cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Building structural competency through community engagement

Context The importance of addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH) in medical education has been ubiquitously recognised. However, current pedagogical approaches are often limited by inadequate or ahistorical exploration of the fundamental causes of health inequity. Community-engaged pedagogy and structural competency frameworks advocate for progressing from passive SDOH education to directly discussing systemic aetiologies of health inequity through reciprocal partnership with marginalised communities. Herein, we describe the development and exploratory evaluation of a community-engaged structural competency curriculum implemented in 2019 at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Our curriculum explored the downstream impacts of sociopolitical structures on local health inequities. We engaged university, health system and community stakeholders throughout curriculum development, implementation and evaluation. Curricular components included didactic lectures, reflective writing assignments and a community-based, stakeholder-led experience in North Omaha. Methods We used inductive thematic analysis to explore free-text responses to a post-curriculum survey. Results Eighteen community stakeholders, eleven multidisciplinary UNMC facilitators, and all 132 first-year medical students were involved in the curriculum pilot, with 93% and 55.1% of students and faculty/community facilitators, respectively, responding to the post-session evaluation. Analysis revealed themes including widespread desire for community-engaged teaching, appreciation for the hyperlocal focus of curricular content and recognition of the importance of creating space for lived experiences of community members. Discussion Co-created by a university-community coalition, our pilot findings highlight the crucial role of community-engaged pedagogy in promoting critical understanding of historic structural inequities and present-day health disparities. Our communities can and should be reciprocal partners in training the physicians of tomorrow.
Modeling primary production: Developing the BZI model from the production-irradiance (P-I) curves

Abstract The linearity of the BZI (biomass, photic depth and irradiance) regression model for the estimate of depth-integrated primary productivity in the water column is evaluated. It is shown that the linear model can be derived from traditional production-irradiance (P-I) curves by assuming a linear production-irradiance relationship. A correction tem is obtained for water depth shallower than the photic depth. The analysis revealed that the slope of the linear BZI model is determined by the slope of the P-I curve. Following similar steps and assumptions, some of the well-known nonlinear light functions such as Steele's function, Smith's function and the Monod function were analytically integrated yielding nonlinear BZI models which go through the origin naturally allowing zero productivity at zero light. The nonlinear model integrated from Steele's function was successfully applied to three subtropical estuaries in Florida: the St. Lucie Estuary on the east coast, the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary and the Escambia Bay on the west coast. Despite being more faithful to theory (zero intercept), the non-linear version yielded only slightly better results than the linear model.
Incidental Durotomy Following Surgery for Degenerative Lumbar Disease and the Impact of Minimally Invasive Surgical Technique on the Rate and Need for Surgical Revision: A Case Series.

BACKGROUND Incidental durotomy (ID) is a common complication during lumbar spine surgery. A paucity of literature has studied the impact of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) on durotomy rates and strategies for repair as compared to open surgery. OBJECTIVE To examine the impact that MIS techniques have on the durotomy rate, repair techniques, and need for surgical revision following surgery for degenerative lumbar disease as compared to open technique. METHODS A single-center retrospective review of consecutive cases between 2013 and 2016 was performed. All patients underwent lumbar decompression with or without instrumented fusion for degenerative pathology using either open posterior or MIS techniques. ID rate, closure technique, and need for surgical revision related to the durotomy were recorded. RESULTS A total of 1,196 patients were included with an overall ID rate of 6.8%. There was no difference between open or minimally invasive surgical techniques (P = .14). There was a higher durotomy rate with open technique in patients that underwent decompression with fusion (P = .03) as well as in revision cases (P = .02). Primary repair was feasible more frequently in the open group (P = .001), whereas use of dural substitute (P < .001) was more common in the MIS group. Fibrin sealant was used routinely in both groups (P = .34). There were no failed repairs, regardless of technique used. CONCLUSION MIS techniques may reduce durotomies in cases involving instrumentation or revisions. Use of dural substitute onlay and fibrin sealant was effective at preventing reoperation. Both MIS and open techniques result in a low rate of future surgical revision when a durotomy occurs.
Analyzing University of Virginia Health publications using open data, Python, and Streamlit.

As part of a larger project to understand the publishing choices of UVA Health authors and support open access publishing, a team from the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library analyzed an open data set from Europe PMC, which includes metadata from PubMed records. We used the Europe PMC REST API to search for articles published in 2017–2020 with “University of Virginia” in the author affiliation field. Subsequently, we parsed the JSON metadata in Python and used Streamlit to create a data visualization from our public GitHub repository. At present, this shows the relative proportions of open access versus subscription-only articles published by UVA Health authors. Although subscription services like Web of Science, Scopus, and Dimensions allow users to do similar analyses, we believe this is a novel approach to doing this type of bibliometric research with open data and open source tools.
Singularities in Biological Sciences

