cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Realizing Best Checkpointing Control in Computing Systems

This article considers best checkpointing control realizable in real-world systems, whose mean time between failures (MTBFs) often fluctuate. The considered control scheme is based on equating aggregate checkpointing overhead over an activity sequence of interest (θ) and the expected rework amount after a failure recovery for best checkpointing, called “CHORE” (i.e., ch eckpointing o verhead and r ework e quated), where θ starts from execution resumption after failure recovery and ends after restore from the following failure. CHORE lets its inter-checkpoint intervals in θ follow a pre-determined sequence independent of MTBF to aim at performance optimality and is shown analytically to keep overall execution time overhead upper bounded. When failure occurrences are tracked during job execution for real-time MTBF estimation, an enhanced CHORE (dubbed En-CHORE) is obtained to lower checkpointing overhead by skipping certain checkpoints at the beginning of each θ before taking checkpoints with the most desirable inter-checkpoint intervals determined on-the-fly for best checkpointing control. En-CHORE can outperform optimal checkpointing (which follows a fixed inter-checkpoint interval optimized for one constant global MTBF known a prior ) both under synthetic random failures with local MTBF fluctuating markedly and under real failure traces of 22 real HPC systems (whose failure rates actually fluctuate over their trace time spans).
Pathways of Internalizing and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms Across Childhood and Adolescence

Research in adult populations has suggested a number of possible explanations for the high co-morbidity between posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and internalizing symptoms, including shared risk factors and reciprocal causation. Little research has examined these hypotheses in children or has considered the separation of between- and within-person effects. The objective of this study was to examine pathways between PTSS and internalizing symptoms using two samples drawn from the Longitudinal Studies on Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN, n = 1221) and the first National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW-I, n = 309). Each sample included three waves of data (LONGSCAN: ages 8, 12, and 16; NSCAW: ages 8, 11, 15). It was hypothesized: (1) PTSS would predict future internalizing symptoms; (2) the strength of the relationship between internalizing symptoms and PTSS would increase over time; and (3) childhood trauma would be associated with higher levels of internalizing symptoms and PTSS. The hypotheses were examined using traditional cross-lagged panel models (CLPMs) as well as a CLPM with random intercepts (RI-CLPM), which has the advantage of separating within-person effects from between-person stability in symptoms. Results from both CLPMs and RI-CLPM support rising symptom comorbidity from late childhood to mid-adolescence. Results between the models, however, suggest that the reciprocal influence between symptom complexes over time may not hold after separating between- and within-persons effects, lending stronger support to the shared risk factors hypothesis and highlighting the need for future research to explore other possible explanatory mechanisms for the rising comorbidity of these symptom complexes over development.
Corrosion Inhibition of Brazing Cu-Ag Alloy with 1,2,3-Benzotriazole and 2,5-Dimercapto-1,3,4-Thiadiazole

Adsorption and inhibition behavior of 1,2,3-benzotriazole (BTA) and 2,5-dimercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole (DMTD) on brazing Cu-Ag alloy was studied in deionized water using potentiodynamic polarization ...
Parameterized Abel–Jacobi maps and abelian cycles in the Torelli group

Let Ig,� denote the Torelli group of the genus g � 2 surface Sg with one marked point. This is the group of homotopy classes (rel basepoint) of homeomorphisms of Sg fixing the basepoint and acting trivially on H := H1(Sg;Q). In 1983 Johnson constructed a beautiful family of invariants �i: Hi(Ig,�;Q) ! V i+2 H for 0 � i � 2g − 2, using a kind of Abel–Jacobi map for families. He used these invariants to detect nontrivial cycles in Ig,�. Johnson proved that �1 is an isomor��
Complete Genome Sequences of Nine Cluster A Mycobacteriophages: AgentM, Ajay, Aragog, Archetta, ForGetIt, Koko, Ph8s, Phlorence, and Wilkins

Background: Bacteriophages are ubiquitous, highly diverse, and relatively understudied. Growing interest in phage therapy has underscored the importance of isolating and characterizing novel bacteriophages. The Science Education Alliance-Phage Hunters Advancing Genomics and Evolutionary Science (SEA-PHAGES) program aims to address this need by involving undergraduates around the world in authentic research. Materials and Methods: Nine novel mycobacteriophages - AgentM, Ajay, Aragog, Archetta, ForGetIt, Koko, Ph8s, Phlorence, and Wilkins - were isolated from soil samples in southern California using host Mycobacterium smegmatis mc2155. Each purified phage was characterized using transmission electron microscopy and genome sequencing and annotation. Results: All nine bacteriophages were placed into mycobacteriophage Cluster A based on nucleotide similarity with other phages. The average genome length of all nine phages was 50,706 bp. On average, each phage had 87 total coding genes and GC content between 60-63%, consistent with that of other Cluster A phages. Transmission electron microscopy of phage particles revealed they had icosahedral heads and long, flexible tails, consistent with that of the Siphoviridae family. Plaque morphology and genome analysis confirms the nine novel phages are temperate as expected of Cluster A phages. Conclusions: AgentM, Ajay, Aragog, Archetta, ForGetIt, Koko, Ph8s, Phlorence, and Wilkins are all mycobacteriophages that belong to the Siphoviridae family. Comparative genomic analyses revealed genetic mosaicism and diversity among these Cluster A phages. The discovery of these novel phages expands on the existing library of mycobacteriophage genomes.
Lactoferrin reduces mortality in pre-weaned calves with diarrhea

