cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“Permeable We!”: Queer Theory’s (Re)turn to Reading with Feeling

This chapter looks to Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick’s experimental memoir A Dialogue on Love (1999) as the locus for her development of new practices for queer reading, revealing the unacknowledged influence that queer experimental literature has on queer theory’s rediscovery of affective reading. I argue that the memoir’s formal composition of permeability illuminates the ethical values that inspire Sedgwick’s late-career shift away from paranoid reading to reparative reading, leading her to redefine queerness as a mode of relational care. In contrast to the paranoid idioms of criticism, queer experimental literature offers Sedgwick a pliable form for affirming queer relationality as a mode of agency and becoming in the face of mortality.
Dispositions by Committee for Educator Preparation Programs

ABSTRACTThis article describes the process undertaken by a teacher education sub-committee charged with identifying and defining dispositions, as well as development of an assessment instrument to be used by 30 different preservice educator preparation programs at a large Mid-Western university. Through a search of related literature, a content-analysis of institutional websites, and contemplative discussions, a diverse group of faculty created an assessment instrument designed to measure preservice candidate dispositions in both the university classroom setting and field-based settings. A comprehensive description of this process is presented as a Promising Practice in order to provide insight into the complex processes related to shaping a teacher education curriculum when dispositions are essential hallmarks of a prepared teacher, including an analysis of strategies, challenges, and lessons learned.
Model Predictive Control for Track Following and Disturbance Rejection in a Tape Drive System

Abstract We provide Model Predictive Control (MPC) formulations for the advanced control of high-precision track-following servo systems to improve rejection of noisy, measurable disturbances. This work develops a disturbance prediction method using the wavelet denoising technique and system identification, which is used to anticipate the disturbances in the system using preview measurements. The MPC formulations allow for improved track following and disturbance rejection when compared to classical control techniques. We consider l1 and l2 formulations of the MPC problem to assess and compare tracking performance and computational complexity as a function of the prediction horizon. These advanced control techniques are simulated on a reel-to-reel tape drive system model to demonstrate the ability of these algorithms to perform precise track following and disturbance rejection while assessing implementation techniques that can yield fast computation times that this application demands.
The impact of conjunctival flap method and drainage cannula diameter on bleb survival in the rabbit model

Purpose To examine the effect of cannula diameter and conjunctival flap method on bleb survival in rabbits undergoing cannula-based glaucoma filtration surgery (GFS). Methods Twelve New Zealand White rabbits underwent GFS in both eyes. The twenty-four eyes were divided into four groups. Two of the four groups (N = 12) received limbus-based conjunctival flaps (LBCF), and the other two (N = 12) received fornix-based conjunctival flaps (FBCF). Six FBCF rabbit eyes were implanted with 22-gauge drainage tubes, and the other six were implanted with 26-gauge tubes. Likewise, six LBCF rabbits received 22-gauge drainage tubes and six received 26-gauge tubes. Filtration blebs were evaluated every three days by a masked observer. Bleb failure was defined as the primary endpoint in this study and was recorded after two consecutive flat bleb evaluations. Results Group 1 (LBCF, 22- gauge cannula) had a mean bleb survival time (Mean ± SD) of 18.7 ± 2.9 days. Group 2 (LBCF, 26-gauge cannula) also had a mean bleb survival time of 18.7 ± 2.9 days. Group 3 (FBCF, 22-gauge cannula) had a mean bleb survival time of 19.2 ± 3.8 days. Group 4 (FBCF, 26-gauge cannula) had a mean bleb survival time of 19.7 ± 4.1 days. A 2-way analysis of variance showed that neither surgical approach nor cannula gauge made a statistically significant difference in bleb survival time (P = 0.634 and P = 0.874). Additionally, there was no significant interaction between cannula gauge and conjunctival flap approach (P = 0.874), suggesting that there was not a combination of drainage gauge and conjunctival flap method that produced superior bleb survival. Conclusion Limbus and fornix-based conjunctival flaps are equally effective in promoting bleb survival using both 22 and 26-gauge cannulas in the rabbit model. The 26-gauge drainage tube may be preferred because its smaller size facilitates the implantation process, reducing the risk of corneal contact.
Nonlinear Model Tracking for Varying System Geometries

Although linear models can successfully explain many behaviors for physical systems, they are unable to describe the complexities of nonlinear systems. Therefore, health monitoring methods based on linear models run the risk of misidentifying nonlinear behavior as failing. Nonlinear Model Tracking (NMT), a health monitoring technique, is used here on a slender cantilevered beam subject to harmonic excitation near the beams second natural frequency, and the fatigue due to excitation. A second order nonlinear differential equation model has been assumed with cubic stiffness. This method uses the Continuous Time based nonlinear system identification technique allowing for model parameter estimation based on stimulus and response. The robustness of this method is demonstrated in its implementation and application to differing system geometries. These geometries studied here illustrate the reliability of this methodology indifferent to the system under observation. This method has shown, with repeatability, the onset of crack initiation and growth, well in advance of catastrophic failure, and has also been shown to work when the healthy system behaves with distinct nonlinearities, where linear techniques fail. The results indicate that NMT can be used for many different systems.
Uncertainty-aware elastic virtual machine scheduling for stream processing systems

