cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Autohydrolysis Pretreatment of Mixed Softwood to Produce Value Prior to Combustion

Autohydrolysis is a hot water pretreatment to extract soluble components from wood that can be used prior to converting the woody residuals into paper, wood products, fuel, or other goods. In this study, mixed softwood chips were autohydrolyzed in hot water at 150, 160, 170, and 180 °C for 1 and 2 h residence times. The objective was to understand the tradeoff between the extraction of fermentable sugar and the residual solid total energy of combustion quantitatively. This process strategy will be referred to as “value prior to combustion”. High-performance liquid chromatography was used to determine chemical compositions (sugars and byproducts such as acetic acid, furfural, and hydroxymethylfurfural) of the extracted liquid and residuals; a bomb calorimeter was used to measure the heating value of original wood and solid residue. As the autohydrolysis temperature increased, material balances of the system indicated higher volatile byproducts loss. More hemicelluloses were solubilized by the hot water extraction process at higher temperatures and longer residence times, and a greater degree of sugar degradation was also observed. The maximum sugar yield was determined to occur at conditions of 170 °C for 2 h, during which 13 g of sugar was recovered from the extract out of 100 g of oven-dried wood. The heating value of the solid residues after extraction was greater than the original wood. The total energy content of the solid residual after extraction ranged from 85 to 98 % of the original energy content of the feed with higher temperatures reducing the total energy content.
A specific spot test for iron

Summary A highly selective and sensitive spot test for iron is based on the formation of a violet colored chelate with phenyl-α-pyridyl ketoxime. The limit of identification=0.05 μg.
The Future of Black Colleges and Universities in the Desegregation and Integration Process.

In recent years the term "black college" has come to mean much more than coloration identification. It has meant a change in the philosophy and focus of education programs, a change in the composition of a given black college's faculty and student body. Most of the predominantly black colleges and universities, private and public (which number between 100 and 120 depending on how they are counted), had problems in being founded; they also have had problems of continuation and survival. The U.S. Supreme Court decision of 1954 which stated that the "separate but equal" doctrine had no place in our education society (Brown v. Board of Education, 1954) solved many problems, but others have been created in the aftermath. It is the purpose of this paper to project some of the future actions and developments that black colleges and universities must be involved in if they are to survive in the desegregation and integration processes.
Association of a full-day vs part-day preschool intervention with school readiness, attendance, and parent involvement.

RESULTS Full-day preschool participants had higher scores than part-day peers on socioemotional development (58.6 vs 54.5; difference, 4.1; 95% CI, 0.5-7.6; P = .03), language (39.9 vs 37.3; difference, 2.6; 95% CI, 0.6-4.6; P = .01), math (40.0 vs 36.4; difference, 3.6; 95% CI, 0.5-6.7; P = .02), physical health (35.5 vs 33.6; difference, 1.9; 95% CI, 0.5-3.2; P = .006), and the total score (298.1 vs 278.2; difference, 19.9; 95% CI, 1.2-38.4; P = .04). Literacy (64.5 vs 58.6; difference, 5.9; 95% CI, −0.07 to 12.4; P = .08) and cognitive development (59.7 vs 57.7; difference, 2.0; 95% CI, −2.4 to 6.3; P = .38) were not significant. Full-day preschool graduates also had higher rates of attendance (85.9% vs 80.4%; difference, 5.5; 95% CI, 2.6-8.4; P = .001) and lower rates of chronic absences (10% days missed; 53.0% vs 71.6%; difference, −18.6; 95% CI, −28.5 to −8.7; P = .001;20% days missed; 21.2% vs 38.8%; difference −17.6%; 95% CI, −25.6 to −9.7; P < .001) but no differences in parental involvement. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In an expansion of the CPCs in Chicago, a full-day preschool intervention was associated with increased school readiness skills in 4 of 6 domains, attendance, and reduced chronic absences compared with a part-day program. These findings should be replicated in other programs and contexts.
Hybrid optical packaging, challenges and opportunities

Currently, a disproportionate amount of optical module costs is attributable to the packaging and testing operations.. Consequently, future products will require significant design and manufacturing improvements to overcome these cost barriers. Optical packaging from a macroscopic viewpoint can be reduced to a few principal challenges, namely optical coupling efficiencies, bonding technologies (including hermeticity), thermal management, electrical performance, an manufacturability, which entails the ease of assembly and amenability to automation. These challenges are common whether the optical systems are free space or guided wave optical packages. We address optical efficiencies, thermal management, bonding and manufacturability. The use of silicon optical bench as a platform is used to address manufacturability both in free space optics and guided wave optics. Passive alignment enables submicron accuracies and reduces the over-all assembly steps while reducing assembly complexity. Numerical and closed form simulations are used extensively to model the optical, thermal, and mechanical performance of the package design.
An adaptive heterogeneous software DSM

This paper presents a mechanism to run parallel applications in heterogeneous, dynamic environments while maintaining thread synchrony. A heterogeneous software DSM is used to provide synchronization constructs similar to Pthreads, while providing for individual thread mobility. An asymmetric data conversion scheme is adopted to restore thread states among different computers during thread migration. Within this framework we create a mechanism capable of maintaining the distributed state between migrated (and possibly heterogeneous) threads. We show that thread synchrony can be maintained with minimal overhead and minimal burden to the programmer.
When success breeds failure: history, hysteresis, and delayed exit decisions.