Calf diarrhea is the most common illness in young calves, and nearly 8% die as a result. Alternatives to antimicrobials are frequently used to treat calf diarrhea on organic operations, but there is little data confirming their effectiveness. Additionally, the availability of effective antimicrobial alternatives could help improve antimicrobial stewardship and reduce usage in cases of diarrhea. Lactoferrin and garlic extract have antimicrobial properties and have shown positive impacts on growth in pre-weaned calves. We hypothesized that lactoferrin and garlic extract would decrease mortality, improve weight gain, and decrease disease duration in preweaned calves with diarrhea.
Economic Value and Costs of Capital Cities: The Trenton Case Study

Capital cities serve as the administrative centers of state governments and perform many functions, such as housing the seats of state government and often serving as the focal points of culture and history in their states. Many capital cities across the United States incur large direct and indirect costs (Reitmeyer, 2019) to host their respective state governments. Additionally, capital cities generate benefits for citizens across their respective states; however, due to the “public good” nature of such services, a substantial portion of the economic value generated is likely what economists call non-market value (Haefele et al, 2016; Choi and Marlow, 2012). There is a real need to understand the costs and benefits to capital cities that come from hosting state government, especially for cities like Trenton that depend heavily on intergovernmental transfers . Little academic research has been conducted into the costs and benefits of capital cities. At the request of Mayor Reed Gusciora, the Harvard Kennedy School team examined the unique costs incurred by the City of Trenton and the economic value generated to New Jersey by hosting the capital city. This paper presents quantitative order-of-magnitude estimates for costs incurred by the City of Trenton in providing services to host the New Jersey State Government, and conservative estimates of economic benefits generated by the City of Trenton in hosting the state capital (Figure 1). Although this study is not intended to be a full cost-benefit analysis, insights can be gained through comparison of cost and benefit estimates. The cost estimate includes both direct and indirect costs to the City for provision of municipal services to host the State and County. The benefits estimate includes an estimate of New Jersey residents’ willingness to pay for municipal services to host the state capital in Trenton. We find that the benefits that accrue to New Jersey residents from having Trenton as the capital are significantly larger than the costs incurred by the City of Trenton in hosting the state capital.
Improved accuracy for radiation damping in coupled finite element/equivalent source computations

In coupled structural-acoustic computations, radiation damping is due to the resistive component of the surface pressure created by structural vibrations. Equivalent sources using tripole sources as basis functions can be used to compute the surface pressure forces for exterior radiation problems. This technique is similar to the Burton and Miller method for eliminating numerical difficulties due to interior acoustic resonances in boundary element computations and has been proven to yield unique solutions. However, numerical computations presented here will show that for the specific equivalent source formulation under investigation, tripole sources overpredict the resistive component of the surface impedance, especially in the mid-to-high frequency range. It will also be shown that for frequency domain calculations, an accurate representation for the resistive component of the pressure forces can be derived from an analytical representation for the source radiation resistance. Unfortunately, this technique is not applicable to time domain computations. It is also shown that more accurate results can be obtained by allowing both the simple and dipole source amplitudes to be independent variables and enforcing boundary conditions in both the exterior and interior directions simultaneously to reduce the magnitude of the interior acoustic field.
Individual Differences in Risk Perception and Misperception of COVID-19 in the Context of Political Ideology

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has been characterized by misinformation, politicization of public health, and extreme differences in risk assessment. In two studies we sought to understand factors that contribute to differences in people?s understanding of the virus and associated risks. We found that conservative participants reported higher levels of acceptable risk, have lower risk estimates of activities, and endorsed more misinformation. Participants with personal health risk factors rated COVID-19 risks as higher, more reflective participants had lower acceptable risk levels, and impulsive participants endorsed more misinformation. In our second study we also found that reflective participants were more likely to wear a mask, get vaccinated, and maintain social distancing, and that participants judged arguments about COVID-19 measures largely based on the claim rather than supporting reasons. By clarifying these individual differences, public health experts can more effectively create targeted interventions for at risk populations, and be better prepared for future outbreaks. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Cellulose mineralization in two-stage anaerobic digestion systems

