cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
T2 signal intensity as an imaging biomarker for patients with superficial Fibromatoses of the hands (Dupuytren’s disease) and feet (Ledderhose disease) undergoing definitive electron beam irradiation

Electron beam therapy is a definitive radiation treatment option for superficial fibromatoses of the hands and feet. Because objective criteria for treatment response remain poorly defined, we sought to describe changes in electron beam treated lesions on MRI. The study included 1 male and 9 female patients with a total of 37 superficial fibromatoses; average age was 60.7 years. Standard 6 MeV electron beam treatment included 3 Gy per fraction for 10 or 12 treatments using split-course with 3-month halfway break. Pre- and post-treatment MRIs were evaluated to determine lesion size (cm3), T2 signal intensity and contrast enhancement (5-point ordinal scales) by a fellowship trained musculoskeletal radiologist. MRI findings were correlated with clinical response using a composite 1–5 ordinal scale, Karnofsky Performance Scale and patient-reported 10-point visual analog scale for pain. Mean volume decreased from 1.5 to 1.2 cm3 (p = 0.01, paired t-test). Mean T2 hyperintensity score decreased from 3.0 to 2.1 (p < 0.0001, Wilcoxon signed-rank). Mean enhancement score available for 22 lesions decreased from 3.8 to 3.0 (p < 0.0001, Wilcoxon signed-rank). Performance scores improved from 78.9 ± 13.7 to 84.6 ± 6.9 (p = 0.007, paired t-test). Pain scores decreased from 3.0 ± 3.3 to 1.1 ± 2.0 (p = 0.0001, paired t-test). Post-treatment T2 signal correlated weakly with performance and pain (Spearman’s ρ = −0.37 and 0.16, respectively). MRI is valuable for evaluating patients undergoing electron beam therapy for superficial fibromatoses: higher pretreatment T2 intensity may predict benefit from radiotherapy. T2 hypointensity may be a better marker than size for therapeutic effect.
Urea-Based Multipoint Hydrogen-Bond Donor Additive Promotes Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Catalyzed by Nickel Cyclam

We report that a urea-based multipoint hydrogen-bond donor additive leads to an enhancement in activity for electrochemical CO2 reduction to CO catalyzed by Ni cyclam without altering this catalyst’s high selectivity for CO2 versus proton reduction. Comparison of peak catalytic currents in the presence of a bis(aryl)urea additive versus an isostructural amide as a one-point hydrogen-bond counterpart, as well as other weakly coordinating acids with comparable pKa values, reveals that the urea preferentially augments CO2 electrocatalysis. This observation suggests that the ability of the urea to form cooperative hydrogen-bond interactions is critical for the observed increases in activity rather than its acidity alone. Indeed, the boost in catalytic activity is observed in acetonitrile electrolyte containing up to 1 M water, indicating the organourea’s role as a cocatalyst rather than a stoichiometric additive. This work establishes a starting point for applying principles of organocatalysis to electrocatal...
Oral health of young Alaska Native children and their caregivers in Southwestern Alaska.

Objective We sought to determine the prevalence of caries and associated risk factors in young Native children and their caregivers in two communities in rural Alaska. Methods A random sample of Alaska Native children between 12-36 months and a subset of their caregivers from two Southwestern Alaska communities were examined for dental decay. Caregivers completed a 43-item questionnaire about oral hygiene, dietary and other practices. Results Of the 65 children examined, 59% had evidence of decay. Among the 41 primary caregivers examined, 98% had experienced dental decay with an average of 11.4 decayed, missing, and filled teeth. On linear regression analyses, factors significantly associated with more decay in the children included a child taking a juice-containing bottle to bed, eating candy 1 or more times per day, and higher caregiver oral S. mutans counts. Conclusions Our results suggest that preventive efforts for children at high risk for dental decay should begin early in life, should emphasize decreasing candy and bedtime juice bottle use, and should consider the caregivers' oral health status in addition to the child's.
Segregation of cerium in chromia scales

Abstract The oxidation rate of Fe-Cr alloys at 900-1100°C is significantly decreased by the presence of a thin (~40A) sputter coating of Ce02. 18O/SIMS experiments show that Ce found within the scale changes the mechanism of Cr2O3 growth from predominantly cation to predominantly anion diffusion, both of which are considered to occur along oxide grain boundaries. For oxides > 1000 A thick, EDX, EELS, TEM and electron diffraction data indicate that Ce segregates to form particles of CeCr03 which likely retard grain boundary diffusion of Cr cations. Analogous results are observed for Y203-coated and Y-implanted alloys.
The steady growth of the high-energy spectral cut-off in relativistic magnetic reconnection

