cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The pharmacist: An indispensable partner in HIV care

In 1981, the first reports of Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia and Kaposi’s sarcoma in otherwise healthy young men in the United States marked the beginning of the AIDS epidemic.[1][1] Few would have predicted the enormity of this disease. While initially described in the United States, HIV
Materials Compatibility and Aging for Flux and Cleaner Combinations.

A materials study of high reliability electronics cleaning is presented here. In Phase 1, mixed type substrates underwent a condensed contaminants application to view a worst- case scenario for unremoved flux with cleaning agent residue for parts in a silicone oil filled environment. In Phase 2, fluxes applied to copper coupons and to printed wiring boards underwent gentle cleaning then accelerated aging in air at 65% humidity and 30 O C. Both sets were aged for 4 weeks. Contaminants were no-clean (ORL0), water soluble (ORH1 liquid and ORH0 paste), and rosin (RMA; ROL0) fluxes. Defluxing agents were water, solvents, and engineered aqueous defluxers. In the first phase, coupons had flux applied and heated, then were placed in vials of oil with a small amount of cleaning agent and additional coupons. In the second phase, pairs of copper coupons and PWB were hand soldered by application of each flux, using tin-lead solder in a strip across the coupon or a set of test components on the PWB. One of each pair was cleaned in each cleaning agent, the first with a typical clean, and the second with a brief clean. Ionic contamination residue was measured before accelerated aging. After aging, substratesmore » were removed and a visual record of coupon damage made, from which a subjective rank was applied for comparison between the various flux and defluxer combinations; more corrosion equated to higher rank. The ORH1 water soluble flux resulted in the highest ranking in both phases, the RMA flux the least. For the first phase, in which flux and defluxer remained on coupons, the aqueous defluxers led to worse corrosion. The vapor phase cleaning agents resulted in the highest ranking in the second phase, in which there was no physical cleaning. Further study of cleaning and rinsing parameters will be required.« less
Effects of Sulfanilamide, Sulfapyridine, Sulfathiazole and Sulfanilylguanidine upon Colon-Typhoid-Dysentery Group

ConclusionsIn vitro studies on several sulfonamide derivatives indicate sulfathiazole and sodium sulfathiazole to be somewhat more effective than sulfapyridine and distinctly superior to sulfanilamide and to sulfanilylguanidine against the colon-typhoid-dysentery group.Feeding the several compounds in the diet to mice, caused, with a single exception, a significant reduction of the number of coliform organisms normally present in the intestinal excreta. Sulfanilamide, under the conditions of this test, proved to be ineffective in lowering the fecal B. coli count of the animals.
Uncertainty and Promise: the Effects of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on Working Memory

Working memory (WM) is an essential neuropsychological system that supports complex cognitive processes. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) uses electrical current to modulate brain activity and may serve as a tool for studying or even enhancing WM. Here, we review the recent research that has explored the effects of tDCS on WM in healthy young adults, older adults, and patient populations. We also discuss several recent meta-analyses that have examined the efficacy of tDCS as a WM intervention. While a majority of the papers reviewed suggest that tDCS can modulate WM, this effect is highly inconsistent. These seemingly conflicting results may be driven by differences in study design, tDCS protocol, or inter-individual differences. Future research should systematically vary stimulation parameters, combine tDCS with neuroimaging, and account for individual differences in order to accurately assess the value of tDCS as a way to study and enhance WM.
Highly Selective, Facile NO2 Reduction to NO at Cryogenic Temperatures on Hydrogen Precovered Gold

We have discovered that NO2 is reduced to NO at 77 K by hydrogen precovered gold in vacuum. Here, we investigate the partial reduction of NO2 to NO on an atomic-hydrogen populated model gold catalyst for a more fundamental understanding of the surface chemistry of hydrogenation. Gold-based catalysts have been found to be active for many hydrogenation reactions, but few related fundamental studies have been conducted. Our experimental results reveal a high catalytic activity for gold: indeed, NO2 is reduced to NO with 100% conversion and 100% selectivity at temperatures lower than 120 K. Density functional theory calculations and reflection–absorption infrared spectroscopy measurements indicate that HNO2 and N2O3 are intermediates which are highly dependent on surface hydrogen concentrations; subsequent hydrogenation of HNO2 and dissociation of N2O3 upon annealing induces the production of NO and H2O.
Thermal stability of Fe 3 Si-based nanocrystals

We studied the thermal stability of nanocrystalline (Fe3Si)0.95Nb0.05 and Fe3Si alloys prepared by high-energy ball milling. Alloys were characterized by Mossbauer spectrometry, as well as X-ray diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy. The Nb-containing alloy was considerably more stable against grain growth than was the binary Fe3Si alloy. Mossbauer spectrometry showed that the Nb atoms segregated away from the DO3 ordered domains, probably to grain boundaries, and thus provided a strong suppression on grain growth.
Derivation of continuum models for the moving contact line problem based on thermodynamic principles