Stream processing systems deployed on the cloud need to be elastic to effectively accommodate workload variations over time. Performance models can predict maximum sustainable throughput (MST) as a function of the number of VMs allocated. We present a scheduling framework that incorporates three statistical techniques to improve Quality of Service (QoS) of cloud stream processing systems: (i) uncertainty quantification to consider variance in the MST model; (ii) online learning to update MST model as new performance metrics are gathered; and (iii) workload models to predict input data stream rates assuming regular patterns occur over time. Our framework can be parameterized by a QoS satisfaction target that statistically finds the best performance/cost tradeoff. Our results illustrate that each of the three techniques alone significantly improves QoS, from 52% to 73-81% QoS satisfaction rates on average for eight benchmark applications. Furthermore, applying all three techniques allows us to reach 98.62% QoS satisfaction rate with a cost less than twice the cost of the optimal (in hindsight) VM allocations, and half of the cost of allocating VMs for the peak demand in the workload.
Antimony and Arsenic Isotope Distribution in a Semi-Arid Creek During the Wet Season

Previous studies found elevated metal concentrations in Manadas Creek. In this study, samples were collected from six sites along the creek during the wet period of 2008 and analyzed for dissolved and total metal isotopes in water and total metal isotopes in sediments. Results were compared with those obtained in a dry period. It was found that 75As concentration in water was typically the lowest following a major rain event. A similar trend was observed for antimony (Sb) at the two sites, close to a decommissioned Sb smelter. Mann-Whitney test indicates significant differences in the medians of 75As concentrations observed in the sediment between the dry and the wet seasons at most sites and for 121Sb at two sites sampled. The enrichment factors (EFs) calculated for As in sediment were low (close to 1); however, they were up to 1,530.9 and 1,519.1 for 121Sb and 123Sb, respectively. Cluster analysis grouped 75As with 208Pb, 118Sn, 66Zn, and 137Ba, or with 55Mn, or with 60Ni depending on the sites sampled; however, both Sb isotopes were not grouped with any other metals. Pearson correlation only indicated significant and strong correlation between 75As and sediment properties. Significant correlation between 75As and other metals was only found at one site. Most of the correlations between 121Sb/123Sb and other metals were poor. These results contribute to the understanding of the seasonal variations of Sb and As contamination in a semi-arid creek.
Conclusion — The Migration of Legal Ideas: Legislative Design and the Lawmaking Process

This is the conclusion for an edited volume on legislative usage of foreign and international law, N. Lupo & L. Scaffardi, Legal Transplants and Parliaments: A Possible Dialogue Amongst Legislators? (2014). I assess the general turn in comparative law studies towards the behavior of elected officials, as well as the preference for increased formality in the use of foreign law. The essays in this book analyze the legal experiences of Brazil, Namibia, Australia, South Africa, Spain, the European Union, China, Canada, Portugal, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Italy. Many of these countries (but not all, especially the U.S.) are characterized by a receptivity to foreign and international law. A commitment to legal pluralism can be especially pronounced in countries seeking to escape a colonial past. While a newfound preference for increased formality in using foreign models can be detected, experts disagree whether the quality and frequency of actual usage has improved. Additionally, there may be certain undesirable consequences of heightened proceduralism and professionalism. Attention to the role of particular institutions, bureaucratic innovations, and lawmakers' motivations in borrowing (or not borrowing) from foreign law would be most fruitful for research going forward.
Persistent Hypoglycemia in Children: Targeted Gene Panel Improves the Diagnosis of Hypoglycemia Due to Inborn Errors of Metabolism.

Objectives To evaluate the role of next generation sequencing in genetic diagnosis of pediatric patients with persistent hypoglycemia. Study design Sixty-four patients investigated through an extensive workup were divided in 3 diagnostic classes based on the likelihood of a genetic diagnosis: (1) single candidate gene (9/64); (2) multiple candidate genes (43/64); and (3) no candidate gene (12/64). Subsequently, patients were tested through a custom gene panel of 65 targeted genes, which included 5 disease categories: (1) hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia, (2) fatty acid-oxidation defects and ketogenesis defects, (3) ketolysis defects, (4) glycogen storage diseases and other disorders of carbohydrate metabolism, and (5) mitochondrial disorders. Molecular data were compared with clinical and biochemical data. Results A proven diagnosis was obtained in 78% of patients with suspicion for a single candidate gene, in 49% with multiple candidate genes, and in 33% with no candidate gene. The diagnostic yield was 48% for hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia, 66% per fatty acid-oxidation and ketogenesis defects, 59% for glycogen storage diseases and other carbohydrate disorders, and 67% for mitochondrial disorders. Conclusions This approach provided a diagnosis in ~50% of patients in whom clinical and laboratory evaluation did not allow identification of a single candidate gene and a diagnosis was established in 33% of patients belonging to the no candidate gene class. Next generation sequencing technique is cost-effective compared with Sanger sequencing of multiple genes and represents a powerful tool for the diagnosis of inborn errors of metabolism presenting with persistent hypoglycemia.
Pictures, Plants, and Propositions

