cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Technical note: A muscle biopsy technique for stratifying cattle by skeletal muscle metabolic activity

Tissue biopsy metabolic activity, assessed using the oxidation-reduction indicator resazurin, may serve as a proxy to assess energy expenditure associated with maintenance in nongrowing animals or growth rate in growing animals. Herein, we evaluate the repeatability, practicality, and sensitivity of a resazurin-based assay for ranking bovine skeletal muscle biopsies based on metabolic activity. Six yearling Holstein heifers (body weight = 330 ± 11.3 kg) were fed 4 dietary treatments consisting of high or low rumen-degradable starch and fiber arranged factorially in a partially replicated Latin square design. Periods were 18 d, consisting of 3 d for diet transition, 14 d for diet adaptation, and 1 d for sample collection. Semitendinosus biopsies were collected into ice-cold Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium (Fisher Scientific, Hampton, NH) from each heifer during each period. Analysis was initiated within an hour of sample collection. To assess tissue metabolic rate, biopsies were transferred to Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium with resazurin and incubated at 37°C. Fluorescence of each sample was read at time 0 and at 15-min intervals for 2 h. Change in fluorescence was representative of skeletal muscle reducing equivalent production. Fluorescent signal strength increased with time and relative rank of treatments did not change with time; accordingly, future studies may compare fluorescence at a single time point. Change in fluorescence at 120 min was used for analysis of the fixed effects of fiber, starch, and animal when accounting for a random effect of period. Samples collected when animals were on a high-ruminally degradable starch diet were more metabolically active than samples collected from animals on low-starch diets. Significant differences in metabolic activity among individual animals were also identified. Average relative fluorescence was correlated with dry matter intake, average daily gain, and feed-to-gain ratio. The relative fluorescence tended to correlate with average daily gain (r = 0.749) and feed-to-gain ratio (r = -0.783); change in fluorescence did not correlate with dry matter intake. Although evaluated on a small sample size, this technique shows promise as a potential means of ranking animals by growth or feed efficiency. Further work on a larger experimental population is needed to confirm the usefulness of this assay as a consistent and reliable predictor of these important phenotypic parameters.
Mandate of Compassion: Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Palestine, 1919–1939

This article reconstructs the history of animal protection organisations in Palestine from the British occupation to the beginning of World War II. Although Arab and Jewish mandate state subjects c...
THE ENE REACTION OF 3-METHYLENE-2,3-DIHYDROFURAN WITH ALDEHYDES

Abstract The Lewis acid-promoted ene reaction of 3-methylene-2,3-dihydrofuran, 1, with aldehydes gives the corresponding alcohols in good to excellent yield.
Towards the Theory of Self Concept in Selling

For fifteen years the dominant research paradigm in the personal selling and sales management literature has been the Walker, Churchill, and Ford (1977) model, Determinants of Salesperson’s Performance. This model is an adaptation of Vroom’s (1964) Expectancy Theory. The model has proved to be very effective in helping sales researchers frame many of their research questions. However, it has not proven to be able to explain a large proportion of variance in the important job outcomes of salespeople (Churchill, et al. 1985).
Effect of Flow Profiles on the Flow Subjected to Oscillation Forcing: An Example of Droplet Mobilization in Constricted Tubes

Abstract Poiseuille flow was widely assumed in the analysis of fluid flow in porous media due to its simple form. It can describe the flow behavior at creeping flow conditions very well. However, errors were reported in the literature by the use of this parabolic velocity profile in some dynamic circumstances. The effect of velocity profiles on the capillary flow was discussed in this study when oscillation forcing was applied to the flow. An example of the response of nonwetting droplets to the oscillation forcing in a constricted capillary was analyzed: the velocity profiles of Poiseuille flow, starting flow and oscillatory flow were used in this analysis for a comparison. The easiness of implementing these velocity profiles in the theoretical analysis is in this order: Poiseuille flow, starting flow, and oscillatory flow, but the accuracy is in the order: oscillatory flow, starting flow, and Poiseuille flow. By using theoretical approach, we quantified the dimensionless numbers at which the velocity profile of Poiseuille flow profile can be used to approximate the velocity profiles of starting flow or oscillatory flow. The sensitivity of the viscosity ratio was also discussed in this study. When certain conditions of the dimensionless numbers are met, the use of the velocity profile of Poiseuille flow can be justified even though the flow is in a dynamic condition. Otherwise, the approximation by using Poiseuille flow could cause significant errors when the flow is subjected to oscillation forcing.
Strengthening Virtual Communities of Practice (VCoPs): An Evidence-Based Approach.

