cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Systems of frequency distributions for water and environmental engineering

Abstract A wide spectrum of frequency distributions are used in hydrologic, hydraulic, environmental and water resources engineering. These distributions may have different origins, are based on different hypotheses, and belong to different generating systems. Review of literature suggests that different systems of frequency distributions employed in science and engineering in general and environmental and water engineering in particular have been derived using different approaches which include (1) differential equations, (2) distribution elasticity, (3) genetic theory, (4) generating functions, (5) transformations, (6) Bessel function, (7) expansions, and (8) entropy maximization. This paper revisits these systems of distributions and discusses the hypotheses that are used for deriving these systems. It also proposes, based on empirical evidence, another general system of distributions and derives a number of distributions from this general system that are used in environmental and water engineering.
Immigration as Invasion: Sovereignty, Security, and the Origins of the Federal Immigration Power

This Article offers a new interpretation of the modern federal immigration power. At the end of the nineteenth century, the Supreme Court and Congress fundamentally transformed the federal government’s authority to regulate immigration, from a species of commercial regulation firmly grounded in Congress’ commerce authority, into a power that was unmoored from the Constitution, derived from the nation’s “inherent sovereignty,” and subject to extraordinary judicial deference. This framework, which is commonly referred to as the “plenary power doctrine,” has stood for more than a century as an anomaly within American public law. The principal legal and rhetorical rationale for the plenary power doctrine was and remains the supposition that the regulation of immigration is always inherently related to the conduct of foreign affairs, and, especially, to national security.By situating this radical yet extremely durable doctrinal transformation within its appropriate intellectual and political context, this Article seeks to denaturalize the “national security rationale” for immigration exceptionalism. It argues that the plenary power doctrine was borne of an urgent sense of national peril, the basic terms of which most contemporary policymakers, judges, and scholars would emphatically reject. Although the doctrine made its judicial debut in the Chinese Exclusion Case, its historical origins in fact lie largely beyond Chinese exclusion in a much broader contemporaneous critique of (mostly European) immigration. The late nineteenth-century architects of the plenary power doctrine believed that the unchecked immigration of economically degraded, politically inassimilable, and racially unfit immigrants had created a virtual state of national emergency. In response, the Court fashioned an immigration power adapted not to the regulation of labor, or economic dependency, or crime - issues that, then as now, characterize most immigration lawmaking - but rather to the defense of the nation against foreign aggression.Although the immigrants upon whom this power was exercised were citizens of ostensibly “friendly” nations, policymakers and judges re-imagined them as enemy aliens. Through this process, the Court in effect invented the “immigrant” as a distinct, and distinctly consequential, legal construct.
Doctoral Programs in Special Education

Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today. President Barack Obama Individuals involved in the education of children with special needs are concerned about the shortage of personnel in higher education in the field of exceptionality. This has been true for the past quarter century. In the early 1990s, researchers had noted that for over a decade, authorities in the field of special education have been shouting out loud about the shortage of, and need for, personnel in special education (Sindelar, Buck, Carpenter, and Wantanabe 1993; Smith and Pierce 1995). Calls for attention to this issue continue today. Wasburn-Moses (2008) stated: “despite the growing demand for professionals with doctoral degrees in special education, doctoral programs are not producing enough graduates to fulfill this need” (p. 259). Addition–ally, educators are equally concerned about the quality and design of doctoral special education programs across the United States. As the number of children with special needs continues to increase, school districts must respond to the needs of teaching and preparing these young individuals for society.
Sensitizing Tumor Cells by Targeting Death Receptor Signaling Inhibitors

Therapies aimed at death receptor signaling using FasL or tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) as agonists have become an active area of research in the development of novel anticancer therapies. Systemic delivery of FasL causes hepatotoxicity, limiting its use to local administration (1). In contrast, preclinical studies with TRAIL show that systemic delivery of the soluble form is well tolerated in nonhuman primates (2, 3, 4). Exposure of normal human cells to TRAIL was also well tolerated, whereas TRAIL induced apoptosis in numerous malignant cell lines that were analyzed in initial studies (2,5,6). However, as more malignant cell lines and fresh tumor explants were examined, it became clear that TRAIL also fails to induce significant apoptosis in many transformed cells (7, 8, 9, 10, 11). Numerous studies have been undertaken to understand mechanisms of death receptor ligand resistance, and strategies to enhance sensitivity or overcome resistance have been devised. In this chapter the role, function, and regulation of the death receptor signaling pathway inhibitors, how they can be targeted therapeutically, and the implications for future cancer therapies will be discussed.
Increasing Validity of Simulation Models Through Metamorphic Testing