Philosophers have traditionally held that propositions mark the domain of rational thought and inference. Many philosophers have held that only conceptually sophisticated creatures like us could have propositional attitudes. But in recent decades, philosophers have adopted increasingly liberal views of propositional attitudes that encompass the mental states of various non-human animals. These views now sit alongside more traditional views within the philosophical mainstream. In this paper I argue that liberalized views of propositional attitudes are so liberal that they encompass states of all sorts of apparently mindless systems like circadian clocks in plants. I begin by arguing that on the most well-developed and widely endorsed theories of underived representation in philosophy, circadian clocks qualify as representations. I then argue that standard reasons for thinking that perceptual states and pictures have propositional content carry over to circadian clocks. Finally, I argue that circadian representations in plants play the kind of functional role that is widely taken to be partly constitutive of belief-like attitudes. So according to mainstream theories of representation, propositions, and attitudes, plants have propositional attitudes. Yet on other more traditional views, this conclusion would seem absurd. So, contrary to appearances, there is no shared, stable understanding of what propositional attitudes are in contemporary philosophy.
Statistical Aspects of Macrosociological Research on Law

Multiple regression is a statistical technique that estimates the degree to which a given independent variable is related to a dependent variable when other independent variables are held constant. The magnitude of the relationship is expressed in terms of what one additional measurement unit or one higher measurement category of this independent variable does to the amount or likelihood of the dependent variable. In subsequent chapters, logistic regression is used to explore data for relationships between selected state-level independent variables and state law on certain society-central social activities. This chapter provides a foundation for the later chapters by discussing several matters that are pertinent to regression in general and to logistic regression in particular. It also introduces the sociological theory that underlies the regression models used in the later chapters.
Virtus Romana: Politics and Morality in the Roman Historians. By Catalina Balmaceda. (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2017. Pp. xii, 297. $45.00.)

Rome's transition from Republic to Principate was not merely a political transformation; Roman identity itself was renegotiated, and traditional values and concepts had to adapt as well. Catalina B...
A Comparison of Static and Dynamic Functional Connectivities for Identifying Subjects and Biological Sex Using Intrinsic Individual Brain Connectivity

Functional magnetic resonance imaging has revealed correlated activities in brain regions even in the absence of a task. Initial studies assumed this resting-state functional connectivity (FC) to be stationary in nature, but recent studies have modeled these activities as a dynamic network. Dynamic spatiotemporal models better model the brain activities, but are computationally more involved. A comparison of static and dynamic FCs was made to quantitatively study their efficacies in identifying intrinsic individual connectivity patterns using data from the Human Connectome Project. Results show that the intrinsic individual brain connectivity pattern can be used as a ‘fingerprint’ to distinguish among and identify subjects and is more accurately captured with partial correlation and assuming static FC. It was also seen that the intrinsic individual brain connectivity patterns were invariant over a few months. Additionally, biological sex identification was successfully performed using the intrinsic individual connectivity patterns, and group averages of male and female FC matrices. Edge consistency, edge variability and differential power measures were used to identify the major resting-state networks involved in identifying subjects and their sex.
Cannabidiol inhibits sucrose self‐administration by CB1 and CB2 receptor mechanisms in rodents

A growing number of studies suggest therapeutic applications of cannabidiol (CBD), a recently U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medication for epilepsy, in treatment of many other neuropsychological disorders. However, pharmacological action and the mechanisms by which CBD exerts its effects are not fully understood. Here, we examined the effects of CBD on oral sucrose self-administration in rodents and explored the receptor mechanisms underlying CBD-induced behavioral effects using pharmacological and transgenic approaches. Systemic administration of CBD (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg, ip) produced a dose-dependent reduction in sucrose self-administration in rats and in wild-type (WT) and CB1-/- mice but not in CB2-/- mice. CBD appeared to be more efficacious in CB1-/- mice than in WT mice. Similarly, pretreatment with AM251, a CB1R antagonist, potentiated, while AM630, a selective CB2R antagonist, blocked CBD-induced reduction in sucrose self-administration, suggesting the involvement of CB1 and CB2 receptors. Furthermore, systemic administration of JWH133, a selective CB2R agonist, also produced a dose-dependent reduction in sucrose self-administration in WT and CB1-/- mice, but not in CB2-/- mice. Pretreatment with AM251 enhanced, while AM630 blocked JWH133-induced reduction in sucrose self-administration in WT mice, suggesting that CBD inhibits sucrose self-administration likely by CB1 receptor antagonism and CB2 receptor agonism. Taken together, the present findings suggest that CBD may have therapeutic potential in reducing binge eating and the development of obesity.
Surface Engineering of Solar Cells to Improve Efficiency

