cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Scanning Electron Microscopic Evaluation of Smear Layer Removal Using Isolated or Interweaving EDTA with Sodium Hypochlorite.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to verify the effect of alternating 2.5% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and 17% ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) on the smear layer removal from root canal surfaces. Methods and Materials: A total of 15 single-rooted human teeth, instrumented with ProTaper files, were randomly distributed in 3 groups. In group 1 ( n =7) the canals were irrigated with 1 mL of 2.5% NaOCl between files and final irrigation was done with 1 mL of 2,5% NaOCl, followe by 1 mL of 17% EDTA, for a perio of 15 sec with new irrigtion of 1 mL of 2,5% NaOCl at each change of files. In group 3 (control group) ( n =1), saline solution was used. All samples were cleaved into two sections, metalized and analyzed under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The presence or absence of smear layer in the cervical, middle and apical thirds, with scores varying from 1 to 3, respectively were evaluated. The data were submitted to nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test. The level of significance was set at 0.05. Results: It was observed that there was a greater discrepancy between groups with respect to the apical third. In the other areas there was a greater similarity between the scores attributed to the groups. There was a statistically significant difference between the groups only in the apical third, when group 1 presented the higher median ( P <0.05). Conclusion: The alternating use of EDTA during instrumentation with NaOCl was the most effective irrigation method to remove the apical smear layer. Both forms of irrigation were effective on removal of the smear layer in the coronal and middle thirds of the canals. Keywords: Root Canal Irrigants; Scanning Electron Microscopy; Smear Layer
Design of voltage regulators for automotive applications: A sensitivity-driven approach

In this paper, a mathematical framework is presented, helping in the identification and selection of the components that mostly affect performance in monolithic voltage regulators. A sensitivity analysis is proposed, showing how the loop transfer function depends on the values of the components used in the compensator. The theory has been validated through behavioral and transistor level simulations, considering a single-phase interleaved buck converter operated in voltage mode at 2-MHz switching frequency, supplied by a 5-V input and generating a 1-V regulated output. The presented results can be extended to other regulators exploiting Type II and Type III internal compensators.
Assessment of quantitative precipitation estimation over the four corners region

Quantitative precipitation estimation (QPE) remains a primary objective for weather researchers and forecasters. The purpose of this research is to present the assessment of the QPE process known as the Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor QPE (MRMS QPE) over a region with poor to no radar coverage, such that the reflectivity-rainfall relations are used to derive rain rate amount. Its design uses a combination of individual radar scans, and then merges them into a mosaic. The output of this system is evaluated over a domain that covers the Four Corners region of the United States, which spans over portions of Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. The rainfall events for this analysis occur during the seasonal monsoon timeframe. The days consider were August 4, 2016 through August 7, 2016. The QPE precipitation fields evaluated in this analysis will stem from MRMS rainfall products and local rain gauges.
Synthesis and Characterization of Nanodiamond–Growth Factor Complexes Toward Applications in Oral Implantation and Regenerative Medicine

Current challenges in the field of regenerative medicine include the need to deliver sustained concentrations of growth factors and genes that are required to induce the repair of deficient tissues. Enhancement of drug delivery and uptake may result in improved growth factor efficacy. Nanodiamonds (NDs) were explored as potential growth factor delivery agents due to the many favorable properties that they possess. For example, ND's biocompatibility has been extensively validated pre-clinically. In addition, they can be scalably produced through impact events such as detonation. They possess notably faceted surfaces with diverse electrostatic properties that allow the rapid formation of growth factor complexes. In this study, a complex based on NDs conjugated to epidermal growth factor (EGF) functionalized with Alexa Fluor 488 (ND-EGF) was developed. ND-EGF was comprehensively evaluated using dynamic light scattering and zeta potential analysis. Furthermore, the NDs were capable of eluting EGF in a sustain...
Discrete Event Control of FMS

This chapter presents the synthesis and implementation of a Petri net (PN) model used for the discrete-event control of a moderately sized flexible manufacturing system (FMS). This system includes machining, assembly, materials movement, and storage, and comprises two machining stations, one assembly station, three robots, four conveyors, two dedicated storage devices, and an automated storage and retrieval system. The chapter is written to demonstrate that the research in PNs over the last three decades has matured such that meaningful industrial applications are now becoming possible.
Entrepreneurial Strategies in a Declining Industry

This study explores the strategies of small firms in the North Carolina furniture supply industry, an industry that has suffered significant job loss due to foreign competition. In case studies of 17 firms, managers identified the strategies that they believed would be most effective in confronting the threats of global competition and imports. Entrepreneurial strategies involving development of new products and entry into new markets ranked highest, but most of the firms were employing strategies that emphasized efficiency and focused on existing products and markets. Firms that employed more entrepreneurial strategies reported superior financial performance in terms of revenue growth, suggesting that entrepreneurial strategies were in fact more effective in this declining industry. This research identifies the impediments that prevented firms from employing entrepreneurial strategies, as well as the types of resources the managers believed would be required for successful implementation of entrepreneurial strategies.
Rectification as five finger exercise

