cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
NanoARG: a web service for detecting and contextualizing antimicrobial resistance genes from nanopore-derived metagenomes

Direct and indirect selection pressures imposed by antibiotics and co-selective agents and horizontal gene transfer are fundamental drivers of the evolution and spread of antibiotic resistance. Therefore, effective environmental monitoring tools should ideally capture not only antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), but also mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and indicators of co-selective forces, such as metal resistance genes (MRGs). A major challenge towards characterizing the potential human health risk of antibiotic resistance is the ability to identify ARG-carrying microorganisms, of which human pathogens are arguably of greatest risk. Historically, short reads produced by next-generation sequencing technologies have hampered confidence in assemblies for achieving these purposes. Here, we introduce NanoARG, an online computational resource that takes advantage of the long reads produced by nanopore sequencing technology. Specifically, long nanopore reads enable identification of ARGs in the context of relevant neighboring genes, thus providing valuable insight into mobility, co-selection, and pathogenicity. NanoARG was applied to study a variety of nanopore sequencing data to demonstrate its functionality. NanoARG was further validated through characterizing its ability to correctly identify ARGs in sequences of varying lengths and a range of sequencing error rates. NanoARG allows users to upload sequence data online and provides various means to analyze and visualize the data, including quantitative and simultaneous profiling of ARGs, MRGs, MGEs, and putative pathogens. A user-friendly interface allows users the analysis of long DNA sequences (including assembled contigs), facilitating data processing, analysis, and visualization. NanoARG is publicly available and freely accessible at https://bench.cs.vt.edu/nanoarg .
The effect of clear speech and masking noise on listening effort in native and non-native listeners

Listening effort increases when perceiving speech masked by noise and when listeners are non-native speakers of the target language (Zekveld and Kramer, 2014; Borghini and Hazan, 2018). Listener-oriented clear speech (CS) improves word recognition in noise and recognition memory (Keerstock and Smiljanic, 2018). It is unclear, however, whether the CS benefit can be explained by reduced listening effort during processing of easier-to-understand speech. The goal of this study was to examine the effect of CS on listening effort associated with degraded listening conditions differing in the source of difficulty and underlying cognitive mechanism: energetic masking, informational masking, and non-native listening. Native and non-native English listeners performed a word recognition in noise task and a visual response task, i.e., pressing keys to indicate the orientation of an arrow on the screen, first separately and then simultaneously. In the word recognition task, listeners repeated back sentences produced in CS and conversational speech and mixed with speech-shaped noise and 2-talker babble. The presentation will discuss analyses aimed at uncovering how hyper-articulated CS and masker type influence listening effort for native and non-native listeners as measured by objective and subjective dual-task cost.
An NMR Based Similarity Metric for Higher Order Structure Quality Assessment among U.S. Marketed Insulin Therapeutics

Protein or peptide higher order structure (HOS) is a quality attribute that could affect therapeutic efficacy and safety. Where appropriate, the HOS similarity between a proposed follow-on product and the reference listed drug should be demonstrated during regulatory assessment. Establishing quantitative HOS similarity for 2 drug substances, manufactured by different processes, has been challenging. Herein, HOS differences among U.S. marketed insulin drug products (DPs) were quantified using nuclear magnetic resonance spectra and principal component analysis (PCA). Then, the unitless Mahalanobis distance (DM) in PCA space was calculated between insulin analog reference listed drugs and their recently approved follow-on products, and all DM values were 3.29 or less. By contrast, a larger DM value of 20.5 was obtained between the 2 insulin human DPs independently approved. However, upon mass-balanced and reversible dialysis of the 2 insulin human DPs against the same buffers, the DM value was reduced to 1.19 or less. Thus, the observed range of nuclear magnetic resonance-PCA-derived DM values can be used as a robust and sensitive measure of HOS similarity. Overall, the DM values of 3.3 for DP and 1.2 for drug substances using insulin therapeutics represented realistic and achievable similarity metrics for developing generic or biosimilar drugs, quality assurance, or control.
OB/GYN perceptions of prescription drug monitoring programs as a primary prevention tool for neonatal abstinence syndrome.

Abstract Background The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend clinicians use Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMPs) as a risk assessment tool for opioid-related harms. This survey assessed perceptions of PDMPs for the purpose of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) prevention among a national sample of obstetricians-gynecologists (OB/GYNs) who are the primary care providers for most pregnancies. Methods A survey was emailed to a random sample of active American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) members. Proxy data for the intensity of the opioid epidemic and state policies related to NAS were added to respondents survey answers. Chi-squared analyses were used to compare response frequencies. Results Among 397 submitted responses, nearly 70% identified PDMPs having a role in preventing diversion and opioid use disorders but only 25.1% identified PDMPs as a tool to prevent NAS. States with stricter NAS policies (e.g. child abuse, mandatory testing) generally had higher positive responses for PDMPs’ role in preventing NAS. States with voluntary PDMP use versus mandatory reported higher positive responses for PDMPs with NAS but differences were not statistically significant (30.6% vs. 23.8%, p = 0.374). State-specific measures of the overall intensity of the opioid epidemic were not associated with perceptions of PDMP. Conclusions OB/GYNs do not associate PDMPs as a primary prevention tool against NAS despite endorsements. Tailored educational interventions to this practice environment are needed. Pharmacist engagement with pregnant patients and as champions of PDMP usage may help fill these gaps.
Singularities of Partially Polarized Vortex beams