In recent years, various solar cells have been developed that have involved silicon wafer-based systems, and various thin films. Solar cell efficiency highly depends on the surface characteristics of the solar cells. Other than efficiency, reflectivity and scattering depends on the surface parameters. In this review article, various synthesis techniques for solar cells are discussed that include vacuum-assisted and non-vacuum techniques. Surface characteristics, such as surface roughness and textures developed during synthesis or by chemical etching and lithography techniques, are discussed that affect the solar cell performance. The article highlights the importance of surface engineering for solar cells that can guide the building of multifunctional composite films for self-cleaning, antireflective, antifogging and invisibility cloak coating.
Volcanic Eruption Signatures in the Isotope-Enabled Last Millennium Ensemble

Explosive volcanic eruptions are one of the largest natural climate perturbations, but few observational constraints exist on either the climate responses to eruptions or the properties (size, hemispheric aerosol distribution, etc.) of the eruptions themselves. Paleoclimate records are thus important sources of information on past eruptions, often through the measurement of oxygen isotopic ratios (𝛿18O) in natural archives. However, since many processes affect 𝛿18O, the dynamical interpretation of these records can be quite complex. Here we present results from new, isotope-enabled members of the Community Earth System Model Last Millennium Ensemble, documenting eruption-induced 𝛿18O variations throughout the climate system. Eruptions create significant perturbations in the 𝛿18O of precipitation and soil moisture in central/eastern North America, via excitation of the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation. Monsoon Asia and Australia also exhibit strong precipitation and soil 𝛿18O anomalies; in these cases, 𝛿18O may reflect changes to El Nino-Southern Oscillation phase following eruptions. Salinity and seawater 𝛿18O patterns demonstrate the importance of both local hydrologic shifts and the phasing of the El Nino-Southern Oscillation response, both along the equator and in the subtropics. In all cases, the responses are highly sensitive to eruption latitude, which points to the utility of isotopic records in constraining aerosol distribution patterns associated with past eruptions. This is most effective using precipitation 𝛿18O; all Southern eruptions and the majority (66%) of Northern eruptions can be correctly identified. This work thus serves as a starting point for new, quantitative uses of isotopic records for understanding volcanic impacts on climate.
TLR4 (Toll-Like Receptor 4)-Dependent Signaling Drives Extracellular Catabolism of LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) Aggregates.

Objective: Aggregation and modification of LDLs (low-density lipoproteins) promote their retention and accumulation in the arteries. This is a critical initiating factor during atherosclerosis. Mac...
Children and Youth with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders: A Concerned Look at the Present and a Hopeful Eye for the Future

This article presents a perspective on several current issues perceived to have a significant impact on the education of children and youth identified as having emotional and behavioral disorders (...
Is what is known enough? Knowledge, perception and competencies on reproductive and sexual health issues of nursing students from a Metropolitan City, Karnataka

Nurses, by nature of their training and experience, are expected to be proficient in addressing sensitive issues, including reproductive and sexual health (RSH). However, health-care professionals are known to struggle with their personal and professional views with respect to these concerns. It is important to determine what young nursing students know and perceive about RSH issues and how they assess their own abilities to address these issues. Cross-sectional sample of 723 1st year nursing students of the undergraduate and diploma programmes, enrolled in eight institutions in a metropolitan city in Karnataka, South India, were selected purposively for this survey. Data were obtained through a self-administered questionnaire under four main sections as follows: (i) baseline information of the student; (ii) assessment of knowledge on 'growing up issues', 'prevention of pregnancy' and 'sexually transmitted infections including HIV;' (iii) understanding perceptions of students on RSH and (iv) self-assessed competency of students. Overall knowledge scores of students were below average (
Successful reintroduction and continuation of nivolumab in a patient with immune checkpoint inhibitor-induced bullous pemphigoid

Abstract Many advanced cancers, such as melanoma, evade the immune system by exploiting negative feedback mechanisms. Immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) therapy dramatically enhances immune surveillance and has revolutionized treatment of advanced melanoma. However, ICI therapy is also associated with multiple cutaneous adverse events. We describe a patient treated with ICI, nivolumab, for stage 3D melanoma who developed bullous pemphigoid (BP). The patient achieved control of BP with discontinuation of ICI and a combination of topical and systemic steroids. Reintroduction of ICI therapy led to relapse of BP, which was successfully managed with an increase in systemic steroids allowing for continuation of ICI therapy.
Getting The Price Right: How Some Countries Control Spending In A Fee-For-Service System

Although the US has the highest health care prices in the world, the specific mechanisms commonly used by other countries to set and update prices are often overlooked, with a tendency to favor strategies such as reducing the use of fee-for-service reimbursement. Comparing policies in three high-income countries (France, Germany, and Japan), we describe how payers and physicians engage in structured fee negotiations and standardize prices in systems where fee-for-service is the main model of outpatient physician reimbursement. The parties involved, the frequency of fee schedule updates, and the scope of the negotiations vary, but all three countries attempt to balance the interests of payers with those of physician associations. Instead of looking for policy importation, this analysis demonstrates the benefits of structuring negotiations and standardizing fee-for-service payments independent of any specific reform proposal, such as single-payer reform and public insurance buy-ins.
Machine Learned Model for Solid Form Volume Estimation Based on Packing-Accessible Surface and Molecular Topological Fragments

