cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
"On est le fils de quelq'un": "Prosas profanas" y la génesis de "Los crepúsculos del jardín"

Los crepusculos del jardin is considered Leopoldo Lugones’s most modernista book of poetry. Yet I contend that Lugone’s s verses are a contestatory, posmodemista appropriation of the Parnassian language championed by Dario in the verses of Prosas profanas. In this book, Dario mastered a refined, rarified poetic idiom, the dominion of which he considered alien to the poetic sensibilities that Lugones had shown in the alexandrines of Las montanas del oro, a book that Dario reviewed in a polite but tendentious manner. Seemingly intending to prove Dario wrong, Lugones mimics the erotic topoi and cultured utterances championed by Dario in Los crepusculos del jardin, but infuses its verses with prosaic and mundane, that is, secular and properly modern references. The mixture of the idea/ lyricism and its disenchanted counterpart is one of the trademarks of the posmodemista verse and its immanent, earth-bound definitions of both the poetic act and the poetic self.
Bladder Hypocompliance in the Spinal Cord Injury Population

AbstractTo determine the incidence and effects of low bladder compliance on the upper urinary tracts in spinal cord injury patients, we evaluated the last 254 patients during a 3-year period who underwent a complete urodynamic study, along with an excretory urogram and/or renal ultrasound. Compliance was determined at 100cc volume. A compliance number of 20 or less was considered low. Of the 254 patients 43 (17 per cent) had low compliant bladders by our definition. Hydronephrosis was present in 56 of the 84 renal units (64 per cent) and reflux was present in 39 (46 per cent). These results are in sharp contrast to the normal compliant group in which 21 per cent of 418 renal units had hydronephrosis and only 6 per cent had reflux. Of the 254 patients over-all 44 had lower motor neuron lesions as determined by no bulbocavernosus reflex as well as a denervated external sphincter; 22 of these 44 patients (50 per cent) had low compliant bladders. Conversely, among the 210 patients with suprasacral lesions onl...
Frequent Indoor Tanners' Beliefs About Indoor Tanning and Cessation.

Purpose:Indoor tanning is associated with an increased risk of developing skin cancer. In the United States, nearly 1 in 5 white women aged 18 to 25 are indoor tanners. This study elicited beliefs ...
Ultrafast Phase Transitions in Silicon Induced by Picosecond Laser Interaction

Picosecond time-resolved reflectivity and transmission measurements of silicon provide evidence for an ultrafast phase transition which occurs within the duration of a single picosecond pulse (~25ps). Complementary measurements of electron emission and charged particle emission demonstrate that the lattice is heated to the melting point even within the range of picoseconds. The phase transition can be entirely explained by simple thermal melting.
Comparative feeding value of wood sugar concentrate and cane molasses for feedlot cattle.

Two feedlot cattle growth performance trials and a metabolism trial were conducted to evaluate the feeding value of cane molasses (CM) compared with wood sugar concentrate (WSC). The CM contained (as-fed basis) 73% DM, 8.6% ash, 48% total sugars, and 79.5 degrees Brix. The WSC contained (as-fed basis) 61% DM, 12.2% ash, 38.9% total sugars, and 29% lignosulfonate. When supplemented at 4% of diet DM, treatment effects on ruminal and total tract OM digestion and feedlot performance were similar. When supplemented at 8% of diet DM, ADG was similar across treatments, whereas feed efficiency tended (P < .10) to favor the CM diet. The NEm value of the diet was 2% higher (P < .01) with CM supplementation. It is concluded that WSC may be a useful alternative to molasses in diets for cattle. The feeding value of WSC seems to exceed that based on its hydrolyzable sugars content. Given that the NEm and NEg values (DM basis) for CM are 1.70 and 1.08 Mcal/kg, respectively, the corresponding values for WSC are 1.25 and .68 Mcal/kg, respectively.
Initiation of Sacubitril/Valsartan Early after Heart Failure Decompensation

Background Sacubitril/Valsartan (S/V) is indicated in stable, symptomatic HFrEF as an alternate to an ACEI or ARB. Initiation of S/V requires planning and care coordination with relatively low rates of utilization despite a Class I-BR recommendation. Starting S/V early after a hospitalization for HF may increase utilization. Methods A retrospective chart review of HF patients who were initiated on S/V either in-hospital or within 7 days after hospitalization for decompensated HF was conducted. Patients had to have all of the following at the time of S/V initiation: HFrEF with EF ≤ 40%; serum K+ ≥ 4.0 ≤ 5.0; serum creatinine ≤ 1.5 mg/dl; and a systolic BP ≥ 110 mmHg. Clinical outcomes of the patients were evaluated and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Results A total of 27 patients who met the inclusion criteria were evaluated. S/V was initiated in-hospital in 8 patients and outpatient in 19 patients. Baseline characteristics were mean age 71 ± 7 years, 74% men, 93% white, NYHA FC class III 85% and class IV 15%, and mean EF 29% ± 4%. Twenty patients were on an ACEI and 7 were on an ARB. All patients were on a beta-blocker and 18 were on an aldosterone receptor antagonist. Twelve (44%) patients tolerated S/V at last follow-up (5 months). Fifteen (56%) patients discontinued S/V therapy during the first month of treatment. S/V was discontinued for hypotension in 7 patients and hypotension with acute kidney injury (AKI) in 8 patients. AKI was most likely secondary to pre-renal azotemia with 6 of the 8 patients with BUN/creatinine ratios > 20:1. Hypotension and AKI resolved in all patients upon discontinuation of S/V. There were no significant differences between patients continuing versus patients discontinuing S/V other than location of S/V initiation. Only 2 of 8 (25%) patients initiated in hospital continued S/V therapy while 10 of 19 (53%) outpatients continued therapy. However, there was no difference in the number of days from hospitalization to start of S/V therapy between those tolerating (10.3 ± 2.0 days) and not tolerating S/V therapy (9.7 ± 1.9 days). Conclusions Early initiation of S/V may lead to greater utilization of this Class I recommended therapy, but our data suggests early initiation after HF decompensation is not tolerated in a majority of HF patients. Hypotension and AKI are the primary reasons for intolerance.
High-speed X-ray visualization of dynamic crack initiation and propagation in bone.