Singularities in the polarization state of nonuniform electromagnetic beams have been a topic of both theoretical and practical interest for many years, as have singularities in the correlation functions of random scalar wavefields. However, there has been relatively little work done to explore the intersection of these phenomena, namely singularities in the polarization state of partially coherent wavefields. In this paper, we use a simple model of a partially coherent electromagnetic vortex beam to highlight three different ways that one can define polarization singularities in scalar wavefields, one of which has been previously undiscussed.
Spontaneous pneumomediastinum in COVID-19.

A 49-year-old man presented to the emergency room with 3 days of increasing cough and shortness of breath, both at rest and with minimal exertion, associated with decreased appetite and anosmia. He denied fevers, chills, chest pains, nausea or vomiting. He did suspect recent coronavirus exposure.
Antibody-drug conjugates for the treatment of urothelial carcinoma.

The therapeutic landscape for urothelial carcinoma has changed significantly over the past few years with the addition of immunotherapy to platinum-based chemotherapy. Targeted therapy against FGFR...
There Can Be More Than One: A Black Man’s Journey Through the Academy:

The underrepresentation of Black Americans as graduate students and faculty in Criminology and Criminal Justice programs is well-recognized. This essay discusses some of the dynamics of the academy...
Social judgement of L2 accented speech stereotyping and its influential factors

If extraneous information leads listeners to biased judgements, then their speech perceptions are likely to manifest distortion in that direction. This phenomenon is known as reverse linguistic ste...
The Role of Social Connection/Engagement in Episodic Memory Change in Stroke.

Background and objectives Positive associations between social connection/engagement and cognitive function are well documented. However, little is known about whether social connection/engagement can buffer the impact of serious brain injury such as stroke on cognitive functioning. Research design and methods Participants were 898 individuals with incident stroke from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) between 1998-2012. Multilevel modeling was used to examine how social connection/engagement were associated with episodic memory pre- and post-stroke. Models controlled for age, gender, education, race/ethnicity, number of health conditions, and functional health. Results Participants who were lonely pre-stroke recalled significantly fewer words at time of stroke, and participants who had children residing within 10 miles pre-stroke showed significantly less decline in word recall over time. Participants who provided help to others pre-stroke showed less stroke-related decline in word recall. Within-person increase in partnered status, having friends, and helping others were related to better word recall in the post-stroke period. Discussion and implications Higher pre-stroke levels of social connection/engagement predicted better episodic memory at stroke, smaller decline in episodic memory with stroke, and less decline in episodic memory over time. Increases in social connection/engagement from pre- to post-stroke also predicted better post-stroke episodic memory. Beyond the widely documented benefits of social connection/engagement to well-being, they may also increase cognitive stimulation and cognitive reserve and thus contribute to stroke recovery in the cognitive domain. Social connection/engagement is an important and modifiable risk factor in older adults.
Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of InN quantum dots and nanostructures.

Using one material system from the near infrared into the ultraviolet is an attractive goal, and may be achieved with (In,Al,Ga)N. This III-N material system, famous for enabling blue and white solid-state lighting, has been pushing towards longer wavelengths in more recent years. With a bandgap of about 0.7 eV, InN can emit light in the near infrared, potentially overlapping with the part of the electromagnetic spectrum currently dominated by III-As and III-P technology. As has been the case in these other III–V material systems, nanostructures such as quantum dots and quantum dashes provide additional benefits towards optoelectronic devices. In the case of InN, these nanostructures have been in the development stage for some time, with more recent developments allowing for InN quantum dots and dashes to be incorporated into larger device structures. This review will detail the current state of metalorganic chemical vapor deposition of InN nanostructures, focusing on how precursor choices, crystallographic orientation, and other growth parameters affect the deposition. The optical properties of InN nanostructures will also be assessed, with an eye towards the fabrication of optoelectronic devices such as light-emitting diodes, laser diodes, and photodetectors. This review article describes the current state of InN nanostructure and quantum dot growth by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition and the use in optoelectronic applications.
April Sizemore-Barber. Prismatic Performances: Queer South Africa and the Fragmentation of the Rainbow Nation

A series of fascinating case studies, April Sizemore-Barber’s Prismatic Performances contributes to the growing field of South African performance studies. While in need of greater theoretical and ...
Detecting Liquid Remnants of Solid Tumors: Circulating Tumor DNA Minimal Residual Disease.

