cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The vasal fluid proteomic profile and microscopic sperm presence at time of vasectomy reversal

Background The microscopic characteristics of vasal fluid at time of vasectomy reversal (VR) guide operative decision making and predict fertility outcomes. The proteomic profile of this vasal fluid has not been described or correlated with the microscopic fluid appearance. To characterize the vasal fluid proteome at time of VR and evaluate the variation of the vasal fluid proteome with respect to microscopic presence of sperm. Methods A prospective cohort study was conducted enrolling twenty-five men undergoing VR for infertility and/or pain at a University-affiliated hospital. Vasal fluid samples obtained at time of VR were grouped based on presence of sperm on light microscopy at time of VR. Proteomic profiles were generated using liquid chromatography/ tandem mass spectrometry, and MS/MS protein spectral counts compared between individuals and treatment groups, controlling for less than 5% protein false discovery rate (FDR). Proteins were matched with the human swissprot database using the Comet search engine, and categorized by Gene Ontology (GO) terms. Results There was large variability between the 46 vasal fluid samples collected, with 1,692 unique proteins detected. The three most abundant proteins were Lactotransferrin, Cysteine-rich secretory protein 1, A-kinase anchor protein 4. There was no correlation between the proteome and microscopic sperm presence. Prevalent GO terms included viral process, signal transduction, innate immune response, protein folding and spermatogenesis. Conclusions We describe the proteome and the most common proteins in vasal fluid at time of VR. Numerable sperm, testis and epididymis specific proteins were present even in the absence of sperm on microscopy. Further evaluation is needed to determine if a protein biomarker may better guide operative decision making and predict VR fertility outcomes.
Observations of a plectonemic configuration in a stable magnetized plasma jet

Astrophysical jets are collimated high-speed outflows emerging from spinning and accreting matter around celestial objects and may spontaneously result from self-organized processes. Magnetic self-organization is commonly observed in laboratory plasma physics experiments; however, they require close-fitting flux conservers to constrain and stabilize the toroidal or cylindrical structures. Here we report the first observations of a long, stable, free-boundary plasma jet far from chamber walls, embedding a double-helix magnetic structure resembling a force-free plectonemic Taylor state. The jets arise from an experimental setup that mimics an accretion disk and has no close-fitting solid flux conserver. The results support the hypothesis that self-organization could be a universal, intrinsic explanation for jet formation, collimation, and stability and may help explain double-helix features in celestial observations.
The Politics of the Hero's Journey: A Narratology of American Special Education Textbooks

This paper explores introduction to special education textbooks in order to illuminate how they portray the social and political work of special educators, especially in relation to disabled students and adults. This study analyzed five leading special education textbooks used in university teacher education programs using traditional methods of discourse analysis, including line-by-line coding and language-in-use with valuation. The analysis and coding tracked story plot components and characters associated with five phases evident in the narrative structure of a hero's journey: (1) the call to adventure, (2) supernatural aid, (3) threshold guardians, (4) trials and tribulations, and (5) the return. Discussions of the findings illustrate the problematic ways in which the textbooks create a heroic narrative of past and current elements tied to the field of special education.
Dynamic Archeology or Distant Reading: Literary Study Between Two Formalisms

Abstract Scholars working within computational literary studies often invoke Russian Formalism as a methodologically like-minded school of thought and a repository of useful insights, which can at last be tested with the help of recently developed digital techniques. Yet the two formalisms diverge starkly when it comes to three of their most fundamental categories of analysis: first, in their respective conceptions of literary form itself; next, in their notions of history and of what it means to tell the history of form; and finally, in the ways in which they construe the relationship between literature and society as a whole, or, in other words, in their corresponding sociologies of literary form. This paper, then, is a contribution to creating the conditions for the possibility of a genuine exchange between the two formalisms here at issue by focusing, first and foremost, on what divides them.
Can a YouTube video lead to changes in environmental beliefs, attitudes, norms, and intended behavior?

We investigate, using concepts from social psychological theories of the determinants of environmental behavior that might be affected by video media, the impact of viewing a short YouTube video about waste reduction while controlling for pre-existing environmental attitudes and beliefs, which is the greatest challenge in evaluating the impact of video media. The experimental design splits respondents approximately evenly between those who viewed the video and those who viewed just a text summarizing the points made in the video. Comparing results for the two subsamples is a way of identifying the impact of the video itself. For the sample as a whole, the video seemed to affect some beliefs and norms more than did the text alone. But for many measures of attitudes and intended behavior, there was no difference between the video and text samples, and sometimes neither sample had a significant change. We present suggestive evidence, though, that both video and text treatments have stronger effects on people who were not already strongly pro-environmental before the experimental treatment.
Mapping Tree Species Using Advanced Remote Sensing Technologies: A State-of-the-Art Review and Perspective

