cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Survey of Ultrasonic Grain Noise Characteristics in Jet Engine Titanium

In ultrasonic inspections of titanium billets and forgings, grain noise echoes are routinely observed. These arise from the scattering of the incident sound beam by the metal microstructure, and can limit the detection of small or subtle defects. We report on a survey of grain noise characteristics in fourteen billet and forging specimens supplied by aircraft engine manufacturers. All specimens were examined in a similar manner using a 5-MHz focussed transducer, with pulse/echo noise measurements made through three orthogonal sides of each specimen. Emphasis is placed on describing two related probability density functions (PDF’s) which characterize aspects of the backscattered noise seen in a scanning experiment. The first PDF describes the RF noise voltages seen at a fixed observation time t; the second describes the gated peak-to-peak noise voltages seen for time gates of various durations. The PDF for the RF noise voltages is expected to be Gaussian if a large number (>10) of grains contribute appreciably to the noise at time t [1], but non-Gaussian behavior is seen in some specimens. The use of K-distributions to describe the non-Gaussian cases is examined. This work is in support of efforts described in a companion article [2] to develop methods for predicting gated peak noise (GPN) distributions.
Epidemiology and Risk Factors in Childhood

By now everyone is familiar with the risk factors of premature coronary heart disease: elevated serum cholesterol, hypertension, and cigarette smoking (1) — the big three, followed closely by obesity and diabetes. Age, sex, and inheritance are equally potent risk factors, but since they are beyond the individual’s control in the preventive sense, they are rarely included in risk factor lists.
Cost utility of ERCP-based modalities for the diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma in primary sclerosing cholangitis

Background and Aims Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). Although several ERCP-based diagnostic modalities are available for diagnosing CCA, it is unclear whether one modality is more cost-effective than the others. The primary aim of this study was to compare the cost-effectiveness of ERCP-based techniques for diagnosing CCA in patients with PSC-induced biliary strictures. Methods We performed a cost utility analysis to assess the net monetary benefit for accurately diagnosing CCA using 5 different diagnostic strategies: (1) ERCP with bile duct brushing for cytology, (2) ERCP with brushings for cytology and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)-trisomy, (3) ERCP with brushings for cytology and FISH-polysomy, (4) ERCP with intraductal biopsy sampling, and (5) single-operator cholangioscopy (SOC) with targeted biopsy sampling. A Monte Carlo simulation assessed outcomes including quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). Sensitivity analyses were also performed. Results SOC with targeted biopsy sampling, as compared with ERCP with brushing for FISH-polysomy, produced an incremental QALY gain of .22 at an additional cost of $8562.44, resulting in a base case ICER of $39,277.25. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses demonstrated that diagnosis with SOC was cost-effective at conventional willingness-to-pay thresholds of $50,000 and $100,000. SOC was the most cost-effective diagnostic strategy. Conclusions SOC with biopsy sampling is the most cost-effective diagnostic modality for CCA in PSC strictures.
Staphylococcus aureus Induces Increased Serine Protease Activity in Keratinocytes.

Bacteria that reside on the skin can influence the behavior of the cutaneous immune system, but the mechanisms responsible for these effects are incompletely understood. Colonization of the skin by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is increased in atopic dermatitis and can result in increased severity of the disease. In this study, we show that S. aureus stimulates human keratinocytes to increase their endogenous protease activity, including specific increases in trypsin activity. This increased protease activity coincided with increased expression of mRNA for kallikreins (KLKs), with KLK6, 13, and 14 showing the greatest induction after exposure to S. aureus. Suppression of mRNA for these KLKs in keratinocytes by targeted small interfering RNA silencing before S. aureus exposure blocked the increase in protease activity. Keratinocytes exposed to S. aureus showed enhanced degradation of desmoglein-1 and filaggrin, whereas small interfering RNA for KLK6, KLK13, and KLK14 partially blocked this degradation. These data illustrate how S. aureus directly influences the skin barrier integrity by stimulating endogenous proteolytic activity and defines a previously unknown mechanism by which S. aureus may influence skin diseases.
Caspofungin exposure alters the core septin AspB interactome of Aspergillus fumigatus

Aspergillus fumigatus, the main etiological agent of invasive aspergillosis, is a leading cause of death in immunocompromised patients. Septins, a conserved family of GTP-binding proteins, serve as scaffolding proteins to recruit enzymes and key regulators to different cellular compartments. Deletion of the A. fumigatus septin aspB increases susceptibility to the echinocandin antifungal caspofungin. However, how AspB mediates this response to caspofungin is unknown. Here, we characterized the AspB interactome under basal conditions and after exposure to a clinically relevant concentration of caspofungin. While A. fumigatus AspB interacted with 334 proteins, including kinases, cell cycle regulators, and cell wall synthesis-related proteins under basal growth conditions, caspofungin exposure altered AspB interactions. A total of 69 of the basal interactants did not interact with AspB after exposure to caspofungin, and 54 new interactants were identified following caspofungin exposure. We generated A. fumigatus deletion strains for 3 proteins (ArpB, Cyp4, and PpoA) that only interacted with AspB following exposure to caspofungin that were previously annotated as induced after exposure to antifungal agents, yet only PpoA was implicated in the response to caspofungin. Taken together, we defined how the septin AspB interactome is altered in the presence of a clinically relevant antifungal.
Molecular Subtyping in Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma: Closer to an Approach of Precision Therapy.

