cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Project Zephyrus: Developing a rapidly reusable high-altitude flight test platform

Reusable, inexpensive, and rapid testing of payloads in near-space conditions is an unfilled niche that could speed development of flight-ready projects. With growing availability of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware and open source software, high-altitude ballooning (HAB) has become a viable option for rapid prototyping of ideas in near-space conditions. A product of the Jet Propulsions Laboratory's (JPL) collaborative Innovation to Flight (i2F) program, the Zephyrus system is a proposed HAB solution for high-altitude testing and atmospheric observation, a cheaper and easy-to-use alternative to traditional HAB systems. The Zephyrus system permits testing of small-to mid-sized instruments in the upper atmosphere (approximately 35,000 m maximum altitude) using a reusable common architecture. Over the summer of 2017, the i2F team demonstrated all of these key features of the Zephyrus platform via four test flights. Zephyrus I, II, III, and IV were successfully launched, tracked, and recovered over groundtracks of up to approximately 50 km and altitudes of approximately 30,000 m by a team averaging eight individuals, while accomplishing a majority of the intended science. This included a turnaround time of less than two weeks between two flight tests with differing instrumentation. Lessons from the Zephyrus I flight were successfully used in the Zephyrus II flight to speed up launch time and operations procedures (e.g. rigorous pre-launch preparation). Likewise, the Zephyrus III flight brought the cost of relaunching a mid-sized payload to 28,500 m down significantly. Many diverse instruments and experiments were tested during the Zephyrus missions (e.g. inflatable origami reflectors, flexible solar panels), demonstrating the system's versatility. From concept to first flight of Zephyrus I in just five weeks, followed by turnarounds as short as two weeks, the team demonstrated that it is entirely possible to bring to bear cost-effective, hobbyist HAB techniques in meaningful high-altitude testing using a new reusable test platform.
Very long-lived gene products

This chapter presents an overview of very long-lived gene products. Marcus and Feeley, and Dure and Watters, in an interesting series of investigations on cotton, wheat, and peanut seeds, have shown that preformed template-active RNA is stored in the dormant seed as it is stored in the dormant mature oocyte. In wheat seeds, protein synthesis equivalent in rate to 28% of the eventual maximum capacity is detected within 1 hour after seed activation, which is accomplished by soaking the seeds in water. As the informational RNA stored in seeds is quantitatively responsible for their early postgermination protein synthesis, it is clear that it is essential for germination. The life length for informational RNA molecules is under certain conditions almost unlimited; that is to say, it is limited only by the onset of the environmental changes that lead to activation and utilization, as in germination. Decay in these very long-lived informational RNA populations is, thus, evidently confined to the postactivation period.
The yield surface of single crystals at arbitrary strain

With the current state as reference, the initial and subsequent yield surfaces of a single crystal are constructed under finite deformation in both Kirchhoff stress and its conjugate strain space. In both cases the yield condition of a slip system is characterized by a quadric surface rather than by a linear yield plane. As consequences of Drucker's and Ilyushin's postulates, these quadric surfaces are necessarily convex; so is the yield surface of the crystal. The translation and rotation of each quadric surface and the distortion of the yield surface are determined following an incremental loading. The loading criterion, its associated flow rule and the normality structure in connection with a yield surface at finite strain are also rigorously analyzed from physical grounds.
Confession and the Cultural Turn: Revising the Historical Critique of Lídia Jorge’s The Murmuring Coast

Lidia Jorge’s A costa dos murmurios (1988) has been primarily theorized as a subversion of historical discourse. Similar to a number of Jorge’s examinations of social changes emerging as the Estado Novo declined, the novel juxtaposes two competing versions of the past, in this case a fictional representation of the colonial wars and a woman’s testimonial account twenty years later. This article reconsiders the novel’s status as historical deconstruction, arguing that its oral and visual strategies instead correspond to the methodology of cultural historiography that emerged during the 1970s and 1980s. Expanding Helena Kaufman’s reading of the testimonial as “deliterarization,” I analyze how a slippage of critical terminology over time has equated historical fiction with narrative history. After examining the competing agendas of cultural history and literary postmodernism, I demonstrate how reconceiving Jorge’s historical “annulment” as a productive revision of fiction provides a model of complementary history facilitating interdisciplinary engagement.
Surgical Approaches to the Mediastinum

The surgical approach to mediastinal tumors has evolved over the past few years due mainly to the development and refinement of minimally invasive techniques. Video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) has matured to the extent that many lesions previously thought to require a median sternotomy now are routinely done via a VATS approach. Robotic-assisted approaches bring an added dimension allowing the surgeon to perform more complex procedures due to the significantly improved magnification, 3-D high definition visualization, and greater flexibility provided by instruments with seven degrees of motion. The anterior mediastinum is the site for the majority of lesions that are amenable to surgical resection followed closely by the posterior compartment. Lesions of the thymus account for the majority of primary lesions. The anterior mediastinum also is a relatively common presenting site for both Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The surgeon must distinguish between a lesion that simply requires a tissue sample and those where complete resection is required.
Nutrition Education for Transgender Individuals During Transition (P04-001-19)

