cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Heart healthy and stroke free: Successful business strategies to prevent cardiovascular disease

Background Heart disease and stroke, the principal components of cardiovascular disease (CVD), are the first and third leading causes of death in the United States. In 2002, employers representing 88 companies in the United States paid an average of $18,618 per employee for health and productivity-related costs. A sizable portion of these costs are related to CVD. Results Employers can yield a $3 to $6 return on investment for each dollar invested over a 2 to 5 year period and improve employee cardiovascular health by investing in comprehensive worksite health-promotion programs, and by choosing health plans that provide adequate coverage and support for essential preventive services. The most effective interventions in worksites are those that provide sustained individual follow-up risk factor education and counseling and other interventions within the context of a comprehensive health-promotion program: (1) screening, health risk assessments, and referrals; (2) environmental supports for behavior change (e.g., access to healthy food choices); (3) financial and other incentives; and (4) corporate policies that support healthy lifestyles (e.g., tobacco-free policies). The most effective practices in healthcare settings include systems that use (1) standardized treatment and prevention protocols consistent with national guidelines, (2) multidisciplinary clinical care teams to deliver quality patient care, (3) clinics that specialize in treating/preventing risk factors, (4) physician and patient reminders, and (5) electronic medical records. Conclusions Comprehensive worksite health-promotion programs, health plans that cover preventive benefits, and effective healthcare systems will have the greatest impact on heart disease and stroke and are likely to reduce employers’ health and productivity-related costs.
Fruit for thought: anaphylaxis to fruit pectin in foods.

abstract Clinical Implications Pectin is a structural heteropolysaccharide previously associated with occupational asthma and only rare accounts of allergy. Few case reports, however, suggest that pectin may contribute to atypical or idiopathic food reactions, particularly in patients with IgE-mediated allergy to tree nuts.
Reading and the Sociality of Disappointing Affects in Jane Austen

This chapter reconsiders the role of disappointment in Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey by demonstrating how minor letdowns motivate non-matrimonial relationships. For Catherine Morland, the novel’s heroine, just as for the community of female novel readers with whom she stands, disappointment is an affect of momentum and transition, which allows for the substitution of one social arrangement for another. Yet the new, often sororal relationships that these arrangements encourage also invite biting social critiques, which challenge the novel’s apparent solidarity with its female readers and frame disappointment’s sociability as a double-edged sword. While disappointment helps form and reform communities, it also positions disappointed readers against the cool-headed reading practices to which Henry Tilney (Catherine’s love interest) and Austen herself in her letters appear to subscribe.
Electrically Mediated Membrane Pore Gating via Grafted Polymer Brushes

Stimuli-responsive membranes that enable the smart control of membrane transport properties represent an interesting class of materials for a wide range of separation processes. In this work, surfa...
Quilting at the Society for Pastoral Theology: Lessons Learned

The quilt is a metaphor for the history, present work, and ongoing scholarship of the Society for Pastoral Theology. Pastoral theology, like quilting, is a craft of collaboration, collegiality, cre...
De novo design of picomolar SARS-CoV-2 miniprotein inhibitors

We used two approaches to design proteins with shape and chemical complementarity to the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein near the binding site for the human ACE2 receptor. Scaffolds were built around an ACE2 helix that interacts with the RBD, or de novo designed scaffolds were docked against the RBD to identify new binding modes. In both cases, designed sequences were optimized first in silico and then experimentally for target binding, folding and stability. Nine designs bound the RBD with affinities ranging from 100pM to 10nM, and blocked bona fide SARS-CoV-2 infection of Vero E6 cells with IC 50 values ranging from 35 pM to 35 nM; the most potent of these - 56 and 64 residue hyperstable proteins made using the second approach - are roughly six times more potent on a per mass basis (IC 50 ~ 0.23 ng/ml) than the best monoclonal antibodies reported thus far. Cryo-electron microscopy structures of the SARS-CoV-2 spike ectodomain trimer in complex with the two most potent minibinders show that the structures of the designs and their binding interactions with the RBD are nearly identical to the computational models, and that all three RBDs in a single Spike protein can be engaged simultaneously. These hyperstable minibinders provide promising starting points for new SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics, and illustrate the power of computational protein design for rapidly generating potential therapeutic candidates against pandemic threats.
Clinical Utilization, Utility, and Reimbursement for Expanded Genomic Panel Testing in Adult Oncology

PURPOSEThe routine use of large next-generation sequencing (NGS) pan-cancer panels is required to identify the increasing number of, but often uncommon, actionable alterations to guide therapy. Inc...
“But We Are Still Living in Maafa”: Commemorating 1619–2019 through Ritual Performances of Healing and Hope in New Orleans and New York

