cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
US hospices' approach to racial/ethnic minority inclusion: a qualitative study.

Objective To examine hospices’ approaches to improving the current racial/ethnic hospice utilisation disparity. Methods During June and July 2020, we conducted in-depth, semistructured interviews with 22 hospice leaders from across the USA. The interviews focused on inclusive strategy approaches. We analysed the data using qualitative methods. Results Multiple themes emerged about racial/ethnic minority inclusion strategies: (1) hospices tailor strategies to the local communities they serve; (2) improvement involves addressing social determinants of health that extend beyond end-of-life care; (3) costs of strategies are not a primary concern and the benefits are worth the costs; and (4) hospices want to do more to improve their efforts. Conclusions Hospices want to improve racial/ethnic minority inclusion and can take specific action steps to educate community members about hospice and provide an environment within hospice care that is welcoming to all. Hospice-targeted programmes and policies that facilitate language translation, diversity in staffing, enhanced community outreach, and leadership and staff collaboration regarding inclusion may help hospices achieve success in their efforts toward racial/ethnic minority inclusion.
Young people's romantic relationships and sexual activity before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Social distancing measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 may profoundly impact young people’s relationships. This study compared adolescent and young adults’ romantic relationships and sexual activity before and after social distancing policies were enacted. In June 2020, 351 youth participating in an ongoing intervention study in Fresno County, California completed an online survey about their experiences related to COVID-19. The survey included open and closed-ended questions about their romantic relationships, sexual activity, and online romantic or sexual interactions before and during social distancing restrictions. We used the chi-square test of independence to compare adolescent (ages 13–17) and young adults’ (ages 18–21) responses. Results were also compared to responses in the intervention study’s baseline survey. One-third (37%) of youth were dating or in a romantic relationship and 28% spent time in person with a partner early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Among those dating or in a relationship, 34% physically distanced from their partner due to parental restrictions related to COVID-19. Youth also spent less time in person with their partners during the pandemic than before. Although most youth (69%) were not sexually active before or during the pandemic, 22% had sex during the social distancing period. Young adults were more likely to spend time with their partners and have sex during the restrictions than adolescents. Most youth were not involved in sexting or online dating, before or during the pandemic. Adolescents and young adults have continued to engage in sexual and romantic relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic, although many reported physical distancing from their partners. Results suggest that youth continue to need access to sexual health education and services during emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Re: Follow-up of women with previous gestational diabetes

I read with interest the article by Eoin Noctor et al. [1] in which 25 % of 265 women with previous GDM by IADPSG criteria met metabolic syndrome criteria approximately 3 years after their index pregnancies compared to 7 % of 378 women who had normal glucose tolerance in pregnancy. There is currently considerable controversy regarding the use of IADPSG criteria for gestational diabetes versus the 1999 WHO criteria, as recently advocated by NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) in the UK (http://www.nice. org.uk/guidance/ng3/chapter/1-recommendations, accessed 4 May 15). I presume that there were, among the 265 women with previous gestational diabetes, a number whose 2-h OGTT plasma glucose met the WHO 1999 criteria but not the IADPSG criteria, as well as some who met the IADPSG criteria but not the WHO 1999 criteria, and another group who met both criteria. It would be informative to this controversy if the authors were able to subdivide their data to determine which criteria identify individuals at greater risk for metabolic syndrome in the future.
From Macrophage Interleukin-13 Receptor to Foam Cell Formation MECHANISMS FOR αMβ2 INTEGRIN INTERFERENCE

IL-13 is a potent stimulator of alternative monocyte/macrophage activation. During alternative activation, the expression of several proteins is induced including 15-lipoxygenase (15-LO), a lipid-peroxidating enzyme and the scavenger receptor CD36. We previously reported that αMβ2 integrin activation or clustering suppresses the expression of both 15-LO and CD36. In this study we focused on exploring the molecular mechanisms that down-regulate CD36 expression and CD36-mediated foam cell formation in IL-13-stimulated monocytes/macrophages after αMβ2 activation. Our studies reveal that αMβ2 integrin activation inhibits the IL-13 activation of several critical pathways that are required for macrophage alternative activation; namely, blocking Jak2 and Tyk2 phosphorylation, which bind to the cytoplasmic tails of the IL-4Rα/IL-13Rα1 complex. This leads to the inhibition of tyrosine phosphorylation of Stats (Stat1, Stat3, and Stat6) and prevents the formation of a signaling complex (containing p38MAPK, PKCδ, and Stat3) that are critical for the expression of both 15-LO and CD36. Jak2-mediated Hck activation is also inhibited, thereby preventing Stats serine phosphorylation, which is essential for downstream Stat-dependent gene transcription. Moreover, inhibition of Jak2, Tyk2, or their downstream target 15-LO with antisense oligonucleotides profoundly inhibits IL-13-induced CD36 expression and CD36-dependent foam cell formation, whereas13(S) Hydroperoxyoctadecadienoic acid (HPODE), a 15-LO product and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ ligand, completely restores CD36 expression in monocytes treated with 15-LO antisense. αMβ2 integrin activation controls CD36 expression and foam cell formation in alternatively activated monocyte/macrophages by blocking Tyk2/Jak2 phosphorylation via a 15-LO-dependent pathway. The discovery of this mechanism helps our understanding of the potential role of alternatively activated macrophages in atherogenesis and highlights the impact of integrin αMβ2 on this process. Background: CD36, a macrophage receptor critical for oxidized lipid uptake during atherogenesis, is up-regulated after IL-4/IL-13 stimulation. Results: The mechanism whereby integrin αMβ2 inhibits CD36 gene expression and related foam-cell formation is elucidated. Conclusion: Activated integrin αMβ2 suppresses CD36-mediated lipid uptake by blocking Tyk2- and Jak2-mediated signaling pathways. Significance: αMβ2 integrin regulation of CD36 expression and function reveals a new mechanism that may control atherogenesis.
The role of gut microbes in satisfying the nutritional demands of adult and juvenile wild, black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra).