Objectives Over 90 million people around the world identify as transgender1. The glaring lack of published nutrition research on the topic of transgender health drove our proposal to conduct this needs assessment. Additionally, we sought to determine whether medical nutrition intervention was desired, as well as uncovering any metabolically relevant side effects of hormone therapy.
Longitudinal Cruise Control of a Car using Sliding Mode Approach

From the last few years, there has occur an increase in number of cars, which has badly affected our transport system and specially traffic on the roads. Traffic congestion and traffic accidents are the major concerns due to an increase in number of vehicles. Many efforts have been made in the last few years to improve safety and comfort in vehicular system. One of present focus is intelligent transport system (ITS) to ensure safety and comfort for the passenger. The main focus of this paper is to control the longitudinal dynamics of a vehicle, which make sure that a safe distance is kept between the leading and following vehicle. The major drawback with the existing control techniques is the inability to perform well in the presence of various parameters, which vary with the variation in the external factors like temperature and etc. This paper focuses on the development of a sliding mode control (SMC) for the longitudinal dynamics of automotive vehicle in a platoon system. System response will be observed in the presence of parametric uncertainty. First order and Second order sliding mode is applied and results are compared by comparing chattering in both the cases.
Polyurethane Shear-Activated Adhesives: Effect of Counterface Chemistry

Although surface chemistry is less important in dry adhesion than surface geometry, it may still prevent reliable attachment from being established in shear-activated adhesives. However, some mater...
The effect of short-course antibiotics on the resistance profile of colonizing gut bacteria in the ICU: a prospective cohort study.

The need for early antibiotics in the intensive care unit (ICU) is often balanced against the goal of antibiotic stewardship. Long-course antibiotics increase the burden of antimicrobial resistance within colonizing gut bacteria, but the dynamics of this process are not fully understood. We sought to determine how short-course antibiotics affect the antimicrobial resistance phenotype and genotype of colonizing gut bacteria in the ICU by performing a prospective cohort study with assessments of resistance at ICU admission and exactly 72 h later. Deep rectal swabs were performed on 48 adults at the time of ICU admission and exactly 72 h later, including patients who did and did not receive antibiotics. To determine resistance phenotype, rectal swabs were cultured for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE). In addition, Gram-negative bacterial isolates were cultured against relevant antibiotics. To determine resistance genotype, quantitative PCR (qPCR) was performed from rectal swabs for 87 established resistance genes. Within-individual changes in antimicrobial resistance were calculated based on culture and qPCR results and correlated with exposure to relevant antibiotics (e.g., did β-lactam antibiotic exposure associate with a detectable change in β-lactam resistance over this 72-h period?). Of 48 ICU patients, 41 (85%) received antibiotics. Overall, there was no increase in the antimicrobial resistance profile of colonizing gut bacteria during the 72-h study period. There was also no increase in antimicrobial resistance after stratification by receipt of antibiotics (i.e., no detectable increase in β-lactam, vancomycin, or macrolide resistance regardless of whether patients received those same antibiotics). This was true for both culture and PCR. Antimicrobial resistance pattern at ICU admission strongly predicted resistance pattern after 72 h. Short-course ICU antibiotics made little detectable difference in the antimicrobial resistance pattern of colonizing gut bacteria over 72 h in the ICU. This provides an improved understanding of the dynamics of antimicrobial resistance in the ICU and some reassurance that short-course antibiotics may not adversely impact the stewardship goal of reducing antimicrobial resistance.
Virus evolution affected early COVID-19 spread

Abstract As the SARS-Cov-2 virus spreads around the world afflicting millions of people, it has undergone divergent genetic mutations. Although most of these mutations are expected to be inconsequential, some mutations in the spike protein structure have been hypothesized to affect the critical stage at which the virus invades human cells, which could affect transmission probability and disease expression. If true, then we expect an increased growth rate of reported COVID-19 cases in regions dominated by viruses with these altered proteins. We modeled early global infection dynamics based on clade assignment along with other demographic and meteorological factors previously found to be important. Clade, but not variant D614G which has been associated with increased viral load, enhanced our ability to describe early COVID-19 growth dynamics. Including clade identity in models significantly improved predictions over earlier work based only on weather and demographic variables. In particular, higher proportions of clade 19A and 19B were negatively correlated with COVID-19 growth rate, whereas higher proportions of 20A and 20C were positively correlated with growth rate. A strong interaction between the prevalence of clade 20C and relative humidity suggests that the impact of clade identity might be more important when coupled with certain weather conditions. In particular, 20C an 20A generate the highest growth rates when coupled with low humidity. Projections based on data through April 2020 suggest that, without intervention, COVID-19 has the potential to grow more quickly in regions dominated by the 20A and 20C clades, including most of South and North America.
Testing Curbside Management Strategies to Mitigate the Impacts of Ridesourcing Services on Traffic

Increased use of ridesourcing leads to increased pick-up and drop-off activity. This may slow traffic or cause delays as vehicles increase curb use, conduct pick-up and drop-off activity directly i...
Protecting Workers that Provide Essential Services