Timely and accurate information on tree species (TS) is crucial for developing strategies for sustainable management and conservation of artificial and natural forests. Over the last four decades, advances in remote sensing technologies have made TS classification possible. Since many studies on the topic have been conducted and their comprehensive results and novel findings have been published in the literature, it is necessary to conduct an updated review on the status, trends, potentials, and challenges and to recommend future directions. The review will provide an overview on various optical and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors; present and assess current various techniques/methods for, and a general trend of method development in, TS classification; and identify limitations and recommend future directions. In this review, several concluding remarks were made. They include the following: (1) A large group of studies on the topic were using high-resolution satellite, airborne multi-/hyperspectral imagery, and airborne LiDAR data. (2) A trend of “multiple” method development for the topic was observed. (3) Machine learning methods including deep learning models were demonstrated to be significant in improving TS classification accuracy. (4) Recently, unmanned aerial vehicle- (UAV-) based sensors have caught the interest of researchers and practitioners for the topic-related research and applications. In addition, three future directions were recommended, including refining the three categories of “multiple” methods, developing novel data fusion algorithms or processing chains, and exploring new spectral unmixing algorithms to automatically extract and map TS spectral information from satellite hyperspectral data.
EIT quantum memory with Cs atomic vapor for quantum communication

Quantum memory is a key device in the implementation of quantum repeaters for quantum communications and quantum networks. We demonstrated a quantum memory based on electromagnetically-induced transparency (EIT) in a warm cesium atomic cell. The quantum memory system can avoid the need for helium temperature apparatus and it is low cost for bulk scalability.
Mammary hyperplasias from transgenic polyomavirus middle T mice as a platform for development of chemoprevention strategies

6073 Genetically engineered mice have been used extensively to model human breast cancer. Yet few have been developed and characterized to model the progression from hyperplasia to cancer. We have used a transplantable model for mammary hyperplasia that progresses to invasive carcinoma, effectively mimicking human ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), to study molecular changes associated with neoplastic progression. This provides a unique model for chemoprevention trials for high-risk pre-malignant breast lesions. These mouse mammary intraepithelial neoplasia-outgrowth lines (MIN-Os) were derived from the mammary hyperplasia of MMTV-polyomavirus middle T (MT) transgenic mice. The MT transgene is a potent oncogene and provides an attractive model for human mammary carcinoma, as it is capable of transforming cells by the same signaling pathways activated by receptor tyrosine kinases, such as erbB2, which has been dysregulated in human breast cancer. Gene expression analysis of preneoplastic MIN-O lesions and associated tumors from these lines find dysregulation of genes and pathways that are similarly altered in human DCIS. Moreover, global expression profile analysis suggests that major molecular changes are already in place at the MIN-O stage. This result is in agreement with what is reported in human studies. We have begun using this model to dissect the events that are required for the transition from preneoplasia to invasive carcinoma. In addition, we are developing chemoprevention strategies for these high-risk breast lesions. Preliminary experiments show that treatment with either estrogen receptor modulators or rapamycin is effective in significantly limiting growth (p
Determining drug efficacy parameters for mathematical models of influenza

Antivirals are the first line of defence against influenza, so drug efficacy should be re-evaluated for each new strain. However, due to the time and expense involved in assessing the efficacy of drug treatments both in vitro and in vivo, treatment regimens are largely not re-evaluated even when strains are found to be resistant to antivirals. Mathematical models of the infection process can help in this assessment, but for accurate model predictions, we need to measure model parameters characterizing the efficacy of antivirals. We use computer simulations to explore whether in vitro experiments can be used to extract drug efficacy parameters for use in viral kinetics models. We find that the efficacy of neuraminidase inhibitors can be determined by measuring viral load during a single cycle assay, while the efficacy of adamantanes can be determined by measuring infected cells during the preparation stage for the single cycle assay.
Debt and Hybrid Decoupling: An Overview

This is a summary, practitioner-oriented article which summarizes our research on debt and hybrid decoupling. Equity decoupling refers to the unbundling of the rights and obligations normally associated with shares. Debt decoupling refers to the unbundling of the economic and governance rights normally associated with debt, often through credit derivatives or securitization. Hybrid decoupling involves combined debt and equity positions. All forms appear to be growing in importance. Debt and hybrid decoupling pose risks for debt governance - the relationship between creditors and debtors, including creditors' exercise of their contractual and legal governance rights. Widespread debt decoupling can also involve externalities and contribute to systemic financial risks. The full academic version of this Article is Debt, Equity, and Hybrid Decoupling, European Financial Management, vol. 14, forthcoming 2008, available at http://ssrn.com/abstract=1084075 For an earlier, finance-oriented academic article on equity decoupling, see: Hedge Funds, Insiders, and the Decoupling of Economic and Voting Ownership: Empty Voting and Hidden (Morphable) Ownership, , Journal of Corporate Finance, Vol. 13, 2007, pp. 343-367, nearly final version available at http://ssrn.com/abstract=874098 For our principal law-oriented academic articles on equity and debt decoupling, see: Equity and Debt Decoupling and Empty Voting II: Importance and Extensions, University of Pennsylvania Law Review, Vol. 156, 2008, pp. 625-739, available at http://ssrn.com/abstract=1030721 The New Vote Buying: Empty Voting and Hidden Ownership, Southern California Law Review, Vol. 79, 2006, pp. 811-908, available at http://ssrn.com/abstract=904004
Maternal‐fetal medicine fellowship obstetrical ultrasound experience: results from a fellowship survey