In all mammals, growth, development, pregnancy, and lactation increase nutritional demands. Although primate field studies tend to focus on shifts in activity and diet as mechanisms to compensate for these demands, differences in digestive efficiency also are likely to be important. Because the gut microbiota can impact host digestive efficiency, we examined differences in activity budget, diet, and the gut microbial community among adult male (N = 4), adult female (N = 4), and juvenile (N = 5) wild black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) across a ten-month period in Palenque National Park, Mexico to determine how adult females and juveniles compensate for increased nutritional demands. Results indicate that adult females and juveniles consumed more protein and energy than adult males. Adult males, adult females, and juveniles also possessed distinct gut microbial communities, unrelated to diet. Juveniles exhibited a gut microbiota characterized by bacteria from the phylum Firmicutes, such as Roseburia and Ruminococcus, and demonstrated high fecal volatile fatty acid content, suggesting increased microbial contributions to host energy balances. Adult females possessed a higher Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes ratio, also suggesting increased energy production, and their gut microbiota was characterized by Lactococcus, which has been associated with folate biosynthesis. On the basis of these patterns, it appears that the gut microbiota differentially contributes to howler monkey nutrition during reproduction and growth. Determining the nutritional and energetic importance of shifts in activity, diet, and the gut microbiota in other nonhuman primate taxa, as well as humans, will transform our understanding of these life history processes and the role of host-microbe relationships in primate evolution. Am J Phys Anthropol 155:652–664, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Real K m -Synthesis via Generalized Popov Multipliers

In this paper, we refine our H? control designs presented at the 1990 and 1991 American Control Conference by introducing a new "real K m -Synthesis" technique involving the use of generalized Popov multipliers. Our multiplier technique substantially reduces, and in some cases may even eliminate altogether, the conservativeness associated with traditional K m -Synthesis solutions in which all uncertainties are treated as complex, even when they arise from real parameters such as the masses and spring constants in the benchmark problem. The design results demonstrate how this approach permits a very precise analysis of the intrinsic tradeoffs between robustness, performance and control energy requirements. Also included is an open-loop H? prefilter design that allows one to address the command response shaping issue.
Integrating utility into face de-identification

With the proliferation of inexpensive video surveillance and face recognition technologies, it is increasingly possible to track and match people as they move through public spaces. To protect the privacy of subjects visible in video sequences, prior research suggests using ad hoc obfuscation methods, such as blurring or pixelation of the face. However, there has been little investigation into how obfuscation influences the usability of images, such as for classification tasks. In this paper, we demonstrate that at high obfuscation levels, ad hoc methods fail to preserve utility for various tasks, whereas at low obfuscation levels, they fail to prevent recognition. To overcome the implied tradeoff between privacy and utility, we introduce a new algorithm, k-Same-Select, which is a formal privacy protection schema based on k-anonymity that provably protects privacy and preserves data utility. We empirically validate our findings through evaluations on the FERET database, a large real world dataset of facial images.
Effects of Hail Suppression on Rainfall in the Texas High Plains

Hail damage to agricultural crops and property in the Panhandle and South Plains of Texas has long been recognized as a major influence on the total economy of the State. Because of the high damage risk to crops, a number of farmers in Hale County organized in 1970 to sponsor a project designed to reduce the occurrence of hail by seeding clouds from aircraft. Three years later farmers in adjacent Lamb County launched a similar program. The two groups coordinated their operation to prevent duplication. Precise boundaries of the target area were modified each year in accordance with the amount of land under cultivation by the contributors (Henderson, 1976). Beginning in 1974 and continuing in 1975 and 1976 the target area included all of Hale County and portions of Castro, Swisher, Floyd, Lubbock, Parmer, Lamb, and Hockley counties. Approximate boundaries of the target area in 1976 are shown by dashed contours in Figure 1.
Applications of error intensity measures to bearing estimation