Magnetic reconnection is invoked as an efficient particle accelerator in a variety of astrophysical sources of non-thermal high-energy radiation. With large-scale two-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations of relativistic reconnection (i.e., with magnetization $\sigma\gg1$) in pair plasmas, we study the long-term evolution of the power-law slope and high-energy cutoff of the spectrum of accelerated particles. We find that the high-energy spectral cutoff does not saturate at $\gamma_{\rm cut}\sim 4\sigma$, as claimed by earlier studies, but it steadily grows with time as long as the reconnection process stays active. At late times, the cutoff scales approximately as $\gamma_{\rm cut}\propto \sqrt{t}$, regardless of the flow magnetization and initial temperature. We show that the particles dominating the high-energy spectral cutoff reside in plasmoids, and in particular in a strongly magnetised ring around the plasmoid core. The growth of their energy is driven by the increase in the local field strength, coupled with the conservation of the first adiabatic invariant. We also find that the power-law slope of the spectrum ($p=-{\rm d}\log N/{\rm d}\log \gamma$) evolves with time. For $\sigma\gtrsim10$, the spectrum is hard at early times ($p\lesssim 2$), but it tends to asymptote to $p\sim 2$; the steepening of the power-law slope allows the spectral cutoff to extend to higher and higher energies, without violating the fixed energy budget of the system. Our results demonstrate that relativistic reconnection is a viable candidate for accelerating the high-energy particles emitting in relativistic astrophysical sources.
The Tale of a Forgery: Inventing the Protocols

The Protocols became the most influential piece of antisemitic propaganda ever created. Inspired by the first Zionist Congress of 1897 in Basel, when Mathieu Golovinski finished his fabrication of the tract in 1901, Imperial Russia was still suffering from an economic meltdown: its stock market had crashed, two major banks lay in ruins, and millions found themselves unemployed. The Zionist Congress seemed to justify his fears that Jewish capital was subverting the Russian monarchy. That the Dreyfus affair should have taken place just when Russia was in turmoil, and the Zionist Congress had been called, also confirmed Golovinski’s paranoid fantasy that an international Jewish conspiracy was causing global havoc while plotting to take over the world. An aristocrat’s son, a lawyer disbarred for embezzlement, and a scandal-mongering journalist, Golovinski was the agent of an arch-reactionary faction at the Russian court while he lived in Paris. But he was also flexible and an opportunist. Golovinski joined the Bolsheviks after 1917 and quickly rose through the ranks before his sudden death in 1920 at the age of 55. His background would undoubtedly have proven an embarrassment to the revolutionary authorities and, consequently, his role in the tale of a forgery ultimately wound up buried in the Soviet archives until the fine Russian historian, Mikhail Lepekhine, uncovered it in 2007 after five years of painstaking research.
Annual colorectal cancer screening in rural community clinics using the fecal immunochemical test (FIT): Second and third year screening.

35Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC), the second leading cause of cancer death in the US, can be significantly reduced if it is detected early. Although overall CRC screening rates have increased ...
Advanced Spanish Conversation and the Non-Traditional Student: A Case Study for Implementing Community-Based Learning at the Urban University

This article discusses the unique situation of teaching an upper-level, undergraduate Spanish Conversation course with a service-learning component at a large, public, urban university. With the help of service-learning literature and anonymous pre- and post-surveys, this study aims to offer some qualitative observations and advice on community-based learning for the non-traditional student. Even with the added effort in curriculum development and the imperfections of language instruction for non-traditional students, this article concludes that the implementation of service-learning at the urban university can be a successful experience.
Detail-preserving compression for smoke-based flow visualization

Smoke is a useful method to visualize flows from scientific experiments or physical simulations in many applications of science, engineering, graphics, and virtual reality. In visualizing flows, smoke evolution inside a flow field creates 3D, high-resolution, and time-varying data sets. The large data size imposes challenge on storing and transmitting the smoke animation results where good compression techniques are demanded. Furthermore, small-scale smoke details play important roles in visualizing and conveying realistic flow behavior. They should be well preserved in compression and reconstructed to create smooth animation effect in decompression. This requirement impairs the direct adaptation of existing techniques in video and volume compression. In this paper, we design new techniques to enable effective smoke visualization compression with smooth detail preservation. The motion estimation between key frames of density fields is implemented by a special bidirectional advection. The intermediate frames are built from advected key frames with specific blending. The advection is driven by motion vectors over nonuniform blocks, which are created with an adaptive simplification of velocity field to reflect the heterogeneous velocity variations. Moreover, pertinent intra-frame compression techniques are integrated. Our approach eventually achieves good compression performance and quality with easy control.
From Planetary Quarantine to Planetary Protection: A NASA and International Story

This paper treats the very specific history of one aspect of space policy and how it, or more specifically its name, developed in the first two decades of the Space Age. The concepts of preventing the biological and organic contamination of other planetary bodies, which also protect the biosphere from the consequences of finding extraterrestrial life and returning it to Earth, were established in the late 1950s with the beginning of the Space Age. Within their first decade, those concepts were labeled "planetary quarantine," a name that suggested the concepts but unfortunately came with latent baggage of its own. Over time, that sobriquet was replaced by the more prosaic "planetary protection," which has less of a baggage problem and has come to be used in common parlance to describe this contamination avoidance within the spaceflight community. This paper does not duplicate material found in the "official" NASA history of planetary protection (Meltzer, 2011 ), which covered this specific subject only broadly, nor was the same material presented by Meltzer's predecessor (Phillips, 1974 ), who could not cover it because it had not happened yet.
Development of an electronic, integrated quality monitoring and needs assessment tool for palliative care.