This action research study is being used to inform the faculty researchers at a Midwestern university regarding the perceptions of adjunct faculty located across the United States involved with the...
Both NPY‐Expressing and CART‐Expressing Neurons Increase Energy Expenditure and Trabecular Bone Mass in Response to AP1 Antagonism, But Have Opposite Effects on Bone Resorption

Energy metabolism and bone homeostasis share several neuronal regulatory pathways. Within the ventral hypothalamus (VHT), the orexigenic neurons co-express Agouti-related peptide (AgRP) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) and the anorexigenic neurons co-express, α-melanocyte stimulating hormone derived from proopiomelanocortin (POMC), and cocaine and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART). These neurons regulate both processes, yet their relative contribution is unknown. Previously, using genetically targeted activator protein (AP1) alterations as a tool, we showed in adult mice that AgRP or POMC neurons are capable of inducing whole-body energy catabolism and bone accrual, with different effects on bone resorption. Here, we investigated whether co-residing neurons exert similar regulatory effects. We show that AP1 antagonists targeted to NPY-producing or CART-producing neurons in adult mice stimulate energy expenditure, reduce body weight gain and adiposity and promote trabecular bone formation and mass, yet again via different effects on bone resorption, as measured by serum level of carboxy-terminal collagen type I crosslinks (CTX). In addition, AP1 antagonists promote neurite expansion, increasing neurite number, length, and surface area in primary hypothalamic neuronal cultures. Overall, our data demonstrate that the orexigenic NPY and anorexigenic CART neurons both have the capacity to stimulate energy burning state and increase bone mass. © 2020 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Integrated Learning in a Science of Kriyayoga Course

This study investigated changes in student self-awareness in a newly developed science course, The Science of Kriyayoga, which is a part of the Indic Studies minor at a medium size public university. Students enrolled in this course learned and practiced Kriyayoga techniques twice a week, over 15 weeks. Kriyayoga, a form of contemplative practice, emphasizes an anchoring and habitation in the present moment. Kriayoga is based on techniques designed to accelerate spiritual development and to create a profound state of tranquility in the participants. Pedagogy for this course utilized mind and body techniques for deepened learning. Data was collected in the form of surveys and interviews with students over two iterations of the course taught by the same instructor. One main question used for this study was, “To what extent and in what ways do you understand yourself in a scientific way through this course?” Two other questions were “Who are you?” and “What/who is your ideal?” Both quantitative and qualitative data was distilled and themes emerged which represent the key points of the findings.
Influence of pH and Surface Orientation on the Photochemical Reactivity of SrTiO3.

The photochemical reactivity of the SrTiO3 surface is affected by the pH of the surrounding aqueous solution. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy have been used to quantify the...
Fillet Dimensions and Meat Quality Attributes Associated With Woody Breast in Broilers

Woody breast (WB) is a major myopathy in broilers characterized by hardness of the breast fillet and can be evaluated by human palpation with a severity scale of 0 (normal) to 3 (severe). The objective of this study was to determine fillet dimensions and meat quality factors that are associated with WB scores that may potentially be used for sorting purposes. A total of 206 broiler breast fillets (deboned at 3 h postmortem) were collected and scored for WB.Thickness and length (overall, cranial, caudal, and keel regions) of the Pectoralis major (whole butterfly) were measured with a caliper. Compression force (CF), pH, and color were measured. The right side of the butterfly fillet was frozen at −20°C for 48 h and thawed for 24 h, and then CF was measured along with cook loss, Meullenet-Owens Razor Shear, and blunt Meullenet-Owens Razor Shear. Pearson correlation coefficients and nominal logistic regression were determined.Measurement responses were compared for 4 categories of WB. The keel length measurement on the breast showed no difference (P > 0.05). However, the thickness was moderately correlated with WB score (r = 0.67) and could differentiate between the scores. In addition, CF of right side was higher than left side of fillets (P < 0.05). Freezing/storage significantly decreased (P < 0.05) CF of thawed fillets compared to chilled (nonfrozen) fillets. Cook loss increased (P < 0.05) as severity for WB increased. Peak counts for Meullenet-Owens Razor Shear and blunt Meullenet-Owens Razor Shear were higher (P < 0.05) for the severe compared to the lower levels of WB severity. In conclusion, meat quality differences were evident among the WB categories, differences in CF were observed between right and left fillets, and freezing/storage decreased hardness of fillets. Breast fillet dimensions along with L* value may potentially be used to identify WB, and this model of prediction of WB could be used in the industry to select the different WB categories in the development of sorting methods.
Cellular and subcellular targeted delivery using a simple all‐in‐one polymeric nanoassembly

Nanocarrier-mediated drug delivery is a promising strategy to maximize the power of chemotherapy and minimize side effects. However, current approaches show insufficient drug-loading capacity and inefficient drug release, and require complex modification processes. Attempts to enhance one of these features often compromise other merits. We describe here a block copolymer assembly system that combines desirable characteristics. The design of self-immolative and crosslinkable hydrophobic moieties offer stable and high encapsulation. Redox-triggerable polymer self-immolation promotes drug release by switching the hydrophobic core into completely hydrophilic chains. The reactive amine handles, presented on their surface, allow "plug to direct" modification with targeting ligands. Functionalized nanoassemblies have been programmed to target specific subcellular compartments. The simplicity, versatility, and efficacy of the system open up possibilities for an all-in-one delivery system.
An ontology-based documentation of data discovery and integration process in cancer outcomes research.