A basic tenet in biology and medicine of the last twenty years has been that biochemical and physiological variables are controlled within narrow limits by feedback processes in homeostasis dynamics. The feedback loops that enable homeostasis have also been described mathematically, and this result has been considered a valid support to the thesis that mathematics has a substantial role in quantifying biological processes. Nonlinear equations are more complex mathematical objects than ones describing a straight line, and the output value from one calculation. In addition to the evidence of epilepsy-related neuronal injury, changes in the neuronal circuitry have been observed. The idea that science is “logical,” imposes an Aristotelian/Platonic preconceived world view on observations that is biased in it. It has been proposed that mossy fiber sprouting of granule cell axons within the dentate gyrus may create an excitatory feedback circuit from the granule cells back onto their own dendrites. Ideal methods for approaching signal analysis of protein sequences should be able to deal with nonlinearity, independent of any stationary assumptions and able to deal with very short series.
Spies in the News: Soviet Espionage in the American Media During World War II and the Beginning of the Cold War

Broken down by occupation, more American journalists worked clandestinely for Soviet intelligence in the United States during the early 1940s than in any other profession except engineering. However, since reporters had no direct access to government secrets, most research focuses on their role as messengers, recruiters, and sources of inside information. While not discounting these roles, this article argues that journalist spies also collected a large amount of secret diplomatic and military information. Covering the years 1941 through 1946, this article also shows that the information collected by these spies evolved as World War II morphed into the Cold War.
Sensor validation for flight control by particle filtering

In this paper, we address the problem of adaptive sensor validation for flight control. The model-based approaches are developed, where the sensor system is modeled by a Markov switch dynamic state-space model. To handle the nonlinearity of the problem, two different particle filters: mixture Kalman filter (MKF) and stochastic M-algorithm (SMA) are proposed. Simulation results are presented to compare the effectiveness and complexity of MKF and SMA methods.
Calf Antibiotic and Sulfonamide Test (CAST) for Screening Antibiotic and Sulfonamide Residues in Calf Carcasses

The Calf Antibiotic and Sulfonamide Test (CAST), a microbial inhibition screening test, was developed for detecting antibiotics and sulfonamides in bob veal calf carcasses. The test uses Bacillus megaterium ATCC 9885 as the indicator organism and Mueller Hinton agar as the growth medium. Compared to Swab Test on Premises (STOP), developed in 1970, this screening test has higher sensitivity and the ability to detect a wider range of veterinary antimicrobial residual drugs, particularly sulfonamides, at lower concentrations. Carcasses that are tested with CAST and suspected of containing chemical residue above tolerance level are retained for confirmation. Disposition of these carcasses are determined upon laboratory result. Routine testing of bob veal calves with CAST allowed the Food Safety and Inspection Service to release most calf carcasses within 24 h post-slaughter, thus conserving shipping and handling resources. However, changes in the regulation in 1990 dictate that disposition of carcasses found to contain violative levels of sulfonamide residues should be based on laboratory findings. The analysis of the data for the years 1990-1994 and 1998 indicate that the use of CAST over the years was significant, and had a direct impact on reduction of residue violations in veal carcasses. With the use of CAST, potentially harmful antimicrobial chemicals entering the human food chain through veal meat have been minimized.
Surveying the Therapeutic Landscape:: A Quest for Cases of Outdoor Therapy Settings

This paper is an initial report on the nationwide survey of outdoor facilities of horticultural therapy programs conducted from Texas Tech University. This report is intended to encourage discussions which explore areas of future research into the optimum physical design of outdoor plant-oriented therapeutic landscapes. The premise for these discussions is found in the perception of therapeutic landscapes therapy as vernacular landscapes. Yet, as places of personal expression and significance, these ad hoc gardens often are found within institutions and organizations having artful, even expensively, designed and maintained grounds. The nature and forms of the purposefully therapeutic gardens as they are currently and as they might become, pose questions which can profoundly affect the quality and likelihood of plant-people connections.
Screening adolescents for depression

Pediatric primary care providers who screen, identify, and treat adolescents for depression and its comorbidities can make a positive difference in their patients’ long-term health, social functioning, and interpersonal relationships.
Injection-Locked, Unstable Resonator Dye Laser