In this paper we will discuss a new class of performance approximations for maximum likelihood type bearing estimation systems. This class is based on the application of various point process models to a sequence of error prone points along the likelihood trajectory. The point process model is described by two quantities: the intensity function of the local maxima locations over the parameter space, and a selection rule for the global maximum from the set of local maxima. This class gives new estimators to the Mean-Square Error and specializes to the approximation techniques of [1] and [6].
Fair-zero knowledge

We introduce Fair Zero-Knowledge, a multi-verifier ZK system where every proof is guaranteed to be “zero-knowledge for all verifiers.” That is, if an honest verifier accepts a fair zero-knowledge proof, then he is assured that all other verifiers also learn nothing more than the verity of the statement in question, even if they maliciously collude with a cheating prover. We construct Fair Zero-Knowledge systems based on standard complexity assumptions (specifically, the quadratic residuosity assumption) and an initial, one-time use of a physically secure communication channel (specifically, each verifier sends the prover a private message in an envelope). All other communication occurs (and must occur) on a broadcast channel. The main technical challenge of our construction consists of provably removing any possibility of using steganography in a ZK proof. To overcome this technical difficulty, we introduce tools —such as Unique Zero Knowledge— that may be of independent interest.
Enhanced Chemical Analysis Using Parallel Column Gas Chromatography with Single-Detector Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry and Chemometric Analysis

A parallel gas chromatographic instrument with time-of-flight mass spectrometric detection (GC/TOF-MS) is reported. An injected sample is first split between two GC columns that provide complementary separations. The effluent from the two columns is recombined prior to detection with a single TOF-MS. Switching from single to parallel columns increases the chemical selectivity of a GC/TOF-MS data set without increasing analysis time, by doubling the number of peaks, or features, in the chromatographic dimension. The resulting analyzer can be used to reduce analysis times for partially resolved peaks. Simulations compare the quantitative precision of parallel- and single-column instruments using the generalized rank annihilation method (GRAM). Results indicate that a parallel column GC/TOF-MS should substantially improve the chemical selectivity and quantitative precision of the analysis relative to a single-column instrument. For a column at half its peak capacity, for example, a single-column instrument m...
The Impact of Learning-By-Doing on the Timing and Costs of CO2 Abatement

A particular ceiling on atmospheric CO2 concentrations can be maintained through a variety of emission pathways. Over the past decade, there has been considerable debate over the characteristics of a least-cost pathway. Some have suggested that a gradual departure from the emissions baseline will be the most cost-effective because it reduces the pressure for premature retirement of the existing capital stock, and it provides valuable time to develop low-cost, low-carbon emitting substitutes. Others counter that a major flaw in analyses that support this line of reasoning is that they ignore learning-by-doing (LBD). In this paper, we examine the impact of LBD on the timing and costs of emissions abatement. With regard to timing, we find that including learning-by-doing does not significantly alter the conclusions of previous studies that treated technology cost as exogenous. The analysis supports the earlier conclusion that for a wide range of stabilization ceilings, a gradual transition away from the "no policy" emissions baseline is preferable to one that requires substantial near-term reductions. We find that the major impact of including learning-by-doing is on the costs of emission abatement. Depending upon the sensitivity of costs to cumulative experience, LBD can substantially reduce the overall costs of emissions abatement.
PODC: Paradigm-oriented distributed computing

We describe an environment for distributed computing that uses the concept of well-known paradigms. The main advantage of paradigm-oriented distributed computing (PODC) is that the user only needs to specify application-specific sequential code, while the underlying infrastructure takes care of the parallelization and distribution. The main features of the proposed approach, called PODC, are the following: (1) It is intended for loosely coupled network environments, not specialized multiprocessors; (2) it is based on an infrastructure of mobile agents; (3) it supports programming in C, rather than a functional or special-purpose language, and (4) it provides an interactive graphics interface through which programs are constructed, invoked, and monitored. We discuss five paradigms presently supported in PODC: the bag-of-tasks, branch-and-bound search, genetic programming, finite difference, and individual-based simulation. We demonstrate their use, implementation, and performance within the mobile agent-based PODC environment.
The stability of an air film in a liquid flow

A number of processes in which air is entrained in a flow appear to involve the formation of a thin air film between a relatively fast liquid stream and a region of slow recirculation. Eventually, the film breaks into bubbles. This study addresses a possible mechanism causing this process. The linear stability of a vertical film of a viscous gas bounded by liquid in uniform motion on one side, and by liquid at rest on the other side, is studied. Instabilities are found that, depending on the parameter values of the undisturbed flow, are controlled by two basic mechanisms. One is due to the velocity jump across the film and can be related to the usual Kelvin–Helmholtz instability. The second one is controlled by the viscosity jump across the air liquid interfaces. The relation between the remainder of the discrete spectrum and the spectrum of other parallel shear flows bounded by solid or free surfaces is also discussed.
An orthotropic theory of viscoplasticity based on overstress for thermomechanical deformations

