cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
THU0254 Risk factors for back pain in a cross sectional and in a one-year follow up study in nurses

Background Objectives To find risk factors for back pain in retrospective study, one year follow-up study, recurrence and first episode of back pain in one year follow-up study in nurses. Methods The study was performed on 470 nurses of clinical hospital, 92,3% of nurses answered a questionnaire concerning information about low back pain. 358 (82,5%) have answered the questionnaire on the physical activities performed at work and 369 (85,0%) were examined. 87,9% of nurses who answered the first questionnaire have taken part in follow up study. The potential relationship of the investigated 47 variables like financial status, habits, physical activity or work conditions were assessed in multivariate logistic regression model and then the role of significant variables was counted as relative risk with 95% of confidence interval in univariate logistic regression model. For statistical evaluation of the data STATA 5.0 software was used. Results The multivariate logistic regression analysis did not show any common risk factor for back pain in cross sectional, one-year follow up study, for the first episode or for the reoccurrence of back pain in one-year follow up study. Cycling was a risk factor for back pain in both one year follow-up study and first episode (OR 1,3) and for recurrence of back pain (OR 1,9) and the same applied to work with arms elevated on the shoulder level longer than 1 min an hour. These two variables were the only significant risk factors (p Conclusion There are different risk factors of back pain in retrospective study, one year follow-up study, recurrence and first episode of back pain in one year follow-up study in nurses.
Romosozumab: A Novel Injectable Sclerostin Inhibitor With Anabolic and Antiresorptive Effects for Osteoporosis.

Objective:To review the clinical pharmacology, efficacy, and safety of romosozumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody with a novel mechanism of action for monthly injection, and its place in the mana...
MINT: Mixed-Precision RRAM-Based IN-Memory Training Architecture

On-chip training of large-scale deep neural networks (DNNs) is challenging. To solve the memory wall problem, compute-in-memory (CIM) is a promising approach that exploits the analog computation inside the memory array to speed up the vector-matrix multiplication (VMM). Challenges for on-chip CIM training include higher weight precision and higher analog-to-digital converter (ADC) resolution. In this work, we propose a mixed-precision RRAM-based CIM architecture that overcomes these challenges and supports on-chip training. In particular, we split the multi-bit weight into the most significant bits (MSBs) and the least significant bits (LSBs). The forward and backward propagations are performed with CIM transposable arrays for MSBs only, while the weight update is performed in regular memory arrays that store LSBs. Impact of ADC resolution on training accuracy is analyzed. We explore the training performance of a convolutional VGG-like network on the CIFAR-10 dataset using this Mixed-precision IN-memory Training architecture, namely MINT, showing that it can achieve ∼91% accuracy under hardware constraints and ∼4.46TOPS/W energy efficiency. Compared with the baseline CIM architectures based on RRAM, it can achieve 1.35× higher energy efficiency and only 31.9% chip size (∼98.86 mm2 at 32 nm node).
Post-/De-colonial Psychoanalysis: Critical Border Psychology

In this chapter, I review the non-Saidian theoretical links between psychoanalysis and postcolonialism/decoloniality beginning with the contributions of Freudo-Marxists, particularly Wilhelm Reich’s (1933/1970) publication of The Mass Psychology of Fascism, all the way to my publication: Decolonial Psychoanalysis (Beshara, 2019b). Along the way, I survey some of classic literatures: Octave Mannoni’s (1950/1990) Prospero and Caliban: The Psychology of Colonization, Frantz Fanon’s (1952/2008) Black Skin, White Masks, Albert Memmi’s (1957/1965) The Colonizer and the Colonized, and Ashis Nandy’s (1983) The Intimate Enemy among others.
The Impact of an Inpatient Nurse-Triggered Sepsis Alert on Antimicrobial Utilization.

