cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Achieving maximum-efficiency tracking control for backlight electronic ballast with phase-locked loop techniques

Single-stage electronic ballast with maximum-efficiency tracking is proposed in this paper. The original backlight system incorporates a phase-locked loop (PLL) as a feedback mechanism to promote the system efficiency and stability. To overcome the drawbacks of conventional electromagnetic transformer and miniaturize the backlight module, the piezoelectric transformer (PT) is adopted for driving the cold cathode fluorescent lamp. In addition, the PLL is used to track the optimal operating frequency of PT for achieving maximum output efficiency. The feedback parameter used in the presented system is the phase component instead of the lamp current amplitude utilized traditionally. Simple model and design procedures are both constructed by reasonable parameter simplification and combination schemes. Complete analysis and design considerations are discussed in detail in this paper. Experimental results are close to the theoretical prediction.
Control reconfigurability-based placement strategy for FACTS devices

This paper considers the placement of Flexible AC transmission system devices into power systems with a criterion of maintaining a prescribed level of control reconfigurability. Control reconfigurability in this paper measures the small signal combined controllability and observability of a power system with an additional requirement on tolerance to loss of measurement data in any single measurement unit in the system, which have not been considered in the existing works. Control device placement is formulated as an optimization problem of finding a minimum number of new control devices to meet a prescribed control reconfigurability threshold. A binary search algorithm and a genetic algorithm are applied to Thyristor Controlled Series Compensators into a number of IEEE test systems. More specifically, Placement results for 14, 30, 57 and 118-bus IEEE test systems are presented.
Seed dispersal by a diurnal primate community in the Dja Reserve, Cameroon

Multiple species of primate disperse seeds and differentially contrib- ute to the seed rain in tropical forests. The goal of this study was to examine seed dispersal by a primate community of five monkey and two ape species in the Dja Reserve, Cameroon. The density of primates in the reserve was calculated to be 77 individuals km −2 . Analysis of 5789 faecal clumps demonstrated that 40% of monkey and 74% of ape faecal clumps possessed whole seeds. Six of the seven focal species acted as seed dispersers; faecal clumps passed by the black-and-white colobus (Colobus guereza) did not contain any whole seeds during the study. Seed passage trials on four captive monkey species showed monkeys to have an average seed passage time of 22 hours and defecation rate of five times per day. From the above results, the primate community was estimated to defecate 1129 seeds km −2 d −1 . Seeds passed by the primate community came from 125 species of trees, lianas and shrubs, equivalent to at least 34% of the known tree flora. Rarefaction curves indicated that additional collection effort would identify more seed species passed by primates. Germination studies demonstrated that primate-passed seeds are viable. The number of seeds and plant species dispersed suggests that the primate community plays an important role in the maintenance of forest structure.
Evaluation of Possible Carcinogenicity of Petroleum Products in Therapeutic Use

Many industrial products in common medicinal and cosmetic use vary widely in chemical composition. While some samples are highly refined, others might be much less so. This is certainly true of a residual material from petroleum fractionation such as petrolatum, for which there are no criteria other than color, oil content and similar physical characteristics.
Blood flow in the capillary bed.

Abstract From arteries to veins, the blood has to go through the ‘capillary’ blood vessels. These blood vessels are so small that often their diameter is smaller than that of the red blood cells. Intimate interactions occur, therefore, between the blood cells and the blood vessels. A general survey of recent works on capillary blood flow is given in this article. Some details are presented for two problems: the problem of deformation of the flexible red blood cells, their motion in the capillary blood vessels, and the pressure drop due to the red cell blood vessel interaction; and the problem of the flow of plasma ‘bolus’ between neighboring red cells. The solution supplies many details about the microcirculation phenomenon. Taken together, a method is offered for the calculation of pressure drop in the capillary as a function of various physical parameters: the red cell volume per unit blood volume, (hematocrit), the ratio of the cell diameter to the blood vessel diameter, the ratio of the length of the blood vessel to its length, the volume of individual red cells, and a parameter relating the cell membrane elasticity, plasma viscosity and the cell velocity.
Recyclable magnetite nanoparticle catalyst for one-pot conversion of cellobiose to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural in water

Environmentally benign and easily recoverable magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) were demonstrated to catalyze the one-pot conversion of cellobiose, a glucose disaccharide, to 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF). The conversion was achieved in water under hydrothermal conditions. The catalytic activity of Fe3O4 NPs surpassed those of iron (II) and iron (III) chlorides in this reaction. Optimized cellobiose conversion reactions catalyzed with Fe3O4 NPs gave the highest 5-HMF yields of 23.4 ± 0.6% at 160°C for 24 hours. After three reuses, the Fe3O4 NP catalyst retained its catalytic activity with similar 5-HMF yields, demonstrating the recyclability of this eco-friendly catalyst in water.
HYDROPHOBIC ADSORPTION CHROMATOGRAPHY OF PEACH POLYPHENOL OXIDASE

