cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Protection and Purity: Symbolic Functions of the Iron Age Saunas of the Iberian Northwest

Iron Age saunas, unique to the Castro Culture of northwestern Iberia, have puzzled archaeologists since the nineteenth century. Initially interpreted as kilns, crematoriums, or ovens, their function has since been established as bathing structures; however, the social significance of these saunas has yet to be firmly established. This study provides a new approach to understanding the ways in which Castro communities utilized specialized buildings to serve specific needs related to ritual cleansing and protection. Through an analysis of their placement, structure and decoration, I argue that these buildings functioned to purify and protect people of Castro communities from spiritual and physical danger. Members of Castro society inhabited a world buffeted by the shifting political and economic powers of the Iron Age. The bath structures under study, covered in apotropaic symbols, functioned in liminal spaces to cleanse and prepare Castro people for the dangers that awaited them beyond the walls of their communities and neutralized any potential spiritual contamination they may have acquired upon their return.
Prevalence and Cost Analysis of Chronic Pain After Hernia Repair: A Potential Alternative Approach With Neurostimulation

OBJECTIVES Chronic pain (CP) affects a significant number of patients following hernia repair, ranging from 11 to 54% in the literature. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence, overall costs, and health care utilization associated with CP after hernia repair. MATERIALS AND METHODS A retrospective longitudinal study was performed using the Truven MarketScan® data base to identify patients who develop chronic neuropathic posthernia repair pain from 2001 to 2012. Patients were grouped into CP and No Chronic Pain (No CP) cohorts. Patients were excluded if they 1) were under 18 years of age; 2) had a previous pain diagnosis; 3) had CP diagnosed <90 days after the index hernia repair; 4) had less than one year of follow-up; or 5) had less than one-year baseline record before hernia repair. Patients were grouped into the CP cohort if their CP diagnosis was made within the two years following index hernia repair. Total, outpatient, and pain prescription costs were collected in the period of five years prehernia to nine years posthernia repair. A longitudinal multivariate analysis was used to model the effects of chronic neuropathic posthernia repair pain on total inpatient/outpatient and pain prescription costs. RESULTS We identified 76,173 patients who underwent hernia repair and met inclusion criteria (CP: n = 14,919, No CP: n = 61,254). There was a trend for increased total inpatient/outpatient and pain prescription costs one-year posthernia repair, when compared to baseline costs for both cohorts. In both cohorts, total inpatient/outpatient costs remained elevated from baseline through nine years posthernia repair, with the CP cohort experiencing significantly higher cumulative median costs (CP: $51,334, No CP: $37,388). The CP diagnosis year was associated with a 1.75-fold increase (p < 0.001) in total inpatient/outpatient costs and a 2.26-fold increase (p < 0.001) in pain prescription costs versus all other years. In the longitudinal analysis, the CP cohort had a 1.14-fold increase (p < 0.001) in total inpatient/outpatient costs and 2.00-fold increase (p < 0.001) in pain prescription costs. CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates the prevalence of CP after hernia surgery to be nearly 20%, with significantly increased costs and healthcare resource utilization. While current treatment paradigms are effective for many, there remains a large number of patients that could benefit from an overall approach that includes nonopioid treatments, such as potentially incorporating neurostimulation, for CP that presents posthernia repair.
Microwave absorption of magnesium/hydrogen-treated titanium dioxide nanoparticles

Abstract Interactions between materials and electromagnetic irradiations in the microwave frequency are critical for many civil and military applications, such as radar detection, communications, information processing and transport et al. Dipole rotations or magnetic domain resonance are the mainly traditional mechanisms for microwave absorption. The recent finding of the excellent microwave absorption from hydrogenated TiO2 nanoparticles provides us an alternative approach for achieving such absorption, by manipulating the structural defects inside nanoparticles through hydrogenation. In this study, we demonstrate that the microwave absorption can be not only achieved but fine-tuned with TiO2 nanoparticles thermally treated in a Mg/H2 environment. Their position and efficiency can be effectively controlled by the treating temperature. Specifically, the microwave absorption position shifts to the lower frequency region as the treating temperature increases, and there seems to exist an optimal treating temperature to obtain the maximum efficiency, as the absorbing efficiency first increases, and then decreases, with the increase in treatment temperature. Therefore, this study enriches our knowledge and understanding microwave absorption from TiO2-based nanomaterials which may inspire new ideas on other systems to enhance their performance as well.
What Is the Influence of Lead Independent Directors on Corporate Tax Policy