The effects of feedback equivocality, information availability, and prior decision-making history on escalation and persistence were investigated. Replicating the findings of J.L. Bragger, D.H. Bragger, D.A. Hantula, and J.P. Kirnan (1998), this study found that participants receiving equivocal feedback on their decisions invested more money and invested across more opportunities; those who could purchase information invested fewer resources than did participants who did not have the opportunity to purchase information. There was an inverse linear relationship between the percentage of opportunities in which participants purchased information and the delay to exit decisions and total resources invested. Six weeks earlier, some participants took part in a more profitable investment scenario, and prior experience led to later increased investing when participants were faced with failure, even above that invested in a preceding, succeeding scenario. These results are consistent with an equivocality theory account of escalation.
Variability of sediment removal in a semiarid watershed

Field and documentary data from Walnut Gulch Watershed, an instrumented semiarid drainage basin of approximately 150 km 2 (57 mi 2) in southeastern Arizona, show that 83% of the alluvium removed from the basin during a 15-year erosion episode beginning about 1930 was excavated from the highest-order stream. The amount of alluvium removed in the erosion episode would have been equal to a covering of about 4 cm (1.6 in) over the entire basin. The rate of sediment removal during the erosion episode was 18 times greater than the rate of present channel sediment transport. Production of sediment from slopes and channel throughput at present rates are approximately equal, and refilling will not occur under present conditions. The channel forms left by the massive evacuation of sediment impose controls on the spatial distribution of tractive force and total stream power that make renewed storage of sediment likely in only a few restricted locations. Modern instrumented records of a decade or more provide an inadequate perspective on long-term sediment movement.
Cap a una nova interpretació del paradigma de Milgram

This article presents a new perspective in the interpretation of the experimental results of Milgram (1974) about obedience.This new perspective takes into account the most recent contributions of the European School of Social Psychology, mainly the Geneve School (Doise, Deschamps, Mugny) and Social Psychoanalysis (Mendel). Special emphasis is put on the analysis of the different levels of articulation in Experimental Social Psychology and Social Psychoanalysis.
Polyaniune Processed from Sulfuric Acid and in Solution in Sulfuric Acid: Electrical, Optical and Magnetic Properties

Both the salt and the base forms of polyaniline can be completely dissolved in concentrated sulfuric acid at room temperature, with polymer concentrations ranging from extremely dilute to more than 20% (w/W). This solubility opens the way to processing pure, partially crystalline polyaniline or composites of polyaniline with other commercial polymers into fibers and films, etc. We summarize the structural data and the electrical, optical and magnetic properties of polyaniline (in its various forms) processed from sulfuric acid, and the optical and magnetic properties of the emeraldine salt in solution in sulfuric acid.
On the organization of large shared model bases

Central to the Model Management (MM) function is the creation and maintenance of a knowledge-based model repository. The Model Knowledge Base (MKB) provides the basis by which information about models can be shared to facilitate consistent and controlled utilization of existing models for decision making, as well as the development of new models. Various schemes for representing individual models have been proposed in the literature. This paper focuses on how best to structure, control, and administer a large MKB to support organization-wide modeling activities. Guided by a recently proposed systems framework for MM, we describe a number of concepts which are useful for capturing the semantics and structural relationships of models in an MKB. These concepts, and the nature of the MMS functions to be supported, are then used to derive specific information management requirements for model bases. Four major requirements are identified: (1) management of composite model configurations; (2) management of model version histories; (3) support for the model consultation and selection functions of an MMS; and (4) support for multiple logical MKBs (private, group, and public). We argue that traditional record-based approaches to data management appear to fall short of capturing the rich semantics present in an MM environment. The paper proposes an architecture for an MMS, focusing on its major component — the MKB Management Subsystem. An implementation of this architecture is briefly described.
Effects of Dietary Protein Content on Renal Parameters in Normal Cats

This study evaluates the effect of dietary protein content on renal parameters in 23 healthy spayed female cats. The objective was to determine if cats eating diets high in protein will have higher serum urea nitrogen (UN) and creatinine values without a detectable change in kidney function, as assessed by urinalysis. A single random cross-over design was used. Cats were fed a standard maintenance diet for at least 1 month prior to the dietary trial. They were fed in two phases. For the first phase, cats were randomly assigned to receive either a high protein [HP=46% metabolizable energy (ME)] or low protein (LP=26% ME) diet. For the second phase, cats were fed whichever diet they were not fed during the phase I period. Blood and urine samples were collected at 2-week intervals for the duration of the study (10 weeks). UN, albumin, alanine aminotransferase and urine specific gravity were significantly higher, and creatinine and phosphorus were significantly lower (P<0.05) when cats were fed the HP diet as compared to when they were fed the LP diet, although none of the mean values were found to be outside of the corresponding reference interval. Dietary intake can result in clinically significant changes in UN and statistically significantly changes in several other biochemical analytes, although all analytes are likely to remain within normal reference intervals. Therefore, an accurate dietary history is necessary to help determine if renal parameters are being influenced by diet in a particular patient.
Developmental biomechanics of neck musculature.