We propose the study of rectification as a foundation for the study of projective geometry, structure from motion, and vision. In particular, we argue that rectification works well as a first topic in a course on any of these subjects, an observation that has been borne out by our successful use of rectification to introduce structure from motion in a recent course. Distortion is inherent to the imaging process of a camera: angles, lengths, and relative lengths are changed. For example, parallel lines may meet in the image. rectification is the process of undoing some of these distortions, so that angles and relative lengths may be accurately measured. rectification is a compelling, intuitive and entertaining task that lends itself to implementation in a reasonable amount of time. Most importantly, rectification introduces many of the computational principles of projective geometry and structure from motion (which are important topics in computer vision), and therefore becomes an excellent testbed for learning the foundations of these subjects in a surprisingly concise manner.
VEGFS, FGFS, and PDGF Coordinate Embryonic Coronary Vascularization

The formation of the coronary vasculature during embryonic and fetal life requires many signaling events that involve transcription factors, growth factors, and other molecules. Vascular precursor cells migrate to the heart from the proepicardium, and then differentiate and assemble to form the coronary vasculature. Several growth factors are required for coronary vasculogenesis, angiogenesis, and arteriogenesis, as documented in this chapter, based on both in vitro and in vivo studies in quail, rat, and mouse. Our data reveal that formation of the initial vascular, endothelial-lined channels is regulated by multiple VEGFs (especially VEGF-B), multiple FGFs, and angiopoietins. TGF-β inhibits at least two splice variants of VEGF, thus its expression attenuates endothelial cell proliferation during arteriogenesis. Our findings also document: (1) VEGF-B and VEGFR-1 as the key players in the formation of coronary ostia and stems, and (2) FGF-2 and PDGF as important regulators of coronary arterial formation. These conclusions are based on experiments in which these growth factors were inhibited by injecting neutralizing antibodies into the vitelline vein of quail embryos. Finally, we tested the hypothesis that embryonic mesenchymal stem cells (EMSCs) facilitate coronary tubulogenesis by adding these cells to mouse embryonic heart explants. These experiments revealed an increased tubulogenesis associated with a 22-fold enhancement of stromal-derived factor-1 (SDF-1), most of which was a product of the EMSCs. In conclusion, prenatal coronary vessel development requires temporally and spatially coordinated signaling processes, multiple growth factors, and the influence of progenitor cells.
Community providers’ intentions to use a parent-mediated intervention for children with ASD following training: an application of the theory of planned behavior

The theory of planned behavior (TPB) suggests that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control influence intentions to perform a behavior, and that intentions predict behavior. The present studies examined whether the TPB is applicable to community providers’ use of a parent-mediated intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) following introductory training and whether TPB constructs can be modified with training. Study 1 demonstrated that community providers’ intentions to use the intervention post-training predicted their use of the intervention 6 months later [X2(1) = 8.03, p = .005]. Study 2 found that provider education (β = .23, t = 2.27, p = .025), attitudes (β = .21, t = 2.09, p = .039), and perceived behavioral control (β = .21, t = 2.15, p = .035) were all unique predictors of intentions. There was a significant increase in providers’ ratings of subjective norms (Z = − 2.46, p = .014) and perceived behavioral control (Z = − 7.36, p < .001) from pre- to post-training. Attitudes towards parent-mediated interventions were highly favorable pre-training and did not significantly increase. Results expand on previous findings and demonstrate the applicability of attitudes and perceived behavioral control in understanding community providers’ use of evidence-based practices for children with ASD.
Molecular Epidemiology of Xanthomonas perforans Outbreaks in Tomato Plants from Transplant to Field as Determined by Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Analysis

Outbreaks of bacterial spot on tomato (BST) caused by Xanthomonas perforans are a major concern for sustainable crop production. BST is a common occurrence in tomato transplants grown for field production. We hypothesized that BST outbreaks in commercial fields originate from X. perforans strains inadvertently introduced from commercial transplant facilities. To test this hypothesis, we used a genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis to characterize X. perforans strains recovered from tomato transplant facilities and fields in commercial production areas. X. perforans strains were isolated from symptomatic transplants prior to roguing at two commercial transplant growers. Then, the same groups of transplants were tracked to commercial fields to recover X. perforans strains from diseased plants prior to harvest. Whole-genome sequencing was carried out on 84 strains isolated from transplant and field plants from Florida and South Carolina. SNPs were called using three reference strains that represented the genetic variation of the sampled strains. Field strains showing genetic similarity to transplant strains had a difference of 2 to 210 SNPs. Transplant and field strains clustered together by grower within each phylogenomic group, consistent with expectations. The range of genetic divergence among strains isolated from field plants was similar to the range obtained from strains on transplants. Using the range of genetic variation observed in transplants, we estimate that 60% to 100% of field strains were an extension of the transplant strain population. Our results stress the importance of BST management to reduce X. perforans movement from transplant to field and to minimize subsequent disease outbreaks.IMPORTANCE Current management of Xanthomonas perforans on tomato plants mainly relies on the frequent application of pesticides. However, the lack of effective pesticides and the development of strain tolerance to certain bactericides limit the ability to control outbreaks in production fields. Better knowledge of probable sources of X. perforans inoculum during tomato production is required to refine management strategies. Tomato plants are typically established in the field using transplants. This study aimed to determine if strains from field epidemics were coming from transplant facilities or resulted from local field outbreaks. The overall goal was to identify potential sources of inoculum and subsequently develop strategies to reduce carryover from transplant production to the field. Our results indicate that tomato producers should shift disease management efforts to transplant facilities to reduce disease in the field. Improved transplant health should reduce the likelihood of bacterial spot outbreaks and subsequently reduce pesticide usage in the field.
Physician-Friendly Machine Learning: A Case Study with Cardiovascular Disease Risk Prediction