Abstract Contact line arises as the boundary of free boundaries in fluids. This problem is interesting and important, not only because it arises in many applications, but also because of the distinct mathematical and physical features it has, such as singularities, hysteresis, instabilities, competing scaling regimes, etc. For a long time, this area of study was plagued with conflicting theories and uncertainties regarding how the problem should be modeled. In the present paper we illustrate how continuum models for the moving contact line problem can be derived using very simple thermodynamic considerations. Both the sharp interface models and diffuse interface models are derived.
Protein Encapsulation via Polypeptide Complex Coacervation

Proteins have gained increasing success as therapeutic agents; however, challenges exist in effective and efficient delivery. In this work, we present a simple and versatile method for encapsulating proteins via complex coacervation with oppositely charged polypeptides, poly(l-lysine) (PLys) and poly(d/l-glutamic acid) (PGlu). A model protein system, bovine serum albumin (BSA), was incorporated efficiently into coacervate droplets via electrostatic interaction up to a maximum loading of one BSA per PLys/PGlu pair and could be released under conditions of decreasing pH. Additionally, encapsulation within complex coacervates did not alter the secondary structure of the protein. Lastly the complex coacervate system was shown to be biocompatible and interact well with cells in vitro. A simple, modular system for encapsulation such as the one presented here may be useful in a range of drug delivery applications.
CFTR and Cystic Fibrosis

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is an essential anion channel that regulates fluid and electrolyte transport across a variety of epithelia. Mutations that reduce CFTR protein expression or channel activity cause cystic fibrosis, the most common lethal recessive genetic disorder among Caucasians. CFTR occupies a prominent position among ion channels, as physiologic investigation of genotype/phenotype correlation has led to significant biomedical advancement with direct consequence on quality of life and survival. Here, we review our current understanding of how CFTR functions as an ATP-gated and phosphorylation-regulated anion channel that is the only identified ion channel in the large superfamily of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters. The CFTR gating mechanism is also compared to the gating mechanisms of other more conventional ligand-gated channels with an interpretation of how prospective drugs may affect channel function. The various mechanisms by which different classes of CFTR mutations disrupt the function of this anion channel to cause cystic fibrosis are also discussed. Finally, we review the clinical manifestations of cystic fibrosis disease and current treatment options with an emphasis on the recent development of drugs that directly target the basic anion channel defect.
Potential for the Low-Temperature Pasteurization of Dairy Fluids Using Membrane Processing

Raw milk, reconstituted skim milk, skim milk, sweet whey, and acid whey were membrane processed on different units from several manufacturers using various membranes with pore sizes ranging from nanofiltration through microfiltration. The bulk fluids were inoculated with either Staphylococcus aureus 196E, Salmonella typhimurium var. Hillfarm, and/or Pseudomonas fragi 4973. In addition, indigenous microorganisms were present. The permeate and retentate streams were monitored for bacterial numbers. Percent total solids of the permeate streams was determined. Temperatures and pressures were controlled. In no cases were the bacteria completely retained while concomitantly allowing permeated solids to equal the solids in the original bulk fluid. Findings indicated different membranes of same molecular weight cut-off exhibited dissimilar bacterial retention characteristics. Unit design/configuration appeared to play a role in retention of bacteria. Spiral wound microfiltration and ultrafiltration membranes reduced bacterial loads in the permeate by 98.9 to 99.99% while allowing 5 to 6% of the solids in the bulk fluid to pass through the membrane. The bulk fluid does not appear to affect the bacterial retention. The different wheys, milks, and reconstituted skim milk showed similar reductions in bacterial numbers when microfiltered or ultrafiltered through the same type of membrane. All three test microbes demonstrated similar declines during membrane processing. It appeared that bacterial morphology and size did not affect the bacterial retention characteristics. Results indicated that low-temperature membrane processing will not eliminate all microorganisms in the permeate nor did all milk components pass through the membrane into the permeate.
Transforming structural econometrics: substantive vs. statistical premises of inference

ABSTRACTHow could one transform structural econometrics with a view to deliver empirical models that generate reliable inferences and trustworthy evidence for or against theories or claims, as well as provide trustable guidance for economic policy makers? Nell and Errouaki, in Rational Econometric Man: Transforming Structural Econometrics, put forward their proposal on how to achieve that, by discussing the effectiveness of alternative proposals in the literature. There is a lot to agree with in this book, but the primary aim of this note is to initiate the dialogue on issues where opinions differ on how to transform structural econometrics. The discussion focuses on what I consider a crucial aspect of empirical modeling—statistical adequacy—but the authors question its practical usefulness for empirical modeling. I will attempt to make a case that ‘methodological institutionalism’ cannot be properly implemented without employing the notion of statistical adequacy.
Frailty and Surgical Decision Making

Kim and colleagues present a systematic review on preoperative frailty assessment and long-term outcomes in older adults undergoing cardiac surgical procedures. The editorialists discuss how the fi...
Ectopic Choroidal Plexus Tissue

This is an unique condition where there is ectopic choroid tissue in the spinal cord causing pressure myelopathy.
Laser-assisted processing of Ni-Al-Co-Ti under high pressure

