cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Defining complex contributions of NOD2/CARD15 gene mutations, age at onset, and tobacco use on Crohn's disease phenotypes.

Background Multiple factors, particularly IBD family history, tobacco use, age at diagnosis and recently, NOD2 mutant genotypes may influence Crohn's disease (CD) heterogeneity. Methods We performed a multicenter retrospective record analysis of 275 unrelated patients with CD. Age at diagnosis, IBD family history, Jewish ethnicity, tobacco use at diagnosis, surgical history, disease site and clinical behavior were correlated with genotypes for NOD2 mutations, and all risk factors were assessed for independent influence on outcomes of disease site, behavior and surgery free survival. Results Risk of ileal disease was increased for CD patients with two NOD2 mutations (Odds Ratio, O.R. 10.1), a smoking history (O.R. 2.25 per pack per day at diagnosis) or a younger age at diagnosis (O.R. 0.97 per each increased year). Presence of ileal disease (O.R. 4.8) and carrying one or two NOD2 mutations (O.R. 1.9 and 3.5, respectively) were independent risk factors for stricturing or non-perianal fistulizing behavior. Ileal disease, youthful onset and smoking at diagnosis (but not NOD2 mutations) were risk factors for early surgery. Conclusions Carrying two NOD2 mutations predicts youthful onset, ileal disease involvement, and development of stricturing or non-perianal fistulizing complications. Smoking and early onset independently influence ileal site and time to surgery.
Particle contamination effects in extreme ultraviolet lithography: enhanced theory for the analytical determination of critical particle sizes

Existing analytical and numerical methodologies are discussed and then extended in order to calculate critical contamination-particle sizes, which will result in deleterious effects during extreme ultraviolet lithography E-chucking in the face of an error budget on the image-placement-error (IPE). The enhanced analytical models include a gap-dependent clamping pressure formulation, the consideration of a general material law for realistic particle crushing and the influence of frictional contact. We present a discussion of the defects of the classical de-coupled modeling approach where particle crushing and mask/chuck-indentation are separated from the global computation of mask bending. To repair this defect we present a new analytic approach based on an exact Hankel transform method which allows a fully coupled solution. This will capture the contribution of the mask-indentation to the image-placement-error (estimated IPE increase of 20%). A fully coupled finite element model is used to validate the analytical models and to further investigate the impact of a mask back-side CrN-layer. The models are applied to existing experimental data with good agreement. For a standard material combination, a given IPE tolerance of 1 nm and a 15 kPa closing pressure, we derive bounds for single particles of cylindrical shape (radius×height<44 μm2) and spherical shape (diameter<12 μm).
Global Englishes and the sociolinguistics of spelling: A study of Jamaican blog and email writing

This paper contributes to a small, but quickly growing body of literature that looks at orthographic variation as a semiotic resource with which social stances and relations are expressed and created. First, we analyze a corpus of blog and email writing from Jamaica and its diaspora — two settings in which both Jamaican Creole (JC) and a local standard of English are in use. Here, spelling is studied quantitatively as an expression of community-level attitudes toward JC in different settings. In a second step we draw on findings from a survey on attitudes toward language varieties and spelling variation among writers of Creole and English, contextualizing the quantitative analysis. Our findings indicate that diasporic writers make use of nonstandard spellings in a way that marks those lexical items as non-English (thus: as Creole) that are part of the historically shared lexicon of JC and English but whose meanings and functions have come to differ in the two varieties. By contrast, writers living in Jamaica prefer using spelling choices to mark codeswitches between English and Creole, and thus to construct symbolic distance between the codes. A comparison between genders shows women to make a more systematic use of nonstandard spellings according to linguistic constraints than men do.
Winds of Change: A Century of Agroclimate Research

Climate has been of primary concern from the beginning of agricultural research. Early in the 20th century, climatology and agronomy evolved separately, focusing primarily on production agriculture and crop adaptation. Concepts developed include thermal units and water use efficiency. The integrated discipline of agroclimatology developed in the mid-20th century. As theoretical understanding evolved, numerous papers related to agroclimatology were named Citation Classics. Spectral properties of plants and soils were identified that underpin today's remote sensing technologies. Commercialization of instrumentation enhanced our ability to efficiently collect data using standardized methods. Private and public-sector partnerships advanced research capacity. Later in the 20th century, research focus shifted toward integrating knowledge into crop growth and agronomic models. Remote sensing provided capacity to gain theoretical and practical understanding of regional scale processes. In the early 21st century, recognition of earth as a system along with inter-related human systems is driving research and political agendas. There is a pressing need to change our data-rich to an information-rich environment. The emerging cyberinformatics field along with natural resource and agricultural system models allow us to apply climate information to assessments and decision support related to water supply, production, environmental management, and other issues. Solutions to today's problems require interdisciplinary and multi-sectoral teams. While needs have never been greater, fewer universities maintain critical mass required to offer advance degrees in agroclimatology. It will be increasingly important that agrclimatology attract top students and provide training and practical experience in conducting integrated systems research, communications, and team skills.
A new method for the isolation of histatins 1, 3, and 5 from parotid secretion using zinc precipitation.

