammonia on activated carbons modified by impregnation with inorganic compounds.

Abstract Ammonia adsorption was studied under dynamic conditions, at room temperature, on activated carbons of different origins (coal-based, wood-based and coconut-shell-based carbons) before and after their impregnation with various inorganic compounds including metal chlorides, metal oxides and polycations. The role of humidity was evaluated by running tests in both dry and moist conditions. Adsorbents were analyzed before and after exposure to ammonia by thermal analyses, sorption of nitrogen, potentiometric titration, X-ray diffraction and FTIR spectroscopy. Results of breakthrough tests show significant differences in terms of adsorption capacity depending on the parent carbon, the impregnates and the experimental conditions. It is found that surface chemistry governs ammonia adsorption on the impregnated carbons. More precisely, it was demonstrated that a proper combination of the surface pH, the strength, type and amount of functional groups present on the adsorbents’ surface is a key point in ammonia uptake. Water can have either positive or negative effects on the performance of adsorbents. It can enhance NH3 adsorption capacity since it favors ammonia dissolution and thus enables reaction between ammonium ions and carboxylic groups from the carbons’ surface. On the other hand, water can also reduce the performance from the strength of adsorption standpoint. It promotes dissolution of ammonia and that ammonia is first removed from the system when the adsorbent bed is purged with air. Ammonia, besides adsorption by van der Waals forces and dissolution in water, is also retained on the surface via reactive mechanisms such as acid–base reactions (Bronsted and Lewis) or complexation. Depending on the materials used and the experimental conditions, 6–47% ammonia adsorbed is strongly retained on the surface even when the bed is purged with air.
Monetary policy and commodity money equilibria

Abstract Commodity monies are thought to be desirable because of their ease-of-implementation and their generation of stable prices. This paper presents an investigation into these properties and a derivation of the restrictions commodity monies place on monetary policy. It is found that for commodity money systems to be feasible, monetary policy must follow a feedback rule which is a function of the growth rates for all asset stocks and in general a reduction in economic welfare accrues to agents in a commodity money economy. Moreover, the restrictions implied by a commodity money system are often inconsistent with existence of equilibrium.
Free radical scavenging capacity and antioxidant enzyme activity in deerberry (Vaccinium stamineum L.)

Fruit from three genotypes (‘B-76’, ‘B-59’ and ‘SHF-3A’) of deerberry [Vaccinium stamineum L.] were evaluated for fruit quality, total anthocyanin and phenolic contents, antioxidants, antioxidant capacity, and antioxidant enzyme activity. The fruit soluble solids, titratable acids, total anthocyanins, and total phenolic contents varied with genotypes. Cyanidin 3-galactoside and cyanidin 3-arabinoside were the two predominant anthocyanins. Resveratrol was also found in deerberries. Among the three genotypes, ‘B-76’ had higher amount of anthocyanins, phenolic compounds and resveratrol than ‘B-59’ and ‘SHF-3A’. Deerberries contained potent free radical scavenging activities for 2,2-Di (4-tert-octylphenyl)-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS+), peroxyl radical (ROO), superoxide radicals (O2-), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), hydroxyl radicals (OH), and singlet oxygen (1O2) radicals and also had high activities of antioxidant enzymes including glutathione-peroxidase (GSH-POD), glutathione reductase (GR), superoxide dismutase (SOD), ascorbate peroxidase (AsA-POD), guaiacol peroxidase (G-POD), monodehydroascorbate radical reductase (MDAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DHAR), glutathione reductase (GR)] and non-enzyme antioxidants [ascorbic acid (ASA) and reduced glutathione (GSH)]. Antioxidant capacities were highly correlated to antioxidant enzymes activities. Among the three genotypes, ‘B-76’ had the highest level of antioxidants and antioxidant enzyme activity.
Modified technique for recovering aortoiliac homografts.