Machine learning is often perceived as a sophisticated technology accessible only by highly trained experts. This prevents many physicians and biologists from using this tool in their research. The goal of this paper is to eliminate this out-dated perception. We argue that the recent development of auto machine learning techniques enables biomedical researchers to quickly build competitive machine learning classifiers without requiring in-depth knowledge about the underlying algorithms. We study the case of predicting the risk of cardiovascular diseases. To support our claim, we compare auto machine learning techniques against a graduate student using several important metrics, including the total amounts of time required for building machine learning models and the final classification accuracies on unseen test datasets. In particular, the graduate student manually builds multiple machine learning classifiers and tunes their parameters for one month using scikit-learn library, which is a popular machine learning library to obtain ones that perform best on two given, publicly available datasets. We run an auto machine learning library called auto-sklearn on the same datasets. Our experiments find that automatic machine learning takes 1 h to produce classifiers that perform better than the ones built by the graduate student in one month. More importantly, building this classifier only requires a few lines of standard code. Our findings are expected to change the way physicians see machine learning and encourage wide adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques in clinical domains.
Analyzing Powers for p + 28Si Scattering Between 2.0 and 3.8 MeV

Excitation curves of Ay for p + 28Si elastic scattering have been measured between 2 and 3.8 MeV to resolve conflicting Jπ assignments for states in 29Si near 6 MeV excitation energy. These conflicts arose partly in various analyses of cross section datal,2), but most recently in the analysis3) of (p, p’γ) angular correlation data at our laboratory.
Production planning with a two-stage stochastic programming model in a kitting facility under demand and yield uncertainties

The main objective of this study is to develop a two-stage stochastic programming framework for lot-sizing and scheduling the production activities at a kitting facility to support a manufacturing ...
An Anthropological Perspective on Urban Health

Anthropology brings a useful suite of tools and concepts to urban health research. Mixed-methods approaches can embrace both objective and more subjective ways of understanding human adaptation to and variation within the urban context. There have been many productive interactions among anthropologists and various disciplines studying health over the course of the 20th century and into the 21st. At the beginning of the 21st century, we are poised to enhance our ability to understand urban health contexts through effective collaboration among anthropologists and other disciplines studying urban health.
Chapter 50 – Pediatric Brain Tumors

Of all the imaging modalities to emerge in recent years, none has proven more diagnostically and surgically useful than magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Nowhere is this more evident than in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of pediatric brain tumors, the leading cause of cancer-related death in children. Indeed, MRI, deployed independently or in combination with other modalities, such as computed tomography, single photon emission computed tomography, and positron emission tomography, provides exquisitely detailed structural, anatomical, and physiologic information that facilitates accurate diagnoses, timely intervention, and improved patient outcomes. These enhanced diagnostic and surgical capabilities, in turn, have created a paradigm shift in the way pediatric brain tumors are approached and followed. The aim of this chapter is twofold: First, to review the neuroimaging features of a broad spectrum of pediatric brain tumors with a focus on MR imaging and second, to discuss specific pediatric tumor types grouped by location, including tumors of the cerebral hemispheres, posterior fossa tumors, sellar and suprasellar tumors, and parameningeal tumors. This chapter further describes (1) the utility of MR perfusion imaging in characterizing tumor hemodynamics; (2) MR spectroscopy in assessing brain tumor metabolism and physiology; (3) diffusion imaging in characterizing tumor, grading, assessing cellularity, and evaluating treatment response; and (4) diffusion tensor imaging in visualizing and quantifying brain tumors, especially gliomas. Finally, MRI's precision in localizing and targeting brain tumors has resulted in vastly improved techniques for surgical intervention using image guidance. With increased reliance on MRI in evaluating and treating pediatric brain tumors, physicians are now better equipped to battle this devastating disease.
A Comparison of Hedge Fund Gross and Net Performance