Laser-assisted processing and in-situ characterization of a Ni0.7-Al0.1235-Co0.15-Ti0.0265 alloy were carried out under a range of simultaneous hydrostatic high pressures of ∼30 GPa and high temper...
An Interdisciplinary Intervention for Fear of Falling: Lessons Learned from Two Case Studies

ABSTRACTThis article describes two case studies using an interdisciplinary intervention for homebound older adults who experience fear of falling, resulting in debility and isolation. The patients discussed received separate home visits from a physical therapist (two and four visits) and psychologist (six and eight visits) and intervention components included an initial assessment of physical ability, prescription of home exercise program, exposure therapy, and cognitive restructuring. Both patients reported satisfaction with the fear of falling intervention and showed improved ability to walk, both in distance and in requiring less assistance. These findings suggest significant positive treatment effects can be achieved through interdisciplinary exposure-based interventions aimed at reducing unrealistic fear of falling and associated avoidance behaviors. Similar interventions should be considered for more systematic evaluation of effects and mechanisms of change as well as inclusion in interdisciplinary ...
Randomized Controlled Trial of the SystemCHANGE Intervention on Behaviors Related to Cardiovascular Risk in HIV+ Adults.

Objective To examine the effect of a lifestyle behavior intervention (SystemCHANGE) on physical activity and diet quality among sedentary people living with HIV (PLHIV). All participants expressed a desire to improve lifestyle health behaviors. Methods One hundred and seven HIV+ adults were randomized to either the intervention (6, in-person, standardized group sessions focusing on improving lifestyle behaviors) or a control condition (general advice on AHA diet and exercise guidelines). All participants wore an ActiGraph accelerometer and completed 24-hour dietary recalls at baseline, 3, and 6 months. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine intervention effects. The primary activity outcome was time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, and the primary dietary outcome was Healthy Eating Index. Results Mean age was 53 years, 65% were male, and 86% African American. Approximately 90% attended at least half of the sessions and 60% attended 5 or more sessions. The intervention did not significantly improve our primary lifestyle behavior endpoints (P ≥ 0.05); however, intervention participants consumed fewer carbohydrates-primarily sugar-sweetened beverages-per day and lost 0.732 kg body weight compared with a 0.153 weight gain in the control group (P = 0.03). Conclusions Among sedentary PLHIV at high risk of cardiovascular disease, the SystemCHANGE intervention reduced daily carbohydrate intake and body weight, but did not increase physical activity or improve overall diet quality. Future work should identify fundamental personal, interpersonal, and contextual factors that will increase physical activity and improve overall diet quality among this population, and integrate these factors into tailored, lifestyle interventions for aging PLHIV.
Evaluating Intelligibility Usage and Usefulness in a Context-Aware Application

Intelligibility has been proposed to help end-users understand context-aware applications with their complex inference and implicit sensing. Usable explanations can be generated and designed to improve user understanding. However, will users want to use these intelligibility features? How much intelligibility will they use, and will this be sufficient to improve their understanding? We present a quasi-field experiment of how participants used the intelligibility features of a context-aware application. We investigated how many explanations they viewed, how that affected their understanding of the application’s behavior, and suggestions they had for improving its behavior. We discuss what constitutes successful intelligibility usage, and provide recommendations for designing intelligibility to promote its effective use.
Room temperature Pd(0)/Ad3P-catalyzed coupling reactions of aryl chlorides with bis(pinacolato)diboron

Abstract Room temperature Pd(0)/Ad3P-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions of aryl chlorides with bis(pinacolato)diboron are described. The Pd(0)/Ad3P catalyst, generated from Ad3P-coordinated acetanilide-based palladacycle complex, proved to be an efficient catalyst system for the Miyaura borylation reactions of a variety of aryl chlorides with bis(pinacolato)diboron. The mild reaction condition, the easy availability of the catalyst and good coupling yields make these reactions potentially useful in organic synthesis.
Chinese International Students’ Expectations About Career Counseling:

Chinese international students are the largest international student body (33.19%) in the United States. However, career services on college campuses are underutilized by this population despite th...
Max Consensus in the Presence of Additive Noise

The analysis of a distributed consensus algorithm for estimating the maximum of the node initial state values in a network is considered in the presence of communication noise. Conventionally, the maximum is estimated by updating the node state value with the largest received measurements in every iteration at each node. However, due to additive channel noise, the estimate of the maximum at each node has a positive drift at each iteration and this results in nodes diverging from the true max value. Max-plus algebra is used to study this ergodic process, wherein, at each iteration, the state values are multiplied by a random matrix characterized by the noise distribution. The growth rate of the state values due to noise is studied by analyzing the Lyapunov exponent of the product of noise matrices in a max-plus semiring. The growth rate of the state values is bounded by a constant which depends on the spectral radius of the network and the noise variance. Simulation results supporting the theory are also presented.
Integrating Science and Rhetoric on Climate Change in the Classroom

AbstractLike many of the world’s most pressing challenges, climate change is a complex problem spanning the realms of science, economics, law and policy, ethics, communication, and more. With this ...
Left atrial appendage closure device implantation in patients at very high risk for stroke.