Peach fruit polyphenol oxidase, both crude and pure preparations, were found to adsorb to Phenyl Sepharose, 4-phenylbutylamine Sepharose, CBZ-phenylalanine-TETA-alkyl Sepharose, octyl- and decyl-agarose columns. The enzyme showed no affinity to amino-alkyl agaroses, hydrophobic media with terminal phenol, amino, or carboxyl groups on the ligands. The enzyme is weakly hydrophobic and can be purified and characterized with hydrophobic chromatography. Phenyl Sepharose CL-4B columns gave the best separation of isoenzyme forms of the enzyme probably due to biospecitic effect in addition to the hydrophobic interactions.
When in Rome: the exercise of power by foreign multinational companies in the United States1

Multinational corporations exercise power in the United States by integrating themselves into the US economic and legal systems, not by interfering with them. Firms take advantage of the relatively deregulated labour market in the United States and its ‘at-will’ employment relations, compared with ‘just cause’ requirements elsewhere. Many multinational companies also adopt US management-style behaviour towards trade unions, notwithstanding their publicly declared support for global norms on workers’ freedom of association. They exploit US labour laws that violate international standards and interfere with trade union formation. Case studies examine several examples of this ‘when in Rome’ anti-union phenomenon. At the same time, some counter-examples of companies that adhere to ILO core standards are offered. The conclusion contains recommendations for securing multinational companies’ respect for workers’ freedom of association in the United States, including application of ILO core standards, UN Guiding ...
A systematic review of psychosocial factors affecting survival after bone marrow transplantation.

An electronic database search identified 15 studies of psychosocial factors affecting survival after bone marrow transplantation. The studies were assessed for methodological quality by two reviewers using the procedures of Bland and colleagues. Although some studies found that psychological variables affect survival after bone marrow transplantation, the reviewers’ analysis of the methodologically sound studies suggested that survival after bone marrow transplantation is not substantively affected by depressed mood or other psychopathology in adults or by social support in adults or children. Longer survival may be related to lower “anxious preoccupation,” higher “fighting spirit,” and better quality of life ratings before and soon after transplant in adults. Overall, however, the literature is insufficiently developed to provide definitive evidence for a relationship between psychological variables and survival after bone marrow transplantation. Future primary studies in this area should be designed to maximize replicability and generalizability.
Précis of Shared agency: a planning theory of acting together

We have an important capacity to act together, a capacity for shared intentional activity. Such shared activities are important in our lives. They are important instrumentally: think about the usefulness of shared conversation. And they are important to us non-instrumentally: think about the joys of shared conversation. A theory of human thought and action needs to be, in part, a theory of human thinking and acting together. Shared intentional activity of the sort of interest here is not merely strategic interaction. Walking together (in Margaret Gilbert’s wonderful example) is not merely walking alongside each other. But shared intentional activity also need not be embedded in a framework of promises or the like: think of Hume’s rowers who row together ‘‘tho’ they have never given promises to each other.’’ My focus in this book is on small-scale cases of shared intentional activity that need not be embedded in a larger institution and that do not involve asymmetric authority relations. I focus on duets rather than orchestras with conductors. I call such small-scale cases of shared intentional activity cases of modest sociality. Some have supposed that an adequate theory of modest sociality will need to draw on conceptual, metaphysical, and/or normative resources that go significantly beyond those that are central to our understanding of individual intentional agency. For example, John Searle believes that we will need to appeal to a fundamentally new state of the minds of participants: we-intention. And Margaret Gilbert believes that we will need to appeal to a fundamentally new inter-relation of joint
Editorial: studies of the development of emotion-cognition relations

Abstract This issue of Cognition and Emotion is devoted to studies of the development of emotion-cognition relations. children's knowledge of the causes of emotions, and the relations of that knowledge to expectations or anticipations of emotion experiences. The studies show that infants of seven months display different expressive behaviours to confirmed and disconfirmed expectations; that the first words of 13-month-olds are not coordinated with expressions of joy or negative emotions and 19-month-olds vocabulary spurts contain very few emotion labels; that 3- to 7-year-olds can label their emotions and understand relations among beliefs, desires, and emotion experiences; and that understandings of relations among causal attributions and emotion experiences are stable over the life span. These findings suggest interesting possibilities for research on developmental processes that integrate emotion, cognition, and action.
Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia in common variable immunodeficiency syndrome.

A 26-year-old woman with common variable immunodeficiency syndrome (CVID) associated with frequent episodes of pneumonia underwent an open lung biopsy showing bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP). Following corticosteroid therapy, there were no further episodes of pneumonia. In addition, there was roentgenographic and gas exchange improvement. This is the first case of BOOP in association with CVID. An immunologic basis of BOOP is postulated. (Chest 1991; 100:552-53)
Permian Hyolithida from Australia: The Last of the Hyoliths?