Growing evidence demonstrates that circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) minimal residual disease (MRD) following treatment for solid tumors predicts relapse. These results suggest that ctDNA MRD could identify candidates for adjuvant therapy and measure response to such treatment. Importantly, factors such as assay type, amount of ctDNA release, and technical and biological background can affect ctDNA MRD results. Furthermore, the clinical utility of ctDNA MRD for treatment personalization remains to be fully established. Here, we review the evidence supporting the value of ctDNA MRD in solid cancers and highlight key considerations in the application of this potentially transformative biomarker. SIGNIFICANCE: ctDNA analysis enables detection of MRD and predicts relapse after definitive treatment for solid cancers, thereby promising to revolutionize personalization of adjuvant and consolidation therapies.
Sex-Biased Parental Investment in Primates

Parental investment enhances an offspring's chances of survival concomitant with reducing the parent's ability to invest in other offspring. Three main models might explain the conditions under which parental investment is expected to be sex-biased, but accurately testing the models is difficult. At least 7 fundamental issues remain unresolved in the area of parental investment in primates. The central dilemma is trying to gauge how the process improves the survival and reproductive prospects of current progeny at the expense of the survival or fertility of the parent. No single model is likely to be applicable to all primates. Parental investment probably operates in a condition-dependent framework designed to maximize lifetime reproductive success, but whether sex-biased investment occurs in an adaptive fashion remains unresolved.
Analysis of Temperature-Sensitive Mutants Reveals New Genes Involved in the Courtship Song of Drosophila

cacophony (cac), a mutation affecting the courtship song in Drosophila melanogaster, is revealed to cause temperature-sensitive (TS) abnormalities. When exposed to high temperatures (37 degrees), cac flies show frequent convulsions and pronounced locomotor defects. This TS phenotype seems consistent with the idea that cac is a mutation in a calcium-channel gene; it maps to the same X-chromosomal locus that encodes the polypeptide comprising the alpha-1 subunit of this membrane protein. Analysis of the courtship song of some TS physiological mutants showed that slowpoke mutations, which affect a calcium-activated potassium channel, cause severe song abnormalities. Certain additional TS mutants, in particular para(ts1) and nap(ts1), exhibit subtler song defects. The results therefore suggest that genes involved in ion-channel function are a potential source of intraspecific genetic variation for song parameters, such as the number of cycles present in "pulses" of tone or the rate at which pulses are produced by the male's courtship wing vibrations. The implications of these findings from the perspective of interspecific lovesong variations in Drosophila are discussed.
Chronic Cancer: Counseling the Individual

Advances in medicine significantly improved outcomes for many cancer patients, effectively moving it from an acute disease to a more chronic one. Living with a chronic cancer often prompts an existential search for meaning, as multiple losses impact the individual on a personal and familial level. At the same time, these patients must learn to adapt to the functional and relational changes necessitated by their disease. Two theoretical perspectives, meaning-making and family systems, are useful in understanding the experience of patients with chronic cancer and offering psychosocial interventions aimed at improving overall adjustment.
ISOLATION AND PROPERTIES OF A PUTRESCINE-DEGRADING MUTANT OF ESCHERICHIA COLI.

Abstract Kim, Ki-han (Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich.). Isolation and properties of a putrescine-degrading mutant of Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 86:320–323. 1963.—A mutant was isolated from Escherchia coli B which can grow on putrescine as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen. This mutant contains a constitutive putrescine α-ketoglutarate transaminase and can be induced for the enzymes responsible for the conversion of γ-aminobutyraldehyde to succinate. The intracellular putrescine of this mutant could be nearly quantitatively removed by nitrogen starvation. This removal of intracellular putrescine did not damage the reproduction of T2 in these cells.
Panic Disorder Patients and Their Medical Care

The goal of the study was to examine the functional status and medical care of general medical outpatients with panic disorder. One hundred patients completed self-report questionnaires and a diagnostic interview for panic disorder. They were compared with a random sample of patients without panic disorder. Medical morbidity was assessed from the medical record, and the patients' clinic physicians completed a questionnaire about them. The prevalence of current (1 month) panic disorder was 6.7%-8.3%. The panic disorder patients had fewer serious medical diagnoses, but more medical utilization and more role impairment than the comparison group. The clinic physicians rated the panic patients as more anxious, more depressed, more hypochondriacal, and more difficult to care for. Sixty-one percent of the panic disorder patients recalled receiving an anxiety disorder diagnosis. These findings add to a growing body of evidence that panic disorder imposes a significant burden on those with this illness and that it is a seriously underdiagnosed condition in primary care practice.
Perceived control reduces emotional stress in patients with heart failure.