Simulation validation, demonstrating that a simulation accurately represents the system it studies, poses a particularly potent form of the oracle problem. A simulation must be validated for its results to be reliable, but often no oracle exists due to the nature of simulations. We propose taking the metamorphic testing (MT) approach from the realm of software verification and applying it for validating executable simulation models. By establishing pseudo-oracles based on metamorphic relations between parameters and behaviors within an executable model, we can create a methodical approach for validating simulation models. We propose an overall framework and guidelines to apply MT for simulation validation, with details for two prevalent simulation approaches: agent-based simulation models (ABM), and discrete-event simulation (DES) modeling. Through three case studies, we demonstrate the successful application of MT toward validating three different simulation models: an ABM of gossip propagation, an ABM of cancer, and a DES of airport check-in and security.
Characterizing Sphingosine Kinases and Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Receptors in the Mammalian Eye and Retina

Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) signaling regulates numerous biological processes including neurogenesis, inflammation and neovascularization. However, little is known about the role of S1P signaling in the eye. In this study, we characterize two sphingosine kinases (SPHK1 and SPHK2), which phosphorylate sphingosine to S1P, and three S1P receptors (S1PR1, S1PR2 and S1PR3) in mouse and rat eyes. We evaluated sphingosine kinase and S1P receptor gene expression at the mRNA level in various rat tissues and rat retinas exposed to light-damage, whole mouse eyes, specific eye structures, and in developing retinas. Furthermore, we determined the localization of sphingosine kinases and S1P receptors in whole rat eyes by immunohistochemistry. Our results unveiled unique expression profiles for both sphingosine kinases and each receptor in ocular tissues. Furthermore, these kinases and S1P receptors are expressed in mammalian retinal cells and the expression of SPHK1, S1PR2 and S1PR3 increased immediately after light damage, which suggests a function in apoptosis and/or light stress responses in the eye. These findings have numerous implications for understanding the role of S1P signaling in the mechanisms of ocular diseases such as retinal inflammatory and degenerative diseases, neovascular eye diseases, glaucoma and corneal diseases.
Cone Photoreceptor Dysfunction in Early-Stage Diabetic Retinopathy: Association Between the Activation Phase of Cone Phototransduction and the Flicker Electroretinogram.

Purpose To define the nature and extent of cone photoreceptor abnormalities in diabetic individuals who have mild or no retinopathy by assessing the activation phase of cone phototransduction and the flicker ERG in these individuals. Methods Light-adapted single-flash and flicker ERGs were recorded from 20 diabetic individuals who have no clinically apparent retinopathy (NDR), 20 diabetic individuals who have mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR), and 20 nondiabetic, age-equivalent controls. A-waves elicited by flashes of different retinal illuminance were fit with a delayed Gaussian model to derive Rmp3 (maximum amplitude of the massed photoreceptor response) and S (phototransduction sensitivity). Fundamental amplitude and phase of ERGs elicited by full-field sinusoidal flicker were obtained across a frequency range of 6 to 100 Hz. Results ANVOA indicated that both diabetic groups had significant S losses compared with the controls, whereas mean Rmp3 did not differ significantly among the groups. ANOVA also indicated significantly reduced flicker ERG amplitude for frequencies ≥56 Hz for both diabetic groups compared with the controls. Flicker ERG timing (phase) did not differ significantly among the groups. Log Rmp3 + log S was significantly correlated with the patients' high-frequency (62.5 Hz) flicker ERG amplitude loss (r = 0.69, P < 0.001). Conclusions The delayed Gaussian a-wave model is useful for characterizing abnormalities in the activation phase of cone phototransduction and can help explain flicker ERG abnormalities in early-stage diabetic retinopathy. Reduced cone sensitivity and attenuated high-frequency flicker ERGs provide evidence for impaired cone function in these individuals.
Reply: Trick or treat from food endocannabinoids?

Beltramo and Piomelli reply — The two most abundant N-acylethanolamines (NAEs) found in chocolate (N-oleyl-ethanolamine and N-linoleylethanolamine) do not activate brain cannabinoid receptors but effectively inhibit anandamide degradation1,2. This observation suggested to us that these compounds might contribute to the hedonic properties of chocolate by causing non-metabolized anandamide to accumulate at its sites of action2.
Interactions of Carvacrol, Caprylic Acid, Habituation, and Mild Heat for Pressure-Based Inactivation of O157 and Non-O157 Serogroups of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia coli in Acidic Environment.