In response to corporate governance criticisms from the shareholders, companies voluntarily adopt lead independent directors, a board-of-directors position, to improve corporate governance. Recent research suggests investors positively react to companies' announcement of establishing a lead independent director position because investors believe lead independent directors will reduce agency costs or enhance corporate governance. We find that GAAP effective tax rates are higher for companies with lead independent directors suggesting that lead independent directors have incremental monitoring influence over general board independence on corporate tax policy. Using path analysis, we also find a significant association between lead independent director positions and higher investor valuation through higher GAAP effective tax rates. These results suggest that investors value the corporate governance role of lead independent directors. We also find that investors, on average, favor the more conservative tax policies of companies with lead independent directors. This appreciation of more conservative tax policies is more pronounced when investors understand companies’ tax-related information and companies’ tax policies produce effective tax rates closer to their industry-size quintile mean. We validate our inferences that shareholders value the monitoring influence of lead independent directors on corporate tax policy through decreasing the litigation risk in subsequent periods. Finally, we find a significant association between lead independent directors and higher investor valuation, leading to a lower executive turnover. Overall, our results reveal that investors value the conservative monitoring of corporate tax policy. Our results are robust to entropy balancing and change analysis.
Ficción e historia en el siglo XXI. El nomos narrativo en la novela española actual

Study of the narrative methodology used in three recent spanish novels regarding their treatment of the national historical temporality focusing on two especially traumatic episodes of that history: the spanish Civil War and ETA terrorism. The novels are: El monarca de las sombras by Javier Cercas, Patria by Fernando Aramburu and Eva by Arturo Perez-Reverte. These fictional texts advance a differential version of those episodes and they question the conventional conclusions and evaluation of the facts at hand. At the same time, those novels propose an open hermeneutic reading that may generate new ways of visualizing and evaluating spanish national history.
The Effects Video Gameplay on Memory and Need for Cognition in Adults and Older Adults

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of video gameplay and biological sex on memory and the Need for Cognition in adults and aging adults. A sample of adults who played video games w...
Safety and efficacy of Lactobacillus for preventing necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants

Abstract Aim To evaluate the safety and efficacy of Lactobacillus for preventing necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in preterm infants. Methods We searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases from inception to September 2019. Risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to compare outcomes. We also performed a subgroup analysis of the incidence of NEC. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis was performed to examine the stability of the results. A Begg funnel plot was generated to detect publication bias. Two reviewers assessed trial quality and extracted data independently. This work has been reported in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses statement and the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews guidelines. Statistical analysis was performed using standard procedures in Review Manager 5.2 software. Results Twenty-three randomized, placebo-controlled studies (N = 4686 participants) were included in this analysis. Comparing the Lactobacillus and control groups, a significant reduction was found in the incidence of NEC (RR 0.34, 95% CI 0.25–0.46; P Conclusions Lactobacillus is safe and can prevent necrotizing enterocolitis in preterm infants.
Competition and Consumer Protection Issues in Communication, Information, and Media Technology Networks

In response to a request for comment from the Federal Trade Commission, this report is divided into three parts: • The FTC’s continuing leadership in consumer protection for Internet access • Competition and consumer protection in a changing communications industry • Competition and consumer protection in a changing media industry
Student perceptions of school safety and student learning outcomes in a context of protracted conflict

Abstract In this study, we analyze quantitative survey and assessment data on 712 students in northeast Nigeria to examine, first, which students feel safe in school in a region experiencing protracted conflict, and second, how perceived safety was associated with literacy. Students with vision and hearing disabilities were less likely than other children to perceive themselves as safe at school. Children with these disabilities who felt unsafe performed nearly 0.8 standard deviations below other students, while students with disabilities who felt safe performed only slightly below others. We found no association between length of conflict-related school closures and literacy outcomes.
Cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease burden in patients with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a rare genetic disease with prevalence of approximately 1 in 5000–10,000. We evaluated the prevalence and association of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular comorbidities in HHT patients using national database. Retrospective observational study was performed using National Inpatient Sampling (NIS) database for the year 2014. HHT patients and comorbidities were identified using ICD-9 codes. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed using SAS. Prevalence of HHT was 0.0119% with predominance in White population. Mean age of HHT patients was 59 years. Increased proportion of HHT patients had hypertension (46.8% vs 42%), anemia (28.9% vs 15.1%), chronic pulmonary disease (24.8% vs 16.4%), congestive heart failure (15.7% vs 7.5%), liver disease (7.9% vs 2.8%), migraine (4.5% vs 1.5%), and cerebrovascular malformations (0.8% vs 0.03%), whereas chronic kidney disease (12.7% vs 12.2%), headaches (1.3% vs 1.1%), seizures (0.7% vs 0.9%), transient ischemic attacks (1.06% vs 1.03%), ischemic (1.2% vs 1.0%), and hemorrhagic (0.5% vs 0.3%) strokes were similar to those without HHT. Multivariable model shows increase in cerebrovascular malformations (OR 11.04, CI 2.49–22.26, p < 0.0001), migraine (OR 3.23, CI 2.30–4.52, p < 0.0001), chronic blood loss anemia (OR 6.83, CI 5.36–8.71, p < 0.0001), congestive heart failure (OR 1.55, CI 1.26–1.91, p < 0.0001), chronic pulmonary disease (OR 1.30, CI 1.09–1.56, p = 0.0038), and hepatic disease (OR 2.63, CI 2.01–3.45, p < 0.0001) in HHT patients as compared to non-HHT patients. There is a need for a large prospective registry of HHT patients that can corroborate these associations and burden of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases.
An approach to oncological abdominal masses in children