Neck mechanics is central to head injury prevention since it is the musculoskeletal neck, which dictates the position and movement of the head. In the US, traumatic injury is the leading cause of death for children; however prevention is hampered by the lack of data concerning the mechanics of the immature head-and-neck. Thus, the objective of this study was to quantify neck muscle strength and endurance across the maturation spectrum and correlate these with head-and-neck anthropometry. A factorial study was performed on 91 human subjects measuring head-and-neck anthropometry and neck strength and endurance in three bending directions (flexion, extension, and lateral) as a function of age (6–23 years). Using a custom device, neck maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) force was measured in triplicate. Next, neck muscle endurance (sustained effort) was measured as the subjects’ ability to maintain 70% of peak force over 30 s. Linear regression of peak force and endurance as a function of age revealed each direction to significantly (p<0.0001) increase with age. The MVC force, averaged across all directions and normalized to the adult values, exhibits the following maturation curve: %MVC Force= −0.0879(age)2+6.018(age)+8.120. Neck muscle strength, similar between young males and females, becomes disparate in adolescence and adulthood with males exhibiting greater strength. Bending direction differences were also found with extension strength being the greatest regardless of age and sex. Furthermore, neck circumference appears predictive of neck strength and endurance in children. Together, these relationships may facilitate improved design of injury prevention interventions.
Up-Regulation of Gap Junctional Intercellular Communication and Connexin43 Expression by Retinoic Acid in Human Endometrial Stromal Cells

Context: Gap junctions, made up of connexins (Cxs), play fundamental roles in coordinating a number of cellular processes through their ability to directly regulate cell-cell communication. Cx43 is the most widely expressed Cx in the endometrium and is known to be important in a variety of physiological and pathological processes in this tissue. Objective: In this study, we investigated the ability of the retinoid, all-trans-retinoic acid (RA), to regulate Cx43 expression in human endometrial stromal cells. Design: Primary endometrial stromal cells obtained from patients undegoing surgery for infertility workup were treated in vitro with RA and control compounds for different time periods, up to 48 h. Cx43 mRNA and protein levels, protein phosphorylation, and gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) were analyzed. Results: Treatment of the cells with RA showed a dose-dependent increase in Cx43 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels. In addition, RA induced a relative decrease in the phosp...
Evaluation of litter material and ventilation systems in poultry production: I. overall performance

The objective of the present work was to evaluate the performance, mortality and the incidence of lesion on the foot-pad of broilers and litter enterobacteriaceae load in two ventilation systems and two litter materials. The experiment was carried out in four 12 m × 10 m broiler houses, internally divided in 4 pens, with 200 birds/pen for four consecutive flocks, each one with 42 days of duration and interval of 15 days of downtime between flocks. It was evaluated two ventilation systems (stationary and oscillating fans), and two litter materials (soybean straw and rice husks). Performance variables studied were body weight, weight gain, feed conversion ratio and mortality of birds at 21, 35, and 42 days of age. Flock mortality was daily recorded, and total mortality was used for analysis. Evaluation of lesions by using foot-pad macroscopic examination was performed in all birds at final weighing. It was also performed quantitative examinations of litter enterobacteria. Statistical analyses were performed by using the mixed model theory for repeated measures and logistical regression. Rice husks litter promoted the best performance of birds at all studied ages. Results did not permit to recommend a ventilation system inasmuch as both had similar performances. Soy straw litter causes a high incidence of foot-pad lesions. Enterobacteria occurrence is lower in reused litter.
A Futile Approach to Fighting Obesity

The current obesity epidemic has focused a great deal of attention on mechanisms controlling energy balance. While diet and nutrient absorption affect energy intake, on the other side of the equation, energy expenditure is determined by basal metabolism, physical activity, and adaptive thermogenesis. Given various challenges in modulating these energy balance mechanisms to combat human obesity, many efforts have concentrated on how it might be possible to achieve weight loss through increased thermogenesis. In this issue of Cell, Kazak et al. describe a previously unrecognized molecular pathway for thermogenesis in fat cells.
A demonstration of interactive graph based visual language applications

Escalante is a development environment for applications that use the pictorial representations of graphs to facilitate human-computer communication. Escalante supports a wide range of graph representations and layouts through a localized spatial constraint mechanism as well as external graph layout tools.
High-dose statins prior to percutaneous coronary intervention: a paradigm shift to influence clinical outcomes in the cardiac catheterization laboratory.

