cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
INTERACTION OF WEAK ORGANIC ACIDS WITH INSOLUBLE POLYAMIDES. I. SORPTION OF SALICYLIC ACID BY NYLON 66.

Insoluble polyamides have been shown to bind various chemical agents having acidic hydrogens. To explore in more detail the interaction of an acidic drug, salicylic acid, with a specific polyamide (nylon 66), a study was undertaken to ascertain the influence of concentration, temperature, pH, and solvent composition on the sorption phenomenon. From the sorption studies, a number of physical constants were evaluated: ( a ) saturation value, ( b ) standard affinities, ( c ) heat of sorption, ( d ) apparent diffusion coefficients, and ( e ) activation energy of diffusion.
Learning styles and strategies for language use in the context of academic reading tasks

Abstract Although research has indicated that learning styles influence language learning strategy choices, many studies regard the two in isolation from each other. Additionally, most research in these areas is based on large-scale survey instruments that are removed from the context of language learning and use. This study represents an attempt to resolve these issues through two case studies of international students' learning strategy use on tasks in professional graduate programs in the US. Data gathered from interviews, documents, and task logs were analyzed first for strategy use on specific tasks, then for patterns that may indicate consistency according to learning style. The findings indicate that the participants' learning styles provide more predictability in strategy use on particular tasks than other factors such as discipline.
Electrochemical reduction of 2-bromothiazole at carbon cathodes in acetonitrile

Abstract Cyclic voltammetry and controlled-potential electrolysis have been employed to examine the electrochemical reduction of 2-bromothiazole at glassy carbon cathodes in acetonitrile containing tetramethylammonium tetrafluoroborate. At a scan rate of 100 mV s−1, a cyclic voltammogram for the reduction of 2-bromothiazole exhibits two irreversible waves; the first wave is due to the cleavage of the carbon–bromine bond, and the second wave is attributed to the reduction of thiazole. Bulk electrolyses of 2-bromothiazole at a potential corresponding to its first voltammetric wave afford thiazole quantitatively. In the absence of any deliberately added proton donor, the coulometric n value of 1.3 reveals that the reduction of 2-bromothiazole involves both radical and carbanion intermediates. However, the n value increases to essentially 2 when proton donors of increasing acidity and at higher concentrations are introduced. When acetonitrile-d3 is employed as the solvent, thiazole can undergo a base-catalyzed hydrogen-deuterium exchange to yield thiazole-2,5-d2. Using homogeneous redox catalysis, we have established that the DISP mechanism predominates over the ECE mechanism for the reduction of 2-bromothiazole and that the rate constant for decomposition of the electrogenerated radical-anion of 2-bromothiazole is 1.8×104 s−1.
Angiomyolipoma with vena caval extension.

69-year-old woman of the Jehovah’s Witness faith was found to have a mass on a computed tomography bone density scan done for osteoporosis. Computed tomography demonstrated a 10-cm right renal mass with a tumor thrombus extending to the level of the hepatic veins (Fig. 1). Both the computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans demonstrated fat within the tumor, consistent with an angiomyolipoma or a liposarcoma (Fig. 2). No metastatic disease was evident. A right radical nephrectomy was performed with a retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy and level II thrombectomy using a thoracoabdominal approach 1 (Fig. 3). Erythropoietin was given preoperatively, and her starting hematocrit was 50%. Vascular control was obtained intraoperatively by mobilizing the liver off the inferior vena
STEP—A System for Teaching Experimental Psychology using E-Prime

Students in psychology need to learn to design and analyze their own experiments. However, software that allows students to build experiments on their own has been limited in a variety of ways. The shipping of the first full release of the E-Prime system later this year will open up a new opportunity for addressing this problem. Because E-Prime promises to become the standard for building experiments in psychology, it is now possible to construct a Web-based resource that uses E-Prime as the delivery engine for a wide variety of instructional materials. This new system, funded by the National Science Foundation, is called STEP (System for the Teaching of Experimental Psychology). The goal of the STEP Project is to provide instructional materials that will facilitate the use of E-Prime in various learning contexts. We are now compiling a large set of classic experiments implemented in E-Prime and available over the Internet from http://step.psy.cmu.edu. The Web site also distributes instructional materials for building courses in experimental psychology based on E-Prime.
High Energy Density Nastic Materials: Parameters for Tailoring Active Response

The engineered active material considered mimics bulk deformation similar to nastic movements in the plant kingdom. Controlled transport of charge and fluid across a selectively permeable membrane employing biological processes is employed to achieve bulk deformation. The membrane may contain biological ion pumps, ion channels, and ion exchangers surrounding a spherical inclusion in a polymer matrix; in this study only ion pumps and exchangers are considered. This work examines parameters of significance to designs employing active materials, including free strain, blocked stress, impedance matched work, and rate of response. The effects of varying material design parameters, such as system geometry and membrane permeability are considered to aid in the custom design of an active material appropriate to a given application. Predictions suggest that the rate of initial response may be on the order of msec with impedance matched work in excess of 200 kJ/m3.
Nominal versus verbal morpheme use in late talkers at ages 3 and 4.