The objective of this research was to evaluate the anaerobic degradation of a simulated highstrength solid waste/sludge, particulate cellulose, by two-stage anaerobic digestion systems. Cellulose hydrolysis and methanogesis were examined in both the thermo-meso and acid-methane two-stage systems under different hydraulic retention times (HRTs), feed concentrations and organic loading rates (OLRs). The emphasis of this reaerch was to characterize the similarities and differences between these two processes. The acid-methane system consisted of two consecutive reactors, an acidogenic reactor and a methanogenic reactor with both operated at mesophilic temperatures (35 °C). The thermo-meso process consisted a thermophilic reactor (55 °C) followed by a mesophilic unit. All the reactors used were completely-stirred tank reactors. This research demonstratesd that both thermo-meso process and acid-methane process had considerable potentials for the anaerobic degradation of cellulose with concentrations up to 60 g COD/L at system HRT of 13 to 30 days. Methane production and methane yield of the thermo-meso system were in the range of 148 1,100 mUL-reactor d and 0.23 0.33 L/g COD added when the OLRs were 466 to 4,000 mg/Ud. Thermophilic reactor dominated the solids destruction and methane production in the thenmo-meso system. An OLR of 18.3 gCOD/L-reactor d in conjunction with 3-day HRT was a threshold loading limit for this reactor. Under the similar OLRs, methane production rates of the acid-methane system were 71 776 mUL-d and the methane yields were 0.16 0.27 L/g-COD. The first-stage acidogenic reactor demonstrated an average soluble organics yield of 0.352 g soluble COD/g cellulose COD added. Results from the continues runs showed that the thermophilic reactor possessed 2-4 times higher methane production rate than the methanogenic reactor. The first-order hydrolysis rate of the themfiophilic reactor was 0.79±0.22 day which was higher than that of the acidogenic reactor
Nonviolence and International Relations: A Conceptual Analysis of Power from Scholarship in Nonviolent Action

Nonviolent sanctions, the study of organized, prepared struggle and resistance beyond the “normal” political process, may be a subject of value to the subfield of international relations. Significant conflict is reduced and settled through voting, adjudication, negotiation, bargaining and other established tools for regulating political behavior. Our focus here, however, is on less traditional forms of action. Nonviolent action and struggle include a much broader range of powerful options than surrender or violent resistance.
Temporal Debugging for Concurrent Systems

Temporal logic is often used as the specification formalism for the automatic verification of finite state systems. The automatic temporal verification of a system is a procedure that returns a yes/no answer, and in the latter case also provides a counterexample. In this paper we suggest a new application for temporal logic, as a way of assisting the debugging of a concurrent or a sequential program. We employ temporal logic over finite sequences as a constraint formalism that is used to control the way we step through the states of the debugged system. Using such temporal specification and various search strategies, we are able to traverse the executions of the system and obtain important intuitive information about its behaviors. We describe an implementation of these ideas as a debugging tool.
Affinity purification of the tobacco plastid RNA polymerase and in vitro reconstitution of the holoenzyme

We affinity-purified the tobacco plastid-encoded plastid RNA polymerase (PEP) complex by the alpha subunit containing a C-terminal 12 x histidine tag using heparin and Ni(2+) chromatography. The composition of the complex was determined by mass spectrometry after separating the proteins of the >900 kDa complex in blue native and SDS polyacrylamide gels. The purified PEP contained the core alpha, beta, beta', beta" subunits and five major associated proteins of unknown function, but lacked sigma factors required for promoter recognition. The holoenzyme efficiently recognized a plastid psbA promoter when it was reconstituted from the purified PEP and recombinant plastid sigma factors. Reconstitution of a plastid holoenzyme with individual sigma factors will facilitate identification of sigma factor-specific promoter elements.
Differentially private cloud-based multi-agent optimization with constraints

We present an optimization framework that solves constrained multi-agent optimization problems while keeping each agent's state differentially private. The agents in the network seek to optimize a local objective function in the presence of global constraints. Agents communicate only through a trusted cloud computer and the cloud also performs computations based on global information. The cloud computer modifies the results of such computations before they are sent to the agents in order to guarantee that the agents' states are kept private. We show that under mild conditions each agent's optimization problem converges in mean-square to its unique solution while each agent's state is kept differentially private. A numerical simulation is provided to demonstrate the viability of this approach.
The effect of isoflurane versus balanced anesthesia on rocuronium's pharmacokinetics and infusion requirement.

Study Objective. To compare the effects of two anesthetic techniques, balanced and isoflurane anesthesia, on the response to an intubating dose and an infusion of rocuronium, and on rocuronium's pharmacokinetics. Design. Randomized, open-label study. Setting. A university-affiliated hospital. Patients. Twenty-two healthy adults undergoing elective surgery. Interventions. The patients were anesthetized with a balanced technique (nitrous oxide, fentanyl, midazolam) or isoflurane (nitrous oxide, isoflurane 0.5-1.0%). Rocuronium was administered initially as a 500-μg/kg bolus, then by infusion to maintain approximately 86-94% depression of twitch tension. Plasma samples to determine rocuronium concentrations were obtained before, during, and after the infusion. Pharmacokinetics were determined using a population-based approach. Measurements and Main Results. Onset time and initial recovery after the bolus dose were similar for the two groups. Infusion requirements also were similar. Plasma clearance was greater during isoflurane than during balanced anesthesia (4.48 vs 3.49 ml/kg/min). Distribution clearances and volumes of distribution were similar for the two groups. Conclusions. The similarity of response to an intubating dose and an infusion of rocuronium suggests that clinicians need not alter the dose or rate of rocuronium administration during isoflurane anesthesia with a of duration less than 1 hour. However, the greater clearance of rocuronium, in light of the similarity of infusion requirements, suggests that isoflurane potentiates rocuronium compared with balanced anesthesia
Existence of Positive Steady States for Mass Conserving and Mass-Action Chemical Reaction Networks with a Single Terminal-Linkage Class