It has become clear that there is immense biological heterogeneity in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL). Developing technology has allowed better characterization of patient subsets at a molecular level, allowing for a link of phenotype and clinical outcomes to oncogenic mechanisms and biologic signatures. Cell of origin and double hit status are able to identify aggressive subsets, with molecular profiling allowing for a clearer understanding of biologic pathways that contribute to cellular resistance to conventional treatment in these subsets. Although the standard treatment for DLBCL remains R-CHOP or R-CHOP-like therapy at present, rational drug targets have been established with novel classes of drugs under investigation. In germinal center (GC) DLBCL, mechanisms of therapeutic interest include anti-apoptosis mediated by BCL-2, PI3K/AKT/mTOR, and EZH2, whereas drug interventions are directed at BCR, NF-κB, and/or JAK-STAT pathways in activated B cell (ABC) DLBCL. There is also evidence for cooperation of various oncogenic pathways in these subsets. As such, we are arguably on the verge of shifting to a more tailored approach using single and combinatorial strategies—this, however, relies on prioritizing the exploration of biomarkers for patient selection for validating novel treatment strategies.
Security evaluation by arrogance: saving time and money

Software startups can be subject to extreme money and time constraints while hoping for delivering reliable software. In a harsh startup environment, software may face quality downgrade either by improper process management or incapable human resources. Among the many, security is a fragile software quality characteristic responsible for severe negative consequences such as jeopardizing a startup's brand among early adapters. Addressing security evaluation, we report our experience in developing a startup's internal software engineering process that includes a continuous security evaluation cycle at the heart of the process and leverages arrogance in software engineering---the tendency to break other team members' code. The valuable outcome was that enforcing security evaluation, as a concrete process activity, came with no cost. That is, we reutilized our resources by changing the flow of the engineering process while capitalizing on arrogance as a motivating stimulus yielding a cost-effective vulnerability assessment for each software release. We describe our process, provide the case for the benefit of arrogant engineers, and conclude with a report of incidents in which arrogance came to our rescue.
When delegation fails: the politics of indivisible sovereignty

Despite the frequency with which governments delegate authority to international organisations, arguments about the indivisibility of state sovereignty continue to pose difficulties for governments seeking to delegate powers to international organisations. The existing theories of delegation assume that sovereignty is always divisible; they thus have difficulties accounting for those instances in which principled arguments about the need to preserve sovereignty preclude the possibility of delegation even when the balance of policy preferences would seem to favour it. In this paper, I develop a theory to explain the conditions under which sovereignty is constructed as indivisible. I distinguish between two discourses of sovereignty, national and administrative sovereignty, which represent the purpose of state power differently. When a discourse of national sovereignty intersects with a set of conditions related to the audience and the institutional rules governing delegation choices, sovereignty will be constructed as indivisible and lead to delegation failure. This argument is illustrated through an analysis of the US Senate’s failure to ratify the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. My argument sheds light on the relationship between sovereignty and delegation and identifies an important set of factors that help to explain the conditions under which delegation fails.
Rapid Photoactuation of a DNA Nanostructure using an Internal Photocaged Trigger Strand.

A reconfigurable DNA nano-tweezer is reported that can be switched between a closed and open state with a brief pulse of UV light. In its initial state, the tweezer is held shut using a hairpin with a single-stranded poly-A loop. Also incorporated in the structure is a poly-T trigger strand bearing seven photocaged residues. Upon illumination with 365 nm light, the cages are removed and the trigger strand hybridizes to the loop, opening the tweezer and increasing the distance between its arms from 4 to 18 nm. This intramolecular process is roughly 60 times faster than adding an external trigger strand, and provides a mechanism for the rapid interconversion of DNA nanostructures with light.
Gynecologic Tumors of Adolescence

Adolescence in the human female usually is defined as that era of hfe that begins at the onset of puberty and ends when adulthood is reached. A recent study1 indicates that physical evidences of incipient puberty most commonly occur between 8.0 and 14.9 years and completion of such development is usually noted between 12.4 years and 16.8 years. Nubility may be defined as the status attained when sexual development is completed and the female is capable of procreation. Adulthood is somewhat more difficult to specifically define but usually may be considered to have been attained when nubility and a significant degree of psychologic maturity have been developed.
On Bootstrapping Web Service Recommendation