e16556 Background: In order to facilitate uptake of continuous quality improvement in oncology and palliative care, practical data capture and reporting solutions are needed that allow real-time co...
G500(P) Pre-cervical myositis ossificans secondary to non-accidental trauma

We present a case report of a 7 week old baby, presenting with pre-cervical myositis ossificans secondary to non-accidental trauma. Myositis Ossificans is characterised by bone formation within muscle or soft tissue. Majority of cases are caused by trauma. These usually occur in the extremities in older men and rarely in the head and neck area. The baby presented to the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) team with a sub-lingual mass and stridor. Chest X-ray revealed multiple rib fractures of varying ages. An MRI scan of the neck detected a C6 vertebral body fracture and a pre-cervical calcified mass. A biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of myositis ossificans. Skeletal survey also detected fractures involving the clavicle, humerus, bilateral tibiae and 5th metatarsal. Review by a Specialist in paediatric endocrinology and metabolic bone disease found no clinical, radiological or biochemical evidence of metabolic bone disease. On clinical review, the baby was noted to have a linear submental laceration, mucosal tear of the soft palate and bruising of the tongue. No explanation was provided to account for these findings. History of an apparent life threatening event where mouth to mouth resuscitation was required with a delay in presentation to healthcare raised further concern about possible non-accidental injury. Lower cervical spine injuries in infants are incredibly rare and accidental injuries tend to cause fractures in the upper cervical vertebrae. We have found one case report describing a C5 fracture with pre-cervical myositis ossificans in an infant seconadry to non accidental injury. The case histories and images are strikingly similar. This case report highlights an atypical presentation of myositis ossificans in both age and location. It is important to raise awareness of this rare finding so that it can be considered in other cases and lead to earlier identification. These cases may trigger a case series to raise awareness of pre-cervical myositis ossificans as a marker for non-accidental injury.
Targeting the Cholecystokinin Receptor: A Novel Approach for Treatment and Prevention of Hepatocellular Cancer

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fastest growing cancer worldwide in part due to the obesity epidemic and fatty liver disease, particularly nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Chronic inflammation with the release of cytokines and chemokines with activation of hepatic stellate cells results in changes of the liver extracellular matrix (ECM) that predisposes to the development of HCC. Blood levels of the gastrointestinal peptide cholecystokinin (CCK) are increased in humans and mice consuming a high-fat diet. We found that the CCK-B receptor (CCK-BR) expression increased in the livers of mice with NASH. Treatment of mice with a CCK-BR antagonist, proglumide, prevented NASH, lowered hepatic inflammatory cytokines and chemokines, reduced oxidative stress, decreased F4/80+ hepatic macrophages, and prevented HCC. CCK-AR and CCK-BR expression was increased in both murine and human HCC cell lines compared with that of normal liver, and CCK stimulated the growth of wild-type and CCK-A receptor knockout HCC cells in vitro, but not CCK-BR knockout cells suggesting that the CCK-BR mediates proliferation. Proglumide therapy significantly reduced growth by 70% and 73% in mice bearing Dt81Hepa1-6 or in RIL-75 HCC tumors, respectively. IHC of a human liver tissue array with a selective CCK-BR antibody revealed staining of human HCC and no staining in normal liver. PREVENTION RELEVANCE: This investigation demonstrates the role of the gastrointestinal peptide cholecystokinin (CCK) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and how CCK-BR blockade reverses the premalignant state of the hepatic extracellular matrix hence, rendering it less susceptible to the development of HCC. Thereby, CCK-BR blockade is a novel approach for the prevention/treatment of HCC.
The art of time: Levinas, ethics, and the contemporary Peninsular novel

The ethical philosophy of subjectivity of Emmanuel Levinas is of central importance to the contemporary global concern regarding ethics, identity and the treatment of the other. For Levinas, identi...
Outdoor Courier Lockboxes in Summer Are a Significant Source of Preanalytical Error

OBJECTIVES To determine the impact of short-term (<4-hour) exposure of summer-like temperatures on lithium heparin (uncentrifuged and centrifuged) samples stored in outdoor courier lockboxes in the Mid-Atlantic United States. METHODS Healthy adults (n = 8) were recruited to investigate the impact of the short-term exposure of lithium heparin samples (centrifuged and uncentrifuged) inside 2 LabLocker-KF300 courier lockboxes placed outside in direct sunlight during summer. Each courier lockbox was monitored every 5 minutes with a temperature data logger and contained either the standard number (n = 2) of cold packs (cold) or no standard cold packs (warm). Acceptable tolerance limits were defined for each analyte by significant change limit (SCL) analysis (P < .05), as previously described. RESULTS Significant changes were identified in each study condition for warm and cold lockbox conditions. Aspartate aminotransferase, glucose, lactate dehydrogenase, and potassium commonly crossed SCLs from mean baseline (t0) in the majority of conditions. CONCLUSIONS Outdoor courier lockboxes are an underrecognized source of preanalytical error.
Digital Twin Models of Power Electronic Converters Using Dynamic Neural Networks

