cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Continuing Undergraduate Pathology Medical Education in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Global Pandemic: The Johns Hopkins Virtual Surgical Pathology Clinical Elective.

CONTEXT.­: In the early months of the response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM) (Baltimore, Maryland) leadership reached out to faculty to develop and implement virtual clinical clerkships after all in-person medical student clinical experiences were suspended. OBJECTIVE.­: To develop and implement a digital slide-based virtual surgical pathology (VSP) clinical elective to meet the demand for meaningful and robust virtual clinical electives in response to the temporary suspension of in-person clinical rotations at JHUSOM. DESIGN.­: The VSP elective was modeled after the in-person surgical pathology elective to include virtual previewing and sign-out with standardized cases supplemented by synchronous and asynchronous pathology educational content. RESULTS.­: Validation of existing Web communications technology and slide-scanning systems was performed by feasibility testing. Curriculum development included drafting of course objectives and syllabus, Blackboard course site design, electronic-lecture creation, communications with JHUSOM leadership, scheduling, and slide curation. Subjectively, the weekly schedule averaged 35 to 40 hours of asynchronous, synchronous, and independent content, approximately 10 to 11 hours of which were synchronous. As of February 2021, VSP has hosted 35 JHUSOM and 8 non-JHUSOM students, who have provided positive subjective and objective course feedback. CONCLUSIONS.­: The Johns Hopkins VSP elective provided meaningful clinical experience to 43 students in a time of immense online education need. Added benefits of implementing VSP included increased medical student exposure to pathology as a medical specialty and demonstration of how digital slides have the potential to improve standardization of the pathology clerkship curriculum.
Creating a quantitative, ecosystem-service-based index of nature in the highly urbanized and arid Los Angeles County:

Before evaluating the abundance and quality of nature in a city, one must define the concept of nature according to resident experience and climatological conditions. For Los Angeles (L.A.) County,...
Differentiation of Na+/K+-ATPase by digoxigenin-labelled lectins on blots. Evidence for organ-typical glycoforms

Glycan units can exhibit a high degree of structural variations on the same molecule resulting in different glycoforms for a molecule that is essentially carrying out the same function (3,4). Since glycosylation is performed by the host cell (8), it might reflect the original source of a protein. Consequently, the particular physiological, biochemical or pathological conditions in the body at the time the protein is synthesised might result in variable sugar groupings on a same polypeptide. In view of designing cell-specific drug delivery systems, we wished to know if an ubiquitous transmembrane protein, Na+,K+-ATPase (NKA) could be exploited as an indicator of cell localisation and status. To see whether NKA could be glycosylated differently in distinct organs, highly selective and sensitive digoxigenin-labelled lectins (3) were used in combination with isoform-specific immunoblots to compare kidney and brain enzyme isolated from various rat strains. Lectins are ubiquitous proteins which recognise and bind to sugar groupings of glycoproteins (5) just like antibodies recognise proteinaceous epitopes.
Symposium on Metamathematics of Algebra and Geometry: Metamathematics and Algebra: An Example

Publisher Summary It is well known that the applications of algebra to logic and logic to algebra have enriched both domains. It is also true that, quite apart from any interaction, the two subjects are much in common. The chapter illustrates this concept by comparing two sets of ideas, one from algebra and the other from logic. The ideas from algebra center about the Freiheitssatz, a theorem in group theory stated and proved by Magnus, who attributes it to lectures of Dehn relating to the topology. The ideas from logic are typified by an “Interpolation Theorem” or “Separation Theorem” of Craig and by a similar metamathematical result of Beth in the theory of definition. The chapter points out that the two sets of ideas show a similarity that seems more than mere analogy, and hence suggests a more comprehensive theory containing them both. It also mentions that elements of the free group F may be represented by “words,” that is, by certain expressions built up from (symbols for) the generators x i by means of (symbols for) the group operations: multiplication, inversion, and neutral element.
Stack-Pouring of Petri Plates: A Potential Source of Error1

Our laboratory has during peak work periods plated dilutions in triplicate and then poured the plates in stacks of three. Following incubation, we sometimes found that one of the plates yielded a markedly higher count than the other two plates in the stack. Various explanations for this phenomenon were explored. Contaminated glassware and media as well as incubation conditions were examined. Rate of cooling of the medium in the stacked plates was investigated and found to be the primary cause of the erratic results. From an initial temperature of 46 C, the medium in plastic plates against the countertop reached 36 C within 30 sec, whereas the middle plate in the stack took as long as 4.6 min to reach this temperature. Results indicate that the prolonged exposure of microorganisms to the warm agar in the stacked plates during cooling was responsible for the lower counts. Cooling rates in both glass and plastic petri dishes were investigated.
ERAU’s eTeaching Zone: A Virtual User’s Community for Web Instructors