In pulsed dye lasers intended for photochemistry (for example) the requirements of large pulse energies (> 100 mJ) are inconsistent with those of narrow spectral linewidth and low divergence. With commonly used stable resonators, a low Fresnel-number cavity is usually required for single, transverse-mode operation, yielding small mode volume and, therfore, low pulse energy. The larger mode volumes desired for energy extraction in flashlamps-pumped lasers can only be achieved, with single-mode operation in a stable resonator, by the use of intracavity lenses and spatial filters[l] which reduce efficiency. The intracavity dispersive elements used for line narrowing also greatly reduce efficiency, and often place peak-power limitations because of low damage thresholds of some of the elements.
The neuroprotective effect of fisetin in the MPTP model of Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by excessive deposition of neuritic plaques known as Lewy bodies of which α-synuclein is the major contributor to neuronal death. Both oxidative stress and cytokines signaling have been proposed to play an important role in α-synuclein-induced neuronal death in MPTP and PD-related neuronal cell death. Fisetin, a natural polyphenol, possesses antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties. However, the molecular neuroprotective mechanisms of fisetin against MPTP-induced cytotoxicity are still unknown. OBJECTIVE The present study investigated the inhibitory effect of fisetin on MPTP/MPP+-induced neurotoxicity in PC12 cells. METHODS Cells were pretreated with varying concentrations of fisetin prior exposure to MPTP/MPP+. Cell viability and apoptosis were investigated using MTT assay and DNA fragmentation. The expression and release of transcription factor, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and apoptotic mediators were assessed using western blot analysis and ELISA. RESULTS Results showed that a pre-treatment with fisetin before exposure to MPTP/MPP+ significantly decreased MPTP/MPP+-induced cytotoxicity and cell death probably by decreasing α-synuclein expression. Mechanisms study showed that fisetin has the potential to inhibit several apoptotic and inflammatory pathways, which play important roles in the initiation and progression of PD. CONCLUSIONS Altogether, these observations indicate that fisetin is capable of attenuating α-synuclein levels and promoting neuroprotective effects, meanwhile also present some insights into the potential signaling pathways that are involved. Thus, these findings support the role of natural polyphenols in preventive and/or complementary therapies for neurodegenerative diseases.
Adaptive detection with diagonal loading (for adaptive antenna array)

An adaptive detector with diagonal loading is presented, and although it is not CFAR (constant false alarm rate), it is conjectured that its probability of false alarm can at least be upper bounded by choosing the appropriate threshold for the adaptive matched filter detector. Monte Carlo simulations show that diagonal loading, in conjunction with spatial tapering of the array, can lower sidelobe detection, but at the expense of detector sensitivity. It is therefore desirable to choose the least amount of diagonal loading required. For the examples given, a diagonal load equal to twice that of thermal noise is shown to be sufficient. Thus, some estimate or prior information about the background system thermal noise is required. >
Evaluation and Treatment of Posterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries

Improved basic science data on the anatomy and biomechanics of the human posterior cruciate ligament have provided the orthopaedic surgeon with new information on which to base treatment decisions. Injuries to the posterior cruciate ligament are reported to comprise approximately 3% of all knee ligament injuries in the general population and as high as 37% in an emergency department setting. While the diagnosis of a posterior cruciate ligament injury can often be made with a physical examination, ancillary studies such as radiographs and magnetic resonance images can be very helpful in detecting associated ligament and bony injuries. In general, most partial (grades I and II) posterior cruciate ligament injuries can be treated nonoperatively. However, surgical reconstruction is usually recommended for those posterior cruciate ligament injuries that occur in combination with other structures. In this review, current surgical techniques of posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction based on anatomic and biomechanical studies will be discussed.
Scheduling a transportation network

Abstract The objective of this article is to give a concise report on a project to achieve an optimal operation of a public transportation network by the application of modern mathematical programming methods and computing techniques. The paper delineates the formulation of a mathematical model of a general public transportation network, and sketches a procedure to determine the buses' departure times so as to optimize a desired performance index; specifically, the average waiting time of passengers.
Example-based curve synthesis

We present a novel synthesis algorithm for procedurally generating complex curves. Our approach takes a simple example input curve specified by a user and automatically generates complex sets of curves that resemble the input. The algorithm preserves many of the local shape features of the input curves such as tangent directions, curvature, branch nodes, and closed loops. The overall approach is simple and can be used to generate varied curved 3D models in a few minutes. We demonstrate its application by generating complex, curved models of man-made objects including furniture pieces, chandeliers, glasses, and natural patterns such as river networks and lightning bolts. Graphical AbstractDisplay Omitted Research Highlights? Our algorithm generates complex curves that resemble an input curve provided by the user. ? Our method preserves many local shape features of the input such as tangent directions and curvature. ? We demonstrate its application to generate complex curved models of furniture, chandeliers, glasses, rivers and lightning bolts.
Aortocoronary Saphenous Vein Graft Disease Pathogenesis, Predisposition, and Prevention

Aortocoronary saphenous vein graft disease, with its increasing clinical sequelae, presents an important and unresolved dilemma in cardiological practice. During the 1st month after bypass surgery, vein graft attrition results from thrombotic occlusion, while later the dominant process is atherosclerotic obstruction occurring on a foundation of neointimal hyperplasia. Although the risk factors predisposing to vein graft atherosclerosis are broadly similar to those recognized for native coronary disease, the pathogenic effects of these risk factors are amplified by inherent deficiencies of the vein as a conduit when transposed into the coronary arterial circulation. A multifaceted strategy aimed at prevention of vein graft disease is emerging, elements of which include: continued improvements in surgical technique; more effective antiplatelet drugs; increasingly intensive risk factor modification, in particular early and aggressive lipid-lowering drug therapy; and a number of evolving therapies, such as gene transfer and nitric oxide donor administration, which target vein graft disease at an early and fundamental level. At present, a key measure is to circumvent the problem of vein graft disease by preferential selection of arterial conduits, in particular the internal mammary arteries, for coronary bypass surgery whenever possible.
Immunopathogenesis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis

This review describes antigenic and host factors of possible significance in the immunopathogenesis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP). Although certain immunologic studies suggest immune complex mechanisms in HP, recent experimental and clinical data accumulated support a role for cell-mediated immunity. In addition, some data support roles for anaphylactic and cytotoxic antibody-mediated reactivity as well. One type of reactivity alone may not be sufficient for production of HP, and local pulmonary immune responses may be most relevant to the pathogensis. Whether immune damage will be produced in an exposed individual or not may depend on the characteristics of the antigenic exposure as well as inherited and acquired individual differences in immunologic reactivity and possibly target organ sensitivity.
Pet Ownership in Relation to Depression, Anxiety, and Anger in Working Women

AbstractResearch has shown that certain populations such as nursing home patients and physically ill patients have benefited psychologically from pet ownership. Recent studies have indicated that the relationship between pet ownership and well-being may be complex. We examined the relationship between pet ownership and emotional distress among working women. We also studied the relationship between pet attachment and emotional distress. Participants were 42 cat and/or dog owners and 42 nonowners who were women employees of the American Medical Association. Each completed an inventory on depression, anxiety, and anger. Pet owners also completed a scale to assess degree of attachment to the pet. Results revealed that there were no significant differences between owners and nonowners on any of the measures and that pet attachment was not associated with any of the measures. When compared with national norms, results indicated that pet owners from the present study were significantly more attached to their pe...
Distribution of Failures in an Array of Cells

Consider a system which is an array of cells in which the system function is performed by the rows. The level of performance of the system depends on the failure rate of the cells and on the distribution of the failed cells in the array. For example, a system may operate at only 50 percent efficiency if 3 or more cells in a row are failed. This paper presents a procedure for computing the probabilities of various failure distributions in the array rows for a given number of failed cells. Combined with a failure model for the individual cells, the results can be used to compute probabilities about performance of the array. Cell failures are assumed to be statistically independent and identically distributed.
Surface-emitting second harmonic generation from short laser pulses

We review our recent results on ultrafast surface-emitting second-harmonic generation from mode-locked laser pulses with arbitrary pulse shapes. The spatial dependence of the SH energy density per pulse is almost the same as the temporal profile of the SH power emitted from the entire surface per waveguide width for a long waveguide. For a sinc fundamental pulse, we have obtained, rich and unique, temporal, spatial, and spectral behavior of the second harmonic. We have found that both the temporal and spectral profiles of the emitted second harmonic depend on the location at the surface. These effects can be observed with lasers currently available, and used for auto-correlation, in optical signal processing, optical communications, and practical frequency doubling of ultrafast optical pulses with an advantage of no broadening of the SH pulse. We have compared these results with those for Gaussian, Lorentzian, and hyperbolic secant fundamental pulses. After introducing saturation intensity to quantify the saturation regime, we have obtained quantitative expression for the second-harmonic intensity in terms of the pump and saturation intensities.
Turnover rates of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine concurrently measured in seven rat brain regions

Abstract 1. 1. Rats were given intravenous injections of 0.5 mCi of 3H-L-tryptophan and 0.5 mCi 3H-L-tyrosine through chronic jugular catheters. 2. 2. Sixty and ninety minutes later, the rats were sacrificed by near-freezing in liquid nitrogen and the brains removed and dissected at -4°C into telencephalon (TEL), cerebral - cortex (CER-COR), diencephalon (DIEN), mesencephalon (MESEN), striatum (STR), hippocampus (HIPP) and pons-medulla oblongata (P-M). 3. 3. Serotonin (5-HT), norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) were extracted and assayed fluorometrically for tissue content and then separated with alumina columns and TLC. 4. 4. The radioactivity in each fraction was measured and values for specific radioactivity and rates of turnover calculated. 5-HT turnover rates were highest in the MESEN (2.8 nmoles/g-hr) and lowest in the DIEN (0.6 nmoles/g-hr). NE turnover was highest in the P-M (2.5 nmoles/g-hr) and lowest in the TEL (0.3 nmoles/g-hr). The turnover rates for DA were highest in the STR (24.3 nmoles/g-hr) and lowest in the P-M (0.4 nmoles/g-hr). 5. 5. These rates of turnover are consistent with the proposed role for these putative neurotransmitters in brain function.
Enhanced activity of enantioselective (salen)Mn(III) epoxidation catalysts through supramolecular complexation

Abstract (Salen)Mn(III) catalysts show increased turnover numbers in the catalytic asymmetric epoxidation of conjugated olefins upon addition of bulky Lewis acids (LA) such as zinc tetraphenylporphyrin (ZnTPP). Up to 3-fold increase in total catalytic activity and at least a 20-fold increase in catalyst stability was observed with a (salen)Mn catalyst bearing pendant 5,5′-bis-pyridyl groups. This latter enhancement is primarily attributed to formation of a coordination triad, which provides steric protection for the catalyst from bimolecular decomposition. Supramolecular complex formation enhanced the catalyst’s stability without compromising its enantioselectivity.
Electron transport in Paracoccus halodenitrificans and the role of ubiquinone.