Background—Infection of the prosthetic aortic graft bypass remains one of the most serious complications of aortoiliac bypass grafts. Use of an aortoiliac allograft as a replacement for an infected prosthetic graft is an effective treatment for this problem. However, the availability of aortoiliac grafts is affected by the high rate of procurement errors experienced during recovery. This overall error rate nationally averaged 32.5% in 2006, of which nearly a third (9.6%) were related to tears of the intima at or below the bifurcation of the abdominal aorta.Objective—To analyze the potential of a new aortoiliac graft recovery method in reducing the error rate.Method—A modified technique of aortoiliac graft recovery was used to minimize the possibility of intimal tears. The essence of this technique is to change the sequence of mobilization of the graft, starting from the zone of low resistance, which is at the iliac arteries, and continuing upward to the abdominal aorta, which has higher resistance because...
Improved resolution of multiple-pulse proton images by oversampling

In this Communication we take advantage of this increased excitation bandwidth to increase the sampling bandwidth (decrease the dwell) in such line-narrowing cycles by sampling more often than once a cycle; we refer to this procedure as oversampling
Applicability of open-path monitors at Superfund sites

Applicability of open path monitors at Superfund sitesJoseph PadgettOffice of Air Quality Planning and StandardsU.S. Environmental Protection AgencyResearch Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711Thomas H. PritchettEnvironmental Response BranchU.S. Environmental Protection AgencyEdison, New Jersey 08837ABSTRACTAir emissions from Superfund sites can potentially have a significant impact on air quality affecting thehealth and safety of surrounding populations. Although the air pathway is well understood, these airemissions may be difficult to characterize. Remote sensors or open path monitors (OPMs) can have usefulapplications in measuring site emissions of air toxic compounds during the Superfund process. The airmonitoring needs for each step of the Superfund process are identified in this paper and OPMs arecompared and contrasted with traditional point monitoring techniques. Example applications of OPMs toSuperfund activities are presented. Desirable improvements in OPM technology are also discussed.1. INTRODUCTIONThis paper discusses the application of remote sensors or OPMs to the air monitoring needs at Superfundsites. Comparisons between OPMs and traditional point sampling techniques are made and the preferredapplications of these differing technologies are discussed. A brief description of the' stages of the Superfundcleanup process is presented with the attendant air monitoring needs at each stage. The potentialapplications of OPMs to meet these Superfund air monitoring needs are discussed. Several examples of pastapplication of OPMs in the Superfund process are described, and planned future activities are discussed.Finally, comments are offered on improvements needed to enhance the effectiveness of OPMs.2. THE SUPERFUND PROCESSThe Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and theSuperfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) were enacted by Congress in response to dangerscaused by uncontrolled releases of hazardous substances into the environment. These statutes require thatthe U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) develop and implement measures to cleanup abandonedor uncontrolled hazardous waste sites and establish a methodology to determine priorities among releases orpotential releases of hazardous substances for remedial and removal actions. The criteria for determiningpriorities are based on the relative risk to public health and to the environment. The Superfund process canbe divided into two broad phases. The first phase is the preremedial, i.e., activities which are investigativeand analytical. This phase is undertaken to evaluate the threat or potential threat to human health or theenvironment posed by conditions at a site prior to placing a site on the National Priorities List (NPL). The
Aerobic fitness and emotional arousal: a reply to Jamieson, Evans, and Cox.