AbstractWe establish that mass conserving single terminal-linkage networksof chemical reactions admit positive equilibria regardless of the choiceof reaction rate constants and network de ciency.Our proof uses a new convex-optimization approach for analyzingthe equilibrium behavior of networks of chemical reactions followingmass-action kinetics. We provide a xed-point method to computethese equilibria and report some of our numerical experiments. 1 Introduction Deterministically modeled chemical reaction networks are of interest in the eld of systems biology and elsewhere. Models based on the assumption ofmass-action kinetics depend on the kinetic parameters of the system. How-ever, measuring these parameters empirically is dicult and error-prone.Hence we focus on establishing properties that are independent of the par-ticular choice of parameters.In this work we address the issue of existence of positive equilibria i.e.concentrations of species that will stay constant under the system’s dynam-ics. The particular case we tackle is where the directed graph of chemicalreactions forms a strongly connected component and the reactions conservemass.
Electron paramagnetic resonance studies on nitrogenase. II. Interaction of adenosine 5'-triphosphate with azoferredoxin

The interaction of ATP with both iron-sulfur proteins of nitrogenase from Clostridium pasteurianum, azoferredoxin and molybdoferredoxin, has been studied by low-temperature EPR spectroscopy. ATP in the presence of Mg2+ changes the rhombic EPR signal of azoferredoxin with g-values of 2.06, 1.94 and 1.87 to an axial signal, with g values of 2.04 and 1.93. The binding of two molecules of ATP per azoferredoxin dimer (mol. wt 55 000) is suggested. Comparative data with other purine and pyrimidine nucleotides and ATP analogues demonstrate the involvement of structural elements of the substrate in the conversion of the EPR signal of azoferredoxin. A similar effect is induced by 5 M urea, which suggests that ATP causes a conformation change of the protein. In contrast, no effect of ATP was observed on the EPR signal of molybdoferredoxin.
Investigation of the suitability of silicate bonding for facet termination in active fiber devices.

We demonstrate that silicate bonding an optical flat to the output facet of an active fiber device can increase the reliability of high-peak power systems and subsantially reduce the effective feedback at the termination of a double-clad fiber. We determine the bonding parameters and conditions that maximize the optical damage threshold of the bond and minimize the Fresnel reflection from the bond. At 1-μm wavelength, damage thresholds greater than 70 J/cm2 are demonstrated for 25-ns pulses. We also measured Fresnel reflections less than -63 dB off the bond. Finally, we determined that the strength of the bond is sufficient for most operating environments.
CONSTRUCTION OF SHIFT-ORTHOGONAL WAVELETS USING SPLINES

We present examples of a new type of wavelet basis functions that are orthogonal across shifts, but not across scales. The analysis functions are low order splines while the synthesis functions are polynomial splines of higher degree n2. The approximation power of these representations is essentially as good as that of the corresponding Battle- Lemarie orthogonal wavelet transform, with the difference that the present wavelet synthesis filters have a much faster decay. This last property, together with the fact that these transformation s are almost orthogonal, may be useful for image coding and data compression.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Optical frequency stability measurement based on an Etalon reference

An optical frequency stability measurement setup based on a Fabry-Perot Etalon reference is presented that results in measurements with ∼1.4 kHz optical frequency resolution at update rates of 90 Hz.
An Empirical Analysis of Corporate Takeover Defenses and Earnings Management: Evidence from the U.S.

This study explores the impact of corporate takeover defenses on the extent of earnings management in the U.S. Theoretically, it is not obvious whether takeover defenses alleviate or exacerbate earnings management. I examine four well-known corporate takeover defenses; blank check preferred stock, poison pills, classified boards, and dual class stock. In spite of their similarity as takeover defenses, the empirical evidence indicates that they do not influence the degree of earnings management in the same way. Specifically, blank check preferred stock does not have a significant impact on earnings management. Poison pills and classified boards are found to reduce earnings management, on average, by 1.9% and 1.5% respectively. On the contrary, dual class stock exacerbates earnings management by increasing the degree of abnormal accruals by 2.6% on average. The results are robust even after controlling for firm size, profitability, financial distress, growth opportunities, and information asymmetry.
An Analysis of Online Syllabi for Credit-bearing Library Skills Courses