This paper presents a new approach for creating real-time models of power electronic converters using dynamic neural networks. The models are time-domain, switch-averaged, large-signal, real-time, and embeddable. This combination of characteristics renders the model uniquely suited to create digital twins of the converter which can run on any platform, including locally on the converter’s digital controller. The training dataset for the proposed neural network model can be generated from simulation (rather than measured on a hardware prototype) for convenience. This work will suggest a rationale for choosing the neural network structure and hyperparameters, will discuss best practices for training and testing the model, and will include an analysis of model error. The proposed modeling approach is compared and contrasted with other real-time modeling approaches and shown to be superior to previously proposed machine learning approaches.
Turner V. United States -- Amicus Brief in Support of Petitioner

Categorical rules should never trump common sense, and rigidity should never trump reasonableness. In Kirby v. Illinois, this Court held that the Sixth Amendment right to counsel applies to “critical stages” of a criminal prosecution that occur after an indictment is obtained (or formal charges filed). The plurality reasoned that it was only after an indictment is obtained (or formal charges filed) that the government “has committed itself to prosecute, [that] the adverse positions of government and defendant have solidified, [and that] the accused finds himself faced with the prosecutorial forces of organized society.” 406 U.S. 682, 689 (1972) (brackets added). In the over the four decades since Kirby was decided, however, times have changed – dramatically. But the rationale underlying Kirby has not, and any sensible interpretation of Kirby leads to the ineluctable conclusion that pre-indictment plea bargaining triggers the Sixth Amendment right to counsel. Specifically, in the pre-indictment or pre-charge context, the right to counsel should apply where: (1) a state or federal prosecutor is involved; (2) the prosecutor contacts an individual who will be subject to state or federal charges; (3) the prosecutor informs the individual of the particular charges that will be brought; and (4) the prosecutor attempts to resolve the matter, such as through a plea offer, before seeking an indictment. Put differently, when the government initiates plea negotiations, it should not matter whether such negotiations occur before or after an indictment is obtained or charges are filed. To hold otherwise would require the Court to create a distinction that would have no meaningful difference – except to defendants who, in the context of pre-indictment plea negotiations, would be required to navigate the legal process alone.
Divergent layer topologies in divalent metal aliphatic dicarboxylate coordination polymers containing 3-pyridylmethylnicotinamide

Abstract Hydrothermal reaction of the requisite metal salt, an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid, and the hydrogen-bonding capable dipyridylamide ligand 3-pyridylmethylnicotinamide (3-pmna) resulted in four coordination polymers whose connectedness and layer topology depend on the metal coordination environment and dicarboxylate binding mode. These new crystalline phases were characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. [Cu(ox)(3-pmna)]n (1, ox = oxalate) manifests stacked 3-connected (6,3) herringbone layer motifs. {[Cd(mal)(3-pmna)(H2O)]·3H2O}n (2, mal = malonate) shows a 4-connected (4,4) grid topology with entrained water molecule trimeric chains in the interlamellar regions. {[Cd2(suc)2(3-pmna)(H2O)2]·3H2O}n (3, suc = succinate) possesses {Cd2O2} dimer-based [Cd(suc)]n layers pillared by 3-pmna ligands into a 5-connected sandwich motif with 4862 topology. {[Cd(glu)(3-pmna)(H2O)]·3H2O}n (4, glu = glutarate) manifests a rippled (4,4) grid topology. Luminescent behavior in the cadmium complexes is ascribed to intra-ligand molecular orbital transitions. Thermal decomposition behavior is also discussed herein.
The New York Times Co.

The Sulzberger family owns 20% of the New York Times Co. (NYT) but controls 70% of the board through a dual-class share structure. At the company's April 2006 annual shareholder meeting, Morgan Stanley Investment Management (MSIM) and other investors holding 28% of the company's stock altogether, withheld their votes for the 30% of directors that they could vote on, as a sign of protest against the management of Arthur Sulzberger, Jr. and the dual-class structure that protects him. MSIM later submitted a proposal urging the NYT to subject the dual-class structure to a vote. In evaluating the proposal, Sulzberger feels torn by his responsibilities to three different constituencies: his readers, his family, and all other NYT shareholders. The case introduces some of the mechanisms that founding families use to perpetuate their control of their firms over multiple generations in the context of the newspaper industry, where these mechanisms are widely used. Specifically, the combination of a series of trusts with a dual-class structure that entitles Class B to elect over two-thirds of the board gives the Sulzberger family control of NYT far in excess of the family's economic stake in the company, and shields NYT from potential changes in control - including hostile takeovers as well as activist shareholder attacks. The case features these mechanisms at work and their associated corporate governance problems. The teaching note contrasts NYT's situation and control structures with those that were in place at Dow Jones & Co., which ultimately enabled Rupert Murdoch to take over Dow Jones. The teaching note also provides background on other corporate governance issues that are at play in the NYT case, such as how decision-making powers are allocated between boards and shareholders, or how director elections work. The case can be used in a family business course to discuss governance, control, and family management issues. It can also be used in a corporate governance course to discuss conflicts of interest between controlling and minority shareholders and the governance mechanisms that can ameliorate (or exacerbate) these conflicts. This teaching note is intended to facilitate the use of the case in either context.
A resource‐based analysis of recruitment and selection practices of Indian software companies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to detail staffing practices of five software companies located in India.Design/methodology/approach – This qualitative research paper uses purposeful sampling to provide rich data on senior‐level staffing practices. The interviews conducted in India are tape‐recorded and notes are also taken diligently. The interviews are coded to identify similar and dissimilar themes.Findings – This research identifies internal recruitment, employer references, succession planning, interviews, personality tests, newspaper recruitment, professional search agencies, and bio‐data as the predominant senior‐level staffing practices.Practical implications – The paper identifies successful staffing practices adopted by domestic software companies. As multinational companies significantly increase their presence in India, global practitioners can implement successful staffing practices by having a thorough understanding of local staffing practices.Originality/value – This paper identifies...
The Implications of Web 2.0 on Web Information Systems