Introduction A nurse-triggered sepsis alert called “Code Sepsis” was implemented for early recognition and management of sepsis. The researchers analyzed its impact on antimicrobial use and identified factors associated with infection as source of Code Sepsis. Methods The medical records of hospitalized patients with Code Sepsis between January 1 and June 30, 2018, were reviewed. Patients were classified as “Infection” when probable or definitive infection was identified or “No Infection” when a probable or definitive noninfectious source was identified. Patients were categorized as “Escalation” with addition or change to broader-spectrum antimicrobials or “No Escalation” with no change or change to narrower-spectrum antimicrobials. Escalation was classified as “Indicated” with appropriate escalation or “Not Indicated” with inappropriate escalation. Logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with Infection as Code Sepsis trigger. Results Code Sepsis was activated in 529 patients, with Escalation in 246 (46.5%) and No Escalation in 283 (53.5%) patients. Escalation was Indicated in 157 (63.8%) and Not Indicated in 89 (36.2%) patients. Infection was identified in 356 (67.3%) and No Infection in 173 (32.7%) patients. History of HIV (odds ratio [OR] = 2.75, p = 0.03), temperature > 38.3°C or 20/minute (OR = 1.56, p = 0.02) were associated with Infection, while surgery within 3 days (OR = 0.30, p Conclusion One hospital system's Code Sepsis inadvertently identified patients without infections and led to antimicrobial overuse. By refocusing Code Sepsis on early recognition of severe sepsis and septic shock only, the organization hopes to optimize resource utilization and improve patient outcomes.
Development of an In-Tank Tuning Fork Resonator for Automated Viscosity/Density Measurements of Drilling Fluids

Maintaining the viscosity and density of drilling fluids within their optimal performance margins is of utmost importance in running a safe and efficient operation when drilling oil and gas wells. Safety and efficiency may be adversely affected by current measurement practices of these two key properties as they still mostly rely on onsite personnel to carry out periodic manual measurements. These laborious measurement protocols limit the quantity and quality of the produced data. Here we describe an automated system for viscosity/density measurements of drilling fluids based on a tuning fork electromechanical resonator. The resonator works as the frequency-defining element of an oscillator circuit, and a digital gain control algorithm is used to control the feedback loop and actuate the device. The self-oscillating circuit allows the measurement to be repeated several times per second, enabling higher measurement precision and real-time monitoring in changing flows. The resonator was integrated into an in-tank system, which performed continuous measurements at the suction tank of the mud circulating system during drilling operations. Measurements in three different wells are presented. The results were in very good agreement with manual measurements reported from standard mud reports and further highlighted opportunities in detecting operational problems from the real-time data streams obtained.
Targeting Insulin Resistance to Treat Cognitive Dysfunction

Dementia is a devastating disease associated with aging. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia, followed by vascular dementia. In addition to clinically diagnosed dementia, cognitive dysfunction has been reported in diabetic patients. Recent studies are now beginning to recognize type 2 diabetes mellitus, characterized by chronic hyperglycemia and insulin resistance, as a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive disorders. While studies on insulin action have remained traditionally in the domain of peripheral tissues, the detrimental effects of insulin resistance in the central nervous system on cognitive dysfunction are increasingly being reported by recent clinical and preclinical studies. The findings from these studies suggest that antidiabetic drugs have the potential to be used to treat dementia. In this review, we discuss the physiological functions of insulin in the brain, studies on the evaluation of cognitive function under conditions of insulin resistance, and reports on the beneficial actions of antidiabetic drugs in the brain. This review covers clinical studies as well as investigations in animal models and will further highlight the emerging link between insulin resistance and neurodegenerative disorders.
Vitamin D Toxicity Managed with Peritoneal Dialysis.

Vitamin D deficiency is a global health issue that afflicts more than one billion children and adults worldwide. Vitamin D supplementation has increased over the years, whether through medical prescriptions, over-the-counter, or online purchasing. This is driven by a more recognized association between vitamin D sufficiency status and lower risk of cancer. In addition, more recently, it is used as a potential prophylactic and treatment for COVID-19 infection. This can lead to toxicity from overingestion. While rare, it has been reported in the literature. In this case report, we present a 75-year-old man with severe hypercalcemia secondary to vitamin D toxicity managed with peritoneal dialysis. He presented with biochemical evidence of hypercalcemia, acute kidney injury, and pancreatitis. Workup for his hypercalcemia led to the diagnosis of vitamin D toxicity as shown by a level greater than 200 ng/dL (Ref: 20–50 ng/mL) was confirmed by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy. Cornerstone medical management of hypercalcemia was provided which included aggressive intravenous fluid hydration, intravenous diuretics, calcitonin, bisphosphonate, and corticosteroid therapy. At every interruption of therapy, calcium levels trended upward. A thorough literature review yielded the finding of a sole case report from 1966 presented at the Third International Congress of Nephrology, in which peritoneal dialysis was used in the management of vitamin D toxicity and hypercalcemia. This modality is established to cause vitamin D deficiency. In collaboration with the nephrology team, 10 sessions of peritoneal dialysis were undertaken with resolution of hypercalcemia and downtrend in 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels as measured by dilution.
Microbial adaptation and response to high ammonia concentrations and precipitates during anaerobic digestion under psychrophilic and mesophilic conditions