Periprocedural myocardial infarction (MI), generally defined by consensus panels as creatine kinase-myocardial isoenzyme (CK-MB) elevation >3× the upper limit of normal (ULN), occurs in 5% to 15% of patients. It has been demonstrated that elevation of CK-MB post-percutaneous coronary intervention (
New Trends in Latin America and Their Implications for Foreign Direct Investment

This analysis focuses on studying whether four significant trends in Latin America may be important determinants of FDI. The trends explored are: increased financial liberalization, improvements in the quality of institutions, shifts towards leftist governments, and increased dependence on exports of natural resources. To test whether these trends can be considered as significant incentives or deterrents to FDI in the Latin American region, this empirical analysis uses a baseline model that includes a set of control variables identified in previous empirical analyses as important determinants of FDI in a panel framework. This study also addresses for endogeneity and incorporates spatial econometric techniques to account for the possibility that FDI inflows in one country may be dependent on the FDI inflows of nearby countries. The main robust findings are that financial liberalization, mineral exports and leftist politics have a significant effect on net FDI. While financial liberalization and mineral exports can be considered as incentives to FDI, the movement towards the left is a deterrent.
Underlying Temporalities of Big History

Traditional history, beginning around 3000 BCE , depends on dateable written records. The expanded scope of big history (13.8 byr) requires new understandings of time. Following the work of J. T. Fraser, I explore the underlying temporalities of big history. To Fraser’s atemporality and eotemporality , which govern the history of galaxy, star, and planet formation, I add petrotemporaliity which governs three processes—in the freezing of time in mineralized fossils, the chronological structuring of geohistory from stratified rock, and the slow unwinding of time through the decay of radioactive isotopes—and genotemporality which bypasses the vagaries of species transition and extinction, utilizing instead the incorporation of viral DNA within the human genome and its continuity of umwelt to construct a big history of life that connects the earliest life forms with humans. I conclude that the possibility of constructing a big history depends on these underlying temporalities.
Meeting Increasing Demands for Rural General Surgeons

Dynamic assessment of the effective surgical workforce recommends 27,300 general surgeons in 2030; 2,525 more than are presently being trained. Rural shortages are already critical and there has been insufficient preparation for this need. A literature review of the factors influencing the choice of rural practice was performed. A systematic search was conducted of PubMed and the Web of Science to identify applicable studies in rural practice, surgical training, and rural general surgery. These articles were reviewed to identify the pertinent reports. The articles chosen for review are directed to four main objectives: 1) description of the challenges of rural practice, 2) factors associated with the choice of rural practice, 3) interventions to increase interest and preparation for rural practice, and 4) present successful rural surgical practice models. There is limited research on the factors influencing surgeons in the selection of rural surgery. The family practice literature suggests that physicians are primed for rural living through early experience, with reinforcement during medical school and residency, and retained through community involvement, and personal and professional satisfaction. However, more research into the factors drawing surgeons specifically to rural surgery, and keeping them in the community, is needed.
Ras dimer formation as a new signaling mechanism and potential cancer therapeutic target

The K-, N-, and HRas small GTPases are key regulators of cell physiology and are frequently mutated in human cancers. Despite intensive research, previous efforts to target hyperactive Ras based on known mechanisms of Ras signaling have been met with little success. Several studies have provided compelling evidence for the existence and biological relevance of Ras dimers, establishing a new mechanism for regulating Ras activity in cells additionally to GTP-loading and membrane localization. Existing data also start to reveal how Ras proteins dimerize on the membrane. We propose a dimer model to describe Ras-mediated effector activation, which contrasts existing models of Ras signaling as a monomer or as a 5-8 membered multimer. We also discuss potential implications of this model in both basic and translational Ras biology.
Renal size and composition in hypertensive, obese rabbits.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the renal growth associated with obesity is due to hypertrophy or hyperplasia. DESIGN: New Zealand white female rabbits were fed either standard rabbit chow (n = 17) or chow foritified with 10% corn oil plus 5% lard (n = 18) for 12-16 weeks. MEASUREMENTS: All rabbits were weighed, and intra-arterial blood pressures were successfully measured at the end of the study in 16 lean and 18 obese rabbits; percent water of entire kidneys (8 lean, 8 obese rabbits) and of defined regions of kidneys 18 lean, 10 obese rabbits) were obtained gravimetrically. Renal hemoglobin, protein and DNA was measured chemically 18 lean, 8 obese rabbits). RESULTS: Kidneys grew in size as the rabbits gained fat. In a series of 8 lean and 8 age-matched obese rabbits, weighing 3.7 ± 0.1 kg and 5.4 ± 0.4 kg (P <0.05), the kidneys were 20% larger in the obese rabbits: 15.0 ± 0.9 g vs 18.0 ± 2.5 g (P < 0.05). Kidney protein was also 20% greater in the obese rabbit: 1.38 ± 0.06 g/kidney vs 1.66 ± 0.06 g/kidney (P<0.05). While total renal DNA was 16% greater in the obese: 18.2 ± 0.5 μg/kidney vs 21.1 ± 0.6 μg/kidney (P< 0.05), no significant difference existed when the DNA was expressed as μg/mg protein. Fractional water content of the intact kidney declined with obesity: 78.7 ± 1.1% vs 76.0 ± 1.2% (P< 0.05). Conversely, the hemoglobin content of the kidney at autopsy, an estimate of the unstressed vascular volume, increased with obesity: 55 ± 19 mg/kidney vs 82 ± 25 mg/kidney (P<0.05). By contrast, water content of renal parenchyma was constant: 80.8 ± 1.0% vs 80.9 ± 1.2% (cortex); 84.0 ± 0.8% vs 83.6% ± 2.0% (outer medulla); and 85.7 ± 0.8% vs 86.0 ± 2.1% (inner medulla). CONCLUSION: The renal growth associated with obesity was predominantly hyperplastic and was associated with a partial exclusion of fluid from the renal sinus.
Developing a critically reflexive practice for art therapists using external perceptions of art therapy