States and localities, which retain the right to protect the health and safety of their citizens, have designated more than 55 million Americans as “essential workers” during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most essential workers are employed in health care (30%) and in food and agricultural (21%) (McNicholas & Poydock, 2020). A majority (76%) of all essential health care workers are women, while half of all essential food and agricultural workers are racial and ethnic minorities. Consequently, many women and racial and ethnic minorities are unable to shelter at home or socially distance themselves because they are deemed “essential workers” (Yearby & Mohapatra, 2020). Even though these workers are deemed “essential workers,” they have not been provided with the employment and safety protections (e.g., paid sick leave, health insurance, and workers’ compensation) that are essential to keeping them and their families healthy and safe. To address the lack of economic protections, which is discussed in more detail in Chapter 28, essential workers should be provided with a guaranteed basic income, paid sick leave, health insurance coverage, and survivorship benefits regardless of their worker and/or immigration status (Yearby & Mohapatra, 2020). To keep workers from being killed or otherwise harmed at work, the government (federal and state) must issue mandatory health and safety laws and regulations that are aggressively enforced to prevent workplace COVID-19 infections and deaths. Finally, to ensure that essential workers and their families do not suffer financially if they contract COVID-19, the government (federal and state) and businesses should be financially responsible for the harm caused as a result of a worker’s COVID-19 infection or death. This paper was prepared as part of Assessing Legal Responses to COVID-19, a comprehensive report published by Public Health Law Watch in partnership with the de Beaumont Foundation and the American Public Health Association.
Clinical characteristics and outcomes of in-hospital cardiac arrest among patients with and without COVID-19

Aims To define outcomes of patients with COVID-19 compared to patients without COVID-19 suffering in-hospital cardiac arrest (IHCA). Materials and methods We performed a single-center retrospective study of IHCA cases. Patients with COVID-19 were compared to consecutive patients without COVID-19 from the prior year. Return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC), 30-day survival, and cerebral performance category (CPC) at 30-days were assessed. Results Fifty-five patients with COVID-19 suffering IHCA were identified and compared to 55 consecutive IHCA patients in 2019. The COVID-19 cohort was more likely to require vasoactive agents (67.3% v 32.7%, p = 0.001), invasive mechanical ventilation (76.4% v 23.6%, p < 0.001), renal replacement therapy (18.2% v 3.6%, p = 0.029) and intensive care unit care (83.6% v 50.9%, p = 0.001) prior to IHCA. Patients with COVID-19 had shorter CPR duration (10 min v 22 min, p = 0.002). ROSC (38.2% v 49.1%, p = 0.336) and 30-day survival (20% v 32.7%, p = 0.194) did not differ. A 30-day cerebral performance category of 1 or 2 was more common among non-COVID patients (27.3% v 9.1%, p = 0.048). Conclusions Return of spontaneous circulation and 30-day survival were similar between IHCA patients with and without COVID-19. Compared to previously published data, we report greater ROSC and 30-day survival after IHCA in COVID-19.
Developmental phenotypic and transcriptomic effects of exposure to nanomolar levels of metformin in zebrafish.

Abstract Metformin is found in the majority of lakes and streams in the United States, leading to widespread environmental exposure. Results of the present study indicate that extended duration metformin exposure at critical developmental periods leads to decreased survival rates in zebrafish (danio rerio), an NIH approved human model. Significant abnormalities are seen with extended duration metformin exposure from 4 h post fertilization up to 5 days post fertilization, although short term metformin exposure for 24 h at 4–5 days post fertilization did not lead to any significant abnormalities. Both extended and short term duration did however have an impact on locomotor activity of zebrafish, and several genes involved in neurological and cardiovascular development were differentially expressed after exposure to metformin. The changes seen in behavior, gene expression and morphological abnormalities caused by metformin exposure should be examined further in future studies in order to assess their potential human health implications as metformin prescriptions continue to increase worldwide.
Loss to Follow-Up and Health Care Utilization After Initial Diagnosis of Eosinophilic Esophagitis

Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is a chronic disease, but the extent of patient loss to follow-up (LTFU) and health care utilization has not been fully investigated. To determine frequency and predictors of LTFU and health care utilization in EoE patients. In this retrospective cohort study, we extracted data from patients with a new diagnosis of EoE. Follow-up time for each patient was calculated as the time from the first diagnostic endoscopy to the last GI-related contact date in the medical record. Patients with and without LTFU were compared, and the volume of EoE-related health care interactions was recorded. Of 944 EoE cases, 249 (26%) met the definition for LTFU. Major reasons for LTFU were never being scheduled (45%) and inability to contact patients (40%). Factors independently associated with regular follow-up were having insurance (aOR 2.89; 95% CI 1.85–4.50), white race (aOR 2.16; 95% CI 1.37–3.41), and longer symptom length (aOR 1.04 per year; 95% CI 1.01–1.08). At the time of last contact, patients with follow-up had better symptom response (55% vs. 12%; p < 0.001), improved esophageal caliber (14.3 vs. 12.4 mm; p = 0.005), and more histologic response (45% vs. 4% at 15 eos/hpf; p < 0.001). Health care utilization was high, with an average of 4.6 endoscopies and 4.0 clinic visits over the follow-up period. LTFU of newly diagnosed EoE cases was common and associated with lack of insurance, non-white race, and shorter symptom duration. Those who followed up had high health care utilization but improved response rates. Strategies are needed to help decrease LTFU in EoE.
The UX Factor: Using Comparative Peer Review to Evaluate Designs through User Preferences