Histatins, a family of small-molecular-weight, histidine-rich cationic salivary proteins, have been difficult to isolate in an efficient way by conventional procedures due to their anomalous interactions with chromatographic resins. In the present study we explored the possibility of developing a new isolation procedure based on recent observations that histatins associate with various metal ions, including zinc. Since solubility studies showed that histatin 5 forms precipitates with zinc under alkaline conditions, we investigated whether this characteristic could be exploited for the preparative isolation of histatins from salivary secretions. A fast and efficient two-step procedure was developed using zinc precipitation of histatins from human parotid secretion followed by final purification using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Analysis of zinc precipitates by Tricine-SDS-PAGE, cationic PAGE, HPLC, and mass spectrometry revealed the presence of the three major histatins, 1, 3, and 5, as well as statherin. The histatin yield obtained by the precipitation step was approximately 90%. Therefore, zinc precipitation of histatins from glandular salivary secretions is a novel, rapid, and effective means for the isolation of these proteins.
An Age-Structured Integrated Assessment of Chinook Salmon Population Dynamics in Lake Huron's Main Basin since 1968

Abstract We conducted a statistical catch-at-age (SCAA) assessment, also known as an integrated assessment, of the Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha population in Lake Huron's main basin to describe the dynamics and assess population abundance since the species began being stocked in 1968. The purpose of this assessment was to determine whether recent declines in Chinook salmon recreational harvest were indicative of an overall decrease in population abundance, and to estimate the magnitude of that decline. Data sources integrated into the assessment model included recreational harvest and effort, returns to the Swan River weir by year-class, age composition of recreational harvest (overall and of mature fish), and proportion mature by age. Parameters estimated included time-varying age-0 natural mortality rates and recreational fishing catchabilities, age-specific recreational fishing selectivities, and the parameters of a logistic function relating maturation probability to fish age and weight. Th...
Induction of ovarian cancer by defined multiple genetic changes in a mouse model system

We have developed a mouse model for ovarian carcinoma by using an avian retroviral gene delivery technique for the introduction of multiple genes into somatic ovarian cells of adult mice. Ovarian cells from transgenic mice engineered to express the gene encoding the avian receptor TVA were efficiently infected in vitro with multiple vectors carrying coding sequences for oncogenes and marker genes. When target cells were derived from TVA transgenic mice deficient for p53, the addition of any two of the oncogenes c-myc, K-ras, and Akt were sufficient to induce ovarian tumor formation when infected cells were injected at subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, or ovarian sites. We demonstrated that the ovarian surface epithelium is the precursor tissue for these ovarian carcinomas, and that introduction of oncogenes causes phenotypic changes in the ovarian surface epithelial cells. The induced ovarian tumors in mice resembled human ovarian carcinomas in their rapid progression and intraperitoneal metastatic spread.
ETOCS Delivers Customer Satisfaction and Enhances Return on Investment (ROI): A Value-Added Service Promotes Use of E-journals

Journals are the very heart of a health science library (1). Health care professionals desire/demand easy and timely access to the most recent literature in their fields. Research scientists and cl...
Automating deployment planning with an aspect weaver

Deployment has emerged as a major challenge in distributed real-time and embedded (DRE) systems. Application deployment planners must integrate numerous functional and non-functional constraints, such as security and performance, to produce correct deployment plans. The numerous deployment constraints and their complex interactions make manually deducing correct/efficient deployments hard. Four contributions to the study of automated deployment processes are presented. First, it shows that a deployment planner and an aspect weaver accomplish the same abstract problem - that is, mapping items from a source set (advice or components) to items in a target set (joinpoints or nodes) according to a set of rules - and uses this abstract definition of deployment planning to automate it with an aspect weaver. Second, this paper describes how the ScatterML domain-specific aspect language incorporates complex global constraints for specifying deployment pointcuts. Third, we show how static aspect weaving problems can be reduced to a constraint satisfaction problem and a constraint solver used to deduce a correct weaving. Fourth, we show that phrasing weaving as a constraint satisfaction problem and automating deployment through a constraint solver-based weaver yields several key benefits, ranging from guaranteed deployment plan correctness to bounds on worst-case solution quality.
Spirituality and corporate social responsibility: interpenetrating worlds, by David Bubna-Litic, Farnham, Gower Publishing Limited, 2009, 244 pp., US$124.95 (paperback), ISBN 978-0-7546-4763-8

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) and spirituality are both fields of study within the management literature that have finally reached a critical mass within the last decade. In his most recent...
Applications of Hybrid Monte Carlo to Bayesian Generalized Linear Models: Quasicomplete Separation and Neural Networks