Class hyolitha Marek, 1963 encompassing the Order Hyolithida Sysoev, 1957 (Early Cambrian to Upper Permian) and Order Orthothecida Marek, 1966 (Early Cambrian to Early Devonian) consists of a group of conical, calcareous-shelled invertebrates of controversial affinity. One opponent view holds that hyoliths may be reasonably accommodated under the Phylum Mollusca (Malinky and Yochelson, 2007 and references therein), whereas another supports separate phylum status under the name Hyolitha (Pojeta, 1987 and references therein). Hyolith abundance and diversity attain a maximum in the Cambrian, followed by a progressive decline up to their Permian extinction (Fisher, 1962; Wills, 1993). Their demise was part of the extinction event of the Late Permian/Early Triassic. The cause(s) of this event remains controversial (Erwin et al., 2002), and no imprint remains in the geologic record of the specific circumstances surrounding the disappearance of the hyoliths, though it is highly probable that reduced population size was a contributing factor. Given the overall rarity of Late Paleozoic hyoliths, every occurrence is worthy of note to better understand patterns of hyolith diversity and abundance in the Late Paleozoic, the geographic and stratigraphic distribution of hyolith taxa and circumstances related to their extinction. The species from the Upper Permian described herein is among the youngest, if not the youngest, members of class Hyolitha. All specimens are housed at the Natural History Museum (USNM), Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Hyoliths in the Late Paleozoic appear to have been rare components of normal marine, benthic invertebrate assemblages, and only nine species have been reported from the Permian (Morris in Strzelecki, 1845; Geinitz, 1861; Sinclair, 1946; Fisher, 1962; Gonzalez and Sabattini, 1972; Pagani et al., 2002). The species to which all specimens described herein were initially assigned, Theca lanceolatus Morris ( in Strzelecki, 1845) was the third hyolith species named and …
Enhancement and modeling of microparticle-added Rhizopus oryzae lactic acid production

Lactic acid has a wide industrial application area and can be produced by fungal strains. However, excessive bulk growth form of fungi during the fermentations is a major problem, which limits the fermentation performance. Microparticles are excellent tools to prevent bulk fungal growth and provide homogenized fermentation broth to increase uniformity and the prediction performance of the models. Therefore, in this study, addition of aluminum oxide and talcum microparticles into fermentations was evaluated to enhance the production of lactic acid by Rhizopus oryzae. The results showed that the bulk fungal growth was prevented and the lactic acid concentration increased from 6.02 to 13.88 and 24.01 g/L, when 15 g/L of aluminum oxide or 10 g/L of talcum was used, respectively, in the shake-flask fermentations. Additionally, substrate concentration, pH, and agitation were optimized in the bioreactors using response surface methodology, and optimum values were determined as 126 g/L of glucose, 6.22 pH, and 387 rpm, respectively. Under these conditions, lactic acid production further increased to 75.1 ± 1.5 g/L with 10 g/L of talcum addition. Also, lactic acid production and glucose consumption in the batch fermentation were successfully modeled with modified Gompertz model and modified logistic model. RMSE and MAE values for lactic acid production were calculated as 2.279 and 1.498 for the modified Gompertz model; 3.6 and 4.056 for the modified logistic model. Additionally, modified logistic model predicted glucose consumption with -2.088 MAE and 2.868 RMSE, whereas these values were calculated as 2.035 and 3.946 for the modified Gompertz model.
Anger management may save your life new insights into emotional precipitants of ventricular arrhythmias.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of mortality, accounting for over 400,000 deaths annually in the U.S. alone ([1][1]). Most sudden cardiac arrests are due to ventricular tachycardia or ventricular fibrillation ([1][1]). Given the dismal survival statistics for out-of-hospital sudden cardiac
BASOLATERAL AMILORIDE-SENSITIVE NA+ TRANSPORT PATHWAY IN RAT TONGUE EPITHELIUM

1. Experiments were conducted to test for the presence of basolateral Na+ channels in the rat lingual epithelium. Researchers have proposed a model in which some lingual taste cells have Na+ channels in the basolateral membrane. That model is designed to account for the portion of the neural taste response and the portion of the transepithelial short-circuit current (Isc) in vitro that are insensitive to mucosal amiloride; some Na+ would diffuse across the tight junction into the cell via this lateral pathway, and would be transported out of the cell by Na+ pumps in the basal membrane. The model could also account for the differential effect of mucosal amiloride on Na+ salts of various anions, in which the neural taste responses to Na+ salts with anions larger than Cl- are more sensitive to mucosal amiloride than is the taste response to NaCl. 2. Voltage-clamp data were obtained from an in vitro preparation of the anterior-dorsal rat tongue epithelium in which the connective tissue was removed by enzyme digestion. Isc in a modified Ussing chamber was reduced by amiloride in the submucosal solution. 3. The pattern of sensitivity to submucosal amiloride differed in several respects from the pattern for mucosal amiloride. The inhibition constant (Ki) was 52 microM amiloride concentration, higher than for the apical amiloride-sensitive Na+ channel. The selectivity for Na+ over K+ was much less than for the response to mucosal amiloride; with 0.5 M NaCl or KCl on the mucosal side, the ratio of inhibition for the NaCl response to inhibition for the KCl response varied between 1 and 3. 4. As the concentration of NaCl in the mucosal solution was varied, submucosal amiloride caused little inhibition of Isc for mucosal NaCl below isosmotic concentration, with the percent inhibition increasing as mucosal salt concentration increased. With 0.5 M sodium gluconate in the mucosal solution, there was very little inhibition due to submucosal amiloride. 5. The results support the presence of amiloride-sensitive Na+ channels in the basolateral membranes of the dorsal tongue epithelium in rat, and are consistent with the proposed model in which these channels are present in taste cells.
Serum Complement Levels in the Albino Rat Effects of Periodic Bleedings.