Peer review has been used in both online and offline classrooms to inspire creativity, gather feedback, and lessen instructor grading loads, especially for design-based tasks without definitive rubrics. To explore the nuances and quality of peer feedback, we developed UX Factor, a peer grading platform that aims to characterize the behavior of peer reviews and the consistency of the ranking models used to aggregate these reviews. This system harnesses the power of pairwise comparisons to minimize bias and encourage context-driven analysis. We adopted UX Factor in a user interface course of 133 students and teaching assistants (TAs) across 3 different individual design projects over a semester and found that the system was effective in eliciting high-quality feedback. We saw that raters have higher agreement than random preferences, and with at least 15 ratings per submission, a simple average of ratings produced rankings that were consistent to both the raw ratings and other more complex models. These rankings were robust to disagreeable raters and changing class sizes, demonstrating the potential of comparative peer review to match the quality of expert feedback at scale.
Effects of High Thermal and High Fast Fluences on the Mechanical Properties of Type 6061 Aluminum on the HFBR

The High Flux Beam Reactor (HFBR) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is an epithermal, externally moderated (by D/sub 2/O) facility designed to produce neutron beams for research. Type 6061 T-6 aluminum was used for the beam tubes, pressure vessel, fuel cladding, and most other components in the high flux area. The HFBR has operated since 1965. The epithermal, external moderation of the HFBR means that materials irradiated in different areas of the facility receive widely different flux spectra. Thus, specimens from a control rod drive follower tube (CRDF) have received 1.5 /times/ 10/sup 22/ n/cm/sup 2/ (E > 0.1 MeV) and 3.2 /times/ 10/sup 23/ n/cm/sup 2/ thermal fluence, while those from a vertical thimble flow shroud received 1.9 /times/ 10/sup 23/ n/cm/sup 2/ (E > 0.1 MeV) and 1.0 /times/ 10/sup 23/ n/cm/sup 2/ thermal. These numbers correspond to fast to thermal fluence ratios ranging from 0.05 to 1.9. Irradiations are occurring at approximately 333/degree/K. The data indicate that the increase in tensile strength and decrease in ductility result primarily from the thermal fluence, i.e., the transmutation of aluminum to silicon. These effects appear to be saturating at fluences above approximately 1.8 /times/ 10/sup 23/ n/cm/sup 2/ thermal atmore » values of 90,000 psi (6700 Kg/mm/sup 2/) and 9%, respectively. The specimens receiving the highest fluence ratios appear to have less increase in tensile strength and less decrease in ductility than specimens with a lower fast to thermal fluence ratio and the same thermal fluence, suggesting a possible beneficial effect of the high energy neutrons in preventing formation of silicon crystallites. 7 refs., 11 figs., 3 tabs.« less
Queer Nations: Marginal Sexualities in the Maghreb

The Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia) has been inhabited for millennia by a heterogeneous populace. However, in the wake of World War II, when independence movements began to gain momentum in these French colonies, the dominant national discourses attempted to define the national identities by exclusion. One rallying cry from the 1930s was "Islam is my religion, Arabic is my language, Algeria is my fatherland". In this incisive postcolonial study, Jarrod Hayes uses literary analysis to examine how Francophone novelists from the Maghreb engaged in a diametric nation-building project. Their works imagined a diverse nation peopled by those who were excluded by the dominant discourses, especially those who did not conform to traditional sexual norms. By incorporating representations of marginal sexualities, sexual dissidence, and gender insubordination, Maghrebian novelists imagined an anticolonial struggle that would result in sexual liberation and envisioned nations that could be defined and developed inclusively.
BPS states on non-commutative tori and duality

Abstract We study gauge theories on non-commutative tori. It has been proved that Morita equivalence of non-commutative tori leads to a physical equivalence ( SO(d, d/ Z )- duality ) of the corresponding gauge theories [Nucl. Phys. B 534 (1998) 720]. We calculate the energy spectrum of maximally supersymmetric BPS states in these theories and show that this spectrum agrees with the SO(d, d/ Z )- duality . The relation of our results with those of recent calculations is discussed.
Health-care reform and its anticipated impact on the capacity of addiction health services to implement integrated care practices

Findings Five main themes showed that ACA design criteria were disconnected from expectations to increase access and standards of care. Providers were concerned about how public and private insurance expected to achieve workforce professionalization, while also weakening the role of current staff with recovery practice experience. Service delivery was expected to broaden, yet the managed-care model used in public health insurance coverage would reduce service intensity and have a limited impact on disparities. Providers anticipated that they would not have the capacity to implement prevention and integration of mental health and primary care, as required by the ACA. Overall, providers had not enacted changes and stressed their need for a coherent action plan to improve standards of care and reduce disparities as mandated by the ACA.
Cryotolerance of selected sites on the surfaces of membranes of cells. II. A, B and H combining sites of human erythrocytes.