To reduce cancer mortality and improve cancer outcomes, it is critical to understand the various cancer risk factors (RFs) across different domains (e.g., genetic, environmental, and behavioral risk factors) and levels (e.g., individual, interpersonal, and community levels). However, prior research on RFs of cancer outcomes, has primarily focused on individual level RFs due to the lack of integrated datasets that contain multi-level, multi-domain RFs. Further, the lack of a consensus and proper guidance on systematically identify RFs also increase the difficulty of RF selection from heterogenous data sources in a multi-level integrative data analysis (mIDA) study. More importantly, as mIDA studies require integrating heterogenous data sources, the data integration processes in the limited number of existing mIDA studies are inconsistently performed and poorly documented, and thus threatening transparency and reproducibility. Informed by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) research framework, we (1) reviewed existing reporting guidelines from the Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research (EQUATOR) network and (2) developed a theory-driven reporting guideline to guide the RF variable selection, data source selection, and data integration process. Then, we developed an ontology to standardize the documentation of the RF selection and data integration process in mIDA studies. We summarized the review results and created a reporting guideline—ATTEST—for reporting the variable selection and data source selection and integration process. We provided an ATTEST check list to help researchers to annotate and clearly document each step of their mIDA studies to ensure the transparency and reproducibility. We used the ATTEST to report two mIDA case studies and further transformed annotation results into sematic triples, so that the relationships among variables, data sources and integration processes are explicitly standardized and modeled using the classes and properties from OD-ATTEST. Our ontology-based reporting guideline solves some key challenges in current mIDA studies for cancer outcomes research, through providing (1) a theory-driven guidance for multi-level and multi-domain RF variable and data source selection; and (2) a standardized documentation of the data selection and integration processes powered by an ontology, thus a way to enable sharing of mIDA study reports among researchers.
Hospital concentration and bed capacity

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of hospital bed capacity. Some policy experts claim that hospital mergers and lax antitrust oversight contributed to hospital bed shortages in t...
Novel selection paradigms for endovascular stroke treatment in the extended time window.

Background and purpose The optimal selection methodology for stroke thrombectomy beyond 6 hours remains to be established. Methods Review of a prospectively collected database of thrombectomy patients with anterior circulation strokes, adequate CT perfusion (CTP) maps, National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS)≥10 and presenting beyond 6 hours from January 2014 to October 2018. Patients were categorised according to five selection paradigms: DAWN clinical-core mismatch (DAWN-CCM): between age-adjusted NIHSS and CTP core, DEFUSE 3 perfusion imaging mismatch (DEFUSE-3-PIM): between CTP-derived perfusion defect (Tmax >6 s lesion) and ischaemic core volumes and three non-contrast CT Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS)-based criteria: age-adjusted clinical-ASPECTS mismatch (aCAM): between age-adjusted NIHSS and ASPECTS, eloquence-adjusted clinical ASPECTS mismatch (eCAM): ASPECTS 6–10 and non-involvement of the right M6 and left M4 areas and standard clinical ASPECTS mismatch (sCAM): ASPECTS 6–10. Results 310 patients underwent analysis. DEFUSE-3-PIM had the highest proportion of qualifying patients followed by sCAM, eCAM, aCAM and DAWN-CCM (93.5%, 92.6%, 90.6%, 90% and 84.5%, respectively). Patients meeting aCAM, eCAM, sCAM and DAWN-CCM criteria had higher rates of 90-day good outcome compared with their non-qualifying counterparts(43.2% vs 12%,p=0.002; 42.4% vs 17.4%, p=0.02; 42.4% vs 11.2%, p=0.009; and 43.7% vs 20.5%, p=0.007, respectively). There was no difference between patients meeting DEFUSE-3-PIM criteria versus not(40.8% vs 31.3%,p=0.45). In multivariate analysis, all selection modalities except for DEFUSE-3-PIM were independently associated with 90-day good outcome. Conclusions ASPECTS-based selection paradigms for late presenting and wake-up strokes ET have comparable proportions of qualifying patients and similar 90-day functional outcomes as DAWN-CCM and DEFUSE-3-PIM. They also might lead to better outcome discrimination. These could represent a potential alternative for centres where access to advanced imaging is limited.
Django as a Mission Planning Tool Interface for the CYGNSS Mission