We studied patients with heart failure (HF) to determine if perceived control reduces emotional distress (i.e., anxiety, depression and hostility) in chronic, debilitating cardiac illness and whether the demographic, clinical and psychologic characteristics of patients with high and low perceived control differed. Psychological assessment of 222 patients with heart failure included an evaluation of perceived control using the Control Attitudes Scale, as well as anxiety, depression and hostility using the Multiple Affect Adjective Checklist. Using multivariate analysis to control for differences in demographic and clinical characteristics, we found that patients with high perceived control had significantly greater 6-minute walk distances and less emotional distress than patients with low perceived control. Interventions designed to increase perceived control may be an important aspect of HF care, but require testing in randomized trials.
Analysis of Lipid Compositional Changes During Alcoholic Fermentation in Industrial Yeast Strains with Varying Ethanol Tolerance

In model lipid bilayers, ethanol is known to alter the mechanical and thermodynamic properties of the membrane. The extent to which alcohol affects these properties depends upon the lipid composition of the bilayer. Our group has demonstrated that increased ergosterol levels in model membrane systems mitigate the membrane thinning effect of ethanol - a phenomenon known as interdigitation. Perturbations to the yeast biomembrane due to increasing ethanol levels has been implicated in reduced sugar utilization and cell viability in Saccharomyces sp. However, variations in fermentation conditions and analytical methods have not yielded a comprehensive picture of how yeast biomembranes adapt to increasing levels of ethanol. In this work, we analyzed the partial lipidome of 30 industrial yeast strains at different stages of fermentation using high-resolution mass spectrometry. Quantification of selected lipid species was performed using high performance liquid chromatography coupled on-line to quadrupole ion-trap mass spectroscopy. Multivariate statistical analysis of the quantitative data was performed to determine any correlations between changes in lipid composition and ethanol tolerance in the different yeast strains. Information regarding how yeast biomembranes adapt to greater ethanol concentrations will be used to construct biophysical models to analyze the complex physical properties of lipid biomembranes in an alcohol milieu.
Effect of A-ring isomers of estradiol-17β on gene products in MCF-7 cells

Abstract Two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel-electrophoresis analysis of in vitro translation products from extracted cellular mRNAs was utilized to examine the effect of A-ring isomers of estradiol (E 2 ) on the synthesis of proteins involved in the response of MCF-7 cells to estrogens. An 8 h pulse with 10 −8 M E 2 showed 11 polypeptides of interest, 9 displayed a transitent increase in mRNA accumulation and 2 showed a temporary decreased level in the presence of this hormone. A distinct set of 2 mRNAs displayed increased amounts only after a 24 h E 2 pulse. Position of the A-ring hydroxyl group on the estratrien-17β-ol moiety had a discriminatory effect on the mRNAs for the 11 polypeptides responsive to E 2 . The accumulation of three mRNAs (A, C, and E) were increased by the 3 A-ring isomers (1-, 2-, and 4-hydroxyestratrien-17β-ol) to a degree comparable to that brought about by E 2 . One mRNA (H) was decreased by all estrogens. The pattern of responses depicted in the remaining 7 polypeptides was different depending on the position of the A-ring hydroxyl group of the estrogen. Subtle changes in the structure of E 2 appear to attenuate the ability of this natural ligand to regulate certain estrogen responsive genes and not others. This phenomenon may be related to the interaction of TAF-2 in ligand bound receptor with the various regulators in the promoter region of specific estrogen responsive genes. (Steroids 59 :548–554, 1994)
Modeling Intracerebral Hemorrhage in Mice: Injection of Autologous Blood or Bacterial Collagenase

Spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) defines a potentially life-threatening neurological malady that accounts for 10-15% of all stroke-related hospitalizations and for which no effective treatments are available to date(1,2). Because of the heterogeneity of ICH in humans, various preclinical models are needed to thoroughly explore prospective therapeutic strategies(3). Experimental ICH is commonly induced in rodents by intraparenchymal injection of either autologous blood or bacterial collagenase(4). The appropriate model is selected based on the pathophysiology of hemorrhage induction and injury progression. The blood injection model mimics a rapidly progressing hemorrhage. Alternatively, bacterial collagenase enzymatically disrupts the basal lamina of brain capillaries, causing an active bleed that generally evolves over several hours(5). Resultant perihematomal edema and neurofunctional deficits can be quantified from both models. In this study, we described and evaluated a modified double injection model of autologous whole blood(6) as well as an ICH injection model of bacterial collagenase(7), both of which target the basal ganglia (corpus striatum) of male CD-1 mice. We assessed neurofunctional deficits and brain edema at 24 and 72 hr after ICH induction. Intrastriatal injection of autologous blood (30 μl) or bacterial collagenase (0.075U) caused reproducible neurofunctional deficits in mice and significantly increased brain edema at 24 and 72 hr after surgery (p<0.05). In conclusion, both models yield consistent hemorrhagic infarcts and represent basic methods for preclinical ICH research.
Education and risky sex in Africa: Unraveling the link between women’s education and reproductive health behaviors in Kenya