Objective To assess maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) fellowship obstetrical ultrasound training, scope of practice and research. Methods A 52-item prenatal diagnosis survey was e-mailed to 458 associate members of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine on two separate occasions. Associate members include both MFM fellows and recent graduates who are not yet board certified in MFM. Results A total of 148 associate members completed the survey (32% response rate), 92% of whom were at least in their second year of fellowship. A total of 58% of fellows spend at least 20% of their fellowship time performing prenatal ultrasounds, and most begin their ultrasound training in their first year. Most fellows describe being comfortable performing routine fetal anatomy surveys, growth ultrasounds and umbilical artery Doppler measurements, but only 48% are nuchal translucency (NT) certified, most through Nuchal Translucency Quality Review. A total of 7% of fellows do not receive structured training in 2D ultrasound, 39% receive no structured training in 3D/4D ultrasound, and 28% receive no structured training in fetal echocardiography. Only 38% can identify an ultrasound mentor during fellowship. Conclusion Most fellows are trained in ultrasound during their first year of fellowship and feel comfortable performing routine exams. However, ultrasound mentorship, structured training and research in prenatal ultrasound are limited in some programs. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Regulation of Staphylococcal Penicillinase Synthesis

Abstract 5-Methyl tryptophan was found to be an efficient inducer of penicillinase synthesis in Staphylococcus aureus. Addition of actinomycin D or tryptophan to the culture medium shuts off the 5-methyl tryptophan-induced synthesis of penicillinase with an apparent half-life of approximately 1 to 2 min, respectively. Hence, in the induction of penicillinase synthesis, 5-methyl tryptophan seems to function as a structural analogue of penicillin rather than by becoming incorporated in proteins and thereby creating faulty penicillinase repressor or antirepressor. This conclusion is supported by similarities in the structures of the two compounds as revealed by solid atomic models. The fact that S. aureus exposed to 14C-penicillin in the absence of protein synthesis failed to synthesize penicillinase at an increased level when cell growth was resumed strongly suggests that a protein involved in the regulation of penicillinase synthesis must be synthesized in the presence of the penicillinase inducer. In turn, this observation suggests that the penicillinase inducer promotes penicillinase synthesis by directing the penicillinase regulatory protein (i.e., the penicillinase antirepressor) to acquire a different conformation when it is synthesized in the presence of the penicillinase inducer. A working model for the regulation of penicillinase synthesis based on these and other data has been constructed and is presented.
The cytological diagnosis of carcinoma of the Fallopian tube

T HE occurrence of cancer cells in the vaginal secretion with extrauterine malignancies of the female generative tract is very rare. If, however, definibe malignant cells are evident in the smear and no tumor is found in the cervix or endometrium, the diagnosis of extrauterine malignancy must be considered. Frechl in 1949 reported a case of primary adenocarcinoma of the ovary in which vaginal smears showed tumor cells, although there was no evidence of involvement of the endometrium. He emphasized that the cells seen in the smears fulfilled all the criteria for the diagnosis of adenocarcinoma. Primary carcinoma of the Fallopian tube is rare. Renaud2 in 1847 recorded the first primary carcinoma of the oviduct, but not until 1888 did Orthmann3 note the first authentic case of primary carcinoma in this location. In 1889 Kaltenbach4 described the primary bilateral carcinoma of tubes in a 50-year-old patient. Barth and Sanger5 in 1895 gave the first detailed description a.nd classification. In 1906 Orthmann& summarized 84 cases from the reports. The most outstanding of the reviewers were Vest7 (1914)) Laing’ (1927), and Whorton and Krochg (1929), this last publication bringing the number of recorded cases to 232. In recent years there has been a rapid rise in the number of reports in this country, indicating that more careful attention is being given the disease and that there is a more accurate reporting of cases. Herbut’O in 1950 noted that approximately 500 cases had been reported in all. The incidence of these tumors as compared with other malignant tumors of the female generative system has varied between 0.16 and 0.45 per cent. The a,ges of patients whose cases have been recorded in the literature vary between 18 and 80 years. A majority of these have fallen in the 45 to 55 year group. While primary carcinoma of the Fallopian tube often appears in combination with other pelvic lesions such as chronic salpingitis, ovarian cysts, or uterine myomas, there is no clear-cut evidence to indicate a predisposing influence on the part of any of these lesions. Grystall in 1931 reported that one cast of carcinoma of the Fallopian tube was associated with an ovarian cyst on the same side, the cyst being a simple unilocular one. There are no characteristic physical signs or symptoms. Johnson and Miller,‘? however, have indicated a symptom in a woman who at or beyond the
Basics of Projective Geometry

For a novice, projective geometry usually appears to be a bit odd, and it is not obvious to motivate why its introduction is inevitable and in fact fruitful. One of the main motivations arises from algebraic geometry.
Immune responses in vitro. VI. Cell interactions in the development of primary IgM, IgG and IgA plaque-forming cell responses in vitro.