The successful operation of spacecraft requires careful planning. Each mission comes with a unique set of challenges that must be met by tools and techniques developed on a mission-specific basis. In the past, these tools have been created as Command Line Interfaces (CLIs), Remote Command Line Interfaces (Remote CLIs), or Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs). This paper presents a method for the development of these custom tools implemented for the mission planning of the CYGNSS (Cyclone Global Navigation Space System) mission: using the Django web framework to act as a remote Graphical User Interface. CYGNSS, the NASA Earth Venture Class mission which launched in late 2016, is a constellation of eight microsatellites in low Earth orbit which perform ocean wind speed measurements using reflected GPS signals to aid in weather modeling. Several tools have been developed to aid in the extensive and ongoing workload in mission planning. Now operating in the extended mission phase, the CYGNSS team is small. However, each team-member works on several projects aside from CYGNSS and performs the necessary mission planning and operations from their individual computer. Since, when using traditional tools, each operator's computer generally has a different combination of hardware, software, and operating system, developers are often required to perform custom installation and debugging for each new user of the system. This results in a system which is prone to user-specific bugs, and is not suitable for the low-cost environment in which CYGNSS operates. We present a method which alleviates these problems. We use Django, a Python-based website framework, to host a suite of mission planning tools on a local website. This framework is split into three components: the Object Relational Mapping (ORM), the Template, and the View. The Django ORM is used to access the backend database from Python. Django Templates are used to control how the tool is displayed to the end user. Django Views tie the previous two components together by taking a request from the user, retrieving data from the database, rendering a template using that data, and returning the rendered template to the user where it is displayed by a web browser. We show how each of these components is used and the benefits of using such a web based system over a traditional tool.
Characterization of the brain functional architecture of psychostimulant withdrawal using single-cell whole brain imaging

Abstract Numerous brain regions have been identified as contributing to addiction-like behaviors, but unclear is the way in which these brain regions as a whole lead to addiction. The search for a final common brain pathway that is involved in addiction remains elusive. To address this question, we used male C57BL/6J mice and performed single-cell whole-brain imaging of neural activity during withdrawal from cocaine, methamphetamine, and nicotine. We used hierarchical clustering and graph theory to identify similarities and differences in brain functional architecture. Although methamphetamine and cocaine shared some network similarities, the main common neuroadaptation between these psychostimulant drugs was a dramatic decrease in modularity, with a shift from a cortical- to subcortical-driven network, including a decrease in total hub brain regions. These results demonstrate that psychostimulant withdrawal produces the drug-dependent remodeling of functional architecture of the brain and suggest that the decreased modularity of brain functional networks and not a specific set of brain regions may represent the final common pathway that leads to addiction. Significance Statement A key aspect of treating drug abuse is understanding similarities and differences of how drugs of abuse affect the brain. In the present study we examined how the brain is altered during withdrawal from psychostimulants. We found that each drug produced a unique pattern of activity in the brain, but that brains in withdrawal from cocaine and methamphetamine shared similar features. Interestingly, we found the major common link between withdrawal from all psychostimulants, when compared to controls, was a shift in the broad organization of the brain in the form of reduced modularity. Reduced modularity has been shown in several brain disorders, including traumatic brain injury, and dementia, and may be the common link between drugs of abuse.
Childhood Maltreatment Amplifies the Association Between Relationship Functioning and Depressive Symptoms Among Rural African American Couples

Despite considerable literature documenting associations between relationship functioning and depressive symptoms, there has been relatively little direct examination of this association among Afri...
Embedding Learning in a Learning Health Care System to Improve Clinical Practice.

Problem In an ideal learning health care system (LHS), clinicians learn from what they do and do what they learn, closing the evidence-to-practice gap. In operationalizing an LHS, great strides have been made in knowledge generation. Yet, considerable challenges remain to the broad uptake of identified best practices. To bridge the gap from generating actionable knowledge to applying that knowledge in clinical practice, and ultimately to improving outcomes, new information must be disseminated to and implemented by frontline clinicians. To date, the dissemination of this knowledge through traditional avenues has not achieved meaningful practice change quickly. Approach Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) developed QuizTime, a smartphone application learning platform, to provide a mechanism for embedding workplace-based clinician learning in the LHS. QuizTime leverages spaced education and retrieval-based practice to facilitate practice change. Beginning in January 2020, clinician-researchers and educators at VUMC designed a randomized, controlled trial to test whether the QuizTime learning system influenced clinician behavior in the context of recent evidence supporting the use of balanced crystalloids rather than saline for intravenous fluid management and new regulations around opioid prescribing. Outcomes Whether spaced education and retrieval-based practice influence clinician behavior and patient outcomes at the VUMC system level will be tested using the data currently being collected. Next steps These findings will inform future directions for developing and deploying learning approaches at scale in an LHS, with the goal of closing the evidence-to-practice gap.
Yellow Journalism: Puncturing the Myths, Defining the Legacies by W. Joseph Campbell. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2001. 248 pp

(2002). Yellow Journalism: Puncturing the Myths, Defining the Legacies by W. Joseph Campbell. Westport, CT: Praeger, 2001. 248 pp. American Journalism: Vol. 19, No. 2, pp. 99-101.
Analysis of Escherichia coli O157:H7 survival in ovine or bovine manure and manure slurry

