cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effectiveness of Heads of Schools in Supervising Teachers’ Teaching Activities in Secondary Schools in Kagera Region, Tanzania

Head of schools are considered imperative in education system for influencing teachers’ teaching commitment to improve school performance and attaining quality education. This necessitated the need of this study to investigate the effectiveness of heads of schools in supervising teachers’ teaching activities in secondary schools in Kagera region. The study was guided by transformational theory. The reviewed literatures indicated the availability of several studies on school leadership and commitment of teachers as factors for school performance. However, still there was a need for investigating the effectiveness of school headship in supervising teachers’ teaching activities in secondary schools as a central variables for effective teaching in secondary schools, due to persisting challenges constrains on leadership effectiveness and education performance. The study employed convergent parallel design from mixed research approach. The target population of the study included all head of schools, academic masters/mistress and teachers in public secondary schools in Kagera region. The sample size comprised 32 schools, 32 head of schools, 32 academic masters/mistress and310 teachers. Probability and non-probability sampling techniques used to sample participants. Instruments for data collection was questionnaires, interview guide and document analysis guide. The study carried out a piloting study into two schools; comprising ten (10) participants. Content validity was established to ensure the validity of instruments, split half method used to ascertain the reliability of questionnaire, dependability and credibility determined the reliability of interview guide. Descriptive statistics used to analyze quantitative data with the use of SPSS version 22 and thematic analysis used for qualitative data analysis. Hypotheses were tested by Pearson Correlation. Results suggest strong significant relationship between school headship and teachers teaching commitment.
A novel PCR method directly quantifies sequence features that block primer extension

Many quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR) assays indirectly quantify a target of interest as a drop in amplification signal relative to a larger total signal. The targeted sequence features include: DNA strand breaks introduced by enzymes that cleave at specific DNA sequences or modifications; DNA breaks due to ionizing radiation or other DNA-damaging agents; DNA damage that does not break the DNA but blocks the DNA polymerase; and deletions of various sizes that prevent one or both primers from annealing. All of these loss of signal (a.k.a. negative) assays share the drawback of low sensitivity, as compared to positive assays, which generate an amplification signal that directly reflects the copy numbers of the sequence feature. Here we present a novel QPCR strategy that converts all of the above negative assays into positive ones. A mixture of three primers is added to genomic DNA, one primer pair that targets a sequence for strand-specific PCR, and a third, longer primer that prevents initiation of that PCR, by annealing at high temperature and extending across the target sequence, rendering it double-stranded and inaccessible for priming. Any sequence feature that blocks the third primer's annealing or extension, while leaving the target sequence intact, allows the PCR to proceed and quantify the copy number of the sequence feature. This Primer Extension Blockade Enabled QPCR (PEBE-QPCR) method will facilitate many high-throughput, low-cost QPCR-based investigations in biology and medicine. As a first example, we present direct QPCR of the unmethylated allele at a MspI / HpaII site in the promoter of the human 45S rDNA gene.
Building Partnerships for Better Library Orientations

Abstract In 2014, librarians at University of California, San Diego teamed up with the fledgling First-Year Experience (FYE) Program to reenvision the traditional library orientation offered to new students. The orientation module designed for the FYE Program did not include database instruction because there was no research assignment included in the courses; therefore, a more general learning objective was identified: introducing students to library resources, services, and locations. The module included a brief in-class presentation about library resources given during the lecture and an interactive mobile library scavenger hunt. Each segment of the module was designed to both introduce students to and increase their comfort with the library in a fun and engaging way. This chapter discusses the three-year evolution of the partnership between the Library and the FYE Program and offers best practices for librarians who might wish to develop a similar partnership and/or orientation module on their campus.
Populating the Data Ark: An attempt to retrieve, preserve, and liberate data from the most highly-cited psychology and psychiatry articles

The vast majority of scientific articles published to-date have not been accompanied by concomitant publication of the underlying research data upon which they are based. This state of affairs precludes the routine re-use and re-analysis of research data, undermining the efficiency of the scientific enterprise, and compromising the credibility of claims that cannot be independently verified. It may be especially important to make data available for the most influential studies that have provided a foundation for subsequent research and theory development. Therefore, we launched an initiative-the Data Ark-to examine whether we could retrospectively enhance the preservation and accessibility of important scientific data. Here we report the outcome of our efforts to retrieve, preserve, and liberate data from 111 of the most highly-cited articles published in psychology and psychiatry between 2006-2011 (n = 48) and 2014-2016 (n = 63). Most data sets were not made available (76/111, 68%, 95% CI [60, 77]), some were only made available with restrictions (20/111, 18%, 95% CI [10, 27]), and few were made available in a completely unrestricted form (15/111, 14%, 95% CI [5, 22]). Where extant data sharing systems were in place, they usually (17/22, 77%, 95% CI [54, 91]) did not allow unrestricted access. Authors reported several barriers to data sharing, including issues related to data ownership and ethical concerns. The Data Ark initiative could help preserve and liberate important scientific data, surface barriers to data sharing, and advance community discussions on data stewardship.
Fostering Undergraduate Research through Mobile Development Course in PUIs