Abstract Much research attention has been devoted to understanding the relationship between education and riskier sex-related behaviors and HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa. While in the early 1990s researchers found that increases in education were associated with a higher incidence of HIV/AIDS, this relationship appears to have reversed and better educated people, especially women, appear less likely to engage in riskier sex-related behaviors and have a lower incidence rate of HIV/AIDS. Our study begins to unravel the mechanisms that could explain why women’s educational attainment is associated with safer sex-related behaviors in sub-Saharan Africa. Using data from the 2003 Kenyan Demographic and Health Survey, we examine the potential mediating effects of HIV/AIDS knowledge, family planning discussions, gender empowerment, and husband’s education for explaining the relationship between education and age of first sex, casual sex, multiple sex partners, and condom use. We find that gender empowerment partially explains the relationship between education and age of first sex, and HIV/AIDS knowledge, husband’s education, and family planning discussions partially explain the relationship between education and condom use. We argue that gender inequality and lack of knowledge are likely to play a greater role in explaining the relationship between woman’s education and sex-related behaviors in sub-Saharan Africa than they do in more industrialized nations, where social capital explanations may have more explanatory power.
Soybean-derived fuel liquids from different sources as blending stocks for middle distillate ground transportation fuels

It has been proposed that biodiesel liquids be used in blends with middle distillate ground transportation fuels by the various services in the Department of Defense. The U.S. Navy is considering allowing up to 20% biodiesel to be added as a blending stock to petroleum diesel fuels. It is important for operational considerations to examine the many problems this could present. Among the more important considerations are storage stability, filterability, fuel solubility, oxidative stability, and induced instability reactions. This paper reports on two different soybean-derived fuel liquids. The first is a fuel liquid that contains an antioxidant, and the second is a fuel liquid that was derived from recycled restaurant cooking oil with no added antioxidant. We compare both biodiesels in blends of 10% and 20% with both stable and unstable petroleum middle distillate fuels for storage stability, oxidative stability, solubility, and chemical instability results.
Generalized symmetries and constants of motion of evolution equations

It is shown that there exists a well defined one-to-one correspondence between constants of motion and generalized symmetries of an evolution equation iff the evolution equation admits a Lagrangian formulation. This correspondence is given explicitly.
EWING'S SARCOMA: LOCAL TUMOR CONTROL AND PATTERNS OF FAILURE FOLLOWING LIMITED-VOLUME RADIATION THERAPY

Sixty children with localized osseous Ewing's sarcoma were treated between 1978 and 1988 with induction chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, adriamycin), irradiation and/or surgery, and 10 months of maintenance chemotherapy (cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, dactinomycin, vincristine). Following induction chemotherapy, 43 patients received primary radiation therapy to limited radiation volumes defined by post-chemotherapy residual soft tissue tumor extension and initial osseous tumor extent. Irradiation was defined as low dose at 30–36 Gy (median 35 Gy) for 31 cases with objective response to induction chemotherapy and high dose at 50–60 Gy (median 50.4 Gy) for 12 patients with poor response to induction chemotherapy or with tumors ≥8 cm. Overall event-free survival at 5 years is 59% and local tumor control is 68%. Initial failures have been local (12), simultaneous local and distant failures (7), and distant (6). In the surgical resection group, 14 patients had complete resection without radiation therapy, and 3 patients had microscopic residual plus 35–41 Gy; 100% local control has been maintained. In 43 patients with primary radiation therapy group, local tumor control is 58% (p = .004). Despite limited radiation volume, 18/19 local failures occurred centrally within the bone, well within the radiation volume. Imaging response to induction chemotherapy predicted local tumor control in the radiation therapy group: 62% with complete response/partial response versus 17% with no response/progressive disease (p < 0.01). Local tumor control related strongly to primary tumor size in the radiation therapy group; among 31 cases receiving 35 Gy, local tumor control is 90% for lesions <8 cm versus 52% for tumors ≥8 cm (p = .054). The central pattern of local failure in this experience suggests the effectiveness of limited radiation volume. The overall local tumor control rate following the tested dose level of 35 Gy appears to be inadequate, although results in selected cases with tumors 〈8 cm in greatest tumor dimension indicate potential efficacy in a yet limited experience.
Action, excellence, and achievement

‘Achievement is doing what well?’ A competitive democracy tends to repress this question as inegalitarian; it uses the slogan ‘Whatever you do, do well’. But this slogan could not be taken seriously, nor is it really egalitarian. Our actual hierarchy of activities is based on an unargued and arbitrary consensus; it is an example of the way audiences control performers. Doubts about ‘true achievement’ are not merely ‘philosophical’. Noting repressed concern about this issue suggests hypotheses to help explain some social tensions, e.g., over women's liberation. The love of competition might or might not make achievement more likely.
Plasma and red cell levels of thioridazine and clinical response in schizophrenia

Abstract The relationship of plasma and red blood cell (RBC) levels of thioridazine to clinical response in schizophrenia was evaluated in a fixed-dose study. Steady-state plasma and RBC levels of thioridazine, mesoridazine, and sum of thioridazine and mesoridazine, determined by gas-liquid chromatography, were not significantly correlated with clinical responses as measured by improvement on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. RBC thioridazine levels were not substantially more strongly correlated with clinical response than plasma levels.
Studies of sodium channels in rabbit urinary bladder by noise analysis.