Since the mid-1990s, Maafa commemorations have emerged in various cities throughout the United States as ways to ritualize remembrance of a painful Black past. “Maafa” (pronounced Mah-ah’-fa), a Ki...
Effect of Government-issued State of Emergency and Reopening Orders on Cardiovascular Hospitalizations during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract Objective Little is known about the effect of government-issued State of Emergency (SOE) and Reopening orders on health care behaviors. We aimed to determine the effect of SOE and Phase 1 of Reopening orders on hospitalizations for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) or acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF). Methods Hospitalizations for AMI and ADHF in the UNC Health system, which includes 10 hospitals in both urban and rural counties, were identified. An interrupted time series design was used to compare weekly hospitalization rates for eight weeks before the March 10th SOE declaration, eight weeks between the SOE order and Phase 1 of Reopening order, and the subsequent eight weeks. Results Overall, 3,792 hospitalizations for AMI and 7,223 for ADHF were identified. Rates before March 10th were stable. AMI/ADHF hospitalizations declined about 6% per week in both urban and rural hospitals from March 11th to May 5th. Larger declines in hospitalizations were seen in adults ≥65 years old (-8% per week), women (-7% per week), and White individuals (-6% per week). After the Reopening order, AMI/ADHF hospitalizations increased by 8% per week in urban centers and 9% per week in rural centers, including a significant increase in each demographic group. The decline and rebound in acute CV hospitalizations were most pronounced in the two weeks following the government orders. Conclusions AMI and ADHF hospitalization rates closely correlated to SOE and Reopening orders. These data highlight the impact of public health measures on individuals seeking care for essential services; future policies may benefit from clarity regarding when individuals should present for care.
Single-tube collection and nucleic acid analysis of clinical samples: a rapid approach for SARS-CoV-2 saliva testing

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has brought to light the need for expedient diagnostic testing. Cost and availability of large-scale testing capacity has led to a lag in turnaround time and hindered contact tracing efforts, resulting in a further spread of SARS-CoV-2. To increase the speed and frequency of testing, we developed a cost-effective single-tube approach for collection, denaturation, and analysis of clinical samples. The approach utilizes 1 {micro}L microbiological inoculation loops to collect saliva, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) to inactivate and release viral genomic RNA, and a diagnostic reaction mix containing polysorbate 80 (Tween 80). In the same tube, the SDS-denatured clinical samples are introduced to the mixtures containing all components for nucleic acids detection and Tween 80 micelles to absorb the SDS and allow enzymatic reactions to proceed, obviating the need for further handling of the samples. The samples can be collected by the tested individuals, further decreasing the need for trained personnel to administer the test. We validated this single-tube sample- to-assay method with RT-qPCR and RT-LAMP and discovered little-to-no difference between Tween- and SDS-containing reaction mixtures, compared to CDC-approved reagents. This approach significantly reduces the logistical burden of traditional large-scale testing and provides a method of deployable point-of-care diagnostics to increase testing frequency.
High power terahertz radiation at 1 kHz repetition rate

In this paper we report a high power THz transmitter operating at 1 kHz repetition rate. This kHz repetition rate gives a high signal-to-noise ratio, which is essential for quantitative study of high-field semiconductor physics. The transmitter is an undoped GaAs wafer with aluminum electrodes separated by a 3 cm gap. The bias to the antenna is provided by a high voltage pulse generator producing 2 /spl mu/s pulses with a peak voltage of up to 40 kV. The THz antenna is illuminated at normal incidence by 150 fs, 800 nm pulses from a Clark-MXR Ti:Sapphire regenerative laser amplifier system running at 1 kHz.
The Atmospheric Dynamics of alpha Tau (K5 III) - Clues to Understanding the Magnetic Dynamo in Late-Type Giant Stars

Using HST/GHRS, HST/STIS and FUSE archival data for alpha Tau and the CHIANTI spectroscopic code, we have derived line shifts, volumetric emission measures, and plasma density estimates, and calculated filling factors for a number of UV lines forming between 10,000 K and 300,000 K in the outer atmosphere of this red giant star. The data suggest the presence of low-temperature extended regions and high-temperature compact regions, associated with magnetically open and closed structures in the stellar atmosphere, respectively. The signatures of UV lines from alpha Tau can be consistently understood via a model of upward-traveling Alfven waves in a gravitationally stratified atmosphere. These waves cause non-thermal broadening in UV lines due to unresolved wave motions and downward plasma motions in compact magnetic loops heated by resonant Alfven wave heating.
Switched-capacitor adaptive sampling rate notch filter for enhancement and elimination of bandpass signals

An adaptive filter capable of tracking, eliminating, and enhancing narrow band signals is described. The system relies on the property of Switched-Capacitors (SC) of having pole frequencies proportional to the sampling rate of its switches. The filter tracks the peak of the spectral density function of the input signal by adapting the sampling clock of the switched-capacitors. A prototype was built using discrete components but it can also be realized in a CMOS integrated circuit.
On the equivalence between semiempirical fracture analyses and R-curves