The current study investigated synergism of elevated hydrostatic pressure, habituation, mild heat, and antimicrobials for inactivation of O157 and non-O157 serogroups of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli. Various times at a pressure intensity level of 450 MPa were investigated at 4 and 45 °C with and without carvacrol, and caprylic acid before and after three-day aerobic habituation in blueberry juice. Experiments were conducted in three biologically independent repetitions each consist of two replications and were statistically analyzed as a randomized complete block design study using ANOVA followed by Tukey- and Dunnett’s-adjusted mean separations. Under the condition of this experiment, habituation of the microbial pathogen played an influential (p < 0.05) role on inactivation rate of the pathogen. As an example, O157 and non-O157 serogroups were reduced (p < 0.05) by 1.4 and 1.6 Log CFU/mL after a 450 MPa treatment at 4 °C for seven min, respectively, before habituation. The corresponding log reductions (p < 0.05) after three-day aerobic habituation were: 2.6, and 3.3, respectively at 4 °C. Carvacrol and caprylic acid addition both augmented the pressure-based decontamination efficacy. As an example, Escherichia coli O157 were reduced (p < 0.05) by 2.6 and 4.2 log CFU/mL after a seven-min treatment at 450 MPa without, and with presence of 0.5% carvacrol, respectively, at 4 °C.
A Data-Driven Examination of Hotelling's Linear City Model

In his seminal work stability in competition, Hotelling developed a model for identifying the spatial equilibrium for two competing firms such that they maximize their market-share. He considered a linear area of fixed length and he showed that in this setting the two competing firms should be located side-by-side in the middle of the line. Hotelling's study has been then adopted and used to analyze and explain other phenomena in a variety of fields. However, the linear city model is purely theoretical, without any empirical validation. The goal of this study is to explore Hotelling's Law in its original space - i.e., that of firm competition - and identify possible adjustments needed to describe its application/validity in a non-linear city. In particular, we collect data from location-based social networks that include information for the number of customers in a venue and we compare them with the expectations from Hotelling's original law. Overall, we identify that at a large geographic scale there is correlation between the market-share and the inter-venue distance, which is consistent with the Hotelling's Law. However, as we zoom into smaller scales there are deviations from the expectations from Hotelling's law, possibly due to higher sensitivity to the necessary assumptions. Our findings enhance the literature on optimal location placement for a venue and can provide additional insights for owners in regards to the linear city model.
Naps reliably estimate nocturnal sleep spindle density in health and schizophrenia.

Sleep spindles, defining oscillations of non-rapid eye movement stage 2 sleep (N2), mediate memory consolidation. Spindle density (spindles/minute) is a stable, heritable feature of the sleep electroencephalogram. In schizophrenia, reduced spindle density correlates with impaired sleep-dependent memory consolidation and is a promising treatment target. Measuring sleep spindles is also important for basic studies of memory. However, overnight sleep studies are expensive, time consuming and require considerable infrastructure. Here we investigated whether afternoon naps can reliably and accurately estimate nocturnal spindle density in health and schizophrenia. Fourteen schizophrenia patients and eight healthy controls had polysomnography during two overnights and three afternoon naps. Although spindle density was lower during naps than nights, the two measures were highly correlated. For both groups, naps and nights provided highly reliable estimates of spindle density. We conclude that naps provide an accurate, reliable and more scalable alternative to measuring spindle density overnight.
What's in a name? Drivers' perceptions of the use of five SAE Level 2 driving automation systems

Abstract Introduction Automobile manufacturers are developing increasingly sophisticated driving automation systems. Currently, the highest level of automation available on the market is SAE Level 2, which provides sustained assistance for both lateral and longitudinal vehicle control. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how drivers’ perceptions of what behaviors secondary to driving are safe while a Level 2 system is operating vary by system name. Methods A nationally representative telephone survey of 2,005 drivers was conducted in 2018 with questions about behaviors respondents perceived as safe while a Level 2 driving automation system is in operation. Each respondent was asked about two out of five system names at random for a balanced study design. Respondents also were asked about Level 2 systems in general and about their own vehicle and driving. Results The name “Autopilot” was associated with the highest likelihood that drivers believed a behavior was safe while in operation, for every behavior measured. There was less variation observed among the other four SAE Level 2 system names when compared with each other. A limited proportion of drivers had experience with advanced driver assistance systems: 9–20% of respondents reported having at least one crash avoidance technology and fewer of these reported driving a vehicle in which Level 2 systems were available. Drivers reported that they would consult a variety of sources for information on how to use a Level 2 system. Conclusions The names of SAE Level 2 driving automation systems influence drivers’ perceptions of how to use them, and the name “Autopilot” was associated with the strongest effect. While a name alone cannot properly instruct drivers on how to use a system, it is a piece of information and must be considered so that drivers are not misled about the correct usage of these systems. Practical Applications Manufacturers, suppliers, and organizations regulating or evaluating SAE Level 2 automated driving systems should ensure that systems are named so as not to mislead drivers about their proper use.
Safety and efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in metastatic non-clear cell renal cell carcinoma (nccRCC): An institutional experience.

640Background: ICIs have improved outcomes in clear cell RCC patients (pts), and emerging data suggest that they may be effective against nccRCC. nccRCC comprises ~25% of renal tumors and consist o...
Double hit: Evans syndrome after malignant thymoma treatment and parvovirus B19 infection.