Late talkers with normal receptive language and typically developing peers matched at 24- to 31-month intake on socieoeconomic status and nonverbal cognitive skills were compared at age 3 (N=29, 20...
Small molecule derails translation initiation

Eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4A plays an essential role in translation initiation on most eukaryotic mRNAs by unwinding their secondary structure to permit ribosomal attachment and scanning. The natural product hippuristanol selectively inhibited eIF4A- and eIF4A-dependent modes of translation initiation.
Motion of shocks through interplanetary streams

A model for the motion of flare-generated shocks through interplanetary streams is presented which illustrates the effects of a stream-shock interaction on the shock strength and geometry. It is a gasdynamic calculation based on Whitham's (1958) method and on an empirical approximation for the relevant characteristics of streams. The results show that the Mach number of a shock can decrease appreciably to near unity in the interaction region ahead of streams and that the interaction of a spherically symmetric shock with a spiral-shaped corotating stream can cause significant distortions of the initial shock-front geometry. The geometry of a shock discussed by Lepping and Chao (1972) is qualitatively explained by this model.
Calcitonin and calcitonin gene-related peptide enhance calcium-dependent potentials

Recent data suggests that calcitonin (CT) and/or calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) may be potential transmitters or modulators in the nervous system. The present study analyzed the effect of CT and CGRP on the neuronal membranes of cat parasympathetic ganglia of the urinary bladder. The related peptides prolonged the duration of the afterhyperpolarization of the action potential but had no effect on resting potential or input resistance. CT and CGRP enhanced the duration of a calcium spike recorded in the presence of agents blocking Na and K channels while under similar conditions forskolin, an activator of adenylate cyclase, did not affect the calcium spike. These data suggest that the neural mechanism of action of CT and CGRP is to prolong a calcium conductance and that these effects are not mediated through cyclic AMP.
Common metabolites of N-nitroso-2,6-dimethylmorpholine and N-nitroso-bis(2-oxopropyl)amine in the Syrian hamster

Summary N -Nitroso-2,6-dimethylmorpholine (NDMM) administered intraperitoneally to Syrian hamsters was metabolized to N -nitroso(2-hydroxypropyl)(2-oxopropyl)amine (HPOP) and N -nitroso-bis(2-hydroxypropyl)-amine (BHP) which were identified in blood and urine. The potent pancreatic carcinogen N -nitroso-bis(2-oxopropyl)amine was previously shown to form the same metabolites. Preliminary results indicate that NDMM also induces pancreatic and other tumors in Syrian hamsters, similar to those found following BHP treatment.
Supervisory control for cost-effective redistribution of robotic swarms

Dynamic assignment and re-assignment of large number of simple and cheap robots across multiple sites is relevant to applications like autonomous survey, environmental monitoring and reconnaissance. In this paper, we present supervisory control laws for cost-effective (re)-distribution of a robotic swarm among multiple sites. We consider a robotic swarm consisting of tens to hundreds of simple robots with limited battery life and limited computation and communication capabilities. The robots have the capability to recognize the site that they are in and receive messages from a central supervisory controller, but they cannot communicate with other robots. There is a cost (e.g., energy, time) for the robots to move from one site to another. These limitations make the swarm hard to control to achieve the desired configurations. Our goal is to design control laws to move the robots from one site to another such that the overall cost of redistribution is minimized. This problem can be posed as an optimal control problem (which is hard to solve optimally), and has been studied to a limited extent in the literature when the cost objective is time. We consider the total energy consumed as the cost objective and present a linear programming based heuristic for computing a stochastic transition law for the robots to move between sites. We evaluate our method for different objectives and show through Monte Carlo simulations that our method outperforms other proposed methods in the literature for the objective of time as well as more general objectives (like total energy consumed).
Two-Dimensional Cancellation Neglect a Review and Suggested Method of Analysis

Abstract Directional bias on cancellation has thus far not been standardized. While cancellation tasks are primarily used to assess lateral performance asymmetries, they may also reveal two-dimensional (i.e., combined lateral and radial) neglect patterns. We propose a method to evaluate and report cancellation neglect regardless of whether the neglect pattern is strictly unilateral or two-dimensional. Our method establishes the location of the geographic center of all neglected stimuli relative to the page center by averaging their Cartesian coordinates. This “neglect center” is reported in polar coordinates to indicate its distance and direction from the page center. We apply our method to published examples of two-dimensional neglect. We find that neglect centers from different cancellation performances may not be statistically distinct even though they may occupy different quadrants. In addition, the net direction of neglect found by the coordinate method may differ from that inferred from measuring differences in quadrant omission totals. The suitability of the coordinate vs. the quadrant method will depend on the mechanism hypothesized for visuospatial exploration under particular test conditions. Using both approaches may detect different attentional biases operating during the same task. The coordinate method is appropriate for conventional cancellation testing. By incorporating the precise locations of all neglected stimuli and determining the net neglect direction in two dimensions, the technique may stimulate more comprehensive explanations for directional bias.
Evaluation of the Suggested Requirement of Six Amino Acids for the Commercial Laying Hen