Abstract The initiation and propagation of physiological cracks in porcine cortical and cancellous bone under high rate loading were visualized using high-speed synchrotron X-ray phase-contrast imaging (PCI) to characterize their fracture behaviors under dynamic loading conditions. A modified Kolsky compression bar was used to apply dynamic three-point flexural loadings on notched specimens and images of the fracture processes were recorded using a synchronized high-speed synchrotron X-ray imaging set-up. Three-dimensional synchrotron X-ray tomography was conducted to examine the initial microstructure of the bone before high-rate experiments. The experimental results showed that the locations of fracture initiations were not significantly different between the two types of bone. However, the crack velocities in cortical bone were higher than in cancellous bone. Crack deflections at osteonal cement lines, a prime toughening mechanism in bone at low rates, were observed in the cortical bone under dynamic loading in this study. Fracture toughening mechanisms, such as uncracked ligament bridging and bridging in crack wake were also observed for the two types of bone. The results also revealed that the fracture toughness of cortical bone was higher than cancellous bone. The crack was deflected to some extent at osteon cement line in cortical bone instead of comparatively penetrating straight through the microstructures in cancellous bone. Statement of Significance Fracture toughness is with great importance to study for crack risk prediction in bone. For those cracks in bone, most of them are associated with impact events, such as sport accidents. Consequently, we visualized, in real-time, the entire processes of dynamic fractures in notched cortical bone and cancellous bone specimens using synchrotron X-ray phase contrast imaging. The onset location of crack initiation was found independent on the bone type. We also found that, although the extent was diminished, crack deflections at osteon cement lines, a major toughening mechanism in transversely orientated cortical bone at quasi-static rate, were still played a role in resisting cracking in dynamically loaded specimen. These finding help researchers to understand the dynamic fracture behaviors in bone.
Derivation of Power System Module Metamodels for Early Shipboard Design Explorations

Future highly electrified ship designs must incorporate emerging technologies for high power energy conversion to enable smaller, highly electrified ship. Smart Ship System Design addresses this challenge by allowing design space explorations across a range of architectural implementations. Scalable models for power conversion and distribution equipment are needed that will predict size, weight, losses, cost and reliability vs. such design space variables as voltage, frequency and power levels, technology insertion, topological choices, etc. This paper proposes a methodology for producing metamodels from a virtual prototyping process optimized over a range of objectives. The approach is demonstrated for a modular multi-level converter-based MVac to MVdc active rectifier.
WALKING WITH FREIRE: EXPLORING THE ONTO-EPISTEMOLOGICAL DIMENSIONS OF CRITICAL PEDAGOGY

One of the great misconceptions about critical pedagogy, Paulo Freire’s democratic theory of education, is that transformative learning is an activity that takes place in the mind. In this paper, the authors demonstrate the significance of material context in Paulo Freire’s conceptualization of his philosophy of democratic education. By using the theories of wayfinding (a sub-division of human geography) and critical posthumanism in dialogue with Paulo Freire’s autobiographical reflections in his post-Pedagogy of the Oppressed writings, the authors illustrate how critical pedagogy involved a literal reading of the material world. By sharing vignettes from his work in Brazil, Guinea-Bissau, Porto Mont, New York we highlight the significance of the body, emotions, and individual and local history as partners in the political-pedagogical project of transformative learning. Critical pedagogy is recast as an onto-epistemological praxis in which critical consciousness is understood as a process of becoming that is made possible through the relationship between the person and their land, including all its human and non-human inhabitants.
Voxelated Molecular Patterning in Three-Dimensional Freeforms

The ability to pattern material response, voxel by voxel, to direct actuation and manipulation in macroscopic structures can enable devices that utilize ambient stimuli to produce functional respon...
Stories in the air: director self-disclosure in the theatre with youth rehearsal space

In the midst of directing a production of Linda Daugherty's EAT (it's not about food), a play about eating disorders, the author of this paper found herself simultaneously reckoning with and receiv...
A case series of patients with Gemella endocarditis