Abstract The “leapfrog” hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm is a simple and effective MCMC method for fitting Bayesian generalized linear models with canonical link. The algorithm leads to large trajectories over the posterior and a rapidly mixing Markov chain, having superior performance over conventional methods in difficult problems like logistic regression with quasicomplete separation. This method offers a very attractive solution to this common problem, providing a method for identifying datasets that are quasicomplete separated, and for identifying the covariates that are at the root of the problem. The method is also quite successful in fitting generalized linear models in which the link function is extended to include a feedforward neural network. With a large number of hidden units, however, or when the dataset becomes large, the computations required in calculating the gradient in each trajectory can become very demanding. In this case, it is best to mix the algorithm with multivariate random walk Met...
RELATION OF MAMMOGENIC LOBULE-ALVEOLAR GROWTH FACTOR OF THE ANTERIOR PITUITARY TO OTHER ANTERIOR PITUITARY HORMONES

IT IS NOW generally acknowledged that the anterior pituitary as well as the sex hormones plays a vital role in the processes of mammary gland growth. Estrogen, especially, has been studied as to its role with pituitary materials in stimulating mammary gland growth. Reece and Leonard (1) have suggested that, in hypophysectomised rats, either the pituitary growth extract sensitised the mammary gland to the action of estrogen to secure growth, or the estrogen sensitised the mammary gland to the action of the pituitary extract. Gardner and White (2) in similar expert ments with hypophysectomised male mice suggest that the lactogenic extract they used sensitised the mammary gland to the action of estrogen. Mixner and Turner (3) in an extensive series of experiments have investigated the role of estrogen in the stimulation of mammary lobule-alveolar growth by progesterone and the mammo-genie lobule-alveolar growth factor of the anterior pituitary.
Mechanistic Studies of the Palladium-Catalyzed Amination of Aryl Halides and the Oxidative Addition of Aryl Bromides to Pd(BINAP)2 and Pd(DPPF)2: An Unusual Case of Zero-Order Kinetic Behavior and Product Inhibition

Mechanistic studies of the amination of aryl bromides catalyzed by palladium complexes containing the chelating phosphines BINAP and DPPF are reported. The coupling of primary alkyl- and arylamines, secondary cyclic alkylamines, and secondary arylalkylamines with bromoarenes in the presence of stoichiometric base and Pd(BINAP)2 (1a) as catalyst, and the reaction of aniline with 4-Br-C6H4-t-Bu in the presence of base catalyzed by Pd(DPPF)2 (2), were studied. The stoichiometric oxidative additions of PhBr to 1a and to 2 were turnover limiting, and kinetic studies were also conducted on this individual step. The stoichiometric oxidative addition of PhBr to 1a showed an inverse first-order dependence on added ligand when the PhBr concentration was low but depended solely on the rate of chelating ligand dissociation at high [PhBr]. There was no measurable solvent effect. In addition, the rates were indistinguishable in the presence and in the absence of amines and salts that are present in the catalytic aminat...
Interest-based text preference moderates the effect of text difficulty on engagement and learning

Abstract Theories of motivation propose that moderate difficulty can be beneficial for student engagement and learning. However, research on the effect of difficulty has been inconsistent. The primary goal of the present study was to investigate the possibility that interest-based text preference moderates the effect of difficulty on engagement and learning. To test this hypothesis, participants studied four instructional texts on research methods topics in a 2 × 2 interest-based text preference (preferred vs. non-preferred texts) × text difficulty (easy vs. difficult) within-subjects experiment. The manipulation of interest-based text preference asked participants to rank four text titles based on their perceived interest in reading the text corresponding to each title. Engagement was assessed via self-reported affect (valence and arousal), attention (mind wandering), and reading time during the learning session. Learning and knowledge transfer were measured with knowledge tests after reading all four texts. Consistent with our predictions, interest-based text preference and text difficulty interacted to predict reading time, mind wandering, and knowledge transfer. The nature of the relationship indicated that increased text difficulty can support engagement and transfer, but only when individuals are provided with an opportunity to express their text preferences prior to reading.
Laboratory-acquired sporotrichosis

A case of laboratory-acquired sporotrichosis is described that was associated with research activities involving isolates of Sporothrix schenckii from the 1988 sporotrichosis epidemic in the USA. Infection occurred in the absence of apparent trauma or other predisposing factors. The possibility that S. schenckii can invade healthy and intact skin is suggested.
One step closer to O2

Photosynthetic organisms such as plants use the protein complex photosystem II (PS II) to split water using the energy of photons, generating molecular oxygen as a by-product. This photon-powered chemistry is a paradigm for developing catalysts for solar-generated fuels. Recent x-ray structures ( 1 ) have provided a detailed picture of the water-splitting 4 Mn–1 Ca cluster of PS II (see the figure); this cluster goes through a number of states during photosynthesis. On page 804 of this issue, Cox et al. ( 2 ) present electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) results providing details of the state that is only one photon away from producing O2. The results get us closer to understanding this key reaction.
Characterization of substances released from crumb rubber material used on artificial turf fields.