In this panel proposal, our goal in to share how to blend in fundamental research challenges of mobile computing area while appealing to undergraduate students' desire to learn the latest and most relevant tools and techniques to develop mobile applications. Over the past few years, there has been a dramatic increase in computer science undergraduate research activities at colleges and universities nationwide. Incorporating a research component along with a sound academic foundation enables students to develop independent critical thinking skills along with oral and written communication skills. However, not every university has resources to conduct research, specially the non-R1 institutions. One approach to foster research in such institutions is to incorporate research problems and practices in upper level computer science courses. In this panel, we report our experience with incorporating research in an undergraduate level mobile app development course, which enabled to foster research culture in the department, allowed students build profile to get into graduate school and helped them to consider a research career. Our primary course goals were twofold: 1. teach students the basics of mobile app development with a team project that exposes them to industry level software development practices. 2. introduce students to the fundamental research challenges in mobile computing area and provide them with an opportunity to address some of those challenges in their project. The purpose of this session is to share, document and discuss an effort to address the need of incorporating research in a mobile development course which allows them to get a perspective of graduate research are done, within the parameters and limitations common to higher education. We also plan to share lessons learned by the instructors and identify promising directions for improvements.
Oral Health in Relation to Pancreatic Cancer Risk in African American Women.

Background: Incidence of pancreatic cancer is higher in African Americans than in U.S. whites. We hypothesized that poor oral health, disproportionately common in African Americans and associated with increased risk of pancreatic cancer in several studies of predominantly white populations, may play a role in this disparity. Methods: We examined the relation of self-reported measures of oral health (periodontal disease and adult tooth loss) in relation to pancreatic cancer incidence in the prospective Black Women9s Health Study (BWHS). Cox proportional hazard analyses were used to calculate HRs of pancreatic cancer for women with periodontal disease, tooth loss, or both, relative to women who reported neither. Multivariable models adjusted for age, cigarette smoking, body mass index (BMI), type 2 diabetes, and alcohol consumption. Results: Participants aged 33 to 81 were followed for an average of 9.85 years from 2007 through 2016, with occurrence of 78 incidence cases of pancreatic cancer. Multivariable HRs for pancreatic cancer incidence were 1.77 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.57–5.49] for periodontal disease with no tooth loss, 2.05 (95% CI, 1.08–3.88) for tooth loss without report of periodontal disease, and 1.58 (95% CI, 0.70–3.57) for both tooth loss and periodontal disease. The HR for loss of at least five teeth, regardless of whether periodontal disease was reported, was 2.20 (95% CI, 1.11–4.33). Conclusions: The poor oral health experienced by many African Americans may contribute to their higher incidence of pancreatic cancer. Impact: Future research will assess associations between the oral microbiome and pancreatic cancer risk in this population.
Estimation of value-at-risk using single index quantile regression

Value-at-Risk (VaR) is one of the best known and most heavily used measures of financial risk. In this paper, we introduce a non-iterative semiparametric model for VaR estimation called the single ...
Artificial Intelligence-Based Cyber–Physical Events Classification for Islanding Detection in Power Inverters

Along with the rapid integration of distributed generation units (DGUs) into the power grids is the rise in unconventional and unpredictable patterns of the undesirable cyber–physical intrusions and faults; this drastically increases the risk of islanding possibilities and threatens the sustainability of the energy delivery infrastructure. Classification of cyber–physical events and developing solutions to mitigate their impacts before rising to an islanding situation is a critical monitoring task in DGUs. Passive islanding detection has been widely applied to studying the behavior of voltage signals at the point of common coupling, which is a sophisticated challenge due to cross similarity among fault (event) patterns and their fast dynamics. In this article, a novel quadratic time–frequency decomposition, namely HSS-transform, is applied over an alternative complex representation of three-phase signal defined by the synchronous reference frame transformation. We further exploit the principles of informative sparse representation-based classification (TISC) to develop a comprehensive artificial intelligence framework for fast and reliable classification of DGU islanding and nonislanding events with the focus on practical limitations and requirements of a smart power electronics inviter as the desirable observational site. Different from the state-of-the-art techniques, TISC does not need any training procedure, while due to its linear mathematical formulation acts inherently fast with low computational burden on the inverter processing unit. Moreover, the simultaneous three-phase feature extraction strategy ensures preservation of the between-phase information.
Spousal Support, Spousal Strain, and Loneliness in Older Mexican Couples.

