cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterizing cocoa refining by electronic nose using a Kernel distribution model

Abstract Refining and conching are two important processes for chocolate manufacturing, as they help improve the flavor and texture of chocolates. However, methods such as GC-MS for assessing flavor changes are expensive. In this study, an e-nose was used to continuously monitor the volatile compounds of cocoa samples undergoing refining, for samples differing in sample mass and degree of roasting. The responses of the e-nose were characterized by three parameters (Rarea, Rpeak and Rwidth) that were able to detect the overall influence of roasting. These values along with sample mass were also used to train Kernel Distribution Models (KDM) which were implemented to better account for temperature and air flow fluctuations. For trained KDMs validated with data taken under the same conditions (sample mass, degree of roasting) the error was ∼1%. When validated under different conditions the error ranged from 2.9 to 9.3%. The degree of roasting had greater affect on the error than the sample mass. A trained KDM can be used to predict the overall volatile compounds at different refining stages, and detect whether the processing variables of sample mass and roasting degree varied from its training samples.
Host and Bacterial Markers that Differ in Children with Cystitis and Pyelonephritis

Objective To determine whether treatment for urinary tract infections in children could be individualized using biomarkers for acute pyelonephritis. Study design We enrolled 61 children with febrile urinary tract infections, collected blood and urine samples, and performed a renal scan within 2 weeks of diagnosis to identify those with pyelonephritis. Renal scans were interpreted centrally by 2 experts. We measured inflammatory proteins in blood and urine using LUMINEX or an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We evaluated serum RNA expression using RNA sequencing in a subset of children. Finally, for children with Escherichia coli isolated from urine cultures, we performed a polymerase chain reaction for 4 previously identified virulence genes. Results Urinary markers that best differentiated pyelonephritis from cystitis included chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand (CXCL)1, CXCL9, CXCL12, C-C motif chemokine ligand 2, INF γ, and IL-15. Serum procalcitonin was the best serum marker for pyelonephritis. Genes in the interferon-γ pathway were upregulated in serum of children with pyelonephritis. The presence of E coli virulence genes did not correlate with pyelonephritis. Conclusions Immune response to pyelonephritis and cystitis differs quantitatively and qualitatively; this may be useful in differentiating these 2 conditions.
An Overview of Genomic Biomarker Use in Cardiovascular Disease Clinical Trials

Clinical trial designs targeting patient subgroups with certain genetic characteristics may enhance the efficiency of developing drugs for cardiovascular disease (CVD). To evaluate the extent to which genetic knowledge translates to the CVD pipeline, we analyzed how genomic biomarkers are utilized in trials. Phase II and III trial protocols for investigational new drugs for CVD and risk factors were evaluated for prospective and exploratory genomic biomarker use; drug targets were evaluated for the presence of evidence that genetic variations can impact CVD risk or drug response. We identified 134 programs (73 unique drug targets) and 147 clinical trials. Less than 1% (n = 1/147) trials used a genomic biomarker prospectively for in-trial enrichment despite 32% (n = 23/73) of the drug targets having evidence of genetic variations. Additionally, 46% (n = 68/147) of the trials specified exploratory biomarker use. The results highlight an opportunity for more targeted CVD drug development by leveraging genomic biomarker knowledge.
Research Ready Data Lakes: Protecting Privacy in Relatable Datasets

Background with rationaleThe Georgia Policy Labs’ mission is to improve outcomes for children and families by producing rigorous research with long-term government partners. A key component of this model is having secure access to research-ready, individual level data from multiple sources to answer government agencies’ questions within policy windows. Obtaining sensitive data from our partners requires significant relationship building, demonstrations of value, and assurances of our ability to mitigate all security and privacy concerns. Objectives Securely transfer and de-identify disparate individual level datasets with personally identifiable information from public entities. Clean data and store in a pristine data lake, made available for fast turn-around research. Ensure individual records can be matched across disparate organizations’ datasets. ApproachOur practices, infrastructure, data sharing agreements and security are built to support the intersection of data availability for researchers and security standards that give our partners ease. We highlight two solutions addressing security concerns while supporting our researchers, which can be used by other researchers using sensitive data. First, we discuss our multiple tiers of transfer and access that remove risk from identifiable data. Second, we share the double hash solution created for a partner who was not willing to share PII. We share the source code for our SHA3-512 double hash solution, which allows for matching of records across disparate datasets without receiving PII sensitive elements. ResultsWe created reliable matching values without the need for the actual social security numbers or other PII values on our side, enabling a large school district to share its student-level data with us. ConclusionThe balance of security and easy access for researchers is a common area of friction. Our security set-up and hashing solution allows others to remove this barrier for applied policy research.
Fuel supply chains in the Western Interconnect: Evaluating availability during extreme weather events