AbstractThis critical inquiry explored external perceptions of art therapy. By focusing on the organizational contexts and structures that art therapy practices are typically situated within, the purpose of the study was to understand: How the values that art therapists intrinsically hold within practice transmitted, translated, and interpreted by other mental health professionals. To gain rich and detailed views, nine mental health professionals were interviewed. Through analysis of the findings, a critically reflexive form of practice was developed to assist art therapists in substantiating their role, while strengthening a team mentality to provide better services to their clients. Study implications involve the need to further explore how art therapists can develop professionally, as well as expand on strategies for how art therapy can be further valued within mental health systems.
Redesigning Natural Resources Curricula: A Redesign Process Model at Texas A&M University

To remain current, departments and programs offering curricula in natural resource science aim to ensure that students develop the knowledge and skills identified as being crucial by experts in the field. Texas A&M University’s Ecosystem Science and Management (ESSM) Department recently completed a large-scale curricular update assisted by academic developers at the Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE) within the university. Using the comprehensive Program (Re)Design (PRD) model created by the CTE academic developers, the ESSM Department began by forming a PRD team identified from the department’s faculty. This article details the process that the ESSM department utilized during their curriculum update, and provides a general overview of the PRD model. Examples of lessons learned (issues, solutions, and so forth) are also examined.
A Demonstrative Study on Dynamic Relationship of International Oil Futures Price and US Dollar Index

Because oil price is unique currency of settlement with US dollar,there exists a strong relation between US dollar fluctuation and oil price.Therefore by means of correlation analysis,the curve fitting test,residual test and methods so on,a demonstrative study is made of the dynamic relationship between New York commodity futures exchange crude oil price and the US dollar index to discover the time negative correlation of the US dollar index and crude oil futures price falls.
Sleep Problems as Consequence, Contributor, and Comorbidity: Introduction to the Special Issue on Sleep, Published in Coordination With Special Issues in Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology and Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics

Despite long-standing public and scientific interest in the phenomenon of sleep, the current decade has shown tremendous growth in our understanding of the sleep of children who have medical or developmental conditions. To accommodate, promote, and guide that growth, Journal of Pediatric Psychology, Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology, and Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics have published coordinated special issues, encompassing >30 relevant articles. This article introduces the special issue in Journal of Pediatric Psychology, highlighting papers that illustrate how sleep problems are not only commonly comorbid with childhood medical and developmental conditions; they are also likely caused by and contribute to these conditions. In doing so, these coordinated special issues guide clinical care and reveal opportunities for future research.
Source Materials for Thomas Pynchon's Fiction: An Annotated Bibliography

Pynchon's use of sources, his cryptic references to arcane materials, and his encyclopedic range of reference are all aspects of his work that have intrigued scholars and readers alike. Even though it is not necessary to know all the historical and scientific facts that he mentions in order to enjoy his narratives, some knowledge of the sources does tend' to add to our understanding and appreciation of the texts.
Special problems associated with carcinoma of the nose.

The nose presents the oncologic and reconstructive surgeon with special difficulties related to its central location on the face and its complex three-dimensional architecture. The nose is the most common site of involvement of skin cancer and is also the most common site of recurrence. The incidence, prognostic factors, and treatment of skin cancer and anatomic considerations are discussed in detail in this article.
Glycoproteins as tumor markers.