Malignancies are often associated with autoimmune diseases, which are addressed by treating the underlying cancer. However, there are rare malignancies that can cause autoimmune diseases even after appropriate treatment. Our patient is a 39-year-old Hispanic man with a malignant thymoma recently treated with chemotherapy and radiation who presented with syncope and dyspnoea. He was found to be both anaemic and thrombocytopenic. His labs were consistent with autoimmune haemolytic anaemia (AIHA), except his reticulocyte count was unexpectedly low. Bone marrow biopsy supported a diagnosis of Evans syndrome, a rare autoimmune condition characterised by (AIHA) combined with immune thrombocytopenia. He was also found to have an acute parvovirus B19 infection. He was treated with steroids and RBC transfusion. His blood counts gradually returned to baseline, with improvement in symptoms. This patient’s thymoma treatment and active parvovirus B19 infection likely both played a role in the development of Evans syndrome.
PROGRESSION OF AORTIC REGURGITATION IN BICUSPID AORTIC VALVE

Patients with bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) develop aortic regurgitation (AR) at younger age. Hemodynamically significant AR(≥moderate-severe) is associated with excess death. However, predictors and rate of progression from ≤moderate AR to ≥moderate-severe AR in BAV remain unknown. Our study
Evaluation of the Microbiome in Men Taking Pre-exposure Prophylaxis for HIV Prevention

Tenofovir-based regimens as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) are highly effective at preventing HIV infection. The most common side-effect is gastrointestinal (GI) distress which may be associated with changes in the microbiome. Dysbiosis of the microbiome can have numerous health-related consequences. To understand the effect of PrEP on dysbiosis, we evaluated 27 individuals; 14 were taking PrEP for an average of 171 weeks. Sequencing of 16S rRNA was performed using self-collected rectal swabs. Mixed beta diversity testing demonstrated significant differences between PrEP and non-PrEP users with Bray–Curtis and unweighted UniFrac analyses (p = 0.05 and 0.049, respectively). At the genus level, there was a significant reduction in Finegoldia, along with a significant increase in Catenibacterium and Prevotella in PrEP users. Prevotella has been associated with inflammatory pathways, insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease, while Catenibacterium has been associated with morbid obesity and metabolic syndrome. Overall, these results suggest that PrEP may be associated with some degree of microbiome dysbiosis, which may contribute to GI symptoms. Long-term impact of these changes is unknown.
Using Citizen Science to Document Terrain Use and Decision-Making of Backcountry Users

Avalanches represent the primary risk of death to backcountry skiers and snowmobilers in North American and European alpine countries. The best strategy for evading dangerous snowpack conditions that may result in an avalanche event requires skiers and snowmobilers to avoid or mitigate their use of hazardous terrain. Therefore, understanding terrain use is critical to understanding the causes of avalanche accidents. Secondary, post-event examination of accident data is inadequate for this understanding, and the logistical costs of user intercept surveys are problematic. Learning more about the behaviors and practices skiers and snowmobilers use to avoid avalanche fatalities or near misses is the primary concern of the avalanche education and research community. However, the topographical data required for analysis of skier and snowmobiler behavior with respect to terrain use is beyond the capacity of most backcountry skiers to provide via traditional surveys. This paper presents the use of a novel combination of user surveys and Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking to collect detailed terrain-use data from recreationists who voluntarily engage with researchers via active participation in citizen science research projects. We describe the methodology for these observations and present why they represent an effective approach to understand avalanche accidents.
Lights, Camera, (Youth Participatory) Action! Lessons from Filming a Documentary with Trans and Gender Non-conforming Youth in the USA

Arts-based research can provide a unique and vital avenue for marginalized populations to share their stories, advocate for healthy public policy and health equity, and contribute to scientific discourse. Trans and gender non-conforming (TGNC) youth experience a range of health disparities relative to their cisgender peers, but they are rarely given a forum to authentically participate in the research process to communicate the totality of their experiences. In this chapter, we reflect on a youth participatory action research (YPAR) project with TGNC youth of color in the United States that culminated in the designing, filming, and editing of a documentary. In line with YPAR, TGNC young people controlled all aspects of the research process, meaning that they determined the research questions, the population of interest and participants, the medium (film), the interview protocol, and the data collection methods. In addition, the young people conducted all interviews and drove the analysis of the data they collected. Drawing on our experiences as adult research advisors for this project, we offer insight into the possibilities, challenges, and logistical needs of such a project in the hopes that readers understand the opportunities that arts-based research, especially such work with marginalized populations, affords researchers.
Raiders of the Corporate Pension Plan: The Reversion of Excess Plan Assets to the Employer