This study explored microbial adaptation to high ammonia concentrations (<1000 mg/L to 4000 mg/L) during anaerobic digestion (AD) under psychrophilic and mesophilic conditions, the latter of which yielded precipitates facilitating investigation of microbial response. The experimental setup was performed at bench-scale using microbial consortia from four different operating anaerobic digesters treating different organic wastes (WW-wastewater sludge, MN-manure, FW- food waste and CO-co-digestion (FW & MN)). Adaptation experiments were conducted with semi-continuous flow mode to resemble large-scale operation. Metagenome and 16S RNA analysis were performed for the first time in a psychrophilic reactor during an ammonia acclimation process. These analyses were also performed in mesophilic reactor exposed to precipitates and high ammonia levels. Diversity reduced when adaptation occurred successfully from 1.1 to 4 g/L of total ammonia nitrogen (TAN) under psychrophilic conditions, while the microbial community became more diverse under mesophilic conditions with ammonia inhibition. We report for the first time Methanocorposculum as a robust hydrogenotrophic methanogen at high ammoniacal concentrations under psychrophilic conditions. Additionally, Methanosarcina was present in low and high ammoniacal concentrations in mesophilic conditions, but there was a shift in species dominance. Methanosarcina barkeri stands out as a more resilient methanogen compared to Methanosarcina mazei, which initially dominated at <1.1 g/L TAN. We also explored the effects of sudden precipitates on methanogenic communities and methane production when they occurred under mesophilic conditions in two reactors. Methane production declined by more than 50% when precipitates occurred and was accompanied by pH reduction and VFA accumulation. Diversity data corroborated that methanogens were severely reduced. These two reactors were not able to recover with 50 days of added operation, demonstrating potential for long-term negative impacts of precipitate formation on AD performance stemming from negative impact to methanogenic communities.
Healthcare Maintenance in the Patient with Inflammatory Bowel Disease: High-Yield Interventions

Healthcare maintenance in inflammatory bowel disease refers to the ongoing health promotion and preventive care that are implemented while managing patients with this chronic illness. In addition to consolidating information about ongoing conventional treatments, queries should involve the domains of complementary medicine and quality of life given the complex nature of this disease. These patients are particularly at increased risk for infection, malignancy, malnutrition, mental illness, and bone disease. Despite its importance, these services are not delivered at the same rates when compared to the general population. Uncertainty around “ownership” of the patient by the primary care provider, anxiety surrounding safety of health maintenance interventions such as vaccination among immunosuppressed populations, and reimbursement concerns contribute to this gap in care. This chapter aims to be a useful primer, for primary care physicians and gastroenterologists, on the value of healthcare maintenance interventions. In addition, we will highlight practical strategies to enable implementation into practice.
Problems in Practice Unrelated to Medical Knowledge

The physician who reviews his practice continually will serve his patients well, but good health care requires more than medical knowledge. At every step, extrinsic phenomena, errors, and omissions may adversely affect medical practice despite the physician’s superb knowledge. “The best performance is built upon sound information,” said George Miller, “but sound information is no assurance that it will occur.” John Williamson found, for example, that highly informed physicians often did not respond to an unmistakably abnormal laboratory report.2 About two-thirds of the abnormal results of three routine screening tests (urinalysis, fasting blood glucose, and hemoglobin) elicited no response from the physicians in his study, even after they attended a specially designed continuing education workshop and received reminders about the problem. The simple device of obscuring the abnormal findings on the laboratory report with a piece of removable fluorescent tape, however, significantly improved the response.
Critical Evaluation of Cancer Risk from 2,4-D