Glycoproteins appear to be associated with changes in neoplastic cells, but until the intracellular role of these serum proteins and their function in cellular secretions are understood, their clinical usefulness as tumor markers will be limited.
Britain and Baedeker ’s Germany

If scholarship on travel and travel writing is ‘best described as cluttered’, with the anthropological, ethnological, geographical, literary and sociological fields far more developed than historical scholarship, then the impact of travel and tourism upon Anglo-German relations is a field largely devoid of any historical analysis.2 Indeed, much of the work done to date concerning British travel to the Continent has focused squarely on excursions to the major tourist destinations of France, Switzerland or Italy, leaving Germany somewhat on the outer.3 Those authors who have dealt with travel in Germany in this period are primarily concerned with the impact of growing tourism on the Germans’ own national identity. Recently, several key scholars have argued that from the early nineteenth century, the greater acquaintance of the Germans themselves with the cities, population and landscape that were included in the Reich in 1871 made a significant contribution to the growth of a widespread German identity.4 Hagen Schulz-Forberg in particular argues that British tourists made a significant contribution to this, given their travel to and romanticisation of the Rhineland from an early period.5 Indeed Schulz-Forberg is the only scholar who has examined in any depth the impact of travel in Germany on the British tourists of the nineteenth century (and down to 1914), but he restricted his discussion in the main to their experience of the Rhine region, and this is subordinated somewhat to his interest in the rise of the Rhine as a German national emblem.6
Control of electrode aging by a periodic anodization technique.

The long-term use of noble metal electrodes for amperometrically monitoring oxygen tension in blood and tissue has been hampered by the unstable nature of the electrode calibration. Changes in sensitivity (current per unit oxygen tension) as rapid as 20% per hour have been reported [1]. If this drift were constant, it would, in principle, be simple to correct for; however, increasing and decreasing trends separated by plateau regions are most frequently encountered [2,3]. In some cases, changes in sensitivity have been attributed to protein deposition or to poisoning by sulfur-containing molecules [4], but such mechanisms cannot account for the drift observed with electrodes immersed in pure saline solutions [2,3]. The latter phenomenon, usually referred to as “electrode aging”, can best (and perhaps only) be explained by supposing an interrelationship between the electrode’s catalytic activity and its redox history. This, of course, is a concept well documented in the electrochemical literature [5]. Of particular importance here is that some electrochemical studies [6,7] suggest that, at least for Pt electrodes, strong oxidizing treatments, such as exposure to concentrated nitric acid or anodization at elevated potentials, may result in more stable electrode behavior. In this report, we present evidence, based on in vitro tests in physiological saline, indicating that the aging phenomenon can be controlled by periodically restoring the electrode surface to a pseudostable level of catalytic activity via in situ anodization.
The Presence and Absence of Category Knowledge in LSA

How much information about meaning is contained in the statistical structure of the environment? LSA is a theoretical and practical tool that is challenging previous notions about what is contained in the statistical structure of the environment. This paper examines what kind of category knowledge can be obtained from the environment using LSA. In particular, two experiments are conducted with LSA to test what kind of category structure it embodies. LSA ratings about the relatedness of categories to their properties are compared with human judgments regarding the centrality of properties to the categories. LSA is found to capture aspects of property centrality for some object and event categories. However, it is found to only capture those aspects related to typicality: how often do members of the category have that property? LSA fails to capture other aspects of centrality that can be found in human category judgments. Thus, it appears that humans do bring other constraints to bear in shaping their categories.
Shrimp tropomyosin retains antibody reactivity after exposure to acidic condition.

Although shrimp can be found in certain high acid food matrices, the allergenic capacity of shrimp tropomyosin exposed to low pH condition has not been fully clarified. Thus, a model marinade comprising white vinegar adjusted to different pH was used to determine the effects of acid-induced denaturation on the immunoreactivity of tropomyosin.; Results: Whole shrimp experienced either swelling or shrinkage after marination depending on the vinegar pH and the final muscle pH. The extractability of soluble myofibrillar proteins was reduced significantly among shrimp marinated in vinegar at pH 1.0-3.5, and a substantial amount of tropomyosin was retained in the insoluble pellets. Consequently, the immunoglobulin E (IgE)-binding capacity of tropomyosin was significantly lower in the soluble protein fraction of shrimp marinated at pH 1.0-3.5 compared with samples marinated at pH 4.8 and control. However, tropomyosin in the insoluble protein fraction of all marinated shrimp showed strong IgE-binding capacity at all marinating conditions.; Conclusion: Thus, tropomyosin in shrimp exposed to low pH condition retained its allergenic capacity owing to the conservation of its linear epitopes. Analysis of the insoluble protein fraction was crucial for the accurate determination of the effect of low pH condition on the immunoreactivity of this allergen. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.; © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
Abstract B34: The Role of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines in Prostate Cancer in African American Men