Sodium channels in rabbit urinary bladder were studied by noise analysis. There are two components of short-circuit current (I sc) and correspondingly two components of apical Na+ entry, one amiloride-sensitive (termedI A and the A channel, respectively) and one amiloride-insensitive (I L and the leak pathway, respectively). The leak pathway gives rise tol/f noise, while the A channel in the presence of amiloride gives rise to Lorentzian noise. A two-state model of the A channel accounts well for how the corner frequency and plateau value of Lorentzian noise vary with amiloride concentration. The single-channel current is 0.64 pA, and the conducting channel density is on the order of 40 copies per cell. Triamterene blocks the A channel alone, and increasing external Na+ decreases the number but not the single-channel permeability of the A channel. Hydrostatic pressure pulses (“punching”) increase the number of both pathways. Repeated washing of the mucosal surface removes most of the leak pathway without affecting the A channel. Properties of the A channel revealed by noise analysis of various tight epithelia are compared, and the mechanism ofl/f noise is discussed. It is suggested that the A channel is synthesized intracellularly, stored in intracellular vesicles, transferred with or from vesicular membrane into apical membrane under the action of microfilaments, and degraded into the leak pathway, which is washed out into urine or destroyed. The A channel starts withP Na/P K∼30 and loses selectivity in stages untilP Na/P K reaches the free-solution mobility ratio (∼0.7) for the leak pathway. This turnover cycle functions as a mechanism of repair and regulation for Na+ channels, analogous to the repair and regulation of most intracellular proteins by turnover. Vesicular delivery of membrane channels may be operating in several other epithelia.
The Aural Shock of Modernity: Weimar's Experience of Jazz

This author considers the 1925 Berlin performances of the African American jazz band of Sam Wooding and the impression left by it on German audiences and critics. To explain the distinctive qualities ascribed to Wooding's jazz within German discourse and to explore the broader function of German jazz interest, the author develops the concept of aural shock drawing on both Adorno and Benjamin. He argues that jazz music and the German experience of it are bound up with specific transformations of sound and music under modernity and with the impact of the noise of modernity on the modern ear. Through reconstruction of the original performance context, along with close readings of initial reviews and subsequent mediations of the event, the author seeks to rethink and retheorize Weimar's encounter with African American jazz as a conceptual space in which epistemological questions regarding modernity were both contested and negotiated through discussion of jazz.
The mechanism of thermal degradation of certain polyether‐polyurethans

Thermal degradation mechanism of polyether- polyurethans, analyzing fractionation and measuring molecular weights
Pitfalls of Deterministic and Random Analyses of Systems with Hysteresis

This technical note points out that caution must be exercised in conducting time-domain and random-vibration analyses of noncausal systems with frequency-dependent parameters and hysteretic damping. It warns against indiscriminate extensions of certain common engineering approaches that can lead to erroneous results.
Use of Distance-measuring Equipment (DME) for Correcting Errors in Position, Velocity, and Wind Measurements from Aircraft Inertial Navigation Systems

Abstract Aircraft distance-measuring-equipment (DME) data are used to update position, velocity, and wind measurements from inertial navigation systems (INS) measurements. Data from conventional single-channel DME sets, suitably calibrated, are shown to be adequate to resolve the Schuler oscillation and correct INS positions to better than 1-km accuracy. The satellite-based NAVSTAR global position system (GPS) is rapidly superseding other systems for external position reference. However, DME is reliable and very accurate and has been recorded on many research datasets. The principal limitation of the DME is that it is restricted to land-based navigation. The regression technique used does not necessitate multiple DME receivers or station switching and involves few restrictions on the collection of the data. However, the results improve when more than one station is used. Comparisons with other navigation systems (interferometer and loran) demonstrate the method's skill in resolving INS errors. Intercompar...
Simple directed trees

Those directed trees which are determined up to isomorphism by their demi-degrees are characterized.
Application of the Fokker-Planck-Kolmogorov equation to the analysis of differential pulse code modulation systems

Abstract A representation of a Differential Pulse Code Modulation (DPCM) system with a uniform quantizer is given such that the “slope overload” and “granular” effects are separated. This representation includes a continuous feedback loop describing the “overload” effect followed by a parallel connection of appropriate samplers and quantizers, describing the “granular” effect. The granular noise is known to have approximately a flat spectrum over the signal band and a uniform probability density function. The spectrum of the slope overload noise as well as its probability density function is not known. Using the above representation a study of the probability density function of the slope overload noise is presented for an input which is a vector Gauss-Markov process. This study uses methods known in control theory. Explicit results are presented for certain input processes with simple spectra. Some applications of continuous Markov processes to this problem are discussed.
Fragrance material review on linalyl phenylacetate.