In an effort to develop some sense of the current state of credit-bearing library skills courses at academic libraries, an analysis was conducted of 100 online syllabi for introductory library skills courses at various colleges and universities. These online syllabi were analyzed for subject content and assessment techniques/teaching methods. The “Information Literacy Competency Standards for Higher Education,” created by the Association of College and Research Libraries, were utilized as a framework for categorizing and placing into context the subject content of the syllabi analyzed.
Cobalt(III) complexes of linear tetramines. IV. Isomers of R-propylenediamine(3,7-diaza-1,9-nonanediamine)cobalt(III)

Abstract Five cobalt(III) complexes having the formulation Co(2,3,2-tet)( R -pn) 3+ , where 2,3,2-tet is 3.7-diaza-1,9-nononadiamine and R -pn is R -propylenediamine, have been prepared at equilibrium conditions. Circular dichroism spectra, visible absorption spectra, PMR spectra and molecular models were employed to determine the structures and absolute configurations of the isomers. All the isomers are believed to exhibit the β topology. The two most stable complexes possess the Δ(C 3 ) chirality and differ only in the placement of the methyl group of the R -pn. The three less stable isomers exhibit the Λ(C 3 ) chirality. The ratio of Δ(C 3 ) to Λ(C 3 ) isomers at equilibrium is about 10:1. The six-membered chelate ring of 2,3,2-tet is believed to exist in the skew boat conformation for one of the less stable isomers, and for another of the less stable isomers the methyl group of the R -pn is believed to occupy and axial site.
Graphs with unique maximal clumpings

A partition of the vertices of a graph is called a clumping if, for vertices in distinct partition classes, adjacency depends only on the partition classes, not on the specific vertices. We give a simple necessary and sufficient condition for a finite graph to have a unique maximal clumping. We also investigate the extent to which this and related results generalize to infinite graphs.
Methane complete and partial oxidation catalyzed by Pt-doped CeO2

We have studied catalytic activity of Pt-doped CeO2 for the oxidation and the dry reforming of methane. The catalyst was prepared by three methods resulting in ceria containing different ratios of ionic Pt versus Pt0. We show that these materials have different catalytic activity for methane oxidation and dry reforming and that they are more active when the fraction of ionic Pt is increased. Density functional theory was used to help understand the role of Pt dopant. It was found that the presence of Pt activates the oxygen atoms next to it in the surface layer and this decreases the activation energy for dissociative adsorption of methane (which is the rate-limiting step in the reaction).
Dorsomedial hypothalamic sites where disinhibition evokes tachycardia correlate with location of raphe-projecting neurons.

Disinhibition of neurons in the region of the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) elicits sympathetically mediated tachycardia in rats through activation of the brain stem raphe pallidus (RP), and this ...
Relationship Between Neutral Subtalar Joint Position and Pattern of Rearfoot Motion During Walking

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between the angle formed by the rearfoot when the subtalar joint is positioned in neutral and the pattern of rearfoot motion during walking. Each lower extremity for 50 healthy young adult subjects (mean age 25.5 years) was videotaped and the pattern of rearfoot motion was assessed using two-dimensional analysis. The results indicate that the rearfoot is slightly inverted before heel strike and that the average time to maximum pronation occurs at approximately 37.9% of the stance phase duration. Contrary to a previously published theory, the "neutral" position of the rearfoot for the typical pattern of rearfoot motion during the walking cycle was found to be resting standing foot posture rather than subtalar joint neutral position.
Hearing, hearing impairment, and the audible world: a theoretical essay.

In contrast to traditional understandings about hearing, based on physics and physiology, the ecological model permits development of a perspective on hearing in relation to the audible features and characteristics of the real, day-to-day world. An ecological account, furthermore, addresses the perceiver's role more adequately, allowing the description of ‘hearing acts’ typically undertaken in relation to the audible world. The affordances or utilities of the audible world for the normally hearing perceiver having been understood - and the most crucial affordance is ongoing sustainment of social selves- a model of the hearing-impaired actor is advanced that incorporates the concept of ‘management of spoiled identity’. The implications for practitioners' attitudes in assessment and rehabilitation are discussed.
Evaluation of photo-reactive siderophore producing bacteria before, during and after a bloom of the dinoflagellate Lingulodinium polyedrum.

Evidence is increasing for a mutualistic relationship between phytoplankton and heterotrophic marine bacteria. It has been proposed that bacteria producing photoactive iron binding compounds known as siderophores could play an important role in such mutualistic associations by producing bioavailable iron utilizable by phytoplankton and in exchange receive autotrophically derived DOM. In order to understand the potential role photoactive siderophores might be playing in bacterial–algal mutualism or marine biogeochemistry in general, it is important to be able to detect and quantify their presence in various environments. One approach to accomplish that end is to make use of high sensitivity genomics technology (qPCR) to search for siderophore biosynthesis genes related to the production of photoactive siderophores. In this way one can access their “biochemical potential” and utilize this information as a proxy for the presence of these siderophores in the marine environment. In this report we studied the correlation of the presence of bacteria producing one of the three photoactive siderophores relative to total bacterial and dinoflagellate numbers from surface water at the Scripps Pier before, during, and after fall bloom of the dinoflagellate Lingulodinium polyedrum. We believe that these findings will aid us in gauging the importance of photoactive siderophores in the marine environment and in harmful algal bloom dynamics in particular.
High pressure inactivation of Salmonella on Jalapeño and Serrano peppers destined for direct consumption or as ingredients in Mexican salsa and guacamole.