SummaryThe distribution of hemolytic C'activity in 106 normal, adult, male rats and the effects of bleeding at weekly intervals for a period of 6 weeks were investigated. A mean value of 48 ± 11.3 (S.D.) C'H50 units was obtained for the normal group. A transient decrease in C'levels occurred only at the 4th bleeding. It was concluded that samples comprising 20% of the total blood volume may be obtained at weekly intervals without marked alterations in hemolytic C'activity.
On the Role of Bridge Laws in Intertheoretic Relations

What is the role of bridge laws in intertheoretic relations? An assumption shared by many views about these relations is that bridge laws enable reductions. In this article, I acknowledge the naturalness of this assumption, but I question it by presenting a context within thermal physics (involving phase transitions) in which the bridge laws, puzzlingly, seem to contribute to blocking the reduction.
Skeletal muscle myosin heavy-chain synthesis rate in healthy humans.

Mixed muscle protein synthetic rate has been measured in humans. These measurements represent the average of synthetic rates of all muscle proteins with variable rates. We determined to what extent the synthesis rate of mixed muscle protein in humans reflects that of myosin heavy chain (MHC), the main contractile protein responsible for the conversion of ATP to mechanical energy as muscle contraction. Fractional synthetic rates of MHC and mixed muscle protein were measured from the increment of [13C]leucine in these proteins in vastus lateralis biopsy samples taken at 5 and 10 h during a primed continuous infusion of L-[1-13C]leucine in 10 young healthy subjects. Calculations were done by use of plasma [13C]ketoisocaproate (KIC) and muscle tissue fluid [13C]leucine as surrogate measures of leucyl-tRNA. Fractional synthetic rate of MHC with plasma KIC (0.0299 +/- 0.0043%/h) and tissue fluid leucine (0.0443 +/- 0.0056%/h) were only 72 +/- 3% of that of mixed muscle protein (0.0408 +/- 0.0032 and 0.0603 +/- 0.0059%/h, respectively, with KIC and tissue fluid leucine). Contribution of MHC (7 +/- 1 mg.kg-1.h-1) to synthetic rates of whole body mixed muscle protein (36 +/- 5 mg.kg-1.h-1) and whole body protein (127 +/- 4 mg.kg-1.h-1) is only 18 +/- 1 and 5 +/- 1%, respectively. This relatively low contribution of MHC to whole body and mixed muscle protein synthesis warrants direct measurement of synthesis rate of MHC in conditions involving abnormalities of muscle contractile function.
Entropy and Learning

Recently, neural networks have attracted a lot of attention from the scientific community, as is witnessed by the large number of conferences on the subject, and the introduction of a dedicated journal (neural networks). It has become a truely interdisciplinary field, involving artificial intelligence, neurophysiology, psychology and statistical physics. One of the reasons for this success is the relative high performance of neural networks in a number of search and learning problems (e.g. the construction of associative memories[[1]], optimization[[2]], and classification[[3]]). These tasks are performed rather easily by the human brain, despite its relatively low processing speed (the time for a neuron to fire is in the range of msec, while it takes a fraction of a second to recognize a face). The widely accepted explanation for this fact is the high level of parallel processing in the brain, each neuron being connected to thousands of other neurons. This high connectivity is also the characteristic feature of what are called neural networks.
Theories of Juvenile Delinquency

This chapter provides an overview of the major theories that attempt to explain the etiology of juvenile delinquency. Philosophers and researchers have tried to explain the causes of juvenile delinquency since early Greek and Roman times, with theories ranging from a simple and straightforward rationale that indicates that a juvenile makes a rational choice to commit an illegal act to biologically based theories that maintain that certain youth have genetic or biological predispositions toward engaging in delinquent behaviors. The major theoretical perspectives regarding juvenile delinquency are discussed in this chapter, including classical theories, psychological theories, sociological theories, control theories, biological theories, and labeling theories. There is some empirical evidence to support various theories; however, few, if any, theories account for the complexity observed among juvenile offenders and the variety of risk factors found to be associated with delinquency and recidivism. In addition, few theories address the impact that cognitive, developmental, educational, and/or mental health disabilities may have on youth who engage in illegal acts. Nevertheless, theoretical explanations of juvenile delinquency are still important to consider when assessing a juvenile’s risk for reoffending, when conducting research on causal factors, and when developing empirically based intervention and prevention programs for at-risk and delinquent youth since such theories provide hypotheses regarding possible factors that contribute to juvenile delinquency.
[22] Receptor mRNA measurement by multiplex nuclease protection assay