With 130 teaching sites around the world, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University faces unique challenges in supporting faculty who want to use the web for instruction. While faculty members have been able to learn how to use the web via online modules, there has been little opportunity for them to share ideas and learn from each other. The eTeaching Zone enables faculty members to collaborate with peers, stay abreast of WBI developments, access support, and, most importantly, feel that they are part of an important instructional initiative of the University. Profile of Community Members The eTeaching Zone is a community for all ERAU faculty members who use the web for instruction. Like most communities it consists of a diverse population. Some faculty members teach totally online courses, while others are just beginning to post a syllabus and a few course notes. In the eTeaching Zone, the novice benefits from the experience of the accomplished, the experienced user gains fresh insights from the novice, and everyone can solicit advice for new undertakings.
Taming intractible branching in qualitative simulation

Qualitative simulation of behavior from structure is a valuable method for reasoning about partially known physical systems. Unfortunately, in many realistic situations, a qualitative description of structure is consistent with an intractibly large number of behavioral predictions. We present two complementary methods, representing different trade-offs between generality and power, for taming an important case of intractible branching. The first method applies to the most general case of the problem. It changes the level of the behavioral description to aggregate an exponentially exploding tree of behaviors into a few distinct possibilities The second method draws on additional mathematical knowledge, and assumptions about the smoothness of partially known functional relationships, to derive a correspondingly stronger result. Higher-order derivative constraints are automatically derived by manipulating the structural constraint model algebraically, and applied to eliminate impossible branches These methods have been implemented as extensions to QSIM and tested on a substantial number of examples They move us significantly closer to the goal of reasoning qualitatively about complex physical systems.
TOTAL COST ANALYSIS: AN ALTERNATIVE TO BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS IN EVALUATING TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES

This paper explains the theory in support of total cost analysis (TCA) to compare transportation system alternatives. The full costs of each alternative are first aggregated, including travel time costs and monetizable environmental and social costs. Many costs which are considered on the benefits side of the equation in benefit-cost analysis (BCA) as "cost savings" are brought over to the costs side. Total cost differences among alternatives are then traded off against their estimated non-monetized benefits or impacts, just as a consumer trades off product quality against cost before deciding which product he or she will buy. One advantage of TCA over traditional BCA is that the concept of "total cost" is more easily understood by the public and by political decision-makers than BCA concepts such as "net present worth", "benefit-cost ratio" and "internal rate of return". A second advantage is that there is no suggestion that all "benefits" have been considered; decision-makers are free to use their own value judgements to trade off total cost against non-monetizable social, environmental and economic impacts, just as they trade off quality and convenience against cost when purchasing goods and services in their roles as consumers. The TCA approach is demonstrated in this paper through a case study of two systemwide alternatives for the Baltimore, MD urban area.
Structure of a human insulin peptide–HLA-DQ8 complex and susceptibility to type 1 diabetes

The class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) glycoproteins HLA-DQ8 and HLA-DQ2 in humans and I-A(g7) in nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice are the major risk factors for increased susceptibility to type 1 diabetes. Using X-ray crystallography, we have determined the three-dimensional structure of DQ8 complexed with an immunodominant peptide from insulin. The similarity of the DQ8, DQ2 and I-A(g7) peptide-binding pockets suggests that diabetes is caused by the same antigen-presentation event(s) in humans and NOD mice. Correlating type 1 diabetes epidemiology and MHC sequences with the DQ8 structure suggests that other structural features of the P9 pocket in addition to position 57 contribute to susceptibility to type 1 diabetes.
Modeling and simulation of automotive catalytic converters

This paper describes the development of a comprehensive mathematical and numerical model for simulating the performance of automotive three-way catalytic converters, which are employed to reduce engine exhaust emissions. The model simulates the emission system behavior by using an exhaust system heat conservation and catalyst chemical kinetic sub-model. The resulting governing equations are solved numerically. Good agreements were found between the numerical predictions and experimental measurements under both steady state and transient conditions. The developed model is employed to investigate the converter dynamic response during transient driving conditions. The transient conditions are simulated by considering modulations in the air-fuel ratio.
[Empowering older adults who are organized to search for a new social contract: experiences of the Inter-American Development Bank and Red Tiempos].