We present a machine learned model for predicting the volume of a homomolecular crystal based on the single-molecule structure, implemented in the open-source Python package for Molecular Volume Estimation (PyMoVE). The model is based on two descriptors: the volume enclosed by the packing-accessible surface and molecular topological fragments. To calculate the volume enclosed by the molecular surface, we have developed a new "projected marching cubes" algorithm. The new algorithm achieves a higher accuracy with a smaller number of elements than the traditional marching cubes algorithm, the marching tetrahedron variant, and Monte Carlo methods. The packing-accessible surface is then calculated using an optimized probe radius. The molecular topological fragments are used to construct a representation that captures the bonding environments of the atoms in the molecule. Feature selection is used to determine which fragments to include in the model. The accuracy and robustness of the model may be attributed to including both geometric and chemical features. The volume enclosed by the packing-accessible surface accounts for the presence of voids and sterically hindered regions as well as for the effect of conformational changes. The molecular topological fragments account for the effect of intermolecular interactions on the packing density. The model is trained on a dataset of structures extracted from the Cambridge Structural Database. Excellent performance is demonstrated for three validation sets of unseen data.
On the Efficiency of Competitive Energy Storage

When energy storage is employed to facilitate large-scale integration of intermittent renewable electricity generation, do competitive bulk power markets continue to provide incentives for efficient investment? This essay adds competitively-supplied storage to a Boiteux-Turvey model of an electric power system with two types of periods. In the most interesting, tractable cases of this dynamic model, all efficient points are long-run competitive equilibria, and the long-run equilibrium value of storage capacity minimizes expected system cost conditional on generation capacities. But the analysis here cannot rule out the existence of inefficient equilibria.
Association of Mitochondrial DNA Genomic Variation With Risk of Pick Disease.

Objective To determine whether stable polymorphisms that define mitochondrial haplogroups in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are associated with Pick disease risk, we genotyped 52 pathologically confirmed cases of Pick disease and 910 neurologically healthy controls and performed case-control association analysis. Methods Fifty-two pathologically confirmed cases of Pick disease from Mayo Clinic Florida (n = 38) and the University of Pennsylvania (n = 14) and 910 neurologically healthy controls collected from Mayo Clinic Florida were genotyped for unique mtDNA haplogroup-defining variants. Mitochondrial haplogroups were determined, and in a case-control analysis, associations of mtDNA haplogroups with risk of Pick disease were evaluated with logistic regression models that were adjusted for age and sex. Results No individual mtDNA haplogroups or superhaplogroups were significantly associated with risk of Pick disease after adjustment for multiple testing (p Conclusion Our findings indicate that mtDNA variation is not a disease driver but may influence disease susceptibility. Ongoing genetic assessments in larger cohorts of Pick disease are currently underway.
The Humanbecoming Concept Inventing Model: Feeling Ashamed.

The scholar in this paper presents a concept inventing model of feeling ashamed. It consists of a literature review across many disciplines, an exploration of many artforms, dialoguing with others,...
Electronics Applications of Resonance Imaging

Non-metallic materials are important in a wide variety of applications in the manufacture of semiconductor components and packages. The nondestructive evaluation of flaws and defects in non-metallic materials including polymers, semiconductors and ceramics used in this industry is a high priority for scientists and engineers involved in the manufacture of microoelectronic circuits. Magnetic resonance imaging techniques are potentially quite powerful tools for this application; however, progress in this area has been slowed significantly by the strong magnetic interactions present in solid materials. Techniques that have been developed for resonance imaging focus on solving the problem of poor resolution caused by intrinsically broad resonance lines in solids through modifications of NMR techniques that artificially narrow the resonance line, or by the use of paramagnetic resonance to investigate signals created only by damage sites together with data reduction methods permitting deconvolution of narrow spectral features from wide lines. These imaging techniques have potential application to such packaging problem areas as the curing phenomena in polymeric materials, adhesion and delamination in composites and sintering of ceramic materials. Promising applications in the semiconductor manufacture process include quantifying the number and location of impurities in wafers, determining the damage levels and degree of annealing needed in the ion implantation process, and ascertaining damage in a semiconductor subjected to such processes as reactive ion etching.
Pedagogy and the Politics of the Body: A Critical Praxis

Preface Peter McLaren * Thinking about Thinking * The Body and Knowledge: Towards Relational Understanding * Skinned Alive: Towards a Postmodern Pedagogy of the Body * Re-Membering the Body in Critical Pedagogy * The Dancer's Life: Existence and Transformation * Reaching Beyond the Familiar: Redefining Dance Education as an emancipatory Pedagogy * Towards a Critical Pedagogy of the Body
Characterization of skatole-producing microbial populations in enriched swine lagoon slurry.