Background: African American men (AAM) have a 60% higher risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer and a 2 to 3 times greater risk of dying from the disease compared to European American men (EAM). We previously reported evidence that there may be a molecular basis for these disparities from high-throughput gene expression analysis of PCa specimens, the data showed that pro-inflammatory cytokine signaling factors, including IL6 and TGFB1, are significantly upregulated and over-represented in PCa from AAM. Objective/Methods: the objective of our more recent research was to gain understanding of the role for IL6 in promoting aggressive prostate cancer in AAM. We used established cell lines derived from PCa from AAM and EAM to study if cancer cells produce IL6 and how IL6 impacts cancer cell phenotypes in vitro. We also conducted a pilot RNA-sequencing study to analyze aggressive PCa specimens and matched non-cancer adjacent prostate tissue for insights as to the role of the microenvironment and potential PCa-stroma crosstalk. Results: Results of our PCa cell line work indicate that a subpopulation of stem-cell like cancer cells produce IL6 and that IL6 acts in autocrine fashion to maintain that subpopulation. For the African American MDA-PCa2b cell line, IL6 expression was not detected. However, treatment of these cells with IL6 induced cancer stem cell-like prostasphere formation and growth. Results of our high-throughput gene expression analysis suggest that specifically for AAM, cancer cells are the source of pro-inflammatory cytokines in less aggressive cancer, but for aggressive prostate cancer pro-inflammatory cytokines originate from the non-cancer, prostate microenvironment. Conclusion: our mechanism studies in PCa-derived cell lines and high-throughput functional genomic analyses of human specimens converge to improve understanding of the molecular biology unique to aggressive PCa in AAM. Continued research and development is warranted to show how this knowledge could be used to improve clinical decision-making and patient outcomes. Citation Format: Aliccia B. Bollig-Fischer, Bin Bao, Christophe Legendre, Greg Dyson, Wael Sakr, John Carpten, Isaac Powell. The Role of Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines in Prostate Cancer in African American Men. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Ninth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2016 Sep 25-28; Fort Lauderdale, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2017;26(2 Suppl):Abstract nr B34.
Management of Gastroesophageal Reflux After Esophageal Atresia Repair

Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in infants, also known as chalasia of infancy, represents a common physiological phenomenon during the first year of life [1–3]. Regurgitation occurs more than once a day in 60–70 % of 3–4-month-old infants and decreases to approximately 20 % in infants between 6 and 7 months of age. By 10–12 months of age, less than 10 % of infants experience regurgitation [4–6].
From armed group to movement: armed struggle and movement formation in Northern Ireland and the Basque Country

AbstractIn recent decades, social movement scholars have expanded our understanding of ‘terrorism’ by analyzing a particular trajectory, movement to armed group, whereby movement demobilization spurs armed struggle. This article analyzes an alternative trajectory: armed group to movement. Once armed struggle’s limitations become apparent, armed groups often adopt an attritional military strategy suited to their capacities. To securely wage an attritional campaign, groups disembed through the adoption of insular structures, removing them from their milieux and from recruits and resources needed for organizational reproduction. To offset this, armed groups reembed through the development of politico-military movement structures: forming allied aboveground movement organizations; coordinating armed and unarmed activism; and creating a ‘movement’ identity. This offsets disembedding in three ways. First, collective action augments armed groups’ violence by expanding the struggle into new domains. Second, mobil...
A novel design-for-security (DFS) architecture to prevent unauthorized IC overproduction

Due to the prohibitive costs of semiconductor manufacturing, most system-on-chip (SoC) design companies outsource their production to offshore foundries. An untrusted foundry can manufacture and sell additional unauthorized chips for profit in violation of their contract. This overproduction can not only cause significant loss of revenue to the designer, but may also have national security implications in case of sensitive designs. Over the years, researchers have proposed different design obfuscation techniques by modifying the underlying functionality to prevent this unauthorized overproduction of chips. An untrusted foundry/assembly cannot sell chips unless they are activated. A chip works properly only when it is activated with a key, which needs to be kept secret from any adversary. However, Boolean satisfiability (SAT)-based algorithms have shown to efficiently break key based obfuscation methods. In this paper, we present a novel secure cell design for implementing design-for-security (DFS) infrastructure to prevent of leaking the key to an adversary under any circumstances. Importantly, our design does not limit the testability of the chip in any way, including post-silicon validation and debug.
A new yield and failure theory for composite materials under static and dynamic loading

Abstract To facilitate and accelerate the process of introducing, evaluating and adopting new material systems, it is important to develop/establish comprehensive and effective procedures of characterization, modeling and failure prediction of composite structures based on the properties of the constituent materials, e.g., fibers, matrix, and the single ply or lamina. A new yield/failure theory is proposed for predicting lamina yielding and failure under multi-axial states of stress including strain rate effects. It is based on the equivalent stress concept derived from energy principles and is expressed in terms of a single criterion. It is presented in the form of master yield and failure envelopes incorporating strain rate effects. The theory can be further adapted and extended to the prediction of in situ first ply yielding and failure (FPY and FPF) and progressive damage of multi-directional laminates under static and dynamic loadings. The significance of this theory is that it allows for rapid screening of new composite materials without extensive testing and offers easily implemented design tools.
De Novo Spinal Dural Arteriovenous Fistula in a Patient with a Lipomyelomeningocele: Case Report.