Abstract During the winter of 2017, the eastern continental United States experienced an extreme weather event resulting in below average temperatures and consistently overcast skies. This event, referred to as a bombogenesis or “Bomb Cyclone” (BC), is one of a handful of extreme weather events experienced in the U.S. in recent years in which signif- icant strain is placed on U.S. electric interconnections. A U.S. Department of Energy study summarizing the impact of the BC indicated that coal and fuel oil/dual-firing plants provided sufficient reserves to prevent severe electricity shortages which would have otherwise resulted in significant widespread outages in the Eastern Interconnect (EI). A large regional transmission organization issued several responses to address the report’s concern regarding fuel supply security, highlighting the importance of timely fuel supply policy, and initiating a cross-institutional conversation to this end. The resultant policy conversations are not unique to the EI and generalizations are therefore of great interest to stakeholders in the western United States; a similar analysis is used to investigate the impact of a BC-like event placing strain of similar magnitude on the Western Interconnect, while introducing a resilience metric associated with the storability of fuel.
Internal tibial torsion is related to syndesmosis injury in a large osteological collection.

Abstract Background The long-term consequences of tibial torsion remain unclear. This study evaluated whether syndesmotic injuries are associated with tibial torsion. Methods A collection of over 3000 cadaveric skeletons was screened for irregular bony prominence along the lateral distal tibia, consistent with previous syndesmosis injury. Tibial torsion was measured and compared to 1034 control cadaveric tibiae. Results Mean torsion of 236 specimens with syndesmotic injury was 6.2 ± 8.9 degrees, while that of control specimens was 7.9 ± 8.8 degrees (P = 0.008). Multiple regression analysis showed a non-statistically significant trend toward internal torsion and syndesmotic injury (standardized beta = −0.051, P = 0.059). Syndesmosis injury was present in 48/200 specimens (24.0%) with internal torsion and 31/199 specimens (15.6%) with external torsion (P = 0.035). Conclusion This association between internal tibial torsion and syndesmotic injury suggests that internal tibial torsion might not be an entirely benign condition and merits further study.
Distinct neurotoxic effects of select local anesthetics on facial nerve injury and recovery.

Background Local anesthetic toxicity has been well-documented to cause neuronal injury, death, and dysfunction, particularly in a susceptible nerve. Objective To determine whether select local anesthetics affect neuron survival and/or functional recovery of an injured nerve. Methods This report describes 6 separate experiments that test immediate or delayed application of local anesthetics in 3 nerve injury models. Adult C57/black6 male mice underwent a facial nerve sham, transection, or crush injury. Local anesthetic or saline was applied to the facial nerve at the time of injury (immediate) or 1 day after injury (delayed). Average percent facial motoneuron (FMN) survival was evaluated four-weeks after injury. Facial nerve regeneration was estimated by observing functional recovery of eye blink reflex and vibrissae movement after facial nerve crush injury. Results FMN survival after: transection + immediate treatment with ropivacaine (54.8%), bupivacaine (63.2%), or tetracaine (66.9%) was lower than saline (85.5%) and liposomal bupivacaine (85.0%); crush + immediate treatment with bupivacaine (92.8%) was lower than saline (100.7%) and liposomal bupivacaine (99.3%); sham + delayed treatment with bupivacaine (89.9%) was lower than saline (96.6%) and lidocaine (99.5%); transection + delayed treatment with bupivacaine (67.3%) was lower than saline (78.4%) and liposomal bupivacaine (77.6%); crush + delayed treatment with bupivacaine (85.3%) was lower than saline (97.9%) and lidocaine (96.0%). The average post-operative time for mice to fully recover after: crush + immediate treatment with bupivacaine (12.83 days) was longer than saline (11.08 days) and lidocaine (10.92 days); crush + delayed treatment with bupivacaine (16.79 days) was longer than saline (12.73 days) and lidocaine (11.14 days). Conclusions Our data demonstrate that some local anesthetics, but not all, exacerbate motoneuron death and delay functional recovery after a peripheral nerve injury. These and future results may lead to clinical strategies that decrease the risk of neural deficit following peripheral nerve blocks with local anesthetics.
Transcutaneous Assessment of Forearm Reactive Hyperemia by Doppler Ultrasonography: Correlation with Venous Occlusion Plethysmography

The magnitude and duration of increased limb blood flow (reactive hyperemia) following temporary tourniquet ischemia are useful clinical indices of the peripheral arterial circulation. Recently Fronek and colleagues1 utilized Doppler ultrasonography to noninvasively assess leg reactive hyperemia but the method has not been compared with an established technique of measuring limb blood flow. This investigation compared transcutaneous Doppler ultrasonography with venous occlusion plethysmography in the assessment of reactive hyperemic blood flow in the forearm of normal adults.
Reducing the Incidence of Amiodarone-related Phlebitis Through Utilization of Evidence-based Practice