Background Little is known about the role of left atrial appendage closure using the Watchman device (Boston Scientific) in patients who are at very high risk for stroke. Objective The purpose of this study was to assess the role of Watchman in patients with CHA2DS2-VASc ≥5. Methods All patients undergoing procedures for Watchman implant at our institution were enrolled in a prospective registry. All 104 consecutive recipients with CHA2DS2-VASc ≥5 were included. Results Median patient age was 78.5 ± 6.4 years, 56% were male, mean CHA2DS2-VASc was 5.7 ± 0.9, and mean HASBLED was 4.0 ± 1.0. Indications for implantation were significant prior bleeding (73%), unacceptable bleeding risk (21%), and unacceptable stroke and bleeding risk (6%). Watchman implantation was successful in all patients. All but 2 patients completed 45 days of postprocedural anticoagulation; 56% used warfarin and 44% used a novel oral anticoagulant. Transesophageal echocardiogram at 45 days revealed no significant peridevice leak. One patient was found to have a small mobile, filamentous echodensity attached on the medial aspect of the Watchman device. This resolved with longer anticoagulation with dabigatran and did not result in adverse outcome. At 1-year follow up, ischemic stroke had occurred in 3 patients (2.8%) at 96, 119, and 276 days after the procedure. Conclusion In a population of patients with mean CHA2DS2-VASc of 5.7, Watchman implantation seemed to be safe and efficacious, with a residual annual ischemic stroke risk of 2.8%. In an atrial fibrillation population with a similar CHA2DS2-VASc score, the estimated annual risk of stroke is ≈12% off anticoagulation and >4% on warfarin.
Polyelectrolytes: On the doorsteps of the second century

Abstract Polyelectrolytes are macromolecules with ionizable groups. In this perspective, I will present a brief history of polyelectrolytes starting from the seminal papers published in the first half of the 20th century followed by the current developments in the field and by the list of the standing problems. Particular emphasis will be on how static and dynamic properties of polyelectrolyte solutions depend on the fraction of dissociated ionic groups, solvent quality for the polymer backbone, and salt and polymer concentrations.
Severe encephalitis in infant with COVID-19: A case report

BACKGROUND: Encephalitis is a serious condition that contains neurological dysfunction cause by inflammation of the brain tissue. Etiological factors for the occurrence of this condition include infectious and non-infectious causes. CASE REPORT: We are presented 9-month-old infant referred to our clinic in convulsive status, fever, and disturbed consciousness. From anamnestic information, the infant has been febrile for 2 days with profuse vomiting initiating just before admission at the clinic. At the moment of admission in the clinic, the infant looked intoxicated with generalized tonic-clonic seizures, with shortness of breath and fever with a weakened reaction to painful stimuli. It was admitted in the Isolation Unit by the protocol of the clinic. Laboratory investigations were done. Due to the persistence of convulsive status, a computed tomography scan of the brain was performed with the finding of enlargement of the lateral ventricles, with intraventricular masses and pronounced internal hydrocephalus. The results of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) from the infant were positive as well as the grandmother. The infant was intubated immediately and put on mechanical ventilation SIPPV. CONCLUSION: Our case report could suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infection may cause severe clinical symptoms, neurological manifestations, and encephalitis in infants.
United States COVID-19 Vaccination Preferences (CVP): 2020 Hindsight.

Shortly after the 2020 US election, initial evidence on first-generation COVID-19 vaccines showed 70–95% efficacy and minimal risks. Yet, many US adults expressed reluctance. The aim of this study was to compare persons willing and unwilling to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to estimate the effects of vaccination attributes on uptake: proof of vaccination, vaccination setting, effectiveness, duration of immunity, and risk of severe side effects. Between 9 and 11 November 2020, 1153 US adults completed a discrete choice experiment (DCE) on Phase 2 of the CDC Vaccination Program (August 2021). Each of its eight choice tasks had three vaccination alternatives and “no vaccination for 6 months.” An opt-out inflated logit model was estimated to test for respondent differences and attribute effects. Respondent demographics were unrelated to one’s willingness to be vaccinated (p value 0.533), but those with less education were more likely to be unwilling (p < 0.001). Among those willing, uptake ranged from 61.70 to 97.75%, depending on the vaccination attributes. Effectiveness and safety had the largest effects. Offering proof of vaccination and a choice of setting increased uptake as much as increasing immunity from 3 to 6 months. To maximize uptake, the CDC Program should standardize proof of vaccination and offer a choice of setting, instead of a one-size-fits-all approach. If the first-generation vaccines are efficacious, widely available, and free, overall predicted uptake is 68.81% by the end of Phase 2 (August 2021), which is well below the 75–90% needed for herd immunity. Further health preference research is necessary to uncover and address unwillingness and reluctance to vaccinate against COVID-19.
Preschoolers’ imitation of sentential complement sentences: Does the nature of the matrix clause matter?:

Preschoolers’ earliest productions of sentential complement sentences have matrix clauses that are limited in form. Diessel proposed that matrix clauses in these early productions are propositional...
Special issue introduction: Statistical Methods in Precision Medicine: Diagnostic, Prognostic, Predictive and Therapeutic

Dear Readers,We are delighted to offer this special issue of Biostatistics & Epidemiology on ‘Statistical Methods in Precision Medicine: Diagnostic, Prognostic, Predictive and Therapeutic.’ Precisi...
Accurate tracking of forest activity key to multi-jurisdictional management goals: A case study in California.