In this paper, we explore the difference between the gross-of-fee and net-of-fee hedge fund performance, by investigating the difference in distribution, factor exposures and alphas between gross returns and net returns. We find that gross returns are distributed significantly different from net returns. The gross-of-fee alphas are higher than the net-of-fee alphas by about 4% per year on average. We also find positive relation between hedge fund performance and fund size, fund flows, and managerial incentives, which holds for both gross-of-fee performance and net-of-fee performance. Our findings suggest that it is necessary to examine the gross-of-fee performance of hedge funds separately from the net-of-fee performance, which may give us a clearer picture of the risk structure and performance of hedge fund portfolios.
Graphic memories of the civil rights movement: reframing history in comics: by Jorge J. Santos, Jr.Austin: University of Texas Press, 2019, 242 pagesISBN: 978-1-4773-1827-0 (paperback)

Graphic Memories of the Civil Rights Movement: Reframing History in Comics by Jorge J. Santos, Jr. is part of the World Comics and Graphic Non-Fiction Series edited by Frederick Louis Aldama and Cr...
Adjuvant treatment for patients with FIGO stage I uterine serous carcinoma confined to the endometrium.

Objectives The role of adjuvant treatment for early-stage uterine serous carcinoma is not defined. The goal of this study was to investigate the impact of adjuvant treatment on survival of patients with tumors confined to the endometrium. Methods Patients diagnosed with stage I uterine serous carcinoma with no myometrial invasion between January 2004 and December 2015 who underwent hysterectomy with at least 10 lymph nodes removed were identified from the National Cancer Database. Adjuvant treatment patterns defined as receipt of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy within 6 months from surgery were investigated and overall survival was evaluated using Kaplan–Meier curves, and compared with the log-rank test for patients with at least one month of follow-up. A Cox analysis was performed to control for confounders. Results A total of 1709 patients were identified; 833 (48.7%) did not receive adjuvant treatment, 348 (20.4%) received both chemotherapy and radiotherapy, 353 (20.7%) received chemotherapy only, and 175 (10.2%) received radiotherapy only. Five-year overall survival rates for patients who did not receive adjuvant treatment (n=736) was 81.9%, compared with 91.3% for those who had chemoradiation (n=293), 85.1% for those who received radiotherapy only (n=143), and 91.0% for those who received chemotherapy only (n=298) (p Conclusion Adjuvant chemotherapy (with or without radiotherapy) is associated with a survival benefit for uterine serous carcinoma confined to the endometrium.
A wild 2-sphere with a simply connected complement

In the work of Antoine, the wildness of an arc or 2-sphere was always demonstrated by an examination of the fundamental group of the complement (or of a component of the complement). Thus Antoine’s examples did not refute the perhaps plausible conjecture that wildness, for arcs and spheres, is describable in terms of the fundamental group of the complement, or, at least, of the topology of the complement. Wilder’s example, in Section 19, shows that this conjecture is false for arcs. We shall now present an example, due to Fox and Artin (op. cit.), showing that the conjecture is also false for 2-spheres. The example is defined by means of a certain wild arc. Before defining the latter, we shall prove some preliminary theorems.
Fixed-b asymptotic approximation of the sampling behaviour of nonparametric spectral density estimators

. We propose a new asymptotic approximation for the sampling behaviour of nonparametric estimators of the spectral density of a covariance stationary time series. According to the standard approach, the truncation lag grows more slowly than the sample size. We derive first-order limiting distributions under the alternative assumption that the truncation lag is a fixed proportion of the sample size. Our results extend the approach of Neave (1970), who derived a formula for the asymptotic variance of spectral density estimators under the same truncation lag assumption. We show that the limiting distribution of zero-frequency spectral density estimators depends on how the mean is estimated and removed. The implications of our zero-frequency results are consistent with exact results for bias and variance computed by Ng and Perron (1996). Finite sample simulations indicate that the new asymptotics provides a better approximation than the standard one.
Quantitative balance and analysis of fulvic acids changes in the process of municipal sewage treatment

Abstract The latest researches show that large amounts of humic substances (HS) are discharged by municipal facilities, including sewage treatment plants, therefore this paper covers characteristics of a soluble HS fraction, i.e. fulvic acids (FAs) contained in municipal sewage and balance of their amounts introduced to and discharged from a biological reactor. FAs were extracted from samples collected from mechanically and biologically treated sewage and from sewage and activated sewage sludge, from the following cells of a biological reactor: predenitrification, dephosphatation, denitrification and nitrification, according to the flow through sewage treatment plant's section. The paper discussed quantitative (concentrations and 24-h loads of FAs introduced to and discharged from the biological reactor) and qualitative (basic composition, share of selected non-organic pollutants, including heavy metals, thermo-gravimetric analysis and infra-red spectroscopy) research. Additional, atomic quotients (C/O, C/H, C/N and O/H) of basic composition were defined, which made possible to conduct analysis of FAs chemical and biochemical changes in the process of sewage treatment in the biological reactor. The conducted quantitative balance of FAs, extracted from raw sewage and activated sewage sludge indicated that these substances are not subjects to biodegradation but, to a large extent, they are precipitated and absorbed on activated sewage sludge. The remaining quantities are discharged from a sewage treatment plant together with treated sewage.
Abstract W P336: Sepsis in Intracranial Hemorrhage - Should We Be Bugged?