The membrane-bound NADH oxidase of Paracoccus halodenitrificans was inhibited by dicoumarol, 2-n-heptyl-4-hydroxyquinoline-N-oxide (HQNO), and exposure to ultraviolet light (at 366 nm). When the membranes were extracted with n-pentane, NADH oxidase activity was lost. Partial restoration was achieved by adding the ubiquinone fraction extracted from the membranes. Succinate oxidation was not inhibited by dicoumarol or HQNO but was affected by ultraviolet irradiation or n-pentane extraction. However, the addition of the ubiquinone fraction to the n-pentane-extracted membranes did not restore enzyme activity. These observations suggested the reducing equivalents from succinate entered the respiratory chain on the oxygen side of the HQNO-sensitive site and probably did not proceed through a quinone.
Polymer film to prevent intermixing

We present a new surface treatment that controls selective area quantum well intermixing. A CHF3/O2 plasma in an RIE system is used to form a polymer on localized areas that prevents intermixing.
The induction of oral ethanol self-administration by contingent ethanol delivery

Abstract The necessity of delivering a highly reinforcing stimulus (20% sucrose) contingent upon ethanol consumption in order to induce ethanol self-administration in free-feeding rats was investigated. Rats water deprived for 12–16 h were placed in an environment in which ethanol drinking resulted in the presentation of ethanol. This procedure was successful in inducing and maintaining ethanol self-administration over concentrations of 5–20% (v/v). Compared to a group of rats initially reinforced for drinking ethanol with sucrose presentation, contingent ethanol delivery resulted in greater ethanol self-administration behavior. When 20% ethanol was available the group trained with ethanol had average intake of 0.91 g/kg, whereas the group trained with sucrose had a mean intake of 0.69 g/kg in a 30-min session. The results suggest that ethanol's reinforcing properties are sufficient to establish ethanol self-administration within the context of the inducing environment.
The theory of absolute surface shear viscosity. IV. The double ring couette surface viscometer

Abstract The hydrodynamic problem of two concentric, counter rotating rings making a knife-edge contact with a viscous surface film supported by a semi-infinite, viscous substrate is discussed. Plots of interfacial velocity profiles are presented, and the relation between the torque on the outer, stationary ring and the surface viscosity is given in the form of interpolation polynomials which permit the calculation of the surface viscosity from experimental values of the torque.
Fatty acid metabolism in Drosophila melanogaster: interaction between dietary fatty acids and de novo synthesis.

Abstract 1. 1. Larvae of Drosophila melanogaster were reared on medium supplemented with one of five highly purified 16- and 18-carbon dietary fatty acids. Gas chromatographic analyses of the total fatty acid compositions from late third-instar larvae revealed that striking changes took place in the total fatty acid composition in response to these dietary supplements. Dietary linoleate caused the formation of a 14-carbon and a 16-carbon diene which are normally not found in Drosophila. 2. 2. Random-14C- and 1-14C-labeled palmitate, stearate and oleate were employed under a variety of dietary conditions and the metabolic fates of these components are discussed. 3. 3. Labeled acetate was incorporated into all saturated and mono-unsaturated fatty acids but was not incorporated into more highly unsaturated components. 4. 4. Random-14C-long-chained fatty acids and 3H-acetate were employed simultaneously under certain conditions. From this study it was concluded that there probably is more than one pathway in the formation of monoenes. 5. 5. The percentage distribution of label from acetate was relatively constant and independent of the interactions caused by the dietary acids. 6. 6. The interactions which were observed in Drosophila are compared with those which occur in other organisms.
The involvement of an arginine residue of trypsin in its interaction with the kunitz soybean trypsin inhibitor