Abstract Harms, R.H., Faria, D.E. and Russell, G.B. 2003. Evaluation of the suggested requirement of six amino acids for the commercial laying hen. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 23: 129–138. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the suggested requirement for Met, Lys, Trp, Val, Ile and Thr for the commercial laying hen. One diet was fed that contained approximately 90 to 95 per cent of the requirement for each of the above AA. A control diet was fed that contained more of all of the above AA than was required based on previous data. The performance of hens fed each of the deficient diets was 92 to 99 per cent of the performance of hen fed the control diet. These results indicate that previous estimates of the hen's requirement for the six critical AA are near the hen's requirement.
TLR4 Protein Contributes to Cigarette Smoke-induced Matrix Metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) Expression in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Cigarette smoke is the major risk factor associated with the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and alters expression of proteolytic enzymes that contribute to disease pathology. Previously, we reported that smoke exposure leads to the induction of matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) through the activation of ERK1/2, which is critical to the development of emphysema. To date, the upstream signaling pathway by which cigarette smoke induces MMP-1 expression has been undefined. This study demonstrates that cigarette smoke mediates MMP-1 expression via activation of the TLR4 signaling cascade. In vitro cell culture studies demonstrated that cigarette smoke-induced MMP-1 was regulated by TLR4 via MyD88/IRAK1. Blockade of TLR4 or inhibition of IRAK1 prevented cigarette smoke induction of MMP-1. Mice exposed to acute levels of cigarette smoke exhibited increased TLR4 expression. To further confirm the in vivo relevance of this signaling pathway, rabbits exposed to acute cigarette smoke were found to have elevated TLR4 signaling and subsequent MMP-1 expression. Additionally, lungs from smokers exhibited elevated TLR4 and MMP-1 levels. Therefore, our data indicate that TLR4 signaling, through MyD88 and IRAK1, plays a predominant role in MMP-1 induction by cigarette smoke. The identification of the TLR4 pathway as a regulator of smoke-induced protease production presents a series of novel targets for future therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
The pollution potential of rainfall runoff from a diary liquid waste disposal site

Abstract A field study was conducted at Southern Illinois University Dairy Center, Carbondale, Illinois, to evaluate the pollution potential of rainfall runoff, perched groundwater pollution and design criteria. Dairy liquid waste was applied daily, but alternated weekly to sites of reed canarygrass ( Phalaris arundinacea L.) and tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea ) Schreb.) on Hosmer silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, mesic Typic Fragiudalf) soil with a 3% east-facing slope. The highest loading rate for saturated soil conditions was 0·54 cm day −1 (5·4 liters m −2 day −1 ). The pollutants of the liquid dairy waste were reduced significantly, but not to acceptable levels, by flowing over the vegetative-soil filter to a distance of 30 m. The soil was a good purifier for the liquid effluent. During rainfall events, the average BOD 5 and PO 4 -P were reduced 96·3 and 97·1%, respectively after flowing 25 m beyond the filter area. However, these water quality parameters still exceeded the standard criteria. In a practical design situation, increasing the distance from the vegetative-soil filter would result in improved runoff water quality by dilution. A vegetative-soil filter can be an inexpensive and effective means for the disposal of liquid dairy waste.
Effect of Beta-propiolactone, Ultraviolet Irradiation, and Formalin on Sendai Virus Cell-fusion Factor

Beta-propiolactone (BPL) treatment of Sendai virus 20 × concentrate was the only method which completely destroyed virus infectivity leaving the cell-fusion factor essentially unaffected. Under conditions used in this study, formalin treatment resulted in residual infectivity and almost completely destroyed the fusion factor. Ultraviolet irradiation had no appreciable effect upon the fusion factor, however, residual infectivity was considerable. Storage for 6 months at −70°C in phosphate-bufferedsaline containing 0.5% bovine plasma albumin did not seem to affect Sendai virus hemagglutinin and infectivity. Although the fusion factor titer as measured by titration endpoints appeared unaffected by storage, the fusion in individual tube cultures caused by preparations stored for 6 months appeared less extensive than that seen after less storage.
SNAPSHOT ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY

Experimental improvements have been made in the UV-visible absorption spectroscopy technique applied to propellant flame diagnostics. The two-dimensional feature of an intensified charge-coupled device (CCD) detector was used to simultaneously record multiple, spatially distinct absorption spectra over a region of 0.35 cm. Temporal resolution has been increased to 1 ms by pulsing a simmering xenon arc lamp. The resulting increase in the light intensity by 30 to 70 times over the nonpulsed output provides the necessary light flux to achieve single-pulse, multiple absorption spectra. Species with low concentrations can be measured with the inclusion of multiple-pass optics to increase the effective pathlength through the combustion region. Due to broadband UV-visible absorption observed in propellant flame spectra, typically only 20% of the incident light is transmitted. However, inclusion of a neutral-density filter during the measurement of the incident intensity I0 allows the dynamic range of the detector to be effectively increased by a factor of 5. With these improvements, temperature and OH and NO concentration maps, with 1 ms temporal resolution, have been determined with two different propellant flames.
Lack of P16ink4a over expression in penile squamous cell carcinoma is associated with recurrence after lymph node dissection.