Abstract Cell interaction requirements for generation of primary IgM, IgG and IgA responses to heterologous erythrocytes in mouse spleen cell cultures have been investigated. Interactions among antigen, macrophages, “helper” thymus-derived cells and precursors of antibody-producing cells are required and are facilitated by incubation of cultures on a rocking platform. Macrophages are required in the cultures for 48 hr for generation of optimal IgM, IgG and IgA responses. Intact erythrocyte antigen is necessary for 48 hr for development of optimal IgM responses, and for 72 hr for optimal IgG and IgA responses. Precursors of IgM antibody-producing cells appear to be “activated” by 48 hr incubation; precursors of IgG and IgA antibody-producing cells appear to be “activated” by 72 hr. These “activated” precursor cells can subsequently undergo final cycles of cell division and differentiate into mature antibody producing cells when incubated stationary in the presence of very few macrophages and in the absence of intact erythrocyte antigen.
Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Ochratoxin A Producing Black Aspergilli from Grape Pomace

Grape pomace (GP), a winery by-product is increasingly being explored as food ingredients. Ochratoxin A (OTA), a natural toxigenic metabolite frequently found in wine and its by-products. Black Aspergilli are mainly responsible for OTA build-up and contamination of grapes and winery by-products. The fungal population in GP of five grape cultivars were enumerated and characterized. Fungal population ranged from 4.27±0.05 to 5.35±0.04 Log CFU/mL with GP from Chardonnay being the most contaminated. Aspergillus niger (81.1%) was found to be the major source of contamination and most frequently isolated fungal species. Other fungal isolates were A. carbonarius (13.51%) and A fumigatus (5.39%). Fungal contamination of GP correlated with the type of grape cultivars used for the pomace. Fourteen identified mold isolates were confirmed by PCR using primer pairs ITS1/NIG, ITS1/CAR and ITS1/FUM. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis with eight primers OPC-04, OPC-06, OPC-08, OPC-10, OPC-11, OPC-12, OPC-13 and OPC-14 revealed similarity in band patterns between the isolates and the control. Clustering of banding patterns generated from amplification with primer OPC-12 using Pearson’s coefficient detected similarity at 99.10%, 97.60%, 86.30% and 99.40%, 99.10%, 87.60%, 78.50% among Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus carbonarious strains, respectively, confirming the identification of potential ochratoxigenic black Aspergillus strains in the GP. The findings from this study suggest that GP obtained from some grape cultivars could be unsafe as food ingredients due to contamination by ochratoxigenic-producing molds, which is an indicative factor for the presence of ochratoxin A and other mycotoxins.
Monoclonal Antibodies Targeting the Alpha-Exosite of Botulinum Neurotoxin Serotype/A Inhibit Catalytic Activity.

The paralytic disease botulism is caused by botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT), multi-domain proteins containing a zinc endopeptidase that cleaves the cognate SNARE protein, thereby blocking acetylcholine neurotransmitter release. Antitoxins currently used to treat botulism neutralize circulating BoNT but cannot enter, bind to or neutralize BoNT that has already entered the neuron. The light chain endopeptidase domain (LC) of BoNT serotype A (BoNT/A) was targeted for generation of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that could reverse paralysis resulting from intoxication by BoNT/A. Single-chain variable fragment (scFv) libraries from immunized humans and mice were displayed on the surface of yeast, and 19 BoNT/A LC-specific mAbs were isolated by using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Affinities of the mAbs for BoNT/A LC ranged from a KD value of 9.0×10−11 M to 3.53×10−8 M (mean KD 5.38×10−9 M and median KD 1.53×10−9 M), as determined by flow cytometry analysis. Eleven mAbs inhibited BoNT/A LC catalytic activity with IC50 values ranging from 8.3 ~73×10−9 M. The fine epitopes of selected mAbs were also mapped by alanine-scanning mutagenesis, revealing that the inhibitory mAbs bound the α-exosite region remote from the BoNT/A LC catalytic center. The results provide mAbs that could prove useful for intracellular reversal of paralysis post-intoxication and further define epitopes that could be targeted by small molecule inhibitors.
Sequence Independent Lifting of Cover Inequalities