Background Intravenous (IV) amiodarone has multiple indications including treatment of hemodynamically unstable patients and the prevention of atrial or ventricular arrhythmias after thoracic surgery. Inflammation of the vein, or phlebitis, is the most common adverse event associated with peripherally administered amiodarone. In 2017, a rise in reported phlebitis incidents was occurring at one large academic medical center. Aim This evidence-based quality improvement initiative aimed to decrease and enhance early detection of phlebitis in patients receiving amiodarone. Methods Due to the variation in assessment and management standards, evidence-based practice (EBP) methodology was utilized to establish a process for quality improvement. A thorough literature search was completed, identifying evidence-based interventions to decrease phlebitis and enhance early detection. Thorough critiques of the literature and synthesis of the evidence were completed. Multidisciplinary guidelines based on the literature were created. The guidelines included interventions such as an increase in IV assessment frequency, vein selection criteria, and the utilization of a standardized grading tool for assessment. Results Phlebitis was reduced by 30%-88%. In the first 6 months post-intervention, there was a 48% reduction in phlebitis cases. In addition, the severity of phlebitis and the quality of reporting also improved dramatically. Linking evidence to action This evidence-based quality improvement process led to identifying relevant knowledge gaps in care that could be streamlined into everyday nursing practice to decrease patient harm. This paper describes an in-depth process of how EBP helped to quickly take a clinical inquiry and adapt change based on findings from the evidence. Other organizations can utilize EBP to solve patient safety concerns using similar processes.
Endoscopic Myringoplasty and Type I Tympanoplasty

Herein we provide a broad overview of the literature as it applies to endoscopic myringoplasty and type I tympanoplasty. Advantages and disadvantages of the endoscopic approach are reviewed for both the adult and pediatric populations and are compared with conventional microscopic techniques.
Chemotherapy and the Risk of Alzheimer's Disease in Colorectal Cancer Survivors: Evidence From the Medicare System.

PURPOSE:Evidence on the nature of the relationship between patients receiving chemotherapy as an essential part of guideline-concordant cancer care and the onset of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and oth...
Political indentity and criminal violence in Jamaica: The garrison community of august town and the 2002 election

The residents of the garrison community of August Town incorporate their corners or social spaces as a part of their group identity. The various corners are allied to rival political parties under the leadership of the area leaders. The criminal gangs who rule these corners are also allied to the major political parties. Therefore criminal turf coincides with political turf and so the differences between rival gangs sometimes become political differences. The political competition in the 2002 election made political identity salient and several residents were shot and others killed as the rival gangs employed their criminal expertise in the service of their political parties. The violence continued into the post-election period. The rival electoral candidates and the area leaders from the major parties displayed hardcore political identities in their public discourse about the violence. Only a few solutions to the conflict were suggested and the outgroup was portrayed as the aggressor and the ingroup as the victim because the politicians continue to ignore the role of criminal gangs in politics because they are strategic political resources. However, the solutions suggested by two of the area leaders such as impartial parliamentary representation, job creation and training for the youth, the dissociation of some politicians from criminals with the support of the police are useful strategies to curb political violence. * This paper was presented at the Third International Crime and Criminal Justice Conference in the Caribbean held at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica, February 11-14, 2004. I would like to thank the residents of August Town, Michelle Fine, Kay Deaux, William Cross Jr. and the members of the Research Seminar in Identity for their comments on various drafts of this paper although not all their suggestions are included. I therefore take full responsibility for the shortcomings of this article. Correspondence concerning this article should be sent to Christopher Charles, Psychology Department, Graduate School and University Centre of the City University of New York, 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y 10016. Email: ccharles @gc.cuny.edu This content downloaded from 157.55.39.29 on Tue, 12 Apr 2016 10:57:03 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 32 SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC STUDIES
Book Review: Into the Classroom: Developing the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning by Thomas Hatch (Jossey-Bass, 2005)

Excerpt: The scholarship of teaching and learning is not for the faint of heart. Neither is it for the casual passer-by. Thomas Hatch welcomes a broad audience, including the tenuous and the curious, into the conversation by inviting us Into the Classroom. Describing the history of formal education as that which has traditionally “taken place behind closed doors,” Hatch has partnered with scholar educators and the Carnegie Foundation to swing wide the classroom door with an invitation to demystify teaching and learning through its systematic investigation. A former senior scholar with the Foundation, Hatch – along with contributing authors Melissa Eiler White, Jason Raley, Kimberlee Austin, Sarah Capitelli, and Deborah Faigenbaum also of the Carnegie Foundation – brings to this text his leadership and experience within the program in which K-12 teacher scholars partnered as fellows with the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. An Associate Professor of Education, he now co-directs the Center for Restructuring Education, Schools and Teaching at Teaching College, Columbia University.
Tourism Development and Regional Quality of Life: The Case of China