Abstract Approximately 1400 children in England are diagnosed with cancer each year and in these children an abdominal mass is a common finding, particularly in those under 5 years of age. Here we present an initial diagnostic framework and suggested management plan for children presenting with an abdominal mass, with short summaries of the most common malignant paediatric pathologies. Initial assessment should begin with a thorough history and examination, followed by blood and urine tests in addition to radiological imaging. Management should first be directed at acute concerns requiring immediate attention and then to supportive care, including analgesic, blood product and fluid requirements. Early communication with the local tertiary oncology unit is encouraged to obtain advice on any acute issues and also to plan for transfer and further investigation. Open and honest communication with the family is essential to develop a trusting relationship and prepare them for transfer to an oncology ward environment.
Group Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy via Telebehavioral Health for Those With Psychotic Spectrum Disorders: A Case Series

Abstract Telebehavioral health emerged as an important practice during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic as an opportunity for continued evidence-based mental health intervention, while minimizing exposure to coronavirus contagion. Though preliminary research suggests feasibility and positive outcomes of telebehavioral health practice for people with schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders, there is limited research about implementation and effectiveness of this practice (Kasckow et al., 2014). This case series highlights the transition from in-person to telebehavioral health practice of a Cognitive Behavioral Social Skills Training for Schizophrenia group due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This article summarizes: (a) the staff procedures needed to transition the group from in-person to telebehavioral health, (b) participant outcome data, (c) session attendance data, and (d) survey results from facilitators and participants about barriers and facilitators of the transition to telebehavioral health, and about how the virtual platform altered the therapeutic relationship and engagement. Participant outcome and engagement data suggest that, not only were two participants able to transition to telehealth and complete the program, but both participants also showed notable improvement in treatment engagement, goal progress, and skill acquisition. Surveys of six facilitators and one participant highlight how the transition to telebehavioral health had treatment advantages (e.g., therapeutic relationship, treatment engagement, group dynamics). Though survey results highlighted several implementation challenges in using the new virtual platform (e.g., technological connectivity, confidential space for engagement), no survey respondents reported that participation in this program resulted in harm to facilitators or participants. All facilitators and one participant agreed that the transition from in-person to virtual services was easy and reduced transportation barriers. Given the limited treatment engagement for this population (Lora et al., 2012) and the importance of early intervention to maximize clinical outcomes (Black et al., 2001; Bottlender et al., 2003), unanimous facilitator and participant report about improved patient attendance and participation in treatment after the transition to telebehavioral health was critically important. Though results of this case study are promising in suggesting telebehavioral health could be a viable modality for providing psychosocial treatment to people with schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders, more rigorous study is needed.
Accurately Decoding MIMO Streams in VLC

Among the efforts to overcome the problem of rapidly saturating RF bands, visible light communication (VLC) is garnering a renewed interest as it can be enabled using commodity LED lamps. As indoor spaces are typically illuminated by multiple lamps comprising multiple LEDs each, a natural approach to efficiently utilize the bandwidth of all the LEDs is to use MIMO communication. The state of the art approach to decode MIMO streams is to use channel matrix. Although channel matrix based decoding method (CMDM) works very well in conventional RF technologies, when used in VLC, it suffers from several limitations, such as high sensitivity to environmental conditions, and need for sophisticated receivers. To overcome these limitations, we propose PCDM, a novel parallelogram - clustering based decoding method, which is fundamentally different from CMDM and achieves an order of magnitude lower bit error rate compared to CMDM. We implement and extensively evaluate these two methods using a real VLC MIMO testbed. Our results show that PCDM outperformed CMDM in all scenarios.
Transfer of microcystin from freshwater lakes to Puget Sound, WA and toxin accumulation in marine mussels (Mytilus trossulus)

Many eutrophic inland freshwater lakes in the Puget Sound Washington region produce toxic cyanobacteria blooms annually. While such blooms in lakes tend to be viewed as a localized phenomenon, there is significant potential for downstream export of toxins to freshwater streams, and marine and brackish water environments. However, monitoring for cyanotoxins typically associated with freshwaters, such as the hepatotoxin, microcystin (MC) in marine receiving waters is rare. In 2013 we studied four eutrophic Puget Sound area lakes to assess both toxin transport to marine waters and its potential accumulation in marine shellfish, specifically mussels. Shellfish beds are extensive throughout Puget Sound, and recreational harvest occurs downstream of our study lakes, so a study goal was to also assess if shellfish consumption poses a human health risk for MC exposure. We confirm, for the first time, freshwater to marine transfer of MCs in Puget Sound with subsequent bioaccumulation of MC by mussels. ELISA analysis estimated maximum MC concentrations in source lakes of 2700 μg/L, up to 0.34 μg/L in marine waters and 6.5 μg/kg in mussels. Confirmatory analyses by LC-MS/MS on water and mussel samples identified MC-LA as the major toxin. Although we found relatively low MC levels in mussels, our study implies that potential concern for human food safety is justified and warrants further investigation.
Pericardial effusion due to hemolytic streptococcus following an acute upper respiratory infection; associated pleural effusions; report of a case and review of literature.