“Web 2.0”is rapidly becoming a buzzword in the Web design and development communities. Despite this attention, a definition of the term and its scope are still evolving. To many observers “Web 2.0” appears to be a loose collection of recently developed concepts and technologies including Weblogs, Wikis, podcasts, Web feeds and other forms of collaborative publishing. Added to this mix are social software, Web APIs, Web standards, online Web services, AJAX, and more. There are common unifying goals in Web 2.0 which suggest that rather than being based on new technologies it instead represents a natural evolution of World Wide Web applications and services. As a result, the concepts incorporated in“Web 2.0”should be strongly considered in the development of Web Information Systems
In vitro and in silico evaluation of NF-κB targeted costunolide action on estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer cells--a comparison with normal breast cells.

Costunolide, a sesquiterpene lactone is a plant-derived secondary metabolite found to be present in most of the pharmacologically active herbs, being the cause for their medicinal values. The present study aims to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of costunolide isolated from Costus speciosus rhizome extract on MDA-MB-231 cells and explore its targeted action in comparison with its action on the normal breast cells (MCF 10A). The effect of costunolide on cell viability of the cells was assessed by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide viability assay. The targeted action of the compound was analyzed comparing the effectiveness of the compound to alter the protein expression levels of NF-κB subunits in the normal and the cancer cells using western blotting analysis. In silico studies were performed to predict the targeted interaction of costunolide with the NF-κB subunit proteins. Costunolide inhibited the cell viability of MDA-MB-231 cells in a dose-dependent manner leaving no significant change in the viability of the normal breast cells. The over expressed NF-κB subunits – p65, 52 and 100 in the cancer cells were found to be downregulated when treated with costunolide at an effective dose of 20 and 40 μM costunolide. In silico results provided stable interactions between costunolide and the target proteins, supporting the in vitro results in addition. Thus, costunolide derived from C. speciosus plant source elevates a fresh conviction for its use in breast cancer therapy for its cytotoxic efficacy and non-toxic nature. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Genetic counseling process

Genetic counseling is a process whose aim is to communicate information about genetic disease to patients or families. This process involves multiple steps that may include, but not be limited to, gathering and assessment of information, establishment of a diagnosis or risk of disease, and discussion of the implications as well as available options to address risk for family members. Support and counseling is also a very important component of this process, which focuses on promoting informed decision-making for patients who are often in very difficult situations. Keywords: genetic counseling; counseling process; risk assessment; psychosocial; nondirective
Astronomy: A Mars-sized exoplanet

Analysis of Kepler data has yielded the smallest known mass for an exoplanet orbiting a normal star. Its mass and size are similar to those of Mars, setting a benchmark for the properties of exoplanets smaller than Earth. See Letter p.321 Kepler-138, a red dwarf in the constellation of Lyra, hosts three validated transiting exoplanets, two that are similar in size to Earth and one that is Mars-sized. Daniel Jontof-Hutter et al. have calculated the masses and sizes of all three — one of them for the first time. Calculating the masses of small rocky planets is more difficult than for large gaseous planets. These authors obtained planetary masses using the effect of their mutual gravities, which causes transits to occur slightly earlier or later than in the absence of gravitational effects. The innermost, Mars-sized planet, Kepler 138 b, has a mass of about 0.066 times that of the Earth, and is the smallest exoplanet to have its density measured. The middle and outer planets, Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 d, are both slightly larger than Earth.
Urea Production and Putrescine Biosynthesis by Escherichia coli

Cultures of Escherichia coli B and K-12 produce urea during growth in minimal medium. Results of isotopic labeling experiments were consistent with the sole source of urea being from the conversion of arginine to putrescine. Since E. coli itself has no demonstrable urease activity, the rate of urea production is a measure of the flux through the arginine to putrescine pathway.
Logical topology design for dynamic traffic grooming in mesh WDM optical networks

Traffic grooming is an operation to consolidate client traffic onto lightpaths in the interworking of the optical network and client networks. Depending on whether the client traffic is static or dynamic, it can be classified into static and dynamic traffic grooming. This paper studies how to design logical topology (using minimum network resource) for dynamic traffic grooming, to meet the given traffic blocking probability requirements. We will formulate this problem into an integer linear programming (ILP) problem. In the formulation, we will consider wavelength assignment for lightpaths, and wavelength conversion in the optical network. The formulation is demonstrated to be highly effective for small to medium-size networks. Furthermore, for large networks, we propose a simple heuristic that can obtain near-optimal performance.
Effect of an Ovsynch56 protocol initiated at different intervals after insemination with or without a presynchronizing injection of gonadotropin-releasing hormone on fertility in lactating dairy cows