Abstract Gemella are gram-positive bacteria that rarely cause infective endocarditis (IE). This article summarizes the characteristics of a series of patients with Gemella IE. We identified cases of Gemella IE in patients aged >18 years old hospitalized at Cleveland Clinic between July 1, 2007, and January 1, 2018, within the institutional review board–approved Cleveland Clinic IE Registry. Clinical features were obtained by manual chart review. Thirteen cases of Gemella IE were identified and accounted for
Reading Tsitsi Dangarembga in the Diaspora

On 7 August 2018, I was waiting for some news when @Efie412091 tweeted: 'This mournable body is published today. Gratitude for everything and blessings to all, especially for and to those who held ...
Case 2: Delayed Puberty in a 15-year-old Girl

1. Helen K. Hughes, MD, MPH* 2. Susan Mendley, MD† 3. David Cooke, MD* 4. Laura Malone, MD‡ 5. Katherine Beckwith-Fickas, MD, MPH§ 1. *Department of Pediatrics, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 2. †National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Bethesda, MD 3. ‡University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD 4. §Hackensack Meridian Children’s Health at K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital, Neptune City, NJ A 15-year-old girl with a history of renal transplant at age 18 months due to presumed hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) presents for routine health supervision care. She is doing well overall. She complains of intermittent constipation. When asked about menarche, her mother states that the patient has not yet had a period and notes that she has had minimal breast development. Regarding her medical history, she was born at term after a normal prenatal course, uncomplicated delivery, and nursery course. Physical examination findings at birth were normal, including normal external female genitalia. At 5 months of age she developed an acute diarrheal illness with fever and vomiting and was hospitalized for 1 week. One month later, at 6 months of age, she was readmitted with renal failure, anemia, and hypertension and was clinically diagnosed as having HUS. At 12 months of age she underwent bilateral nephrectomies for end-stage renal disease and malignant hypertension. At 18 months of age she received a living donor kidney transplant, which has functioned well for 15 years. There was no known family history of kidney disease, menstrual abnormalities, infertility, polycystic ovary syndrome, premature ovarian failure, thyroid disease, or other autoimmune disease. Her mother reports that both parents had normal pubertal timing, with her mother having menarche at age 12 years. Midparental height is at the 25th percentile. At the time of her 15-year health supervision visit, her home medications include tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, low-dose alternate-day prednisone (2 mg), lisinopril, and cholecalciferol. On physical examination her height is 5’4” (55th percentile), weight is 55.2 kg (60th percentile), and BMI is 20.8 (59th percentile). …
Acute Kidney Injury in COVID-19 Patients: An Inner City Hospital Experience and Policy Implications.

BACKGROUND: Although diffuse alveolar damage and respiratory failure are the key features of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the involvement of other organs such as the kidney has also been reported. The reports of the incidence of acute kidney injury (AKI) in COVID-19 patients vary widely. In this study, we report our unique experience with AKI in COVID-19 patients in a low socioeconomic and predominantly ethnic minority group and provide its incidence, risk factors, and prognosis to expand the current understanding of this complication. METHODS: In this single-center, retrospective cohort study, we analyzed the data of 469 COVID-19 patients admitted to the Brookdale University Hospital in Brooklyn, NY, from March 18 through April 23, 2020. Information regarding demographics, comorbidities, medications, clinical and laboratory data, and outcomes was collected from the electronic medical records. Both univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the association of AKI with in-hospital mortality. RESULTS: The median age was 66 years (interquartile range [IQR] 25-75; range 19-101 years), and 268 (57.14%) patients were male. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) as determined by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study Equation was low (<60 mL/min/1.73 m2) in 207 (44.1%) patients. During hospitalization, 128 (27.3%) patients developed AKI, and the incidence was significantly higher in those patients presenting with a low eGFR (N = 81, 39.1%; p < 0.001). Male sex, hypertension, the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, hemodynamic instability, mechanical ventilation, acute respiratory distress syndrome, and admission elevated ferritin, creatinine kinase, brain natriuretic peptide, and troponin 1 were identified as the risk factors for in-hospital AKI. Ninety-seven (28.45%) patients died in the non-AKI group versus 91 (71.1%) in the AKI group (p < 0.001). The Cox proportional hazard model after adjusting for age, gender, comorbidities, hemodynamic status, and PF ratio (arterial oxygen partial pressure [PaO2]/fractional inspired oxygen [FiO2]) determined that on admission, an elevated blood urea nitrogen (hazard ratio [HR]: 1.75; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.23-2.48), a low eGFR (HR 1.43; CI 1.1-2.03), AKI stage 1 (HR 1.14; CI 0.64-2.03), AKI stage 2 (HR 1.86; CI 1.03-3.56), and AKI stage 3 (HR 2.1; CI 1.3-2.81) were independent risk factors for in-hospital mortality. Renal replacement therapy (RRT) did not improve survival in stage III AKI. CONCLUSION: AKI in our hospitalized COVID-19 patients was common and carried a high mortality, especially in patients with AKI stage 3. RRT did not improve survival. Policy changes and planning for this high incidence of AKI in COVID-19 patients and its associated high mortality are necessary at the local and national levels.
Immediate Weightbearing After Operative Treatment of Bimalleolar and Trimalleolar Ankle Fractures: Faster Return to Work for Patients with Nonsedentary Occupations.