Abstract 1. 1. A case is presented of a 52-year-old man with pericardial and pleural effusion which followed an acute upper respiratory infection. Culture of the pericardial fluid yielded a hemolytic streptococcus. Treatment with penicillin was successful. 2. 2. The literature is reviewed, and the rarity of isolation of the hemolytic streptococcus from the pericardial effusion in such cases is stressed.
Conducting a successful senior capstone course in computing

A senior capstone course in computing permits the student to experience, in a real-world context, the entire software process - from problem survey through implementation and delivery. The purpose of this article is to describe the process of conducting a successful senior capstone course. This article will go beyond a simple description of the SDLC for student-based projects to discuss some of the nuances associated with making such a course run smoothly. It will also suggest ways for making the course a more meaningful experience for those involved as well as make some recommendations with regard to the instructor's role in such a course, the number of credits that should be awarded to the student for successful completion of it, and ways to motivate students to achieve success.
Bounding the Numbers of Faces of Polytope Pairs and Simple Polyhedra

Let P be a simplicial d -polytope with v vertices and Σ( P ) be the simplicial ( d – 1)-complex associated with the boundary of P . Suppose, for a given face F of P , that we know the numbers of faces of various dimensions of lk Σ( p ) F . Then we are able to determine upper and lower bounds for the possible numbers of faces of all dimensions of P and of Σ( P ) F . As a consequence, we can bound the numbers of faces of a simple d -polyhedron P if the numbers of bounded and unbounded facets of P and the dimension of the recession cone of P are specified.
CULTURE MEDIUM FOR THE PRODUCTION OF STAPHYLOCOCCAL ENTEROTOXIN A.

Abstract Casman, E. P. (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Washington, D.C.) and R. W. Bennett. Culture medium for the production of staphylococcal Enterotoxin A. J. Bacteriol. 86:18–23. 1963.—By use of Wadsworth's modification of the gel diffusion test of Ouchterlony for the assay of enterotoxin, cultivation on semisolid Brain Heart Infusion Agar of pH 5.3 permitted the detection of the production of staphylococcal Enterotoxin A with all of 49 strains without concentration of their toxins. The production of appreciably more potent enterotoxin was effected by using a cellophane sac culture technique. The use of the latter procedure, together with Brain Heart Infusion broth, permitted the detection of the production of trace amounts of Enterotoxins A and B.
Recombinant Human Thyrotropin

Initial management of patients with thyroid cancer often includes total thyroidectomy, long-term treatment with L-thyroxine often at doses sufficient for suppression of pituitary production of thyrotropin (TSH), and eradication of iodine-avid tissue (benign or malignant) with radioactive iodine in selected cases. Residual thyroid cancer will be present, or disease will recur, in ~ 15–20 % of patients, thereby leading to recommendations for long-term monitoring. In addition to careful interval patient history and physical examination, measurement of circulating levels of thyroglobulin and radiographic imaging are employed. Measurement of serum thyroglobulin, functional imaging with radioiodine, and structural imaging are used to monitor thyroid cancer patients. Of these, thyroglobulin measurement and radioiodine scans are relatively thyroid specific, providing high degrees of specificity. However, the sensitivities of iodine scanning and, in some cases, thyroglobulin measurement are limited by the small relative amount of thyroid tissue present in patients treated by thyroidectomy and dedifferentiation of tumor cells compared to normal thyrocytes. Therefore, radioiodine imaging and therapy require stimulation of thyroid tissue by elevated levels of TSH, and thyroglobulin measurement is also enhanced by TSH stimulation.
P:O and ADP:O ratios and quantum yields in chloroplasts, with the use of chloranil as electron acceptor.

Abstract It has been shown that, when chloranil is used as electron acceptor in photophosphorylation, phosphorylation has an absolute requirement for molecular oxygen. Although oxygen consumption does proceed in the absence of adenosine diphosphate, the rate of oxygen consumption is doubled in the presence of ADP. The observed P:O and ADP:O ratios at high light intensities are over 3 when chloranil is the acceptor. Under these conditions, the maximum quantum yields at low light intensity for phosphorylation were 0.6, and the quantum yields for electrons (with the use of oxygen as the acceptor) were 1.0. Arguments and data supporting the thesis that chloranil acts only as a noncyclic electron acceptor are given. These high P:O ratios are observed only at low concentrations (approximately 10-8 m) of the oxidized acceptor.
reply: Developmental model for thalidomide action

Tabin replies — Neubert suggest some useful criteria for evaluating hypotheses for the teratogenic activity of thalidomide. However, these criteria are misapplied in their critique of my explanation of thalidomide-induced limb defects, in part because of misunderstandings regarding the current literature on limb development.
Philosophical and Historical Roots of Pavlovian Psychobiology