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses receptor mRNA measurement by multiplex nuclease protection assay. The methods most commonly employed in mRNA analysis can be divided into four groups: (i) filter hybridization techniques, such as northern blot and dot blot; (ii) solution hybridization–nuclease protection; (iii) reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR); and (iv) in situ hybridization histochemistry. These techniques differ in a number of factors such as type of probe used, method of signal detection, type and amount of information obtained, specificity, background, sensitivity, quantitative accuracy, and sample handling. The types of probe most commonly used in hybridization techniques include DNA, RNA, and deoxyoligonucleotide probes. DNA and RNA probes, usually 100–1000 bases in length, are typically generated using a labeled nucleotide that is incorporated uniformly along the sequence. With deoxyoligonucleotide probes (usually 20–50 bases in length) the labeled nucleotide is added at the end of the molecule. Double-stranded DNA probes are commonly used in dot blot and northern blot analyses.
Time Cells in Hippocampal Area CA3.

Studies on time cells in the hippocampus have so far focused on area CA1 in animals performing memory tasks. Some studies have suggested that temporal processing within the hippocampus may be exclusive to CA1 and CA2, but not CA3, and may occur only under strong demands for memory. Here we examined the temporal and spatial coding properties of CA3 and CA1 neurons in rats performing a maze task that demanded working memory and a control task with no explicit working memory demand. In the memory demanding task, CA3 cells exhibited robust temporal modulation similar to the pattern of time cell activity in CA1, and the same populations of cells also exhibited typical place coding patterns in the same task. Furthermore, the temporal and spatial coding patterns of CA1 and CA3 were equivalently robust when animals performed a simplified version of the task that made no demands on working memory. However, time and place coding did differ in that the resolution of temporal coding decreased over time within the delay interval, whereas the resolution of place coding was not systematically affected by distance along the track. These findings support the view that CA1 and CA3 both participate in encoding the temporal and spatial organization of ongoing experience. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Hippocampal “time cells” that fire at specific moments in a temporally structured memory task have so far been observed only in area CA1, and some studies have suggested that temporal coding within the hippocampus is exclusive to CA1. Here we describe time cells also in CA3, and time cells in both areas are observed even without working memory demands, similar to place cells in these areas. However, unlike equivalent spatial coding along a path, temporal coding is nonlinear, with greater temporal resolution earlier than later in temporally structured experiences. These observations reveal both similarities and differences in temporal and spatial coding within the hippocampus of importance to understanding how these features of memory are represented in the hippocampus.
Here There Be Monsters

This chapter positions the Slender Man as a monster character in the genre of horror by contextualizing him through a mix of pre- and post-digital anxieties and cultural connotations: fear of blankness and the uncanny, faceless monsters of pop culture, “men in black,” patriarchal father figures, fairies and child kidnapping creatures, and selfie culture. This chapter also notes that the Slender Man was born in a similar web space and culture as the Occupy social movement and the hacktivist group Anonymous, and identifies the mutual anxieties that spurred the creation of all three.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in Public Health

A geographic information system (GIS) is a computer-based system that is capable of displaying, processing, or storing spatial data. Its core functions are data creation, data management, and data analysis and visualization. This article details each of these three core functions of a GIS, and discusses important considerations when using spatial data and some key public health applications of GIS. During the past 20 years, there has been exponential growth in the use of spatial information in public health studies and an increased attention understanding how place and spatial context are important for many public health issues.
Implications of earlier sea ice melt for phenological cascades in arctic marine food webs

Abstract Phenological cascades can occur in food webs when the timing of biological activity at one trophic level responds to timing at an adjacent trophic level. Such cascades may therefore be precipitated by changes in abiotic factors that constrain phenology. Arctic marine food webs comprise a series of coupled trophic interactions from primary producers to tertiary consumers under strong temporal control by the annual timing of sea ice melt onset, thinning, and retreat. Under recent climatic warming, the extent, thickness, and age of arctic sea ice have all declined markedly. Simultaneously, the annual timing of sea ice melt has advanced across the Arctic at a rate of − 2 days per decade, with individual regions experiencing advances in melt onset of nearly 25 to 30 days since 1979. This review highlights phenological sensitivity across trophic levels to earlier onset of the annual productive season in arctic marine food webs related to advancing timing of sea ice melt. Phenological dynamics are evident from organisms with the simplest life cycles in these food webs, algae and phytoplankton, to those with the most complex life cycles, bowhead and beluga whales. Phenological responses of arctic marine organisms to the timing of sea ice melt may, however, be stronger at lower trophic levels than at higher trophic levels. Under continued warming, maintenance of the integrity of arctic marine food webs will be sensitive not only to the increasing loss of sea ice cover during summer, but also to increasingly earlier timing of annual sea ice melt onset.
Effect of Five Surface Area-to-Sample Volume Ratios During Preliminary Incubation on The Bacterial Count of Raw Milk