Skatole is one of the most malodorous compounds produced from the anaerobic degradation of animal waste. Little is known about the biochemistry of skatole production, the phylogeny of skatole-producing microorganisms or the conditions that favor their growth. These deficiencies hamper attempts to reduce skatole production. Our goals were to enrich for skatole producers in swine lagoon slurry (SLS) and evaluate the resulting microbial community structure using denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. Skatole producers were enriched by incubating dilutions of SLS with 100 μM indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). GC-MS was used to measure skatole production in the slurries after 0, 7 and 17 days' incubation. Based on most probable number analysis, skatole producers increased 100-fold in SLS samples supplemented with IAA. Based on DGGE fingerprint patterns from day 0, 7 and 17 treatments with high, mid or low levels of skatole production, changes in the SLS population occurred as skatole production increased. Changes in the bacterial community fingerprints were associated with an increase in the low-GC gram-positive and Bacteroides groups. Results from this study provides valuable new information concerning the organisms responsible for production of this odorant, a necessary first step towards controlling skatole production.
Inferring the major genomic mode of dominance and overdominance

The mode of within-locus gene action in most genomic regions is termed as the major genomic mode, i.e., it is the within-locus allelic effects in most regions of the genome. Determining whether dominance or overdominance is the major genomic mode is important for two long-standing evolutionary genetics issues: 1. How is the genetic variation in most genomic regions maintained? 2. What is the major mechanism for heterosis? Many efforts have been made, but almost all of them suffer some explanational difficulties. Here we propose an alternative inference approach. It is based on the existent theoretical results on the correlation of the recombination rate and the level of neutral variation in different genomic regions. Positive and negative correlations suggest dominance and overdominance, respectively, as the major genomic mode. Zero correlations imply either few selected sites or about equal composition and distribution of dominant and overdominant regions in the genome, depending on the data distribution. This approach not only avoids all the problems associated with earlier approaches, but it is also particularly useful in organisms where controlled breeding is difficult. Well-corroborated data in Drosophila and recently emerging data in mice and humans all suggest dominance as the major genomic mode.
Three-Dimensional Structure of the Heliospheric Current Sheet

Three-dimensional structure of the heliospheric current sheet, HCS, out to 5 AU is constructed for actual observed source field configurations.
Edema and increased endoneurial sodium in galactose neuropathy: Reversal with an aldose reductase inhibitor

Abstract Galactose neuropathy was produced in rats by feeding a diet containing 30% d -galactose. After 12 weeks of galactose ingestion, all rats developed bilateral cataracts, polydypsia and polyuria. These galactose-intoxicated animals were divided into two groups that both continued with the galactose diet: animals that were treated with the aldose reductase inhibitor, ICI 128,436, for 4–6 weeks, and a control group of animals that received just excipient. At the end of the study, endoneurial fluid pressures, nerve water contents and endoneurial fluid electrolyte concentrations were determined from sciatic nerves of treated and untreated animals. The extent of neuropathy in each animal was evaluated by light microscopy. Treatment of galactose-intoxicated rats with ICI 128,436 restored to normal levels the elevated endoneurial sodium concentration, increased water content and interstitial fluid pressure characteristic of galactose neuropathy. These results, obtained with an agent that blocks the sorbitol pathway, associate elevated sodium with an osmotic force contributing to edema and increased endoneurial fluid pressure in galactose neuropathy and suggest that endoneurial sodium levels are linked to blood-sugar concentration.
Python for Software Design: How to Think Like a Computer Scientist

Python for Software Design is a concise introduction to software design using the Python programming language. Intended for people with no programming experience, this book starts with the most basic concepts and gradually adds new material. Some of the ideas students find most challenging, like recursion and object-oriented programming, are divided into a sequence of smaller steps and introduced over the course of several chapters. The focus is on the programming process, with special emphasis on debugging. The book includes a wide range of exercises, from short examples to substantial projects, so that students have ample opportunity to practice each new concept. Exercise solutions and code examples are available from thinkpython.com, along with Swampy, a suite of Python programs that is used in some of the exercises.
ANALYSIS OF DEVELOPMENTAL PATTERNS IN WRITING ACQUISITION OF CHINESE STUDENTS

The study investigates possible developmental trends in Chinese writing acquisition. Over three hundred Chinese elementary school students were enrolled in one-year empirical study. Writing samples were collected during four separate visits at an interval of three months in order to serve as literacy measure over time. The study examined students’ writing performance during the different time interval as well as writing development in the grade level. An error analysis of students’ writings reveals developmental patterns of using phonological and semantic strategies in solving problems during the writing process. Findings of the study may provide references for educators to the consideration of reevaluating literacy curriculum and pedagogy.
The isolation of subunits of deoxyribonucleic acid-dependent ribonucleic acid polymerase of Escherichia coli.