Purpose: There have been conflicting data in studies on the prognostic role of high risk human papillomavirus in penile squamous cell carcinoma. Using P16ink4a over expression as a surrogate marker for high risk human papillomavirus, we evaluated high risk human papillomavirus status with respect to various clinical features, including recurrence and overall survival, among others.Materials and Methods: P16ink4a over expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry for 119 consecutive patients with penile squamous cell carcinoma. Several variables were recorded including age, stage, histological grade, lymph node status, lymphovascular invasion, metastasis and recurrence. Median followup was 30 months.Results: P16ink4a over expression was detected in 49.5% (59 of 119) of samples. There was no significant difference between P16ink4a negative and P16ink4a positive tumors in terms of stage (p = 0.518), histological grade (p = 0.225), lymphovascular invasion (p = 0.388), overall survival (p = 0.156) or lymph ...
brainstem auditory response (BAER) in polydrug abuse

Based on preliminary data suggesting that polydrug abuser subjects may have delayed wave V BAER latencies, we contrasted BAER latency and amplitude measures between a group of polydrug users and six different comparison groups of subjects drawn from our laboratory files. A series of analyses showed that BAER latencies were, in fact, prolonged for psychiatric polydrug users as compared with groups of medically screened and unscreened normals not using drugs and normals using marijuana only. However, further analyses which compared polydrug abusers with nondrug users or marijuana-only users drawn from a psychiatric patient population failed to confirm these differences, thus suggesting that psychiatric status was more important than polydrug abuse in producing BAER alterations. Furthermore, subsidiary analyses using wave I latency as statistical covariate suggested that wave V latency prolongations could, under certain circumstances, be epiphenomena or reflections of earlier wave I alterations.
AUTHIGENIC APATITE FORMATION AND BURIAL IN SEDIMENTS FROM NON-UPWELLING, CONTINENTAL MARGIN ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract Evidence for precipitation of authigenic carbonate fluorapatite (CFA) in Long Island Sound and Mississippi Delta sediments suggests that formation of CFA is not restricted to environments of active coastal upwelling. We present porewater data suggestive of CFA formation in both these areas. Application of a sequential leaching procedure, designed specifically to separate authigenic carbonate fluorapatite from other phosphorus-containing phases, including detrital apatite of igneous or metamorphic origin, provides strong supporting evidence for authigenic apatite formation in these sediments. The size of the authigenic apatite reservoir increases with depth, indicating continued formation of CFA during early diagenesis. This depth increase is mirrored by a decrease in solid-phase organic P at both sites, suggesting that CFA is forming at the expense of organic P. Mass balance considerations, application of diagenetic models to interstitial water nutrient data and the saturation state of the interstitial water are consistent with this interpretation. Diagenetic redistribution of phosphorus among the different solid-phase reservoirs is observed at both sites and results in near perfect retention of P by these sediments over the depth intervals sampled. Formation of CFA in continental margins which do not conform to the classically defined regions of phosphorite formation renders CFA a quantitatively more important sink than has previously been recognized. Including this reservoir as a newly identified sink for reactive P in the ocean, the residence time of P in the modern ocean must be revised downward. The implication for ancient oceans of CFA formation in continental margin sediments other than phosphorites is that phosphorite formation may be less a representation of episodicity in removal of reactive P from the oceans than of localized concentration of CFA in phosphatic sediments by secondary physical processes.
Paleoecology of late Pleistocene–Holocene faunas of eastern and central Wyoming, USA, with implications for LGM climate models