Es bien conocido que la baja prioridad que se da ala vejez en las politicas nacionales obliga a los adul-tos mayores a depender mas de su propio esfuerzo,organizacion y protagonismo, asi como del apoyosolidario de la familia y de la comunidad, para sa-tisfacer sus necesidades basicas.La sociedad civil vinculada a la vejez en Ame-rica Latina y el Caribe —tanto las organizaciones de adultos mayores como las dedicadas a serviciosespecificos para este segmento de la poblacion—desempena un importante papel en la defensa desus intereses y en la batalla por lograr que la so-ciedad y los propios adultos mayores tengan masconciencia de los problemas que enfrentan las per-sonas de mayor edad. Ademas, llenan muchos va-cios que aun subsisten en la oferta de servicios pu-blicos dirigidos a los adultos mayores. En todos lospaises de America Latina y el Caribe, los adultosmayores organizados han demostrado su activismoante el Estado y sus posibilidades, capacidad yfuerza como conductores y protagonistas de su pro-pio desarrollo y bienestar. Los aportes materiales,intelectuales y espirituales que hacen a sus familia-res y a la sociedad —como jefes de familia, liderescomunitarios y trabajadores productivos— son ex-presiones palpables de ese potencial.Aunque se desconoce el numero exacto deagrupaciones y redes de adultos mayores en Ame-rica Latina y el Caribe, solo en cinco paises suda-mericanos (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru yUruguay) funcionan mas de 30 000 organizacionesde este tipo, agrupadas en no menos de 1 000 redes(1–3). Entre estas organizaciones hay clubes barria-les y municipales de adultos mayores, asociacionesgremiales de jubilados, grupos artisticos, organiza-ciones de abogacia y cabildeo, agrupaciones politi-cas y organizaciones culturales y de turismo. En va-rios paises de la Region se han establecido consejosnacionales de adultos mayores (por ejemplo, en Ar-gentina, Brasil y Costa Rica) y se ha logrado la apro-bacion de leyes que refrendan derechos y beneficiosespecificos para las personas de mayor edad (porejemplo, en Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Chile, CostaRica y Peru). Su presencia y beligerancia —a vecescon el apoyo de las defensorias del pueblo— siguensiendo fundamentales para velar por el cumpli-miento de las leyes vigentes y eliminar la discrimi-nacion por razones de edad.En los paises centroamericanos tambien hayredes de organizaciones de adultos mayores. LaAsociacion Gerontologica Costarricense (AGECO)
A Review of “Moving Materials: Physical Delivery in Libraries”

This book is highly recommended for library managers and staff in the initial stages of implementing or making changes to a physical delivery system. The editors’ knowledge and interest in delivery...
Activation of human mast cells by retrocyclin and protegrin highlight their immunomodulatory and antimicrobial properties.

// Kshitij Gupta 1 , Akhil Kotian 2 , Hariharan Subramanian 1 , Henry Daniell 2 and Hydar Ali 1 1 Department of Pathology, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA 2 Department of Biochemistry, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA Correspondence to: Hydar Ali, email: // Henry Daniell, email: // Keywords : antimicrobial peptides, mast cells, retrocyclin, protegrin, chloroplast, MrgX2, Immunology and Microbiology Section, Immune response, Immunity Received : July 04, 2015 Accepted : August 30, 2015 Published : September 10, 2015 Abstract Preclinical evaluation of Retrocyclins (RC-100, RC-101) and Protegrin-1 (PG-1) antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) is important because of their therapeutic potential against bacterial, fungal and viral infections. Human mast cells (HMCs) play important roles in host defense and wound healing but the abilities of retrocyclins and protegrin-1 to harness these functions have not been investigated. Here, we report that chemically synthesized RC-100 and PG-1 caused calcium mobilization and degranulation in HMCs but these responses were not blocked by an inhibitor of formyl peptide receptor-like 1 (FPRL1), a known receptor for AMPs. However, RC-100 and PG-1 induced degranulation in rat basophilic leukemia (RBL-2H3) cells stably expressing Mas related G protein coupled receptor X2 (MrgX2). Chemical synthesis of these AMPs is prohibitively expensive and post-synthesis modifications (cyclization, disulfide bonds, folding) are inadequate for optimal antimicrobial activity. Indeed, we found that synthetic RC-100, which caused mast cell degranulation via MrgX2, did not display any antimicrobial activity. Green-fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged RC-101 (analog of RC-100) and GFP-tagged PG-1 purified from transgenic plant chloroplasts killed bacteria and induced mast cell degranulation. Furthermore, GFP-PG1 bound specifically to RBL-2H3 cells expressing MrgX2. These findings suggest that retrocyclins and protegrins activate HMCs independently of FPRL1 but via MrgX2. Harnessing this novel feature of AMPs to activate mast cell’s host defense/wound healing properties in addition to their antimicrobial activities expands their clinical potential. Low cost production of AMPs in plants should facilitate their advancement to the clinic overcoming major hurdles in current production systems.
Site-directed mutations in the relaxase operon of RP4.

Mutations were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis in the relaxase operon of the broad-host-range plasmid RP4. The mutations were constructed in smaller plasmids, recombined into the 60-kb RP4 plasmid, and tested for their ability to transfer. The relaxase operon contains the transfer genes traJ, traH, and traI, which are involved in nicking at the transfer origin to generate the single strand destined to be transferred to the recipient cell. In the first mutant, the C terminus of TraI was truncated, leaving TraH intact. This mutant decreased transfer by approximately 500-fold in Escherichia coli, and the traI mutation could be complemented by a wild-type copy of traI in trans in the donor. The traI mutation similarly decreased transfer between a variety of gram-negative bacteria. A site-specific mutation was made by the polymerase chain reaction-based unique-site mutagenesis procedure to alter the start site of traH. This mutation had no effect on intraspecific E. coli transfer but reduced transfer by up to sevenfold for some gram-negative bacteria. The traH mutation had no effect on plasmid stability. Thus, neither TraH nor the C terminus of TraI is required for conjugative transfer, but both increase mating efficiency in some hosts. Images
Trophic cascades result in large‐scale coralline algae loss through differential grazer effects