We investigate lifting, i.e., the process of taking a valid inequality and using it to construct a valid inequality in a higher dimensional space. Lifting is usually applied sequentially; variables in a set are lifted one after the other. This is computationally unattractive since it involves the solution of an optimization problem to compute a lifting coefficient for each variable. To relieve this computational burden, we study the potential of sequence independent lifting techniques.
White water: Fifty years of snow research in WRR and the outlook for the future

Over the past 50 years, 239 papers related to snow have been published in Water Resources Research (WRR). Seminal papers on virtually every facet of snow physics and snow water resources have appeared in the journal. These include papers on drifting snow, the snow surface energy balance, the effect of grain size on albedo, chemical elution, water movement through snow, and canopy interception. In particular, papers in WRR have explored the distribution of snow across different landscapes, providing data, process knowledge, and the basis for virtually all of the distributed snow models in use today. In this paper, I review these key contributions and provide some personal thoughts on what is likely to be the focus and nature of papers published in the next few decades, a period that is likely to see an increasing ability to map snow cover in detail, which should serve as a basis for the further development and improvement of snow models. It will also be an uncertain future, with profound changes in snow climatology predicted. I expect WRR will continue to play a key role in documenting and understanding these important cryospheric changes.
New Options for Diagnosis and Treatment of Ectopic Pregnancy

The incidence of ectopic pregnancy has increased 4.5-fold in the United States since 1970. Several risk factors have contributed to this rate of increase, but the primary underlying cause remains undefined. Significant advances in the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy have occurred during this same interval as a consequence of an enhanced understanding of the natural course of the disease. Characteristic changes in human chorionic gonadotropin levels, ultrasound findings, and more frequent use of laparoscopy have contributed to earlier, more consistent diagnosis. Advances in treatment, including tubal-conserving operations, laparoscopic approaches, and medical treatment with methotrexate, have all proved to be safe and effective. The remaining principal challenge is to improve future fertility, which is often adversely affected by recurrence of an ectopic pregnancy. ( JAMA 1992;267:534-537)
Quantum memory effects in disordered systems and their relation to 1 / f noise

We propose that memory effects in the conductivity of metallic systems can be produced by the same two-level systems that are responsible for the $1/f$ noise. Memory effects are extremely long-lived responses of the conductivity to changes in external parameters such as density or magnetic field. Using quantum transport theory, we derive a universal relationship between the memory effect and the $1/f$ noise. Finally, we propose a magnetic memory effect, where the magnetoresistance is sensitive to the history of the applied magnetic field.
Evaluation of copper-1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate metal-organic framework (Cu-MOF) as a selective sorbent for Lewis-base analytes.

The metal-organic framework Cu-BTC was evaluated for its ability to selectively interact with Lewis-base analytes, including explosives, by examining retention on GC columns packed with Chromosorb W HP that contained 3.0% SE-30 along with various loadings of Cu-BTC. SEM images of the support material showed the characteristic Cu-BTC crystals embedded in the SE-30 coating on the diatomaceous support. Results indicated that the Cu-BTC-containing stationary phase had limited thermal stability (220°C) and strong general retention for analytes. Kovats index calculations showed selective retention (amounting to about 300 Kovats units) relative to n-alkanes for many small Lewis-base analytes on a column that contained 0.75% Cu-BTC compared to an SE-30 control. Short columns that contained lower loadings of Cu-BTC (0.10%) were necessary to elute explosives and related analytes; however, selectivity was not observed for aromatic compounds (including nitroaromatics) or nitroalkanes. Observed retention characteristics are discussed.
Implications of prostate micrometastases in pelvic lymph nodes: an archival tissue study.

Abstract Objectives In the United States, radical retropubic prostatectomy for adenocarcinoma usually includes a staging pelvic lymphadenectomy. If frozen section analysis of the lymph nodes fails to reveal any evidence of metastases, the prostate is removed. We have previously noted that as many as 56% of patients undergoing radical prostatectomy demonstrate rising serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels by 4 years postoperatively. This report was designed to determine whether micrometastases undetectable by conventional pathologic methods could have accounted for these biochemical failures. Methods A retrospective analysis of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded pelvic lymph node material was undertaken using a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)-based assay designed to amplify messenger RNA from PSA. All specimens were obtained from a group of 57 patients with prostate cancer who had undergone staging pelvic lymphadenectomy at the time of radical prostatectomy, and whose long-term follow-up was known. Results Although all of these nodes appeared to be free of tumor by conventional pathologic methods, a RTPCR assay was used to identify evidence of prostate metastases in 44% of evaluable samples. Of these, 14 of 16 went on to manifest rising serum PSA values by 5 years postoperatively. Conclusions These results suggest that molecular staging of pelvic lymph nodes prior to planned therapy for clinically organ-confined prostate cancer may better distinguish between patients with local disease and those for whom local therapy alone will not be curative. To our knowledge, this is the first large-scale retrospective gene expression study published.
Vigabatrin‐associated retinal damage – potential biochemical mechanisms