Abstract Oxygen and carbon isotope compositions of teeth were measured for a variety of fossil herbivores, omnivores and carnivores from Natural Trap Cave (NTC) and Little Box Elder Cave (LBEC), central eastern Wyoming, USA. These sites host some of the best preserved and most abundant late Pleistocene to early Holocene mammal fossils, and provide key information about ecological and climatic change attending the Pleistocene–Holocene transition. Average Pleistocene compositions are consistent with C3-dominated diets, but C4 grass consumption increased in Bison from the late Pleistocene to today. A single Sangamonian Equus tooth also has elevated 13C, suggesting that C4 biomass increased during interglacials in general. Tooth δ18O values imply local water δ18O values at NTC of − 15 to − 16‰ during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and − 14‰ today, consistent with modern regional studies and general circulation models (GCM's) for the LGM. Water δ18O values at LBEC were ~−12‰. Although herbivore compositions are consistent with theoretical expectations, carnivores exhibit lower δ13C and higher δ18O values relative to herbivores than anticipated. These discrepancies could reflect poorly understood carnivore physiologies or diets, and emphasize the need for further investigation of isotope systematics in carnivores. Isotope zoning in several herbivore teeth shows negative correlations between carbon and oxygen isotopes: high and low δ18O values representing summer and winter seasons occur with low and high δ13C values respectively. This trend could indicate seasonally changing diets, e.g. consumption of drier foods or conifers during the winter, or burning of stored fat during the winter. Increasing δ18O values from the Pleistocene to Holocene in water-dependent taxa are consistent with an increasing proportion of summer moisture derived from the Gulf of Mexico, as predicted by isotope-enabled GCM's. Mean annual precipitation during the late Pleistocene is estimated at ≤ 350 mm/yr, similar to modern day (c. 200 mm/yr), indicating that dry conditions have prevailed for the last 25 ka in Wyoming. A revised analytical expression for C4 plant abundance in the western US is proposed that accounts for climate variables and pCO2. Combination of this expression with the climate predictions of the PMIP2 ensemble average GCM explains LGM C4 plant abundances at NTC, southern Texas, and Florida. Changes to C4 plant abundances may provide sensitive tests of GCM accuracies.
Liver resection using cavitron ultrasonic surgical aspirator (CUSA) versus harmonic scalpel: a retrospective cohort study.

Abstract Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of two device combinations used in parenchymal division during hepatic resections in non-cirrhotic patients and without inflow vascular occlusion. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 47 patients who underwent liver resection at our Institution from 2004 to 2010 using the TissueLink with either the Cavitron Ultrasonic Surgical Aspirator (CUSA) or the Harmonic Scalpel. The TissueLink was used with the CUSA in 27 patients and with the Harmonic Scalpel in 20 patients. Results Median estimated blood loss (EBL) in the Harmonic Scalpel and CUSA groups was 250 and 1035 mL respectively ( p p p Conclusions Our results show the Harmonic Scalpel with TissueLink to be a safe, effective method of parenchymal division with significantly less EBL and LOS when compared to CUSA with TissueLink.
Effect of hydrogen on internal friction of some F.C.C. metals

Abstract A review is given of the internal friction and ultrasonic attenuation investigations made so far on hydrogen charged austenitic stainless steels, high nickel alloys, nickell and copper. The experimental results show that only some forms of hydrogen in f.c.c. metals are of importance for modification of internal friction spectrum: atoms located in the interstices and their pairs, interstitials segregated at the dislocations, and hydrogen bound in hydride and molecular forms. These different hydrogen forms are concluded to affect some already existing anelastic phenomena or to result in appearance of some new processes.
4.7.2 Systems Engineering in Science & Technology

Systems Engineering has proven itself as the essential foundation of US military acquisition for over 40 years and is spreading across the world in its application to military and commercial development programs alike. It has generally not been applied to the development of advanced technology across the US military. From an increasing body of knowledge, this is now being addressed in the US Department of Defense with the formalization of systems engineering in science & technology, which has resulted in codifying techniques, tools and best practices. Through the application of the Integrated Product and Process Development teaming process and established systems engineering practices, increasing examples of success have proven the need to establish systems engineering as the formal approach in advanced technology development. The US DoD has documented this approach sufficiently to establish mandatory education for all advanced development managers to change the research and development culture and accelerate the use of systems engineering in advanced technology development throughout its research activities. This paper describes this emerging systems engineering approach as demonstrated in US Army, Navy and Air Force programs.
The amoebal cell of Physarum polycephalum: Colony formation and growth

Abstract Two stages of colony growth were observed during microscopic studies of Physarum polycephalum amoebae. During the first stage, “spreading growth,” the colony is composed of dispersed single cells. During the second stage, “aggregate growth,” most of the active cells in a colony are aggregated in a ring at the colony boundary. Measurements of cell movement as a function of bacterial concentration indicate that, during both spreading and aggregate growth, cell movements are not affected by changes in bacterial concentration but that the transition from spreading to aggregate growth occurs earlier on plates with lower bacterial concentrations. These results indicate that autonomous characteristics of the amoebae are more important for the determination of colony form than local variations in the concentrations of nutrients. The genetic determination of colony form is demonstrated by the existence of mutants that display specific alterations in colony morphology. Because the aggregate rings of these mutants move at an increased rate, mutant clones appear as variant sectors of wild-type colonies. The increased rate of mutant ring movement suggests that this selection method may be a useful technique for isolating mutant myxamoebae with defects in movement and behavior.
Precision of office-based blood glucose meters in screening for gestational diabetes