Abstract In summer of 2008, the United States witnessed one of the largest multi-state salmonellosis outbreak linked to the consumption of Jalapeno and Serrano peppers tainted with Salmonella enterica serovar Saintpaul. The first objective of this study was to assess the application of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) to decontaminate Jalapeno and Serrano peppers from this pathogen. Jalapeno and Serrano peppers were inoculated with a five-strain cocktail of Salmonella to a final level of ca. ~ 6 log CFU/g and subsequently pressure-treated in the un-wetted, wetted (briefly dipped in water) or soaked (immersed in water for 30 min) state at 300–500 MPa for 2 min at 20 °C. The extent of pressure inactivation increased as a function of the pressure level and in the order of soaked > wetted > un-wetted state achieving population reductions ranging from 1.1 to 6.6 log CFU/g. Overall, pressure treatment at 400–450 MPa (soaked) or 450–500 MPa (wetted) for 2 min at 20 °C rendered Salmonella undetectable. Since salsa and guacamole are two examples of widely consumed Mexican dishes that incorporate raw Jalapeno and Serrano peppers, we subsequently investigated the pressure-inactivation of Salmonella in salsa and guacamole, originating from contaminated peppers used as ingredients. The storage time (0, 12 or 24 h) of the condiments prior to HHP as well as the pH (3.8–5.3) and the type of acidulants (vinegar and lemon juice) used all influenced the extent of Salmonella inactivation by HHP. This study demonstrates the dual efficacy of HHP to decontaminate fresh chile peppers destined for direct consumption and minimally process condiments possibly contaminated with raw peppers to enhance their microbiological safety.
The Relationship of SGA and Gestational Age with the Black-White Disparity in Fetal Death. † 1264

To investigate the contribution of SGA (birth weight<10th percentile) and gestational age (GA) on the black-white disparity in fetal deaths, we utilized NCHS records of US live births (LB) and fetal deaths (FD) in 1986. Data analysis included calculation of fetal death rates (FDR), odds ratios(OR), and 95% confidence intervals (CI), using chi square and multiple logistic regression models. For GA-specific analyses, the FDR was considered to be the quotient of all FD at the index GA, divided by the sum of all LB and FD occurring at that GA or later.
Interaction of bodies in free surface with consideration of cross-flow

Abstract This paper examines the side-force and induced drag on two thin bodies in arbitrary separation, stagger, and Froude number. The cross-flow induced by the interaction between two bodies is addressed by placing a doublet sheet on the body center-plane and the wake. The coupled integral equations for the doublet strength are then solved, subjected to the body boundary conditions and Kutta condition at the trailing edges. The doublet strength is affected by camber of body surface, yawed angle, and the thickness of neighboring body. It has been shown in this paper that the cross-flow induced by the thickness of neighboring body is negligible, compared with yaw angle effect. For a pair of bodies with a small separation and zero stagger, the side-force experienced by each body can be thirty percent larger than that without interaction at certain Froude numbers. However, the total side-force on the two-body system only has a few percent variation and is not sensitive to the separation due to force cancelation. For two bodies with non-zero staggers, the total side-force and induced drag referring to their zero-stagger values are antisymmetric with respect to the stagger. At high Froude numbers, the two bodies interact strongly at large staggers, while at lower Froude numbers, strong interaction occurs at small staggers. The total drag experienced by the two-body system is dominated by the wave drag at medium Froude numbers, and by side-force induced drag at high Froude numbers.
Detergents as Tools in Membrane Biochemistry

Detergents are invaluable tools for studying membrane proteins. However, these deceptively simple, amphipathic molecules exhibit complex behavior when they self-associate and interact with other molecules. The phase behavior and assembled structures of detergents are markedly influenced not only by their unique chemical and physical properties but also by concentration, ionic conditions, and the presence of other lipids and proteins. In this minireview, we discuss the various aggregate forms detergents assume and some misconceptions about their structure. The distinction between detergents and the membrane lipids that they may (or may not) replace is emphasized in the most recent high resolution structures of membrane proteins. Detergents are clearly friends and foes, but with the knowledge of how they work, we can use the increasing variety of detergents to our advantage.
Gradient and curvature drifts in magnetic fields with arbitrary spatial variation