Removal of predators can have strong indirect effects on primary producers through trophic cascades. Crustose coralline algae (CCA) are major primary producers worldwide that may be influenced by predator removal through changes in grazer composition and biomass. CCA have been most widely studied in Caribbean and temperate reefs, where cover increases with increasing grazer biomass due to removal of competitive fleshy algae. However, each of these systems has one dominant grazer type, herbivorous fishes or sea urchins, which may not be functionally equivalent. Where fishes and sea urchins co-occur, fishing can result in a phase shift in the grazing community with subsequent effects on CCA and other substrata. Kenyan reefs have herbivorous fishes and sea urchins, providing an opportunity to determine the relative impacts of each grazer type and evaluate potential human-induced trophic cascades. We hypothesized that fish benefit CCA, abundant sea urchins erode CCA, and that fishing indirectly reduces CCA co...
Psychosocial factors and treatment adherence in paediatric HIV/AIDS

A social ecological model provides a promising framework for understanding the individual, family, and societal factors contributing to non-adherence to treatment of paediatric HIV. This study explored which factors relevant to this model are associated with caregivers' adherence and child health outcomes. A cross-sectional design was utilized to assess relationships among current individual, familial, extra-familial factors, caregiver adherence, and viral load. Data were collected from 43 caregivers, and viral load data were obtained from the medical records of their HIV+ children. Caregiver drug and alcohol use and HIV+ status were associated with non-adherence and elevated viral load. Negative outcome expectancy was associated with lower adherence but was not significant in the multivariate analyses. Family factors were not significant, but these measures had low reliability in this sample. Extra-familial factors such as dissatisfaction with medical specialty care and more stressful life events were not directly associated with adherence but were related to increased caregiver substance use. Results of this first study to explore multiple predictors of adherence and health outcomes in paediatric HIV require replication with larger samples, but findings suggest caregiver characteristics that place children at risk for disease progression due to poor adherence to treatment.
Oxygen isotope fractionation in igneous rocks

The18O/16O ratios of coexisting silicate minerals in igneous and metamorphic rocks are approximately proportional to the following chemical index:Si+ 0.58Al equivalents/total cation equivalents Measured phenocryst-groundmass isotopic fractionations in volcanic rocks are negligible (±0.2per mil) when corrected for differences in their chemical indices. Apparently, solid and liquid silicates of equivalent chemistry do not fractionate the isotopes of oxygen with respect to one another. Isotopic zoning within phenocrysts and whole-rock isotopic variations accompanying magmatic differentiation are thus expected to be minimal and chiefly due to variations in chemical index. Isotopic fractionations among minerals in plutonic rocks are considerably larger than those found among similar minerals in volcanic rocks. Furthermore, continental plutonic rocks are commonly enriched in18O relative to oceanic volcanic rocks of equivalent chemistry.
Mask fabrication in the USA

Profound changes are occurring in the US mask industry. Two factors contribute to these changes. First, due to the prohibitive cost of developing new mask technology, captive mask shops have been largely displaced by merchant suppliers. Second, the mask technology ramp has exceeded the SIA roadmap. As a result, merchant suppliers must build advanced masks and ship them cost-effectively and on time from multiple manufacturing sites to many customers. This paper discusses the US mask industry and its technology position in the worldwide mask infrastructure. Examples of recent US technology thrusts are presented.
Pulsed magnetic field actuation of single-crystalline ferromagnetic shape memory alloy Ni-Mn-Ga

Ferromagnetic shape memory alloys can exhibit magnetic-field-induced strains of several percent at room temperature. These strains have been shown to correlate with the motion of twin boundaries in the crystals. Twin boundaries advance by the motion of stacking faults along the twin boundary. Such mechanical defects have as an upper limit of their velocity, the speed of sound. It is an important matter to understand the mobility of twin boundaries in ferromagnetic shape memory alloys from a scientific perspective. Namely, how does their velocity depend on field strength, crystal structure and perfection, what are the roles of inertia and threshold field, and does the velocity ever approach anything like the speed of sound. From a practical point of view, it is important to know the twin boundary dynamics in order to understand the bandwidth capabilities of these new active materials as well as their response to different field wave forms that may optimize the response for particular applications. In the present paper we describe a pulse field experimental setup and preliminary results that begin to address the issues raised above.
On the reduction of tungsten trioxide accelerated by platinum and water

The reduction of WO 3 by H 2 to a blue form proceeds readily above 400°C. If the WO 3 powder is mixed with platinum black, reduction will start below 100°C. But if this mixture is made to adsorb water, reduction takes place rapidly at room temperature. The catalysis by platinum is apparently due to the dissociation of molecular hydrogen on the metal, followed by diffusion of adsorbed hydrogen atoms across the metal-oxide interface. The acceleration by water is ascribed to a marked increase in the rate of diffusion of the reducing species.
Liver X Receptors (LXRs) Regulate Apolipoprotein AIV-Implications of the Antiatherosclerotic Effect of LXR Agonists