Abstract An essential component of sustainable forest management is accurate monitoring of forest activities. Although monitoring efforts have generally increased for many forests throughout the world, in practice, effective monitoring is complex. Determining the magnitude and location of progress towards sustainability targets can be challenging due to diverse forest operations across multiple jurisdictions, the lack of data standardization, and discrepancies between field inspections and remotely-sensed records. In this work, we used California as a multijurisdictional case study to explore these problems and develop an approach that broadly informs forest monitoring strategies. The State of California recently entered into a shared stewardship agreement with the US Forest Service (USFS) and set a goal to jointly treat one million acres of forest and rangeland annually by 2025. Currently, however, federal and state forest management datasets are disjoint. This work addresses three barriers stymying the use of federal and state archival records to assess management goals. These barriers are: 1) current databases from different jurisdictions have not been combined due to their distinct data collection processes and internal structures; 2) datasets have not been comprehensively analyzed, despite the need to understand the extent of previous treatments as well as the rate of current activity; and 3) the spatial accuracy of archival datasets has not been evaluated against remotely-sensed data. To reduce these barriers, we first aggregated existing archival forest management records between 1984 and 2019 from the USFS′ Forest Activity Tracking System (FACTS) and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) using a qualitative scalar of treatment intensity. Combined FACTS and CAL FIRE completed footprint acres – defined as unique areas of land where a treatment was completed at any time since 1984 – have decreased since a peak in 2008. At most, 300,000 footprint acres are completed each year, 30% of the million-acre goal. Prescribed fires – defined as direct burning operations – have risen over time, according to the FACTS hazardous fuels dataset but prescribed fire records in CAL FIRE's dataset have rapidly increased since 2016. We also refined the spatial and temporal detail of the aggregated management record using the Continuous Change Detection and Classification algorithm on satellite remote sensing data to produce a state-wide time series map of harvest disturbances. A comparison of the algorithm's refined data to the archival record potentially suggests over-reporting in both FACTS and CAL FIRE's archival datasets. Our integrated dataset provides a better assessment of current treatments and the path towards the 1-million-acre a year goal. The refined dataset leverages the strengths of complementary, albeit imperfect, monitoring strategies from archives and remotely-sensed detection.
The feeding of premature infants: The value of high caloric diets in reducing the length of hospital stay

Summary Three groups of premature infantswere compared as to their daily caloric intake, weight gain, and length of hospital stay. 1. Group A fed the usual 120 to 130calories per kilo of body weight per day after 10 to 14 days of age showed the smallest weight gain and longest period of hospitalization. 2. Group B fed on a semidemand schedule after the second week of life showed a greater daily weight gain and required a correspondingly shorter period of hospitalization. 3. Group C fed on a demand scheduleafter the second day of life showed the greatest average daily weight gain and the shortest period of hospitalization.
Combining classifiers using their receiver operating characteristics and maximum likelihood estimation

In any medical domain, it is common to have more than one test (classifier) to diagnose a disease. In image analysis, for example, there is often more than one reader or more than one algorithm applied to a certain data set. Combining of classifiers is often helpful, but determining the way in which classifiers should be combined is not trivial. Standard strategies are based on learning classifier combination functions from data. We describe a simple strategy to combine results from classifiers that have not been applied to a common data set, and therefore can not undergo this type of joint training. The strategy, which assumes conditional independence of classifiers, is based on the calculation of a combined Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, using maximum likelihood analysis to determine a combination rule for each ROC operating point. We offer some insights into the use of ROC analysis in the field of medical imaging.
Thermodynamics of Fluid-Phase Equilibria at High Pressures

Publisher Summary Thermodynamic analysis is the essential step that links molecular physics with practical phase equilibrium problems. The fundamental equilibrium relation for multicomponent, multiphase systems is most conveniently expressed in terms of fugacities; for any component i, the fugacity must be the same in all equilibrated phases. However, this equilibrium relation is of no use until the fugacity of a component can be related to directly measurable properties. The task of phase-equilibrium thermodynamics, therefore, is to describe the effects of temperature, pressure, and composition on the fugacity of each component in each phase of the system of interest. When analyzing typical experimental data, it is often difficult to isolate the effect of pressure because, more often than not, a change in the pressure is accompanied by, a simultaneous change in either the temperature or the composition or both. With currently available techniques, good estimates are made of gas-phase fugacity coefficients for components in nonpolar mixtures; however, some judgment and experience are required, because no single prescription is optimum for all cases. At high temperatures, when the effect of polarity is small, good predictions can sometimes be made from pure component data alone. However, at normal temperatures, especially for mixtures containing strongly polar or associating components, neither theoretical nor empirical tools are sufficiently developed for consistently good results.
Further Applications of the Definite Integral