The objectives of this study were to evaluate effects of 2 resynchronization protocols beginning at different intervals after artificial insemination (AI) on the pattern of return to estrus, ovarian responses, and pregnancy per AI (P/AI) to reinsemination. Lactating cows from 2 dairies, located in Texas (n=2,233) and Minnesota (n=3,077), were assigned to 1 of 4 timed AI (TAI) protocols 17 ± 3 d after AI. All cows were examined for pregnancy 31 ± 3 d after previous AI. Cows assigned to early Ovsynch56 (E-OV56) or OV56 received the Ovsynch56 protocol starting 24 or 31 d after AI, respectively. Cows assigned to early GnRH-GnRH-PGF(2α)-GnRH (E-GGPG) or GGPG received a presynchronizing GnRH injection 17 or 24 d after AI, respectively, 7 d before the start of the Ovsynch56 protocol. Cows observed in estrus after enrollment were inseminated on the same day. Ovaries were examined and blood was sampled for progesterone concentration on the day of first GnRH and PGF(2α) injection of the Ovsynch56 protocol. Pregnancy was diagnosed at 31 and 66 d after resynchronized AI. On the day of the first GnRH injection of the TAI, a higher percentage of cows on E-GGPG and GGPG protocols had a corpus luteum (E-GGPG=83.8, GGPG=91.2, E-OV56=80.4, and OV56=75.5%) and progesterone concentration >1 ng/mL (E-GGPG=62.5, GGPG=76.0, E-OV56=53.6, and OV56=60.8%) than cows assigned to other protocols. However, the percentage of cows ovulating to the first GnRH injection of TAI was not affected by treatment. Fewer E-GGPG and more OV56 cows were reinseminated in estrus (E-GGPG=23.7, GGPG=49.0, E-OV56=41.6, and OV56=57.6%). Treatment did not affect P/AI at 31 or 66 d for cows reinseminated in estrus. However, cows reinseminated in estrus had greater P/AI at 31 (40.0 vs. 27.5%) and 66 d (36.0 vs. 23.9%) than cows completing the TAI protocols. Among cows completing the TAI protocols, initiation of GGPG at 24 d after AI increased, whereas initiation of Ovsynch56 at 24 d after AI decreased P/AI at 31 d after reinsemination (E-GGPG=30.6, GGPG=28.3.0, E-OV56=22.3, and OV56=28.7%). Pregnancy per AI did not differ across treatment at 66 d after TAI (E-GGPG=26.6, GGPG=24.4, E-OV56=20.0, and OV56=24.1%). Overall, type of resynchronization protocol and protocol initiation time did not affect P/AI 66 d after reinsemination (E-GGPG=29.7, GGPG=30.5, E-OV56=26.1, and OV56=30.4%). In conclusion, GGPG resynchronization protocols and initiation of resynchronization protocol 24 d after AI reduced the number of cows reinseminated in estrus but neither the timing of initiation of resynchronization nor presynchronization with GnRH affected overall P/AI.
Prelude to Musical Geometry

(1998). Prelude to Musical Geometry. The College Mathematics Journal: Vol. 29, No. 5, pp. 354-370.
An Overview of the Theses and Dissertations Completed in Family and Consumer Sciences: 2000

This article summarizes the 635 titles of theses and dissertations completed in family and consumer sciences in colleges and universities from all four regions of the United States in 2000. The tables represent the information by reporting institution and by subject matter.
Analysis of Sets of Two-Way Contingency Tables Using Association Models

Abstract A class of models is introduced for the analysis of group differences in the association between two discrete variables. The RC(M) association model for two-way tables is reviewed, and alternative weighting systems for identifying interaction parameters are presented. This model is generalized for the setting where a two-way contingency table is available for two or more groups. Various restricted models can be used to examine possible sources of intergroup heterogeneity in the association. These sources pertain to heterogeneity in the intrinsic association and/or in the scores for the row and column variables. The importance of weights used to identify the row and column scores is emphasized. A classical set of data previously analyzed by many authors is used to illustrate the advantages of the models and methods developed here.
Calcification XXI. Detection of nuclei of crystallization in rachitic cartilage.