Abstract An infinitesimal, orthotropic theory of viscoplasticity based on overstress for thermo-mechanical loading (TVBO) is presented. The total strain rate is the sum of elastic, inelastic and thermal strain rates. An orthotropic constitutive law is postulated for each strain rate using the characteristics of orthotropic matrices and previous isotropie formulations of the viscoplasticity theory as a guide. All material functions and constants can be functions of current temperature and no influence of temperature history is modeled. Yield surfaces and loading/unloading conditions are not used in the theory in which the inelastic strain rate is solely a function of the overstress. the difference between stress and the equilibrium stress, a state variable of the theory. A comparatively simple theory is obtained which is capable of modeling important phenomena like creep, relaxation, rate sensitivity, hysteresis, tension/compression asymmetry and nearly elastic regions. It is also possible to model quasielastic behavior in one direction while the others behave viscoplastically. The theory is shown to reduce to a previously proposed formulation for inelastic incompressibility and isotropy.
Why is WASID an important clinical trial

Accessible online at: www.karger.com/ned Fifty years ago, coumarins (i.e. warfarin and other oral vitamin K antagonists) were first given for secondary prevention of ischemic stroke and were widely prescribed for this purpose during the subsequent decades despite the paucity of good evidence supporting their benefit, not unusual for neurological therapeutics of the era. More recently, it has been established that antiplatelet agents reduce subsequent stroke and other major vascular events by about 20% for patients with cerebral ischemia, a benefit that is not offset for most patients by a modestly increased risk of major bleeding [1]. When, if ever, should warfarin anticoagulation be given instead of antiplatelet therapy to patients with noncardioembolic brain ischemia? To date, six randomized clinical trials involving 4,090 participants have compared aspirin in dosages of 30– 1,300 mg/day with oral anticoagulants in such patients [2, 3]. Individually and in aggregate, these trials demonstrated no advantage of oral anticoagulation over aspirin. The recent Warfarin-Aspirin Recurrent Stroke Study (WARSS) is the largest (2,206 participants) and most methodologically rigorous; it showed that warfarin, mean achieved INR = 1.9, is not better and could be worse than aspirin 325 mg/day for unselected patients with noncardioembolic brain ischemia [3, 4]. In another of these trials, a mean achieved INR of about 3 resulted in an intolerable rate of brain hemorrhage that caused early termination [5]. In short, for unselected elderly patients with noncardioembolic brain ischemia, an INR of 3 is too much and an INR of 2 is too little. At present, warfarin in any intensity should not be routinely used instead of antiplatelet therapy for secondary prevention of noncardioembolic brain ischemia, as there is no clear evidence favoring its use over the safer, more easily administered alternative. In this issue, the Warfarin Aspirin Symptomatic Intracranial Disease (WASID) trial investigators report their trial design and initial experience [6]. Patients with TIA or minor ischemic stroke associated with arteriographically proven intracranial stenosis are randomly assigned to warfarin (target INR range 2–3) vs. aspirin 650 mg twice daily in a double-blind design and followed for development of stroke or vascular death, the primary outcome. In all, 806 participants will be included. With recruitment over halfway completed, a discouragingly high false-positive rate for prediction of intracranial stenosis by noninvasive tests has been found. The relatively young mean age (63.5 years) probably reflects screening biases rather than the population prevalence of the disorder. Will WASID add importantly to stroke prevention? Yes, without question. Several features make WASID unique among trials comparing warfarin with aspirin in noncardioembolic brain ischemia. The target INR of 2.5 in a double-blind design will test the most relevant intensity of anticoagulation in a scientifically rigorous manner.
Applications of algebraic reconstruction techniques to crosshole seismic data

Tomographic imaging techniques were applied to two crosshole data sets to determine the velocity structures and the reliability and resolution of the algorithms on real data. The experiments were carried out at the Retsoff salt mine in New York and at the underground radioactive waste study site at the Stripa mine facility in Sweden. The traveltimes at Restoff were high quality and were obtained over raypaths of up to 500 m in length. The structure was quite complicated with velocity contrasts up to 50 percent. The Stripa site was in granitic rock with velocity contrasts of only a few percent. The dimensions of the experiment were small with maximum ray lengths of just over 10 m. The data at this site were collected with very high accuracy, source and receiver locations were measured to better than 1.0 mm, and traveltimes were read to 0.001 ms. A number of algorithms similar to the algebraic reconstruction techniques (ART) used in medical imaging have been applied to the data. Some modifications of the algorithms, such as the application of weighting schemes, damping parameters, and curved raypaths, were performed. The resulting velocity fields were compared to the known fields and with each other to determine an optimal method. The algorithms were found to be a rapid, reliable means of reconstructing the slowness field of real data. Low-velocity zones were recovered with accuracy in location and value. It was also found that great care was necessary in application of the techniques to ensure that proper damping parameters are used and the proper number of iterations taken; otherwise poor reconstructions will result.
Initial exploration of pulsing electromagnetic fields for treatment of migraine