Objectives A growing body of research has identified factors related to loneliness among older adults. Fewer have investigated predictors of loneliness within married couples. This analysis investigates how spousal support and strain relate with loneliness within older couples (age 50+), and whether these associations are modified by functional limitation. The study focuses on Mexico, a country experiencing rapid aging occurring alongside historically limited institutional support for older adults, and where traditional gender roles extend to marriage. Methods The analytic sample consisted of 3,584 husband-wife dyads from the 2012 and 2015 Mexican Health and Aging Study. Loneliness was measured using the Three-Item Loneliness Scale. Associations between spousal support, strain, and loneliness were estimated within husband-wife dyads using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model. Results Experiencing more spousal support was associated with less loneliness, whereas experiencing spousal strain was associated with more loneliness 3 years later among married adults. The associations between spousal support/strain and loneliness were stronger among husbands with limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) when compared to their counterparts without ADL limitations. Discussion Among married adults, spousal support and strain may be important factors to understand loneliness within marriage. Effects should be interpreted within the context of functional limitation.
The Influence of Instructor Native Language on Learning and Instructor Ratings

The percentage of doctorates in economics awarded in the United States to US citizens has declined from 67.3 percent in 1977 to 55.7 percent in 1986 to 42.9 percent in 1996 [Siegfried and Stock, 1999]. This clearly implies that the number of economics instructors whose native language is not English has increased significantly. This paper seeks to determine the effect on student learning and instructor ratings when students are taught by an instructor whose native language is not English.
Super-Regenerative Oscillator-Based High-Sensitivity Radar Architecture for Motion Sensing and Vital Sign Detection

A radar sensor architecture based on a super-regenerative oscillator (SRO) with very high sensitivity is presented for vital sign detection and motion sensing. As a proof of concept, the proposed SRO-based radar sensor architecture, operating in its logarithmic mode, incorporates a patch antenna as a frequency-selective network to transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) signals at 2.32 GHz to conduct target sensing. In this prototype, a common source heterojunction (HJ)-FET is adopted as a variable-gain amplifier in the positive feedback loop of SRO, where two quench signals, 200 Hz and 10 KHz, are employed respectively at the gate of the transistor to periodically modulate the oscillation condition. Furthermore, the theoretical analysis for the radar signal gain of the proposed SRO radar sensor is carried out, demonstrating a 20 dB/decade voltage gain with respect to the input signal reflected from the target. Thanks to the intrinsic automatic gain control characteristic of SRO, the voltage gain of radar signal can go beyond 100 dB in theory. To this end, the measured voltage gain of radar signals with different quench frequencies of the SRO is compared with the theoretical values in the logarithmic mode, exhibiting a maximum gain of 70 dB in the experiment. In addition, compared with the self-injection-locked (SIL) architecture, the experimental results show that the proposed SRO-based radar sensor can exhibit 34–39 dB voltage gain improvement, thereby detecting the actuator movement and vital sign signals of human target accurately at a longer distance with higher sensitivity and reduced circuit complexity.
A Microfluidic Device for Automated High Throughput Detection of Ice Nucleation of Snomax

Measurement of ice nucleation (IN) temperature of liquid solutions at sub-ambient temperatures has applications in atmospheric, water quality, food storage, protein crystallography and pharmaceutical sciences. Here we present details on the construction of a temperature-controlled microfluidic platform with multiple individually addressable temperature zones and on-chip temperature sensors for high-throughput IN studies in droplets. We developed, for the first time, automated droplet freezing detection methods in a microfluidic device, using a deep neural network (DNN) and a polarized optical method based on intensity thresholding to classify droplets without manual counting. This platform has potential applications in continuous monitoring of liquid samples consisting of aerosols to quantify their IN behavior, or in checking for contaminants in pure water. A case study of the two detection methods was performed using Snomax® (Snomax International, Englewood, CO, USA), an ideal ice nucleating particle (INP). Effects of aging and heat treatment of Snomax® were studied with Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and a microfluidic platform to correlate secondary structure change of the IN protein in Snomax® to IN temperature. It was found that aging at room temperature had a mild impact on the ice nucleation ability but heat treatment at 95 °C had a more pronounced effect by reducing the ice nucleation onset temperature by more than 7 °C and flattening the overall frozen fraction curve. Results also demonstrated that our setup can generate droplets at a rate of about 1500/min and requires minimal human intervention for DNN classification.
On the Philosophical Implications of the Ouroboros Spaces and Their Functions

In this paper, I aim to articulate and investigate the philosophical implications and inherent symbolism surrounding the mathematical properties of Ouroboros spaces and their respective functions. Initially, I provide a brief historical background explaining how the symbol of the Ouroboros has been used and how it continues to be used as a term in mathematics. I then describe the philosophical symbolism and symbolic significance of the mathematical properties of the Ouroboros spaces and their functions, while offering an explanation as to why these concepts feel philosophically natural and intuitive. Following this discussion, I prove an aesthetically significant theorem that showcases the philosophical significance of the real Ouroboros functions. In closing, I articulate the interrelated, philosophical nature of these mathematical concepts, and describe how they impact other scientific fields both practically and philosophically.
The Female Health Company (a)