Liver X receptors (LXRs) regulate target genes that are critical in lipoprotein metabolism and atherosclerosis. Apolipoprotein AIV (ApoAIV) is an apolipoprotein that is associated with chylomicrons and high-density lipoproteins. Plasma ApoAIV level in humans is inversely correlated with coronary artery events and overexpression of ApoAIV in mice results in significant reduction in atherosclerosis. We report here that LXRs directly regulate apoAIV at the transcriptional level. Treatment of C57B6 mice with a synthetic LXR agonist, T0901317, resulted in significant increases in plasma apoAIV that was associated with high-density lipoprotein. Examination of both intestinal and liver apoAIV mRNA revealed specific increases in liver mRNA only. In a human heptoma HepG2 cell model, apoAIV mRNA was up-regulated upon the treatment with either native or synthetic LXR agonists. Nuclear run-on study revealed a significant increase in the ApoAIV transcriptional rate upon LXR activation. Examination of the human apoAIV proximal promoter revealed a potential LXR response element that demonstrated binding with HepG2 nuclear extracts. Cotransfection studies in HepG2 cells indicated that this responsive element was functional in mediating the human ApoAIV gene response to LXR agonists. In addition, we identified a functional LXR-responsive element at 3' end enhancer region of mouse ApoAIV gene. We conclude that ApoAIV is a direct target gene of LXRs that may contribute to the antiatherogenic effect of LXR activation.
Abstract B80: NK therapy for pediatric brain tumors of the posterior fossa

Brain tumors are the second most common childhood malignancies and the leading cause of childhood cancer mortality. Medulloblastomas (MBs) account for approximately 20% of pediatric brain tumors. They develop in the cerebellum and frequently metastasize. Current treatment has increased overall survival to 70-80%, however the prognosis for patients with recurrent disease, metastases or diagnosis at Citation Format: William Benjamin Brugmann, Alvaro Laureano, Cecele Denman, Harjeet Singh, Helen Huls, Zaky Wafik, David Sandberg, Soumen Khatua, Dean Lee, Laurence Cooper, Vidya Gopalakrishnan. NK therapy for pediatric brain tumors of the posterior fossa. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Pediatric Cancer at the Crossroads: Translating Discovery into Improved Outcomes; Nov 3-6, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;74(20 Suppl):Abstract nr B80.
Should dialysis be offered to cancer patients with acute kidney injury

Cancer patients are at high risk for acute kidney injury (AKI), which is associated with high mortality when renal replacement therapy is required. Because physicians might be reluctant to offer dialysis to patients with malignancies, we sought to appraise outcomes in critically ill cancer patients (mainly with hematological malignancies) who received renal replacement therapy for AKI complicating cancer management. Cohort study including consecutive patients who received renal replacement therapy for AKI complicating cancer management, over a 42-month period. Their mortality was compared with that of non-cancer patients who received renal replacement therapy in the same center over the same study period (control group). A 12-bed medical intensive care unit in a university hospital. 94 critically-ill cancer patients met the inclusion criteria. Median SAPS II was 53 (IQR 40–75) and median Logistic Organ Dysfunction score was 7 (IQR 5–10). The etiology of AKI was multiple in most patients (248 identified factors in 93 patients). Hospital mortality was 51.1%. Two variables were independently associated with hospital mortality: the severity of associated organ failures at ICU admission (OR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.11–1.59; per point) and renal function deterioration after ICU admission (OR, 5.42; 95% CI, 1.62–18.11). Characteristics of the malignancy were not associated with hospital mortality. The presence of cancer had no detectable influence on hospital mortality after adjustment for gender, age, acute severity as assessed by the SAPS II score, and chronic health status [OR 1.2, 95% CI 0.63–2.27; p = 0.57]. ICU admission should be considered in selected critically ill cancer patients with AKI requiring renal replacement therapy.
Neutrino heat conduction and inhomogeneities in the early Universe.

Constraints on parameters of inhomogeneous nucleosynthesis, namely, the overdensity and size of baryon lumps, are found by calculating the blackbody neutrino heat conduction into the lumps, which tends to inflate them away. The scale size for efficient heat conduction is determined by the mean free path $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ of the neutrino, and so we compute $\ensuremath{\lambda}$ in our case of a high-temperature plasma with low chemical potential, and find a general result that many-body effects are unimportant, simplifying the calculation. We find that in region of interest for nucleosynthesis, neutrino inflation is important for overdensities g ${10}^{4}$.
Influence of moist heat on solubility and emulsification properties of soy and peanut flours