Abstract The separate treatment of bovine trypsin and the Kunitz soybean trypsin inhibitor with phenylglyoxal resulted in the modification of both of the arginine residues of trypsin and an average of 5 of the 9 arginine residues of the trypsin inhibitor. When the trypsin-soybean trypsin inhibitor complex was modified under the same conditions, a total of 3 arginine residues had reacted, from which it was concluded that 4 arginine residues had been buried in the complex. Analysis of the trypsin and soybean trypsin inhibitor which were dissociated from the phenylglyoxalated complex revealed that one of the buried arginine residues was derived from trypsin and an average of 2.5 to 3 residues from the trypsin inhibitor. Peptide maps of digests from trypsin which had been phenylglyoxalated in the presence of soybean trypsin inhibitor and from trypsin alone showed one arginine-containing peptide common to both digests. This peptide was isolated by ion-exchange chromatography and two-dimensioned paper chromatography and electrophoresis. From its composition and the known sequence of bovine trypsin, this peptide was shown to contain arginine-55 which is thus presumed to be located at or near the zone of contact in the trypsin-soybean trypsin inhibitor complex.
Thermal polycondensation synthesis of biomimetic serine‐containing derivatives of polyaspartate: Potent inhibitors of calcium carbonate and phosphate crystallization

Biocompatible, degradable polymers that are powerful inhibitors of mineral formation were synthesized by automated solid phase and thermal polycondensation techniques. These polymers are analogues of natural proteins isolated from CaCO 3 biomineral and consist primarily of polyaspartic acid and serine or modified serine residues. Phosphorylation of the serine residues greatly enhanced the inhibitory activity of the polymers. Synthesis in the presence of orthophosphoric acid resulted in the decomposition and modification of serine. These modified residues when incorporated into the polyaspartic acid also enhanced inhibitory activity of the polymers
Approximate scalar equations for polarized radiative transfer

An asymptotic analysis of the radiative transfer equation with polarization is developed that leads to a renormalized scalar equation for the total specific intensity of radiation I, the first Stokes parameter, in three-dimensional geometries. The resulting scalar equation can be used without the complexity of performing vector radiative computations since it merely requires an adjustment of the coefficients of the scattering phase matrix. The equation is accurate to first order in the smallness parameter of the asymptotic analysis. Asymptotically consistent quadrature results are obtained for Q, U, and V, the other three Stokes parameters. Numerical results demonstrate the improved accuracy of the renormalized scalar equation for the intensity compared with the usual unpolarized approximation and illustrate that small effects of polarization can be propagated to large optical depths within a medium.
Effects of varying phosphate intake in primary hyperparathyroidism.

ABSTRACT Prior to surgical therapy 31 hyperparathyroid patients were given a low phosphorus (430 mg) and/or a high phosphorus intake (1550 mg phosphorus diet with an equal phosphorus supplement as sodium phosphate). Each regimen was carried out for 3 days. Initially 54 % of the patients had normal values for per cent tubular resorption. On the high phosphorus intake 91% of the patients had clearly abnormal values for per cent tubular resorption. Eight of the 31 patients were normocalcemic when first seen and 7 of the 8 became hypercalcemic while on the low phosphorus intake. Serum calcium was reduced to normal levels by the high phosphate intake in half the patients. Normal subjects had decreased calciuria on high phosphorus intake but serum calcium remained constant. Oral phosphate therapy was used for control of hypercalcemia for 4 months in one patient and for 1 yr in another with no discernible deleterious effect.
Social cognitive influences on self-regulated learning: The impact of action-control beliefs and academic goals on achievement-related outcomes

Abstract The present study extended Elliot and Church's (1997) model of approach and avoidance motivation to a sample of 120 middle school children (Grades 5–7). It was predicted that academic goals (Performance-Approach, Performance-Avoidance, and Mastery) would mediate the relationship between action-control beliefs (Agency for Ability, Effort, Luck, Others, and Control Expectancy Beliefs) and achievement-related outcomes (Intrinsic Motivation, Test Anxiety, and Academic Achievement). Path analyses revealed that academic goals, (a) mediated the relationship between action-control beliefs and intrinsic motivation; (b) partially mediated the relationship between action-control beliefs and test anxiety; and (c) did not mediate the relationship between action-control beliefs and academic achievement. These findings suggest that the strength of the mediational relationship varied as a function of achievement-related outcome. Furthermore, analyses revealed that minority student differences in achievement were mediated by individual differences in action-control beliefs, specifically, beliefs regarding personal ability and likelihood of academic success. These results suggest that minority student variability in academic achievement may be a function of commensurate differences in action-control beliefs. Implications for intervention and a general social cognitive model of self-regulated learning are discussed.
Image Processing by the Human Eye

Image processing by the eye is treated as a classical example of concatentated linear filters followed by a sampling operation. The first filter is optical and is characterized by an optical point-spread function. The second filter is neural and is characterized by the neural point-spread function, which is shown to be related to the receptive fields of retinal neurons. Sampling renders the internal "neural image" a discrete signal subject to the effects of aliasing. Conditions responsible for aliasing are formulated in terms of the amount of overlap of retinal samplers. Evidence of aliasing in human vision is presented along with a simulation of an aliased neural image in the peripheral visual field.
Dryer Effluent Monitoring in a Chemical Pilot Plant via Fiber-Optic Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