Many American employers sponsor defined benefit pension plans for their employees. Federal law requires that employers who maintain such plans make periodic contributions to a plan trust (or other funding vehicle) for the purpose of funding benefits that employees earn now but that will not be paid until they retire. Federal law also requires that such trusts be administered for the exclusive benefit-of the employees and thus prohibits employers from using trust assets prior to the satisfaction of all trust liabilities, i.e., the present value of all retirement benefits under the plan. But federal law does permit an employer (1) to terminate its pension plan; (2) to cause the plan to satisfy its liabilities by purchasing annuity contracts for plan participants and their beneficiaries ; and then (3) to recover any remaining plan assets. The value of the annuity contracts may in many cases be worth substantially less than the benefit the employees expected to receive under the plan. This is because the annuity contract expresses a participant's benefit in nominal dollar terms, but payment under the contract is generally deferred until the participant reaches retirement age under the plan. Thus, an employee who expects the value of his benefit to remain constant in real dollar terms might find his expectation disappointed by the time the annuity contract begins payment. Because of the favorable investment performance realized by many plans over the past ten years, greater than expected employee turnover, and higher long-term interest rates (which lowered the cost of annuity contracts), assets in some plan trusts grew to exceed plan liabilities, at least as such liabilities are computed when the plan is terminated. Since 1980, many employers with such overfunded plans have terminated them, or are now considering terminating them. In all, 758 employers have terminated their plans and transformed 8 billion dollars of pension assets into corporate assets. United Airlines last year announced that it intends to terminate its plans and recover almost one billion dollars in excess, or surplus assets. This Article considers why current law has countenanced such reversions and argues that future law should not. The Article's first section provides an overview of the issue. The second section describes and evaluates the competing interests of employer, employee, and government. The third section sets forth the elements that I believe reform should include, and then, in light of these elements, critiques guidelines jointly issued in 1984 by three federal agencies on asset reversions (the "Joint Guidelines"). The section concludes by evaluating possible legislative reform proposals.
Cutting Red Tape in Canada: A Regulatory Reform Model for the United States?

Canada recently passed a federal law requiring that one regulation be removed for every new regulation introduced. This change has deep roots in a broader set of reforms from the province of British Columbia, designed to control red tape while preserving justified regulation. British Columbias model of regulatory reform is notable for its success and longevity. Canadas experience with regulatory reform offers some very practical lessons for US governments. The essential ingredients of effective reform include political leadership from the top, public reporting of clear metrics, and constraints on regulators. It is also very helpful to have a credible group outside government pushing for less red tape. In Canadas case, that group was and continues to be small business.
Interferon-alpha or -beta facilitates SARS-CoV-2 pulmonary vascular infection by inducing ACE2.

Severe viral pneumonia caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is characterized by a hyperinflammatory state typified by elevated circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines, frequently leading to potentially lethal vascular complications including thromboembolism, disseminated intracellular coagulopathy and vasculitis. Though endothelial infection and subsequent endothelial damage have been described in patients with fatal COVID-19, the mechanism by which this occurs remains elusive, particularly given that, under naive conditions, pulmonary endothelial cells demonstrate minimal cell surface expression of the SARS-CoV-2 binding receptor ACE2. Herein we describe SARS-CoV-2 infection of the pulmonary endothelium in postmortem lung samples from individuals who died of COVID-19, demonstrating both heterogeneous ACE2 expression and endothelial damage. In primary endothelial cell cultures, we show that SARS-CoV-2 infection is dependent on the induction of ACE2 protein expression and that this process is facilitated by type 1 interferon-alpha (IFNα) or -beta(β)-two of the main anti-viral cytokines induced in severe SARS-CoV-2 infection-but not significantly by other cytokines (including interleukin 6 and interferon γ/λ). Our findings suggest that the stereotypical anti-viral interferon response may paradoxically facilitate the propagation of COVID-19 from the respiratory epithelium to the vasculature, raising concerns regarding the use of exogenous IFNα/β in the treatment of patients with COVID-19.
Tumor suppressor p53 mutations and breast cancer: a critical analysis.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the critical analysis of tumor suppressor p53 mutations and breast cancer. Cancer of the breast is the most common neoplasm and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in most developed and many developing countries. Risk factors associated with the disease include both personal and environmental sources comprising a family history of cancer, higher socioeconomic class, first childbirth after the age of 25, early age of menarche, late age of menopause, and high dietary fat intake. The exact effect of p53-mediated growth suppression seems to be cell-type specific but appears to be directly related to the ability of p53 to act as a specific transcriptional activator. The role that transcriptional repression plays in the function of wild-type (WT) p53 is less clear. It is also possible that p53 has a more direct activity in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) replication and repair. Most documented p53 mutations result in single amino acid substitutions, which may confer one or more of a spectrum of transforming abilities on the protein. Mutation may lead to nuclear accumulation of p53 protein; however, inactivation of p53 by nuclear exclusion and interaction with the murine double minute 2 (mdm2) protein also appear to be important in tumorigenesis. A syngeneic mouse model system yielded evidence that p53 mutations are important in the early, preneoplastic stages of mammary tumorigenesis. This murine system may provide the ability to investigate the functions of p53 in the early stages of breast cancer, which are technically difficult to examine in the human system.
CCD memories: Will they make it