The relationship between several semiempirical fracture analyses (SEFA) and the R-curve concept of fracture mechanics is examined. The conditions for equivalence between a SEFA and an R-curve are derived. A hypothetical material is employed to study the relationship analytically. Equivalent R-curves are developed for real materials using data from the literature. For each SEFA there is an equivalent R-curve whose magnitude and shape are determined by the SEFA formulation and its empirical parameters. If the R-curve is indeed unique then the various empirical parameters cannot be constant, and vice versa. However, for one SEFA the differences are small enough that they may be within the range of normal data scatter for real materials.
Extinguishment of a Diffusion Flame over a PMMA Cylinder by Depressurization in Reduced-Gravity

Extinction of a diffusion flame burning over horizontal PMMA (Polymethyl methacrylate) cylinders in low-gravity was examined experimentally and via numerical simulations. Low-gravity conditions were obtained using the NASA Lewis Research Center's reduced-gravity aircraft. The effects of velocity and pressure on the visible flame were examined. The flammability of the burning solid was examined as a function of pressure and the solid-phase centerline temperature. As the solid temperature increased, the extinction pressure decreased, and with a centerline temperature of 525 K, the flame was sustained to 0.1 atmospheres before extinguishing. The numerical simulation iteratively coupled a two-dimensional quasi-steady, gas-phase model with a transient solid-phase model which included conductive heat transfer and surface regression. This model employed an energy balance at the gas/solid interface that included the energy conducted by the gas-phase to the gas/solid interface, Arrhenius pyrolysis kinetics, surface radiation, and the energy conducted into the solid. The ratio of the solid and gas-phase conductive fluxes Phi was a boundary condition for the gas-phase model at the solid-surface. Initial simulations modeled conditions similar to the low-gravity experiments and predicted low-pressure extinction limits consistent with the experimental limits. Other simulations examined the effects of velocity, depressurization rate and Phi on extinction.
Real-time simulation of dynamically deformable finite element models using modal analysis and spectral Lanczos decomposition methods.

Real-time simulation of deformable objects using finite element models is a challenge in medical simulation. We present two efficient methods for simulating real-time behavior of a dynamically deformable 3D object modeled by finite element equations. The first method is based on modal analysis, which utilizes the most significant vibration modes of the object to compute the deformation field in real-time for applied forces. The second method uses the spectral Lanczos decomposition to obtain the explicit solutions of the finite element equations that govern the dynamics of deformations. Both methods rely on modeling approximations, but generate solutions that are computationally faster than the ones obtained through direct numerical integration techniques. In both methods, the errors introduced through approximations were insignificant compare to the computational advantage gained for achieving real-time update rates. 1. Physically-based modeling of deformable objects for medical simulation Simulation of soft tissue behavior in real-time is a challenging problem. Once the contact between an instrument and tissue is determined, the problem centers on tool-tissue interactions. This involves a realistic haptic feedback to the user and a realistic graphical display of tissue behavior depending on what surgical task (e.g. suturing, grasping, cutting, etc.) the user chooses to perform on the tissue. This is a nontrivial problem which calls for prudence in the application of mechanistic and computer graphics techniques in an endeavor to create a make-believe world that is realistic enough to mimic reality but efficient enough to be executable in real time. Soft-tissue mechanics is complicated not only due to non-linearities, rate and time dependence in material behavior, but also because the tissues are layered and non-homogeneous. The finite element methods (FEM), though they demand more CPU time and memory, seem promising in integrating tissue characteristics into the organ models. Although mechanics community has developed sophisticated tissue models based on FEM, their integration with medical simulators has been difficult due to real-time requirements. Simulating the real-time deformable dynamics of a 3D object using FEM is increasingly more difficult as the total number of nodes/degrees of freedom (dof) increase. With the addition of haptic displays, this has been even more challenging since a haptic loop typically requires a much higher update rate than a visual loop for stable force interactions. Although fast finite element models have been developed for medical applications (Bro-Nielsen and Cotin, 1996; Berkley et al., 2000), less attention has been paid to displaying time dependent deformations of large size models in real-time. This paper introduces two numerically fast techniques for real-time simulation of dynamically deformable (i.e. timedependent deformations) 3D objects modeled by FEM: (a) Modal analysis (Basdogan, 1999; Basdogan et al., 2000) and (b) spectral Lanczos Decomposition.
Bayesian population modeling of effective connectivity.

A hierarchical model based on the Multivariate Autoreges- sive (MAR) process is proposed to jointly model neurological time-series collected from multiple subjects, and to characterize the distribution of MAR coefficients across the population from which those subjects were drawn. Thus, inference about effective connectivity between brain re- gions may be generalized beyond those subjects studied. The posterior on population- and subject-level connectivity parameters are estimated in a Variational Bayesian (VB) framework, and structural model param- eters are chosen by the corresponding evidence criteria. The significance of resulting connectivity statistics are evaluated by permutation-based approximations to the null distribution. The method is demonstrated on simulated data and on actual multi-subject neurological time-series.
Bandwidth aggregation in stream control transmission protocol