This chapter presents the discussion of applications of the integral and provides an overview of usefulness of the integral as a tool in many different branches of science. It discusses how the definite integral can be used to calculate the volumes of certain solid figures. The chapter describes a procedure called the integration process that is used in every application of the integral. It discusses the notion of a solid of revolution obtained by rotating a curve around a given line. The chapter discusses how to calculate the lateral surface area of a solid of revolution obtained by rotating a curve around a given line, discusses the center of mass of a finite number of point masses located along the x -axis, and presents the calculation of the center of mass with examples. It explains the moments of inertia and kinetic energy and discusses how to calculate inertia. The chapter discusses how the integral can be used to calculate fluid pressures.
Asynchronous biphasic pulse signal coding and its CMOS realization

An asynchronous biphasic pulse train signal representation mechanism is proposed for low bandwidth, low power sensor applications. We prove that this novel pulse coding method provides lossless encoding theoretically. We also present a CMOS circuit realization using the AMI 0.6 /spl mu/m process. Cadence simulation results show that the reconstructed signal has 8 effective bits of resolution with less than 100 /spl mu/W of total power consumption.
Vital staining of Mycoplasma and L-forms with Chlorazol Black E.

Vital staining of Mycoplasma colonies was attempted because other dye visualization techniques kill the organisms and preclude reisolation for further studies. The lipophilic amphoteric dye Chlorazol Black E (CBE) was the most successful of 14 vital dyes tested on Mycoplasma hominis, M. pharyngis, M. fermentans, M. arthritidis, M. salivarium, M. pneumoniae , and L-forms of Staphylococcus aureus when used in 1:1,000 (w/v) saline dilution as the sterile suspension medium for inoculation of Hayflick9s medium under both aerobic and microaerophilic (Fortner method) conditions. Colonies of all species stain homogeneously in the periphery and center portion, the latter being more refractive under positive phase contrast. All stained colonies were successfully subcultured. The most striking and promising result of the use of CBE as a tool for physiological study of Mycoplasma was a very significant increase in diameter of all colonies except those of M. pneumoniae grown with CBE: 1.5 × for M. hominis and 5 × for L-form S. aureus . This size increase in M. hominis is proportional to the concentration down to a 1:50,000 dilution only under microaerophilic conditions. Whether this increase in colony size is due to an increased number of cells, to larger cells, or to the adsorption of CBE on the lipid membrane is unknown at present. Images
Prehistoric GM Corn

The huge ears of modern corn look nothing like the ears of teosinte, corn's ancestor. The question is: How did modern corn get that way? As [Fedoroff][1] explains in her Perspective, molecular sleuthing reveals that just a few genetic changes in teosinte were sufficient to produce a progenitor of modern corn, which was then carefully selected over thousands of years by our farmer ancestors to produce the corn that we pop in microwaves today ([ Jaenicke et al .][2]). [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/302/5648/1158 [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/302/5648/1206
Identification of Bacillus subtilis NRRL B-3275 as a Strain of Bacillus pumilus

The physiological and biochemical properties of a species of Bacillus previously identified as B. subtilis NRRL B-3275 (B-3275) were compared with those of seven strains of B. pumilus and five strains of B. subtilis. The biotin requirement of B-3275, its inability to hydrolyze starch, and its failure to reduce nitrate indicate that the organism is more closely related to the B. pumilus strains than to those of B. subtilis. Hybridization of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from B-3275 with that of the strains of B. pumilus showed a binding efficiency (compared with the homologous reaction) of 58 to 99%, depending on the strain. Hybridization with the DNA from any of the strains of B. subtilis did not exceed 24%. DNA from B-3275 was unable to transform two amino acid auxotrophic markers to prototrophy in a highly competent strain of B. subtilis 168. We conclude that B-3275 is a strain of B. pumilus which we designate as B. pumilus NRRL B-3275.
Dynamics of Arthropod-Borne Diseases

Transmission of disease agents by arthropods is a complex phenomenon, including relationships among the various arthropod vectors, their pathogens, and their animal hosts. Myriad factors affect the ability of arthropods to acquire, maintain, and ultimately transmit pathogens. This chapter presents an in-depth discussion of the concept of vector competence and the various ways arthropods acquire and transmit disease agents. Mechanical transmission of disease agents occurs when arthropods merely physically transport pathogens from one place or host to another one, while biological transmission is much more complex, occurring when the disease agent undergoes changes in form or multiplies within its arthropod vector.
Paralleling the Practice: An Analysis of the Scholarly Literature in Nonprofit Public Relations