Farm animal manure or manure slurry may disseminate, transmit, or propagate Escherichia coli O157:H7. In this study, the survival and growth of E. coli O157:H7 in ovine or bovine feces under various experimental and environmental conditions were determined. A manure pile collected from experimentally inoculated sheep was incubated outside under fluctuating environmental conditions. E. coli O157:H7 survived in the manure for 21 months, and the concentrations of bacteria recovered ranged from <102 to 106 CFU/g at different times over the course of the experiment. The DNA fingerprints of E. coli O157:H7 isolated at month 1 and month 12 were identical or very similar. A second E. coli O157:H7-positive ovine manure pile, which was periodically aerated by mixing, remained culture positive for 4 months. An E. coli O157:H7-positive bovine manure pile was culture positive for 47 days. In the laboratory, E. coli O157:H7 was inoculated into feces, untreated slurry, or treated slurry and incubated at −20, 4, 23, 37, 45, and 70°C. E. coli O157:H7 survived best in manure incubated without aeration at temperatures below 23°C, but it usually survived for shorter periods of time than it survived in manure held in the environment. The bacterium survived at least 100 days in bovine manure frozen at −20°C or in ovine manure incubated at 4 or 10°C for 100 days, but under all other conditions the length of time that it survived ranged from 24 h to 40 days. In addition, we found that the Shiga toxin type 1 and 2 genes in E. coli O157:H7 had little or no influence on bacterial survival in manure or manure slurry. The long-term survival of E. coli O157:H7 in manure emphasizes the need for appropriate farm waste management to curtail environmental spread of this bacterium. This study also highlights the difficulties in extrapolating laboratory data to on-farm conditions.
The impact of domestic violence and emotional abuse on children : The intersection of research, theory, and clinical intervention

This is the first of two articles on the impact of emotional abuse and domestic violence on children's psychological functioning and development. In this article, the processes through which exposure to domestic violence affects children's adjustment and development are explored and then applied to clinical interventions. Research and intervention studies are presented. A number of theoretical premises and explanations are used to explain the ways children can be adversely affected by family violence, including social learning theory, social cognition theory, family systems theory, interpersonal relationships theory, and trauma theory. Suggestions for improving research, interventions and evaluations are made.
A survey of virtual reality in japan

The NSF Summer Institute in Japan program sends about 60 graduate students of all disciplines to Japan each summer. For two months, students participate in research at host labs, visit conferences and other labs of interest, and receive Japanese language and cultural instruction. Full financial support is provided by the American and Japanese governments. During the summer of 1993, the author participated in this program and took the opportunity to visit the Japanese virtual reality research community. He attended two virtual reality conferences and toured more than a dozen labs. After the program, he made short visits to VR and graphics labs in PR China and South Korea. This paper gives a detailed account of these experiences.
Identifying Abnormal Ostial Morphology in Anomalous Aortic Origin of a Coronary Artery.

Background Anomalous origin of a coronary artery from the contralateral sinus of Valsalva is associated with exercise-induced ischemia and sudden death. That is thought to be due to aortic enlargement in patients with an elliptical ostium. We hypothesize that virtual angioscopy can identify abnormal coronary ostial morphology in these patients. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 55 consecutive pediatric coronary artery magnetic resonance imaging studies from January 2006 to January 2010 with the diagnosis of anomalous right (n = 20), or left (n = 7) coronary artery, or normal coronary origins (n = 28). One postmortem heart specimen with anomalous left coronary artery was imaged and analyzed to validate our technique. Virtual angioscopy analysis was used for visualization and measurement of the coronary ostia. Results Distinct aortic origins of the right and left coronaries were seen in all 55 studies. An elliptical orifice with a longer superior-inferior dimension was seen in all anomalous ostia, in contrast to a circular ostium in all normal origins. That was quantified in anomalous ostia with a long-axis to short-axis ratio of 2.5 ± 0.5 (right) and 2.4 ± 0.5 (left) compared with 1.1 ± 0.2 (right) and 1.0 ± 0.3 (left) in controls ( p Conclusions Virtual angioscopy identifies abnormal ostial morphology in anomalous coronary artery patients, which is important for characterizing the diagnosis of patients who may be at risk for sudden death.
Tocopheroxyl radical persistence and tocopherol consumption in liposomes and in vitamin E-enriched rat liver mitochondria and microsomes.

Abstract Substantial loading of rat liver mitochondrial and microsomal membranes with D-alpha-tocopherol was achieved by dietary supplementation with no adverse effects of this loading being apparent, e.g. on treadmill exercise endurance. The tocopheroxyl radical was readily detected by ESR in the enriched microsomes and mitochondria. Continuous enzymatic oxidation with horseradish peroxidase and a hydrophilic phenol, to favor selective oxidation of tocopherol without the involvement of lipid peroxidation, allowed the tocopheroxyl radical to be observed for up to 1 h in liposomes of dioleoylphosphatidylcholine and for about 15 min in the subcellular membranes. Total alpha-tocopherol decreased throughout this period, but a significant residual fraction remained after all the ESR signal of tocopheroxyl had disappeared. Decay kinetics of the tocopheroxyl radical ESR signal produced by a burst of intense UV irradiation consisted of a rapid initial phase and a slower exponential decay. A more narrow and more persistent ESR signal, not yet chemically identified, was observed after the tocopheroxyl radical had disappeared under prolonged oxidation. Ascorbic acid prevented formation of the tocopheroxyl radical until the ascorbyl radical ESR signal had decayed, whereas uric acid, up to saturating concentration in phosphate buffer, had no effect.
Pionic X-ray yields and 2p-level widths in Li6, Be9, C12 and O16.