In this paper, we address various aspects related to extending and engineering stream control transmission protocol (SCTP) to utilize its multi-homing support for simultaneous transmission of data chunks on different path, while maintaining the congestion control on each path to ensure fair integration with other traffic in the network. The extended SCTP, referred to as load sharing-SCTP (LS-SCTP), is able to aggregate the bandwidth of all the active transmission paths between the communicating endpoints. It monitors the paths, and accordingly chooses the paths that are suitable for load sharing. In addition, LS-SCTP retransmission mechanism accelerates the delivery of missing data to the receiver to prevent stalling the transport connection while waiting for missing data chunks. Simulation results show that LS-SCTP is extremely beneficial for networks with limited bandwidth and failure prone links.
El canon de los libros del programa de la Licenciatura en Educación Religiosa

The reflection made in this article is related to the fee of the books for the Bachelor program of Religious Education. This is a collective work by teachers from the program who focused on the spirit of providing students with classical texts in the humanities. The article focuses on three objectives: to share the book fees with the university community, to show the disciplinary structure along with the contents of the texts and to show the reflexive tendencies for religious education in school and catechesis to the students in the program, based on the disciplinary structure of literature texts.
Lichen striatus after interferon therapy.

A variety of cutaneous reactions have been described in patients receiving tumor necrosis factor alfa (TNF-α) inhibitors.1 Of particular interest in this scenario is the development of lichen planus and lichen planus–like eruptions. Because TNF-α is recognized as a significant factor in the induction of these dermatoses, their appearance after inhibition of TNF-α is perplexing.2 The leading theory postulates that a disturbance in the balance between inflammatory cytokines occurs with TNF-α inhibition, leading to increased expression of other cytokines such as interferon.1, 2, 3 Interferon then induces an endogenous inflammatory response that clinically manifests as a cutaneous lichenoid eruption.1, 2, 3 Lichen striatus is an acquired inflammatory dermatosis that follows the lines of Blaschko.4 Blaschko lines are invisible in normal skin but may become apparent in various skin conditions.5 It has been postulated that the cells along Blaschko lines contain distinct genotypes that may ultimately permit a unique response to stimuli such as interferon. This heightened sensitivity to interferon is likely the underlying explanation for the appearance of segmental lichenoid reactions after treatment with TNF-α inhibitors. However, reports of these eruptions after interferon are lacking, and the evidence to support this concept is primarily substantiated by reports of segmental lichenoid reactions after anti-TNF agents.
Epilepsy: Poststroke epilepsy—old definitions fit best

Cerebrovascular disease is the most frequently identified antecedent of new-onset seizures or epilepsy in industrialized countries. Three recent publications have evaluated the risk of epilepsy following a first cerebrovascular insult. Each report provides evidence for a substantial risk in some patient subgroups, although the study methodologies and definitions of epilepsy vary.
Energy-delay estimation technique for high-performance microprocessor VLSI adders

We motivate the concept of comparing VLSI adders based on their energy-delay trade-offs and present a technique for estimating the energy-delay space of various high-performance VLSI adder topologies. Further, we show that our estimates accurately represent tradeoffs in the energy-delay space for high-performance 32-bit and 64-bit processor adders in 0.13/spl mu/m and 0.10/spl mu/m CMOS technologies, with an accuracy of 8% in delay estimates and 20% in energy estimates, compared with simulated data.
An Overview of Microsoft Academic Service (MAS) and Applications

In this paper we describe a new release of a Web scale entity graph that serves as the backbone of Microsoft Academic Service (MAS), a major production effort with a broadened scope to the namesake vertical search engine that has been publicly available since 2008 as a research prototype. At the core of MAS is a heterogeneous entity graph comprised of six types of entities that model the scholarly activities: field of study, author, institution, paper, venue, and event. In addition to obtaining these entities from the publisher feeds as in the previous effort, we in this version include data mining results from the Web index and an in-house knowledge base from Bing, a major commercial search engine. As a result of the Bing integration, the new MAS graph sees significant increase in size, with fresh information streaming in automatically following their discoveries by the search engine. In addition, the rich entity relations included in the knowledge base provide additional signals to disambiguate and enrich the entities within and beyond the academic domain. The number of papers indexed by MAS, for instance, has grown from low tens of millions to 83 million while maintaining an above 95% accuracy based on test data sets derived from academic activities at Microsoft Research. Based on the data set, we demonstrate two scenarios in this work: a knowledge driven, highly interactive dialog that seamlessly combines reactive search and proactive suggestion experience, and a proactive heterogeneous entity recommendation.
Construction in vitro of mutants of simian virus 40: insertion of a poly(dA·ddT) segment at the hemophilus parainfluenza II restriction endonuclease cleavage site