Although a number of studies examined local communities' perceived quality of life (QOL) related to tourism development, little research has directly investigated the objective measures of residents' QOL. This article used China as a case to examine how tourism development relates to and possibly impacts objective measures of residents' QOL at a regional level. Specifically, the study explored whether significant differences exist among the three groups of provinces with varying levels of tourism development in relation to 17 objective indicators of QOL. The source of data mainly consisted of the National Bureau of Statistics of China and all provincial bureaus of statistics from 1990 to 2006. The results indicated that the residents of provinces with the highest level of tourism development lead a significantly “better life” than those who are in the regions on medium or low level of tourism development.
Black Britain and the Politics of Race in the 20th Century

This essay examines a growing literature on postcolonial Black Britain that seeks to suture the ties between prewar and postwar histories of Black political activity in Britain. By examining how people of African descent articulated the political conditions of being Black in metropolitan Britain during the 20th century, recent studies have shown how non-state actors shaped ideas about the relationship between race and citizenship. In unearthing the myriad of ways that people of African descent navigated the politics of being both Black and British, this body of work has begun to offer critical perspectives on postcolonial Black Britain's place within the political history of the African Diaspora. Moreover, this essay argues that new work on Black Britain and the politics of race yields fruitful ground for dismantling some of the artificial historiographical partitions that have oftentimes separated metropolitan race politics in the postwar era from the broader history of empire, decolonization, and transnational anti-racist movements organized around the pursuit of Black freedom.
The revised core curriculum for engineering and science programs at the Colorado School of Mines

Driven by a target competency profile for graduates of the Colorado School of Mines (USA) which was developed in the early 1990s; the core curriculum for CSMs programs in engineering and the sciences has been revised over a period of four years and is now entering full implementation. This paper focuses the framework of the CSM core curriculum, describing the organization and content of different segments, their interconnectivity and their rationale in the light of the graduate profile. The paper concludes with short descriptions of courses in the freshman year, previews the sophomore year and comments on the consequent developments in the upper division.
A television scanner for the ultracentrifuge. II. Multiple cell operation.

Abstract The “Optical Multichannel Analyzer” (OMA) is a commercially available instrument that with the absorption optical system of the ultracentrifuge, provides an entire 500 channel intensity profile of a cell in real time. With its own analog-to-digital converter, the OMA integrates a selectable number of 32.8 msec scans to provide a time-averaged image in digital form. This paper describes an interface-controller for operation of the OMA with single- and double-sector cells in multicell rotors, simulating double-beam measurement required for absorbance determinations. The desired sector is selected by “gating” the intensifier stage of a “Silicon Intensified Target” vidicon (SIT) used as the light detector. The cell location in the rotor and the position of the gate relative to the cell centerline is obtained from a phase-locked loop circuit which divides each rotation of the rotor into 3600 parts independent of rotor speed. (This circuit employed with photomultiplier scanners would select the gate position for integration of photomultiplier pulses.) From examination of appropriate signals with an oscilloscope, it was verified that gate positions and widths are located with an accuracy of 0.1° or better and with a precision of ±0.1 μs. The light intensity profile for any desired cell can be examined in “real time”, even during acceleration of the rotor. Additional circuits employing a 10 MHz crystal clock 1) control the automatic collection of data for all sectors in multicell rotors at digitally selected time intervals, 2) display the rotor speed, and 3) indicate the elapsed time of the experiment. Constructed but not tested are additional circuits for pulsing a laser into the absorption or Rayleigh optical system. The accuracy of the pulsed SIT has been demonstrated by measurement of absorbances of solutions and also by sedimentation equilibrium experiments with myoglobin. The estimated error is 0.003 for absorbances ranging from 0 to 1. The interface-controller operates extremely well, but problems related to the pulsed SIT (optimum gate position relative to the sector opening shape of high-voltage pulse, slight pincushion distortion) require more work.
Control of Bacteriophage-induced Enzyme Synthesis in Cells Infected with a Temperature-sensitive Mutant

Abstract The timing of “early” and “late” protein synthesis in Escherichia coli infected with T-even bacteriophage was studied with a temperature-sensitive phage mutant, T4 tsL13. This strain was completely unable to direct the synthesis of phage deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) at 44 C because it makes a deoxycytidylate hydroxymethylase which cannot act at that temperature. However, the mutant did multiply normally at 30 C. No detectable formation of the late protein, lysozyme, occurred at 44 C, in agreement with the idea, proposed by several workers, that DNA replication is necessary for activation of late genetic functions. However, the formation of an early enzyme, thymidylate synthetase, was shut off at about 10 min, as in normal infection. This implied that separate mechanisms were responsible for cessation of early functions and activation of late ones. That the infected cell at 44 C retained the capacity for synthesis of early enzymes was shown by the fact that DNA synthesis occurred after a culture was transferred from 44 to 30 C as late as 30 min after infection. This synthesis was inhibited by chloramphenicol, indicating that de novo synthesis of an early enzyme can take place at a late period in development. It is suggested that cells infected under normal conditions maintained an appreciable rate of early enzyme synthesis throughout the course of infection.
ASIC technical training-the challenges and opportunities