Abstract The goal of this study was to compare immediate weightbearing (IWB) and traditional weightbearing (TWB) postoperative protocols in unstable ankle fractures, as this has not been compared in prior works. We hypothesize that an immediate weightbearing protocol after ankle fracture fixation will lead to an earlier return to work. An ankle fracture registry was reviewed for operatively treated unstable bimalleolar and trimalleolar ankle fractures at an ambulatory surgery center and followed up at associated outpatient clinics. All fracture cases reviewed occurred from 2009 to 2015. Immediate weightbearing patients were placed into a controlled ankle motion (CAM) boot and allowed to fully bear weight the day of surgery. Traditional weightbearing patients were placed into a CAM boot with 6 weeks of non-weightbearing. Demographics, fixation technique, and injury characteristics were surveyed. Physical job demand was stratified for 69 patients meeting the inclusion criteria (34 IWB and 35 TWB). The main outcome of this study was measured as the time to return to work. Subgroup analysis of patients with nonsedentary jobs demonstrated a significantly earlier return to work for the IWB group (5.7 versus 10.0 weeks, p = .04). Multivariate regression analysis identified a statistically significant 2.25-week (p = .05) earlier return to work for the IWB group after adjustment for occupational physical demand, demographics, fracture characteristics, and participation in a light work period before full work return. In patients with nonsedentary jobs, an IWB protocol after operative management of bimalleolar and trimalleolar ankle fractures resulted in an earlier return to work compared with traditional protocols.
A Model-Free Frequency Control Approach for Diesel-Wind Powered Microgrids

Islanded microgrids usually consist of diesel generators and renewable energy sources (RES) to reduce the operating cost. Such microgrids have shown values for powering remote locations, but introduced unique challenges for frequency control of the grid due to the variability of renewable energy as well as the decoupled design of converter interfaced RES. So, supportive control in RES becomes mandatory in such networks. This paper proposes a new dynamic control strategy, based on model-free control (MFC) approach, to support the primary frequency control of such islanded microgrids. The practical values of MFC have been discussed in various domains due to its control capability without modeling procedure and its efficient computation. In particular, we consider the diesel-wind system and the proposed MFC strategy is utilized as an online controller, which computes supplementary control signals for the rotor-side converter of the available wind turbine generators (WTGs). The computed input signals allow WTGs to respond to frequency variations and improve the frequency response of the system. The controller is implemented and verified using the modified IEEE 33-bus full nonlinear model of the three-phase diesel-wind system in Simulink. Simulation results show the enhanced frequency response from the MFC strategy.
Exploring the Relationship of the Big Five Personality Traits with Student Satisfaction with Synchronous Online Academic Learning: The Case of Covid-19-Induced Changes

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the literature on exploring the relationship between personality factors and student satisfaction with synchronous online academic learning. Currently, the relevant studies of abrupt adoption of the synchronous online teaching are scarce, leaving a gap in our understanding of what the relationship between personality and satisfaction with synchronous online academic learning is. A questionnaire-based survey was employed for the data collection. There were overall 555 usable questionnaires answered by students, at a Greek public university located in Athens during the lockdown period from March to April 2020. The size of the sample allows us to proceed with reliable statistical analyses and produce valid conclusions. The structure of the observed correlations was determined by the factor analysis method identifying the groups of variables that have a high correlation. Five factors retained (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism). The findings indicate that openness and conscientiousness have strong positive influence on student satisfaction while neuroticism has negative. Extraversion and agreeableness did not relate to the dependent variable. Future studies could test the validity of the findings reported here, in different contexts and inquire the potential existence of latent variables which may be confounding the relationships discussed in this paper. The present study’s findings may help college administrators design more effective academic programs in more efficient manners.
Do Health Programs Contribute to Keeping the Peace? A Scientific Analysis.

INTRODUCTION The role of health problems and programs to address problems in keeping the peace has not been scientifically analyzed. We sought to mitigate this gap in knowledge. METHODS We examined hundreds of conflicts in a robust international database (NAVCO 2.0) for the presence of health programs by conflict parties and were unable to demonstrate a significant statistical correlation between the presence of a health program and peace. Using this analysis and a comprehensive international database of health conditions (the Global Burden of Disease), we obtained Institutional Review Board approval and undertook a matched case-control analysis. We identified 14 countries with new-onset conflict as our cases and 52 similar countries without conflict during the same year as our controls. We calculated the association between conflict status and the prevalence of 254 different health conditions among the case and control nations. RESULTS None of the 254 health conditions had changes in prevalence that correlated with the conflict status of that nation. None of those common health conditions is therefore a predictive "leading indicator" of conflict in this study. CONCLUSIONS Without such an association or causal link, the role of health programs in peacekeeping and "stability operations" remains ambiguous. Negative findings do not mean that there is no connection between health programs and peace, and further study should be done. Our results have implications for the value of global health engagement missions.
Foraging specificity and prey utilization: evaluating social and memory-based strategies in seabirds