A biochemical procedure has been developed for the construction of covalently closed circular double-stranded DNA containing a short segment of poly(dA·dT) inserted at a specifie site. In particular, we have prepared circular simian virus 40 DNA with a short (about 50 base-pairs) insertion of poly(dA·dT) at the site cleaved by the Hemophilus parainfluenza II restriction endonuclease (0.735 map position). The insertion interrupts the normal nucleotide sequence and alters the viral phenotype. Circular SV40(I) DNA was cleaved with the HpaII endonuclease to form unit-length, double-stranded linear molecules; the exposed 5′-ends were trimmed back by λ 5′-exonuclease digestion; short extensions of poly(dA) or poly(dT) were added to the exposed 3′ hydroxyl ends with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase; an equimolar mixture of the poly(dA) and poly(dT)-ended linear DNAs was denatured and then annealed to reform duplex structures; and the resulting hydrogen-bonded circular molecules were covalently sealed in the presence of DNA polymerase I and DNA ligase. The viral DNA containing the insertion at 0.735 map position is infectious without a helper virus, although plaques produced on monolayers of monkey kidney cells (CV-IP) appeared later and were much smaller than those produced by wild-type DNA. At least a portion of the inserted poly(dA·dT) sequence is maintained through repeated cycles of viral growth in monkey cells, and can be located in the viral DNA by a modification of standard electron microscopic heteroduplex techniques. The method should be applicable for the preparation of insertion mutants in any infectious circular double-stranded DNA, depending on the availability of endonucleases capable of cleaving the DNA at single unique sites.
Phase equilibria and mineral parageneses of metabasites in low-grade metamorphism

The system Na20-CaO MgO A1203 SiO2-H20 is proposed to model phase equilibria and mineral parageneses for low-temperature metamorphism of basaltic rocks. Univariant reactions marking the transitions between various sub-greenschist facies are identified and some have been experimentally determined. The introduction of Fe203 into the model system at fixed FeO/MgO ratio creates continuous reactions for facies boundaries and discontinuous reactions for invariant points of the model system. Both qualitative and quanti- tative effects on P-T displacement and phase composi- tions are discussed. The XFe 3 + isopleths for epidote were plotted to exemplify the transition from the zeolite through prehnite-pumpellyite to prehnite-actinolite facies. T XFe~+ relations were established for continuous and discontinuous reactions relating such facies transi- tions. Because of the common occurrence of two or three Ca-Al hydrosilicates in low-grade metabasites, an isobaric A1-Ca-Fe 3+ projection from chlorite may be used to illustrate mineral assemblages and compositions of the coexisting Ca-A1 silicates in the presence of quartz, aibite, and chlorite. Reported occurrences in several classic burial metamorphic terrains and ocean- floor metabasites in ophiolites are described. Only the composition of a mineral from a buffered assemblage can constrain the intensive properties for metamorphism; previously reported compositional trends for pumpelly- ite and epidote with increasing metamorphic grade are oversimplified.
Acousto- and electro-osmotic microfluidic controllers

Acoustic and electroosmotic uni-directional pumping mechanisms for single and multichannel valve-less fluidic pumps and controllers are compared. Geometry, scaling, efficiency and heating, fluid restrictions, and wall materials for the mechanisms are analyzed.
In situ deprotection and assembly of s-tritylalkanethiols on gold yields monolayers comparable to those prepared directly from alkanethiols.

In this paper we describe a systematic study comparing the properties of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) formed by in situ deprotection and assembly of S-triphenylmethyl (trityl)- and thiolacetate-protected alkanethiols to those of SAMs formed from the parent alkanethiols. The two in situ deprotections were carried out in trifluoroacetic acid and THF/ammonium hydroxide, respectively. Monolayers of octadecanethiol (ODT) and the peptide-containing alkanethiol 3-mercapto-N-n-pentadecylpropionamide (1ATC15) were assembled on gold using the two in situ methods and characterized by contact angle goniometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, and electrochemical characterization methods to assess how the monolayer properties compare to those of monolayers prepared by traditional methods. The results for the in situ deprotection of the trityl-protected molecules demonstrate that this method can afford high-quality monolayers that are nearly indi...
Monoclonal gammopathy in extranodal marginal zone lymphoma (ENMZL) correlates with advanced disease and bone marrow involvement

Monoclonal gammopathy is a well-recognized occurrence in splenic marginal zone lymphoma (MZL); however, its prevalence has never been reported in extranodal MZL (ENMZL). We present results of a retrospective analysis of 26 patients with newly diagnosed as well as previously treated ENMZL. Monoclonal gammopathy was detected in 7 out of 26 (27%) patients. All patients with a monoclonal gammopathy had stage IV disease, and most of them had involvement of lymph nodes and/or bone marrow (n = 6). Only 1 out of 7 patients with a monoclonal spike had stage IV disease diagnosed based on multifocal mucosal involvement. There was also a strong correlation between the involvement of bone marrow and the presence of a monoclonal spike (Fisher's exact test, P = 0.0007). Prevalence of monoclonal gammopathy is higher than previously recognized and indicates advanced disease. However, the prognostic significance of the presence of monoclonal gammopathy in this population is unknown.
Analysis of Failure Time Data with Mixed-Effects Accelerated Failure Time Model

In randomized clinical trials or observational studies, subjects are recruited at multiple treating sites. Factors that vary across sites may have some influence on outcomes; therefore, they need to be taken into account to get better results. We apply the accelerated failure time (AFT) model with linear mixed effects to analyze failure time data, accounting for correlations between outcomes. Specifically, we use Bayesian approach to fit the data, computing the regression parameters by Gibbs sampler combined with Buckley-James method. This approach is compared with the marginal independence approach and other methods through simulations and an application to a real example.
Examination of n = 2 reaction mechanisms that reproduce pH-dependent reduction potentials