It is shown that, for a magnetic field of arbitrary spatial variation, a nearly isotropic distribution of charged particles drifts with a velocity given by the usual first-order orbit theory drifts averaged over pitch angle. It is assumed that the near-isotropy brought about by scattering, but conclusions concerning drift are insensitive to the details of the scattering process. It is found that this drift velocity is correct even for arbitrarily large ratios of particle gyroradius to magnetic spatial scale, although this velocity must, like all drift effects, be viewed on a scale larger than a gyroradius. Hence for many astrophysical applications, such as cosmic rays, where anisotropies are small, the usual drift velocities provide a valid approximation to convective motions even if the magnetic field scales are very small.
Stroke Inpatient Rehabilitation: A Comparison across Age Groups

Objective: To examine and compare the inpatient stroke rehabilitation experience of older adults (≥75 years) with that of young adults (<65 years) and young-old adults (65–74 years). Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study. Setting: A large university-affiliated free-standing rehabilitation hospital. Participants: 260 adults who were admitted to inpatient stroke rehabilitation with a primary diagnosis of recent (<120 days) stroke (ICD9 430–436). Variables: Demographic data, diagnosis, time between stroke onset and rehabilitation admission, discharge disposition, and functional status on admission and discharge were obtained from the patient's medical record. Treatment intensity and type, length of stay, and primary payment source data were obtained from the patient's billing record. Three-month mortality data were available from the hospital's routine follow-up survey. Main Results: Compared with the younger adults (<65 yrs and 65–75 years), the older adults (≥75 years) were admitted to rehabilitation earlier and with comparable cognitive but poorer motor function. Rehabilitation treatment intensity (per day) and type were similar across age groups, but the older adults (≥75 years) had significantly shorter rehabilitation stays. Three-month survival was comparable across age groups, but the older adults (≥75 years) had poorer motor function at discharge and were more often discharged to a nursing home or required a paid caregiver. Conclusions: Age-associated factors may influence inpatient stroke rehabilitation referral, treatment, and outcome, particularly for patients over age 75. The cumulative effects of frailty and co-morbid disease upon stroke disability and treatment are possible explanations for the findings. The study provides evidence of a need for further investigation of stroke rehabilitation strategies for adults over 75 years old. J Am Geriatr Soc 42:39–44, 1994
Effects of exposing bovine sperm to bovine serum albumin, or freeze-thawing, on sperm-bound amidase activity.

Isolation of a self-selected population of motile spermatozoa is possible by using a gradient of bovine serum albumin (BSA). We determined if exposure to BSA altered the sperm or if isolated sperm differed from nonisolated cells in terms of motility or activity of sperm-bound amidase, either before or after subsequent cryopreservation. Exposure of sperm to 6% BSA in egg yolk Tris extender induced changes in the plasma and acrosomal membranes of sperm that resulted in exposure and activation of sperm-bound amidase (P < .01). In experiment 2, semen extended in egg yolk Tris was cooled to 5°C or layered onto a solution of 6% BSA in extender at 37°C, from which the sperm that had swum into the BSA solution were recovered 2 h later and cooled to 5°C. Sperm in both treatments were cryopreserved. The percentage of progressively motile sperm was determined visually and by track motility. Activity of sperm-bound amidase exposed to substrate was evaluated. After recovery of sperm from the 6% BSA solution, 81% were progressively motile as compared to 59% in the starting samples (P < .01). However, the amount of exposed sperm-bound amidase also was greater (P < .05) this was a deleterious change. Immediately after thawing, more (P < .01) sperm were motile in samples of isolated sperm than for nonisolated cells (43 vs 24%), but after incubating the thawed sperm for 1 h at 37°C there was no difference. After freezing and thawing of sperm, amidase activity was higher (P < .05) for the isolated sperm than for nonisolated cells. Thus, isolation of sperm using a 6% BSA gradient increased the proportion of progressively motile sperm, but decreased the percentage of sperm with an intact acrosome, based on measurements of amidase activity.
Persistent drug-induced parkinsonism

Not all drug-induced parkinsonism may be benign or reversible. Parkinsonian symptoms, along with coexistent dyskinesias and akathisias, have been reported to persist following the withdrawal of large doses of long-term phenothiazines (Schmid and Jarcho 1966; Schwab and England 1968). This is reminiscent of the miscellaneous known causes of Parkinson's disease (neurosyphilis, manganese intoxication, etc.) that actually cause a multitude of neurological symptoms only some of which include parkinsonian symptoms (Schwab and England 1968). There are also two reports describing pure parkinsonism persisting after neuroleptic withdrawal. One reported that 16 of 26 patients on long-term phenothiazines developed worsening of their parkinsonian symptoms for up to 5 weeks following the discontinuation of the neuroleptic (Demars 1966). The other report described the occurrence of parkinsonism following a single exposure of the dissociative anesthetic Innovar (a combination of fentanyl and droperidol) to a 16-year-old girl. The first day postoperatively she began experiencing bradykinesia, cogwheel ridigity, pill rolling tremor, and mask-like facies that subsided 6 weeks later after a course of carbidopa-levodopa (Rivera et al. 1975). The following case report is unique in reporting the occurrence of persistent, pure, drug-induced parkinsonism following a single oral dose of haloperidol that has lasted over a year. The patient's family history of titubation may constitute a new risk factor accounting for individual susceptibility.
A Solvation-Assisted Model for Estimating Anomeric Reactivity. Predicted versus Observed Trends in Hydrolysis of n-Pentenyl Glycosides1