The virtues of CCDs and whether they will be cost/ performance competitive with MOS RAMs, will be explored, with two key aspects probed: (1)-from the system viewpoint, how cheap must CCDs be relative to RAMs, and (2)-from the IC design viewpoint, do CCDs have the required cost/performance advantage.
Studies on the Structure of Yeast Mannan I. PURIFICATION AND SOME PROPERTIES OF AN α-MANNOSIDASE FROM AN ARTHROBACTER SPECIES

Abstract A soil microorganism, designated Arthrobacter GJM-1, has been isolated which is capable of growing on Saccharomyces cerevisiae mannan as the carbon source. When grown on mannan, the microorganism secretes an α-mannosidase into the cultural medium. The enzyme is not found when mannose, glucose, or glycerol is substituted for mannan, but is present when oligosaccharides obtained by acetolysis of mannan are used as carbon sources. The α-mannosidase has been isolated and partially purified. It was free of contaminating glycosidase, phosphatase, and protease activities. The enzyme is active on mannans from several different yeasts and on the oligosaccharides produced by acetolysis of yeast mannans, but has a low activity on α-mannosides with aromatic or aliphatic aglycons. This is in contrast to results obtained with other α-mannosidases and may reflect the different metabolic roles of the respective enzymes. The Km values for the di-, tri-, tetra-, penta-, and hexasaccharides from S. cerevisiae mannan varied between 0.5 and 2 mm. Because of the structural heterogeneity of these oligosaccharides, it is not certain what features contribute to the differences observed. The Km value for intact mannan was 1 x 10-5 m, but this value probably reflects the higher concentration of side chains in the mannan molecule.
Backlash Against the Americans with Disabilities Act: Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Implications for Social Justice Strategies

Over the past three years, an increasing number of disability rights activists, practitioners, and scholarly commentators have claimed that a powerful judicial and media backlash against the Americans with Disabilities Act is underway. Even before issuance of three Supreme Court decisions in the Summer of 1999 narrowly construing the Act's coverage, there existed ample evidence supporting the backlash hypothesis. In two papers, a Foreword and an Afterword, Professor Krieger frames an interdisciplinary symposium on public, judicial, and media responses to the Americans with Disabilities Act soon to appear in the Berkeley Journal of Employment and Labor Law. In the first article, Backlash Against the Americans with Disabilities Act: Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Implications for Social Justice Strategies, Professor Krieger situates the intellectual project undertaken by the Symposium and introduces the fourteen articles and three responsive commentaries that comprise it. In the second paper, Socio-Legal Backlash, Professor Krieger posits a theoretical model of socio-legal change and retrenchment, situates the concept of backlash within that model, and applies the model to investigate and explain patterns of public, judicial and media reactions to the ADA.
The Impact of Group Gender Composition on Group Performance in an Electronic Meeting System Setting: A Study of Group Gender Composition

Electronic Meeting System (EMS) research conducted to date has produced inconsistent findings. Field studies have tended to yield more positive results than laboratory studies. Factors such as group composition, task, and organizational context may affect group outcomes, and should be explored to develop “contingency theories to identify the best fit between functions provided by EMS and various classes of groups, tasks, and organizations [30].” Research in non-EMS settings has shown that group gender composition affects group processes. This paper reports the results of a study designed to assess the effect of group gender composition on group process and performance in an EMS setting.
The Thief at the End of the World: Rubber, Power, and the Seeds of Empire – By Joe Jackson

Englishman Henry Wickham failed at every enterprise that he touched. In 1866, envisioning himself to be a great explorer, like a Columbus, and a discoverer of great riches for the British Empire, h...
Enhanced-accuracy augmented state-space approach to steady-state modeling of resonant converters

This paper presents a highly accurate method to model resonant converters based on an enhanced augmented state-space technique. The proposed approach includes an optimized numerical algorithm that predicts the steady-state converter waveforms with accuracy and computational efficiency. Modeling accuracy is further enhanced through the inclusion of rectifier non-idealities. This approach is particularly well-suited to resonant converters with high-order resonant networks, especially those with multiple inverters and/or rectifiers, which cannot be easily analyzed using existing approaches. The effectiveness of the modeling approach is validated using the recently proposed impedance control network (ICN) converter, which comprises a high-order resonant network and multiple phase-shifted inverters. Excellent agreement is shown to exist between the modeled and experimental waveforms.
Text Retrieval and Filtering: Analytic Models of Performance

Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Quantitative Reasoning. 3. Similarity and Retrieval Decisions. 4. Measuring Performance. 5. The Quality of A Ranking Method. 6. Performance with One Term. 7. Multivariate Probabilities. 8. Performance with Multiple Terms. 9. Logics and Rules. 10. Linguistic Knowledge. Bibliography. Index.
The implications of minimum stomatal conductance on modeling water flux in forest canopies