Two studies were conducted during which 23 patients with chronic migraine were exposed to pulsing electromagnetic fields over the inner thigh. In an open study, 11 subjects kept a 2-week headache log before and after 2 to 3 weeks of exposure to pulsing electromagnetic fields for 1 hour per day, 5 days per week. The number of headaches per week decreased from 4.03 during the baseline period to 0.43 during the initial 2-week follow-up period and to 0.14 during the extended follow-up which averaged 8.1 months. In a double-blind study, 9 subjects kept a 3-week log of headache activity and were randomly assigned to receive 2 weeks of real or placebo pulsing electromagnetic field exposures as described above. They were subsequently switched to 2 weeks of the other mode, after which they kept a final 3-week log. Three additional subjects in the blind study inadvertently received half-power pulsing electromagnetic field exposures. The 6 subjects exposed to the actual device first showed a change in headache activity from 3.32 per week to 0.58 per week. The 3 subjects exposed to only half the dose showed no change in headache activity. Large controlled studies should be performed to determine whether this intervention is actually effective.
Analysis of adsorbed proteins by static time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry

Abstract Adsorbed and immobilized proteins play an important role in a variety of biological phenomena of industrial importance. Protein adsorption onto solid surfaces significantly alters subsequent biological responses to the surface. Proteins at solid–liquid interfaces can therefore be exploited to design surfaces that influence or direct the response of the biological environment. Several analytical tools have been applied to examine the state of the adsorbed proteins, that is, their identity, concentration, conformation, orientation, and spatial distribution. These characteristics play important roles in the biological response to solid surfaces. This article reviews the application of time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) for characterizing the state of adsorbed protein films. Due to the analytical power of this technique, ToF-SIMS provides wealth of information on the state of the adsorbed proteins. The capabilities and limitations of ToF-SIMS for examining the state of adsorbed proteins will be discussed along with future directions for using this technique to characterize adsorbed and immobilized proteins.
Methanation over transition metal catalysts III. Co/Al2O3 in sulfur-poisoning studies

Abstract Poisoning of Co Al 2 O 3 by H2S in CO hydrogenation was studied in an all-quartz recycle reactor; the studies were carried out at atmospheric pressure and at 390 °C with feed gas containing 1 to 4% CO in H2 and 13 to 100 ppb H2S. Sulfur-poisoned catalysts were analyzed using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Addition of 13 ppb H2S reduced the steady-state methanation activity of Co Al 2 O 3 by more than 103-fold at 390 °C; 90 ppb H2S reduced the activity 104-fold. AES studies showed that the loss in methanation activity resulted from two-dimensional surface sulfide formation; no sulfur was present in the subsurface regions. In the sulfur poisoning of Co Al 2 O 3 , carbon plays only a secondary role. Poisoning by sulfur appears to be due primarily to geometric blockage of sites, with one sulfur atom adsorbed per two surface Co atoms. Electronic effects due to sulfur adsorption are also important as evidenced by a 12 kcal/mole reduction in the activation energy for methanation upon poisoning.
Low-cost antenna of series-fed printed strip dipoles

A newly developed antenna comprising series-fed printed strip dipoles is described. The effect of substrate permittivity on the radiation properties of the antenna is investigated, using an analysis model based on the general concept of the equivalent radius of cylindrical antennas. An antenna with a gain of > 9 dB and VSWR ≤ 1.5 over the frequency range 1.8–2.2 GHz is presented.
Biological identity and diversity in photosynthesis and respiration: structure of the lumen-side domain of the chloroplast Rieske protein

Abstract Background: The cytochrome b 6 f complex functions in oxygenic photosynthesis as an integral membrane protein complex that mediates coupled electron transfer and proton translocation. The Rieske [2Fe–2S] protein subunit of the complex functions at the electropositive ( p ) membrane interface as the electron acceptor for plastoquinol and donor for the cytochrome f subunit, and may have a dynamic role in catalyzing electron and proton transfer at the membrane interface. There are significant structure/function similarities to the cytochrome bc 1 complex of the respiratory chain. Results: The 1.83 A crystal structure of a 139-residue C-terminal fragment of the Rieske [2Fe–2S] protein, derived from the cytochrome b 6 f complex of spinach chloroplasts, has been solved by multiwavelength anomalous diffraction. The structure of the fragment comprises two domains: a small ‘cluster-binding' subdomain and a large subdomain. The [2Fe–2S] cluster-binding subdomains of the chloroplast and mitochondrial Rieske proteins are virtually identical, whereas the large subdomains are strikingly different despite a common folding topology. A structure-based sequence alignment of the b 6 f and bc 1 groups of Rieske soluble domains is presented. Conclusions: The segregation of structural conservation and divergence in the cluster-binding and large subdomains of the Rieske protein correlates with the overall relatedness of the cytochrome b 6 f and bc 1 complexes, in which redox domains in the aqueous p phase are dissimilar and those within the membrane are similar. Distinct sequences and surface charge distributions among Rieske large subdomains may provide a signature for interaction with the p -side oxidant protein and for the pH of the intraorganelle compartment.
Dissimilatory nitrate reduction in Clostridium tertium