Abstract Using a membrane adsorption test, based on the ability of the surfaces of red blood cells to react with group specific antibodies, the effects of rates of freezing, freezing and storage at low temperatures, and cyclic freezing and thawing on A, B, and H sites were measured. In a similar manner the ability of membranes to adsorb influenza virus was used to determine the cryotolerance of H sites. The washed red blood cells used in this study were suspended in phosphate buffer only or in phosphate buffer plus dimethylsulfoxide, glycerol, dextran, polyvinylpyrrolidone or hydroxyethyl starch. In general, the surfaces of membranes suspended in phosphate buffer only and exposed to the several freezing and storage procedures showed the greatest amount of damage. Following cyclic freezing (−76 °C) and thawing (+10 °C) the surfaces of erythrocyte membranes suspended in phosphate buffer plus dimethylsulfoxide or glycerol showed little damage to have occurred. Preparations suspended in phosphate buffer only or in polyvinylpyrrolidone showed the greatest amount of damage; increased damage occurred with each cycle of freezing and thawing. The damage to the surfaces of membranes suspended in dextran or hydroxyethyl starch were intermediate to the foregoing. Preparations of erythrocytes suspended in the several additives and cooled at 1, 15, or 100 °C/min showed either no damage or a small amount of damage to occur. In general, the least amount of damage occurred when preparations were cooled at 1 °C/min with additives present. All preparations were found to have small amounts of damage when stored at +4, −20, or −70 °C for 30 or 60 days. The least amount of change was found in preparations stored in 5% dimethylsulfoxide with progressively greater damage occurring in preparations stored in 10% glycerol, 3% dextran, 0.4% polyvinylpyrrolidone or 2% hydroxyethyl starch.
Solar System Magnetohydrodynamics

Continuum mechanics is that branch of physics that treats the motions of infinitely deformable matter. It embraces hydrodynamics, aerodynamics, magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), and magnetogasdynamics. The first two differ in that the former is incompressible and the latter compressible fluid dynamics. The prefix, magneto, signifies the addition of the ponderemotive force (colloquially called the J-cross-B force) to the usual pressure gradient, gravitational and viscous forces of fluid dynamics. Magnetofluid mechanics applies to fluids that can carry electrical currents, such as liquid metals and plasmas. Our interest in Solar System MHD is confined to the latter.
Late Oligocene to early Miocene geochronology and paleoceanography from the subantarctic South Atlantic

Mi2 as well as several other distinctive isotope events. Our data suggest that the d 18 O maximum commonly associated with the Oligocene/Miocene (O/M) boundary falls within C6Cn.2r (23.86 Ma). The d 13 C maximum coincides, within the temporal resolution of our record, with C6Cn.2n/r boundary and hence to the O/M boundary. Comparison of the stable isotope record from Site 1090 to the orbitally tuned stable isotope record from ODP Site 929 across the O/M boundary shows that variability in the two records is very similar and can be correlated at and below the O/M boundary. Site 1090 stable isotope records also provide the first deep Southern Ocean end-member for reconstructions of circulation patterns and late Oligocene to early Miocene climate change. Comparison to previously published records suggests that basin to basin carbon isotope gradients were small or nonexistent and are inconclusive with respect to the direction of deep water flow. Oxygen isotope gradients between sites suggest that the deep Southern Ocean was cold in comparison to the North Atlantic, Indian, and the Pacific Oceans. Dominance of cold Southern Component Deep Water at Site 1090, at least until 17 Ma, suggests that relatively cold circumpolar climatic conditions prevailed during the late Oligocene and early Miocene. We believe that a relatively cold Southern Ocean reflects unrestricted circumpolar flow through the Drake Passage in agreement with bathymetric reconstructions. INDEX TERMS: 4267 Oceanography: General: Paleoceanography; 1035 Geochemistry: Geochronology; 4870 Oceanography: Biological and Chemical: Stable isotopes; KEYWORDS: Paleoceanography; 1035 geochronology, stable isotopes
REVIEW: Neurosyphilis: A Historical Perspective and Review

SUMMARY Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum, the causative agent of syphilis, disseminates to the central nervous system within days after exposure. Clinical manifestations can occur during any stage of the infection, and include asymptomatic neurosyphilis, acute meningeal syphilis, meningovascular syphilis, paretic neurosyphilis, and tabetic neurosyphilis. The majority of cases are reported in HIV-infected patients but the epidemiology of modern neurosyphilis is not well defined because of the paucity of population-based data. Decreasing reports of late neurosyphilis have been countered with increasing reports of early neurologic involvement. This review summarizes the clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and therapy of neurosyphilis, focusing on areas of continued controversy, and highlighting several important questions that remain unanswered. Since 2000, the rates of syphilis continue to increase. Given the effectiveness of penicillin therapy, these trends suggest a failure of prevention. Regrettably, rather than become an infection of historical significance, syphilis in the era of HIV continues to challenge researchers and clinicians.
Structural Mechanism for Regulation of Bcl-2 protein Noxa by phosphorylation.