An attempt has been made to predict qualitative trends in reactivity at the anomeric center, using N-bromosuccinimide-induced hydrolysis of n-pentenyl glycosides (NPGs) as the experimental model. Calculated relative activation energies based on internal energy differences between a reactant and the associated intermediate are not always in agreement with experimental observations. However, solvation energies obtained by the generalized Born surface area model in MacroModel developed by Still et al. give modified activation energies that are in excellent agreement with the experimentally observed trends. It is shown that the solvation model does not disturb the normally observed reactivity trends that can be rationalized on the basis of internal energies alone. The value of the methodology has been demonstrated for several substrates by first calculating their relative activation energies, then testing them experimentally, and finding excellent agreement with predictions.
Machiavellianism and evaluation of cognitively balanced/unbalanced situations.

Machiavellianism is a personality trait identified by Christie and Geis (1970). Persons high in this trait are described as emotionally detached and resistant to social pressures to comply with expected standards when interacting with others about sensitive issues. This enables them to concentrate on explicit aspects of the situation while those low on the trait become emotionally involved and easily distracted. High Machiavellians, therefore, are more free to plan strategies and to act in a tactical, manipulative fashion than low Machiavellians and tend to be more successful in gaining their chosen goals. The differences are more pronounced in unstructured situations such as face-to-face interactions which allow improvised behavior and which have an identifiable outcome advantageous to the high Machiavellian.
Probing a putative active site of the catalytic subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase 1 (PDP1c) by site-directed mutagenesis

Abstract The catalytic subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase phosphatase 1 (PDP1c) is a magnesium-dependent protein phosphatase that regulates the activity of mammalian pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Based on the sequence analysis, it was hypothesized that PDP1c is related to the mammalian magnesium-dependent protein phosphatase type 1, with Asp54, Asp347, and Asp445 contributing to the binuclear metal-binding center, and Asn49 contributing to the phosphate-binding sites. In this study, we analyzed the functional significance of these amino acid residues using a site-directed mutagenesis. It was found that substitution of each of these residues had a significant impact on PDP1c activity toward the protein substrate. The activities of Asp54, Asp347, and Asp445 mutants were decreased more than 1000-fold. The activity of Asn49 mutant was 2.5-fold lower than the activity of wild-type PDP1c. The decrease in activity of Asp54 and Asp347 came about, most likely, as a result of impaired magnesium binding. Unexpectedly, it was found that the Asp445 mutant bound Mg2+ ions similarly to the wild-type enzyme. Accordingly, the Asp445 mutant was found to be active with the artificial substrate p-nitrophenyl phosphate (pNPP). Asp54 and Asp347 mutants did not demonstrate any appreciable activity with pNPP. Together, these observations strongly suggest that Asn49, Asp54, and Asp347 are important for the catalysis of the phosphatase reaction, contributing to the phosphate- and metal-binding centers of PDP1c. In contrast, Asp445 is not required for catalysis. The exact role of Asp445 remains to be established, but indirect evidence suggests that it might be involved in the control of interactions between PDP1c and the protein substrate pyruvate dehydrogenase.
Role of extended lymphadenectomy in cancer of the gastrointestinal tract.

The prognosis for many cancers of the gastrointestinal tract has remained the same for the last 20 years, and surgery is still the mainstay of treatment. In order to improve survival, surgeons have continued to explore the role of a more extensive resection, and in particular, the role of a more extensive lymphadenectomy. This technical aspect remains one of the most controversial issues in the treatment of cancers of the gastrointestinal tract. A review of the literature in the last 30 years shows how this topic has been debated over and over without reaching a definitive conclusion. The basic questions are still the same: does an extended lymphadenectomy increase survival? And in the absence of a definitive answer, is the increased morbidity and mortality justified? The International Society of Digestive Surgery (ISDS) has put together a panel of experts trying to shed light on the role of extended lymphadenectomy for cancers of the esophagus, stomach, pancreas, colon, and rectum. For each type of cancer, the evidence in favor and against an extended lymphadenectomy will be discussed. It will be then up to the individual surgeons to decide how to apply this information to their practice. The readers will have the opportunity to listen to these presentations live and ask questions to the Authors during M. G. Patti (&) International Society of Digestive Surgery (ISDS), University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, 5841 South Maryland Avenue, Room G-207, Chicago, IL 60637, USA e-mail: mpatti@surgery.bsd.uchicago.edu
Antenatal diagnosis of bilateral fetal inguinal hernias

Abstract We report a case of prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of bilateral inguinal hernias. The two earlier ultrasound examinations at 17 and 22 weeks of gestations showed normal scrotal sac. An ultrasound examination at 41 weeks demonstrated non-cystic scrotal swelling that proved to be bilateral inguinal hernias containing loops of small intestines.