Background Spinal dural arteriovenous fistula (AVF), the most common type of spinal vascular malformation, tends to manifest as progressive myelopathy over several years. Spinal dural AVFs are considered an acquired lesion and, in contrast to spinal arteriovenous malformations, are not often associated with other anomalies. The presence of a spinal dural AVF in the setting of a lipomyelomeningocele and tethered cord is extremely rare. Both lesions tend to cause similar symptoms, and patients with concomitant lesions generally require surgical intervention for both. Case Description A 57-year-old female with lifelong urinary incontinence and mild weakness in the left lower extremity presented with progressive worsening of left lower extremity weakness as well as worsening bowel and bladder incontinence. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed 4 years before our evaluation revealed a lipomyelomeningocele and a tethered cord; a new MRI demonstrated a new additional finding of flow voids suspicious of an underlying vascular malformation. Diagnostic angiography revealed a dural AVF fed by a left lateral sacral artery. Onyx embolization of the dural AVF was performed, and the patient improved steadily postoperatively without the need for surgically addressing the tethered cord. Conclusion In this case report, we present evidence of de novo development of a spinal dural AVF associated with a lipomyelomeningocele. In addition, this is the second documented patient in the literature with a lipomyelomeningocele and concomitant dural AVF who did not undergo detethering of the cord as part of treatment.
Multifunctional Vesicles from a Self-assembled Cluster-Containing Diblock Copolymer

We describe a new diblock copolymer composed of two segments with complementary functionalities. One block contains pendent photo-cross-linkable cinnamoyl groups, and the other contains molecular clusters, Co6Se8, capable of multielectron redox processes. This multifunctional macromolecule is synthesized by sequential ring-opening metathesis polymerization of monomers constructed using norbornene moieties. Remarkably, the tethered molecular cluster gives access to three different charge states in N,N-dimethylformamide: neutral, +1, and +2. In tetrahydrofuran, by contrast, the charged copolymer self-assembles into vesicles that inhibit the redox reactions. The wall of these vesicles can be cross-linked by exploiting the photoinduced 2 + 2 cycloaddition of the cinnamoyls to form cyclobutane dimers. Moreover, these vesicles can be loaded with molecular cargo and used as cross-linkable containers; we demonstrate this feature by encapsulating the molecular dye methylene blue into the capsules. Our work is the ...
TSPO-PET imaging using [18F]PBR06 is a potential translatable biomarker for treatment response in Huntington's disease: preclinical evidence with the p75NTR ligand LM11A-31.

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that has no cure. HD therapeutic development would benefit from a non-invasive translatable biomarker to track disease progression and treatment response. A potential biomarker is using positron emission tomography (PET) imaging with a translocator protein 18 kDa (TSPO) radiotracer to detect microglial activation, a key contributor to HD pathogenesis. The ability of TSPO–PET to identify microglial activation in HD mouse models, essential for a translatable biomarker, or therapeutic efficacy in HD patients or mice is unknown. Thus, this study assessed the feasibility of utilizing PET imaging with the TSPO tracer, [18F]PBR06, to detect activated microglia in two HD mouse models and to monitor response to treatment with LM11A-31, a p75NTR ligand known to reduce neuroinflammation in HD mice. [18F]PBR06-PET detected microglial activation in striatum, cortex and hippocampus of vehicle-treated R6/2 mice at a late disease stage and, notably, also in early and mid-stage symptomatic BACHD mice. After oral administration of LM11A-31 to R6/2 and BACHD mice, [18F]PBR06-PET discerned the reductive effects of LM11A-31 on neuroinflammation in both HD mouse models. [18F]PBR06-PET signal had a spatial distribution similar to ex vivo brain autoradiography and correlated with microglial activation markers: increased IBA-1 and TSPO immunostaining/blotting and striatal levels of cytokines IL-6 and TNFα. These results suggest that [18F]PBR06-PET is a useful surrogate marker of therapeutic efficacy in HD mice with high potential as a translatable biomarker for preclinical and clinical HD trials.
Hispanic Americans in the United States: Young, dynamic and diverse.

The author describes the characteristics of the Hispanic population in the United States. Aspects considered include population growth since 1980 age ethnic groups state of residence social and economic characteristics education and occupation. (ANNOTATION)
Form: Tode ti and Toionde

Aristotle has reached the conclusion that form (essence) is primary substance over matter and the composite. The Greek word for ‘form’ is eidos. This is the same word Aristotle uses to denote one of the two kinds of secondary substances in the Cat., namely, species.1 Accordingly, regarding the relation of the Cat. and the Meta. in Aristotle’s philosophy, a widely-held traditional view is that Aristotle elevates species (eidos), which is a secondary substance in the Cat., to the status of primary substance in the Meta.2 Consequently, in the Meta. form as primary substance is universal, and Aristotle seems to have given up his anti-Platonist position previously held in the Cat.
BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS OF CHITIN AND CHITOSAN

A strategy for the commercialization of chitin and chitosan is outlined starting from the concept that the development of low-volume, high-value speciality applications should precede the creation of high-volume, low-value commodity markets.