The monitoring of the effluent of a rotary dryer has been developed and implemented. The vapor stream between the dryer and the vacuum is monitored in real time by a process fiber-optic coupled near-infrared (NIR) spectrometer. A partial least-squares (PLS) calibration model was developed on the basis of solvents typically used in a chemical pilot plant and uploaded to an acousto-optic tunable filter NIR (AOTF-NIR). The AOTF-NIR is well suited to process monitoring as it electrically scans a crystal and hence has no moving parts. The AOTF-NIR continuously fits the PLS model to the currently collected spectrum. The returned values can be used to follow the drying process and determine when the material can be unloaded from the dryer. The effluent stream was monitored by placing a gas cell in-line with the vapor stream. The gas cell is fiber-optic coupled to a NIR instrument located 20 m away. The results indicate that the percent vapor in the effluent stream can be monitored in real time and thus be used to determine when the product is free of solvent.
Determination of size, refractive index, and dispersion of single droplets from wavelength-dependent scattering spectra.

Intensities of light scattered in the planes parallel and perpendicular to the polarization plane of the incident light are used to determine the size, refractive index, and dispersion of a single droplet suspended in an electrodynamic balance. Wavelengths of TE- and TM-mode resonances are determined independently with high precision when a ring dye laser is scanned. Resonating wavelengths are matched with theoretical intensity peaks to determine the constants of a dispersion formula and the size that minimizes the difference between observed and calculated wavelengths. The procedure permits the determination of the size and refractive index with relative errors of 3 × 10−5 and dispersion with an absolute error of 2 × 10−5 over the experimental spectral range.
Employee Stock Ownership Plans and Productivity in Japanese Manufacturing Firms

By using a large new enterprise-level data set, and evidence drawn from case studies, we show that Japanese employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) are a pervasive and neglected institution. In 1988, more than 90% of all firms listed on Japanese stock markets had an ESOP, and close to 50% of the labour force in firms with ESOPs participated in the plan. Micro data and a production function framework are used to examine the effects on business performance of ESOPs. On average, the net effect of introducing an ESOP is to increase productivity by almost 7%.
Proton Conductivity in Nafion® 117 and in a Novel Bis[(perfluoroalkyl)sulfonyl]imide Ionomer Membrane

A study of proton conductivity in a commercial sample of Nation® 117 and a structurally similar bis[(perfluoroalkyl)sulfonyl]imide ionomer membrane under variable temperature and humidity conditions is reported. The sulfonyl imide ionomer was synthesized using a novel redox‐initiated emulsion copolymerization method, and conductivities were measured using a galvanostatic four‐point‐probe electrochemical impedance spectroscopy technique. Both materials exhibited a strong dependence of conductivity on temperature and humidity, with conductivity in both cases being strongly diminished with decreasing humidity (at constant temperature) and increasing temperature (at constant water partial pressure). The observed behavior is consistent with a "liquid‐like" mechanism of proton conductivity whereby protons are transported as hydrated hydronium ions through water‐filled pores and channels in the ionomer.
Transport issues in focused electron beam chemical vapor deposition

Abstract In this contribution we critically review heat and mass transfer issues in the Focused Electron Beam Chemical Vapor Deposition (FEB-CVD). In general, the transport of both the precursor molecules and the primary/secondary electrons facilitate nanostructure deposition. Depending on the operating pressure either continuous advection–diffusion mass conservation equation or the kinetic Boltzmann Transport Equation (BTE) describes the transport of precursor molecules to the substrate surface. At the surface, some of the precursor molecules are adsorbed, spatially re-distributed by surface diffusion, and, finally, a fraction of the adsorbed molecules become converted into a solid deposit. This occurs upon interaction with back-scattered primary electrons and secondary electrons, yielded by the substrate and deposit upon impingement of the high-energy primary electron beam. The interactions of the primary electrons with the substrate and nanoscale-confined deposit possibly induce significant localized heating. Such energy transfer process is complex, involves non-classical heat conduction, and may greatly influence the deposition process. The pertinent question is then what controls the FEB-CVD process, i.e., both time dependent growth of the nanostructure and its shape evolution? The answer to this question can be obtained via complimentary theoretical and experimental studies, discussed here with the main focus on transport phenomena underlying FEB-CVD.
Post-spate development of epilithic algal communities in different current environments

Development of epilithic algal communities was monitored in fast- (29 cm∙s−1) and slow-current (12 cm∙s−1) outdoor experimental stream channels for 33 d following a simulated spate. Disturbance red...
Reductions in bone strength after fluoride treatment are not reflected in tissue-level acoustic measurements