We present a novel framework to bootstrap Web Service recommendation. Service recommendation has become an effective means to achieve personalized service selection. It leverages past user-service interaction information to accurately predict user preference on previously unknown services. However, one key impediment has been the incompetence of current service recommendation systems in dealing with new users and services. Since a recommendation system has no knowledge about new users and services, it may completely fail to provide any recommendation or provide very poor ones. The proposed framework uses an agile interview process to quickly profile new users and services. The interview is structured by a decision tree that enables adaptive, intuitive, and rapid querying of users or services. We propose to exploit Non-negative Matrix Tri-Factorization (NMTF) to simultaneously partition users and services into a set of user and service groups. The group structure helps estimate the missing interaction information and also provides class labels to construct decision trees for both users and services, which will be used in the interview process. We conduct extensive experiments to assess the effectiveness of the proposed framework for bootstrapping service recommendation.
A Cognitive Explanation of Entrepreneurial Judgment: Opportunity as Analogy

Entrepreneurs make decisions under conditions of uncertainty; they make judgments. In order to understand how these judgments are made, this study develops an analogical model of entrepreneurial op...
Echoes of Pragmatism in India: Bhimrao Ambedkar and Reconstructive Rhetoric

This study explores the pragmatist thought of the Indian politician and “untouchable” rights activity, Bhimrao Ambedkar. Ambedkar’s connection to the pragmatist tradition through John Dewey is discussed, as well as the various lines of influence that Dewey had upon his work once back in India. Beyond this general appraisal, this chapter exhaustively charts the echoes of Dewey’s words, phrases, and ideas in Ambedkar’s vital “Annihilation of Caste” text, showing that pragmatism influence his as both a source of ideas as well as a method of rhetorical practice. Ambedkar’s pragmatist appropriations lead to his grafting of Deweyan ideas of democracy onto his battle against Indian caste oppression, as well as general reconstructive rhetorical method.
The Coach and the Safety of Athletes: Ethical and Legal Issues

Regardless of the level of athletic competition, a coach is not an insurer of an athlete’s safety and is not necessarily liable for injuries that occur while coaching a sport. Although coaches generally are not liable for athlete injuries that are ‘‘part of the game,’’ there is potential legal liability if a coach’s action or inaction increases the inherent risks of injury in a sport. To recover damages for an injury, an athlete is required to prove tortious (i.e., wrongful) action or inaction by a coach caused his injury. This chapter provides an overview of the developing law regarding the nature and scope of a coach’s duty to protect the health and safety of athletes participating in youth and high school sports (who generally are minors entrusted to coaches’ custodial care) or college sports (who generally are adults that do not have a custodial relationship with their coaches) and illustrates a coach’s ethical obligation to do so. It also notes that state statutes and judicial decisions may immunize coaches at public educational institutions from liability for negligence that causes injury to athletes, and that pre-injury releases and waivers may protect both private and public school coaches from liability for their negligence.
Focal Intramedullary Spinal Cord Lesion in Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome: Toxoplasmosis Versus Lymphoma

Background Neurologic complications are common in patients with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Although both the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system can be affected, 80% of patients with HIV/AIDS have CNS involvement during the course of their illness. The brain is the primary site of HIV/AIDS-associated CNS complications. Spinal cord involvement is rare, particularly focal intramedullary spinal cord lesions without any associated cerebral lesions. Among various opportunistic infections and malignancies, toxoplasmosis and CNS lymphoma are the most common causes of focal neurologic disease in patients with HIV/AIDS. Distinguishing between toxoplasmosis and CNS lymphoma is challenging, as the diseases have similar clinical presentations. Case Description In a woman with newly diagnosed HIV infection, myelopathy manifested as an isolated, single intramedullary spinal cord lesion. Conclusions Common methods to distinguish the diagnoses of toxoplasmosis and CNS lymphoma are addressed. There should be a high index of suspicion for toxoplasmosis in patients with HIV/AIDS presenting with a focal intramedullary spinal cord lesion.
The Role of Cytoreductive Nephrectomy for Sarcomatoid Renal Cell Carcinoma: A 29-Year Institutional Experience.