The author explores the challenges for ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) technical training, now and in the future, in the area of standard product vs. ASIC training (i.e. microcontrollers). She examines the opportunity for setting the ASIC customer up for success through training. Specifically, the author introduces a method for training designed to reduce the risk involved in ASIC design. She explores some future opportunities for educating industry and universities in the area of ASIC design. >
The Evolution of Personal Selling

While personal selling positions have been categorized into taxonomies, a longitudinal view of how selling jobs change or evolve has not yet been provided. This article presents such a view, based on an inductive analysis from available literature on sellingjobs, selling's history, and characteristics of competitive and market environments. Five stages in this evolution of selling are presented and discussed: provider, persuader, prospector, problem-solver, and procreator. Relationships to management practice and implications for future research efforts are also noted.
Kinetics of low-density lipoprotein receptor activity in Hep-G2 cells: derivation and validation of a Briggs-Haldane-based kinetic model for evaluating receptor-mediated endocytotic processes in which receptors recycle

The process of receptor-mediated endocytosis for receptors that recycle to the cell surface in an active form can be considered as being kinetically analogous to that of a uni-substrate, uni-product enzyme-catalysed reaction. In this study we have derived steady-state initial-velocity rate equations for this process, based on classical Briggs-Haldane and King-Altman kinetic approaches to multi-step reactions, and have evaluated this kinetic paradigm, using as a model system the low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-receptor-mediated endocytosis of the trapped label [14C]sucrose-LDL in uninduced, steady-state Hep-G2 cells. Using the derived rate equations, together with experimentally determined values for Bmax (123 fmol/mg of cell protein), Kd (14.3 nM), the endocytotic rate constant ke (analogous to kcat; 0.163 min-1), Km (80 nM) and maximal internalization velocity (26.4 fmol/min per mg), we have calculated the ratio ke/Km (0.00204 nM-1.min-1), the bimolecular rate constant for LDL and LDL-receptor association (0. 00248 nM-1.min-1), the first-order rate constant for LDL-LDL-receptor complex dissociation (0.0354 min-1), the total cellular content of LDL receptors (154 fmol/mg of cell protein), the intracellular LDL receptor concentration (30.7 fmol/mg of cell protein) and the pseudo-first-order rate constant for LDL receptor recycling (0.0653 min-1). Based on this mathematical model, the kinetic mechanism for the receptor-mediated endocytosis of [14C]sucrose-LDL by steady-state Hep-G2 cells is one of constitutive endocytosis via independent internalization sites that follows steady-state Briggs-Haldane kinetics, such that LDL-LDL-receptor interactions are characterized by a rapid-high-affinity ligand-receptor association, followed by ligand-receptor complex internalization that is rapid relative to complex dissociation, and by receptor recycling that is more rapid than complex internalization and that serves to maintain 80% of cellular LDL receptors on the cell surface in the steady-state. The consistency with which these quantitative observations parallel previous qualitative observations regarding LDL-receptor-mediated endocytosis, together with the high correlation between theoretical internalization velocities (calculated from determined rate constants) and experimental internalization velocities, underscore the validity of considering receptor-mediated endocytotic processes for recycling receptors in catalytic terms.
Optimization of allosteric MEK inhibitors. Part 2: Taming the sulfamide group balances compound distribution properties

Recently, we had identified an unexplored pocket adjacent to the known binding site of allosteric MEK inhibitors which allowed us to design highly potent and in vivo efficacious novel inhibitors. We now report that our initial preclinical candidate, featuring a phenoxy side chain with a sulfamide capping group, displayed human carbonic anhydrase off-target activity and species-dependent blood cell accumulation, which prevented us from advancing this candidate further. Since this sulfamide MEK inhibitor displayed an exceptionally favorable PK profile with low brain penetration potential despite being highly oral bioavailable, we elected to keep the sulfamide capping group intact while taming its unwanted off-target activity by optimizing the structural surroundings. Introduction of a neighboring fluorine atom or installation of a methylene linker reduced hCA potency sufficiently, at the cost of MEK target potency. Switching to a higher fluorinated central core reinstated high MEK potency, leading to two new preclinical candidates with long half-lives, high bioavailabilities, low brain penetration potential and convincing efficacy in a K-Ras-mutated A549 xenograft model.
Moral mires and the grip of the group: Morality as internalized group norms

I argue that morality is a set of internalized group norms. It is a reliable guide in a complex social world where group status and membership are not guaranteed by birth, but have to be asserted and maintained continuously. Morality is acquired through the process of socialization when children learn in their experience with peers, from observation of adults, and by instructional stories, such as fairy tales. Failure to internalize group norms results in a clinical condition of Psychopathy, or Antisocial Personality Disorder. Research into Antisocial Personality Disorder suggests that likely pathways of group norm internalization are states of arousal associated with social situations.
A high efficiency DC-DC converter topology suitable for distributed large commercial and utility scale PV systems