Effects of ratio of surface area to volume of sample during preliminary incubation (PI) and of different plate incubation temperatures on bacterial counts of raw milk samples were studied. One hundred and twenty Grade A raw milk samples collected during a 10-month period were divided into five 100-ml aliquots and allotted to one of five surface area to volume ratios. The ratios during PI ranged from 0 cm2/100 ml to 149.74 cm2/100 ml. Following PI, pour plates of each treatment were incubated at 26, 30 and 32 C for 72 h. The Standard Plate Counts (SPC) ranged from 89 × 101 to 20 × 108/ml, with the SPC of 73.6% of the samples being less than 1 × 105/ml. Counts after PI tended to be higher as the plate incubation temperature decreased from 32 to 26 C and as the ratio of surface area to volume of sample increased. None of the differences between the counts for the 15 treatment-incubation temperatures was significant. Counts of 61 samples increased less than one log count during PI, while counts of 33 and 16 samples increased one to two log counts and over two log counts, respectively. The greater the SPC, the smaller the increase in count during PI. Of the 81 samples with SPC less than 1 × 105/ml, 29 had counts after PI that exceeded 2 × 105/ml.
Recording of Ion Channel Activity in Planar Lipid Bilayer Experiments

Planar lipid bilayer is an electrophysiological technique that enables study of functional activities of ion channels, porins, and other pore-forming molecular complexes. The main purpose of this method is to monitor ion channels’ behavior at the single molecule level in the artificial membranes. Here, I describe the details of this technique that will underline formation of the lipid bilayers and incorporation and activation of the ion channel protein.
Studies in Abnormal Human Sensitivity to Light:IV. Photoallergic Concept of Prurigo Aestivalis

The experimental investigation of prurigo aestivalis, eczema solare and urticaria photogenica has dealt chiefly with the physical aspects of light sensitivity and with metabolic changes. The allergic viewpoint has been stressed by only a few authors, namely, Duke, Jausion and Pages, Bernstein, and Sellei, under the terms "physical allergy," "photoallergoses" or "allergic light dermatoses." As yet little is definitely known about the photosensitizing substances which may be concerned in an allergic mechanism for production of light sensitization dermatoses. In the case of prurigo aestivalis particularly, one must depend on circumstantial evidence, so to speak, in an effort to establish its allergic relationship. I shall attempt this task through an analysis of the experimental and clinical findings of light hypersensitivity in this condition. In order to review briefly the rather new concepts of photosensitivity, I shall first define terms and discuss fundamental aspects of the problem. The photoallergic explanation of these phenomena will follow this discussion. It is generally agreed that there must be photosensitizing substances present in the skin of patients with photodermatoses, although they have not yet been identified. The disputed question is how these hypothetical substances act. The symptoms of hypersensitivity can be classified as toxic effects in the widest sense of the word; but there are several mechanisms of toxic action. The study of allergy has resulted in a profound change in the conceptions of toxicology. Relatively few years ago pharmacologists (Meyer and Gottlieb) spoke of the "hayfever-poison," and would include it in the system of poisons. Allergy distinguishes between pharmacological action (primary toxicity) and specific sensitization. The two mechanisms are basically different and have to be distinguished for the theoretical understanding. In reality, they are frequently combined. It should be understood that substances cannot be generally divided into poisons and allergens; it is the way in which they act as primary toxins in one case, and as allergens in the other. The double role which drugs like arsenicals, sulfonamides, play in this respect, is well known (Sulzberger, Brunsting).
V. S. Naipaul's A House for Mr. Biswas: Poetics of History, Biography, Modernity and Culture

(2005). V. S. Naipaul's A House for Mr. Biswas: Poetics of History, Biography, Modernity and Culture. South Asian Review: Vol. 26, 'V.S Naipaul: His ideas, work and art'. Guest Edited by P. A. Chauhan, pp. 19-39.
Predicting Unauthorized Salvadoran Migrants’ First Migration to the United States between 1965 and 2007:

Although Salvadoran emigration to the United States is one of the most important migratory flows emanating from Latin America, there is insufficient information about the predictors of first unauthorized migration from El Salvador to the United States. In this study, we use data from the Latin American Migration Project–El Salvador (LAMP-ELS4) to perform an event history analysis to discern the factors that influenced the likelihood that a Salvadoran household head would take a first unauthorized trip to the United States between 1965 and 2007. We take into account a series of demographic, social capital, human capital, and physical capital characteristics of the Salvadoran household head; demographic and social context variables in the place of origin; as well as economic and border security factors at the place of destination.Our findings suggest that an increase in the Salvadoran civil violence index and a personal economic crisis increased the likelihood of first-time unauthorized migration. Salvadora...
Covalent binding of leukotriene A4 to nucleosides, nucleotides, and nucleic acids.