Abstract Crumb rubber material (CRM) used as infill on artificial turf fields can be the source of a variety of substances released to the environment and to living organisms in the vicinity of the CRM. To assess potential risks of major volatilized and leached substances derived from CRM, methods were developed to identify organic compounds and elements, either in the vapor phase and/or the leachate from CRM. A qualitative method based on solid phase micro-extraction (SPME) coupled with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was developed to identify the major volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds out-gassing from CRM samples under defined laboratory conditions. Direct vapor phase injection into the GC–MS was applied for the quantitative analysis. Ten organic compounds were identified in the vapor phase by the SPME method. Volatile benzothiazole (BT) was detected at the highest level in all commercial CRM samples, in the range 8.2–69 ng g−1 CRM. Other volatile PAHs and antioxidants were quantified in the vapor phase as well. A decrease of volatile compounds was noted in the headspace over CRM samples from 2-years-old fields when compared with the virgin CRM used at installation. An outdoor experiment under natural weathering conditions showed a significant reduction of out-gassing organic compounds from the CRM in the first 14 d; thereafter, values remained consistent up to 70 d of observation. Zinc was the most abundant element in the acidified leachate (220–13 000 μg g−1), while leachable BT was detected at relatively low amounts.
Membranes as targets of ultraviolet radiation

In non-photosynthetic cells, evidence for UV (ultraviolet radiation) damage to membranes comes from electron microscopy, chemical analysis and observations of transport processes. Specific perturbations in transport across membranes occur quickly after a relatively low fluence of UV. As an example, irradiation of suspension-cultured rose cells with 500-2000 J m−2 (at 254 nm) causes an appearance of K+ in the extracellular medium at the rate of 5 × 10−10μmol cell−1 min−1 for 30 to 60 min and more slowly thereafter. The early, rapid phase of appearance of K+ reflects both an increase in efflux and a decrease in influx. The appearance of K+ is matched by an appearance of HCO−3 in the medium. The HCO−3 comes from respiratory CO2, which hydrates and dissociates in the cytoplasm, leading to a decrease in cytoplasmic pH. Overall, these results not only demonstrate UV damage to membrane function, but also suggest several ways by which UV may alter the general metabolic state of the cell. A demonstration of direct effects of UV on membrane components requires a purified system. At lower fluence, < 1800 J m−2 (254 nm), the ATPase of membrane vesicle preparations is inactivated in a two-phase process that suggests the presence of enzymes with different UV sensitivities. The existence of two non-mitochondrial enzymes in rose cell vesicles has been confirmed by solubilizing the vesicle proteins with 1% cholic acid and separating the components on G-150 Sephadex. One component of relatively high molecular weight is especially sensitive. The fact that it is still sensitive when it is dissolved in cholic acid strongly suggests that its sensitivity is intrinsic and does not depend on sensitization by other membrane components. The action spectrum for the inactivation of the ATPase has a major peak at 290 nm and extends into the UV-C and UV-A regions. The physiological effects of UV-stimulated membrane changes are uncertain. There is little evidence that the UV damage to membranes is responsible for cell death. A UV-induced loss of K+ from guard cells may result in lower stomatal conductance. UV-stimulated membrane changes may play a role in the UV-induced synthesis of anthocyanins.
Time evolution of the size spectrum in granulation

Abstract Quantitative description of various mechanisms of granulation are discussed. By numerically solving the population balance describing the granulation process, a similarity solution is obtained which describes by an unique curve the time dependent size spectrum. Detailed comparison with available experimental data is carried out. Good agreement is obtained.
Cargo Regulates Clathrin-Coated Pit Dynamics

Clathrin-coated pits (CCPs) are generally considered a uniform population of endocytic machines containing mixed constitutive and regulated membrane cargo. Contrary to this view, we show that regulated endocytosis of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) occurs preferentially through a subset of CCPs. Significantly, GPCR-containing CCPs are also functionally distinct, as their surface residence time is regulated locally by GPCR cargo via PDZ-dependent linkage to the actin cytoskeleton. Such cargo-regulated CCPs show delayed recruitment of dynamin and can undergo an abortive event in which clathrin coats separate from the plasma membrane without concomitant receptor endocytosis. Segregation of cargo into CCP subsets, combined with cargo-dependent control of CCP dynamics, suggests a simple kinetic mechanism to generate functional specialization early in the endocytic pathway and reduce competition between diverse endocytic cargo.
Understanding single meson production in e+e− annihilation in a bethe-salpeter model

Abstract Inclusive production of P-mesons in e + e − →HX (H=qq hadron) is considered as a quark-parton fragmentation process in e + e − →Hqq, and studied in a QCD-motivated Bethe-Salpeter (BS) model for a high energy test of this non-perturbative formalism which has already provided an excellent description of hadron spectra (light and heavy). The calculated P-meson fragmentation functions are in excellent agreement with the latest data on inclusive π, K production in e + e − collisions with no adjustable parameters; the basic constants of the model having already been determined by the spectra.
Kurt Jacobs: Stochastic Processes for Physicists