Abstract Flavo- and quinoproteins often exhibit trends in reduction potentials that approximate −30 mV per pH unit. At least five different reaction mechanisms can model the behavior described by the following Nernst equation: E observed = E 0 ′ + ( 0.059 / 2 ) log [ H + ] . The pH-reduction potential profile described by this equation can be reproduced by various models using different reaction mechanisms, and these mechanisms yield different reduction potentials and acid dissociation constants. In order to understand these discrepancies, this article discusses how the various methods reproduce this pH-dependent Nernst equation.
Formation of Bacterial Inhibitory Zones in Whey Agar by Raw Milk

Summary This investigation is concerned with the nature of bacterial inhibitory zones of milk, their incidence, and a technique for measuring the antibacterial property of raw milk. The disc assay test for antibiotics in milk was adaptable for the detection of natural inhibitors in raw milk. By substituting lyophilized milk tablets for the saturated paper discs, the sensitivity of the test was increased. Generally, raw milk produced two clearly defined zones, labelled primary and secondary, respectively, against Bacillus subtilis . A primary zone of inhibition first appeared after 12 hr. at 72° F. The secondary zone only appeared after the plates were incubated, refrigerated, and then reincubated. This secondary phenomenon caused disappearance of the bacterial colonies like that associated with lysis. It appears that the presence of the natural inhibitor in milk is independent of the breed of the cow. The initial zone size varied seasonally, and tended to decrease in diameter or disappear during the winter months, whereas secondary zones were less affected seasonally.
A Landscape in Transition: The Arbuckle Mountains, 1870 to 1898

An understanding of the contemporary biogeography of a region must be predicated not only on the current environmental conditions that influence species distributions but also on historical factors including anthropogenic disturbance regimes. Increasingly, researchers are using historical data, such as the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) records, to create baselines from which subsequent biogeographic changes can be gauged. The present-day state of Oklahoma is unique in that two separate PLSS surveys were conducted in the state during a relatively short time span. We compare these two historical data sets, from the 1870s and 1890s, respectively, to quantify changes in landscape structure and woody plant assemblages corresponding to rapid demographic changes occurring within the Arbuckle Mountains in Oklahoma. During this period, the PLSS data show a landscape that became increasingly fragmented, as well as differences in stand composition and density. The documentation of these important historical anthr...
Wetland mitigation compliance in the Western Upper Peninsula of Michigan

The Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) is generally responsible for the implementation of federal Clean Water Act wetland regulations. It therefore plays an important role in the protection of wetlands within the United States. Unfortunately, past evaluators of ACE’s implementation of these regulations found low rates of regulatory compliance. However, the fact that two states have taken responsibility for the implementation of these regulations within their boundaries provided the opportunity to assess whether one of these states might be doing a better job of enforcement. This paper reports on compliance with some of these regulations within one Michigan region. We evaluated permittee compliance with paperwork filing requirements related to wetland mitigation projects. Sixty-seven percent of county road commission permittees were out of compliance with at least one filing requirement. Forty percent of private and non-county government permittees were out of compliance. Our results therefore suggest that serious problems exist with Michigan’s implementation of wetland regulations. They do not suggest that compliance in this state is significantly better than in states under ACE administration. We believe that increased agency monitoring and enforcement would improve compliance.
Determination of Rigidity of Protein Bound Au144 Clusters by Electron Cryomicroscopy

A method for estimating the positional displacement of protein bound gold nanoparticles is presented and used to estimate the rigidity of linkage of Au144 nanoparticles bound to a tetrameric model protein. We observe a distribution of displacement values where most Au144 clusters are immobilized to within 3 A relative to the protein center of mass. The shape of the distribution suggests two physical processes of thermal motion and protein deformation. The application of this and similar rigid gold nanoparticle/protein conjugates in high resolution single particle electron cryo-microscopy is discussed.
Occupational reality shock and organizational commitment: Evidence from the accounting profession

Abstract A longitudinal field survey was undertaken to investigate the effects of occupational reality shock on the organizational commitment attitudes, intentions, and behavior of professional accountants. Comparative data was collected over a one year period from a sample of accountants employed in the controller's division of a large (Fortune 100) industrial firm and from a sample of accountants employed by a “Big Eight” public accounting firm. The results portray reality shock as having a significant, asymmetrical impact on the work-related attitudes, intentions, and to a lesser extent behavior of accountants employed in both organizational settings.
Esophageal Motor Disorders in Terms of High-Resolution Esophageal Pressure Topography: What Has Changed?