2,4-D [(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)-acetic acid] is a widely used postemergent herbicide. It is structurally similar to indoleacetic acid (IAA), a naturally occurring plant hormone (see Fig.1). This similarity allows 2,4-D to mimic IAA and is the basis for its herbicidal action. The synthesis of 2,4-D was first reported in 1941 (ARC 1986I). In 1945, Dow Chemical Co. discovered that a 1:1 mixture of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T [(2,4,5-trichlorophenoxy)-acetic acid] was a more effective herbicide than either of the two chemicals alone. The mixture was widely used thereafter and referred to as Agent Orange (Lilienfeld and Gallo 1989). Exposure to 2,4-D in the past may have more often been to a mixture of herbicides rather than 2,4-D alone. 2,4-D preparations before 1975 were often contaminated with TCDD (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin) (IARC 1986;Johnson et al. 1992).
Purification, Cloning, and Expression of a Bovine UDP-GalNAc: Polypeptide N-Acetyl-galactosaminyltransferase*

Partial amino acid sequence was obtained from UDP-GalNAc:polypeptide N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase (polypeptide GalNAc transferase) purified from bovine colostrum. Oligonucleotide primers designed from these sequences were used to amplify and clone a polypeptide GalNAc transferase cDNA from bovine placental mRNA. The cDNA encodes an open reading frame, which is 519 amino acids in length and contains the predicted N-terminal and internal amino acid sequence derived from three Lys-C peptides obtained from the purified protein. There was no sequence homology with the UDP-GalNAc: Fuc alpha 1,2Gal alpha 1,3GalNAc transferase. To verify the authenticity of the clone, the cDNA was cloned in frame with an insulin secretion sequence and was expressed transiently in COS-7 cells. Polypeptide GalNAc transferase activity was detected in the culture medium; no activity was detected in the media of mock-transfected cells. Previous studies have shown that the polypeptide GalNAc transferase from bovine colostrum glycosylates threonine residues more efficiently than serine residues in the same peptide context (O'Connell, B. C., Hagen, F. K., and Tabak, L. A. (1992) J. Biol. Chem. 267, 25010-25018). We found that the cloned polypeptide GalNAc transferase glycosylates the threonine-containing peptide, PPDAATAAPLR, at a 58-fold greater rate than the serine-containing homologue, PPDAASAAPLR. The ratio of the in vitro threonine and serine glycosylation rate is identical for the cloned placental and purified colostral enzymes. It is not known if the preference for threonine over serine is merely context-dependent on the specific amino acids that flank the glycosylation site or if there are discrete threonine- and serine-specific isoforms of this transferase. Alternatively, there may be additional factors required to enhance the glycosylation of serine residues in vivo.
Improved shoot regeneration protocol for hairy roots of the legume Astragalus sinicus

An improved protocol for shoot regeneration from hairy roots transformed by Agrobacterium rhizogenes of the legume species Astragalus sinicus (Chinese milk vetch) has been developed. The A. rhizogenes strain DC-AR2 harboring the binary vector pBI121 which carries the uidAgene encoding β-glucuronidase activity and the kanamycin resistance gene nptII, was used to transform cut ends of plantlet hypocotyls. Transformed hairy roots were selected on medium containing 75 μg ml−1 kanamycin, and transformation was monitored by detection of the opine mikimopine, histochemical β-glucuronidase activity, the polymerase chain reaction, and Southern blot analysis. The cytokinins benzylaminopurine, kinetin, and thidiazuron suppressed the growth of 8-month and 3-year-old hairy roots, but were necessary for adventitious shoot formation that could occur with some lines. Putative somatic embryos developed from transformed roots on medium with 7.5-10.0 mg l−1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. Light did not affect shoot regeneration from transformed hairy roots. This transformation and shoot regeneration system should be useful for testing gene expression quickly and be amenable to studies of shoot morphogenesis and interactions with rol gene expression.
A Comparison of Query-by-Example Methods for Spoken Term Detection

Abstract : In this paper we examine an alternative interface for phonetic search, namely query-by-example, that avoids OOV issues associated with both standard word-based and phonetic search methods. We develop three methods that compare query lattices derived from example audio against a standard ngrambased phonetic index and we analyze factors affecting the performance of these systems. We show that the best systems under this paradigm are able to achieve 77% precision when retrieving utterances from conversational telephone speech and returning 10 results from a single query (performance that is better than a similar dictionary-based approach) suggesting significant utility for applications requiring high precision. We also show that these systems can be further improved using relevance feedback: By incorporating four additional queries the precision of the best system can be improved by 13.7% relative. Our systems perform well despite high phone recognition error rates (> 40%) and make use of no pronunciation or letter-to-sound resources.
A model of diffusion produced by a cellular surface flow