This study explores the capacity for seabirds to exhibit behavioral plasticity in response to the predictability of resources. Using direct species-comparisons, I tested the hypothesis that roseate terns ( Sterna dougallii), dietary specialists, rely more heavily on foraging site-fidelity to pursue persistent prey, whereas common terns ( S. hirundo), prey generalists, depend more on local enhancement by exploiting mixed-species assemblages. I analysed chick-provisioning observations and the bearings of commuting trajectories between the shared breeding colony, foraging areas, and feeding flocks. Foraging route patterns in roseate terns were consistent with a strategy based more heavily on spatial memory than social cues, in contrast to common terns, which associated more readily with nearby feeding aggregations, in line with social facilitation. Only during years of high prey abundance did roseate terns outperform common terns in nest productivity and the quality of prey delivered to chicks, suggesting that opportunistic tactics support resilience to sparse prey availability.
Case 42: Unexplained Low Oxygen Saturation

A 16-year-old boy (180 lb) is scheduled for a repair of hand tendons after an injury caused by a saw. His vital signs are stable, with a heart rate of 100 and blood pressure (BP) of 90/60. His mother thinks he has lost a considerable amount of blood. The hematocrit (Hct) is 28 %. The patient has a history of malignant hyperthermia (MH) after a general anesthetic for a hernia repair at age 2 years. At that time, a positive family history of MH was found. His medical history is otherwise unremarkable. The patient has no known drug allergies. After discussion with the mother and the boy, an interscalene block [1] is performed with 60 ml of 1 % prilocaine and 10 ml of 0.5 % bupivacaine. Sedation with midazolam, 2 mg intravenous (IV), is given before the procedure. The usual monitoring equipment is placed, including a liquid crystal temperature strip on his forehead and a tympanic ear probe. Twenty-five minutes after the interscalene block, there is a good sensory block, a sympathetic block, and an ipsilateral Homer’s syndrome. The surgeon infiltrates locally 10 ml of plain 0.25 % bupivacaine and the surgery commences. The pulse oximeter shows a gradual decrease over a few minutes to a saturation of 75 %. The FIO2 is increased to 100 % via a face mask from a “clean” anesthesia machine. The saturation remains at 75 %. The patient’s other vital signs are unchanged. His temperature is normal. The breath sounds are equal bilaterally with no adventitious sounds. The respiratory rate is 14. You are concerned and take an arterial blood gas measurement from his radial line. This shows a PaO2 of 78 mmHg and a PaCO2 of 36 mmHg with a base excess of −1 mmol/l with a derived oxygen saturation of 96 %.
Event-Driven FRP

Functional Reactive Programming (FRP) is a high-level declarative language for programming reactive systems. Previous work on FRP has demonstrated its utility in a wide range of application domains, including animation, graphical user interfaces, and robotics. FRP has an elegant continuous-time denotational semantics. However, it guarantees no bounds on execution time or space, thus making it unsuitable for many embedded real-time applications. To alleviate this problem, we recently developed Real-Time FRP(RT-FRP), whose operational semantics permits us to formally guarantee bounds on both execution time and space.In this paper we present a formally verifiable compilation strategy from a new language based on RT-FRP into imperative code. The new language, called Event-Driven FRP (E-FRP), is more tuned to the paradigm of having multiple external events. While it is smaller than RT-FRP, it features a key construct that allows us to compile the language into efficient code. We have used this language and its compiler to generate code for a small robot controller that runs on a PIC16C66 micro-controller. Because the formal specification of compilation was crafted more for clarity and for technical convenience, we describe an implementation that produces more efficient code.
Chemical Modification of Active Site Residues in γ-Glutamyl Transpeptidase. ASPARTATE 422 AND CYSTEINE 453

γ-Glutamyl transpeptidase, an enzyme of central significance in glutathione metabolism, is inactivated by iodoacetamide, which esterifies an active site carboxyl group identified here as that of Asp-422. Treatment of the inactivated enzyme with hydroxylamine leads to de-esterification and to restoration of enzymatic activity. N-Acetylimidazole, which also inactivates the enzyme, acetylates several amino acid residues. Acetylation exposes Cys-453, which is buried in the native enzyme, to reaction with iodoacetamide. Incubation of the acetylated enzyme with glutamine produces a stabilized γ-glutamyl-enzyme form which is (a) located exclusively on the light subunit, (b) more labile to base than to acid, (c) destabilized by denaturation of the enzyme with guanidinium ions, and (d) reactive with hydroxylamine to form γ-glutamylhydroxamate. Stabilization of the γ-glutamyl-enzyme appears to be associated with acetylation of lysine residues (including Lys-99). These and other findings suggest that the α-amino group of the γ-glutamyl substrate is linked electrostatically to Asp-422 so as to facilitate reaction of the γ-carbonyl of the substrate with an enzyme hydroxyl group to form a γ-glutamyl-enzyme.
Cyclic 3' : 5'-Nucleotide Phosphodiesterase PURIFICATION, CHARACTERIZATION, AND ACTIVE FORM OF THE PROTEIN ACTIVATOR FROM BOVINE BRAIN