The chemical reactivity of leukotriene A4 (LTA4) is widely appreciated following the detailed studies of its stability in aqueous solutions, solutions containing organic solvents, and solutions containing albumin [1]. The half-life of LTA4 is less than one second unless a stabilizing substance is present in aqueous buffers. This has led to the concept that intracellular LTA4 exists only for a brief period of time before it is either nonenzymatically hydrolyzed to 6-trans-LTB4 isomers or converted by LTA4 hydrolase or LTC4 synthase into the biologically active leukotrienes, LTB4 and LTC4, respectively [[2]]. The reactivity of LTA4 is due to its electrophilic character and within the cell various nucleophiles are present including nucleic acids which could, in theory, donate electrons into the conjugated triene epoxide moiety of LTA4.
The Axiom of Specification

All the basic principles of set theory, except only the axiom of extension, are designed to make new sets out of old ones. The first and most important of these basic principles of set manufacture says, roughly speaking, that anything intelligent one can assert about the elements of a set specifies a subset, namely, the subset of those elements about which the assertion is true.
Physiology of Prokaryotic Cells

Although prokaryotic cells typically consist only of DNA, cytoplasm, a lipid membrane and a cell wall, they perform all the essential functions of simple organisms and have diverged extensively in molecular and functional terms. All prokaryotic cells maintain a proton potential across the cytoplasmic membrane, but use a range of biochemical strategies to regenerate ATP and to scavenge nutrients from the extracellular environment. Prokaryotic cells alter their biochemical composition in response to environmental change and stress, using various mechanisms of sensing and genetic regulation. Specific cellular properties enable a few bacteria to cause disease, whereas diverse bacteria and archaea have physiological features that enable them to thrive in environments lethal to other organisms.
Abstract 19697: Highly-Efficient in vivo Knock-Down of Ubiquitously Expressed eGFP in the Murine Heart with siRNA Delivered by a Pseudotyped AAV9 Vector

Introduction: AAV9 is a potent gene delivery system that has been shown to preferentially transduce the heart over other tissues. We hypothesized that systemic administration of an AAV9 vector expressing siRNA against eGFP would inhibit gene expression in transgenic mice that express eGFP from the human ubiquitin C promoter (ubc-GFP). Methods: An AAV genome expressing siRNA against eGFP from the mouse U6 promoter was constructed and tested in vitro by cotransfecting it into 293 cells with a plasmid expressing eGFP. Microscopy, fluorimetric analysis using an Optima plate reader, real-time RT-PCR, and Western blotting were used to assess eGFP expression in vitro. The same AAV genome was cross-packaged into AAV9 capsids and injected intracardiac into 8-day old ubc-GFP mice in doses ranging from 10 10 to 10 11 vp/mouse (2-3 mice/group in 3 groups). Control ubc-GFP mice were injected with saline (n=2). Hearts were collected 4 wks after injection, frozen, sectioned and examined by microscopy. To compare eGFP expression, mean fluorescence intensity was measured with ImageJ in 16 distinct regions of interest per mouse heart (>1000 myocytes assessed per heart). Results: In vitro results (Panels A-B) indicated a 55% knock-down as assessed by real-time PCR (p Conclusion: AAV9 vectors expressing siRNA can be used to achieve cardiac-selective and highly-efficient knock-down of cardiac gene expression in vivo.
Variation in age-dependent nest predation between island and continental Rufous Fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons) subspecies

ABSTRACT Comparative studies of nest predation and identification of nest predators promote understanding of the selective environment that shapes avian life histories. Due to the low diversity of native mammalian and reptilian predators on oceanic islands, insular forest birds are assumed to incur lower nest predation rates than related continental species. We studied correlates of nest predation in insular and continental subspecies of Rufous Fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons) found on the island of Rota and in eastern Australia. Overall, daily survival rate (DSR) was similar between study sites, but egg stage DSR (laying and incubation) was higher in Australia than on Rota while nestling stage DSR was higher on Rota than in Australia. DSR was negatively related to nest age in Australia and the magnitude of this relationship varied by year. On Rota, DSR was higher in the nestling stage than during the egg stage and also higher on our study plot where Mariana Crows (Corvus kubaryi)—the principal nest predator...
The parallel agile process: Applying parallel processing techniques to software engineering

Abstract For the last 4 years, we have been experimenting with the parallel agile (PA) approach. PA achieves significant schedule compression by leveraging parallelism; large teams of developers ca...
Idiopathic Rotational Abnormalities of the Lower Extremities in Children and Adults.

Rotational malalignment of the lower extremity is a potential cause of hip, knee, and ankle pain.Physical examination must include observation of gait and an assessment of femoral rotation and the thigh-foot axis with the patient prone.Advanced imaging helps to quantify the degree of deformity, impr
Scanning thermal probe calibration for accurate measurement of thermal conductivity of ultrathin films

Scanning thermal microscopy allows thermal characterization with nanoscale resolution. However, quantitative usage has been met with skepticism, because no standard exists for calibrating probe–sample thermal exchange. In this paper, three published strategies for calibrating probe–sample thermal exchange are directly compared, then used to measure bulk and thin-film thermal conductivity. It is shown that with an appropriately calibrated probe and film-on-substrate heat conduction model, thermal conductivity values of ultrathin-film (2.9–202 nm) Al2O3 on silicon are within 20% deviation of independently measured values, while more commonly used methods yield values that may deviate by more a factor of two.
Antiviral Consideration for Transplantation Including Drug Resistance