Although analysis of public relations scholarly literature has become an ongoing topic of investigation, there has been little examination of how different areas of public relations have been studied, and no studies specifically on the nonprofit sector. Therefore, this study investigated scholarly articles about nonprofit public relations in the top public relations and international communications journals (n = 206). Employing a quantitative content analysis, we examined the selected articles in terms of theoretical perspectives, research topics, methodologies, data collection and types of nonprofit organizations. We conclude that, despite an overall paucity of published research, the last 6 years has evidenced a notable increase in the number and proportion of scholarly articles about this topic. If scholarly articles published in 2012 are any indication, then the future of scholarly study of nonprofit public relations looks to be more promising than ever.
Neuropeptide Y Gene Expression in the Arcuate Nucleus: Sexual Dimorphism and Modulation by Testosterone*

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) peptide concentrations in the arcuate nucleus have recently been shown to be modulated by gonadal steroids in the male rat. The present study was designed to determine whether NPY messenger RNA (mRNA)-synthesizing cells in the arcuate nucleus (Arc) of the male rat are regulated by testosterone (T) and whether there is a sexual dimorphism in the expression of the NPY gene in this region. In situ hybridization and quantitative autoradiography were used to assess the level of NPY gene expression in the Arc. In the first experiment, NPY mRNA levels were measured in the Arc of intact, castrated, and castrated male rats treated with T to maintain physiological (1.3 +/- 0.1 ng/ml) and supraphysiological (5.3 +/- 0.4 ng/ml) plasma levels of T. A 2-week castration produced a modest but significant decrease in NPY mRNA levels in the Arc (P < 0.05). Replacement with either physiological or supraphysiological levels of T prevented the effect of castration on NPY gene expression, and there was no ...
Gender differences in the effect of prenatal alcohol exposure on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis response to immune signals

Immature (3 week old) rat offspring of alcohol (E)-fed dams show a blunted ACTH response to immune signals such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and endotoxin (LPS). In contrast, mature offspring respond to physical stresses with an exaggerated activation of their hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. The present work was aimed at determining if there was a differential influence of prenatal E exposure on the HPA axis responses to various stressors or if, alternatively, sexual maturation modified these responses. When administered IL-1β at 5 weeks age, E-treated intact male offspring released less ACTH, compared to control (C) or pair-fed (PF) animals. However, they showed an augmented response to LPS and a local inflammatory process induced by turpentine injection. At this same age, intact E females secreted significantly more ACTH in response to IL-1β, LPS and turpentine, than C or PF offspring. By 9 weeks of age, both E males and E females exhibited larger (p < .05) ACTH responses to all three immune stimuli. In order to determine whether sex steroids modulate the influence of E in females, ovariectomy was done prior to puberty. This treatment decreased the difference in the ACTH released by E and C rats in response to IL-1β, LPS and turpentine. These results show that while immature rats exposed to E prenatally released less ACTH in response to cytokines than C or PF animals did, this response was qualitatively reversed after puberty. At that time, the larger amounts of ACTH secreted by E offspring, compared to the other groups, were reminiscent of the hyperactive response of the HPA axis when these offspring were exposed to physical stress. Interestingly, removal of circulating ovarian steroids prevented the influence of E from being exerted. This suggests the presence of a functional relationship between the pathways influenced by prenatal E and those influenced by female sex steroids, that are important in regulating the activity of the HPA axis.
Preparation of 14C‐3‐hydroxyproline from 14C‐proline by Peroxidation

Conditions are described for the treatment of proline with hydrogen peroxide, ascorbic acid, and ferrous ions to produce 3-hydroxyproline in 5–6% yield. Several reaction products are formed, but they can be separated chromatographically to yield pure trans-3-hydroxyproline. Synthesis of the radioactive amino acid from 14C-L-proline yields the pure isomer with specific activity identical to that of the starting proline. Identity of the desired product was established by chromatography, electrophoresis, and mass spectrum.
Evaluation of membranes used for electroblotting of proteins for direct automated microsequencing.

Protein purification and characterisation have been age-old problems for the biochemist. A new era has arisen with the advent of one- and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and high sensitivity automated protein microsequencing. These two tools along with electroblotting have made it possible to separate and analyse complex protein mixtures. We studied six different membranes compatible with Edman degradation chemistry to determine their efficiencies at binding proteins electroblotted from one-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Their overall blotting-sequencing properties were also evaluated. We found that the polyvinylidene difluoride-based membranes out-performed the glass-based and polypropylene-based membranes under our selec ted experimental conditions. The problems associated with electroblotting and microsequencing are discussed.
Collective bargaining, teachers, and student achievement

Approximately two-thirds of the nation’s elementary and secondary schoolteachers are represented by the American Federation of Teachers or the National Education Association. Surprisingly, however, relatively little is known of the impact of teachers’ unions on student achievement. The authors offer evidence on this point by estimating “college entrance exam production functions” for a national sample of 2,360 students. Of particular importance, the estimation includes a correction for the selectivity bias inherent if the analysis considers only the performance of test-takers. Results indicate that students in a unionized environment score about 4.7 percent higher on their college entrance exams (SAT and ACT) than their counterparts from a nonunion environment.
Structural distortions and model Hamiltonian parameters: From LSDA to a tight-binding description of LaMnO3