Abstract A protein activator of cyclic 3' : 5'-nucleotide phosphodiesterase from bovine brain has been purified to homogeneity by the criteria of analytical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing, Sephadex G-100 column chromatography, and analytical ultracentrifugation. The over-all purification was about 1700-fold with a yield of 7%. The molecular weight of the activator is 15,000 as determined by several methods. Other physical properties are: sedimentation coefficient (s20,w), 1.85 S; diffusion coefficient (D20,w), 1.09 x 10-6 cm2 per s; partial specific volume (v), 0.72 cm3 per g; frictional ratio (f:f0), 1.20; and isoelectric point (pI), 4.3. Amino acid analysis of the acid hydrolyzate of the activator showed high content of aspartic and glutamic acids compared to basic amino acids, in agreement with a low pI of 4.3. Sulfhydryl groups, cystine, and tryptophan were not detected. The NH2-terminal residue was identified as valine. This, together with the fact that the molecular weight of 15,000 remained unchanged in 6 n guanidine hydrochloride, indicates that the activator is a single polypeptide. The activator binds Ca2+ specifically. A Scatchard plot of data obtained from equilibrium binding revealed four Ca2+ binding sites per mole of activator; their dissociation constants ranged from 4 to 18 µm. Stimulation of phosphodiesterase by the activator required a low concentration of Ca2+, and chelation of Ca2+ by ethylene glycol bis(β-amino-ethyl ether)-N ,N'-tetraacetic acid rendered the activator inactive. The concentration of Ca2+ needed to give half-maximum activation of phosphodiesterase was 3 µm. Ca2+ alone did not activate phosphodiestersae. These results suggest that the active form of the activator is a Ca2+-activator complex, in agreement with the findings of Teo and Wang (Teo, T. S., and Wang, J. H. (1973) J. Biol. Chem. 248, 5950). In contrast to the heart activator (Teo, T. S., Wang, T. H., and Wang, J. H. (1973) J. Biol. Chem. 248, 588), the brain activator was stable in the presence of either 1 mm Mg2+ or 1 mm EDTA. Staining of the activator with periodate-Schiff reagent or pyronine Y after electrophoresis on acrylamide gel was negative. Bovine brain phosphodiesterase(s) hydrolyzes adenosine 3' : 5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) and guanosine 3' : 5'-monophosphate (cyclic GMP). At millimolar substrate concentration the rate of hydrolysis of cyclic AMP was greater than that of cyclic GMP, whereas at micromolar concentration, the reverse was found. Although the activator stimulated the hydrolysis of both nucleotides, it stimulated cyclic AMP hydrolysis more, regardless of the concentration used. The stimulation of the hydrolysis of both substrates was greater at micromolar concentrations than at millimolar. Caffeine inhibited phosphodiesterase both in the presence and absence of the activator; this inhibition was not reversed by increased concentrations of the activator.
A cusp catastrophe model for adolescent alcohol use: An empirical test.

The current study was designed to assess the usefulness of a cusp catastrophe model in predicting adolescent alcohol use. The model suggests that dispositions should be viewed as a normal parameter in a cusp catastrophe model and situational pressure serves as a splitting parameter. This conceptualization predicts that as situational pressure increases a bimodal distribution in the underlying behavior should result. Statistical analyses revealed that the cusp model was a better predictor of alcohol use than the alternative linear models. These findings suggest that the modeling of situational pressure variables should be reexamined from within this new framework.
Ontology Driven Data Integration in Heterogeneous Networks

We propose a layered framework for the integration of syntactically, schematically, and semantically heterogeneous networked data sources. Their heterogeneity stems from different models (e.g., relational, XML, or RDF), different schemas within the same model, and different terms associated with the same meaning. We use a semantic based approach that uses a global ontology to mediate among the schemas of the data sources. In our framework, a query is expressed in terms of one of the data sources or of the global ontology and is then translated into subqueries on the other data sources using mappings based on a common vocabulary. Metadata representation, global conceptualization, declarative mediation, mapping support, and query processing are addressed in detail in our discussion of a case study.
Predictive Microbiology in Food Packaging Applications

The chapter introduces and discusses mathematical modeling of microbial behaviors in foods, known as “predictive microbiology,” which helps describe and predict bacterial growth, inactivation, stress impact, interaction, survival, etc., and may be applied to select proper packaging and enhance food safety. Keywords: microbiology; food safety; surface transfer; growth rate; meat product
Event—Based Planning and Control for Robotic Systems: Theory and Implementation

This paper presents a new planning and control method for robotic systems by introducing a suitable action or motion reference variable other than time, but directly related to the desired and measurable system output, called an event. Closed form solutions for the time and energy optimal motion plans with jerk-free motion constraint are obtained for the first time by introducing a simple change of variable. Combining the closed-form event-based plan with nonlinear feedback control enables the construction of an integrated planning and control scheme where planning becomes a real-time closed-loop process. The equivalence of event-based and time-based representations of nonlinear feedback control is shown, together with an overall system stability criterion. The event-based integrated planning and control scheme is exemplified by a single-arm tracking problem. The application of integrated event-based planning and control enables the robotic system to cope with unexpected and uncertain events in real time, without the need for re-planning actions. The theoretical results are illustrated and verified by experiments.
Zoned in the USA: the origins and implications of American land-use regulation

The way American cities plan and regulate their forms is, Sonia Hirt writes, ‘fairly unique'. It is distinctive in several ways. For one, it is in fact the cities (or other local governments) thems...
The molecular biology of natural selection: reply to burton and place.