As the president of the Chicago-based Female Health Company (FHCO), Mary Ann Leeper had faced many business challenges, but none had prepared her for what she now faced. As a biochemist, activist, and entrepreneur, Leeper wanted nothing more than to slow, if not halt, the spread of HIV/AIDS. FHCO ushered its novel product, the female condom, through a tortuous FDA approval process knowing that female condoms would be a tough sell to consumers, so Leeper had sought the best advertising and PR help for the U.S. product launch. But the public response to the product was not at all what they expected. After spending years and millions of dollars on developing and launching the female condom in the United States, FHCO was operating with seriously depleted resources. Why wasn't this lifesaving product moving off the shelves? Excerpt UVA-BC-0146 Rev. May 24, 2013 THE FEMALE HEALTH COMPANY (A) As a biochemist, activist, and entrepreneur, Mary Ann Leeper wanted nothing more than to slow if not halt the spread of HIV/AIDS. Though massive public health efforts targeted at gay men had begun to slow the spread of disease among that population, statistics indicated that, between 1992 and 1995, the number of women with the disease had begun to rise. A female-controlled method for HIV/AIDS prevention had been discussed at the 1987 World AIDS Conference. Since then, Leeper had found an inventor who had designed one—a female condom. She persuaded him to work with her to perfect the design, and she ushered the product through a tortuous U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval process. As the president of the Chicago-based Female Health Company (FHCO), she had successfully faced many business challenges, including most recently a major restructuring of the company, but none prepared her for what she confronted now. Knowing that a female condom would be a tough sell, Leeper had sought the best advertising and PR help for the product launch in the U.S. private and public sectors. It was obvious to both Leeper and the big-name firms that a novel product such as a female condom would take time to catch on. But the consumer and public response to the new product was not at all what they expected. It was 1996, and after spending years and millions of dollars on the female condom's product development and launch, the company was operating on seriously depleted resources. Leeper spent a lonely winter weekend in her office on Michigan Avenue. She kept thinking, “Here we are with a revolutionary, lifesaving, and important product that is not moving off the shelves and is costing big dollars to promote.” On the verge of giving up, the question for Leeper now was how to respond to what she was hearing. The Spread of HIV/AIDS in the United States . . .
GRIP: Constraint-based Explanation of Missing Answers for Graph Queries

A useful feature in graph query engines is to clarify "Why certain entities (nodes, attribute values or edges) are missing" in query answers. This task is even more challenging when the relevant data is already missing in the underlying data source. Missing data, on the other hand, can be inferred by enforcing data constraints for graphs. We demonstrate GRIP, a system that exploits data constraints to clarify missing answers for graph queries. (1) Constraint-based ex- planation. Given a desired yet missing entity in the query answer, GRIP ensures to generate finite and minimal sequences of data constraints (an "explanation") that should be consecutively enforced to to ensure its occurrence for the same query. (2) Answering ?why" and "how" questions. Users can query GRIP with both "Why" ("Why" the element is missing) and "How" questions ("How" to refine the graph to include the missing answer). GRIP engine supports run- time generation of explanations by incrementally maintaining a set of bi-directional search trees. (3) Interactive exploration. GRIP provides user-friendly GUI to support interactive ad visual exploration of explanations, including both automated generation and step-by-step inspection of graph manipulations.
Quantitative cross-species translators of cardiac myocyte electrophysiology: Model training, experimental validation, and applications.

Animal experimentation is key in the evaluation of cardiac efficacy and safety of novel therapeutic compounds. However, interspecies differences in the mechanisms regulating excitation-contraction ...
Pattern Recognition Approach to Data Analysis

Specific techniques from the three computer packages—SPSS, BMDP, and ARTHUR—will be discussed in this chapter. A single, comprehensive problem will be tackled, with the goal being a thorough, statistical analysis of the data base. A reasonably complex example was chosen, to illustrate both the results as well as the problems encountered in a pattern recognition study. The statistical evaluation of the data base used for the examples was performed in the authors’ laboratory. Studies were made on the Maricopa County Arizona Health Department air pollution data base. Samples were taken at six-day intervals from January 1975 through December of 1977. Four monitoring stations were used, designated as MC (Maricopa County), MS (Mesa), NS (North Scottsdale), and SC (Scottsdale). All four are located within the Metropolitan Phoenix area with NS representing the most “pristine” area from a pollution standpoint. Only data from days where measurements at all four stations were collected are included in the study. Variables (and their abbreviations to be used) in the study were 24 high volume collection samples analyzed for manganese (MN), copper (CU), lead (PB), total particulates (PART), total organics (ORG), sulfates (SUL), nitrates (NIT), and chlorides (CL). Carbon monoxide (CO) data were also collected. The above abbreviations were used in the programs and will be utilized throughout the text.
American Jewishness Today: Identity and Transmissibility in an Open World