Perhaps the most distinguishing characteristic of Pavlovian psychobiology is the holistic integrated approach to the study of living systems and the recognition of the central role of the nervous system in the maintenance of biological homeostasis in higher organisms. This holistic approach has been referred to in Russian biomedical literature as the theory of “nervism” or the neurogenic theory. This theory emphasizes the concept of the organism as a whole, the leading role of the cerebral cortex in the regulation of physiologic and behavioral homeostasis, and the importance of psychosocial factors in health and disease.
All solid-state sum-frequency generation of 1.12-W continuous-wave laser at 588 nm

A new resonator design for doubly resonant continuous-wave (CW) intracavity sum-frequency mixing (SFM) is reported. 1.12 W of coherent radiation at 588 nm is generated by mixing 1062-nm Nd:GdVO4 laser and 1319-nm Nd:YAG laser. The optical-to-optical conversion efficiency is up to 3.7%.
Heterosynaptic plasticity prevents runaway synaptic dynamics.

Spike timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) and other conventional Hebbian-type plasticity rules are prone to produce runaway dynamics of synaptic weights. Once potentiated, a synapse would have higher probability to lead to spikes and thus to be further potentiated, but once depressed, a synapse would tend to be further depressed. The runaway synaptic dynamics can be prevented by precisely balancing STDP rules for potentiation and depression; however, experimental evidence shows a great variety of potentiation and depression windows and magnitudes. Here we show that modifications of synapses to layer 2/3 pyramidal neurons from rat visual and auditory cortices in slices can be induced by intracellular tetanization: bursts of postsynaptic spikes without presynaptic stimulation. Induction of these heterosynaptic changes depended on the rise of intracellular calcium, and their direction and magnitude correlated with initial state of release mechanisms. We suggest that this type of plasticity serves as a mechanism that stabilizes the distribution of synaptic weights and prevents their runaway dynamics. To test this hypothesis, we develop a cortical neuron model implementing both homosynaptic (STDP) and heterosynaptic plasticity with properties matching the experimental data. We find that heterosynaptic plasticity effectively prevented runaway dynamics for the tested range of STDP and input parameters. Synaptic weights, although shifted from the original, remained normally distributed and nonsaturated. Our study presents a biophysically constrained model of how the interaction of different forms of plasticity—Hebbian and heterosynaptic—may prevent runaway synaptic dynamics and keep synaptic weights unsaturated and thus capable of further plastic changes and formation of new memories.
Evidence for a novel cryoprotective protein from freeze-tolerant larvae of the goldenrod gall fly Eurosta solidaginis

Third-instar larvae of the goldenrod gall fly Eurosta solidaginis (Diptera: Tephritidae) from populations in northern North America transition from freeze-susceptible to freeze-tolerant just prior to the onset of winter. While studies have documented the accumulation of carbohydrate cryoprotectants during this transition, protein cryoprotectants common to other freeze-tolerant species have not been reported in the gall fly. Using larvae collected from a population in Madison County, NY, which changes from freeze-susceptible to freeze-tolerant in early October, we assayed for the presence of factors that could preserve the catalytic activity of the cold-labile enzyme, rabbit muscle lactate dehydrogenase. Freezing this enzyme with a heat-stable, hydrophilic fraction derived from homogenates of both freeze-tolerant larvae and those in the process of becoming freeze-tolerant preserved between 70% and 80% of this enzyme's activity. Neither a comparable solution of bovine serum albumin nor the naturally-occurring carbohydrates (glycerol, sorbitol, or trehalose) conferred this level of cryoprotection. The putative cryoprotective protein from gall fly larvae did not bind to a weak anion exchanger, implying that its character may be cationic.
Eddy fluxes and the biennial stratospheric oscillation

The zonal wind together with the eddy transports of momentum and heat at low and middle latitudes in the stratosphere of the Northern Hemisphere are found to display a two year periodicity which results from a sequence of alternating weak and strong winters, where ‘weak’ and ‘strong’ refer to the intensity of the eddy circulations at middle latitudes. At levels above 30 mb, the modulations in the eddy momentum transports appear to be strong enough to account for the year to year changes in westerly momentum in the tropics. Similarities between the stratospheric oscillation and the biennial pulse in tropospheric data suggest an interrelation between the two phenomena. The two year periodicity may not be a permanent feature of the general circulation.
Cross-linking poly(vinyl acetate-co-N-methylolacrylamide) latex adhesive performance Part II: Fracture mechanics and microscopic durability studies

Fracture mechanics, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and fluorescence microscopy were used to evaluate the performance and durability of three poly[(vinyl acetate)-co-N-methylolacrylamide] latex adhesives. Results from mode I fracture tests of wood-adhesive double cantilever beam specimens indicated that in the absence of accelerated aging conditions, the three adhesives performed similarly. After the samples were exposed to either boil or vacuum soak accelerated aging, differences among the adhesives emerged. Latex I (N-methylolacrylamide (NMA) injected throughout the polymerization) exhibited enhanced performance after weathering, whereas the performance of latexes DI (delayed injections of NMA) and C (continuous addition of NMA) either remained unchanged or declined after weathering. Fluorescence microscopy of wood-adhesive bond lines and SEM of latex films after accelerated aging exposures both indicated that latex I showed a unique resistance to the aging conditions. Relatively high proportions of water-phase NMA correlate with improved latex durability.
INDO-MO investigation of δ-CH formyl-proton couplings in aliphatic β-formyloxy radicals