INTRODUCTION: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) has the highest mortality rate of all stroke subtypes and accounts for 10-40% of all strokes. ICH patients are known to be at higher risk for infection and subsequent complications, however there is sparse data regarding the incidence of sepsis in critically ill patients with ICH. We hypothesize that the incidence of sepsis is high in ICH patients with terminal outcomes, and type of ICH would impact risk of developing sepsis. METHODOLOGY: A retrospective review was done of 200 patients with ICH admitted to an inner city hospital between June 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014. Inclusion criteria included patients with ICH and a terminal outcome, defined as death or comfort care as a result of their immediate condition. Exclusion criteria included patients with hemorrhagic infarcts, pre-existing conditions contributing to terminal outcomes, or conditions where ICH was a direct result of sepsis. ICH was subdivided into types: Spontaneous ICH (SICH), Subarachnoid Hemorrhag...
The Efficiency of Star Formation in Galaxies: Can We Measure It?

In this presentation, the methods by which infrared measurements can be used to probe the luminosity and mass of stellar populations formed during episodes of enhanced star formation in galaxies are outlined. These measurements generally sample the continuum emission of young stars directly, or as reprocessed thermal or emission line radiation from the dense gas and dust clouds which surround the star forming regions. The integration of all of the observable stellar parameters into numerical models of evolving starbursts allows an assessment of the total amount mass converted into stars during the course of the starburst. Current observations do not allow a unique determination of the initial mass function of the starbursts, however. This ultimately limits the accuracy to which the total stellar mass, and therefore the star formation efficiency may be determined.
Loop Termination Prediction

Deeply pipelined high performance processors require highly accurate branch prediction to drive their instruction fetch. However there remains a class of events which are not easily predictable by standard two level predictors. One such event is loop termination. In deeply nested loops, loop terminations can account for a significant amount of the mispredictions. We propose two techniques for dealing with loop terminations. A simple hardware extension to existing prediction architectures called Loop Termination Prediction is presented, which captures the long regular repeating patterns of loops. In addition, a software technique called Branch Splitting is examined, which breaks loops with iteration counts above the detection of current predictors into smaller loops that may be effectively captured. Our results show that for many programs adding a small loop termination buffer can reduce the missprediction rate by up to a difference of 2%.
An Investigation of Stress Dependent Atomic Oxygen Erosion of Black Kapton Observed on MISSE 6

Black Kapton XC polyimide was flown as part of the Polymer Film Tensile Experiment (PFTE) on Materials International Space Station Experiment 6 (MISSE 6). The purpose of the experiment was to expose a variety of polymer films, typical of those used for thermal control blankets or supporting membranes on Earth orbiting spacecraft, to the low Earth orbital (LEO) environment under both relaxed and tension conditions. Black Kapton XC under tensile stress experienced a higher erosion rate during exposure in LEO than the same material that was flown in a relaxed condition. Testing conducted to determine the magnitude of the stress and erosion dependence using a ground-based thermal energy atomic oxygen plasma showed a slight dependence of erosion yield on stress for Kapton HN and Black Kapton XC, but not to the extent observed on MISSE 6. More testing is needed to isolate the factors present in LEO that cause stress dependent erosion.
Human DNA Polymerase β’s endonuclease activity prevents mitotic chromosome instability (LB119)

Most tumors have numerical and structural chromosome aberrations that can provide selective growth advantages. It has been reported that overexpression of DNA Polymerase B (Pol β) contributes to chromosome instability by inducing aneuplody, telomere fusions, and a deficient mitotic checkpoint. However, the mechanism is currently unknown. Here, we report that Pol β’s endonuclease activity plays an important role in maintaining chromosome stability by collaborating with Topoisomerase IIα. Our results indicate that Pol β has endonuclease activity, and that this activity is required to prevent chromosomal instability during mitosis as deletion of Pol β induces aneuploidy, the formation of anaphase bridges and micronuclei. Moreover, cells expressing the endonuclease deficient E216K mutant accumulate more anaphase bridges and micronuclei than those expressing wild-type Pol β. Consistent with these observations, Pol β localizes near the centromere in metaphase. This data suggests that Pol β’s endonuclease activi...
Single Residue Determinants in the Binding of Recombinant Human Brain Hexokinase to the Mitochondrion

iii CHAPTER 1: GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 Hexokinase and its isozymes 1 Structure of Hexokinase and G6P inhibition 4 Mitochondrial Binding of hexokinase 8 Hypotheis 10 Thesis Organization 11 References 11 CHAPTER 2: SINGLE-RESIDUE DETERMINANTS IN THE BINDING OF RECOMBINANT HUMAN BRAIN HEXOKINASE TO THE MITOCHONDRION 18 Abstract 18 Introduction 19 Experimental Procedures 22 Results 25 Discussion 37 References 41 CHAPTER 3: GENERAL CONCLUSIONS 46 ACKNOWLEDGMENT 47
Nitrogen transformation from three soil organic amendments in a sandy soil