[1] Stomatal conductance (gs) models are widely used at a variety of scales to predict fluxes of mass and energy between vegetation and the atmosphere. Several gs models contain a parameter that specifies the minimum gs estimate (g0). Sensitivity analyses with a canopy flux model (MAESTRA) identified g0 to have the greatest influence on transpiration estimates (seasonal mean of 40%). A spatial analysis revealed the influence of g0 to vary (30–80%) with the amount of light absorbed by the foliage and to increase in importance as absorbed light decreased. The parameter g0 is typically estimated by extrapolating the linear regression fit between observed gs and net photosynthesis (An). However, our measurements demonstrate that the gs-An relationship may become nonlinear at low light levels and thus, extrapolating values from data collected over a range of light conditions resulted in an underestimation of g0 in Malus domestica when compared to measured values (20.4 vs 49.7 mmol m−2 s−1 respectively). In addition, extrapolation resulted in negative g0 values for three other woody species. We assert that g0 can be measured directly with diffusion porometers (as gs when An ≤ 0), reducing both the time required to characterize g0 and the potential error from statistical approximation. Incorporating measured g0 into MAESTRA significantly improved transpiration predictions versus extrapolated values (6% overestimation versus 45% underestimation respectively), demonstrating the benefit in gs models. Diffusion porometer measurements offer a viable means to quantify the g0 parameter, circumventing errors associated with linear extrapolation of the gs-An relationship.
The electronic radiology practice at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville

We have begun a project to implement an Electronic (filmless) Radiology Practice (ERP) at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville. This project is integrated with the implementation of a project (Automated Clinical Practice-ACP) to eliminate circulation and archival of the current paper medical record. The ERP will result in elimination of Screen/Film radiography and the transmittal of film throughout the institution by the end of 1996. In conjunction with the ACP, paper and film will not circulate within the Clinic by the end of next year.
Electrochemistry in the presence of convective flow generated by acoustic streaming from a focused ultrasonic source.

Limiting currents for the reduction of hexacyanoferrate(III), ilim, in aqueous solutions have been recorded in the presence of convective flow generated by a focused acoustic source with its main a...
Planform channel dynamics and bank migration hazard assessment of a highly sinuous river in the north-eastern zone of Bangladesh

Rivers or watercourses in Sylhet plain of Bangladesh are very dynamic over time. The aim of the present study is to investigate the channel planform dynamics, the prediction of future lateral migration of the bankline and assessment of the hazards associated with Manu River, Bangladesh. The name Manu River represents the river study reach from Tripura, India to Moulvibazar, Bangladesh of 41.6 km. Channel contraction and expansion are very frequent in this river. Studies had shown that the sinuosity of the river varies from 1.36 to 2.48. Also the meandering ratio of the river ranges from 0.32 to 1.67. Satellite data were collected and analyzed to determine the planform characteristics, meandering parameters and bankline migration rates between 1975 and 2013. The study is based on the Landsat satellite imagery of 1975, 1988, 1999, 2003 and 2005 and aerial photograph of 2009 and 2013 which were accumulated from United States Geological Survey. Specific critical bends have been elected where bank erosion and accretion rates were severe. The purpose of this paper is to show the erosion rate, behavior and pattern of upstream side of Manu River, Bangladesh through the study period of 38 years from 1975 to 2013 by comparing its different geomorphological parameters. This study has contributed to develop a model for bankline migration prediction of the forthcoming years and address the physical hazard to provide a risk surface. Present assessment has revealed that, there are some critical regions where erosion would be up to 29.18 hectares in 2025.
Gender differences for coronary angioplasty

Abstract To determine if differences in early and late outcome after angioplasty were related to gender or body surface area, 5,000 consecutive patients (1,274 women and 3,726 men) were studied. Baseline variables, procedural outcome, and long-term and event-free survival were assessed. Baseline variables included age, history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart failure, myocardial infarction, prior angioplasty or bypass surgery, familial coronary disease, Canadian heart classification, extent of angioplasty, left ventricular function, and body surface area. Overall and event-free survival (freedom from infarction, repeat angioplasty, bypass surgery and death) were assessed at follow-up. The results showed that, compared with men, women were older (p
Scaling issues for NERC CIP electronic security perimeter compliance assessment (extended abstract)

Electric utilities are audited periodically for compliance with the North American Energy Reliability Corporation's (NERC) requirements. The Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) area contains requirements related to protection of critical cyber assets, and section 005, gives requirements related to electronic access to so-called “critical cyber assets”. Anticipated changes in the scope of what is critical will likely increase the number of devices utilities are responsible for demonstrating limited access. Automated means of doing accessibility analysis are possible using a tool such as NetAPT, but as the size of the network to analyze grows, the algorithmic complexity of doing the analysis grows rapidly. This paper describes the issues and techniques that may be used to aid both utilities and auditors to gain confidence that a utility is in compliance with access control requirements. This abstract outlines points made in a panel presentation at the 2012 IEEE PES Conference on Innovative Smart Grid Technologies.
Neighbourhood regeneration of Glasgow's southside: Implications for American cities