ABSTRACT Objective To assess which patients respond best following cytoreductive nephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) with sarcomatoid dedifferentiation (sRCC) and whether outcomes are improving over time. Methods We identified 562 patients with metastatic RCC treated between 1989 and 2018 with cytoreductive nephrectomy. We reviewed baseline clinical and pathologic characteristics, including the presence of sRCC, and metastatic sites at time of nephrectomy. The primary study endpoint was overall survival (OS). Univariate and multivariate Cox-regression analyses were used to identify significant predictors of OS. Results The study cohort had 192 sRCC patients, with a median age of 59 years. Frequently involved metastatic locations were lung (n = 115), retroperitoneal nodes (n = 63), and axial skeleton (n = 43). Lung metastasis were more prevalent in clear cell histology (P = .0017) whereas nodal involvement was associated with nonclear cell subtypes (P = .0064). Median follow-up was 14 months. Estimated 2- and 5-year OS were 34.1% and 14.8%, respectively. On multivariate analysis, metastases to the liver (HR = 1.64; 95% CI 1.02-2.63; P = .04), lung (HR = 1.50; 95% CI 1.05-2.14; P = .03), retroperitoneal nodes (HR = 1.52; 95% CI 1.03-2.25; P = 0.04) and nonclear cell histology (HR = 1.61; 95% CI 1.10-2.35; P = .01) were associated with worse OS in the sRCC cohort. Conclusion OS after cytoreductive nephrectomy for sRCC and non-sRCC is improving over time. In patients with sRCC, presentations with unifocal metastasis not involving the liver or lung, clear cell histology and node negative disease have better outcomes following cytoreductive nephrectomy and may yield greater benefit from the procedure.
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis as a substrate for stress resilience: Interactions with the circadian clock

Stress, primarily processed via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, engages biological pathways throughout the brain and body which promote adaptation and survival to changing environmental demands. Adaptation to environmental challenges is compromised when these pathways are no longer functioning optimally. The physiological and behavioral mechanisms through which HPA axis function influences stress adaptation and resilience are not fully elucidated. Our understanding of stress biology and disease must take into account the complex interactions between the endocrine system, neural circuits, and behavioral coping strategies. In addition, further consideration must be taken concerning influences of other aspects of physiology, including the circadian clock which is critical for regulation of daily changes in HPA activity. While adding a layer of complexity, it also offers targets for intervention. Understanding the role of HPA function in mediating these diverse biological responses will lead to important insights about how to bolster successful stress adaptation and promote stress resilience.
Adaptive computation at the tactical edge using a proactive resource allocator for reduced latencies

Here we compare the latency performance of active and passive offloading decisions pathways which we use with our adaptive computing engine. The passive pathway will query nodes for offloading after a job has been submitted, while the active pathway will query system information before jobs are submitted to create an offloading plan. The offloading plan reduces latency and communication overhead by cutting out the offloading query required for each job under the passive pathway. Overall we see a 6ms reduction in latency when using the active pathway in a multi-node environment connected over Wi-Fi.
Sparse Composite Quantile Regression in Ultrahigh Dimensions With Tuning Parameter Calibration

When estimating coefficients in a linear model, the (sparse) composite quantile regression was first proposed in Zou and Yuan (2008) as an efficient alternative to the (sparse) least squares to handle arbitrary error distribution. The highly nonsmooth nature of the composite loss in the sparse composite quantile regression makes its theoretical analysis as well as numerical computation much more challenging than the least squares method. The theory in Zou and Yuan (2008) was proven under fixed-dimension asymptotics and the estimator was computed via linear programming that does not scale well with high dimensions. In this paper, we study the sparse composite quantile regression under ultrahigh dimensionality and make three contributions. First, we provide a non-asymptotic analysis of both the lasso and the folded concave penalized composite quantile regression, which reveals a practical way of achieving the oracle estimator. Second, we construct a novel information criterion for selecting the regularization parameter in the folded concave penalized composite quantile regression and prove its selection consistency. Third, we exploit the structure of the composite loss and design a specialized optimization algorithm for computing the penalized composite quantile regression via the alternating direction method of multipliers. We conduct extensive simulations to illustrate the theoretical results. Our analysis provides a unified treatment of the concentration inequalities involving the composite loss. Those inequalities could be of independent interest.
STRESS ANALYSIS OF SUPERCONDUCTING 10T MAGNETS FOR SYNCHROTRON

Design studies were made for superconducting synchrotron 10T magnets, a prototype dipole and quadrupole. A numerical computation of the stresses in the windings and collars was done. The collar analysis was done in three dimensions because of the complicated lamination structure and the resulting stress concentrations in each piece. The collar design was modified until the computation predicted a permissible magnetic force deflection.
A survey of Shading Techniques for Facial Deformations on Sign Language Avatars

Of the five phonemic parameters in sign language (handshape, location, palm orientation, movement and nonmanual expressions), the one that still poses the most challenges for effective avatar display is nonmanual signals. Facial nonmanual signals carry a rich combination of linguistic and pragmatic information, but current techniques have yet to portray these in a satisfactory manner. Due to the complexity of facial movements, additional considerations must be taken into account for rendering in real time. Of particular interest is the shading areas of facial deformations to improve legibility. In contrast to more physically-based, compute-intensive techniques that more closely mimic nature, we propose using a simple, classic, Phong illumination model with a dynamically modified layered texture. To localize and control the desired shading, we utilize an opacity channel within the texture. The new approach, when applied to our avatar “Paula”, results in much quicker render times than more sophisticated, computationally intensive techniques.
Circular dichroism study of bovine plasma amine oxidase, a Cu-amine oxidase.