Fermentation balance studies were carried out on Clostridium tertium grown with and without nitrate in the medium. Nitrate reduction increased the efficiency of energy produced from glucose by permitting the utilization of additional sites of substrate level phosphorylation. The effect was even more dramatic in C. tertium than in C. perfringens, with increased cell yields of about 30% being observed in the former compared with 20% in the latter. Unlike C. perfringens, C. tertium responded to the presence of nitrate in the medium with an increased growth rate. A slight increase in the Y ATP of these cultures was also observed, and quantitatively, this appeared to be consistent with the prediction of Stouthammer and Bettenhaussen that Y ATP will vary with the growth rate. Thus, C. tertium, like C. perfringens, was able to use nitrate as an electron acceptor in conjunction with its energy metabolism, suggesting that this may be widespread among the nitrate-reducing anaerobes.
Interpretation of proton chemical shift tensors

Abstract A separation of the chemical shift tensor into physically meaningful “geometrical” and “chemical” contributions is presented and a comparison of model calculations with recently reported data on hydroxyl proton chemical shift tensors demonstrates, that for this system, the geometrical portion accounts for the qualitative features of the measured tensors.
The mechanism of adenosylmethionine-dependent activation of methionine synthase: A rapid kinetic analysis of intermediates in reductive methylation of cob(II)alamin enzyme

Cobalamin-dependent methionine synthase catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from methyltetrahydrofolate to homocysteine, generating tetrahydrofolate and methionine. During this primary turnover cycle, the enzyme alternates between the active methylcobalamin and cob(I)alamin forms of the enzyme. Formation of the cob(II)alamin prosthetic group by oxidation of cob(I)alamin or photolysis of methylcobalamin renders the enzyme inactive. Methionine synthase from E. coli catalyzes its own reactivation by a reductive methylation that involves electron transfer from reduced flavodoxin and methyl transfer from AdoMet. This process has been proposed to involve formation of a transient cob(I)alamin intermediate that is then trapped by methyl transfer from AdoMet. During aerobic growth of E. coli, electrons for this process are ultimately derived from NADPH, and electron transfer does not generate a detectable level of cob(I)alamin due to the large potential difference between the NADPH/NADP+ couple and the cob(I)...
Ocean nutrient ratios governed by plankton biogeography

The major nutrients nitrate and phosphate have one of the strongest correlations in the sea, with a slope similar to the average nitrogen (N) to phosphorus (P) content of plankton biomass (N/P = 16:1). The processes through which this global relationship emerges despite the wide range of N/P ratios at the organism level are not known. Here we use an ocean circulation model and observed nutrient distributions to show that the N/P ratio of biological nutrient removal varies across latitude in Southern Ocean surface waters, from 12:1 in the polar ocean to 20:1 in the sub-Antarctic zone. These variations are governed by regional differences in the species composition of the plankton community. The covariation of dissolved nitrate and phosphate is maintained by ocean circulation, which mixes the shallow subsurface nutrients between distinct biogeographic provinces. Climate-driven shifts in these marine biomes may alter the mean N/P ratio and the associated carbon export by Southern Ocean ecosystems.
Oncologists’ Attitudes and Practices Regarding Banking Sperm Before Cancer Treatment

PURPOSE: The goal of this study was to survey oncologists in three different practice settings to determine their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding referring patients to bank sperm before cancer treatment. METHODS: A postal survey about knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding banking sperm before cancer treatment was sent to 718 oncology staff physicians and fellows at two cancer centers and at sites in a Community Clinical Oncology Program. RESULTS: The return rate was 24% and did not differ by institution, oncologic specialty, or sex. Fellows were significantly more likely to participate (37%) than staff physicians (20%). Ninety-one percent of respondents agreed that sperm banking should be offered to all men at risk of infertility as a result of cancer treatment, but 48% either never bring up the topic or mention it to less than a quarter of eligible men. Neither greater knowledge about sperm banking nor seeing large numbers of eligible men yearly increased the likelihood of discussin...
A framework for incremental progress in the application of AI to software engineering

The study of the potential contributions of artificial intelligence (AI) to software engineering (SE) needs a conceptual framework within which to analyze the scope and feasibility of such contributions.We propose a framework designed to uncover opportunities for incremental progress in SE through the adoption of AI solutions. We emphasize incremental for we believe progress must be assessed in terms of discrete, well-defined steps. The incremental approach involves two fundamental steps:1. partition the universe into restricted domains of study, and2. examine each of those domains to determine what progress is possible.The framework can be used as a guideline for refining research domains, as a context for comparing applications, or as a mechanism to provide structure for future discussions of applications of AI to SE.
The Enchanted Years of the Stage: Kansas City at the Crossroads of American Theater, 1870–1930 by Felicia Hardison Londré