Measurement of the intensities of 2p-1s pionic X-ray transitions in Li6, Be9, C12 and O16 by using an absolute-efficiency technique. Population probability predictions for the mesonic levels, and values for the strong-interaction levels widths are obtained by pion-cascade calculations. Numerical values are also obtained for the 2p-level absorption broadening.
The Protein of Human Erythrocyte Membranes. I. Preparation, Solubilization, and Partial Characterization

Abstract This paper presents studies on the characterization of the protein component of mammalian erythrocyte membranes. Exhaustive lipid extraction of the membrane results in a glycoprotein residue containing greater than 90% of the total membrane protein. The composition of this membrane preparation is presented. Several methods have been developed to solubilize this protein. The protein is soluble in formic acid and sodium dodecyl sulfate solutions. After total succinylation of the protein, complete solubility is achieved in aqueous solutions at neutral pH. A new method for completely solubilizing the unmodified membrane protein in urea and guanidine hydrochloride solutions at neutral pH in the absence of detergent is presented. This method depends on initial solubilization of the membrane protein in phenol. End group analysis, electrophoresis, ultracentrifugation, and chromatography in these solvent systems reveal the protein in membranes to be a heterogeneous collection of proteins, many in the molecular weight range near 50,000. The membrane preparation and the solvent systems described will be valuable in the characterization of the individual protein molecules present in the membrane. These studies are now in progress.
A Neural Network Based Model for Predicting Psychological Conditions

Preventive care attempts to inform individuals and clinicians of potential complications or conditions a patient might encounter. With the recent interest on leveraging big data in the healthcare domain to better design data-driven models for preventive medicine and the increased awareness of the long-lasting effects of concussions, being able to predict psychological conditions post concussion can have a paramount effect on mild traumatic brain injury patients. We present a neural network model that is able to predict the likelihood of developing psychological conditions such as anxiety, behavioral disorders, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. We analyzed the effectiveness of our model against a dataset of 89,840 patients. Our results show that we are able to achieve accuracies ranging from 73% to 95% for each of the clinical conditions under consideration, with an overall accuracy of 82.35% for all conditions.
The Cost of Corporate Social Responsibility after a Catastrophe

Previous research has found that CSR initiatives can preserve firm-value after an adverse event, or that CSR has “insurance-like” properties. Catastrophic events, however, can increase scrutiny and pressure upon an entire industry. To improve the industry’s damaged reputation and lessen external pressure, some members of the industry will often engage in self-regulation. I posit that firms with substantive corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives will actually lose more firm-value after a catastrophe, because they will be expected to engage in costly self-regulation after the event. I also argue that due to strategic activist targeting, firms subject to greater past activism will lose more firm-value. Using an event-study, I examine the apparel industry after the collapse of Rana Plaza.
Measurement Systems Analysis, Capability Measures for

There are two “families” of measurement capability metrics in common use. There are those that compare measurement variation to total or part variation, and there are those that compare to the tolerance or specification width. These capability metrics are all functions of the variance components in the statistical model used to describe the response of interest. In addition to these capability metrics, it is also often useful to estimate the misclassification rates that arise from using the measurement system to discriminate between “good” and “bad” items being tested. An additional capability metric is obtained from the ratio of the estimated misclassification rates to the rates that would occur purely due to random chance. This section will define several capability measures, how they are related to one another, and give some common criteria for capability. Additional topics discuss the effect of the unit of measure and present a situation where none of the aforementioned metrics are particularly useful in quantifying the capability of a measurement process. Keywords: measurement systems analysis; variance components; misclassification rates; capability measures
4-hydroxynonenal detoxification by mitochondrial glutathione S-transferase is compromised by short-term ethanol consumption in rats.

Background 4-Hydroxynonenal (HNE), a toxic lipid peroxidation product, has been implicated in mitochondrial damage in rat liver by ethanol consumption. The present study assessed the effects of short-term in vivo ethanol exposure on HNE detoxification by mitochondrial glutathione S-transferase (GST). Methods Male Sprague Dawley® rats were administered 5 doses of ethanol (4 g/kg) at 12 hr intervals by gavage. Pair-fed rats that received isocaloric dextrose instead of ethanol served as controls. Mitochondrial and submitochondrial fractions were prepared from the livers. Mitochondrial contents of HNE and HNE-glutathione conjugate were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. GST isoforms were identified by Western blots in submitochondrial fractions. Results Whereas there was an 80% increase in mitochondrial HNE content after ethanol consumption, there was a 42% decrease in the content of HNE-glutathione conjugate, compared with controls (p < 0.05). After ethanol exposure, the GST activities toward HNE in intact mitochondria and in the membranous fraction were decreased by 37% and 45% (p < 0.05), respectively, whereas that in the aqueous fraction was unchanged. Kinetic analysis of HNE conjugation by the membrane-associated GST showed that ethanol decreased the Vmax nearly by half (p < 0.05), whereas it did not affect the Km. HNE conjugation by the aqueous GST demonstrated a higher Km than that of the membrane-associated GST, although its kinetics were not significantly altered by ethanol. Immunochemical analysis with Western blots demonstrated that both the membranous and the aqueous fractions of mitochondria contain GST-α and GST-μ isoforms, whereas GST-π was absent. Conclusions HNE detoxification by mitochondrial GST is compromised by short-term ethanol consumption, which may contribute to elevated mitochondrial HNE content and hence its toxicity in the ethanol-exposed liver.
Preliminary Cryocrystallographic Study of the Mitochondrial Cytochromebc1Complex: Improved Crystallization and Flash-cooling of a Large Membrane Protein