Nitrogen solubility and emulsifying properties of unheated and heated (live steam at 100°C for 10, 20, and 30 min) soy and peanut flours were determined. Results showed that each of these functional properties was reduced as heating time increased. Nitrogen solubility of soy flour was more sensitive to extension of heating time than peanut flour. However, emulsion-forming and thickening properties of soy flour were not as adversely affected by moist heat treatment as peanut flour. Viscous, mayonnaise-like emulsions (27,840–41,760 cps) were produced by unheated soy and peanut flours and soy flour heated for 10 or 20 min. Thick salad dressing-like emulsions (9,520–14,960 cps) were produced by soy flour heated for 30 min and peanut flour heated for 10 or 20 min. Poor emulsifying properties were exhibited by peanut flour steamed for 30 min where a thin, pourable emulsion (2,400 cps) was formed. High levels of nitrogen solubility were not necessarily associated with maximum emulsifying capacity. Multiple regression analyses confirmed that heating time was the primary determinant in reduction of functionality of both flours and that flours derived from peanuts and soybeans responded differently to moist heat treatment.
A review of polymer dissolution

Abstract Polymer dissolution in solvents is an important area of interest in polymer science and engineering because of its many applications in industry such as microlithography, membrane science, plastics recycling, and drug delivery. Unlike non-polymeric materials, polymers do not dissolve instantaneously, and the dissolution is controlled by either the disentanglement of the polymer chains or by the diffusion of the chains through a boundary layer adjacent to the polymer–solvent interface. This review provides a general overview of several aspects of the dissolution of amorphous polymers and is divided into four sections which highlight (1) experimentally observed dissolution phenomena and mechanisms reported to this date, (2) solubility behavior of polymers and their solvents, (3) models used to interpret and understand polymer dissolution, and (4) techniques used to characterize the dissolution process.
Achieving efficient polynomial multiplication in fermat fields using the fast Fourier transform

We introduce an efficient way of performing polynomial multiplication in a class of finite fields GF(pm) in the frequency domain. The Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) based frequency domain multiplication technique, originally proposed for integer multiplication, provides an extremely efficient method for multiplication with the best known asymptotic complexity, i.e. O(n log n log log n). Unfortunately, the original FFT method bears significant overhead due to the conversions between the time and the frequency domains, which makes it impractical to perform multiplication of relatively short (160 - 1024 bits) integer operands as used in many applications. In this work, we introduce an efficient way of performing polynomial multiplication in finite fields using the FFT. We show that, with careful selection of parameters, all the multiplications required for the FFT computations can be avoided and polynomial multiplication in finite fields can be achieved with only O(m) multiplications in addition to O(m log m) simple shift, addition and subtraction operations. We show that, especially in constrained devices where multiplication is expensive, polynomial multiplication in the suggested finite fields using the FFT outperforms both the schoolbook and Karatsuba methods for practically small finite fields, e.g., relevant to elliptic curve cryptography.
Gastroesophageal reflux among different racial groups in the United States.

Abstract Background & Aims: White people in the United States are several-fold more affected by esophageal adenocarcinoma than black people. It remains unknown whether this racial discrepancy reflects a higher prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms or a higher degree of esophageal damage. Methods: A cross-sectional survey followed by endoscopy was performed among employees at a VA medical center. The association between race and GERD symptoms and erosive esophagitis was analyzed in logistic regression analyses controlling for demographic, clinical, and histologic variables. Results: A total of 496 of 915 people (54%) returned interpretable questionnaires, and endoscopy was performed in 215 participants. The mean age was 45 years, and 336 (68%) were women. Racial distribution was 43% black, 34% white, and 23% other races. Heartburn occurring at least weekly was reported in 27%, 23%, and 24% of these racial groups, respectively. The age-adjusted prevalence of heartburn or regurgitation was not significantly different among the groups. Erosive esophagitis was found in 50 of 215 participants (23%); 31 of these cases were mild. Only one person had Barrett's esophagus (0.4%). For weekly heartburn or regurgitation, black participants had significantly less frequent erosive esophagitis than white participants (24% vs. 50%; P = 0.03). With multiple adjustments, black participants had a persistently lower risk of esophagitis (adjusted odds ratio, 0.22–0.46; P
Critical Layer Thickness in Exponentially Graded Heteroepitaxial Layers

Exponentially graded semiconductor layers are of interest for use as buffers in heteroepitaxial devices because of their tapered dislocation density and strain profiles. Here we have calculated the critical layer thickness for the onset of lattice relaxation in exponentially graded InxGa1−xAs/GaAs (001) heteroepitaxial layers. Upwardly convex grading with \( x = x_{\infty } \left( {1 - {\rm e}^{ - \gamma /y} } \right) \) was considered, where y is the distance from the GaAs interface, γ is a grading length constant, and x∞ is the limiting mole fraction of In. For these structures the critical layer thickness was determined by an energy-minimization approach and also by consideration of force balance on grown-in dislocations. The force balance calculations underestimate the critical layer thickness unless one accounts for the fact that the first misfit dislocations are introduced at a finite distance above the interface. The critical layer thickness determined by energy minimization, or by a detailed force balance model, is approximately \( h_{\rm{c}} \approx 0.243\;\mu {\hbox{m}}\left( {\gamma /1\;\mu {\hbox{m}}} \right)^{0.5} \left( {x_{\infty } /0.1} \right)^{ -0.54} . \) Although these results were developed for exponentially graded InxGa1−xAs/GaAs (001), they may be generalized to other material systems for application to the design of exponentially graded buffer layers in metamorphic device structures such as modulation-doped field-effect transistors and light-emitting diodes.
Observations on the Action of Streptomycin in vitro (I).