Vigabatrin (VGB), an irreversible inhibitor of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transaminase, is approved as adjunct treatment of refractory partial seizures as well as infantile spasms. Although VGB has been proven to be effective, its use is limited by the risk of retinopathy and associated peripheral visual field defects. This review describes and analyzes current literature related to potential pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying VGB-mediated cellular toxicity. Animal data suggest that GABA mediates neural excitotoxicity. The amino acid taurine is concentrated in retinal cells, and deficiency of this amino acid may be involved in VGB-mediated retinal degeneration and possible phototoxicity.
Origin of Zoned Metal Grains in the QUE94411 Chondrite

Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was used to measure distributions of the siderophile elements P, V. Cr, Fe, Co, Ni, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, W, Re, Os, Ir, and Pt in metal grains in the metal-rich chondrite QUE94411 with a spatial resolution of similar to 30 mum. The platinum group elements (PGEs), except Pd, exhibit radial zoning in these grains that mimics that previously observed in Ni and Co; the concentrations of these elements decreases from the cores to the rims of the grains. The PGE distributions support a condensation origin for the enhanced refractory element abundances in the zoned grains; the lack of zoning in Pd refutes an origin by a redox-controlled process, and none of the PGE-Ni relationships support an origin by fractional crystallization from a metallic melt. Several models of grain formation were explored, including equilibrium fractional condensation, which failed to yield the correct radial zoning. The zoning may be the product of a nonequilibrium fractional condensation process, in which the refractory siderophiles remained supersaturated in the cooling solar nebula, or of diffusion between refractory-enhanced Fe-Ni cores and other Fe-Ni metal that may have been deposited later from the solar nebula. Copyright (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd.
The System of Interpretance, Naturalizing Meaning as Finality

A materialist construction of semiosis requires system embodiment at particular locales, in order to function as systems of interpretance. I propose that we can use a systemic model of scientific measurement to construct a systems view of semiosis. I further suggest that the categories required to understand that process can be used as templates when generalizing to biosemiosis and beyond. The viewpoint I advance here is that of natural philosophy—which, once granted, incurs no principled block to further generalization all the way to pansemiotics—nearer to Peirce’s own very general perspective. This project requires a hylozooic framework, which I present in the form of a specification hierarchy, whereby physical dynamics subsume all other transactions at more highly developed integrative levels. The upshot of the paper is a proposal that meanings can be assimilated most generally to final causes.
Paget's disease of bone

Nuclear medicine techniques are currently playing an important complementary role in the evaluation, management, and follow-up of the patient who is suspected of having Paget's disease of bone. The earlier diagnoses made possible by some of the described techniques should lead to a better understanding of the basic pathophysiology and, in addition, result in improved therapeutic modalities.
The Development of Immunity to Cecal Coccidiosis in the Presence of Nicarbazin Preliminary Report

ABSTRACT AN EFFICIENT anticoccidial drug not only must protect from the morbidity and mortality caused by the disease, but should not interfere with the development of immunity during the course of the initial exposure. If the latter qualification is not fulfilled, the once-medicated host would be completely susceptible to subsequent exposures, and therefore require continued medication. The efficacy of nicarbazin in controlling cecal coccidiosis of chickens has been reported by several investigators, including Barber (1955), Ott, Kuna, Porter, Cuckler and Fogg (1955), and Rubin, McLoughlin, Costello and Wehr (1956). Barber (1955) also included a report on limited studies on the development of immunity against Eimeria acervulina and E. tenella in the presence of this drug. More extensive investigations have been carried out by Cuckler, Malanga and Ott (1956), and Cuckler and Malanga (1956). The data presented in this paper substantiate the findings of these investigators. MATERIALS AND METHODS One hundred and . . .
How Juries Get Hung: Problems with the Evidence for a Focus on Form in Teaching.

This paper will discuss the claim that attention to linguistic accuracy and/or instruction in grammar is necessary for early stage learners. The arguments for a focus on form revolve around three recurring topics or themes: fossilization, improved language performance, and the role of error correction. The paper will conclude that research evidence to date does not suggest that a focus on form is either necessary or beneficial to early stage learners. Nonetheless, it will be suggested that there is room for more research and that research on the effects of a focus on form might best be conducted in a foreign language context and not a second language context.
Documentation of classical biological control introductions