Jamieson, Evans, and Cox (1982) have clarified their rationale for using hierarchical multiple regression instead of analysis of covariance (Zimmerman & Fulton, 1981) as the statistical technique of choice in analyzing continuous variables such as aerobic power. They discuss a disadvantage that results from forcing continuous variables into categories to create groups for the purpose of making statistical comparisons. Our intent in this reply is to present our reasons for believing it important to select groups in research of this nature, even if it requires categorizing a continuous variable. We also wish to offer an added perspective in interpreting the partialled effects of aerobic power on recovery heart rate in subjects following exposure to psychosocial stress. Finally, we want to comment on the 2 X 2 analysis of variance presented by Jamieson, et al. (1982) that is meant to demonstrate that aerobic power has a very strong effect on recovery heart rate. Although selecting groups in our study resulted in a loss of statistical power, it allowed for making inferences about the stress response of people defined as aerobically fit or unfit. Without defining fitness in terms of specific levels of aerobic power, generalizing the results to some population of aerobically fit people cannot be made. Consequently, it is ambiguous to conclude, as Jamieson, et al. (1982) have done, that "fit subjects had more completely recovered from stress at the end of the 5-min. recovery period." The level of fitness required to be considered fit and to experience quicker heart-rate recovery has not been made clear. For this reason we chose an empirically derived estimate of aerobic fitness (Cooper, 1970) so that tentative generalizations could be made beyond the experimental context to people who maintain a certain level of fitness. The R' between aerobic power and recovery heart rate found by Cox, Evans, and Jamieson (1979) in their initial study was .048 (p < .001). Aerobic power can be understood as accounting for 4.8% of the variance in recovery heart rate (Cohen & Cohen, 1375). For resting heart rate the value reported is .714 (p < .001); 71.4% of the variance in recovery heart rate is accounted for by levels in resting heart rate. That the Ra change for aerobic power reflects a "very strong effect" appears less certain given the finding that it explains only 4.8% of the variance in recovery heart rate when compared to 71.4% of the variance accounted for by resting heart rate. To the extent that covariates are seen as carrying "irrelevant and potentially distorting information" (Cohen & Cohen, 1975), resting heart rate, used as a covariate in both studies, seems more than just a contributor of irrelevant variance. While clearly statistically significant, the practical significance of aerobic power for understanding recovery heart rate following psychosocial stress deserves more careful consideration (Hugdahl & bst, 1981).
The creation and consequences of international refugees: Politics, military and geography

Worldwide, the number and the occurrence of events that create international refugees has been increasing dramatically for at least the past fifty years. Analysis of the distribution of the causes and location of refugees has revealed that refugees more often result from military actions than natural disasters. In many instances, the creation of international refugees is a conscious political and military policy, a practice that seems to be increasing. More importantly, some geographic areas seem to be continuing “core areas” of such practices. Finally, regardless of their cause, refugees present specific problems to national control of population and territory. States that have been open to refugee settlement seldom are neighbor states and many now find their own populations rebelling against continued aid in the form of increased immigration. Most often, contiguous states are unwilling hosts as well as unwilling sites of refugee camps. Such circumstances can cause serious social, political as well as potential military consequences.
The High Temperature Experiment for Accelerator Inertial Fusion

The High Temperature Experiment (HTE) is intended to produce temperatures of 50-100 eV in solid density targets driven by heavy ion beams from a multiple beam induction linac [1]. The fundamental variables (particle species, energy, number of beamlets, current and pulse length) must be fixed to achieve the temperature at minimum cost, subject to criteria of technical feasibility and relevance to the development of a Fusion Oriver. The conceptual design begins with an assumed (radiation-limited) target temperature and uses limitations due to particle range, beamlet perveance, and target disassemnbly to bound the allowable values of mass number (A) and energy (E). An accelerator model is then applied to determine the minimum length accelerator, which is a guide to total cost. The accelerator model takes into account limits on transportable charge, maximum gradient, core mass per linear meter, and head-to-tail momentum variation within a pulse. For specified target temperature, T, spot size r and beamlet number N, the particle energy E must lie above a critical value which only weakly depends on A (Ecrit ?A·2). The minimum length accelerator is associated with the high mass end of this line, determined by a condition on range in the target. Singly charged potassium ions with E = 132 MeV are a good match to an 80 eV temperature.
Asymptotic Homogenization and Numerical Implementation to Predict the Effective Mechanical Properties for Electromagnetic Composite Conductor

Conventional mechanics-based homogenization model and the finite element approaches have inherent limitations and errors when applying to calculate the effective properties of composites. These errors are either caused from the upper and lower bounds due to the difference of the prescribed boundary conditions, or from the effect of the size and the boundary condition of the representative element. Asymptotic theory-based homogenization does not have the inherent bounds and boundary errors but requires a complicated numerical implementation in order to apply the theory. This paper reports a development of an asymptotic theory-based homogenization approach with its numerical implementation and considers its application to predicting the effective mechanical properties of electric conductor consisting of conductor core and multi-layered composite insulations. The numerical implementation is developed based on using the finite element technique for the meshing generation and for the application of boundary co...
Kinetic occlusion: further studies of the boundary-flow cue.