Summary1. A standardized procedure for determination of sensitivity of microorganisms to streptomycin is described.2. The sensitivity of an organism to streptomycin is influenced by age of culture, concentration of organisms, growth phase of culture, and constituents of medium used. Providing these factors are held constant, the sensitivity of a given strain will remain constant from day to day.3. The action of streptomycin is bacterio-static rather than bactericidal. Its action is inhibited by certain growth stimulating substances such as peptone, as well as by certain reducing substances.4. The sensitivity of 84 strains belonging to 7 species is described. Marked variation in sensitivity exists between different strains within a single species and at times between different cells within a given strain.5. The sensitivity of 9 strains belonging to 8 species is essentially the same when tested against crude streptomycin sulfate (453 /xg/mg), against 3 preparations of the crys talline CaCl2 double salt of s...
Development and Perceptual Evaluation of Amplitude-Based F0 Control in Electrolarynx Speech

Purpose Current electrolarynx (EL) devices produce a mechanical speech quality that has been largely attributed to the lack of natural fundamental frequency (F0) variation. In order to improve the quality of EL speech, in the present study the authors aimed to develop and evaluate an automatic F0 control scheme, in which F0 was modulated based on variations in the root-mean-square (RMS) amplitude of the EL speech signal. Method Recordings of declarative sentences produced by 2 male participants before and after total laryngectomy were used to develop procedures for calculating F0 contours for EL speech. Specifically, the positive linear relationship between F0 and RMS amplitude observed in pre-laryngectomy speech was used as the basis for generating an F0 contour based on the amplitude variation of EL speech. An analysis-by-synthesis approach was used to modify the F0 contour, and a perceptual experiment was conducted to examine its impact on the quality of the EL speech. Results The results of perceptual...
Pre-adaptation of Arctic Plants to Climate Change*

Re-appraisal of high latitude ice cover during the Weichselian and the recent discovery of pre-Holocene plant communities in Novaya Zemlya and Northern Norway suggests that the contemporary Arctic flora may have had a longer time span in its occupation of high latitude sites than has hitherto been recognised. The present-day Arctic flora in some regions may therefore have derived at least some of its genetic inheritance from populations that survived in ice-free refugia in the high Arctic polar deserts during the latter stages of the Weichselian glaciation. Increasing evidence for sudden changes in climate at high latitudes in the past, suggests that Arctic vegetation would have been subjected to rapid climatic warming if it had maintained a presence in these regions during the late Weichselian. A review of what is known about plant survival in the high Arctic since pre-Holocene times, coupled with an examination of some of the physiological properties of modern populations in these regions is presented in an attempt to ascertain if high Arctic plants possess mechanisms which facilitate their capacity to respond either phenotypically or physiologically to climatic change.
Electrical stimulation of the cholinergic laterodorsal tegmental nucleus elicits scopolamine-sensitive excitatory postsynaptic potentials in medial pontine reticular formation neurons

Abstract A large and consistent body of data implicates mesopontine cholinergic neurons in the production of rapid eye movement sleep, and indicates that many rapid eye movement sleep events are mediated by activation of pontine reticular formation neurons. There is anatomical evidence for projections from the mesopontine cholinergic nuclei to the pontine reticular formation, but no study has shown that stimulation of this cholinergic zone produces excitatory postsynaptic potentials in pontine reticular formation neurons. In the present study, intracellular recordings were made from 168 pontine reticular formation neurons, identified by antidromic activation from the bulbar reticular formation and by neurobiotin intracellular labeling, in acutely anesthetized cats. The effects of single-pulse electrical stimulation of the laterordorsal tegmental nucleus portion of the ipsilateral mesopontine cholinergic zone were evaluated in these neurons. Under urethane anesthesia this stimulation produced, in 21 of 22 recorded neurons, long-latency excitatory postsynaptic potentials (mean = 3 ms), consistent with the conduction velocity of unmyelinated cholinergic fibers (measured conduction velocity was 2 m/s). This excitatory postsynaptic potential was virtually abolished by intravenous administration of the muscarinic cholinergic receptor blocker scopolamine ( n = 40 neurons), and by acute cuts separating the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus and the recorded neurons ( n = 40). In contrast, a short-latency excitatory postsynaptic potential (0.7–1.5 ms) was not reduced in amplitude by scopolamine and could still be elicited following acute transverse cuts. Unlike the longer-latency excitatory postsynaptic potential, its amplitude was not reduced by barbiturate anesthesia. These data, suggesting the presence of an excitatory, cholinergic laterodorsal tegmental nucleus projection to the pontine reticular formation, provide further support to other lines of evidence implicating mesopontine cholinergic neurons in the production of rapid eye movement sleep, and are compatible with a model of rapid eye movement sleep generation in which a key element is mesopontine cholinergic input depolarizing and increasing the excitability of reticular core neurons.
Review of polymer oxidation and its relationship with materials performance and lifetime prediction