In this paper a DC-DC power converter for distributed photovoltaic plant architectures is presented. The proposed converter has the advantages of simplicity, high efficiency, and low cost. High efficiency is achieved by having a portion of the input PV power directly fed forward to the output without being processed by the converter. The operation of this converter also allows for a simplified maximum power point tracker design using fewer measurements
SIV Genome-Wide Pyrosequencing Provides a Comprehensive and Unbiased View of Variation within and outside CD8 T Lymphocyte Epitopes

Deep sequencing technology is revolutionizing our understanding of HIV/SIV evolution. It is known that acute SIV sequence variation within CD8 T lymphocyte (CD8-TL) epitopes is similar among MHC-identical animals, but we do not know whether this persists into the chronic phase. We now determine whether chronic viral variation in MHC-identical animals infected with clonal SIV is similar throughout the entire coding sequence when using a sensitive deep sequencing approach. We pyrosequenced the entire coding sequence of the SIV genome isolated from a unique cohort of four SIVmac239-infected, MHC-identical Mauritian cynomolgus macaques (MCM) 48 weeks after infection; one MCM in the cohort became an elite controller. Among the three non-controllers, we found that genome-wide sequences were similar between animals and we detected increased sequence complexity within 64% of CD8-TL epitopes when compared to Sanger sequencing methods. When we compared sequences between the MHC-matched controller and the three non-controllers, we found the viral population in the controller was less diverse and accumulated different variants than the viral populations in the non-controllers. Importantly, we found that initial PCR amplification of viral cDNA did not significantly affect the sequences detected, suggesting that data obtained by pyrosequencing PCR-amplified viral cDNA accurately represents the diversity of sequences replicating within an animal. This demonstrates that chronic sequence diversity across the entire SIV coding sequence is similar among MHC-identical animals with comparable viral loads when infected with the same clonal virus stock. Additionally, our approach to genome-wide SIV sequencing accurately reflects the diversity of sequences present in the replicating viral population. In sum, our study suggests that genome-wide pyrosequencing of immunodeficiency viruses captures a thorough and unbiased picture of sequence diversity, and may be a useful approach to employ when evaluating which sequences to include as part of a vaccine immunogen.
Calcium phosphate-DNA nanoparticle gene delivery from alginate hydrogels induces in vivo osteogenesis

There is a significant need for improved therapy for bone regeneration. The delivery of recombinant bone morphogenetic proteins has been approved for clinical use to promote osteogenesis, but still has limitations such as expense, degradation of the proteins in vivo and difficulties retaining protein at the site of injury. Localized gene delivery is a promising alternative therapy, as it would allow sustained expression of specific osteoinductive growth factors by cells near the damaged site. We have engineered an injectable system for localized, sustained nonviral gene delivery from alginate hydrogels containing preosteoblastic cells and calcium phosphate-DNA nanoparticles. The nanoparticles utilized in this report are stable, on the order of 100 nm, and have a high DNA incorporation efficiency (>66%). When the nanoparticles were incorporated in alginate hydrogels, sustained release of DNA was observed. Furthermore, MC3T3-E1 preosteoblast cells exhibited the capacity to form bony tissue in as little as two and half weeks when mixed with DNA nanoparticles encoding for BMP-2 into the alginate hydrogels and injected subcutaneously in the backs of mice. This injectable, minimally invasive gene delivery system may be efficacious in bone regeneration applications.
Immobilized Ionic Liquids as High-Selectivity/High-Temperature/High-Stability Gas Chromatography Stationary Phases

Ionic liquids (ILs) are a class of nonmolecular solvents in which the cation/anion combination can be easily tuned to provide desired chemical and physical properties. When used as stationary phases in gas−liquid chromatography, ionic liquids exhibit dual nature retention selectivity. That is, they are able to separate polar molecules such as a polar stationary phase and nonpolar molecules such as a nonpolar stationary phase. However, issues such as optimization of the wetting ability of the ionic liquid on fused-silica capillaries, the maximum operating temperatures of the stationary phases, and nonuniform film thickness on the wall of the capillary at high temperatures have limited their use in gas chromatography. As described in this paper, these limitations are overcome by cross-linking a new class of ionic liquid monomers by free radical reactions to provide a more durable and robust stationary phase. By lightly cross-linking the ionic liquid stationary phase using a small amount of free radical init...
Genetic risk communication: experiences of adolescent girls and young women from families with fragile X syndrome.