Three challenges to Jewish family formation—late marriage and non-marriage, unwanted low fertility and infertility, and mixed marriage—are produced, in part, by the larger society’s social norms and deeply influenced by American culture. Each of these challenges, in turn, has a profound effect on the transmission of Jewish culture to the next generations. Jewish population density and social circles, including the family, are critical predictors of Jewish identity in adulthood; since the majority of American Jews do not live in densely Jewish neighborhoods, the Jewish engagement of the family of origin and Jewish education are the primary socializing agents for Jewish adulthood. Jews in the past have frequently established Jewish connections when they married and became parents, but today’s younger Jewish adults often value “finding themselves” over establishing families. Adult Jewish engagements are often delayed in tandem with marital status. Demands of community seem less pressing than personal spiritual searches, and this preeminence of individualized spiritual searches is not limited to moderately involved Jews, but is also characteristic of some highly involved younger American Jews. These patterns among American Jews are part of broader American patterns of changing attitudes toward gender, sexuality, love, and marriage on family formation beginning in the 1960s. Like delayed marriage and parenthood, intermarriage is enthusiastically supported by the wider American culture. Thus, resisting these trends which undermine cultural transmission demands dynamic countercultural interventions.
Enhancement by Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate of Pigment Formation in Serratia marcescens O8.

Three methods were used to determine the enhancement by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) of prodigiosin formation in Serratia marcescens O8. The results of the agar disk diffusion method indicated that pigment formation was dependent upon the concentration of SDS. Diameters of the pigment zones were proportional to the logarithm of SDS concentrations of 300 to 1,500 μg/ml. When bacteria were grown in broth containing SDS from 0 to 800 μg/ml and the pigment extracts were analyzed spectrophotometrically, a similar enhancement of pigment formation was observed. Finally, these results were confirmed by high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of the extracts. Prodigiosin appeared to be the sole component with increased synthesis. The possible mechanism of the SDS enhancement effect could be explained by an increase in negative binding sites by the association of SDS with a cell envelope component(s). These binding sites may be required for prodigiosin synthesis.
Meta-Analytic Effects for Policy

Publisher Summary Meta-analysis provides effect size estimates of alternative policies, techniques, and methods as an additional basis for policy planning and evaluation. This chapter provides the most recent and largest collection of educational effects known. From two compilations of meta-analyses of learning studies, 275 mean effect estimates have been grouped into 16 categories of educational practices and conditions. This wide variety—including behavioral treatments of special-needs children, patient education, and staff development— helps to show the dependency of effects on underlying principles of learning and instructional purposes and circumstances. Each is briefly characterized for the sake of comparison and contrast. The estimates in this review should be considered approximations. Replicating all meta-analyses using current recommended methods would be highly desirable but labor intensive and unlikely. A more practical alternative would be collections of effect sizes of studies carried out since the latest meta-analyses. Until this is done, the present collection may provide initial estimates for comparisons, contrasts, and decisions.
Robust face recognition using advanced correlation filters with bijective-mapping preprocessing

In this paper we explore performing robust face verification using Advanced Correlation Filters on Bijective-Mapping preprocessed face images. We show that using the proposed Bijective-Mapping preprocessing method we can increase verification performance (at 0.1% FAR) significantly in our experiments using the Face Recognition Grand Challenge (FRGC) database collected by the University of Notre Dame consisting of 152 subjects. This recognition experiment is challenging as the results reported on these experiments utilize only a single gallery image from each subject during the training phase and the probe images are captured in different time-lapsed sessions which vary mostly in pose and facial expression.
Designing cross‐cultural advertising research: a closer look at paired comparisons

Notes that more than 20 years of cross‐cultural comparative research results have suggested that advertising content varies between countries which are culturally dissimilar. Tests the proposition that paired comparisons of countries will yield statistically significant differences for most country pairs. Reports that of the 55 country pairs used in this study, 100 per cent of the pairs resulted in statistically significant differences on at least nine of the 29 values examined and that subsequent analysis found that insignificant results can largely be attributed to cultural similarity. Points out, however, that even when countries are culturally similar, statistically significant results may still be found. Suggests that research which tests for between‐country differences may not be insightful without theoretical support for the comparisons.
The Social Physique Anxiety Scale: construct validity in adolescent females

Hart, Leary, and Rejeski have developed the Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPA), a measure of the anxiety experienced in response to having one's physique evaluated by other people. The present study cross-validated the psychometric properties of this measure in a sample (N = 236) of adolescent competitive female gymnasts. Employing structural equation modeling, the proposed unidimensional factor structure of the SPA was supported, although some questions regarding the robustness of the fit are raised. Construct validity was demonstrated by significant inverse relationships between aspects of physical efficacy (perceived physical ability and physical self-presentation confidence) and degree of social physique anxiety. These findings are discussed in terms of possible alternative factor structures and integration of social anxiety and other psychosocial constructs to better understand physical activity behavior.
Heterogeneous Heck Catalysis with Palladium-Grafted Molecular Sieves