Abstract In view of increasing world attention to biodiversity and faunal surveys, improved documentation of the movement of biological control agents from one part of the world to another is needed. More detailed record-keeping and retention of voucher specimens can also help improve the success rate and provide useful feedback for classical biological control programs. The availability of such records will also aid research by ecologists and taxonomists and help regulatory agencies prevent the introduction of harmful exotic organisms. One of the functions of the Biological Control Documentation Center of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is to improve the documentation of the introduction of biological control agents into the United States. A computerized system has been developed for making such records more readily available and useful to scientists and other users of these data. The ARS documentation system and the computerized Releases of Beneficial Organisms in the United States and Territories (ROBO) program and publication series are described. Objections raised to these systems by some US researchers are discussed. The ARS documentation system and ROBO program provide insights into improved methods for documenting the international movement and release of beneficial organisms in other parts of the world.
An Ideal-Based Zero-Divisor Graph of a Commutative Ring

Abstract For a commutative ring R with identity, the zero-divisor graph of R, denoted Γ(R), is the graph whose vertices are the non-zero zero-divisors of R with two distinct vertices joined by an edge when the product of the vertices is zero. We will generalize this notion by replacing elements whose product is zero with elements whose product lies in some ideal I of R. Also, we determine (up to isomorphism) all rings R such that Γ(R) is the graph on five vertices.
In situ persistence of indicator bacteria in streams polluted with acid mine drainage

Abstract Persistence of indicator organisms (total coliforms, fecal coliforms, and fecal streptococci) associated with natural samples of raw sewage was studied following in situ exposure to five aquatic environments. Three of these streams contained significant amounts of acid mine water (AMW) while the other two were relatively uncontaminated. Indicator organisms were rapidly killed upon exposure to the acid mine systems, whereas little reduction in numbers was observed in the uncontaminated streams. Seasonal changes affected survival of indicators as reflected by prolonged persistence at colder in situ water temperatures. The fecal coliform group was most susceptible to the AMW stress, while the fecal streptococci were most persistent. An enrichment technique resulted in substantially enhanced recovery of certain species of sublethally injured survivors of acid stress. Enrichment was particularly beneficial for recovery of AMW-injured fecal coliforms. Relatively little improvement in recovery of fecal streptococci was afforded by the enrichment technique.
Androgen affects cholinergic enzymes in syringeal motor neurons and muscle

Summary We examined the role of testosterone (T) in regulating the weight of the songbird syrinx and the activity of two cholinergic enzymes, choline acetyltransferase (CAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Castration of adult male zebra finches or neonatal canaries results in a lowering of syringeal weight and CAT and AChE activity. Administration of T for 1–4 weeks restores syringeal weight and AChE to intact levels in male zebra finches. Activity of CAT in muscle is not fully restored. Ovariectomy of female zebra finches and canaries does not affect these syringeal parameters, but T administration to ovariectomized females for 1 month increased syringeal weight and AChE activity. In the zebra finch tracheosyringealis nerve, activity of CAT and AChE is decreased on moonth after castration. T administration to castrates maintains nerve AChE activity but not CAT. In contrast to changes in the syrinx, tongue muscles do not change in weight or enzyme activity when circulating T levels are altered. Effects of muscle use and disuse were found on syringeal weight and AChE activity, but an androgenic effect also operates in addition. Results suggest that one mechanism for T regulation of singing in passerine birds is through induction of specific enzymatic proteins in androgen target neurons and muscles.
Religious Ideas of the Segregationists

Historians have on the whole ignored the ideas of the segregationists of the 1950s and 1960s. They assume, apparently, that racism – which historians have studied from every conceivable angle – is enough to explain how and why people fought to preserve a racist institution in a specific time and place. The civil rights leaders of the 1950s and 1960s did not make that assumption: they attacked specific and concrete institutions, hoping that the “hearts and minds” of southern racists might give up their racism after the institutions were destroyed. Segregationists of the 1950s and 1960s, in turn, tried to defend those institutions, not just politically, but culturally and intellectually as well. A full understanding of the destruction of those institutions requires an understanding of the way they were defended. Racism, after all, existed long before the specific legal forms of segregation and disfranchisement were created – and shows every sign of outliving them. Historians who ignore the cultural and intellectual defenses of those specific forms miss a crucial historical question: why did segregationist arguments ultimately fail to inspire the southern white population to defend those forms of racism successfully ?
Amount of Hispanic youth exposure to food and beverage advertising on Spanish- and English-language television.