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Is the precision of currently available glucose meters adequate for gestational diabetes screening? STUDY DESIGN: We performed a prospective cohort study of 62 gravid women and compared the precision of three glucose meters to laboratory standard technology. RESULTS: The HemoCue coefficient of variation was sufficiently low in venous whole blood and plasma and capillary whole blood and plasma (3.0%, 1.8%, 2.8%, and 2.3%, respectively) to allow use in gestational diabetes screening. The One-Touch II coefficient of variation was sufficiently low in capillary whole blood (2.7%) to allow use in gestational diabetes screening but was too high in venous whole blood and plasma and in capillary plasma (3.6%, 7.8%, and 5.7%). The ExactTech coefficient of variation was too high in venous or capillary whole blood (5.4% and 8.1%) for use in gestational diabetes screening and does not analyze plasma samples. CONCLUSION: The HemoCue meter in venous and capillary whole blood and plasma and the OneTouch II meter in capillary whole blood have coefficients of variation low enough for gestational diabetes screening.
Structural insight into the lactoferrin receptors from pathogenic Neisseria

Neisseria are pathogenic bacteria that cause gonorrhea, septicemia, and meningitis. Like other pathogenic bacteria, Neisseria must acquire iron for survival from their local environment within the human host. Instead of secreting siderophores to scavenge iron, Neisseria steal iron from human iron binding proteins such as hemoglobin, transferrin and lactoferrin for survival. Recently we reported the crystal structures of the Neisseria meningitidis transferrin receptors TbpA and TbpB, as well as the structures of apo and holo human transferrin. We also analyzed these proteins using small angle X-ray scattering and electron microscopy to provide the molecular details explaining how Neisseria are able to interact with and extract iron from transferrin. Here, we utilize the structural reports, as well as the recently reported structure of the N-lobe of LbpB from Moraxella bovis, to assemble improved 3D homology models for the neisserial lactoferrin import receptors LbpA and LbpB, both of which are important vaccine targets against N. meningitidis. We then analyzed these models to gain structural insights into the lactoferrin-iron import system and form a mechanistic model fashioned in parallel to the homologous transferrin-iron import system.
Polymeric Waveguide Fabry Perot Resonators

Optical microcavities are used in variety of applications ranging from sensors to lasers and signal routing in high volume communication networks. Achieving a high quality factor (Q) is necessary for achieving the higher sensitivity in sensing applications and for narrow linewidth light emission in most lasing applications. In this work, we propose a new way for achieving a higher quality factor in thin film, Fabry-Perot polymeric optical resonators. We show that lateral photon confinement in a vertical Fabry-Perot microcavities can be achieved by optical writing of a refractive index profile utilizing our UV-sensitive polymer. This method can improve the quality factor by one or more orders of magnitudes. In order to demonstrate this improvement, the device has been fabricated. The fabricated device consists of two dielectric Bragg reflectors with a layer of 100 μm thick polymer layer between them. The polymer is a thiol-ene/methacrylate photopolymer whose optical index can be modified utilizing standard photo-lithography processes. The refractive index of this polymer can be modified utilizing standard photo-lithography processes. The measured finesse of the fabricated device was 692 and the quality factor was 55000. The achieved finesse combined with the flexible polymer layer allows this device to be used as an ultrasound detector in optical micromachined ultrasound transducers (OMUT).
Judging others in the shadow of suspicion

Previous research has found that when perceivers have reason to be suspicious of the motives underlying an actor's behavior, they are likely to draw inferences about the actor's true disposition that reflect a relatively sophisticated style of attributional processing. The present research was designed to examine some of the negative consequences that suspicion can have on perceivers' judgments. In each of the three studies reported, some subjects were made suspicious about the motives of an actor on the basis of contextual information surrounding the actor's behavior, rather than the behavior itself. Results of these studies suggest that, particularly when perceivers believe that the actions or motives of the actor could affect them, suspicion may cause perceivers to see the actor in a more negative light, even if the perceivers are not convinced that the actor's behavior was indeed affected by ulterior motives.
The Measurement of Change in a Unidimensional Attitude by Guttman Scale Analysis Techniques

T HE PROBLEM of measuring attitude change may be approached in various ways. One approach is that of measuring by scalogram analysis the change in degree of favorableness within a given attitude area. In using this approach, however, one must be certain that this change is one of degree, rather than of kind. It may be that during the intervening time period or treatment, the subjects have not simply become more or less favorable-they may have changed their definition of the issue. What was a unidimensional area may have become multidimensional or what was considered a matter of opinion may now be considered an established fact. These shifts may show that attitudes have changed, but it is not a change of degree within the same attitude. To measure a change in degree of favorableness, it would appear to be necessary that the attitude remain in the same continuum both before and after exposure to treatment. This requires that the same questions scale before and after treatment with the same category combinations. Unless the same scale is obtained before and after exposure, one should speak of changes in degree of favorableness with great caution.1 In a recent study of experimentally produced attitude change under the auspices of the Instructional Film Research Program at The Pennsylvania State University, the feasibility of this approach was investigated.
Radiation response of SiGe BiCMOS mixed-signal circuits intended for emerging lunar applications