Bovine plasma amine oxidase enzyme is a copper amine oxidase which has a molecular weight of about 170,000 (1) and contains 2 gm atoms of copper per mole of protein (2). It is an unusual copper protein since it is pink in color and the apoenzyme is also colored (3). The latter observation has suggested that there is another prosthetic group in the enzyme although the chemical identity of the group has not been established (4). The enzyme catalyzes the general reaction shown in equation 1.
In Their Own Words: Veteran Experiences with Evidence-Based Treatments for PTSD in the Veterans Health Administration

The aim of the present study was to increase the understanding of veteran experiences with receiving an evidence-based psychotherapy (EBPs) for PTSD (Cognitive Processing Therapy and Prolonged Exposure therapy) in the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System (VA). Eighteen veterans who participated in the study were being seen in the outpatient PTSD clinic at a New England VA and had elected to participate in an EBP. The study assessed veteran experiences with, and outcomes from, treatment through the use of both quantitative and qualitative assessment tools. A rigorous data analytic approach, Consensual Qualitative Research, was applied to narrative data. Results fell into seven domains: Previous EBP & Outcome, Barriers to Treatment, Treatment Process, Treatment Outcome, Treatment Drop Out, and Feelings about Treatment. Overall, veterans reported diverse reactions to the EBPs for PTSD and identified both positive and negative aspects of the treatments. They identified multiple barriers to treatment completion and provided insight into their thoughts and feelings during the treatment protocol. Veterans who chose to drop out of treatment prematurely identified the factors that contributed to this decision. In this way, the study offers an initial but important look at veteran perceptions of and experiences with EBPs for PTSD.
Pharmacokinetics of ceftazidime in Northern leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens) at two different doses and administration routes

OBJECTIVE To determine an optimal ceftazidime dosing strategy in Northern leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens) by evaluation of 2 different doses administered SC and 1 dose administered transcutaneou...
The Harm in Hate Speech. By Jeremy Waldron. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2012. 292 pp. $26.95 cloth.

The Harm in Hate Speech. By Jeremy Waldron. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2012. 292 pp. $26.95 cloth.This well-crafted volume by Jeremy Waldron, who teaches law and philosophy at New York University and Oxford, addresses-in the words of the title-the harm in hate speech.Waldron dispatches the old saw that we must be especially vigilant to protect the speech we hate (Chapters 1 and 2), instead showing that heaping calumny on a vulnerable minority group damages a public good, namely the reasonable belief that one can go for a walk with one's children and not expect to confront an expression of hate such as a sign telling people of your background that they are unwelcome in this country. He notes that many advanced societies prohibit such expressions (pp. 8, 29) but doubts that the United States will anytime soon, even though our checkered racial history would seem to make prohibition in order here as well.The interest he is most concerned with protecting is not offense to feelings, such as that stemming from an epithet hurled from a passing car, but the deeper form of alienation that accompanies coming upon a written or tangible expression of contempt, such as graffiti, billboards, or monuments, that endure, communicating their message to all who pass that way (Chapter 5). Defending this form of racial vituperation is not at all valiant or noble, Waldron points out, explaining why it is neither necessary for a vigorous give-and-take of ideas (Chapter 2), a bigot's self-expression (Chapter 6), or the legitimacy of our system of liberal politics (Chapter 7).The book is exceptional in a number of respects. Most writers address the harm of hate speech in terms of the injury that results from trying to regulate it. Focusing almost exclusively on the affront to the hate-speaker forced to hold things in or to society at large when it loses an opportunity to ponder supposedly hard truths about black intelligence, Latino personal habits, or Muslim patriotism, these writers imagine themselves courageous defenders of an embattled position. In resisting what they think of as thought reform and political correctness, they believe that in championing "the thought we hate" they are safeguarding an unpopular but noble cause. Waldron rejects this self-serving characterization, pointing out that a more important issue in the hate-speech debate is the feelings of the black or Muslim father, out for a walk with his family and suddenly confronted with a sign telling people like him and his kids to go back whence they came.Turning to an affirmative argument, Waldron asks what a wellordered society would look like, and with the aid of simple prose and heart-rending examples concludes that it is one that provides each citizen with the assurance-a form of dignity-that they may lead their lives free from the fear of unwanted assaults on their security and wellbeing like those mentioned above (Chapter 4). …
Tattoos, gender, and well-being among American college students

Abstract This research note examines the relationship between survey respondents’ reports of escalating numbers of tattoos and their measured levels of self-esteem, depression, suicide ideation, and reports of one or more suicide attempts. Data were gathered from 2,395 college students attending six American public universities. Results indicate a four-fold higher level of reported suicide attempts among females with four or more tattoos as compared to those with no tattoos, or three or less. Paradoxically, results also indicate a statistically significant elevation in self-esteem within that same group. No other findings and comparisons are statistically significant. These findings are interpreted in light of previous research examining the relationship between tattoos and gender, body image, and deviance.
d-Fucose Metabolism in a Pseudomonad IV. CLEAVAGE OF 2-KETO-3-DEOXY-d-FUCONATE TO PYRUVATE AND d-LACTALDEHYDE BY 2-KETO-3-DEOXY-l-ARABONATE ALDOLASE