A toxicologic and dermatologic review of linalyl phenylacetate when used as a fragrance ingredient is presented.
Physiologically based dendroclimate models for effects of weather on red spruce basal-area growth

Inter-annual variation in basal-area increment of red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) was related to regional weather by dendroclimatological methods. A time series, from 1927 through 1981, of detrended, delagged, average annual basal-area increment was obtained from hundreds of trees for each of three regions: Maine, New Hampshire-Vermont and the Adirondack Mountains of New York, U.S.A. Daily temperature and daily precipitation, averaged over several stations in each region, were used to calculate time series of several seasonal weather variables. Three multiple linear regression models, each with six or seven weather variables defined a priori, were tested against the basal area series for each region. Model I variables were based on earlier results using monthly precipitation and mean temperature. Model II variables included seasonal growing degree days and soil-water deficits. Model III variables included seasonal accumulations of estimated daily photosynthesis (reduced by water deficit) and respiration. Models II and III explained < 18% of the variance for all regions, whereas Model I explained 18–33%. In all models, variables based on temperature in the latter part of the previous growing season and temperature in the winter were important, whereas variables based on temperature and water in the current growing season were not significant.
Nickel Vanadate Nanotubes: Synthesis and Crystal Structure of [Ni(C8H22N4)](VO3)2·3H2O

Single crystals of the tubular structure [Ni(C8H22N4)](VO3)2·3H2O were prepared by interdiffusion and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and other analyses. Crystal data: rhombohedral, R3, a = 14.4133(6) A, α = 116.236(1)°, Z = 3. The neutral framework [Ni(C8H22N4)](VO3)2 is formed from tetrahedral VO3 chains and Ni[(C8H22N4)(H2O)2]2- octahedral cations. Water molecules occupy channels in the framework, and the compound can be dehydrated and rehydrated without destruction of the crystal lattice. The dehydrated structure is stable to ∼200 °C.
Chromatographic procedures that are proving useful in research on ribonucleases

Abstract Examples are given of the uses of gel filtration, chromatography on calcium phosphate, ion-exchange chromatography, and affinity chromatography, in the course of researches on pancreatic ribonuclease, dimeric derivatives of the enzyme, the 2′,3′-cyclic nucleotide 3′-phosphohydrolase of brain, and the inhibitor of ribonuclease of the pancreatic type in the human placenta.
Assignment of the rhodopsin gene to human chromosome three, region 3q21-3q24 by in situ hybridization studies.

By Southern analysis of restriction digests of genomic DNA from human-mouse somatic cell hybrids, we recently assigned the rhodopsin gene to human chromosome 3. Using in_ situ hybridization techniq...
Cognitive Impact of the Media: Implications for a Pluralistic Society:

The theme of this article is that television (TV) has a democratizing influence in our pluralistic society. The source of this influence is that groups who are disadvantaged in terms of print media and print-oriented schooling are advantaged in terms of access to and attitudes toward TV. Research results indicate that, by and large, various class and ethnic groups are equal in their ability to learn from TV – whose power as a teaching tool is discussed in relation to transmission of school-oriented concepts like letters and numbers, story content, and beliefs about society. The potential value of TV in the schools – not to replace print, but to enhance it – is also discussed.
How to achieve stronger U.S. growth

This very sub‐par recovery occurred because the 2007 recession was itself very different from earlier downturns. Previous post‐war recessions were caused by the Federal Reserve raising interest rates to deal with inflation. When the Fed achieved what it wanted, it lowered the interest rate and the economy bounced back. In contrast, the 2007 downturn was caused by a general mispricing of risks, including grossly overpriced houses supported by very high loan‐to‐value mortgages.
Isotope effects as probe of Constrictive and Intrinsic binding in hemicarceplexes

Kinetic isotope effects (KIE) of hemicarceplex dissociation for naphthalene and p-xylene hemicarceplexes with partially and fully deuterated guests have been measured. The KIEs are consistent with ...
Comparison of three different methods to prevent heat loss in healthy dogs undergoing 90 minutes of general anesthesia

Abstract Objective To compare a towel under, a warm water pad under or a forced warm air blanket over dogs as techniques to reduce heat loss during a standardized anesthetic. Study design Prospective, randomized, crossover study. Animals Eight, healthy, mixed breed dogs weighing 16.3–19.6 kg. Methods Dogs were anesthetized four times for 90 minutes. Dogs were placed on a steel table (treatment TA), with a cotton towel (treatment TO) or a circulating warm water pad (treatment WP) between the dog and the table, or with, a towel under the dog and covered with a forced warm air blanket (treatment WAB). Rectal temperature (RT) was recorded at 5 minute intervals. Changes in temperature (ΔRT) were calculated as the RT at a given point subtracted from the RT before anesthesia (baseline) and compared over time. Results After 90 minutes of anesthesia, the ΔRT was 3.42 °C ± 0.29 for TA, 2.78 °C ± 0.43 for TO, 1.98 °C ± 0.29 for WP, and 0.91 °C ± 0.27 for WAB. Significant differences in ΔRT occurred between TA and WAB at 20 minutes (0.94 °C ± 0.42, p = 0.0206), between TO and WAB at 30 minutes (1.16 °C ± 0.62, p = 0.0063), between WP and WAB at 50 minutes (0.96 °C ± 0.98, p = 0.0249), between TA and WP at 35 minutes (1.19 °C ± 0.54, p = 0.0091), between TO and WP at 70 minutes (1.12 °C ± 0.56, p = 0.0248), and between TA and TO at 75 minutes (0.96 °C ± 0.62, p = 0.0313). These differences in ΔRT between each treatment persisted from the times indicated until the end of the anesthesia. Conclusion and clinical relevance During anesthesia, forced warm air blankets were superior to other methods tested for limiting heat loss. An efficient heat loss technique should be used for anesthesia longer than 20 minutes duration in medium sized dogs.
Debye screening for two-dimensional Coulomb systems at high temperatures