Abstract Subunits of RNA polymerase core enzyme, separated by chromatography on phosphocellulose in 7 m urea, can be reconstituted to form core enzyme with a 40 to 60 % yield. Reconstitution of active enzyme from subunits requires their codialysis while subunits reconstituted individually and then mixed do not yield active enzyme. Subunits β' and α cause retention of labeled T7 DNA by nitrocellulose filters while the β subunit does not. The subunit combination αβ' is the most effective in DNA binding, having approximately 25 % of the binding activity of reconstituted core enzyme.
NOVEL MIXED FINITE ELEMENT MODELS FOR NONLINEAR ANALYSIS OF PLATES

IN THIS STUDY, MIXED FINITE ELEMENT MODELS OF PLATE BENDING ARE DEVELOPED TO INCLUDE OTHER VARIABLES (E.G., THE MEMBRANE FORCES AND SHEAR FORCES) IN ADDITION TO THE GENERALIZED DISPLACEMENTS TO INVESTIGATE THEIR EFFECT ON NONLINEAR RESPONSE. VARIOUS FINITE ELEMENT MODELS ARE DEVELOPED USING THE WEIGHTED-RESIDUAL STATEMENTS OF SUITABLE EQUATIONS. THE CLASSICAL PLATE THEORY AND THE FIRST-ORDER SHEAR DEFORMATION PLATE THEORY ARE USED IN THIS STUDY AND THE VON KARMAN NONLINEAR STRAINS ARE ACCOUNTED FOR. EACH NEWLY DEVELOPED MODEL IS EXAMINED AND COMPARED WITH DISPLACEMENT FINITE ELEMENT MODELS TO EVALUATE THEIR PERFORMANCE. NUMERICAL RESULTS SHOW THAT THE NEW MIXED MODELS DEVELOPED HEREIN SHOW BETTER ACCURACY THAN EXISTING DISPLACEMENT BASED MODELS.
A mode of action study of cationic anthraquinone analogs: a new class of highly potent anticancer agents

Previously, we reported the synthesis and structure–activity relationship (SAR) study of a series of novel 4,9-dioxo-4,9-dihydro-1H-naphtho[2,3-d][1,2,3]triazol-3-ium salts, which had very potent anti-proliferative activities (low μM to nM GI50) against a broad range of cancer cells. These compounds, which can be viewed as cationic anthraquinone analogs (CAAs), are selective against cancer cells over bacteria or fungi as compared to the antibacterial CAAs that have also been reported by our group. Herein, we report a mode of action study of CAAs, which reveals that these compounds trigger apoptosis by generating extensive reactive oxygen species (ROS). The generation of extensive ROS causes oxidative stress, decrease in mitochondrial membrane potential, depletion of glutathione (GSH), and release of caspase-3, which ultimately kills cancer cells by programmed apoptosis. Furthermore, we have also shown that CAAs possess an 8-fold higher activity against the A549 cell line vs. the non-cancerous MRC-5 cell line.
Stem cell factor in combination with filgrastim after chemotherapy improves peripheral blood progenitor cell yield and reduces apheresis requirements in multiple myeloma patients: A randomized controlled trial

Stem cell factor (SCF) has been shown to synergize with filgrastim to mobilize CD34 + cells into the peripheral blood. To determine if addition of SCF to chemotherapy and filgrastim reduces the number of leukaphereses required to achieve a target yield of 5 × 10 6 CD34 + cells/kg, 102 patients with multiple myeloma were randomized to receive mobilization chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide (4 g/m 2 ) and either SCF (20 μg/kg/d) combined with filgrastim (5 μg/kg/d) or filgrastim alone (5 μg/kg/d), administered daily until leukaphereses were completed. After collection, patients were treated with myeloablative therapy supported by autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) infusion and filgrastim (5 μg/kg/d). There was a significant difference between the treatment groups in the number of leukaphereses required to collect 5 × 10 6 CD34 + cells/kg (median of 1 v 2 for SCF + filgrastim and filgrastim alone, respectively, P = .008). Patients receiving the combination of SCF plus filgrastim had a 3-fold greater chance of reaching 5 × 10 6 CD34 + cells/kg in a single leukapheresis compared with patients mobilized with filgrastim alone. The median CD34 + cell yield was significantly increased for the SCF group in the first leukapheresis (11.3 v 4.0 × 10 6 /kg, P = .003) and all leukaphereses (12.4 v 8.2 × 10 6 /kg, P = .007). Total colony-forming unit–granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) and mononuclear cell counts were also significantly higher in the SCF group in the first leukapheresis and in all leukaphereses. As expected for patients mobilized to an optimal CD34 + cell yield, the time to engraftment was similar between the 2 treatment groups. Cells mobilized with the combination of SCF plus filgrastim were thus considered effective and safe for achieving rapid engraftment. Treatment with SCF plus filgrastim was well tolerated, with mild to moderate injection site reactions being the most frequently reported adverse events. There were no serious allergic-like reactions to SCF. The addition of SCF to filgrastim after cyclophosphamide for PBPC mobilization resulted in a significant increase in CD34 + cell yield and a concomitant reduction in the number of leukaphereses required to collect an optimal harvest of 5 × 10 6 CD34 + cells/kg.
Archives and Society: The First Archival Revolution