The concept of high-resolution manometry (HRM) is to use sufficient pressure sensors such that intraluminal pressure can be monitored as a continuum along luminal length much as time is viewed as a continuum in conventional manometry. When HRM is coupled with pressure topography plots, pressure amplitude is transformed into spectral colors with isobaric conditions indicated by same-colored regions on the display. Together, these technologies are called high-resolution esophageal pressure topography (HREPT). HREPT has several advantages compared with conventional manometry, the technology that it was designed to replace. (i) The contractility of the entire esophagus can be viewed simultaneously in a uniform format, (ii) standardized objective metrics can be systematically applied for interpretation, and (iii) topographic patterns of contractility are more easily recognized and have greater reproducibility than with conventional manometry. Compared with conventional manometry, HREPT has improved sensitivity for detecting achalasia, largely due to the objectivity and accuracy with which it identifies impaired esophagogastric junction (EGJ) relaxation. In addition, it has led to the subcategorization of achalasia into three clinically relevant subtypes based on the contractile function of the esophageal body: classic achalasia, achalasia with esophageal compression, and spastic achalasia. Headway has also been made in understanding hypercontractile conditions, including diffuse esophageal spasm and a newly described entity, spastic nutcracker. Ultimately, clinical experience will be the judge, but it seems likely that HREPT data, along with its well-defined functional implications, will improve the clinical management of esophageal motility disorders.
Bovine lactoferrin binds to insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3

Abstract Insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) has been shown to have IGF independent actions that appear to be mediated by specific IGFBP-3 binding proteins located on cell membranes. We show here using Western ligand blotting, a number of mammary membrane proteins that bind 125I-labeled rhIGFBP-3. Immunoprecipitation studies demonstrated that the >70kDa protein was identified from bovine mammary microsomes as bovine lactoferrin (bLf). In addition to being a secretory protein, Lf is tightly associated with cellular membranes. Labeled rhIGFBP-3 was shown to bind to commercially purchased and processed apo- or holo-human or bLf, but not bovine transferrin (bTf). Binding of [125I]rhIGFBP-3 to other positively charged proteins was not detected nor was binding to rhIGFBP-5 or other mammary-secreted IGFBPs observed. Reciprocal specific binding of [125I]bLf to rhIGFBP-3 was shown, but [125I]bTf did not show binding to rhIGFBP-3. While [125I]rhIGF-II does not bind to bLf, unlabeled rhIGF-II was shown to compete with [125I]bLf for rhIGFBP-3 binding. More detailed analysis by dot blot showed that Lf competes (ED 50 =3μg/ml) or displaces (ED 50 =1mg/ml) bound [125I]rhIGF-II from dot blotted rhIGFBP-3. In vitro studies with a bovine primary mammary epithelial cell culture showed that all- trans -retinoic acid stimulates the appearance of bovine IGFBP-3 and bLf in the conditioned media and that [125I]rhIGFBP-3 could be utilized to detect conditioned media bLf. These findings reveal a novel role for bLf, binding to IGFBP-3 and perhaps disassociating IGFBP-3:IGF when in high concentration.
Independent assessment by third-party certification bodies

Abstract Independent, third-party, involvement can make a significant contribution towards achievement of improved food safety, and food law compliance. Accredited certification organisations, with wide experience and expertise, such as NSF international, are increasingly supporting food industry and regulators by providing alternative, cost-effective services. The key is true independence: Consultants cannot certify, and an effective “due diligence” defence can be based on a certificate of compliance from an organisation without a conflict of interest in consultancy services. Regulators, too, are increasingly turning for help to accredited third-party organisations to achieve their objectives.
Passive haptic learning of Braille typing

Passive Haptic Learning (PHL) is the acquisition of sensorimotor skills without active attention to learning. One method is to "teach" motor skills using vibration cues delivered by a wearable, tactile interface while the user is focusing on another, primary task. We have created a system for Passive Haptic Learning of typing skills. In a study containing 16 participants, users demonstrated significantly reduced error typing a phrase in Braille after receiving passive instruction versus control (32.85% average decline in error vs. 2.73% increase in error). PHL users were also able to recognize and read more Braille letters from the phrase (72.5% vs. 22.4%). In a second study, containing 8 participants thus far, we passively teach the full Braille alphabet over four sessions. Typing error reductions in participants receiving PHL were more rapid and consistent, with 75% of PHL vs. 0% of control users reaching zero typing error. By the end of the study, PHL participants were also able to recognize and read 93.3% of all Braille alphabet letters. These results suggest that Passive Haptic instruction facilitated by wearable computers may be a feasible method of teaching Braille typing and reading.
Performance of matched subspace detectors and support vector machines for induction-based land mine detection

Wideband electromagnetic induction (EMI) data provides an opportunity to apply statistical signal processing techniques to potentially mitigate false alarm rates in landmine detection. This paper explores the application of matched subspace detectors and support vector machines (SVMs) to this problem. A library of landmine responses is generated from background-corrected calibration data and a bank of matched subspace detectors, each tuned to a specific mine type, is generated. Support vector machines are implemented based on the full mine responses, decay rate estimates, and the outputs of the matched subspace filter banks. Different training approaches are considered for the support vector machines. Receiver operating characteristics (ROCs) for the matched subspace detectors and support vector machines operating in a blind field test are presented. The results indicate that substantial reductions in the false alarm rates can be achieved using these techniques.© (2002) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Temperature-dependent kinetics study of the gas-phase reactions of OH with n- and i-propyl bromide.