The grand canonical ensemble of a two-dimensional Coulomb system with +/- 1 charges is proved to have screening phenomena in its high-temperature region. The Coulomb potential in a finite region ..lambda.. is assumed to be (-..delta../sub ..lambda..)/sup -1/, where ..delta../sub ..lambda.. is the Laplacian with zero boundary conditions on ..lambda... The hard-core condition is not assumed. The model is set up by separating (-..delta../sub ..lambda../)/sup -1/ into a short-range part and a long-range part depending on a parameter lambda. The self-energies are subtracted only for the short-range part and therefore a choice of lambda is a choice of subtraction of self-energies. The method of proof is in general the same as that of Brydges-Federbush Debye screening, except that here a modification for the short-range part of the potentials is needed.
Impact of weaning system on composition and yield of a semi-soft ovine-milk cheese

Abstract A semi-soft, brined cheese was produced from frozen early lactation ovine-milk collected from two weaning systems. Weaning systems were: (1) ewes weaned from their lambs at 24 h postpartum, ewes machine milked twice daily, and their lambs raised artificially (DY1); and (2) beginning 24 h postpartum, ewes separated from their lambs for 15 h during the evening, ewes machine milked once daily in the morning, and their lambs allowed to suckle for 9 h during the day (MIX). Total solids and milk fat were lower in the milk from ewes in the MIX weaning system which resulted in a lower cheese yield than milk from ewes in the DY1 weaning system. However, if both milks were standardized to comparable casein:fat ratios, cheese yields and fat and protein recoveries during cheese manufacture were comparable. Upon aging and drying of the cheeses, cheeses from the DY1 weaning system treatment did retain more moisture which resulted in higher cheese yields in the aged cheeses. Differences in cheesemaking potential of early lactation milk from the two different weaning systems can be eliminated by standardization to an equivalent casein:fat ratio prior to cheese manufacture.
Stark-induced optical transients in ruby

Extension of the Brewer-Shoemaker technique of Stark-induced optical transients to a solid-ruby-is reported. Optical free-induction decay and photon echoes, as well as the first observation of an optical edge echo, have been obtained.
The action of interleukin-4 on antigen-specific IgG1 and IgE production by interaction of in vivo primed B cells and carrier-specific cloned Th2 cells

The production of anti-trinitrophenyl (TNP) antibodies of different isotypes from in vivo primed B cells was studied using the plaque-forming cell method. It was shown that these B cells secrete anti-trinitrophenyl antibodies of different isotypes only in the presence of Th2 cells specific for keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) and the hapten-carrier conjugate TNP-KLH. Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated primed B cells without cells from the Th2 clone did not produce anti-TNP-specific IgG1 or IgE antibodies even in the presence of the hapten-carrier antigen TNP-KLH. Supernatants from these Th2 clones cultured with antigen-presenting cells and the complete antigen were unable to activate primed B cells for antibody secretion. Cognate interaction between primed B cells and carrier-specific Th2 cells is a prerequisite for hapten-specific IgG1 or IgE production. Anti-IL-4 antibody inhibited secretion of anti-hapten IgE antibody. Therefore, for production of anti-hapten antibody of the IgE isotype IL-4 is also necessary.
The Study Of Geography In Belgium

(1957). The Study Of Geography In Belgium. The Professional Geographer: Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 10-14.
The 'Mandarin-missionary' strategy: Robert Kennicott, Spencer Fullerton Baird and specimen collection in the Hudson's Bay Territory.

In 1859, Robert Kennicott, one of the most promising specimen collectors and young naturalists in the United States, was dispatched to Hudson's Bay Territory by Spencer Fullerton Baird, the Assistant Secretary of the Smithsonian. Kennicott was chosen because of previous experience in Canada, the familiarity with biota of the American Midwest, and because he had a boundless, infectious, enthusiasm for natural history that was typical among Baird's closest protegees. Kennicott was a natural scientific envoy – or missionary – to the officers of the Hudson's Bay Company, and many officers were enthusiastically ‘converted’ to the cause of collecting and/or overseeing the collection of natural history specimens. Due to this collaboration between Baird, Kennicott and the officers of the Hudson's Bay Company, the Smithsonian became a leading center of Canadian natural history in the Western hemisphere.
Monarchism and Absolutism in Early Modern Europe

Cesare Cuttica and Glenn Burgess, editors, Monarchism and Absolutism in Early Modern Europe (Political and Popular Culture in the Early Modern Period, volume 4). London: Pickering and Chatto, 2012....