Abstract A 2-keto-3-deoxyaldonic acid aldolase was shown to participate in the metabolism of d-fucose in a pseudomonad. The enzyme was purified 50-fold, and some of its properties are reported. Of several 2-keto-3-deoxyaldonic acids tested, only 2-keto-3-deoxy-d-fuconate and 2-keto-3-deoxy-l-arabonate served as substrates. The apparent Km values for 2-keto-3-deoxy-d-fuconate and 2-keto-3-deoxy-l-arabonate were 2.9 mm and 1.8 mm, respectively. The enzyme required a divalent cation for activity, with Mn++ being the most effective. The products of 2-keto-3-deoxy-d-fuconate cleavage were identified as pyruvate and d-lactaldehyde. The equilibrium constant for the 2-keto-3-deoxy-d-fuconate cleavage reaction was about 0.12 mm.
Rationalization of Higher Education

Since roughly 1980, the rationalization of higher education has been escalating. That is, means-end schema and bureaucratic organization have become ever more dominant as the authority over academic matters has been shifting from the professoriate to managers who in the mid-twentieth century had been mainly responsible for economic affairs and “making things run.” At many research universities today, the administrative sector has grown so large that the budget devoted to administrative salaries and benefits exceeds the monies reserved for faculty. The transference of authority from educators to bureaucratic offices and roles has been driven by a larger market morality where the legitimacy of organizational functions resides in their reproduction of profit exchanges. We conceive of the institutional field of higher education—the universe of diverse institutions existing within a prestige hierarchy—as existing along a spectrum of rationalization with the for-profit college organization at the extreme right. While there is much debate about the rightness of a college sector that reverses over 200 years of not-for-profit organization professing that education is for the public good, traditional colleges have adopted organizational arrangements that resemble those that characterize for-profit colleges. Indeed, some like Bousquet (2008) argue that rather than the fully rationalized for-profit model exerting pressure on traditional higher education to adopt rationalized regimes, traditional not-for-profit colleges have been steadily refining those regimes for at least 40 years. As we will discuss later, this presents a fundamental puzzle for classic neoinstitutional theories that do much of the intellectual work of interrogating organizations and rationalization. This mutual mimetic isomorphism, in which two competing organizational forms adapt to resemble each other rather than the dominant form, is most evident in rationalized arrangements in academic labor, curricular focus on “objective” outcomes, and neoliberal reframing of what constitutes education. We discuss the theoretical and empirical conditions that have increased the rationalization of higher education. We then explicate on the ideal form of rationalization in higher education and put forth an agenda that builds on emerging research in organizations, education, and rationalization. Keywords: higher educations; organizations; rationalization; academic labor; for-profit colleges; for-profit higher education; academic capitalism; corporate university
Dithioacetals of Sugars

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of dithioacetals and their direct chemical transformations. Dithioacetals and their derivatives comprise the largest recorded class of acyclic carbohydrate derivatives. They are versatile intermediates in synthesis not only because a multitude of transformations are possible at the dithioacetal group, but also because all of the hydroxyl groups of the sugar chain are available for chemical transformation or selective protection. Of particular importance is the fact that they provide a route for kinetically controlled ring-closure of the sugar under neutral conditions by the action of mercury (II) salts, thus providing a useful route of access to furanosides. Although dithioacetals are odorless, an inherent practical disadvantage of their preparation is the generally disagreeable scent of the lower thiols. Furthermore, appended to this chapter is a set of tables that lists the melting points and specific rotations of sugar dithioacetals and certain derivatives.
Prostate angiogenesis in development and inflammation.

BACKGROUND Prostatic inflammation is an important factor in development and progression of BPH/LUTS. This study was performed to characterize the normal development and vascular anatomy of the mouse prostate and then examine, for the first time, the effects of prostatic inflammation on the prostate vasculature. METHODS Adult mice were perfused with India ink to visualize the prostatic vascular anatomy. Immunostaining was performed on the E16.5 UGS and the P5, P20, and adult prostate to characterize vascular development. Uropathogenic E. coli 1677 was instilled transurethrally into adult male mice to induce prostate inflammation. RT-PCR and BrdU labeling was performed to assay anigogenic factor expression and endothelial proliferation, respectively. RESULTS An artery on the ventral surface of the bladder trifurcates near the bladder neck to supply the prostate lobes and seminal vesicle. Development of the prostatic vascular system is associated with endothelial proliferation and robust expression of pro-angiogenic factors Pecam1, Tie1, Tek, Angpt1, Angpt2, Fgf2, Vegfa, Vegfc, and Figf. Bacterial-induced prostatic inflammation induced endothelial cell proliferation and increased vascular density but surprisingly decreased pro-angiogenic factor expression. CONCLUSIONS The striking decrease in pro-angiogenic factor mRNA expression associated with endothelial proliferation and increased vascular density during inflammation suggests that endothelial response to injury is not a recapitulation of normal development and may be initiated and regulated by different regulatory mechanisms. Prostate 74:346–358, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Quasars: Cosmological Evolution and X-Ray Background Contribution