SummaryMethods of differentiating rachitic tibial sections that do not contain nuclei of crystallization in the preosseous cartilage from those that have been exposed to the calcifying solution but are below the threshold of visibility of the silver stain test are presented. These exposed sections are regarded as “nucleated” because they exhibit properties similar to those where calcification is visible with the silver stain test. “Nucleated” sections calcified in vitro while the non-nucleated sections showed complete inhibition when subjected to the following: (a) incubation in a calcifying medium (Ca × P = 50) containing a mixture of iodoacetate and magnesium ions; (b) shaking in distilled water at room temperature for half an hour, followed by in vitro calcification at a Ca × P product of 50; and (c) heating in distilled water at 76–77°C for 10 minutes, followed by in vitro calcification at a Ca × P product of 50. Calcification in vitro of “nucleated”sections took place at a lower Ca × P product than t...
FURTHER EVALUATION OF METHODS TO IDENTIFY MATCHED STIMULATION

The effects of preferred stimulation on the vocal stereotypy of 2 individuals were evaluated in two experiments. The results of Experiment 1 showed that (a) the vocal stereotypy of both participants persisted in the absence of social consequences, (b) 1 participant manipulated toys that did and did not produce auditory stimulation, but only sound-producing toys decreased his vocal stereotypy, and (c) only noncontingent music decreased vocal stereotypy for the other participant, but sterotypy paradoxically increased when toys were presented with music. Using a three-component multiple schedule, the results of Experiment 2 showed that the vocal stereotypy of both participants remained below preintervention levels following the removal of auditory stimulation and that 1 participant's vocal stereotypy increased following the removal of contingent reprimands. These patterns suggest that auditory stimulation functioned as an abolishing operation for vocal stereotypy and reprimands functioned as an establishing operation for vocal stereotypy. Together, the two experiments provide a method for identifying alternative stimulation that may substitute for automatically reinforced behavior.
A strong Baire category theorem for products

Abstract The notion of a set's depending on a given coordinate in a product space is briefly developed, and the following generalization of the Baire Category Theorem is proved: when D is a family of dense open subsets of a product of pseudocomplete spaces such that each coordinate has countably many sets of D depending on it, then D has dense intersection. Under Martin's Axiom, the hypothesis “countably many” may be replaced by “less than continuum many”.
Manifestations of vitamin D deficiency in chicks reared under different artificial lighting regimes

A problem observed with zoo animals that normally do not consume vitamin D-containing foods and that are not exposed to natural sunlight is a deficiency of vitamin D. This study was conducted to determine whether the amount of ultraviolet light emitted by certain commercially available lights is sufficient to promote vitamin D3 synthesis as indicated by weight gain and various measures of skeletal calcification. Seventy-four, day-old male leghorn chicks were randomly assigned to six treatment groups for a 6-week trial. All groups were exposed to a cool white fluorescent light. In addition, group 1 was supplemented with 400 IU of vitamin D3/kg diet, group 2 was supplemented with 100 IU of vitamin D3/kg diet, group 3 served as the negative control, group 4 was exposed to a Vita-Lite for 12 hr per day, group 5 was exposed to a Sylvania sun lamp for 15 min twice daily, and group 6 was exposed to a Sylvania black light for 15 min twice daily. Groups 3 through 6 were not provided with dietary supplements of vitamin D3. At termination of the experiment, groups 1, 2, and 5 all showed healthy beaks and ribs, the highest weight gain, and greatest percentage of bone ash. Group 4, in contrast, had the poorest calcification and lowest bone ash. This finding indicates that supplemental artificial lighting does affect vitamin D3synthesis in chicks and presumably in other species but that certain lights that were presumed to be appropriate for this purpose proved to be unsuitable under the conditions of this study.
Light-induced changes in cytochrome b-559 in spinach chloroplasts.

— In isolated spinach chloroplasts, the reduction of cytochrome b-559 by System II and its oxidation by System I can be observed when electron acceptor concentration limits System I activity and when one of a particular class of uncoupling agents is present. This class includes CCCP, desaspidin, Triton X-100 and antimycinA; but not simple amines or atebrin. The effect of the uncoupler is to speed the cytochrome b-559 oxidation rate. In addition, the rate of the off-response of the light-induced P518 absorbance change is increased. To explain these findings, an electron transfer scheme is proposed having two distinct pathways between System II and System I.
Personality-based faculty workload analysis

Faculty workload analyses have been with us for many years, but no study has ever grouped faculty by personality type or by academic rank. This paper examines the results of a study in which faculty at a large state university were classified according to Holland's theory of vocational choice. Multivariate analysis of variance showed that faculty members of the five Holland types not only differed on four self-reported measures of faculty effort, instruction, research, public service, instiutional-professional activities (all measured in hours per average week) but that the findings were supportive of Holland's theory. In addition, analysis by rank showed that while total hours per week were not statistically different among the ranks, hours in instructional and institutional-professional activities varied greatly but hours in research and public service did not. The conclusion is that changes in instructional workload will not affect research or public service activities of faculty members.
Studies of hydride formation in Ti1−xZrxMn2☆

Hydriding characteristics are presented for compounds in Ti1−xZrxMn2 such as amount of hydrogen take up, equilibrium pressures as a function of temperature and derived thermodynamic parameters (ΔH, ΔS, ΔG). Large reversible hydrogen uptake at ambient conditions is observed in a certain region of composition.
Maturational Changes in Rabbit Renal Brush Border Membrane Vesicle Urea Permeability