Abstract In aqueous solution at about 25°C, simple aliphatic formate radicals of general formula · C(X1(X2)C(X3)(X4)OCHO, where an (X−) group is an H- or a simple alkyl substituent such as CH3-, generally display δ-CH formyl-proton couplings. The size of these couplings depends on the identity and the degree of substitution of the (X−) groups. An earlier INDO-MO-SCF study of the radical · CH2CH2OCHO attributed this dependence of the observed upward trend in the experimental δ-CH formyl-proton coupling with increasing substitution at Cα to more restricted rotation about the (CαCβ) bond and assigned the origin of the observed fall in the experimental δ-CH formyl-proton coupling with increasing substitution at Cβ to an enhanced favoring of the s-cis conformation over the s-trans. The present paper is an extension of this earlier work, reporting the results of a comprehensive INDO-MO-SCF study of the β-formyloxy radicals ·C(CH3)2CH2OCHO, ·CH(CH3)CH2OCHO, ·CH(CH2OH)-CH2OCHO, ·CH(CH2NH2)CH2OCHO, ·CH2CH(CH3)OCHO, and ·CH2C(CH3)2− OCHO. The results of the present study confirm the tentative conclusions of the earlier calculations that the observed dependence of the formyl-proton couplings of the nature and degree of substitution at Cα and Cβ arises from the accompanying changes in radical conformation. Furthermore, by examining the INDO data in comparison with experimentally observed formyl-proton couplings, we have been able to assign preferred radical conformations for all members of the ·C(X1)(X2)C(X3)(X4)OCHO series, in general agreement with the known conformational preferences of the parent formate molecules, HC(X1)(X2)−C(X3)(X4)−OCHO.
Ca induced line defects and superconductivity in YxSr2Cu2GaO7

Abstract The microstructure of Ca doped Y 1− x Ca x Sr 2 Cu 2 GaO 7 and Ca substituted YSr 2− x Ca x Cu 2 GaO 7 have been investigated by electron microscopy. A common feature found in the Y 1− x Ca x Sr 2 Cu 2 GaO 7 superconductors is the existence of line defects, which are not observed in non-superconducting YSr 2− x Ca x Cu 2 GaO 7 . At the higher doping level, x ≈ 0.35, the line defects develop into modulated structures. The transition temperature and Meissner fraction increases with the doping level as does the defect concentration, indicating that the defects and superconductivity in these materials are interrelated. The line defects are associated with an asymmetrical distortion ( a p ≠ b p ) of the gallium-oxygen plane which plays a similar role to the copper-oxygen chains in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−° .
An orthogonal DNA replication system in yeast

An extranuclear replication system, consisting of an orthogonal DNA plasmid-DNA polymerase pair, was developed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Engineered error-prone DNA polymerases showed complete mutational targeting in vivo: per-base mutation rates on the plasmid were increased substantially and remained stable with no increase in genomic rates. Orthogonal replication serves as a platform for in vivo continuous evolution and as a system whose replicative properties can be manipulated independently of the host's.
Interpretive Inquiry: A Practical and Moral Activity.

(1992). Interpretive inquiry: A practical and moral activity. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 31, Qualitative Issues in Educational Research, pp. 100-106.
Louis Hartz's Liberal Tradition in America as Method

On the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Louis Hartz's The Liberal Tradition in America, the book remains more controversial than ever. As Philip Abbott has recently catalogued, the book has been attacked from literally every direction possible. Sean Wilentz summarizes the feelings of many when he argues that Hartz should be forgotten, or at best considered “a figure of historical interest.” Hartz has been accused of being loose with the facts, inappropriate in comparing America to continental Europe, and blind to other perspectives such as race or morality. Even those who take him seriously argue his theory is anything but a complete explanation of American political development and thought, but rather one that at best represents a mere slice of America's “multiple traditions.” Finally, of course, there is a very large and influential school of American political development that argues ideas have very little role at all in explaining politics, and for adherents to this way of thinking, Hartz is simply irrelevant. For many members of the American political development scholarly community, there is simply no room left for taking Hartz's thesis seriously any more, if there ever was.
center‐local struggles for bureaucratic control in Bugisu, Uganda

Various recent studies of East African politics imply a unilinear tightening of state control over national populations. This paper addresses an alternative proposition, that freeholding peasant groups may achieve considerable power in relation to the state if they produce goods that are important to the state's export strategies. I examine cyclical struggles beween local-level associations and the national state for control of coffee marketing in Bugisu District, Uganda. The central finding is that political mobilization around the threat of partial withdrawal from commercial cropping has repeatedly won effective, if temporary, decentralization of political and economic power. [Uganda, peasants, power, protest, local politics, cooperatives]
The age of the universe, dark matter, and structure formation