Kurt Jacobs’ book on stochastic processes is intended for a one-semester course for physics graduate students. The high point of the book is the last chapter, where Jacobs accomplishes a very useful task: he demystifies the abstract language of modern probability theory to make it accessible for physicists. I particularly enjoyed his translation of several passages from recent work in control theory—as one might expect, there is often less there than meets the eye. Jacobs is to be commended for these passages. Unfortunately, the rest of the book is less satisfactory. Those looking for a brief but comprehensive introduction to the subjects we all learned from the classics by N. van Kampen (curiously, not referenced) or C. Gardiner will be disappointed. There is no mention of the binomial distribution, the central limit theorem is mentioned in passing without stating the result completely, the phases “random walk” and “Markov process” never appear, etc. Despite the title, the book is mostly about the Ito calculus for stochastic differential equations. The exposition is uneven and sometimes seems too elementary: at one point Jacobs feels obliged to explain at length what a partial differential equation is. Then, when the going gets rough he resorts to stating “it turns out”; that is, most of the hard results are given without proof. For my taste, too many things “turn out” in this book, even things whose proof is not all that hard, like the Wiener-Khintchine theorem. Almost all of the results in Chap. 6 on numerical methods “turn out”. Chapter 6 is a cookbook with little insights offered. The applications are mostly outside of physics. For example, in the chapter on Gaussian noise there is a brief treatment of Brownian motion, followed by a detailed and careful exposition of the Black-Scholes equation for option pricing. To be fair, before the financial crisis of 2007–2008 many physics students did want to know this stuff. Now, this topic seems less relevant. The editing is careless—in a book from Cambridge University Press, at that. Some of the errors are minor and occasionally amusing. Still, is it too much to insist that the famous
Internal migration in contemporary Nepal: models which internalize development policies.

A set of models is developed to assess at the interdistrict level the relative importance of economic, demographic, social and government policy determinants of internal migration in Nepal. The first “proximate” model and the second “structural” model estimates are generated using ordinary least squares regression and specification error is investigated by spatial autocorrelation tests of the residuals of each model in its reduced form. These two models are developed to extract the important variables. Finally, to formalize and evaluate empirically the linkages between the “proximate” and “structural” determinants, a simultaneous equation model is developed using three stage generalized least squares regression.
Transient 2-D Heat Transfer Analysis of Encapsulated Phase Change Materials for Thermal Energy Storage

Solar energy is receiving a lot of attention since it is a clean, renewable, and sustainable energy. A major limitation however is that it is available for only about 2,000 hours a year in many places and thus it is essential to find ways to store solar thermal energy for the off hours. The present work deals with heat transfer aspects of storing solar thermal energy in high temperature phase change materials with melting points above 300 °C. Two-dimension transient heat transfer analysis is conducted to investigate thermal energy storage using encapsulated phase change material (EPCM) for concentrated solar power (CSP) applications. Sodium nitrate, NaNO3, is considered as the phase change material (PCM) encapsulated by stainless steel in a cylindrical shaped capsule. Stream function-vorticity formulation is employed to study the effect of buoyancy-driven convection in the molten salt on the total charging and discharging times for various sizes of PCM capsulated. Simulations are also conducted for a horizontally placed rod inside a flow channel. Storage times are calculated for laminar and turbulent flows of heat transfer fluids transferring heat into EPCM. It is shown that the buoyancy-driven convection in the molten PCM enhances internal heat transfer inside the capsule and hence helps to slightly shorten the total heat transfer times during both charging and discharging processes. Flow characteristics of the heat transfer fluid have profound effect on the nature of phase change process inside the EPCM rod.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Usefulness of adenosine in diagnosis of tachyarrhythmias

We conclude that adenosine is helpful to physicians with different levels of training in the diagnosis of tachyarrhythmias. Its use appears to he safe and its side effects minimal. In patients with tachycardias that involve the atrioventricular node as 1 limb of the reentrant circuit, adenosine has the additional benefit of safely terminating the tachycardia.
The free solution electrophoretic mobility of peptides by a bead modeling methodology.

A bead modeling methodology, BMM, discussed previously to compute the free solution electrophoretic mobility of peptides [H. Pei, Y. Xin, S.A. Allison, J. Sep. Sci. 31 (2008) 554–564], is generalized to avoid the approximation of orientationally preaveraging hydrodynamic interaction. In general, peptide mobilities computed without preaveraging are lower by about 2%. The BMM is then used to study the free solution electrophoretic mobility of several insect oostatic peptides reported previously in a variety of different buffer systems ranging in pH from 2.25 to 8.1 [V. Solinova, V. Kasicka, D. Koval, J. Hlavacek, Electrophoresis, 25 (2004) 2299–2308]. With minor adjustment of the intrinsic pKa0 of the N-terminal peptide, good agreement between modeling and experiment is achieved for peptide models with random secondary structures in the entire pH range. Model mobilities of these peptides appear to be relatively insensitive to the assumed secondary structure.
Detecting intruders on a campus network: might the threat be coming from within?