Abstract A sandy soil was amended with various rates (20 – 320 g air-dry weight basis of the amendments per kg of air-dry soil) of chicken manure (CM), sewage sludge (SS), and incinerated sewage sludge (ISS) and incubated for 100 days in a greenhouse at 15% (wt/wt) soil water content. At the beginning of incubation, NH4-N concentrations varied from 50 – 280 mg kg−1 in the CM amended soil with negligible amounts of NO3-N. Subsequently, the concentration of NH4-N decreased while that of NO3-N increased rapidly. In soil amended with SS at 20 – 80 g kg−1 rates, the NO3-N concentration increased sharply during the first 20 days, followed by a slow rate of increase over the rest of the incubation period. However, at a 160 g kg−1 SS rate, there were three distinct phases of NO3-N release which lasted for160 days. In the ISS amended soil, the nitrification process was completed during the initial 30 days, and the concentrations of NH4-N and NO3-N were lower than those for the other treatments. The mineralized N a...
Ectodomain shedding of the NKG2D ligand MULT1 regulates sensitivity to NK cells (INC6P.400)

NKG2D is one of the most important activating receptors expressed by NK cells in terms of tumor cell recognition. NKG2D binds to different ligands, and triggers cytolysis and cytokine release by NK cells. Certain human NKG2D ligands can be shed and are thought to inhibit NK-mediated surveillance of cancer. Here we showed that a mouse NKG2D ligand, MULT1, is cleaved efficiently from cells, and accumulates in the serum of tumors and inflammatory diseases. Cleaved MULT1 binds to NKG2D with high affinity (~10 nM). Remarkably, an engineered form of the shed MULT1, when secreted by tumor cells lacking NKG2D ligands, causes tumor rejection, rather than inhibiting it. Rejection is mediated by NK cells and in some cases T cells. Provision of recombinant MULT1 along with B16 melanoma cells resulted in induction of NK function ex vivo and tumor rejection in vivo. We propose a model in which expression of NKG2D ligands by non-tumor cells, persistently stimulate NK cells, resulting in desensitization of the NK cells; interruption of the interaction by soluble MULT1 restores NK cell functionality, causing tumor elimination. Consistent with this model, Rag2-/- mice which also lack NKG2D show higher NK activity than Rag2-/- mice, resulting in better B16 tumor rejection. Our study represents the first instance of NKG2D ligand shedding in the mouse, and provides the first evidence that such ligands are immunostimulatory, reversing the conventional understanding of soluble NKG2D ligands.
Evaluation of the educational effectiveness of a virtual reality intravenous insertion simulator.

Objective: To evaluate construct and content validity as well as learners' perceptions of CathSim, a virtual reality intravenous (IV) insertion simulator. Methods: A prospective cohort study design was employed to determine construct validity, and a participant survey was used to ascertain content validity as well as user perceptions of CathSim. Forty-one attendings, residents, and medical students in emergency medicine and anesthesia attempted five simulated IV insertions on CathSim. Subject performances were scored by the computer, and subject perceptions of the simulator were measured using a Likert scale questionnaire (1 = worst rating; 5 = best rating). The subjects were divided into three groups (novices, intermediates, and experts) based on previous IV experience. To determine construct validity, performances of the three groups were compared using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). To determine content validity, the experts' perceptions of the simulator's realism and usefulness were assessed. Study subjects' perceptions of the simulator's ease of use and overall appeal were analyzed. Results: The experts scored better than the others in five of nine scoring parameters (p < 0.05). The experts rated the realism of CathSim's four major simulation components at 3.85, 3.46, 3.69, and 3.46; the overall realism of CathSim at 2.93; and its utility for medical student training at 4.57. The simulator's ease of use was rated at 2.34 by all subjects. Novices reported a score of 4.59 regarding their likelihood to use the simulator. Conclusions: CathSim demonstrated construct validity in five of nine internal scoring parameters and was judged to be adequately realistic and highly useful for medical student training. Despite being difficult to learn to use, it remained appealing to the users, especially the novices.
New perspectives in diagnosis and management of thrombophlebitis of the superficial dorsal vein of the penis.