We showed previously that phosphorylation of Noxa, a 54-residue Bcl-2 protein, at serine 13 (Ser13) inhibited its ability to promote apoptosis through interactions with canonical binding partner, Mcl-1. Using EPR spectroscopy, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and binding assays, we offer evidence that a structural alteration caused by phosphorylation partially masks Noxa’s BH3 domain, inhibiting the Noxa-Mcl-1 interaction. EPR of unphosphorylated Noxa, with spin-labeled amino acid TOAC incorporated within the BH3 domain, revealed equilibrium between ordered and dynamically disordered states. Mcl-1 further restricted the ordered component for non-phosphorylated Noxa, but left the pSer13 Noxa profile unchanged. Microsecond MD simulations indicated that the BH3 domain of unphosphorylated Noxa is housed within a flexible loop connecting two antiparallel β-sheets, flanked by disordered N- and C-termini and Ser13 phosphorylation creates a network of salt-bridges that facilitate the interaction between the N-terminus and the BH3 domain. EPR showed that a spin label inserted near the N-terminus was weakly immobilized in unphosphorylated Noxa, consistent with a solvent-exposed helix/loop, but strongly constrained in pSer13 Noxa, indicating a more ordered peptide backbone, as predicted by MD simulations. Together these studies reveal a novel mechanism by which phosphorylation of a distal serine inhibits a pro-apoptotic BH3 domain and promotes cell survival.
Integrated acoustooptic device modules in LiNbO/sub 3/ for digital data processing

A titanium-indiffusion proton-exchange waveguide microlens has been utilized to construct a multichannel integrated acoustooptic module which simultaneously utilizes acoustooptic (AO) and electrooptic (EO) Bragg diffractions in a common LiNbO/sub 3/ substrate. The module consists of a channel-waveguide array, a planar waveguide, a linear microlens array, an AO Bragg modulator, an EO Bragg modulator array, and a large-aperture lens in a substrate 0.1*1.0*2.0 cm/sup 3/ in size. A novel scheme for simultaneous excitation of the entire channel-waveguide array was devised to facilitate experimentation of the multichannel module for applications in digital data processing. The autocorrelation and cross-correlation waveforms between binary sequence obtained using amplitude-modulated SAW (surface acoustic waves) at 16.7 Mb/s and voltage-modulated EO gratings were found to be in excellent agreement with theoretical calculations. >
Measurement of fibrinogen in dog liver cell fractions by electroimmunoassay and radioimmunoassay

Dog liver was fractionated and the amount of fibrinogen, in the various cell fractions (organelles) involved in the secretory process, was determined both by the Laurell electroimmunoassay and by radioimmunoassay. An unequal distribution of fibrinogen was noted for each cell fraction after an appropriate correction was made. This involved the estimation of the level of contamination of each cell fraction by soluble (blood) fibrinogen. It was observed that significant amounts of added 125I-labeled fibrinogen could be found in each organelle following cell fractionation. This was especially true for the rough endoplasmic reticulum which contained as much as 3.1% of the added tracer. Both the smooth endoplasmic reticulum and the Golgi fractions contained much lower amounts of added tracer. Using this correction factor, it was found that the rough endoplasmic reticulum contains about 0.1–0.2 μg fibrinogen per mg organelle protein. On the other hand, the smooth endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi fractions contained much more fibrinogen. The fibrinogen concentration ranges found for the latter two organelles were 1.9–5.0 and 1.5–5.7 μg fibrinogen per mg organelle protein, respectively.
The importance of the social work degree in working with families and children: implications for China's growing social work profession

The purpose of this paper is to explore how social work education for child welfare professionals in the United States can be used to inform the Chinese social work curriculum. The recent proliferation of social work education programs in China may be encouraging news to child welfare scholars, but the infrastructure needed to develop a professionalized child welfare work force in China remains lacking. In the United States, social work education for child welfare professionals is supported by Title IV-E funding, which is consistent with the prevailing philosophy that workers with social work education achieve better outcomes for maltreated children than do those without social work degrees. The authors of this article conducted a recent evaluation of public child welfare workers' performance in the state of Texas, which substantiates this belief. Results from this study are presented along with a discussion of how Chinese social work scholars might apply the conclusions to improve child welfare in China.
Semi-automated 2D Bruch's membrane shape analysis in papilledema using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography

Recent studies have shown that the Bruch's membrane (BM) and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), visualized on spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), is deformed anteriorly towards the vitreous in patients with intracranial hypertension and papilledema. The BM/RPE shape has been quantified using a statistical-shape-model approach; however, to date, the approach has involved the tedious and time-consuming manual placement of landmarks and correspondingly, only the shape (and shape changes) of a limited number of patients has been studied. In this work, we first present a semi-automated approach for the extraction of 20 landmarks along the BM from an optic-nerve-head (ONH) centered OCT slice from each patient. In the approach, after the manual placement of the two Bruch's membrane opening (BMO) points, the remaining 18 landmarks are automatically determined using a graph-based segmentation approach. We apply the approach to the OCT scans of 116 patients (at baseline) enrolled in the Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Treatment Trial and generate a statistical shape model using principal components analysis. Using the resulting shape model, the coefficient (shape measure) corresponding to the second principal component (eigenvector) for each set of landmarks indicates the degree of the BM/RPE is oriented away from the vitreous. Using a subset of 20 patients, we compare the shape measure computed using this semi-automated approach with the resulting shape measure when (1) all landmarks are specified manually (Experiment I); and (2) a different expert specifies the two BMO points (Experiment II). In each case, a correlation coefficient ≥ 0.99 is obtained.
An Evaluation of Internal Medicine Residency Continuity Clinic Redesign to a 50/50 Outpatient–Inpatient Model

BACKGROUND There have been recent calls for improved internal medicine outpatient training, yet assessment of clinical and educational variables within existing models is lacking.
Are Farrowing Intentions Rational Forecasts

This paper tests whether quarterly data on hog farmers' sow-farrowing intentions released in Hogs and Pigs are rational forecasts of actual farrowings. The empirical results show that neither one- nor two-quarter-ahead intentions are rational forecasts. Econometric methods and the implications of the empirical results for the rational expectations hypothesis are also discussed.
Membrane protein complex of APS reductase and Qmo is present in Desulfovibrio vulgaris and Desulfovibrio alaskensis

Due to their adjacent location in the genomes of Desulfovibrio species and their potential for formation of an electron transfer pathway in sulfate-reducing prokaryotes, adenosyl phosphosulfate (APS) reductase (Apr) and quinone-interacting membrane-bound oxidoreductase (Qmo) have been thought to interact together during the reduction of APS. This interaction was recently verified in Desulfovibrio desulfuricans. Membrane proteins of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough ΔqmoABCD JW9021, a deletion mutant, were compared to the parent strain using blue-native PAGE to determine whether Qmo formed a complex with Apr or other proteins. In the parent strain of D. vulgaris, a unique band was observed that contained all four Qmo subunits, and another band contained three subunits of Qmo, as well as subunits of AprA and AprB. Similar results were observed with bands excised from membrane preparations of Desulfovibrio alaskensis strain G20. These results are in support of the formation of a physical complex between the two proteins; a result that was further confirmed by the co-purification of QmoA/B and AprA/B from affinity-tagged D. vulgaris Hildenborough strains (AprA, QmoA and QmoB) regardless of which subunit had been tagged. This provides clear evidence for the presence of a Qmo–Apr complex that is at least partially stable in protein extracts of D. vulgaris and D. alaskensis.
Defining a Moral Problem in Business Ethics

Managing expectations in a business ethicscourse is important and a key place to begin iswith a definition of a moral problem. Untilrecently I would explain, using moral terms,good and bad, right and wrong, duty or obligation or theircognates, what a moral problem is generally andthen what it may be in business. However Ifound that using familiar terms with vague orambiguous meanings to define the subject matterof the course counterproductive. What Irequired is a means of explaining to thebeginning student what a moral problem iswithout relying on the prior associations andmeanings of the term moral that thestudent brings to the discussion. In recentyears I realized that what I wanted, as astarting point for the business ethics course,is a definition of moral problem thatdoes not use specifically moral terms i.e.good, bad, right, wrong, duty. For pedagogicalreasons, I wanted a definition that suppliesthe criteria for determining whether a givenproblem is a moral problem or not without usingcommon moral terms. This paper reviews thetreatment given to the concept of a moralproblem in a number of standard business ethicstexts and then presents a working definitionthat does not rely on the use of specificallymoral terms. The definition is then critiquedfor limitations and weaknesses.
Infrared Spectroscopy of Model Electrochemical Interfaces in Ultrahigh Vacuum: Roles of Solvation in the Vibrational Stark Effect

The effects of dosing various solvents along with potassium upon the infrared reflection−absorption spectra (IRAS) for saturated chemisorbed CO adlayers on Pt(111) at 90 K in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV)...
Differences in the reduction kinetics of incorporated spin labels in undifferentiated and differentiated mouse neuroblastoma cells

Significant differences in the rate of reduction of two spin labels, 5-doxylstearic acid and TEMPOL, in the undifferentiated and differentiated NB-15 mouse neuroblastoma cells were demonstrated by using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. The half-time (T1/2) values for decay of the EPR signal of 5-doxylstearic acid in the undifferentiated and differentiated neuroblastoma cells were 70 min and 290 min, respectively. The T1/2 values of TEMPOL in the undifferentiated and differentiated cells were 18 min and 34 min, respectively. The cellular reductant was characterized as non-protein-bound sulfhydryl groups. A corresponding difference in the cellular non-protein-bound sulfhydryl content, 19.30 nmol/mg protein for the undifferentiated cells and 6.78 nmol/mg protein for the differentiated cells, was observed. Comparison of the reduction rates of TEMPOL, 5-doxylstearic acid and 16-doxylstearic acid in the undifferentiated NB-15 cells suggested that the permeation of non-protein-bound sulfhydryl compounds from the cytosol to membrane may be responsible for the reduction of the lipid-soluble stearic acid spin labels.
Regeneration from short stumps of the rat gastrocnemius muscle.