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) sponsored a 2-day colloquium titled “The Age of the Universe, Dark Matter, and Structure Formation,” March 21–23, 1997, at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center of the National Academies of Science and Engineering in Irvine, CA. Eighty-eight cosmologists who represented a wide range of individual scientific disciplines attended the colloquium. Also present were two science reporters. The purpose of the colloquium was to address the three interconnected problems that have the center stage in modern physical cosmology today. They are: ( i ) the age of the universe, ( ii …
Sustained expression of interleukin-1β in mouse hippocampus impairs spatial memory

Abstract Glial activation and neuroinflammation occur in neurodegenerative disease and brain injury, however their presence in normal brain aging suggests that chronic neuroinflammation may be a factor in age-related dementia. Few studies have investigated the impact of sustained elevation of hippocampal interleukin-1β, a pro-inflammatory cytokine upregulated during aging and Alzheimer's disease, on cognition in mice. We utilized the IL-1β XAT transgenic mouse to initiate bilateral hippocampal overexpression of interleukin-1β to determine the influence of sustained neuroinflammation independent of disease pathology. Fourteen days following transgene induction, adult male and female IL-1β XAT mice were tested on non-spatial and spatial versions of the Morris water maze. For the spatial component, one retention trial was conducted 48 h after completion of a 3 day acquisition protocol (eight trials per day). Induction of IL-1β did not impact non-spatial learning, but was associated with delayed acquisition and decreased retention of the spatial task. These behavioral impairments were accompanied by robust reactive gliosis and elevated mRNA expression of inflammatory genes in the hippocampus. Our results suggest that prolonged neuroinflammation response per se may impact mnemonic processes and support the future application of IL-1β XAT transgenic mice to investigate chronic neuroinflammation in age- and pathology-related cognitive dysfunction.
Empowering future educators through environmental sustainability

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide information regarding the ways in which the authors’ College’s faculty use paper within their pedagogical practice. A related purpose was to ascertain faculty interest in professional development initiatives related to reducing paper usage through technological affordances. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was developed and administered to the faculty within the university’s Teachers College. The survey was built to assess faculty pedagogical use of paper. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected via the survey. Findings – The results suggested that digital resources are widely used by faculty, and students are encouraged to conserve paper. However, many faculty are uncomfortable with the complete elimination of paper. Originality/value – Modeling and promoting environmentally sustainable pedagogical practice is imperative within institutions charged with preparing the next generation of educators.
Limiting Factors in Photosynthesis IV. Iron Stress-Mediated Changes in Light-Harvesting and Electron Transport Capacity and its Effects on Photosynthesis in Vivo

Using iron stress to reduce the total amount of light-harvesting and electron transport components per unit leaf area, the influence of light-harvesting and electron transport capacity on photosynthesis in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L. cv F58-554H1) leaves was explored by monitoring net CO(2) exchange rate (P) in relation to changes in the content of Chl.In most light/CO(2) environments, and especially those with high light (>/=1000 microeinsteins photosynthetically active radiation per square meter per second) and high CO(2) (>/=300 microliters CO(2) per liter air), P per area was positively correlated with changes in Chl (a + b) content (used here as an index of the total amount of light-harvesting and electron transport components). This positive correlation of P per area with Chl per area was obtained not only with Fe-deficient plants, but also over the normal range of variation in Chl contents found in healthy, Fe-sufficient plants. For example, light-saturated P per area at an ambient CO(2) concentration close to normal atmospheric levels (300 microliters CO(2) per liter air) increased by 36% with increase in Chl over the normal range, i.e. from 40 to 65 micrograms Chl per square centimeter. Iron deficiency-mediated changes in Chl content did not affect dark respiration rate or the CO(2) compensation point. The results suggest that P per area of sugar beet may be colimited by light-harvesting and electron transport capacity (per leaf area) even when CO(2) is limiting photosynthesis as occurs under field conditions.
Development of a hospitalist-led-and-directed physical examination curriculum.

BACKGROUND: Deficiencies in physical examination skills among medical students, housestaff, and even faculty have been reported for decades, though specifics on how to address this deficit are lacking. METHODS: Our institution has made a commitment to improving key physical examination competencies across our general medicine faculty. Development of the Merrin Bedside Teaching Program was guided by a comprehensive needs assessment and based on a learner-centered educational model. First, selected faculty fellows achieve expertise through mentorship with a master clinician. They then develop a bedside teaching curriculum in the selected domain and conclude by delivering the curriculum to peer faculty. RESULTS: We have developed curricula in examination of the heart, shoulder, knee, and skin. Currently, curricula are being developed in the examination of the lungs, critical care bedside rounds, and motivational interviewing. Curricula are integrated with educational activities of the internal medicine residency and medical school whenever possible. CONCLUSIONS: A hospitalist-led physical examination curriculum is an innovative way to address deficits in physical exam skills at all levels of training, engenders enthusiasm for skills development from faculty and learners, offers scholarship opportunities to general medicine faculty, encourages collaboration within and between institutions, and augments the education of residents and medical students. Journal of Hospital Medicine 2012. © 2012 Society of Hospital Medicine.
Factors influencing phototaxis of houseflies.