Thrombophlebitis of the superficial dorsal vein of the penis, “Mondor's disease” of the penis, is a rare peripheral venous disease. The causes are interesting and multifactorial, including sexual trauma, tourniquet effect produced by occlusive devices applied to the penis, venipuncture, and local infection. We found that doppler examination of the superficial dorsal vein of the penis, using a “percussion maneuver,” is very useful for detecting patency and following the course of recannalization. In the acute stage, we found local paravenous infiltration of 0.5% Marcain to be effective in prompt relief of symptoms.
Language contact phenomena in deaf communities

A investigacion sociolinguistica en comunidades de xordos ten sido modelada por alomenos catro consideracions relacionadas entre si: (1) a relacion entre a lingua falada pola comunidade maioritaria e a lingua de signos da comunidade, principalmente nos contextos educativos; (2) o limitado conecemento da estructura linguistica da lingua de signos; (3) as dubidas cara o estatus da lingua de signos como unha "lingua verdadeira"; e (4) a aplicacion dos modelos sociolinguisticos da lingua falada as situacions de lingua de signos. Este estudio centrase especificamente no fenomeno do contacto de linguas en comunidades de xordos. En primeiro lugar, discutese o efecto xeral de cada unha destas catro consideracions, e presentase un modelo de fenomenos de contacto de linguas, facendo a distincion entre as consecuencias do contacto entre duas linguas de signos, e as consecuencias do contacto entre unha lingua de signos e unha lingua falada. En segundo lugar, presentanse os resultados dunha investigacion do contacto de linguas na comunidade xorda americana e discutense eses resultados tendo en conta as catro consideracions anteriores. En terceiro lugar, suxirense vias para futuras investigacions sociolinguisticas das comunidades de xordos
Integration, loss, and reacquisition of defective viral DNA in SV40-transformed mouse cell lines.

We have examined the state of viral DNA in a set of SV40-transformed mouse celllines. Using restriction enzymes which cut SV40 DNA in one place, we demonstrate that anchorage-independent SV40-transformed mouse cells commonly contain one or more detectable defective monomers of integrated viral DNA. The defective viral DNA in one of these cell lines, SV101, was extensively mapped using single and double enzyme digests. The results of this analysis indicate that SV101 contains nondefective viral DNA as well as defective viral DNA of the following sizes: 5.0, 4.3, 3.7, 3.4, and 1.5 kb. Three of these defective monomers (4.3, 3.7, and 1.5 kb) preserve the amino terminal exon of large T antigen, and two monomers (4.3, and 3.7 kb) preserve the little t coding region. Anchorage-dependent subclones of SV101 preferentially lose the defective viral DNA, while retaining an intact SV40 early region and the ability to express lytic-sized large and small T antigens. Despite a considerable amount of viral DNA rearrangement which accompanies subcloning, anchorage-independent subclones of SV101 retain defective viral DNA, especially the 4.3- and 3.7-kb monomers. Also, when an anchorage-independent subclone is selected from an anchorage-dependent revertant of SV101, it reacquires defective viral DNA, although of a size not seen in SV101. We conclude that defective viral DNA plays a role in generating the anchorage-independent phenotype. In earlier studies, we have reported that anchorage-transformed mouse lines contain a variant (100kDa) T antigen. The possible role of defective viral DNA in generating this T antigen is discussed.
Promoter recognition by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase: effects of the UP element on open complex formation and promoter clearance.

Escherichia coli promoters for transcription of ribosomal and tRNAs are greatly activated by an A+T-rich “UP” element upstream of the −35 region. These same promoters have also been found to otherwise deviate in several respects from the consensus promoter sequence. Here we present the results of a kinetic characterization of the interaction of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase with UP element-containing promoters which by virtue of consensus or near-consensus sequence features should be among the most optimal that can be encountered by Escherichia coli RNA polymerase. We show that for such promoters, (1) the second-order rate constant describing formation of the initial (closed) complex is close to that expected for a diffusion-limited process, (2) the extent of activation by the UP element is temperature-sensitive, (3) the UP element accelerates a process after DNA binding by RNA polymerase, and (4) the presence of the UP element delays promoter clearance upon addition of nucleoside triphosphates to prefo...
Model polytripeptides for collagen

Abstract Poly[ala-glu(OEt)-gly], poly[glu(OEt)-gly-gly], and poly [ala-gly-gly] have been prepared from their respective tripeptide activated esters. Preliminary characterization by X-ray diffraction, infrared, circular dichroism, and optical rotatory dispersion spectroscopy indicate that poly[ala-glu(OEt)-gly], as obtained from an aqueous suspension or film cast from formic acid, is in an anti-parallel β sheet while the other two polymers are obtained in a random conformation from their aqueous solutions.
Implicit measures of consumer cognition: A review

In line with recent methodological advances from the cognitive and social psychology literature, consumer researchers have shown strong interest in addressing the nonconscious nature of consumer information processing, attitude formation, and behavioral response. The related use of implicit measures in the study of a variety of marketing effects has offered novel insights into consumer perception of, and response to, marketing stimuli. This paper highlights conceptual issues and empirical findings on the topic of implicit consumer cognition and examines the incremental value that implicit measures may bring to the field. The review suggests that while the use of implicit measures in consumer research is still in its infancy, it shows significant promise as a methodological tool. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Screening tools for robust control structure selection

Abstract Screening tools for control structure selection in the presence of model/plant mismatch are developed in the context of the Structured Singular Value (μ) Theory. The developed screening tools are designed to aid engineers in the elimination of undesirable control structure candidates for which a robustly performing controller does not exist. The screening tools are examined on a multi-component distillation column control problem and compared with previously published methods such as the Condition Number Criterion.
Thomas Hunt Morgan: materialism and experimentalism in the development of modern genetics.