Little is known about how and what genetic risk information parents communicate to their children and even less is known about what children hear and remember. To address this void, we explored how genetic risk information was learned, what information was given and who primarily provided information to adolescent girls and young adult women in families with fragile X syndrome. We explored three levels of risk knowledge: learning that fragile X syndrome was an inherited disorder, that they could be a carrier, and for those who had been tested, actual carrier status. These data were collected as part of a study that also explored adolescent self concept and age preferences about when to inform about genetic risk. Those findings have been presented separately. The purpose of this paper is to present the communication data. Using a multi-group cross-sectional design this study focused on girls ages 14–25 years from families previously diagnosed with fragile X syndrome, 1) who knew they were carriers (n = 20), 2) noncarriers (n = 18), or 3) at-risk to be carriers (n = 15). For all three stages of information the majority of the study participants were informed by a family member. We identified three different communication styles: open, sought information, and indirect. The content of the remembered conversations varied based on the stage of genetic risk information being disclosed as well as the girls’ knowledge of her own carrier status. Girls who had been tested and knew their actual carrier status were more likely to report an open communication pattern than girls who knew only that they were at-risk.
Volatilization of ketones from water

The overall mass-transfer coefficients for the volatilization from water of acetone, 2-butanone, 2-pentanone, 3-pentanone, 4-methyl-2-pentanone, 2-heptanone, and 2-octanone were measured simultaneously with the oxygen-absorption coefficient in a laboratory stirred water bath. The liquid-film and gas-film coefficients of the two-film model were determined for the ketones from the overall coefficients, and both film resistances were important for volatilization of the ketones.
Structural basis of a point mutation that causes the genetic disease Aspartylglucosaminuria

Summary Aspartylglucosaminuria (AGU) is a lysosomal storage disease caused by a metabolic disorder of lysosomes to digest Asn-linked glycoproteins. The specific enzyme linked to AGU is a lysosomal hydrolase called glycosylasparaginase. Crystallographic studies revealed that a surface loop blocks the catalytic center of the mature hydrolase. Autoproteolysis is therefore required to remove this P loop and open up the hydrolase center. Nonetheless, AGU mutations result in misprocessing of their precursors and are deficient in hydrolyzing glycoasparagines. To understand the catalytic and structural consequences of AGU mutations, we have characterized two AGU models, one corresponding to a Finnish allele and the other found in a Canadian family. We also report a 2.1 A resolution structure of the latter AGU model. The current crystallographic study provides a high-resolution structure of an AGU mutant. It reveals substantial conformation changes at the defective autocleavage site of the AGU mutant, which is trapped as an inactive precursor.
971 PROVISION OF NEUTRAL THERMAL ENVIRONMENT (NTE) DURING TRANSPORT

We studied thermal characteristics of a self-sufficient radiant heat transport incubator allowing intensive care in semi-open NTE in low external temperatures. Heat is provided by a transparent electrically heated semi-cylindrical hood which rotates over the bassinet. In the usual procedure mode (PM 1) the hood is partly rotated allowing access along one side and one end of the incubator. Other PMs are below. The lowest external temperatures at which NTE can be provided in each PM for 2 hours with use of the incubator battery pack were determined under laboratory conditions. Two designs were tested, differentiated by use of a Mylar screen (Design 2) spaced out 0.5cm from the hood's inner surface. In Design 1, infants weighing >2500 gms may inadvertently touch the hood whose inner surface can exceed 85°C. Constant observation by transport personnel eliminates this hazard. In Design 2, the Mylar screen's low thermal capacitance allows patient contact without concern for thermal damage. The results were: This radiant heat transport incubator will provide a semi-open NTE for at least 2 hrs. in low external temperature environments.
Properties of Gradient Method for Free Phase Problem with Compact Operator

Variational problem on solutions of the free phase problem an compact operator in Hilbert spaces is considered. Local relaxation property of the gradient method and weak convergence are proven.
L-Arginine Partially Restores the Diminished CO2 Reactivity after Mild Controlled Cortical Impact Injury in the Adult Rat

Using an open cranial window technique, the authors investigated the mechanisms associated with the suppressed CO2 reactivity after mild controlled cortical impact (CCI) injury in rats. The dilation of arterioles (n = 7) to hypercapnia before injury was 38 +/- 12%, which was significantly reduced both at 1 hour (23 +/- 15% dilation) and at 2 hours after injury (11 +/- 19% dilation). In the presence of L-arginine (10 mmol/L topical suffusion, 300 mg/kg intravenous infusion), the dilation of pial arterioles (n = 6) to hypercapnia was partially restored to 30 +/- 6% at 2 hours after injury. In the presence of the nitric oxide (NO) donor, S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) (10(-8) mol/L topical suffusion), the dilation of pial arterioles (n = 5) to hypercapnia remained diminished (5 +/- 7%) at 2 hours after injury. The dilation of pial arterioles (n = 4) to hypercapnia also remained suppressed (5 +/- 6%) with topical suffusion of the free radical scavengers, polyethylene glycol-superoxide dismutase (60 units/mL) and polyethylene glycol-catalase (40 units/mL). The authors have shown that L-arginine at least partially restores the diminished response to hypercapnia after mild CCI injury. Furthermore, these data suggest that the beneficial effects of L-arginine are mediated by a combination of providing substrate for NO synthase and scavenging free radicals.
Monitoring agricultural drought for arid and humid regions using multi-sensor remote sensing data