Abstract All polymers are intrinsically susceptible to oxidation, which is the underlying process for thermally driven materials degradation and of concern in various applications. There are many approaches for predicting oxidative polymer degradation. Aging studies usually are meant to accelerate oxidation chemistry for predictive purposes. Kinetic models attempt to describe reaction mechanisms and derive rate constants, whereas rapid qualification tests should provide confidence for extended performance during application, and similarly TGA tests are meant to provide rapid guidance for thermal degradation features. What are the underlying commonalities or diverging trends and complications when we approach thermo-oxidative aging of polymers in such different ways? This review presents a brief status report on the important aspects of polymer oxidation and focuses on the complexity of thermally accelerated polymer aging phenomena. Thermal aging and lifetime prediction, the importance of DLO, property correlations, kinetic models, TGA approaches, and a framework for predictive aging models are briefly discussed. An overall perspective is provided showing the challenges associated with our understanding of polymer oxidation as it relates to lifetime prediction requirements.
Conservation of the Owens Pupfish: Genetic Effects of Multiple Translocations and Extirpations

Abstract The Owens Pupfish Cyprinodon radiosus represents many of the challenges of managing threatened or endangered species in fragmented refuge populations. All six extant populations of the endangered Owens Pupfish were examined to assess how management practices, including serial translocations and founder events, have influenced the genetic diversity of the species and to make recommendations for future management. Four populations were sampled twice with 3–4 years intervening; two additional populations were sampled once. Populations were genotyped at nine microsatellite loci; estimated effective population sizes ranged from 34.2 to 347.8 individuals based on the linkage disequilibrium method and from 10 to 48 using the sibship assignment method. All of the populations were estimated to have undergone severe bottlenecks, and statistically significant pairwise F ST values increased during the period between sampling. From this data we infer that the individual refuge populations have differentiated ...
Political Sophistication Among the Mass Publics of Confucian Asia

The concept of “Confucian Asia” is often used without a validity check. But are Asian societies homogeneous in Confucian orientations as the term suggests? If not, how can one explain the variation? By examining the East Asia Barometer survey data, this article challenges the homogeneity of Confucian Asia and finds that Confucian orientations are unevenly distributed even among commonly accepted Confucian societies. In exploring the possible explanations for this Confucian orientation variation, this article argues that political sophistication is the direct mechanism to explain the variation of mass commitment toward Confucianism. By comparing other alternative explanations such as modernization theory, the article finds that the effects of political sophistication are independent and potent.
Gene expression profiling of mouse postnatal cerebellar development using oligonucleotide microarrays designed to detect differences in glycoconjugate expression.

Abstract Differences in gene expression patterns between adult and postnatal day 7 (P7) mouse cerebellum, at the peak of granule neuron migration, were analyzed by hybridization to the GLYCOv2 glycogene array. This custom designed oligonucleotide array focuses on glycosyl transferases, carbohydrate-binding proteins, proteoglycans and related genes, and 173 genes were identified as being differentially expressed with statistical confidence. Expression levels for 11 of these genes were compared by RT-PCR, and their differential expression between P7 and adult cerebellum confirmed. Within the group of genes showing differential expression, the sialyltransferases (SiaTs) and GalNAc-Ts that were elevated at P7 prefer glycoprotein substrates, whilst the SiaTs and GalNAc-Ts that were elevated in the adult preferentially modify glycolipids, consistent with a role for gangliosides in maintaining neuronal function in the adult. Also within this group, three proteoglycans—versican, bamacan and glypican-2—were elevated at P7, along with growth factor midkine, which is known to bind to multiple types of proteoglycans, and fibroblast growth factor receptor 1, whose activity is known to be influenced by heparan sulfate proteoglycans. Two sulfotransferases that can modify the extent of proteoglycan sulfation were also differentially regulated, and may modify the interaction of a subset of proteoglycans with their binding partners during cerebellar development. Bamacan, glypican-2 and midkine were shown to be expressed in different cell types, and their roles in cerebellar development during granule neuron migration and maturation are discussed.
European migration regimes: Emerging, enlarging and deteriorating

Abstract As European states increasingly turn toward multilateral cooperation in asylum policy and border control, a regime governing migration to the European Union is emerging. Central and East European states are also preparing to join this emerging EU migration regime by incorporating the Justice and Home Affairs acquis communautaire into their laws, and strengthening their administrative systems to implement new migration laws. At the same time that member states attempt to control the inflow of more migrants through multinational cooperation some member states are trying to increase the naturalisation of those already resident by permitting dual nationality. The new Council of Europe Convention on Nationality marks a shift away from longstanding international norms against dual nationality. The simultaneous emergence of an international regime governing migration to the EU, the influence of this regime on migration policy making in Eastern and Central Europe and the decline of the regime which helps...