Campus networks, and the Information Technology organizations that support these networks, are facing security threats that are increasing in both size and complexity. Students, faculty and (non-academic) staff collectively provide a broad set of expectations and challenges to securely support. Intrusive actions and security challenges may originate outside or within a network. Security and trust can be difficult to maintain in such an environment. Intrusion detection is an important part of a comprehensive security strategy.Snort has become a popular and widely installed Intrusion Detection System (IDS). It functions as a network packet sniffer which, based on comparisons of packet contents with known virus signatures encapsulated as rules, can initiate action and record events and information related to them in a log file and/or database. Because Snort inspects all packets on a network, large amounts of data can be produced, especially until an administrator can tune the rules sets, contained in 52 separate files, to the needs of the installation. This process can lead to a large number of false alerts, which may cause real alerts to be overlooked and the viability of the tool to be questioned.This paper summarizes work with installation and implementation of Snort on a North Central College internal network, with special emphasis on access to data logged to a MySQL database as well as presentation of data through Perl scripts. Output of Perl scripts and code snippets supporting the output are also presented as basis for future efforts.
Delayed feedback and multiple attractors in a host–parasitoid system

Continuous-time, age structured, host–parasitoid models exhibit three types of cyclic dynamics: Lotka–Volterra-like consumer-resource cycles, discrete generation cycles, and “delayed feedback cycles” that occur if the gain to the parasitoid population (defined by the number of new female parasitoid offspring produced per host attacked) increases with the age of the host attacked. The delayed feedback comes about in the following way: an increase in the instantaneous density of searching female parasitoids increases the mortality rate on younger hosts, which reduces the density of future older and more productive hosts, and hence reduces the future per head recruitment rate of searching female parasitoids. Delayed feedback cycles have previously been found in studies that assume a step-function for the gain function. Here, we formulate a general host–parasitoid model with an arbitrary gain function, and show that stable, delayed feedback cycles are a general phenomenon, occurring with a wide range of gain functions, and strongest when the gain is an accelerating function of host age. We show by examples that locally stable, delayed feedback cycles commonly occur with parameter values that also yield a single, locally stable equilibrium, and hence their occurrence depends on initial conditions. A simplified model reveals that the mechanism responsible for the delayed feedback cycles in our host–parasitoid models is similar to that producing cycles and initial-condition-dependent dynamics in a single species model with age-dependent cannibalism.
Out-of-hours co-operatives: General practitioner satisfaction with governance and working arrangements

Objective. General practice co-operatives have led to significant improvements in quality of life for general practitioners. Little is known about general practitioners’ own experiences with the working arrangements and governance of co-operatives. This study investigates GP satisfaction, the working environment, governance and future developments in co-operatives. Methods. A questionnaire was sent to GPs in two co-operatives in the Republic of Ireland, covering mixed urban and rural areas. Results. Of 221 GPs in the co-operatives, 82% responded and confirmed the co-operatives’ positive effects on their lives. However, 57% still received requests for out-of-hours care while off duty, most commonly from patients who preferred to see their own doctor. Half felt overburdened by out-of-hours work, especially those over 40 y of age. Twenty-five per cent were dissatisfied with the GP complaints mechanism. The majority (63%) would prefer a GP/ health board partnership for the organization of out of hours, while 23% wanted sole responsibility. GPs indicated a strong need for better ancillary services such as nursing, mental health, dentistry, pharmacy and social work. Access to records is an important issue in terminal care and mental illness. Conclusion. While GP co-operatives are a success story for general practice, they will work better for general practitioners and their patients if nursing, mental health, dentistry, pharmacy and social services are improved. Support and training is needed in mental health, palliative and emergency care to increase competence and reduce stress. GPs are willing to work with health authorities in further co-operative development. More attention needs to be paid to the complaints and suggestions of GPs in the running and governance of their co-operatives.
Letter Writing as a Service-Learning Project: An Alternative to the Traditional Laboratory Report

Letter writing as an alternative to a traditional laboratory report was introduced for a general chemistry laboratory project in which students measure lead content in urban soils. Furthermore, this letter-writing activity was conducted within the framework of a service-learning project insomuch as the students’ letters were written to the homeowner who provided the samples. The benefits of a letter-writing activity in lieu of a traditional laboratory report are discussed, as well as the benefits of implementing this type of assignment as a service-learning project. A follow-up survey indicated that 94% of the students who completed the letter-writing assignment felt it caused them to “think about the chemistry involved in a different [and we believe deeper] way” compared to writing a traditional laboratory report.
Enantiomeric Separation of Fused Polycycles by HPLC with Cyclodextrin and Macrocyclic Glycopeptide Chiral Stationary Phases