Abstract Ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase is a crucial integral membrane protein in the mitochondrial respiratory cycle. Eleven subunits containing three cytochrome heme groups and a 2Fe-2S Rieske center make up this 240 kDa enzyme complex. Previously, many different crystal forms of the bc 1 complex have displayed diffraction to as far as 4.5 A. However, rapid degradation of the protein in the X-ray beam at room temperature has obstructed the collection of a full data set from a single crystal. As slight heterogeneities between crystals severely hampered merging of data from different crystals, we sought a m ethod to stabilize the protein crystal in the X-ray beam in order to collect a full data set from one crystal sample. To this end, water soluble protein crystals are frequently flash-cooled to cryogenic temperatures; however, there is no report of cryocrystallography for membrane proteins. In this communication, we report on a successful experiment in which flash-cooled bc 1 membrane protein crystals have given rise to sustained diffraction over a 60 hour data collection period at a synchrotron source. Furthermore, we present an improved purification and crystallization protocol yielding crystals readily diffracting out to 3.3 A. These results should greatly aid in the future realization of the molecular structure of the bc 1 complex as well as other membrane proteins.
Sleep apnea and excessive daytime somnolence induced by vagal nerve stimulation

Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy affects respiration during sleep and can interrupt sleep. VNS has also been noted to improve excessive daytime sleepiness. The authors present a patient who developed excessive daytime sleepiness after VNS placement, as a consequence of apneas and arousals associated with intermittent electrical stimulation of the left vagus nerve.
Kinetoplast DNA maxicircles: Networks within networks

Abstract Kinetoplast DNA (kDNA), the mitochondrial DNA of trypanosomes, is an enormous network of interlocked minicircles and maxicircles. We selectively removed minicircles from Trypanosoma equiperdum kDNA networks by restriction enzyme cleavage. Maxicircles remained in aggregates that were resistant to protease or RNase and contained no residual minicircles, but were resolved into circular monomers by topoisomerase II. Maxicircles thus form independent catenanes within kDNA networks. Heterogeneity in the size, composition, and organization of maxicircle catenanes reflects changes that occur during kDNA replication. The rosette-like arrangement of maxicircle catenanes is distinctly different from that of minicircle catenanes. Trypanosome kDNA networks reveal unique topological complexity: they are composed of entirely dissimilar catenanes that are in turn extensively interlocked with one another.
The science question in intelligent design

Intelligent Design creationism is often criticized for failing to be science because it falls afoul of some demarcation criterion between science and non-science. This paper argues that this objection to Intelligent Design is misplaced because it assumes that a consistent non-theological characterization of Intelligent Design is possible. In contrast, it argues that, if Intelligent Design is taken to be non-theological doctrine, it is not intelligible. Consequently, a demarcation criterion cannot be used to judge its status. This position has the added advantage of providing reasons to reject Intelligent Design creationism without invoking potentially philosophically controversial demarcation criteria.
Timentin therapy for bone, joint, and deep soft tissue infections in children.

Abstract Timentin, a combination of clavulanic acid (0.1 g) and ticarcillin (3.0 g), has proved effective in vitro against bacterial pathogens that produce beta-lactamases. The usual etiologic bacteria of osteochondritis of the foot (Pseudomonas species) and osteomyelitis/ septic arthritis (Staphylococcus aureus) are commonly resistant to penicillins. To date, we have used Timentin to treat 30 children with bone, joint, and deep soft tissue infections. Timentin was administered intravenously at an average dosage of 207 mg/kg per day for mild to moderate infection and 310 mg/kg per day for bone and joint infections with systemic signs (sepsis). The lower dose was used in 24 patients and the other six patients, who had signs of sepsis, received the higher dose. All patients received Timentin intravenously over 30 minutes every four to six hours for a minimum of five days (mean 6.6±2.6 days, range five to 14 days). The mean time to defervescence and/or reduction in clinical symptoms was 1.6 ± 1.3 days (range zero to four days). Osteochondritis due to P. aeruginosa was diagnosed in six patients, and septic bursitis, osteomyelitis, or septic arthritis due to S. aureus (13 patients) or Staphylococcus species and group A streptococci (four patients) was diagnosed in 17 patients. All isolates were susceptible to Timentin in vitro by disk-diffusion analysis. All patients showed a response to therapy with Timentin, with or without surgical intervention. All patients had clinical and microbiologic cures; no adverse reactions or side effects were observed. There have been no clinical or microbiologic relapses to date. Timentin may prove to be useful in specific bone and joint infections in children.
Beyond Tocqueville, Please!