Acoustic velocity measurements are used to estimate tissue-level bone strength after fluoride therapy for osteoporosis. However, acoustic measurements provide information about elasticity, not strength, and bone elasticity does not necessarily correlate with bone strength at a tissue level. The current study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of fluoride treatment on tissue-level acoustic velocities, and to determine the relationship between acoustic velocity and bone strength measured in the femur, femoral neck, and spine. Young adult rabbits were treated with either 0 or 100 parts per million of fluoride in their drinking water for six months. After treatment, the bones were harvested for measurement of tissue fluoride, bone strength, and acoustic properties. Acoustic velocities were measured in the femoral midshaft using an acoustic microscope with a 50 MHz transducer. Both longitudinal and transverse velocities were measured. After the initial acoustic measurements the bone specimens were treated to remove either the organic matrix or mineral, and the acoustic measurements were repeated. Fluoride treatment increased bone fluoride levels 7-8 fold and reduced all biomechanical parameters. Most notably the fracture force of the femoral neck was reduced by 25% (p 2 MHz) acoustic measurements for evaluating the efficacy of fluoride therapy, especially in the hip.
Phosphatidylserine and FVa Regulate FXa Structure

Human coagulation FXa (Factor Xa) plays a key role in blood coagulation by activating prothrombin to thrombin on 'stimulated' platelet membranes in the presence of its cofactor FVa (Factor Va). PS (phosphatidylserine) exposure on activated platelet membranes promotes prothrombin activation by FXa by allosterically regulating FXa. To identify the structural basis of this allosteric regulation, we used FRET to monitor changes in FXa length in response to (i) soluble short-chain PS [C6PS (dicaproylphosphatidylserine)], (ii) PS membranes, and (iii) FVa in the presence of C6PS and membranes. We incorporated a FRET pair with donor (fluorescein) at the active site and acceptor (Alexa Fluor® 555) at the FXa N-terminus near the membrane. The results demonstrated that FXa structure changes upon binding of C6PS to two sites: a regulatory site at the N-terminus [identified previously as involving the Gla (γ-carboxyglutamic acid) and EGFN (N-terminus of epidermal growth factor) domains] and a presumptive protein-recognition site in the catalytic domain. Binding of C6PS to the regulatory site increased the interprobe distance by ~3 A (1 A=0.1 nm), whereas saturation of both sites increased the distance by a further ~6.4 A. FXa binding to a membrane produced a smaller increase in length (~1.4 A), indicating that FXa has a somewhat different structure on a membrane from when bound to C6PS in solution. However, when both FVa2 (a FVa glycoform) and either C6PS- or PS-containing membranes were bound to FXa, the overall change in length was comparable (~5.6-5.8 A), indicating that C6PS- and PS-containing membranes in conjunction with FVa2 have comparable regulatory effects on FXa. We conclude that the similar functional regulation of FXa by C6PS or membranes in conjunction with FVa2 correlates with similar structural regulation. The results demonstrate the usefulness of FRET in analysing structure-function relationships in FXa and in the FXa·FVa2 complex.
Needle-type environmental microsensors: design, construction and uses of microelectrodes and multi-analyte MEMS sensor arrays

The development of environmental microsensor techniques is a revolutionary advance in the measurement of both absolute levels and changes in chemical species in the field of environmental engineered and natural systems. The tiny tip (5?15 ?m diameter) of microsensors makes them very attractive experimental tools for direct measurements of the chemical species of interest inside biological samples (e.g., biofilm, flocs). Microelectrodes fabricated from pulled micropipettes (e.g., dissolved oxygen, oxidation?reduction potential, ion-selective microelectrode) have contributed to greater understanding of biological mechanisms for decades using microscopic monitoring, and currently microelectromechanical system (MEMS) microfabrication technologies are being successfully applied to fabricate multi-analyte sensor systems for in situ monitoring. This review focuses on needle-type environmental microsensor technology, including microelectrodes and multi-analyte MEMS sensor arrays. Design, construction and applications to biofilm research of these sensors are described. Practical methods for biofilm microprofile measurements are presented and several in situ applications for a biofilm study are highlighted. Ultimately, the developed needle-type microsensors combined with molecular biotechnology (such as microscopic observation with fluorescent probes) show the tremendous promise of micro-environmental sensor technology.
Open and free deliberation: A prerequisite for positive design

Success in designing organizations and management with a positive lens will require multiple forms of positive inquiry. We introduce the model of Deliberative Inquiry based on Habermas' Theory of Communicative Action as a way to create an additional form of positive inquiry. We argue that Deliberative Inquiry and Appreciative Inquiry naturally complement and support each other in providing a suitable approach to positive design. Whereas the flagship contribution of Appreciative Inquiry is a breakaway from deficit-oriented thinking and a focus on life-generating forces, Deliberative Inquiry's hallmark is the elimination of artificially imposed constraints through rational discourse. Appreciative Inquiry seeks strengths from positive emotions, while Deliberative Inquiry employs positive critique to unmask barriers to change and arrive at morally, ethically and pragmatically sound decisions by mutual and authentic agreement. We conclude by raising some guiding questions for the possibility of providing computer support for such inquiring systems.