The synthesis and characterization of palladium-grafted mesoporous MCM-41 material, designated Pd-TMS11, are described. The material is investigated for carbon−carbon coupling reactions (Heck catalysis) with activated and nonactivated aryl substrates. For the preparation of the new catalyst, a volatile organometallic precursor is reacted in the gas phase with the surface of the porous framework, generating a highly dispersed metal deposition. The ultrahigh surface area, the large pore opening, and the highly dispersed catalyst species in Pd-TMS11 material create one of the most active heterogeneous catalysts for Heck reactions.
Inhibition of cyclic 3', 5'-nucleotide phophodiesterase by adenine compounds

Abstract Cyclic 3', 5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterase in homogenates of epithelial cells of toad bladders was inhibited by a number of polyvalent anions and adenine-containing compounds. Although ADP and ATP at concentrations of 5mmoles/liter produced about 18% inhibitions of the enzyme, adenine (2.25 mM) inhibited hydrolysis of cyclic AMP by 36%, and adenosine (5 mM) by over 50% during 30 mins of incubation. Sodium pyrophosphate produced nearly complete inhibition whereas inosine and purine were almost inert. In contrast to previous findings with 5'AMP (4), time course studies showed that all of the other inhibitors studied acted promptly, and, therefore, directly affect the enzyme. Several lines of evidence indicated that inhibition of phosphodiesterase by adenine derivatives is via two distinct mechanism. Another polyvalent anion, EDTA, was a potent inhibitor of phosphodiesterase, producing essentially 100% inhibition when the concentration (5 mM) was more than twice the concentration of Mg (1.7 mM) in the medium. By varying the concentration of Mg relative to that of ATP, pyrophosphate and adenosine, it was further shown that the inhibitory effect of ATP and pyrophosphate could be virtually abolished by raising the concentration of Mg to equal that of the anion. However, the action of adenosine in inhibiting breakdown of cyclic AMP was totally independent of the Mg concentration in the incubates.
Effect of carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum and wound closure technique on port site tumor implantation in a rat model

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of carbon dioxide (CO2) pneumoperitoneum and wound closure technique on port site tumor implantation. A standard quantity of rat mammary adenocarcinoma (SMT2A)was allowed to grow in a flank incision in Wistar-Furth rats (n = 90) for 14 days. Thereafter, 1-cm incisions were made in each animal in three quadrants. There were six control animals. The experimental animals were divided into a 60-min CO2 pneumoperitoneum group (n = 42) and a no pneumoperitoneum (n = 42) group. The flank tumor was lacerated transabdominally in the experimental groups. The three wound sites were randomized to closure of (a) skin; (b) skin and fascia; and (c) skin, fascia, and peritoneum. The abdominal wounds were harvested en bloc on postoperative day 7. Histologic comparison of the port sites in the pneumoperitoneum and no-pneumoperitoneum groups did not demonstrate a statistically significant difference in tumor implantation for any of the closure methods. Evaluation of the closure techniques showed no statistical difference between the pneumoperitoneum group and the no-pneumoperitoneum group in the incidence of port site tumor implantation. Within the no-pneumoperitoneum group, there was a significant increase (p = 0.03) in tumor implantation with skin closure alone vs all three layers. Additionally, when we compared all groups by closure technique, the rate of tumor implantation was found to be significantly higher (p = 0.01) for skin closure alone vs closure of all three layers. This study suggests that closure technique may influence the rate of port site tumor implantation. The use of a CO2 pneumoperitoneum did not alter the incidence of port site tumor implantation at 7 days postoperatively.
The presence of protease activity in the rectal fluid of primitive attine ants

Abstract The excretion of proteolytic enzymes by representative species of the attine genera Atta, Acromyrmex, Sericomyrmex, Trachymyrmex, Myrmicocrypta, Apterostigma , and Cyphomyrmex has been established. The significance of protease excretion by the primitive attines is discussed in light of their use of materials as substrates in their fungus gardens which contain very little polypeptide. In addition, 20 more species of non-attine ants have been examined, and none has been found to concentrate proteolytic enzymes in its rectal fluid in the manner characteristics of the attines.
Radical Polymerization of Styrene and Methyl Methacrylate with Ruthenium(II) Complexes

Methylation of [TpRu(CO)2(THF)][PF6] yields the Ru(II) complex TpRu(CO)2(Me), and reaction of TpRu(CO)2(Me) with Me3NO in refluxing acetonitrile yields TpRu(CO)(CH3)(NCMe) (Tp = hydridotris(pyrazolyl)borate). Reactions of TpRu(CO)(CH3)(NCCH3) with CD3CN indicate that the bound acetonitrile ligand undergoes exchange to yield TpRu(CO)(CH3)(NCCD3), and the rates of the exchange reactions are independent of CD3CN concentration. At elevated temperatures catalytic quantities of TpRu(CO)(CH3)(NCMe) in the presence of styrene result in the production of polystyrene. The dependence of polystyrene molecular weight on benzene/cumene molar ratios indicates a radical polymerization mechanism. Styrene polymerization also occurs in the presence of carbon tetrachloride or methyl dichloroacetate. In addition, the polymerization of methyl methacrylate in the presence of TpRu(CO)(CH3)(NCMe) with carbon tetrachloride or methyl dichloroacetate has been observed at 90 °C.
PVDF Sensor: Design and Development for Use as Intracranial Pressure Monitoring Device