The effects of proton irradiation on the performance of key devices and mixed-signal circuits fabricated in a SiGe BiCMOS IC design platform and intended for emerging lunar missions are presented. High-voltage (HV) transistors, SiGe bandgap reference (BGR) circuits, a general-purpose high input impedance operational amplifier (op amp), and a 12-bit digital-to-analog converter (DAC) are investigated. The circuits were designed and implemented in a first-generation SiGe BiCMOS technology and were irradiated with 63 MeV protons. The degradation due to proton fluence in each device and circuit was found to be minor, suggesting that SiGe HBT BiCMOS technology could be a robust platform for building electronic components intended for operation under extreme environments.
Shiny-phyloseq: Web Application for Interactive Microbiome Analysis with Provenance Tracking

Summary: We have created a Shiny-based Web application, called Shiny-phyloseq, for dynamic interaction with microbiome data that runs on any modern Web browser and requires no programming, increasing the accessibility and decreasing the entrance requirement to using phyloseq and related R tools. Along with a data- and context-aware dynamic interface for exploring the effects of parameter and method choices, Shiny-phyloseq also records the complete user input and subsequent graphical results of a user’s session, allowing the user to archive, share and reproduce the sequence of steps that created their result—without writing any new code themselves. Availability and implementation: Shiny-phyloseq is implemented entirely in the R language. It can be hosted/launched by any system with R installed, including Windows, Mac OS and most Linux distributions. Information technology administrators can also host Shiny-phyloseq from a remote server, in which case users need only have a Web browser installed. Shiny-phyloseq is provided free of charge under a GPL-3 open-source license through GitHub at http://joey711.github.io/shiny-phyloseq/. Contact: ude.drofnats.inmula@eidrumcm.
Transcriptional Analysis of the Global Regulatory Networks Active in Pseudomonas syringae during Leaf Colonization

ABSTRACT The plant pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae B728a grows and survives on leaf surfaces and in the leaf apoplast of its host, bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). To understand the contribution of distinct regulators to B728a fitness and pathogenicity, we performed a transcriptome analysis of strain B728a and nine regulatory mutants recovered from the surfaces and interior of leaves and exposed to environmental stresses in culture. The quorum-sensing regulators AhlR and AefR influenced few genes in planta or in vitro . In contrast, GacS and a downstream regulator, SalA, formed a large regulatory network that included a branch that regulated diverse traits and was independent of plant-specific environmental signals and a plant signal-dependent branch that positively regulated secondary metabolite genes and negatively regulated the type III secretion system. SalA functioned as a central regulator of iron status based on its reciprocal regulation of pyoverdine and achromobactin genes and also sulfur uptake, suggesting a role in the iron-sulfur balance. RetS functioned almost exclusively to repress secondary metabolite genes when the cells were not on leaves. Among the sigma factors examined, AlgU influenced many more genes than RpoS, and most AlgU-regulated genes depended on RpoN. RpoN differentially impacted many AlgU- and GacS-activated genes in cells recovered from apoplastic versus epiphytic sites, suggesting differences in environmental signals or bacterial stress status in these two habitats. Collectively, our findings illustrate a central role for GacS, SalA, RpoN, and AlgU in global regulation in B728a in planta and a high level of plasticity in these regulators’ responses to distinct environmental signals. IMPORTANCE Leaves harbor abundant microorganisms, all of which must withstand challenges such as active plant defenses and a highly dynamic environment. Some of these microbes can influence plant health. Despite knowledge of individual regulators that affect the fitness or pathogenicity of foliar pathogens, our understanding of the relative importance of various global regulators to leaf colonization is limited. Pseudomonas syringae strain B728a is a plant pathogen and a good colonist of both the surfaces and interior of leaves. This study used global transcript profiles of strain B728a to investigate the complex regulatory network of putative quorum-sensing regulators, two-component regulators, and sigma factors in cells colonizing the leaf surface and leaf interior under stressful in vitro conditions. The results highlighted the value of evaluating these networks in planta due to the impact of leaf-specific environmental signals and suggested signal differences that may enable cells to differentiate surface versus interior leaf habitats.
Normal Erectile Physiology

The human penis is composed of the paired dorsal corpora cavernosa and the ventral corpus spongiosum each of which is encased within a fibrous sheath, the tunica albuginea, and then all of which are enclosed within Buck’s fascia, Colles’ fascia, and the skin. The spongiosum contains the urethra and is contiguous with the glans distally. The arterial supply to the penis is from the four terminal branches of the paired penile arteries, which are themselves branches of the internal pudendal arteries. The external iliac, obturator, vesical, and femoral arteries provide accessory arterial supply to the penile artery in some cases. Venous outflow originates from postcavernous venules that coalesce to form emissary veins. These veins empty into the cavernous vein, the deep dorsal vein, and the superficial dorsal vein depending on their origin within the penis. Efferent innervation is from parasympathetic, sympathetic, and somatic sources. Somatosensory afferents course from the penis to central sites.
Illinois Basin--Sediment-Starved During Mississippian