Abstract The enantiomeric separation of a series of 13 new chiral polycycles has been examined on both cyclodextrin‐based and macrocyclic glycopeptide chiral stationary phases (CSPs) using HPLC in the normal phase, reversed phase, and polar organic modes. The most effective chiral selectors for the enantiomeric separation of these analytes are the 2,3‐dimethyl‐β‐cyclodextrin (Cyclobond I‐2000 DM) and hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin (Cyclobond I‐2000 RSP). The other Cyclobond‐type and Chirobiotic (macrocyclic glycopeptide) CSPs only show enantioselectivity for a few of the racemic polycycles. The effects of mobile phase composition and analyte structure on chiral recognition and separation are considered.
Audits: Maximizing the ROI of a security audit

Audits generally cause IT security managers to pause and wonder if their house is in order enough to survive the effort. Having someone look over your work may be nerve-wracking, but it is unarguably constructive, and information security managers are learning to anticipate rather than fear this event. It is an opportunity to highlight what is being done correctly, and to identify areas that need improvement.
Determination of 2,4-dihydroxy-1,4(2H)-benzoxazin-3-one glucosides in corn (Zea mays L.)

Abstract A method has been developed for the determination of 2,4-dihydroxy-1,4(2H)-benzoxazin-3-ones, which occur in corn (Zea mays L.) plants as glucosides. The method involves freezing and thawing of corn tissue samples to allow enzyme-catalyzed cleavage of the glucosides, fragmentation, extraction of the released aglycons, removal of chlorophyll, conversion of the 2,4-dihydroxy-1,4(2H)-benzoxazin-3-ones to the more stable 2(3)-benzoxazolinones, extraction of the 2(3)-benzoxazolinones, and quantitative ir measurement of the 2(3)-benzoxazolinones in methylene chloride solution. The amount of 2(3)-benzoxazolinone calculated as 6-methoxybenzoxazolinone (MBOA) obtained from B37 × B14 single-cross corn was found to be 1.56 mg 50 g fresh weight (10 samples; SD 0.16 mg). For synthetic samples, the precision of the method is that of the reproducibility of the spectrophotometer used. Depending upon the spectrophotometer used, a detection limit of 0.03–0.06 mg MBOA 50 g fresh tissue was observed.
Computerized tomography guided access for percutaneous nephrostolithotomy.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Access for percutaneous nephrostolithotomy (PNL) using conventional fluoroscopic guidance may carry an increased risk of damage to surrounding organs in patients with renal calculi and aberrant anatomy. In these situations cross-sectional anatomical imaging may facilitate safe percutaneous access. We describe our experience with computerized tomography (CT) guided percutaneous access for such patients undergoing PNL.Materials and Methods: Between June 2000 and December 2001, 154 patients underwent PNL at our institution. Five of these patients (3%) required a total of 6 percutaneous access tracks under CT guidance. All patients in this group had anatomical abnormalities precluding standard access to the collecting system without risk to adjacent organs. These abnormalities included a retrorenal colon in 2 and a severely distorted body habitus due to spinal dysraphism in 3.Results: Percutaneous access was achieved without complication in all cases. At subsequent PNL 5 of the 6 renal units ...
Visibility through Book Publishing: The Story of Clothespin Fever Press

A book on motorcycle repair that's easy to read and follow and includes a special photo section of the Dykes on Bikes at a San Francisco Gay Pride. An anthology of prose and poetry by lesbian writers that takes on life's many facets and ranges from the issue‐oriented to the nonpolitical. A rip‐roaring collection of short stories set in Texas, whose collection of characters includes lesbians, gay men, and heterosexuals. The memoirs of an adult child of an alcoholic as memorable for its original artwork as for its hard‐hitting narrative. The memoir of a preacher's daughter coming of age in 1940s and 1950s Texas, by a lesbian author noted for taking the specific and making it universal. A book of poems that poignantly expresses the grief felt when a spouse dies, but in this case the grief is magnified because the deceased's family will not acknowledge that their daughter was a lesbian, and they reject the surviving poet‐lover and her sorrow. An honest and compassionate account of a lesbian writer's struggle ...
Taxonomy of squirrel monkeys genus Saimiri (Cebidae, platyrrhini): A preliminary report with description of a hitherto unnamed form

Two groups of squirrel monkeys, genus Saimiri, are distinguished by external characters. The first, or Roman type, contains Saimiri boliviensis of upper Amazonia south of the Rio Maranon-Amazonas, with two subspecies of which S. boliviensis peruviensis is described as new. The second group, or Gothic type, contains three species: Saimiri sciureus with four subspecies distributed over much of tropical South America, Saimiri ustus of Brazil between the south bank Amazonian Rios Purus and Xingu, and S. oerstedi isolated on a Pacific coastal area straddling Costa Rica and Panama. The geographic range of S. sciureus overlaps parts of those of S. ustus and S. boliviensis. Incomplete karyotypic data indicate that the diploid number of chromosomes for the genus is 44. Geographic variation is characterized by reduction from seven to six or five paired acrocentric autosomes through pericentric inversion with reciprocal increase in number of paired submetacentric or subtelocentric autosomes. Geographic distribution, behavior, sexual dimorphism including dichromatism, and hybridization are discussed. Ventral guide hairs for orientation of subprecocial newborn toward the maternal mammae are described. Distinguishing characters of species and subspecies are provided in a key. The taxons are listed with the taxonomy of each discussed, their geographic distribution plotted and mapped.
Molecular recognition by circular oligonucleotides. Strong binding of single-stranded DNA and RNA