A model of diffusion induced by the joint action of random cells of two different sizes (granulation and supergranulation) is developed. The basic properties of the model are defined by the dimensionless ratio ζ = (the life time)/(characteristic size/velocity) constructed for these two types of cells. An analytical expression for the diffusivity as a function of ζ is derived. It is estimated that for the standard parameters used the contribution of granulation to the joint diffusion is small. A comparison between the model and numerical simulations of the kinematic diffusion of magnetic fields on the solar surface is made.
Comparative Technical and Economic Aspects of Single-Cell Protein Processes

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the comparative technical and economic aspects of single-cell protein (SCP) processes. SCP products can be produced by growing bacteria or yeasts on a variety of hydrocarbon substrates and on methanol or ethanol. At the present time, the following factors are retarding the construction and operation of commercial-scale plants for producing feed-grade SCP products from hydrocarbons: high costs of hydrocarbon feed stocks; high construction and equipment costs; wide price fluctuations in competing protein feedstuffs, such as soybean and fish meal, to levels below those that can be met by SCP products from capital and energy intensive processes; delays in approval of SCP products grown on hydrocarbons by regulatory agencies in counties where major production facilities are planned or have been constructed. A food grade yeast SCP product is being produced from ethanol in the United States for to be used as a functional food ingredient. Also, the construction of a facility for producing a bacterial SCP product from methanol for feed use is under way in the United Kingdom. The long-term economic viability of these products depends on their ability to compete on price, availability, and utility in foods or feeds with conventional animals and plant protein sources.
State Government Influence in the Congressional Policy Process: The Case of Health-Care Legislation in the 111th Congress

Passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) presents an opportunity to contribute to longstanding inquiries into the political safeguards of federalism by identifying the mechanisms through which state officials are able to wield influence in the congressional policy process. Although the ACA limits state discretion in numerous ways and imposes significant burdens on state treasuries, state officials were able to influence the design of the law in several respects, most notably by securing more funding for newly eligible Medicaid enrollees at several stages of the congressional policy process and preserving an important state role for regulating insurance companies and operating insurance exchanges. Three lessons emerge. First, state officials were most influential when they elevated their concerns in the public consciousness to the point that the bill’s supporters were forced to address them or risk the defeat of the overall legislation. Second, state officials were influential when a member of their congressional delegation was in a position to cast a pivotal vote on the overall health care law and willing to withhold support for the overall law unless the state’s needs were addressed. Third, state officials were occasionally influential when they drew on state experience and expertise, and when congressmembers were willing to benefit from this knowledge. Regarding the longstanding debate about the vitality of political safeguards of federalism, this case does not present much evidence of any general solicitude on the part of congressmembers for principles of federalism. It does suggest that state officials can wield influence when congressmembers’ interests in securing policy goals are consistent with or require accommodation of state interests.
Advanced programming by contract

Summary form only given, as follows. In this tutorial the author will provide a number of Principles for using PBC to rigorously document class interfaces in a way that is accessible to technically oriented software developers. With each Principle he presents an example, a justification, and advice about when it might be appropriate to violate the Principle (and how to document such violations). The complexity of the Principles vary. Some are simple enough that we can use them to improve the documentation of almost any class. Others are sufficiently complex and time-consuming to use that they may only be appropriate in designing class libraries. The author will use examples from ELKS, the Eiffel Library Kernel Standard to illustrate the power of the Principles.
Job satisfaction of librarians of African descent employed in ARL academic libraries

Job satisfaction is critical to the retention and recruitment of librarians. This study examines job satisfaction of librarians of African descent employed at academic libraries holding membership in the Association of Research Libraries. The results of a three-part job satisfaction survey are presented. The survey identifies areas of satisfaction and dissatisfaction for this group of librarians. There has been no significant gain in the number of librarians of African descent in ARL academic libraries in the past ten years. If libraries are to recruit and retain a diverse workforce, consideration must be given to what makes these employees remain on the job and in the profession.
Beyond Neo-Malthusians and Cornucopians: comment on Chenoweth and Feitelson

Abstract In a recent paper in Futures, Chenoweth and Feitelson test of the validity of the projections of the Global 2000 Report to the President and The Resourceful Earth: A Response to Global 2000 . This commentary critiques their approach, focusing on their comparison of the two studies' Year 2000 projections, and the pitfalls for near-term tests of long-term projections. Empirically, their paper does little to resolve the neo-Malthusian and Cornucopian debate. Nonetheless, given the past history of this acrimonious debate, their conclusions may undermine current efforts to balance global economic, social, and environmental concerns.
Adrenocortical and Behavioral Predictors of Immune Responses to Starting School