The deeper part of the Illinois basin contained water as much as 1,000 ft (305 m) deep and was sediment-starved during early middle Mississippian (Valmeyeran) time. During the earliest part of the Valmeyeran, the Burlington and Keokuk Limestones were deposited in shallow water at the west edge of the basin, whereas little or no sediment reached the deep part. Later, the Borden Siltstone delta complex extended from the east across part of the deep basin. The Warsaw Shale, a tongue of the delta complex, extended westward across the shallow shelf above the Keokuk Limestone. Thin Springville Shale was deposited in the deep water between and beyond the thick deltaic siltstone bodies. Dark-colored siliceous rocks of the Fort Payne Formation and the succeeding light-colored foss liferous Ullin Limestone filled the remaining deep-water areas prior to deposition of the Salem Limestone. Most of the pre-Salem Valmeyeran sediments in the Illinois basin were deposited on narrow foreset or foresetlike slopes several hundred feet high, which separated the shallow shelf environment from the deep-water areas. Little sediment reached the center of the deep-water areas and the basin was filled by progradation of the foreset slopes. Foreset slopes in starved basins resemble foresetlike bedding along the present continental margins, because the ocean basins are also sediment-starved.
Real-world audio indexing systems

We motivate the need for and describe the key components of real world audio indexing systems. In particular, we discuss the various flavors of such systems, the advantages and disadvantages of each, user interfaces, system architectures and evaluation issues. Throughout the paper, we give examples from our own experience of audio indexing using SpeechBot and its successor NewsTuner.
Gonna Party Like It's 1899: Party Systems and the Origins of Varieties of Coordination

This article explores the origins of peak employers' associations to understand why countries produce highly centralized macrocorporatist groups, weaker national associations but stronger industry-level groups, or highly fragmented pluralist associations. The authors suggest that the structure of partisan competition played a vital causal role in the development and evolution of these peak associations. The leadership for peak employers' association development came from business-oriented party activists and bureaucrats, who sought both to advance industrial development policy and to solve specific problems of political control. Business-oriented party leaders and bureaucrats in both predemocratic and democratic regimes feared the rising tide of democracy and labor activism and viewed employer organization as a useful tool for political control, to secure parliamentary advantage, and to serve as a societal counterweight to working class activism. Because leadership for association building came from the state, the political rules of the game were crucial to outcomes. The structure of party competition and state centralization shaped incentives for strategic coordination for both political actors and employers. Dedicated business parties were more likely to develop in countries with multiparty systems and limited federal power sharing than in countries with two-party systems and federalism: in a multiparty context where no single party was likely to gain power, each party had an incentive to cooperate with other social groups. Moreover, business-oriented party leaders and bureaucrats in multiparty systems were motivated to delegate policy-making authority to coordinated societal channels for industrial relations, because they anticipated that employers would win more in these channels than in parliamentary settings where the center and left could form a coalition against the right. Again, centralized party systems were more likely than federal ones to develop a dedicated national business party that transcended regional cleavages and to retain a strong role for the state in the governance of industrial relations.
Development and Psychometric Evaluation of An Arab Version of the Family Peer Relationship Questionnaire

Little is known about parent and peer relationships in immigrant adolescents due to a dearth of culturally sensitive measures. We adapted the Family Peer Relationship Questionnaire (FPRQ) for Arab immigrant mothers and their adolescents. Mothers and adolescents completed parallel versions of the Arab FPRQ and measures of child behavior problems, child social relations, and maternal depression. Data analyses included confirmatory factor analysis and concurrent validity. The proposed four-factor structure was replicated in both the mother and child forms. Scores from the Arab FPRQ subscales and the other measures provided evidence of concurrent and discriminant validity, suggesting that the Arab FPRQ is a viable assessment tool.
THE FINE STRUCTURE OF PRONUCLEAR DEVELOPMENT AND FUSION IN THE SEA URCHIN, ARBACIA PUNCTULATA

Fertilization events following coalescence of the gamete plasma membranes and culminating in the formation of the zygote nucleus were investigated by light and electron microscopy in the sea urchin, Arbacia punctulata. Shortly after the spermatozoon passes through the fertilization cone, it rotates approximately 180° and comes to rest lateral to its point of entrance. Concomitantly, the nonperforated nuclear envelope of the sperm nucleus undergoes degeneration followed by dispersal of the sperm chromatin and development of the pronuclear envelope. During this reorganization of the sperm nucleus, the sperm aster is formed. The latter is composed of ooplasmic lamellar structures and fasciles of microtubules. The male pronucleus, sperm mitochondrion, and flagellum accompany the sperm aster during its migration. As the pronuclei encounter one another, the surface of the female pronucleus proximal to the advancing male pronucleus becomes highly convoluted. Subsequently, the formation of the zygote nucleus commences with the fusion of the outer and the inner membranes of the pronuclear envelopes, thereby producing a small internuclear bridge and one continuous, perforated zygote nuclear envelope.