The brain is surrounded by cerebrospinal fluid, and when a brain tumor or a traumatic brain injury has occurred, intracranial pressure, ICP, is developed. Monitoring ICP non-invasively is a challenge. Currently, a probe is inserted through the skull, running the risk of infection, bleeding, and damage to the brain tissue with residual neurologic effects. A novel method to measure ICP using actuators and sensors has been proposed where the skull is vibrated at high frequencies and the receiving signal is measured at the surface eyelid. A design of experiments approach is used to develop the sensor part of the ICP monitoring device so that gain can be maximized using factors such as area, thickness, electrode, and applied pressure. In addition, sensor packaging is optimized to minimize dampening of the signal and ensure durability, reliability, and repeatability of the measurements. Results of this study showed that for a range of areas and thicknesses with Cu-Ni electrodes packaged with super strength durable tape are the optimum factors for the ICP sensor. These parameters are then incorporated into a design that allows ease of application and consistency of the measurements.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
New information about pediatric foodborne infections: the view from FoodNet.

Purpose of reviewDiarrheal illness is a significant burden to children and their parents. Recent studies describing the etiologic agents that cause diarrheal illness and examining the risk factors for the most common bacterial enteric pathogens are presented.Recent findingsThe most common bacterial
Evaluation of three organic fertilizers for paddlefish,Polyodon spathula, production in nursery ponds

Abstract Organic fertilization of paddlefish ( Polyodon spathula ) nursery ponds with rice bran (RB), distiller's dry grain (DG) or cottonseed meal (CSM) was evaluated in nine 0.02-ha ponds over a 40-d period. Net yields (kg/ha) and growth rate of fish in ponds fertilized with RB were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) than with CSM, but not significantly different (P > 0.05) in ponds fertilized with DG. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in fish survival (RB 77%, DG 79%, and CSM 65%) for ponds receiving any of the three fertilizers. Secchi disk visibility and dissolved oxygen were significantly lower (P ≤ 0.05) in ponds fertilized with RB than in ponds fertilized with CSM and DG. Ammonia and nitrite levels differed only during week 3 and were significantly higher (P ≤ 0.05) in ponds fertilized with CSM and DG than in ponds fertilized with RB. Large cladocerans ( Daphnia, Simocephalas, Scaphaleberis ) were the dominant food items found in stomachs of fish in all treatments. RB proved to be superior to CS and DG as an organic fertilizer for paddlefish nursery ponds when evaluated in terms of fingerling growth, water quality, and zooplankton production.
Effects of ductile phase volume fraction on the mechanical properties of Ti–Al3Ti metal-intermetallic laminate (MIL) composites

Abstract Metal-intermetallic laminate (MIL) composites consisting of alternating layers of Ti, Al, and the intermetallic Al3Ti have been fabricated by reactive foil sintering in open air. Six initially identical stacks of alternating Ti–3Al–2.5 V and 1100-Al foils were processed for different lengths of time, yielding specimens with different metal and intermetallic volume fractions. Their mechanical properties have been investigated with an emphasis on the effect of residual Al at the intermetallic centerline on composite strength and fracture toughness, as well as fracture and failure modes. Samples were cut from each composite plate (in layer orientations parallel and perpendicular to the intended load direction) for mechanical testing in compression and four-point bending under quasi-static and high-rate loading conditions. Examination of the damaged specimens and their fracture surfaces by optical and scanning electron microscopy was performed to establish a correlation between the failure mechanisms present, composite strength, and microstructure. Results indicated that regardless of loading direction, cracks always initiated in the intermetallic region, rarely at the centerline, and crack propagation and failure were heavily influenced by the thickness of the residual aluminum layers. There is an ideal residual aluminum volume fraction that represents the amount of ductile reinforcement that maximizes the combined properties of strength, toughness and stiffness.
Feasibility of Adenovirus-Mediated hNIS Gene Transfer and 131I Radioiodine Therapy as a Definitive Treatment for Localized Prostate Cancer