TIG -- May 1985 One of the most import- ant events in the develop- ment of genetics was the first application of Men- del's laws to the cyto- logical facts of chromo- some structure and be- havior. This synthesis was achieved by Thomas Hunt Morgan (1866- 1945) and a group of young enthusiastic co- workers, Alfred Henry Sturtevant (1891-1970), Herman Joseph Muller (1890-1967) and Calvin Blackman Bridges (1889-1938), working with Drosophila melanogasterat Columbia University between 1910 and 1928. By cor- relating results of breeding experiments with cyto- logical observations on chromosome structure they demonstrated that Mendel's hypothetical 'factors' could be treated as specific points, or loci, along the length of the chromosomes. These findings, with many extensions and elaborations, were summarized in the historic book The Mechanism of Mendelian Heredity ~ published in 1915 and revised in 1923. For the next several decades, Morgan and his group mapped the chromosomes of D. melanogaster and related species, providing the first comprehensive genetic map for any organism of what they called the 'architecture of the germ plasm'. For his work in eluci- dating what later became known as the chromosome theory of heredity, Morgan was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine in 1933. Three-quarters of a century has now passed since Morgan published his first paper on inheritance of eye color in Drosophila in 1910 - a period that has seen genetics come to occupy the same central position in biology today that Darwinian theory occupied in the general study of natural history a century ago. It may be useful here to examine how twentieth century genetics began and how some of its underlying philo- sophical assumptions helped its rapid development, while also placing restrictions on the kinds of questions geneticists asked and the answers they con- sidered acceptable. For the last 30 years of the nineteenth century and the first ten years of the twentieth century, the study of heredity, using plant and animal hybridization, pro- ceeded independently of the cytological study of the cell nucleus and the chromosomes. Although cyto- logists were aware that the nucleus in general, and the chromosomes in particular, might well have some- thing to do with transmission of inherited traits, few studies in cytology itself threw any direct light on the issue. Similarly, students of animal and plant breeding were content to postulate the existence of hereditary particles transmitted from generation to generation, but produced no direct evidence for the nature or material composition of these units. The founder of modern genetics, Gregor Mendel (1822-1844), knew nothing of contemporary cytological work, and made no reference to chromosomes or other cell com- ponents in his original studies (1865) on hybridization *Part 2 of this article will appear in next month's TIG.
Only the First and the Last Hydrophobic Segments in the COOH-terminal Third of Na,K-ATPase α Subunit Initiate and Halt, Respectively, Membrane Translocation of the Newly Synthesized Polypeptide: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE MEMBRANE TOPOLOGY

We studied the topogenic properties of five hydrophobic segments (H5-H9) in the COOH-terminal third of Na,K-ATPase α subunit using in vitro insertion of fusion proteins into endoplasmic reticulum membranes. These fusion proteins consisted of several different lengths of truncated α subunit starting at Met729 and a reporter protein, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, that was linked in frame after each hydrophobic segment. We found that membrane insertion of the newly synthesized COOH-terminal third was initiated by H5 and terminated by H9, indicating that here only H5 and H9 have topogenic function. The other three, H6-H8, did not have topogenic function in the native context and were translocated into the endoplasmic reticulum lumen. These results were in striking contrast to the previous models in which four or six hydrophobic segments were proposed to cross the membrane. Furthermore, the findings suggest a novel mechanism for achieving the final membrane topology of the COOH-terminal third of the α subunit.
Surface Active Properties of Proteins: Effects of Progressive Succinylation on Film Properties and Foam Stability of Glycinin

Succinylation of glycinin at 25, 50, 70, and 98% of available amino groups progressively increased hydrophobicity, viscosity and exposure of aromatic amino acids. Maxima in surface pressure (at pH 4–8), film-yield stress, and film elasticity were observed at 25% succinylation where the maximum in foam stability was also observed. Excessive succinylation (>50%) reduced these parameters because the high net negative charges may have impaired protein:protein interactions in films.
Computing Finite Semigroups, II: The First Nonconstant Row

New precedence results are obtained for finite, not necessarily commutative semigroups, which are used to further sharpen existing algorithms for the computation of finite semigroups. The results in this second part assume a left zero element, describe the first nonconstant row of the multiplication table in detail, and provide a numerical profile with which it can be compared to other rows.