Reponse a l'article de Burton et Place (1986): «Evolution of selective neutrality; further considerations» (Genetics 114: 1033-1036)
Knowledge Management ERP Curriculum Design/Mapping (Theory and Development Tools)

This study proposes a knowledge management framework for developing and managing enterprise resource planning (ERP) curriculum within business schools. Both theory and a practical implementation are addressed. The knowledge management (KM)1 framework has two components which utilize ERP from a big picture curriculum overview and a ground level coursework perspective. First, a flowchart illustrates the mapping of ERP2 system practice cases to program courses. Using the flowchart, faculty can more easily communicate and manage ERP curriculum features within an existing major course structure. Our design was implemented using a specific ERP system and example company setup to provide for minimal start-up and overhead costs for faculty and a minimal learning curve for students. The second component of the KM framework provides a mapping and library function. Specific design course cells have a general description of case summary features and/or homework exercises. Each design course cell also links to the relevant ERP system settings and a list of learning objectives. This mapping enables one company to be used throughout an undergraduate Accounting or IS degree program where the student's learning experiences in each course are tailored to provide by program's end a broad experiential view of ERP system usage. The system design flowchart is flexible and can be modified year-to-year or differentiated to work at any school. The system design flowchart also enables faculty to assign a list of accreditation competencies (within the context of learning objectives) to each course in the system design chart.
The Na+/Ca2+ Exchange Molecule

An overview of the molecular physiology of the Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger is presented. This includes information on the variety of exchangers that have been described and their regulatory properties. Molecular insight is most detailed for the cardiac Na(+)/Ca(2+) exchanger (NCX1). Parts of the NCS1 molecule involved in regulation and ion transport have been elucidated, and initial information on the topology and structure is available.
Evaluation of salivary gland acinar and ductal cell-specific promoters in vivo with recombinant adenoviral vectors.

Adenoviral vectors efficiently deliver exogenous genes to salivary glands. There are two general epithelial cell types, with very different functions, in salivary glands - acinar and ductal. To determine if gene expression can be restricted in vivo to either general cell type using a relatively cell/tissue-specific promoter in conjunction with adenovirus-mediated gene transfer, we tested the human amylase and kallikrein promoters. For initial studies the sensitive reporter gene luciferase was used in two adenoviral constructs. The adenovirus AdAMY-luc contains the human salivary gland amylase promoter (-1003 to +2)(AMY1C) and AdKALL-luc contains the human tissue kallikein promoter (-315 to -1)(KLK1). The adenovirus AdKALL-hAQP1 was also used to test a therapeutic gene, human aquaporin-1 (hAQP1), potentially of importance in treating surviving ductal cells in irradiation-damaged glands. Luciferase expression after AdAMY-luc delivery in vivo directly to the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands, as ...
Working hours for pediatric residents.

Sir .—Now that the regulatory change in New York State restricting the number of hours worked by resident physicians has been in existence for more than 2 years, the article by Cheng 1 is timely and interesting. But "what the residents want" may not be "what the residents get or should get." Continuity of care remains the most important characteristic of high-quality patient care 2,3 ; it is the best and only way the physician can remain familiar with pertinent data concerning a patient's illness. This is particularly true when unexpected problems arise. A very dangerous situation exists when a patient develops an unexpected complication at night or on a weekend when the physician in charge is off duty. This lack of continuity of care consequent to the regulatory change in New York State not only poses a hazard to the patient but also proves detrimental to the education of the
Mechanical Comparison of Two External Fixator Clamp Designs