The luminosity function of quasars varies with redshift or cosmic epoch. We discuss how the luminosity function and its evolution can be determined from complete samples of quasars. We first concentrate on optical survey of quasars. For quasars of medium luminosity, the co-moving space density rises very steeply with redshift. Quasars of lower luminosity exhibit a slower increase of density with redshift, resulting in luminosity-dependent evolution of the space density. We also discuss evidence for a cutoff of quasar redshift and for a possible dependence of the cutoff on luminosity. We evaluate X-ray counts of quasars and show the need for negative X-ray luminosity evolution in order to explain the counts and the low average redshifts of X-ray quasars. As a consequence, the quasar contribution to the X-ray background is lower than originally suspected. We discuss other extragalac-tic contributors to the X-ray background and conclude that they, together with the quasars, contribute about 60 percent of the observed background. About half of this is contributed by active galactic nuclei with optical luminosities below those of quasars.
Tropopause inversion layer: Seasonal and latitudinal variations and representation in standard radiosonde data and global models

[1] Previous publications have given information on the seasonal and latitudinal variations of the tropopause inversion layer (TIL), as seen in high-resolution radiosonde data sets, when soundings are averaged using the tropopause as a reference level. This paper presents a more quantitative analysis of the latitudinal and seasonal structure of the TIL than has been given previously. To do this, we define the region over which the static stability relaxes from its overshoot value at the tropopause to its local minimum in the stratosphere. This region is seen to increase monotonically in thickness from about 1 km at low latitudes to about 4 to 5 km at high latitudes. When the seasons are defined as winter (DJF), spring (MAM), summer (JJA), and fall (SON), the transition from tropical behavior occurs a little poleward of 20°N in both DJF and MAM and moves to a little poleward of 30°N in JJA and SON. Somewhat surprisingly, it is also shown that almost identical information about the TIL can be derived from standard radiosonde data for our period of analysis because of their reporting of the tropopause and other “significant levels,” but caution needs to be used in doing this since the number of reported significant levels has varied significantly over the long term and with some distinct discontinuities. Finally, we discuss what sort of information on the TIL can be obtained from global models given their relatively coarse vertical resolution.
Changes in Amino Acid Permeation During Sporulation

Changes in amino acid uptake in Bacillus licheniformis and in the amino acid pools of three Bacillus species were investigated, by use of cells from different stages of the life cycle. B. licheniformis contains catalytic uptake systems for all of the 10 amino acids studied. The apparent maximal velocities of uptake decreased during sporulation but did not fall below the range observed for other microorganisms. In sporulating cells, the apparent affinity constants of the uptake systems for individual amino acids remained about the same as in growing cells, i.e., from 2 × 10−7m to 7 × 10−6m, whereas, in some cases, the apparent maximal velocities decreased significantly. Because the velocity of uptake showed an atypical dependence on substrate concentration, it was postulated that these cells contain two or more uptake systems for each amino acid. Only one of these systems appeared to be operative at a substrate concentration below 10−6m. Working at these low substrate concentrations, catalytic activities producing a net efflux of amino acids were demonstrable in vegetative cells in the presence of chloramphenicol, but these exit systems were lost during sporulation. A pool formed by the addition of radioactive algal hydrolysate will exchange with the external medium in vegetative cells but not in sporulating cells. Glutamic acid and alanine comprise at least 60% of the amino acid pool of B. licheniformis A-5, B. subtilis 23, and B. cereus T during all stages of growth and sporulation. The concentrations of the other amino acids in the pool varied extensively, but reflected, in general, the amino acid turnover known to occur during sporulation.
The showup identification procedure: An exploration of systematic biases

Purpose. Showups are common, yet little research has investigated the biasing factors that may influence showup identifications. We investigated the effects of cross-race conditions and clothing bias on showup identification decisions. Additionally, we explored identification decisions made in a subsequent lineup dependent on race, clothing, and showup-target-presence. Methods. Participants watched a mock crime and were presented with a showup in which suspect race, target-presence, and the clothing worn by the suspect were varied. Following a delay, participants viewed a target-present or -absent lineup and were asked to make a second identification decision. Results. Presentation of the suspect in the clothing worn by the perpetrator increased choosing rates in both own-race and other-race conditions. Despite this, differential patterns of decision response latencies indicated that eyewitnesses may use clothing information differently when making own-race compared to other-race identification decisions. No evidence for an own-race bias in showup identifications was found; however, other-race lineup identifications were less accurate than own-race lineup identifications. Further, participants in own-race and other-race conditions differed in the extent to which they were affected by multiple identification procedures. Viewing an own-race innocent suspect in a showup increased subsequent false lineup identifications, while choosing the innocent suspect from the showup was necessary to increase false lineup identifications in other-race conditions. Conclusions. Different situational factors may affect the identification accuracy of eyewitnesses in own-race and other-race conditions for both showup and lineup procedures. Particular caution is advised when showups are clothing-biased and multiple identification procedures are used.
FACTORS AFFECTING LIPID OXIDATION IN BREAST AND THIGH MUSCLE FROM CHICKEN, TURKEY AND DUCK