Importance Exposure to large numbers of television advertisements for foods and beverages with little or no nutritional value likely contributes to poor diet among youth. Given higher rates of obesity and overweight for Hispanic youth, it is important to understand the amount and types of food advertising they view. Objective To quantify the amount of food and beverage advertising viewed by Hispanic youth on Spanish- and English-language television and compare it with the amount of food and beverage advertising viewed by non-Hispanic youth. Design, Setting, and Participants Data on gross rating points that measured advertising viewed on national broadcast and cable television in 2010 using a Nielsen panel of television-viewing households of Hispanic and non-Hispanic preschoolers (2-5 years), children (6-11 years), and adolescents (12-17 years). Main Outcomes and Measures Food and beverage television advertisements viewed on English- and Spanish-language television by product category and television-viewing times by age and language preference. Exposure Food and beverage advertising on Spanish- and English-language television. Results In 2010, Hispanic preschoolers, children, and adolescents viewed, on average, 11.6 to 12.4 television food ads per day; the majority of these ads (75%-85%) appeared on English-language television. Fast food represented a higher proportion of food ads on Spanish-language television. Consistent with television-viewing patterns, Hispanic preschoolers saw more Spanish-language food advertisements than did Hispanic children and adolescents. Owing to somewhat less food advertising on Spanish-language television, Hispanic children and adolescents viewed 14% and 24% fewer food ads overall, respectively, compared with non-Hispanic youth. Spanish-language television viewing was highly concentrated among youth who primarily speak Spanish. Conclusions and Relevance Both Hispanic and non-Hispanic youth view large numbers of television advertisements for nutrient-poor categories of food and beverage. Although Hispanic children and adolescents see somewhat fewer of these ads, the higher obesity rates among Hispanic youth, the greater exposure by Hispanic preschoolers, and the potential enhanced effects of targeted advertising on Hispanic youth suggest that this exposure may pose additional risks for Hispanic youth. Continued monitoring is warranted owing to food companies’ stated intentions to increase marketing to Hispanics.
Predictor-corrector procedures for thermal buckling analysis of multilayered composite plates

A study is made of two predictor-corrector procedures for the accurate determination of global, as well as detailed, thermal buckling response characteristics of composite plates. Both procedures use first-order shear deformation theory in the predictor phase, but differ in the elements of the computational model being adjusted in the corrector phase. The first procedure calculates a posteriori estimates of the composite correction factors and uses them to adjust the transverse shear stiffnesses of the plate. The second procedure calculates a posteriori the functional dependence of the displacement components on the thickness coordinate. The corrected quantities are then used in conjunction with three-dimensional equations to obtain better estimates for the different response quantities. Extensive numerical results are presented, showing the effects of variation in the geometric and lamination parameters for antisymmetrically laminated composite plates subjected to uniform temperature rise, on the accuracy of the thermal buckling response obtained by predictor-corrector procedures.
What you see is what you expect: rapid scene understanding benefits from prior experience

Although we are able to rapidly understand novel scene images, little is known about the mechanisms that support this ability. Theories of optimal coding assert that prior visual experience can be used to ease the computational burden of visual processing. A consequence of this idea is that more probable visual inputs should be facilitated relative to more unlikely stimuli. In three experiments, we compared the perceptions of highly improbable real-world scenes (e.g., an underwater press conference) with common images matched for visual and semantic features. Although the two groups of images could not be distinguished by their low-level visual features, we found profound deficits related to the improbable images: Observers wrote poorer descriptions of these images (Exp. 1), had difficulties classifying the images as unusual (Exp. 2), and even had lower sensitivity to detect these images in noise than to detect their more probable counterparts (Exp. 3). Taken together, these results place a limit on our abilities for rapid scene perception and suggest that perception is facilitated by prior visual experience.
Similar transition states mediate the Q-cycle and superoxide production by the cytochrome bc1 complex

Abstract The cytochrome bc complexes found in mitochondria, chloroplasts and many bacteria play critical roles in their respective electron transport chains. The quinol oxidase (Qo) site in this complex oxidizes a hydroquinone (quinol), reducing two one-electron carriers, a low potential cytochrome b heme and the “Rieske” iron-sulfur cluster. The overall electron transfer reactions are coupled to transmembrane translocation of protons via a “Q-cycle” mechanism, which generates proton motive force for ATP synthesis. Since semiquinone intermediates of quinol oxidation are generally highly reactive, one of the key questions in this field is: how does the Qo site oxidize quinol without the production of deleterious side reactions including superoxide production? We attempt to test three possible general models to account for this behavior: 1) The Qo site semiquinone (or quinol-imidazolate complex) is unstable and thus occurs at a very low steady-state concentration, limiting O2 reduction; 2) the Qo site semiquinone is highly stabilized making it unreactive toward oxygen; and 3) the Qo site catalyzes a quantum mechanically coupled two-electron/two-proton transfer without a semiquinone intermediate. Enthalpies of activation were found to be almost identical between the uninhibited Q-cycle and superoxide production in the presence of antimycin A in wild type. This behavior was also preserved in a series of mutants with altered driving forces for quinol oxidation. Overall, the data support models where the rate-limiting step for both Q-cycle and superoxide production is essentially identical, consistent with model 1 but requiring modifications to models 2 and 3.
Statistics of photocount products

Abstract Approximate forms for the probability distributions for the product of the number of photocounts observed over counting intervals of fixed length are developed for double, triple and quadruple products. These distributions are useful for error analysis in experiments that measure second, third or fourth optical field intensity correlation functions by digital photocount autocorrelation methods.