President, Society of American Archivists 1983-84 David B. Gracy II has been state archivist of Texas since 1977. He is also senior lecturer on archives and manuscripts in the Graduate School of Library and Information Science, University of Texas at Austin. From 1971-1977 he was the archivist for the Southern Labor Archives at Georgia State University, and prior to that he served as archivist of the Southwest Collection at Texas Tech University. Gracy received his Ph.D. in history from Texas Tech in 1971. He served on SAA's Council from 1976-1980 and on the Executive Committee from 1979-1980. He was elected a Fellow of the Society in 1979. Gracy has been active on numerous SAA committees and served as a member of the Editorial Board of the American Archivist from 1976-1979. He has been active in regional archival organizations as well, serving as president of both the Austin Archivists and the Society of Georgia Archivists. Gracy is the author of Archives & Manuscripts: Arrangement and Description and An Introduction to Archives and Manuscripts. He is a member of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission and is the United States' representative to the Archives Committee of the Pan American Institute of Geography and History.
Nurses as good citizens in healthcare organisations: a manifest needs satisfaction perspective

It has been demonstrated that organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) exhibited by nurses is critical to the effectiveness of healthcare organisations. As a consequence, research exploring determinants of nurses' OCBs has increased dramatically. Little attention, however, has been paid to how nurses' manifest needs affect their OCBs. Accordingly, in this study, we empirically examine the impact of the need for achievement, need for affiliation, and need for autonomy on nurses' OCBs. Two hundred and eleven nurses are analysed using multiple regression. Results illustrate that the need for achievement is a significant predictor of a nurse's OCB. Findings of this study may help healthcare administrators establish a work environment where nurses' OCBs are encouraged.
Algorithm choice for multiple-query evaluation

It is pointed out that traditional query optimization concentrates on the optimization of the execution of each individual query. More recently, it has been observed that by considering a sequence of multiple queries some additional high-level optimizations can be performed. Once these optimizations have been performed, each operation is translated into executable code. It is shown that significant improvements can be gained by careful choice of the algorithm to be used for each operation. This choice is not merely based on efficiency of algorithms for individual operations, but primarily on the efficiency of the algorithm choices for the entire multiple-query evaluation. An efficient procedure for automatically optimizing these algorithm choices is given. >
Gateway Arch to the RNA Exosome

The RNA exosome degrades many different RNAs. Thoms et al. now fill an important gap in our understanding of how the exosome recognizes distinct subsets of target RNAs.
Synthesis and characterization of starch citrate-chitosan foam with superior water and saline absorbance properties.

The objective of this research was to synthesize and characterize high-value foam gel materials with unique absorptive and mechanical properties from starch citrate−chitosan. The effects of starch citrate concentration, pH, solid to liquid ratio, reaction time, and temperature on absorbency, weight loss in water, and strength were determined. The cross-linked starch citrate−chitosan foam is flexible and elastic and has significantly increased absorbance and strength and decreased weight loss in water compared to starch-chitosan foam. A unique characteristic of the starch citrate-chitosan foam is that it absorbs more saline solution than pure water, which is the opposite of current commercial super absorbents. An increased strength, increased degradation temperature, increased storage modulus, and decreased weight loss in water for starch citrate−chitosan relative to starch−chitosan are in agreement with amide bonds formed between the carboxyl group of starch citrate and the amino group of chitosan.
Effect of pressure and temperature on changes in the work function of aluminum during interaction with oxygen

Changes in the work function of clean bulk aluminum surfaces at room temperature and 250°C have been determined during interaction with oxygen in the pressure range of 10−9 torr to 20 torr. At low oxygen pressure (≈ 10−7 torr), the initial rate of work function decrease at 250°C was approximately four times faster than the rate at 26°C, indicating that the initial oxidation of aluminum is a thermally activated process with an activation energy of about 2 kcal mole−1. At oxygen pressures below 10−7 torr, the initial rate of work function decrease was proportional to PO20.95±0.10 at 26°C and to PO20.75±0.10 at 250°C. A model based on the contributions of outer surface and incorporated oxygen is proposed to explain the effect of pressure and temperature on the limiting work function change over the entire range of experimental conditions investigated.
Nutrition and environment in medieval Serbia: charred cereal, weed and fruit remains from the fortress of Ras

This study presents the results of archaeobotanical examination of remains from the medieval complex of Ras in Serbia. The samples were collected from the fortress situated on the hilltop (Gradina) and from a settlement below (Podgradje) during the archaeological excavations of 1972–1984. They were taken primarily from the buildings containing charred cereals dating to the 12th and 13th centuries. The main staple was bread wheat, followed by rye. Grains of barley, oats, and millet were also present. The weeds, including ruderals, were represented by many species. Agrostemma githago (corn cockle) was an important contaminant of the cereal fields. Exceptional finds include a piece of charred round bread, the cereal content of a pot, and peach stone fragments. Previous information about the agriculture and food in medieval Serbia was based solely on documents that were either written after this period or that were not pertinent to the region. This study is the first direct evidence providing information about agriculture and food of the inhabitants of medieval Serbia.