Lipid oxidation occurred rapidly in turkey muscle, intermediate in duck and slowest in chicken. pH was lowest in turkey muscle. Chicken muscle had a lower content of polyunsaturated fatty acids compared with turkey and duck muscles. The aqueous fraction of duck breast inhibited hemoglobin-mediated lipid oxidation in washed muscle more effectively than aqueous fractions from turkey and chicken muscle. α-Tocopherol content was highest in duck muscle, intermediate in chicken and lowest in turkey. Depletion of tocopherols during frozen storage was more rapid in turkey and duck compared with chicken. It was thought that the elevated tocopherol level in chicken muscle may be caused by less efficient catabolism via the omega hydroxylation pathway. However, tocopherol hydroxylase activity was similar in chicken compared with turkey liver microsomes. Heme pigment content was around sixfold higher in duck breast compared with chicken and turkey breast. Duck thigh had especially elevated pH. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS This work describes a number of factors that explain the wide variation in oxidative stability (chicken > duck > turkey) when comparing muscle tissues from the three avian species. These factors include muscle pH, concentration of heme pigments, fatty acid unsaturation, inhibitors of lipid oxidation in the aqueous fraction of the muscle, tocopherol content in lipid phases and depletion rates of tocopherol. These factors should be considered when developing strategies to inhibit lipid oxidation in muscle foods. The relatively high content of α-tocopherol in chicken muscle compared with turkey should be a subject of further research to better understand the mechanisms by which certain animal species preferentially deposit the molecule into muscle.
Water vapor retrievals using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) near‐infrared channels

[1] At present, two Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments on board the NASA Terra and Aqua Spacecraft platforms are operational for global remote sensing of the land, ocean, and atmosphere. In this paper, we describe an algorithm for water vapor derivations using several MODIS near-IR channels. The derivations are made over areas that have reflective surfaces in the near-IR, such as clear land areas, clouds, and oceanic areas with Sun glint. The algorithm relies on observations of water vapor attenuation of near-IR solar radiation reflected by surfaces and clouds. Techniques employing ratios of water vapor absorbing channels centered near 0.905, 0.936, and 0.940 mm with atmospheric window channels at 0.865 and 1.24 mm are used. The ratios partially remove the effects of variation of surface reflectance with wavelengths and result in the atmospheric water vapor transmittances. The column water vapor amounts are derived from the transmittances based on theoretical calculations and using lookup table procedures. Typical errors in the derived water vapor values are in the range between 5% and 10%. The daily ‘‘pixelbased’’ near-IR water vapor product, which is a standard MODIS level 2 data product, at the 1-km spatial resolution of the MODIS instrument, and the daily, 8-day, and monthly near-IR water vapor products, which are standard MODIS level 3 products, at a 1� by 1� latitude-longitude grid globally are now routinely produced at a NASA computing facility. We present samples of water vapor images and comparisons to ground-based measurements by microwave radiometers. INDEX TERMS: 0315 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Biosphere/atmosphere interactions; 0325 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Evolution of the atmosphere; 1640 Global Change: Remote sensing; KEYWORDS: water vapor, remote sensing, MODIS, terrestrial atmosphere
A model for experimentally-observed high-strain-rate dynamic strain aging in titanium

Abstract Recent high-strain-rate experimental results have shown an anomalous response by commercially pure titanium at relatively high temperatures: for a fixed high strain rate and a suitable strain, the flow stress which is a monotonically decreasing function of the temperature, suddenly begins to increase with increasing temperature, and then begins to decrease, displaying a dynamic strain-aging behavior. This phenomenon may be caused by the interaction between moving dislocations and mobile point defects in the dislocation core area. Based on this supposition, a model is developed which, both qualitatively and quantitatively, describes the experimentally observed results. This model assumes that the anomalous response is, in fact, dynamic strain aging caused by the drag of the core atmosphere, the evolution of the dislocation structure, and the associated interaction processes. The model combines the concepts of athermal long-range and thermally activated, short-range barriers, with the model of a “trough” for the thermally activated breakaway of dislocations from the core atmosphere. The evolution of the core atmosphere concentration is included in the model, based on the strong interaction force between dislocations and point defects in the core area. The final product is a unified model which seems to accurately predict the response of commercially pure titanium, over a broad range of strain rates and temperatures.