Previous work has demonstrated that human beings employ a processing assumption, the boundary-flow constraint, in perceiving the order of depth at an edge. Subjects perceive depth order of surfaces on the basis of the relative motions of an image boundary and a projected surface texture on either side of the boundary. In the present study, adult subjects viewed computer generated kinematograms in which boundary-flow information provided the only cue for depth order. The results of Experiments 1 and 2 indicate that common motion between boundary and texture and differential motion between boundary and texture can independently generate the perception of ordered depths of surfaces. In Experiment 3, we examined the interaction of two processes involved in the extraction of depth order from boundary-flow displays: (1) the propagation of foreground and background surfaces from texture to boundary; and (2) the computation of depth order of surfaces on either side of the boundary. The results indicate that while the mechanism that computes depth from boundary-flow information functions reliably when the mean distance between texture and boundary is 8.1o,surface propagation may be disrupted for distances of this magnitude.
Documents: Our Lady in the Kernel of Corn, 1774

Marian apparitions and miraculous images in Mexico inevitably bring to mind one renowned figure — Our Lady of Guadalupe and its shrine at Tepeyac in the Valley of Mexico. Guadalupe is, indeed, a touchstone to the history of Catholicism and popular devotion in Mexico, and Mexico is a special case of a religious image becoming the main symbol for an emerging nation. As Jeannette Rodriguez recently wrote, “To be of Mexican descent is to recognize the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.” But devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe has a history. This image has not always been, and in some ways still is not, the dominant symbol throughout Mexico, and the location of its principal shrine on the edge of Mexico City is as much a key to its importance as is its association with the oldest Marian apparition officially recognized by the Catholic Church. Dozens of different shrines to other miraculous images have captured the hearts of thousands, sometimes millions of followers in Mexico. They still do.
Characterization of Negative Feedback Network Motifs in the TGF-β Signaling Pathway

{Chung, 2009 #1}The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) superfamily of cytokines plays a fundamental role in a wide variety of cellular processes, including growth, differentiation, apoptosis, and tissue homeostasis. Its relevance is emphasized by the mutations of its core components that are associated with diverse human diseases, such as cancer and cardiovascular pathologies. A prominent regulator of the pathway is Smad7, which attenuates the signal and controls its duration in a cell-type-dependent manner through a negative feedback loop. Here, we characterize all the potential Smad7-mediated negative feedback network motifs and investigate their effects on the signaling dynamics upon stimulation with TGF-β and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) ligands. The results show that the specific negative feedback implementation is a key determinant of both the response of the system to single and multiple ligands of the TGF-β superfamily and its robustness and sensitivity to parameter perturbations.
Vacuum deposited polymer/metal multilayer films for optical application

Abstract Vacuum-deposited polymer/silver/polymer reflectors and tantalum/polymer/aluminum Fabry-Perot interference filters were fabricated in a vacuum web coating operation on polyester substrates with a new, high-speed deposition process. Reflectivities were measured in the wavelength range from 0.3 μm to 0.8 μm. This new vacuum processing technique has been shown to be capable of deposition line speeds in excess of 500 linear m min −1 (D.G. Shaw and M.G. Langlois, Proc. 7th Int. Conf. Vacuum Web Coating , November 1993, p. 268). Central to this technique is a new vacuum deposition process for the high-rate deposition of polymer films. This polymer process involves the flash evaporation of an acrylic monomer onto a moving substrate. The monomer is subsequently cured by an electron beam or ultraviolet light. This high-speed polymer film deposition process has been named the polymer multi-layer process. Also, vacuum-deposited, index-matched, polymer/CaF 2 composites were fabricated from monomer slurries that were subsequently cured with ultraviolet light. This second technique is called the liquid multi-layer process. Each of these polymer processes is compatible with each other and with conventional vacuum deposition processes such as sputtering or evaporation.