Urea transport in the proximal tubule is thought to occur by passive diffusion through the lipid bilayers of the cell membranes. The lipid composition of cell membranes changes during maturation and may directly affect urea permeability of proximal tubule membranes. The present study examined the maturation of urea transport in rabbit renal brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV). BBMV from adult and neonatal (9- to 11-d-old) New Zealand white rabbits were loaded with 500 mM urea and mixed with an iso-osmotic mannitol solution using a stop-flow instrument. Vesicle shrinkage, due to efflux of urea, was followed with light scattering and urea permeability was calculated from an exponential fit of the data. Urea permeability was significantly lower in the neonatal BBMV than the adult at 25°C (0.34 ± 0.04 × 10-6 versus 0.56 ± 0.03 × 10-6 cm/sec; p < 0.001, n = 7) and 37°C (0.45 ± 0.04 × 10-6 versus 0.66 ± 0.03 × 10-6 cm/sec; p = 0.001, n = 7). There was no effect of 250 µM phloretin on urea permeability in either adult or neonatal BBMV at either temperature. The activation energy for urea diffusion was higher in the neonatal than the adult BBMV. Because the maturational increase in urea permeability could potentially be due to a sodium-dependent urea transporter in the adult BBMV, the sodium dependence of urea uptake in adult BBMV was examined. There was no difference in urea permeability in the presence or absence of 20 mM NaCl. Permeability of the lipid-soluble molecule, glycerol, was also found to be the same in the neonatal and adult BBMV. Urea transport in the apical membrane of neonatal and adult proximal tubules is not phloretin sensitive, a finding consistent with diffusion of urea via the lipid bilayer. The rate of urea diffusion is lower in neonatal membranes and may be an important factor in overall urea excretion. This may also play a role in developing and maintaining a high medullary urea concentration and thus the ability to concentrate the urine during renal maturation.
Anticonvulsant activity of 4-urea-5,7-dichlorokynurenic acid derivatives that are antagonists at the NMDA-associated glycine binding site.

Twelve 4-urea-5,7-dichlorokynurenic acid derivatives were synthesized by reacting the 4-tosylimino derivative of 5,7-dichlorokynurenate methyl ester first with triphosgene and then with a secondary amine. Compounds were screened in mice for anticonvulsant activity using maximal electroshock (MES), subcutaneous pentylenetetrazole (Met), and threshold tonic extension (TTE) tests. A rotorod test was used to determine neurotoxicity. Seven of the derivatives had anticonvulsant activity in TTE testing at 100 mg/kg. One compound, 2-methyl carboxylate-5,7-dichloro-4-([{diphenylamino}-carbonyl]amino)-quinoline, had an ED50 value of 134 mg/kg (95% conf. int.: low—78.5, high— 205.7; slope 1.9 SE=0.44) in TTE testing. Two derivatives had MES activity. Only one compound, anN,N-diethylamino derivative, was neurotoxic in the rotorod test. Compounds were screened at a 10-μM concentration for activity in displacing 5,7-dichlorokynurenic acid from synaptosomal membrane fragments. Since 9 of the 12 compounds synthesized and tested have demonstrated anticonvulsant activity, this class of chemicals offers promise for the production of useful therapeutic agents.
The Organizational Construction of Hegemonic Masculinity: The Case of the US Navy

This article examines the construction of hegemonic masculinity within the US Navy. Based on life history interviews with 27 male officers, this study explores alternative discourses and identities of officers from three different communities in the Navy: aviation, surface warfare, and the supply corps. Definitions of masculinity are relationally constructed through associations of difference: aviators tend to draw upon themes of autonomy and risk taking; surface warfare officers draw upon themes of perseverance and endurance; and supply officers draw upon themes of technical rationality. Further, these masculinities depend upon various contrasting definitions of femininity. Finally, this article explores a series of contradictions that threaten the secure construction of masculinity within this military culture.
The Aura of Bad Maps

While wondering about the importance of live performance and how it is different from virtual/on-line performances, I try to define Benjamin's aura and chew on ideas of authenticity, presence, community, and audience. This essay alternates between theoretical/practical examples (Ralph Ellison's notions of the cosmopolitan to Mahalia Jackson's love of performing in church to Reverend Billy to recent science on body maps and biomagnetic fields to the do-it-yourself technology provocateurs, The Institute for Applied Autonomy) and an anecdotal journal chronicling my solo performance tour of intimate spaces (cafes, backyard sheds, Brooklyn lofts, and the Edinburgh Fringe).
The effect of familiarization instructions on associative latency and learning

This experiment investigates the effects of using different familiarization instructions (Spell or Pronounce) on associative latency and learning. Significant effects (reduction in associative latency and the number of errors to criterion) were obtained only with instructions to pronounce. The implications of this phenomenon are discussed in terms of the effect of familiarization on meaningfulness. The reasons for discarding present, widely-used definitions of meaningfulness are cited.
Anomalous Results Obtained in the Determination of Available Lysine in Casein Using 2,4,6-Trinitrobenzenesulfonic Acid

Abstract When acid precipitated caseins were evaluated for their available lysine using 2,4,6,-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid, amounts greater than the total lysine content were found. Detailed investigation of several casein fractions showed that the α s1 variants and β casein yielded available lysine amounts consistent with total lysine. However, available lysine of the κ -fraction was higher than its total lysine content. This is ascribed to hexosamines which are part of the structure of this molecular species. This finding indicates that caution should be observed in using 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid for the determination of available lysine in foods containing significant amounts of glycoproteins.