Antiviral therapy is required in the transplant setting for viral infections that arise from preexisting latent or persistent infection in the recipient and/or donor as well as from nosocomial or community sources. A preventive or prophylactic antiviral approach where feasible is preferable to the treatment of symptomatic viral disease. Acute infections need prompt diagnosis and antiviral treatment for the best outcome. Selection of antiviral therapy involves multiple considerations including potential benefit, toxicity, logistical complexity, and the possibility of drug resistance. This chapter reviews antiviral drug therapy for the most common viruses affecting transplant recipients: herpesviruses including herpes simplex virus, varicella-zoster virus, and cytomegalovirus, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and hepatitis viruses B and C. The mechanism of action, major pharmacologic features, therapeutic uses related to transplant recipients, and genetic pathways of antiviral drug resistance are described for the FDA-approved drugs and some experimental compounds in late stage clinical trial.
Climatic controls on peatland black spruce growth in relation to water table variation and precipitation

Prior research has demonstrated the importance of water limitations and increasing temperatures on upland black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] B.S.P.) tree growth, which is a dominant component of the North American boreal forest. However, little work has been done to investigate the connectivity between growth and hydro‐climate in peatland black spruce systems. The boreal forest is the largest global terrestrial biome and is highly threatened due to current and projected increases in temperatures for the northern latitudes. Here we explore the dynamics among annual black spruce growth, climate, and water table elevations using 45 years of in situ precipitation, temperature, and water table elevation coupled with dendrochronological analysis from six research peatlands at the Marcell Experimental Forest, MN, USA. From 1963 to 2010, we found weak relationships between water table elevation and black spruce growth at the six study sites. Instead, annual black spruce growth was most favourable during three climatic periods: (a) cool, moist conditions in mid‐summer; (b) warm mid‐spring temperatures; and (c) cool temperatures in the fall prior to the current growing season. The disconnect between black spruce growth and water table dynamics was surprising and suggests that either annual black spruce growth is minimally responsive to hydrological fluctuations at the timescale we analysed or there is great elasticity of black spruce growth to peatland water table and evapotranspiration dynamics under the range of hydrological fluctuations contained in our record.
Screening for occult lower-extremity deep vein thrombosis on admission to acute inpatient rehabilitation: A cross sectional, prospective study

Introduction and Background: Early detection and treatment of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) can decrease the morbidity of postthrombotic syndrome as well as the mortality and morbidity resulting from pulmonary embolism. Despite this risk, it is not the standard of care to screen patients for DVT on admission to an inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF). There are few studies examining the prevalence of occult DVT on admission to acute IRF and the effect of this screening. Guidelines for the prophylaxis of hospitalized patients have informed patient's care for years. Recently, however, the patient population in the inpatient rehabilitation hospitals has changed, and new prophylactic medications have been introduced. Given these changes, the study reviewed the frequency of lower-extremity DVT among consecutive patients admitted to a university-based freestanding rehabilitation facility. Materials and Methods: This pilot, prospective observational cross-sectional study was designed to better understand the prevalence of occult DVT among patients admitted to a freestanding IRF and to identify associated clinical factors. All consecutive patients admitted to our university-based IRF between October and December 2017, excluding those with a preexisting DVT diagnosis or the inability to undergo lower-extremity ultrasound, were consented. All patients were assessed with a bilateral duplex ultrasound of the lower extremities within 72 h of admission. Results: Of 98 patients screened, 47 (48.0%) were male and 51 (53.1%) were female, with a mean age of 61.4 (±14.2) years. The most common admission diagnoses were ischemic stroke (23.5%), debility/medical complexity (22.4%), and hemorrhagic stroke (11.2%). One patient was positive for a lower-extremity DVT on admission screening duplex ultrasound, yielding an incidence of 1.02%. Conclusions: Our study suggests that DVT screening by duplex ultrasound for all patients admitted to an acute IRF does not seem clinically warranted.
Guillain-Barré syndrome in children.

The Guillain-Barre syndrome is a pediatric neurologic emergency and the most common cause in children of rapidly evolving, usually flaccid, weakness with associated areflexia. Two treatable illnesses, namely tick paralysis and acute cord compression, demand immediate differential diagnosis. Rarely, poliomyelitis still mimics infantile Guillain-Barre syndrome. Specific precursor infections, such as Campylobacter jejuni, are now recognized to affect the clinical presentation of Guillain-Barre syndrome. Cerebrospinal fluid evaluation and electromyography are usually diagnostic; new modalities, such as anti-GM1 antibodies, magnetic resonance imaging, and magnetic stimulation, are being evaluated in childhood Guillain-Barre syndrome. Although most cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome have benign courses, all require initial respiratory and autonomic monitoring to prevent fatal outcomes. No well-controlled pediatric studies comparing plasmapheresis with intravenous immunoglobulin have occurred. Results of treatment with either modality are encouraging. A synopsis of these reports is included in this review.
Association of Social and Community Factors with U.S. Breastfeeding Outcomes.

Objective: To explore, in a large, nationally representative U.S. sample of children, potential independent associations between social and community factors and breastfeeding outcomes, using the S...