Objective—To compare two external fixation clamp designs for their ability to resist movement of a fixation pin in relation to the connecting rod. Study Design—Two designs of external fixator clamps were attached to connecting rods mounted on a jig for mechanical testing. Fixator pins were placed perpendicular to the connecting rod. A mechanical testing machine was used to deflect each 3.2-mm pin at a distance that was 25 mm from the center of the clamp bolt. Both clamp designs were tightened to 4.4, 6.1, and 7.8 newton-meters (N m) torque, and loads were applied in a position ramp through 4 mm and resisting loads were measured. Two clamp orientations were used during load application, such that the deflection of the pin tended to tighten the clamp bolt or tended to loosen the clamp bolt. The tests were videotaped to determine mode of failure. Comparisons of the load/displacement curves for the two external fixator clamp designs were made using nonlinear equational curve fitting methods. The resultant plateau and rise coefficients were compared using analysis of variance. Results—Slippage of the pin in relation to the clamp occurred with the Kirschner-Ehmer clamp tightened to 4.4, 6.1, and 7.8 N-m, and slipping of the pin in relation to the clamp occurred with the experimental clamp design tightened to 4.4 and 6.1 N-m but not to 7.8 N-m. At 7.8 N-m, the 3.2-mm pin deformed plastically with the experimental clamp design. Increasing the torque of the clamp bolt resulted in superior plateau coefficients for both clamp designs. At each level of tightness and in each clamp orientation to applied pin load, the experimental clamp design provided greater plateau coefficients than did the Kirschner-Ehmer clamp design. At 7.8 N m of tightness, the Kirschner-Ehmer clamp and bolt bent, whereas only slight plastic deformation of the experimental clamp design occurred. Conclusions—The experimental external fixator clamp was more secure in resisting fixator pin movement at all levels of tightening compared with the Kirschner-Ehmer-type external fixator clamp. At 7.8 N m of tightening, the new clamp design did not allow slippage of the pin within the clamp. Clinical Significance—The experimental external fixator clamp should result in greater rigidity of fixator configurations, in addition to providing design features that allow addition of a clamp between two installed clamps, sleeved predrilling of pilot holes for all pins, measurement of pin depth, and placement of positive profile pins at all sites.
On implications of credible means being exact bayesian

Abstract In the literature on credibility theory, Jewell showed that the credible means are exact Bayesian for exponential families. In this paper we examine the implications of the statement that credible means are exact Bayesian for certain special forms of distributions. It is conjectured that this statement is valid only for exponential families.
Hepatocellular carcinoma, diagnosed following metastasis to the mandible: Report of a case

Abstract A case of hepatoma metastatic to the mandible, in which the patient's first symptom was “numbness” of the lower lip, is presented. The importance of a complete diagnostic work-up to rule out metastatic disease in the patient with unusual signs and symptoms is stressed.
On global W∗-algebras

In this paper, we shall consider the following problem: Let M be a W*-algebra on a separabIe Hilbert space. Then, are there a family of factors {Mn>n61 and a family of commutative IV*-algebras {Zn}nErr such that M = ClzFn M, @ 2, ? Recently, Powers [5] proved the existence of continuously many different algebraical types in type III-factors; therefore, we can guess that the problem is negative for type III algebras. In the present paper, we shall show that this guess is true-namely, we prove that there exists a type III IV*-algebra M on a separable Hilbert space which cannot be expressed as follows: M = C, M, @ 2, where {M,} (resp. (2,)) is a family of factors (resp. commutative W*-algebras).
Fuzzy control of a hovercraft platform

Abstract A great majority of current applications of fuzzy logic are in fuzzy expert control systems. The candidate systems for fuzzy expert control can be characterized as systems that possess complex or unmodeled dynamics, high dimensionality, many interacting variables, system perturbations, or a combination of any of these. The hovercraft is one such system. The complexities that exist in hovercraft control arise because of the dual requirements of maintaining lift and maneuverability, as well as stability. Using fuzzy logic, the difficulties in both the design and the application of the control process are well managed. This paper demonstrates this through the implementation of the design and application of a fuzzy controller for stabilizing the response of a simple hovercraft platform. The physical platform constructed as a testbed is described, along with the associated control hardware. This is followed by a discussion of the fuzzy rule-based system development which resulted in a fuzzy controller using a total of twelve rules for achieving platform stability.
On the upconversion efficiency of luminescent materials for effective use in solar cells

Based on the present upconversion efficiency of rare earth doped nanocrystals, we estimated the necessary upconversion efficiency of luminescent materials to effectively enhance the efficiency of solar cells. Emission enhancement of luminescent material by surface plasmons resonance was investigated. The detail study on quenching of enhanced near-field of metallic photonic crystal by luminescent materials was performed by finite difference time domain simulation.
Effects of activator type/concentration and curing temperature on alkali-activated binder based on copper mine tailings

This article investigates the effects of activator type/concentration and curing temperature on alkali-activated binder based on copper mine tailings (MT). Different alkaline activators including sodium hydroxide (NaOH), sodium silicate (SS), and sodium aluminate (SA) at different compositions and concentrations were used and four different curing temperatures, 60, 75, 90, and 120 °C, were considered. Scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were conducted to investigate the effect of these factors on the unconfined compressive strength (UCS), microstructure, and phase composition of the binder. The results indicate that NaOH concentration and curing temperature are two important factors that affect the UCS and micro-structural properties of the alkali-activated MT binder. The optimum curing temperature, i.e., the curing temperature at the maximum UCS, depends on the NaOH concentration, lower optimum curing temperature at smaller NaOH concentration. Addition of aqueous SS to the NaOH solution can lead to strength improvement, with the highest UCS obtained at a SiO2/Na2O ratio of 1.0–1.26. Addition of powder SA to the NaOH solution profoundly delays the setting at 60 °C but improves the UCS at 90 °C. The SEM/EDX results show highly heterogeneous microstructure for the alkali-activated MT binder as evidenced by the variable Si/Al ratios in different phases. The XRD patterns indicate a newly formed crystalline phase, zeolite, in the 90 °C-cured specimens. The results of this study provide useful information for recycling and utilization of copper MT as construction material through the geopolymerization technology.