The Enchanted Years of the Stage: Kansas City at the Crossroads of American Theater, 1870-1930 Felicia Hardison Londre, Columbia: U of Missouri Press, 2007 Felicia Hardison Londre's The Enchanted Years of the Stage not only offers a flashback to a post-Civil War era cow-town trying to transition into a culturally-affluent city through a series of performances of everything from opera to burlesque, but it also shows a richly detailed representation of the exploding national theatre scene as a whole-from a Midwest perspective. While Londre's detailed research might be overwhelming to the casual reader, the anecdotes are so alluring, and sometimes humorous, that everybody-not just historians and academics-will enjoy being drawn into this strange world of the first golden age of theatre. During this golden era from 1870-1930, visitors to Kansas City not only featured "superstar" actors such as Sarah Bernhardt, Sir Henry Irving, and Edwin Booth, but a colorful array including everyone from Jesse James to President Grover Cleveland and North Pole explorer Dr. Frederick A. Cook. While most of the information comes directly from newspaper accounts and the writings of theatre critic Austin Latchaw, some of the stories turned into urban legends, making it tough to differentiate fact from fantasy. The annual Priests of Pallas festival, featuring a parade of elaborate floats depicting detailed dragons and other fantasy characters, may have inspired traveling salesman L. Frank Baum to write The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and thirteen other Oz books if he visited Kansas City-or perhaps the annual festival merely adapted their floats after the turn of the century when The Wizard of Oz became popular. This is an example of rumor and fact becoming indistinguishable after so many years. It is interesting to note, though, that the Priests of Pallas festival began in 1887 and continued every year until its "final" festival in 1924. After a lapse of over eighty years, it was revived in 2005 at Kansas City's revamped Union Station. Even the newspaper reporting of the era was notoriously unreliable. Sir Henry Irving was a perfectionist who still preferred limelight-or calcium light-over modern electrical lighting. While the softer lighting was preferable to his eye, his insistence on this older form of lighting was not without a price: Irving had to travel with an entire railway car full of oxygen tanks to fuel it. …
Inhibition of retinoid activity by components of a paper mill effluent

A cell line stably transfected with reporter genes activated by retinoic acid was used to test a paper mill effluent for the presence of retinoids or components that interfere with retinoic acid-stimulated gene transcription. No retinoids were detected in effluent or control water. However, effluent water significantly decreased reporter activity stimulated by all-trans-retinoic acid, while activity stimulated by 9-cis-retinoic acid was unaffected. In a limited fractionation through a C-18 solid phase-exchange column the inhibitory activity was retained in the aqueous fraction, indicating that the activity was polar.
Prescribing trends for management of congestive heart failure from 2002 to 2004.

Abstract Background The incidence and prevalence of the patients diagnosed with congestive heart failure (CHF) continues to grow in the United States. The use of prescription drugs is a vital part of the management of CHF, and pharmacological regimens may vary among patients. Objectives To examine the CHF prescription trends in the United States and to determine present prescribing patterns. Methods National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and both divisions (outpatient and emergency department) of the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from 2002 to 2004 were used to acquire the appropriate data. All analyses used weighted data to represent national estimates. The unit of analysis was individual patient visits. Analysis of the data was accomplished using SPSS 14.0.2 and Stata/SE 9.2 statistical programs. Results During the 3 study years, 24,213,096 weighted visits were associated with a diagnosis of CHF. More than half (56.2%) of the study population were female; over 75% of the subjects were older than 65 years. Over one-quarter (27.3%; 6,618,208 visits) of CHF-related visits were not associated with being prescribed a CHF-related medication. Loop diuretics were the most commonly used medication (35%). Cardiovascular specialists (odds ratio [OR] = 5.28; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.82-15.3; P = .002), general/family practice physicians (OR = 4.5, 95% CI: 1.69-12.0; P = .003), and internal medicine physicians (OR = 3.85, 95% CI: 1.39-10.7; P = .010) were more likely to prescribe CHF-related medication compared with other medical specialties. CHF patients who reside in the Northeast were more likely to receive CHF-related medications than other regions (Midwest OR = 0.24; South OR = 0.20; West OR = 0.23; P Conclusions There were regional and medical specialty-related variations for prescribing CHF-related medications. The results from this study suggest a need for increased awareness of the benefit of CHF-related medications in the management of CHF. The increased implementation of the CHF management guidelines would improve overall patient care.
Effects of Excess Barium Ions on Aqueous Barium Titanate Tape Properties

The effects of excess free barium ions in aqueous barium titanate slip on the resulting BaTiO3 tape properties were investigated in terms of the slip behavior, green/sintered tape density and morphology, and dielectric properties. The excess free barium ions expressed by means of the Ba/Ti ratio adversely affected most tape properties. Increase in the slip viscosity, green porosity, and agglomeration along with a decrease in mechanical properties and green/sintered density were found with the increase in the Ba/Ti ratio. However, dielectric permittivity was increased with increase in the Ba/Ti ratio. An effort was made to correlate these phenomena with Ba2+ leaching in water for realistic multilayer ceramic capacitor applications.
Asymptotic stability in the presence of convection

t) in [0,1] x [0,00). Put simply, theorem 2.1 asserts that bounds on the initial and boundary data which satisfy the appropriate differential inequalities in the domain under consideration are in fact bounds on the solution inside the domain as well. Thus this result is very much in the spirit of the more familiar maximum principle. As an illustration of the applicability of theorem 2.1, suppose that in problem (2.1) a
Essential drugs: economics and politics in international health