Nachweis der Regeneration eines neun Muskels nach Entfernung des ganzen Gastrocnemius-Muskels der Ratte bis auf einem 3–4 mm langen Stump. Nur bei vorhandener Verbindung zwischen der regenerierenden Achilles-Sehne und dem proximalen Muskelstumpf kommt es zu bedeutender Verlangerung des proximalen Rests des Muskels.
A STUDY OF THE PENETRATION OF MAMMALIAN CELLS BY DEOXYRIBONUCLEIC ACIDS

Tritium-labeled deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from pneumococci and from human leukocytes was added to growing cultures of HeLa cells at 37°C. Autoradiography revealed an extensive localization of tritium in the nuclear regions. The label could not be removed by treatment with ribonuclease or dilute perchloric acid, but quantitative removal from the cells could be effected with deoxyribonuclease. Chemical and radioactivity determinations on nucleic acids isolated from the exposed HeLa cells revealed the presence of tritium in all 4 DNA bases. About 12 µg. of tritiated DNA was recovered from 6 x 106 HeLa cells which had been exposed for 24 hours to 240 µg. of the human DNA. From this, it is concluded that the amount of DNA, or its degradation products, taken up by the cells was equivalent to at least 10 per cent of the normal HeLa cell complement.
New Solar Rotational Period, the Solar Oblateness, and Solar Faculae

The ''excess'' solar oblateness in 1966 and the periodicity in the residuals (most of the variance) can be described as a signal due to an approximately ellipsoidal sun rotating with a 12.2-day period, the major axis being tilted 85degree +- 1degree from the solar axis. This result, independent of physical interpretation, precludes an explanation for the solar oblateness as a ''brightness signal'' due to the appearance of facular clusters at the solar limb. (AIP)
Relative importance of variables in determination of practice location: a pilot study.

Abstract Variables influencing practice location were independently weighted in importance by 22 practitioners and 48 residents. Among practitioners the four most important variables in rank order were: (1) availability of adequate hospital facilities, (2) acceptability of location to spouse, (3) availability of practice coverage, and (4) openness and receptivity of medical community. Among residents the four most important were: (1) availability of practice coverage, (2) availability of adequate hospital facilities, (3) acceptability of location to spouse, and (4) geographic location. “Openness and receptivity of medical community” is established as an important new variable with slightly higher value in smaller communities. Practitioners and residents included the same eight items in their 11 top rankings and there was complete agreement in ranking of the six least important items. Similarity of the groups suggests that perception of importance of variables influencing practice location is independent of experience and/or time.
Sensory characteristics and functionality of sonicated whey

Abstract This research employed power ultrasound (US) on a whey suspension containing 28.2% solids (10% total protein) and characterized the US treated whey with respect to descriptive sensory evaluation, thermal stability, particle size, emulsification activity, and viscosity. The sensory attributes of sonicated and control whey were determined at three pH levels (3.5, 4.5 and 7.5) with and without nose clips using a trained panel. Nose clips were used to avoid the detection of aromatics and to evaluate whey quality in terms of taste only. There were pH dependent differences in 7 of 21 attributes tested with nose clips and there were no significant differences between the control and US samples when comparing the same pH levels, with the exception of cardboard which was found at a higher level in the pH 7.5 control sample than in the US pH 7.5 sample. There were 9 pH dependent differences in attributes when tested without nose clips and there were no significant differences between the control and US samples of the same pH, with the exception of cardboard being higher in the control pH 4.5 sample, and malty being higher in the control pH 7.5 sample compared to their respective US samples. Thermal stability was monitored via transmission of samples at 600 nm and transmissions of US and control whey were significantly different based on temperature (72 or 85 °C), concentration (5 or 10% solids) and pH (3.5, 4.5 and 7.5). Transmissions were higher in all US samples compared to the controls indicating less turbidity in US samples. Transmissions were higher in samples with the lower heating treatment of 72 °C, at pH 7.5, and at 5% solids. US whey resulted in a more stable emulsion, lower particle size, and a higher viscosity compared to control whey.
The challenge of quantum computer simulations of physical phenomena

Abstract The goal of physics simulation using controllable quantum systems (“physics imitation”) is to exploit quantum laws to advantage, and thus accomplish efficient simulation of physical phenomena. In this Note, we discuss the fundamental concepts behind this paradigm of information processing, such as the connection between models of computation and physical systems. The experimental simulation of a toy quantum many-body problem is described.
A high-gain push-pull magnetic amplifier with limited circulating currents

This paper describes a high-gain phase-sensitive magnetic amplifier,1,2 which simultaneously possesses the high-gain property of the self-saturating (100% positive feedback) amplifiers and the limited circulating current property of the low-gain zero feedback amplifiers. These features are obtained by using feedback windings to obtain the self-saturating large-gain property. However, these windings are arranged so that the feedback is positive only when load currents flow, and is zero when circulating currents flow. The circuit is analyzed and its various modes of operation are described. The theory is verified with numerous experimental results.