Pyrimidine-rich circular DNA Oligonucleotides 1 and 2 display very high binding affinities for complementary DNA and RNA oligomers by forming bimolecular triple helical complexes.
The superficial basal lamina of ciliary processes: binding studies with IgG-immunogold and ferritins

In this study, we employed two ultrastructurally visible probing systems, IgG-immunogold and ferritin molecules which differ by surface charge, to study binding activity of the aqueous face of the posterior ciliary processes in short term tissue baths. With these probes we demonstrated that the superficial basal lamina of the non-pigmented epithelium binds monomeric and heat aggregated IgG but not IgG F(ab′)2. Binding was inhibited by preincubation with monosaccharides and NaCl suggesting that IgG binding was determined by lectin-like and electrostatic interactions. Anionic binding domains within the basal lamina, capable of exerting an electrostatic influence, were directly demonstrated by selective binding of cationic ferritin species. At high concentrations of cationic ferritin, anionic binding sites were saturated and tracer penetrated the basal lamina to reach intercellular spaces between non-pigmented epithelial cells. We concluded that the superficial basal lamina of the ciliary processes, which is bathed by the aqueous humor, may bind and immobilize IgG, IgG-opsonized antigens and accessible carbohydrate or cations on other molecules in this fluid. This binding may be important in the maintenance of normal aqueous humor composition and in the pathogenesis of infectious and immune-mediated ocular disease.
From Pipelines to Partnerships: A Synthesis of Research On How Diverse Families, Schools, and Communities Support Children's Pathways Through School

This article maps recent progress on 5 key questions about "the academic pipeline problem" of different rates of persistence through school among ethnically diverse students across the nation. The article shows the complementary development of the Overlapping Spheres of Influence Theory and Sociocultural Theory and aligns concepts and measures across theories. Evidence from the Center for Research on Education, Diversity, and Excellence and other studies points to 5 major findings. First, tracing demographics across ethnicity, income, and geography can contribute to opening the academic pipeline. Second, families are key to students' developing and sustaining educational and career aspirations and school achievement, not only among college-educated families, but also among low-income, minority, and immigrant families. Third, it is important to recognize how early children's pathways in math and language divide as they move through school if successful pathways are to be sustained. Fourth, across age, ethn...
The first 'molecular disease' : a story of Linus Pauling, the intellectual patron

In November 1949, chemist Linus Pauling and three colleagues published an article on sickle-cell anemia, a study that opened up new and exciting possibilities for research into such 'molecular diseases'. Even before this celebrated publication appeared in Science, Pauling foresaw its potential benefits and announced it as a medical breakthrough: '... our structural chemistry and understanding of molecules is getting to the point where it should be of assistance in converting medicine into a real science' [Guiles, R. (1949) Discovery of blood disease called key to cancer research. The Detroit Times 13 Sep 1949, Newspaper Clippings 1949n.18, Pauling Papers.]. Their discovery--that this debilitating disorder was caused by an abnormal form of hemoglobin--was borne out of a rich mix of expertise, from Pauling's remarkable intuition to the careful experimental chemistry of his student Harvey A. Itano. It also relied upon technological innovation: a custom-made electrophoresis machine housed at the California Institute of Technology was the perfect tool to reveal fundamental chemical differences between normal and abnormal forms of hemoglobin. Not only did this work establish a new way of looking at inherited diseases, it also stimulated the mass production of the electrophoresis machine as an essential investigative and diagnostic tool. A close inspection of this case study illustrates just how Pauling ran his laboratory and helps to explain how one man could achieve so much over his lifetime.
On the synthesis and identification of the epinephrin metabolite 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-DL-mandelic acid.

Abstract An improved synthesis of the epinephrin metabolite, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxy- dl -madelic acid (HMMA), is described starting with 2-methoxyphenol and glyoxylic acid. The azo dyes derived from HMMA by condensation with the diazonium salts of p -nitroaniline and of sulphanilic acid have been prepared and characterized and are shown to be identical with the corresponding azo dyes derived from 2-methoxyphenol. The elimination of an oxyacetic acid group from HMMA occurs in the course of azo dye formation and may lead to ambiguities in the identification and quantitation of HMMA and other phenolic compounds in biological materials.
A sociologist looks at the twelve‐month school year

In looking at the paper this morning, how many news accounts did you read of juvenile gang battles, switchblade incidents, muggings, criminal assaults, and race riots? Aside from the eternal Communist threat, was there much else on the front page? Almost constantly we are bombarded with lurid stories of violence, and the offenders involved are usually young unmarried males. And a disproportionate number of them are no longer in school.