Abstract The World Health Organization since the mid-1970s has expanded its activities on essential drugs from a concept to a list to policies, establishing the Action Program on Essential Drugs and Vaccines in 1981. The global social and political environment, especially the emergence of an international consumers movement, created favorable conditions for acceptance of the concept of essential drugs, despite initial resistance by the pharmaceutical industry. The WHO achieved a major accomplishment in getting other organizations to accept the WHO's evolving definition of essential drugs as legitimate. But the relationship between public and private sectors remains a key issue in achieving the objectives of essential drugs policies, an issue the WHO has not fully or directly addressed. Potentials for conflict and collaboration between the WHO and the industry exist around three topics: the extent of regulation, the role of the market, and local production. The case of essential drugs illustrates a new pattern that has emerged for setting the international health agenda, with open participation in international organizations by industry associations and by consumer groups. These changes in the international agenda-setting process influence national policy but still leave difficult problems of implementation at the country level.
A gradient of dissolved organic carbon and lignin from Terrebonne–Timbalier Bay estuary to the Louisiana shelf (USA)

Abstract Here we report on spatial and temporal changes in the concentration and composition of total dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved lignin-phenols (sum 8) in surface and bottom waters in estuarine and inner shelf off the Louisiana coast (USA). DOC samples were collected at 6 stations on 3 cruises (April 2008, July 2008) for organic analyses along a transect that spanned from inside Terrebonne–Timbalier Bay estuary, Louisiana (7 m water depth) to the outer-most station on the inner Louisiana shelf (18.5 m water depth). An additional set of samples was taken for DOC and dissolved lignin-phenols in April 2009 in the upper marshes of the estuary in water depths typically ca. 1 m. Hydrographic properties of shelf waters in April 2008 were drastically different than in July 2008 because of the higher river discharge from the Mississippi River (MR) and the opening of man-made water diversion structures in Louisiana in April. There were no significant differences in DOC concentrations between the inner bay and shelf stations, likely due to extensive mixing between the bay and shelf waters. However, there were significantly higher concentrations of dissolved lignin (sum 8) and Λ 8 at the marsh stations ( x = 0.28 ± 0.15 mg L − 1 and x = 0.69 ± 0.35), compared to the inner shelf ( x = 0.16 ± 0.06 mg L − 1 and x = 0.24 ± 0.12) stations, respectively. Low S/V and C/V ratios observed in Terrebonne–Timbalier Bay estuary were likely the result of selective degradation of syringyl and cinnamyl over vanillyl lignin-phenols, and not inputs of woody gymnosperms. A gradient of decreasing S/V ratios along a transect from the upper marshes to the shelf was likely the result of photochemical breakdown of lignin and dilution effects from marine waters near the outer reaches of the estuary. Inputs of photochemically-altered DOC from estuaries such as Terrebonne–Timbalier Bay to the inner Louisiana shelf may provide an additional source of OC for microbial food webs in the northern Gulf of Mexico.
Deposition of transparent conductive indium oxide by atmospheric-pressure plasma jet

Abstract Indium (III) beta-diketonate complexes were employed as the solid precursor sources in the atmospheric-pressure plasma chemical vapor deposition of indium oxide films using He carrier gas, O 2 reactant gas and growth temperatures from 25 to 250 °C. Ellipsometry and X-ray reflectivity showed that the films varied in thicknesses from 40 to 70 nm over the 30 cm 2 deposition growth area for a 12 min duty cycle. The as-deposited films exhibit transmittance in excess of 90% over the visible spectrum while maintaining resistivity on the order of 10 − 2 Ω cm. Improved electrical properties (i.e., ρ − 3 Ω cm) were observed after thermal treatment ( T ~ 200 °C) in a controlled gas ambient tube furnace.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY: UNLOCKING THE SECRETS OF WINE FLAVOR

Knowledge of wine flavor has paralleled developments in analytical chemistry. In the 19th century, analytical methods focused on the determination of major wine components such as ethanol, organic acids, and sugars. The development of chromatographic techniques in the early 1900s and particularly development of gas chromatography in the early 1950s ushered in a new era of discovery for analytical chemists. Currently, more than 1300 volatile compounds have been identified in alcoholic beverages and new compounds continue to be discovered. At the beginning of the 21st century, the focus is beginning to shift away from identification and quantification of new flavor compounds and toward developing dynamic analytical techniques that can model the complex relationships between volatile composition and sensory properties. In addition, rapid, readily automated techniques that can be used to optimize agricultural (viticultural) practices and processing or aging conditions are being evaluated and developed. Primar...