Abstract While existing remote sensing-based drought indices have characterized drought conditions in arid regions successfully, their use in humid regions is limited. We propose a new remote sensing-based drought index, the Scaled Drought Condition Index (SDCI), for agricultural drought monitoring in both arid and humid regions using multi-sensor data. This index combines the land surface temperature (LST) data and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor, and precipitation data from Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite. Each variable was scaled from 0 to 1 to discriminate the effect of drought from normal conditions, and then combined with the selected weights. When tested against in-situ Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), Palmer's Z-Index (Z-Index), 3-month Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI), and 6-month SPI data during a ten-year (2000–2009) period, SDCI performed better than existing indices such as NDVI and Vegetation Health Index (VHI) in the arid region of Arizona and New Mexico as well as in the humid region of North Carolina and South Carolina. The year-to-year changes and spatial distributions of SDCI over both arid and humid regions generally agreed to the changes documented by the United States Drought Monitor (USDM) maps.
Life span, chronologic disease patterns, and age-related changes in relative spleen weights for the mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus).

Abstract Survival curves for Mongolian gerbils, Meriones unguiculatus, show mean survival of 110 weeks for males and 139 weeks for females. The oldest surviving male was 208 weeks and the female 209 weeks. Mongolian gerbils have a high incidence of adrenal cortical tumors. Of interest from an immunologic standpoint are the diphasic peaks of relative spleen weights seen in young adults and in animals of advanced age.
Group work within the school system: Survey of implementation and leadership role issues

Abstract This article presents results of a survey of school counselors concerning attitudes toward group, common group topics, interferences to group work, and additional group leaders.
Ventricular Tachycardia with Classic Triphasic Morphology (rSR' Pattern) in Lead V1

he ability to discern ventricular tachycardia from supraventricular tachyarrhythmia with aberrant intraventricular conduction is usually an essential prerequisite to the introduction of appro- priate therapy. In a majority of clinical situations, the diagnosis has to be based on analysis of surface electrocardiographic leads. A pattern of classic right bundle-branch block (rSR') in lead V, is generally considered to favor the diagnosis of supraventricular tachyarrhythmia with aberrant conduction; how- ever, there are a few exceptions to this rule that have been recently discussed by Wellens et al,' who pub- lished their experience with tachycardia with wide QRS complexes and suggested criteria for differ- entiating supraventricular from ventricular tachy- cardia. We have recently seen a patient with chronic recurrent nonsustained tachycardia with a wide QRS complex, an rSR' pattern in lead V1, normal
Mass, surface, and fragmentation fractal dimensions of soil fragments produced by tillage

Structural units in freshly tilled soil are mainly fragments derived from tillage. Fractal geometry is potentially useful to model this structure. This research was designed to test the applicability of fractal models for mass– and number–size distributions, and surface roughness of soil fragments produced by tillage; and evaluate relationships among parameters of these fractal models. Fragments were sampled from the soil surface of three soil management experiments on a Normania clay loam: (1) moldboard, chisel, and disc as primary tillage tools, (2) three sequences of primary and secondary tillage, and (3) three crops followed by one tillage sequence. Air-dried samples were sieved to obtain eight fragment–size fractions with average diameters, xm, ranging from 0.4 to 28.0 mm. The size fraction with xm=0.4 mm had different patterns of fragmentation and mass distribution and was not used to estimate fractal parameters. Mass–size relations from size fractions and individual fragments did not show evidence of a fractal distribution of mass; but soil management influenced the estimated mass of fragments of unit diameter, km. Two-dimensional roughness of fragment surfaces measured on thin sections was fractal with dimensions, Ds, between 1.02 and 1.18. Disc tillage produced the highest Ds among primary tillage tools. Fragment number–size distributions were fractal with the fragmentation fractal dimension, Df, between 2.14 and 3.19, and sensitive to management effects. The number of fragments of unit diameter, kf, was inversely related to km, but relationships of Df–kf and Df–Ds were not consistent with present fragmentation fractal models. Parameters, Df and kf were valuable for characterizing freshly tilled soils. More research is needed to understand links between Df, kf, and the geometrical configuration of a tilled layer.
Stimulate the phagocytes

Investigators from Canada, several European countries, Israel, the Republic of South Africa and the United States of America met earlier this year∗ to discuss whether or not George Bernard Shaw's exhortation to stimulate the phagocytes' pertains equally to host defense against neoplastic cells and microorganisms. The focus was on macrophage activation for killing these diverse targets, and in particular on four questions. What are the characteristics of the macrophages involved in host defense against tumor cells and microorganisms? How are these cells stimulated? How do they mediate their cytotoxic effects? And do they have therapeutic potential?