The physics of manganites is often described within an effective two-band tight-binding TB model for the Mn eg electrons, which apart from the kinetic energy includes also a local “Hund’s rule” coupling to the t2g core spin and a local coupling to the Jahn-Teller JT distortion of the oxygen octahedra. We test the validity of this model by comparing the energy dispersion calculated for the TB model with the full Kohn-Sham band structure calculated within the local spin-density approximation LSDA to density functional theory. We analyze the effect of magnetic order, JT distortions, and “GdFeO3-type” tilt rotations of the oxygen octahedra. We show that the hopping amplitudes are independent of magnetic order and JT distortions and that both effects can be described with a consistent set of model parameters if hopping between both nearest and next-nearest neighbors is taken into account. We determine a full set of model parameters from the density functional theory calculations, and we show that both JT distortions and Hund’s rule coupling are required to obtain an insulating ground state within LSDA. Furthermore, our calculations show that the GdFeO3-type rotations of the oxygen octahedra lead to a substantial reduction of the hopping amplitudes but to no significant deviation from the simple TB model.
Chloroquine, hydroxystilbamidine, and dapsone inhibit resorption of fetal rat bone in organ culture.

Three potential inhibitors of lysosomal enzyme release, chloroquine, hydroxystilbamidine, and dapsone were tested for their effects on the release of previously incorporated45Ca and beta (β)-glucuronidase from fetal rat long bones cultured in a chemically defined medium. At concentrations of 10−5 to 10−8M, all three agents were able to inhibit the stimulation of bone resorption by parathyroid hormone (PTH) or prostaglandin E2 (PGE2). Inhibition was seen at concentrations which did not alter the uptake of (3H)-2-deoxy-glucose or the incorporation of (3H)-thymidine in bone. While the inhibitors blocked the stimulation of β-glucuronidase release by PTH and PGE2, they could also cause a direct increase in total β-glucuronidase content and release. Hence the usual strong correlation between the release of β-glucuronidase and45Ca was no longer seen in the presence of inhibitors. These data indicate that chloroquine, hydroxystilbamidine, and dapsone are potent inhibitors of bone resorption which may act by blocking the release of lysosomal enzymes in cells stimulated by PTH or PGE2, but may have a different effect on other cell populations.
Brooks' graph-coloring theorem and the independence number

Abstract Let h denote the maximum degree of a connected graph H, and let χ(H) denote its chromatic, number. Brooks' Theorem asserts that if h ≥ 3, then χ(H) ≤ h, unless H is the complete graph Kh+1. We show that when H is not Kh+1, there is an h-coloring of H in which a maximum independent set is monochromatic. We characterize those graphs H having an h-coloring in which some color class consists of vertices of degree h in H. Again, without any loss of generality, this color class may be assumed to be maximum with respect to the condition that its vertices have degree h.
The isochronous cyclotron and high-resolution nuclear spectroscopy

Abstract The practical limitations on high-resolution charged-particle spectroscopy imposed by the size and brightness of the effective source from an accelerator are discussed. Methods of measuring the characteristics of the source, and the parameters of the ion-optical system are described. Results of such measurements with an isochronous cyclotron as the source, are given. The technique for calibration of the spectrometer is described.
Enzymatic and molecular biological analysis of palmitoyl protein thioesterase deficiency in infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis.

Abstract: Infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (INCL) is a neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disease that results from a deficiency of palmitoyl protein thioesterase (PPT), a deacylating enzyme that removes cysteine-bound palmitate from proteins. We developed an in vitro PPT enzyme assay that can be readily used for the clinical diagnosis of both INCL patients and carriers. The substrate is a palmitoylated peptide (IRY[14C]palmitoyl-CWLRR) synthesized by reacting [14C]palmitoyl-CoA with a synthetic octapeptide from the PNS P0 glycoprotein. The PPT assay performed in immortalized lymphoblastoid B-cells or the postmortem brain homogenate showed the optimal enzyme activity at pH 5.0, consistent with the findings that PPT is a lysosomal enzyme. PPT activity in lymphoblasts from INCL patients was <4% of that of control lymphoblasts. In addition, obligatory carriers showed 74% of the control activity. Other pathological controls, including the juvenile form of NCL, showed PPT activities that were not different from normal. Furthermore, one brain sample from an INCL patient contained only 7% PPT activity when compared with an unaffected brain. Thus, the enzyme activity assay gives a confident diagnosis of INCL. In contrast, when the total RNA extract from lymphoblasts was probed with 32P-labeled PPT by northern blot analysis, the level of transcript varied among independent INCL families and was not related to PPT activity. In conclusion, whereas variant genetic modifications result in PPT deficiency, all giving similar INCL phenotype, both affected patients and heterozygote carriers can now be screened with a reliable in vitro PPT assay.