An experimental, temperature-dependent kinetics study of the gas-phase reactions of hydroxyl radical with n-propyl bromide, OH + n-C 3 H 7 Br - products (reaction 1), and i-propyl bromide, OH + i-C 3 H 7 Br - products (reaction 2), has been performed over wide ranges of temperatures 297-725 and 297-715 K, respectively, and at pressures between 6.67 and 26.76 kPa by a pulsed laser photolysis/pulsed laser-induced fluorescence technique. Data sets of absolute bimolecular rate coefficients obtained in this study for reactions 1 and 2 demonstrate no correlation with pressure and exhibit positive temperature dependencies that can be represented with modified three-parameter Arrhenius expressions within their corresponding experimental temperature ranges: k 1 (T) = (1.32 × 10 -17 )T 1.95 exp(+25/T) cm 3 molecule -1 s -1 for reaction 1 and k 2 (T) = (1.56 x 10 -24 )T 4.18 exp(+922/T) cm 3 molecule -1 s -1 for reaction 2. The present results, which extend the current kinetics data base of reactions 1 and 2 to high temperatures, are compared with those from previous works. On the basis of the present data and available data from previous studies, the following bimolecular rate coefficient temperature dependencies can be recommended for the purpose of kinetic modeling: k 1 (T) = (1.89 x 10 -19 )T 2.54 exp(+301/T) cm 3 molecule -1 s -1 for reaction 1 in a temperature range 210-725 K, and k 2 (T) = (2.83 x 10 -21 )T 3.1 exp(+521/T) cm 3 molecule -1 s -1 and k 2 (T) = (4.54 × 10 -24 )T 4.03 exp(+860/T) cm 3 molecule -1 s-' for reaction 2 in temperature ranges 210-480 and 297-715 K, respectively.
Ultra-Compact Integration for Fully-Implantable Neural Microsystems

A new approach to microsystem integration to replace conventional area-consuming platform architectures with an overlay integration cable is presented. A parylene cable carrying interconnect lines is used to integrate a 3-D array of silicon microelectrodes with a custom-designed signal conditioning chip to realize a neural recording microsystem in its most compact form. This low-profile integrated front-end was implanted in a guinea pig and used to obtain discriminable neural activity.
Conditioning Reaction Time: Evidence for a Process of Conditioned Automatization:

The classical conditioning of the standard, simple reaction time (RT) in 140 college men and women is described. Consequent to an anticipatory instructed conditioning procedure, two experimental and two control groups acquired voluntary, controlled US(light)-URTR (unconditioned reaction-time response) associations which then served as the foundation for subsequent classical conditioning when a novel CS (auditory click) was simultaneously paired with the US. Conditioned reaction-time responses (CRTRs) occurred significantly more often during test trials in the two experimental groups than in the two control groups. Statistical and introspective findings support the notion that observed CRTRs may be products of cognitively unconscious conditioned automatization whereby the conditioning of relatively slow, voluntary, and controlled US-URTR associations leads to the acquisition of relatively fast, involuntary, and automatic CS-CRTR associations.
Thymidine determination by some microbiological assay methods.

Abstract Three procedures for the determination of thymidine by microbiological assay are described, based upon the growth response to thymidine of 1. ( a ) Leuconostoc mesenteroides 8293 in the presence of methylfolic acid, 2. ( b ) Lactobacillus arabinosus 17-5 in the presence of sulfanilamide, and 3. ( c ) L. arabinosus in the presence of 2,4-diamino-6,7-diphenylpteridine.
Importance of nozzle geometry to high-pressure gas-dynamic lasers.

A CO2 gas‐dynamic laser (GDL) was operated over a range of reservoir pressures and temperatures, test‐gas mixtures, and nozzle geometries. A significant result is the dominant influence of nozzle geometry on laser power at high pressure. Results show that high reservoir pressure can be effectively utilized if nozzle geometry is chosen to efficiently freeze the test gas. Maximum power density with the least efficient nozzle was 3.3 W/cm3 of optical cavity volume, whereas 83.3 W/cm3 was attained with the most efficient nozzle.
An introduction to criminal law

Carlan, P. E., L. S. Nored and R.A. Downey. 2011. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. ISBN 9780763755256. pp. 256, hbk. A basic understanding of criminal law is essential for all who wish t...
Cancer-Related Channel Selection

This study examined the impact of three major classes of factors, triggers, impediments, and demographics on the selection within and across four different channels: doctors, friends/family, organizations, and media. Women 40 years of age and older (N = 395) were asked which channels they have turned to within the last year for cancer-related information. Discriminant analyses revealed significant functions for the friends/family, doctors, and combined channels. Although the most important variable in these functions was a woman's personal experience with cancer, variables from each class significantly differentiated groups that were exposed to a channel from those that were not. These results are discussed in terms of their theoretical and pragmatic implications for future cancer control efforts.