Abstract When houseflies, Musca domestica , were given a choice of crawling to dark or to radiation of varied wavelength and intensity, flies reared on a fermenting plant medium (CSMA) had a photonegative response to 525 to 575 nm radiation; flies reared on semidefined diet ( Monroe , 1962) had a photopositive response to this region. The photonegative response could be partly counteracted by adding cholesteral to the CSMA medium. The intermediate response to a mixture of the two diets suggested that the substances causing the difference are competitive. Females were more photopositive than males; older flies were more photopositive than newly emerged flies. The responses of larvae varied with age and differed from the responses of adults. Removal of wings did not alter the response of adults.
Obesity and Diabetes in Pacific Islanders: the Current Burden and the Need for Urgent Action

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) now account for more than 36 million deaths each year; many of which are premature. Pacific Islanders are some of the worst afflicted by obesity and diabetes with prevalence of both diseases rising disproportionately faster in the Pacific region over the past three decades than in the rest of the world. A high burden of disease is also found among enclaves of Pacifican migrants in the USA, Australia, and New Zealand. Urgent action is needed to alleviate the high economic and personal costs now associated with NCDs in Pacific Islanders. In this article, we describe contributors to the temporal trends in obesity and diabetes, discuss the current burden of disease in the Pacific Islands and among migrant communities, and suggest priorities for future research in this area. Finally, we discuss challenges unique to intervention among Pacific Islanders and highlight promising opportunities to reduce the NCD burden.
TWO MOLECULAR SPECIES OF PROTOPORPHYRIN IN LEAD INTOXICATION AND IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA

In iron deficiency anemia (FeDA) and lead intoxication (Pbl) the final step in heme synthesis is deranged in such a manner that protoporphyrin (PP) accumulates within the red blood cells. A Zinc-PP chelate (ZnPP) is the primary species of PP present in these conditions. By fluorescent spectra we have found some free (unchelated) PP in addition to ZnPP in the rbcs of children with FeDA and Pbl. In fact, in one child with acute FeDA the predominant species present was free PP, and this PP was changed to ZnPP during the course of treatment. Sequential studies of lead-poisoned rats show that PP in the peripheral blood increases rapidly (within a week of exposure) and that initially free PP is the predominant species; as exposure continues ZnPP becomes more prominent. Density gradient separation of these rbcs reveals that the youngest cells contain a large amount of PP, which is mainly free, while the older cells contain predominantly ZnPP. Therefore, in the rat the proportion of ZnPP to free PP increases in the rbc, both with chronic lead exposure and with increasing cell age. These data indicate that in Pbl and FeDA the PP produced in the rbcs is initially tree PP which subsequently chelates zinc.
The pathogenic mechanisms of Shiga toxin and the Shiga‐like toxins

It is now well documented that some enteric bacteria which cause diarrhoeal and/or dysenteric disease produce, at high levels, one or more of a family of protein toxins referred to as Shiga toxin and Shiga-like toxins (SLTs; alternatively called verocytotoxins or VTs). Within the past few years, there have been considerable advancements made in our understanding of the biochemistry and molecular biology of Shiga toxin and SLTs. However, the precise role of the toxins in mediating colonic disease, as well as their contribution to the development of extra-intestinal sequelae (e.g. the haemolytic uraemic syndrome and neurological disorders), remain less clear. In this MicroReview, we will briefly summarize recent progress in Shiga toxin- and SLT-related research and present evidence supporting the concept that these toxins contribute to pathogenesis by directly damaging vascular endothelial cells, thereby disrupting the homeostatic properties of these cells. We will also discuss data which suggest that toxin-mediated damage in the kidney may not be limited to glomerular endothelial cells but may include tubular epithelial cells. Thus, the role of the toxins in renal disease may not be limited to the glomeruli, as was initially hypothesized when the association of infection with toxin-producing strains and the development of acute renal failure was established.
Influence of environmental temperature on plasma ionic and osmotic concentrations in Mugil cephalus Lin

Abstract 1. 1. Plasma Na + in Mugil cephalus ranged from a concn of 158.8 ±1.1 m-equiv/1 from fish acclimated to 10°C to 178.0 ± 2.2 m-equiv/1 from fish at 30°C, plasma Cl − ranged from 138.8 ± 0.9 m-equiv/1 at 10°C to 158.2 ± 2.1 m-equiv/1 at 30°C and plasma osmotic concentration ranged from 323 mOsm/kg to 378mOsm/kg for the same acclimation temperature range. Plasma K + remained roughly constant. 2. 2. These patterns of response in inorganic ions and total osmotic concentrations to environmental temperature are opposite to what one would expect in fishes acclimated to sea water and would seem to involve an additional metabolic expenditure for regulation at lowered temperatures.