We have developed a replication-competent adenovirus (Ad5-yCD/mutTKSR39rep-hNIS) armed with two suicide genes and the human sodium iodide symporter (hNIS) gene. In this context, hNIS can be used as a reporter gene in conjunction with nuclear imaging and as a potentially therapeutic gene when combined with 131I radioiodine therapy. Here, we quantified the volume and magnitude of hNIS gene expression in the human prostate following injection of a high Ad5-yCD/mutTKSR39rep-hNIS dose using a standardized injection algorithm, and estimated the radiation dose that would be delivered to the prostate had men been administered 131I with curative intent. Six men with clinically localized prostate cancer received an intraprostatic injection of Ad5-yCD/mutTKSR39rep-hNIS under transrectal ultrasound guidance. All men received 2 × 0.5 ml deposits (5 × 1011 vp/deposit) in each of the four base and midgland sextants and 2 × 0.25 ml deposits (2.5 × 1011 vp/deposit) in each of the two apex sextants for a total of 12 deposits (5 × 1012 vp) in 5 ml. On multiple days after the adenovirus injection, men were administered sodium pertechnetate (Na99mTcO4) and hNIS gene expression in the prostate was quantified by single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). hNIS gene expression was detected in the prostate of six of six (100%) men. On average, 45% (range 18–83%) of the prostate volume was covered with gene expression. Had men been administered 200 mCi 131I, we estimate that the mean absorbed dose to the prostate would be 7.2 ± 4.8 Gy (range 2.1–13.3 Gy), well below that needed to sterilize the prostate. We discuss the obstacles that must be overcome before adenovirus-mediated hNIS gene transfer and 131I radioiodine therapy can be used as a definitive treatment for localized prostate cancer.
Photoscissable Hydrogel Synthesis via Rapid Photopolymerization of Novel PEG-Based Polymers in the Absence of Photoinitiators⊥

Branched polyethylene glycol (four arms, MW = 15 000) having a cinnamylidene acetyl moiety as a pendant group was synthesized by an esterification reaction between polyethylene glycol and cinnamylidene acetyl chloride. The photosensitive polymer was irradiated with a 450 W medium pressure Hg lamp (λ > 300 nm) from 5 min to 3 h to produce polyethylene glycol hydrogels. These gels were swollen in water and showed characteristic properties of a hydrogel. The degree of swelling was controlled by the content of cinnamylidene acetyl moiety in the polymer and the time of ultraviolet irradiation. A reduced degree of substitution resulted in increased swellability of the synthesized hydrogel. The photoscission of the gel, which was monitored by its UV spectrum, was performed by irradiating the hydrogel with a 150 W Xenon lamp at 254 nm using a bandpass filter. The biocompatibility of the synthesized gel was also determined. The antithrombogenic behavior (99.6% reduction in platelet deposition) of the synthesized b...
The Evolutionary Basis of Some Clinical Disorders of the Human Foot: A Comparative Survey of the Living Primates

The living primates are a highly diverse group of essentially arboreal animals whose feet are variously adapted for grasping, climbing, and leaping in trees. One of the most remarkable aspects of the anatomical variation in the feet of the extant primates is that this diversity can be arranged in a graduated sequence ranging from the primitive transtarsal-opposition type of grasping foot found in the lemurs, through the specialized transmeta-tarsal-adduction type that characterizes the higher primates, to'the unique nongrasping foot of humans. The comparative study of this graded series makes it possible, without recourse to the fossil record, to appreciate the adaptive and functional stages through which the human foot passed in its evolution. It is hypothesized that the initial stage of human erect posture was characterized by a foot which was adapted to both hallucial grasping and short distance bipedal walking. In many respects, the structure of the foot of this primitive human was probably similar to...
Biochemical mechanisms of laser vascular tissue fusion.

This study examines the biochemical changes that occur in argon laser-fused canine veins compared with control segments of vein. Laser fusions were formed using 0.5 W argon laser energy (1100–1500 J/cm2). Immediately following tissue fusion, blood flow was reestablished to test the integrity of the welds, 1-mm3 sections of the anastomoses and control sections were minced and protein extraction was performed by solubilizing the tissue in hot SDS Laemmli gel sample buffer. The proteins were separated electrophoretically on 5 and 10% polyacyl-amide SDS gels and silver stained. The analysis demonstrated significant biochemical differences between control and lased veins. We noted increases in several proteins after laser welding: the putative beta chain of type V collagen (5/5 gels), the putative gamma chain of type 1 collagen (4/5 gels), a 156-kDa protein (based on collagen molecular weight standards) (7/7 gels), an 82-kDa protein (8/9 gels), and several proteins of lower molecular weight (3/8 gels). The inc...
Cleaning the paracolic gutter: transcutaneous endoscopic necrosectomy through a fully covered metal esophageal stent.

Transgastric endoscopic necrosectomy with nasocystic lavage is accepted as one of the standards of care for the management of walled-off necrosis secondary to acute pancreatitis. In severe cases, necrosis and inflammation can extend caudally toward the retroperitoneal spaces near the paracolic gutters. Those patients conventionally have undergone percutaneous drainage with a smallcaliber catheter or surgical debridement for management. We describe a case in which transcutaneous endoscopic necrosectomy using CO2 insufflation with cutaneocystic lavage through a fully covered metal esophageal stent was performed to treat such a collection. Similar concepts for endoscopic management of peripancreatic collections were applied in this scenario. The large retroperitoneal collection was initially accessed by interventional radiology with a percutaneous catheter. Subsequently, in the endoscopy suite, by using a sterile technique, wire access was obtained to the collec-