Rogers Smith in “Beyond Tocqueville, Myrdal and Hartz: The Multiple Traditions in America” in the September 1993 issue of this Review argues that ascriptive inequalities (eg. racism, sexism, nativism) are neither mere deviations from liberalism nor only symptoms of liberalism. Rather, multiple ideologies coexist in uneasy tension. Jacqueline Stevens criticizes Smith for failing to attend to the work of W. E. B. Du Bois and others—whose descriptions of American ideological history, she says, provide the same insight that Smith claims as his own. She goes on to discuss how defining a “mainstream” of scholarship shapes inferences as to what counts as knowledge and further suggests that liberalism and exclusion betray an underlying consistency. In his reply, Smith recognizes the contributions of Du Bois and others, but argues that although they do foreshadow his work, they do not offer the same critique or do the same job. And he asserts that the linkages between liberalism and ascriptive inequality are political, economic, social and psychological—not logical—ones.
Marital Violence and Women's Reproductive Health Care in Uttar Pradesh, India

OBJECTIVE: Although the impact of marital violence on women's reproductive health is recognized globally, there is little research on how women's experience of and justification of marital violence in developing country settings is linked to sexually transmitted infection (STI) symptom reporting, and seeking care for the symptoms. METHOD: This study analyzes data on 9,639 currently married women from India's 2006-2007 National Family Health Survey-3 from the Central/Northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The likelihood of currently married women's reporting STIs or symptoms, and the likelihood of seeking care for these, are analyzed using multivariate logistic regression techniques. RESULTS: Currently married women's experience of physical, sexual, and emotional marital violence in the last 12 months was significantly associated with greater likelihood of reporting a STI or symptom (odds ratio [OR], 1.364 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.171-1.588] for physical violence; OR, 1.649 [95% CI, 1.323-2.054] for sexual violence; OR, 1.273 [95% CI, 1.117-1.450] for emotional violence). Experience of physical violence (OR, 0.728; 95% CI, 0.533-0.994) and acceptance of any justification for physical violence (OR, 0.590; 95% CI, 0.458-0.760) were significantly associated with decreased chance of seeking care, controlling for other factors. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that experiencing marital violence may have a negative impact on multiple aspects of women's reproductive health, including increased self-report of STI symptoms. Moreover, marital physical violence and accepting justification for such violence are associated with decreased chance of seeking care. Thus, policies and programs to promote reproductive health should incorporate decreasing gender-based violence, and overcoming underlying societal gender inequality. Language: en
Methods for TEM analysis of NIST's single-walled carbon nanotube Standard Reference Material

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will soon release a series of single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) reference materials (RMs) to provide users with a well-characterized material for their applications. The SWCNT reference material will be introduced as a series of three types of material: (1) raw soot characterized for composition, which will be certified as a Standard Reference Material, (2) purified (greater than 90 % SWCNT by weight) bucky paper and (3) dispersed, length-sorted populations characterized by length. The instrumental characterization of NIST's SWCNT reference materials is extensive, and this paper aims to provide researchers with dispersion preparation methods for TEM (transmission electron microscopy) analysis of the SWCNT raw soot. A selection of dispersing solvents, including organic solvents, aqueous surfactants and DNA dispersions, were prepared and examined by TEM. Recommendations for sample preparation of the SWCNT SRM 2483 to yield images similar to those presented here are given. Examples of images of the length-sorted SWCNT reference material are also shown. These results illustrate the importance of optimal dispersion to enable imaging of SWCNT characteristics.
The ChatterVox portable voice amplifier: a means to vibration dose reduction?

By speaking loudly for extended periods, teachers are vulnerable to laryngeal and voice changes associated with vocal fold "vibration overdose." Voice clinicians frequently recommend voice amplification ostensibly designed to reduce vibration dose and improve voice. However, there are few data regarding the degree of vocal loudness attenuation achieved by specific amplification devices. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effectiveness of the ChatterVox Portable Voice Amplification System (Siemens Hearing Instruments) for reducing the sound pressure level (SPL) of a speaker's voice during a simulated classroom lecture. Ten participants were instructed to continuously read one of two phonetically balanced passages while amplified and unamplified. Voice intensity measurements were obtained at three inches from the mouth (i.e., mouth level) and at the back of a classroom in both amplified and unamplified conditions. When amplified with the ChatterVox, speakers experienced an average decrease in vocal intensity at mouth-level of 6.03 dB SPL (p < 0.002). Furthermore, an average increase of 2.55 dB SPL (p < 0.038) at the back of the classroom was observed. Collectively, these results indicate that the ChatterVox amplification device reduced the speaker's vocal intensity level at the microphone, while it augmented the voice heard at the back of the classroom. By inference, this degree of vocal attenuation at mouth level should contribute to a desirable reduction in vibration dose, thus lowering the risk of vibration overdose.