This paper examines three quite different neighbourhood regeneration projects on the southside of Glasgow (in the Gorbals, Govanhill and Castlemilk) and draws parallels with American revitalization efforts. Crown Street Regeneration in the Gorbals (a former slum clearance renewal area) emphasizes the restoration of Glasgow's traditional tenemental architecture rather than the creation of an 'in town' suburb as in the South Bronx, New York City. Govanhill Housing Association's tenemental rehabilitation and economic development efforts resemble those of the more successful community development corporations (CDCs) in the USA. The massive restructuring of Castlemilk, a large council housing estate, including the introduction of private market housing, resembles efforts to promote income mixing in American public housing projects. Implications for American efforts, based on Glasgow's experiences, are discussed.
Spherical harmonics for shape-based inverse problems as applied to electrical impedance tomography

Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is a badly posed inverse problem. In a 3-D volume too many parameters are required to be able to obtain stable estimates with good spatial resolution and good accuracy. One approach to such problems that has been presented recently in a number of reports, when the relevant constituent parameters can be modeled as isotropic and piecewise continuous or homogeneous, is to use shape-based solutions. In this work, we report on a method, based on a spherical harmonics expansion, that allows us to parameterize the 3-D objects which constitute the conductivity inhomogeneities in the interior; for instance, we could assume the general shape of piecewise constant inhomogeneities is known but their conductivities and their exact location and shape are not. Using this assumption, we have developed a 3-stage optimization algorithm that allows us to iteratively estimate the location of the inhomogeneous objects, to find their external boundaries and to estimate their internal conductivities. The performance of the proposed method is illustrated via simulation in a realistic torso model, as well as via experimental data from a tank phantom.
Cultured basal forebrain cholinergic neurons in contact with cortical cells display synapses, enhanced morphological features, and decreased dependence on nerve growth factor

Prior studies examining the dependence of basal forebrain cholinergic neurons (BFCNs) on nerve growth factor (NGF) for survival have reached differing conclusions depending on the experimental paradigm employed, suggesting the importance of environmental and developmental variables. The present study examined the NGF dependence of BFCNs and modulatory effects of target (cortical) neurons under the controlled conditions of dissociated cell cultures. Initial experiments found BFCNs (identified by using choline acetyltransferase immunocytochemistry) in pure basal forebrain (BF) cultures to be dependent on NGF between the 2nd and 4th week in vitro. During that developmental period, NGF deprivation for 3 days, induced by application of anti-NGF antibody, resulted in degeneration of over 80% of BFCNs, whereas at earlier or later times, BFCNs were largely resistant to NGF deprivation. When BF neurons were plated together with cortical neurons (as dissociated co-cultures), the BFCNs grew neuritic processes (labeled with acetylcholinesterase histochemistry) that appeared to specifically target cortical neurons; electron microscopy revealed that synapses formed between these cells. BFCNs in co-cultures were more resistant to NGF deprivation, were larger, and had much more extensive neuritic growth than BFCNs in pure BF cultures. The resistance of BFCNs to NGF deprivation provided by cortical neurons could be largely reproduced by addition of other trophic factors (brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BDNF; neurotrophin 3, NT3; neurotrophin 4/5, NT4/5; or glial-derived neurotrophic factor, GDNF) during NGF deprivation in pure BF cultures. These results suggest that developing BFCNs undergo a critical period requiring trophic influences that may be provided by NGF or other trophic factors, as well as unknown factors derived from cortical neurons. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The New Right, Fundamentalism, and Nationalism in Postmodern America: A Marriage of Heat and Passion

Au debut du 20eme siecle, le fondamentalisme religieux aux Etats-Unis a connu une eclipse de l'influence culturelle. Les protestants des Grandes Eglises comptaient le plus de membres. Ensuite, tout au long de la premiere moitie du 20eme siecle, les deux segments de l'Eglise protestante ont vu leurs rangs s'etoffer. Pendant ce temps, la droite politique se tenait dans l'ombre. Apres les annees 60, les denominations protestantes des Grandes Eglises ont commence a decliner. La civilisation occidentale evoluait vers une phase culturelle de postmodernisme, tandis que la frange politique «liberale» se divisait. Face a elle, la droite politique avait une ideologie claire et sans compromis. Cette droite politique commenca a s'organiser differemment et se mit a courtiser la droite religieuse resurgente, poussant ses adeptes a s'engager davantage au plan politique. De son cote, la droite religieuse avait, elle aussi, une ideologie claire et peu encline au compromis. Il y avait donc une convergence de preoccupations et d'interets. De plus, l'une et l'autre ont en commun une forme de chauvinisme qui fait a la fois office de ciment interne et d'arme culturelle efficace. Il existe actuellement un mariage politique de fait entre la droite politique et la droite religieuse.