ABSTRACT: Associations between major psychologic stressors and immune function have been documented in previous research, but few studies have investigated immune changes attending minor, normative stressors. This study examined adrenocortical and behavioral predictors of immune responses to starting kindergarten in 39 five-year-old children, who completed laboratory visits for venipunctures 1 wk before (time 1) and 1 wk after (time 2) school entry. At time 1, children were also immunized with pneumococcal vaccine. Immune responses were measured as change scores for T (CD4+ and CD8+) cells, B (CD19+) cells, lymphoproliferative responses to pokeweed mitogen (PWM), and type-specific pneumococcal antibody responses (ABR). Adrenocortical response was assessed as the change in salivary cortisol level, and behavioral difficulty with school adjustment was scored using parental ratings of behavior problems, stress due to changes in routines, and degree of adaptive challenge. Salivary cortisol rose after kindergarten entry (means = 0.39 ± 0.28 to 0.49 ± 0.36 μg/dL, p = 0.03) and was unrelated to behavioral difficulties. CD4+ cells increased in number, whereas PWM declined, and CD19+ cells showed a borderline increase. Change in salivary cortisol was positively associated with change in CD19+ (ΔCD19+) and inversely related to ABR. Scores for behavioral difficulty were inversely associated with ΔCD4+ and ΔCD19+. These data suggest that: 1) school entry is a stressor capable of evoking elevations in cortisol and behavior problems, accompanied by shifts in functional and enumerative measures of immune status; and 2) children with greater adrenocortical reactivity have increases in B cell numbers and less effective B cell-mediated antibody production, whereas children with more behavioral difficulties show declines in all T and B cell subsets.
Chromium(II) reductions of N,O-chelated (amino acidato)tetraamminecobalt(III) ions - a reinvestigation [1]

Abstract The rate and activation parameters for the Cr(II) reductions of N,O-chelated (glycinato)- and (D,L-alanato)tetraamminecobalt(III) ions have been redetermined and the corresponding D,L-phenylalanato complex investigated for the first time. The reactions are inner sphere and exhibit simple, mixed second order kinetic with k s, M −1 s −1 (ΔH ≠ , kcal/ mol; ΔS ≠ , cal/deg mol): 6.4 ± 0.24 (7.1 ± 0.58; −3 ± 2.1), 1.7 ± 0.12 (9.2 ± 0.73; −27 ± 2.4) and 2.3 ± 0.32 (10.1 ± 0.85; −23 ± 2.5), respectively. These results are discussed in relation to other amino acid bridged Co(III)Cr(II) reactions.
Conjugal transfer of E. coli F′ lac from Erwinia chrysanthemi to Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea and the apparent stable incorporation of the plasmid into the pv. glycinea chromosome

The E. coli F′lac plasmid was transferred from an Erwinia chrysanthemi Hfr8 donor to a multiply-auxotrophic, rifampicin-resistant Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea recipient. Transfer occurred at a frequency of approximately 10-5/donor. Stable transconjugants which were able to utilize lactose as the sole carbon source after several transfers would not donate the F′lac plasmid in detectable frequency to other pv. glycinea or E. coli recipients. The plasmid DNA was shown to be integrated into the pv. glycinea chromosome (Fig. 1).
Effects of chemical disinfectants on surface characteristics and color of three fixed prosthodontic crown materials.

Abstract Statement of problem. Dental restorations should reproduce similar optical effects as natural tooth structure to achieve a good color match. Mismatch can result in unsatisfactory shade matching. Purpose. This study determined whether chemical disinfectants affected the surface texture and color of 3 fixed prosthodontic materials. Material and methods. Five chemical disinfectants (Clorox, Banicide, Cidex-7, Biocide, and Multicide) in combination with 3 restorative materials (Dicor, Vita VMK ceramometal porcelain, Midas ADA type III noble casting alloy) were evaluated at 4 different times of immersion (10 minutes, 30 minutes, 24 hours, and 7 days). Changes from baseline for surface roughness and color were evaluated. Surface roughness data were recorded with a surface analyzer and color data in CIE L*a*b* color space were measured with a colorimeter. Data were analyzed with repeated measures analysis of variance and single factor analysis of variance. Results. There were no statistical differences in surface roughness among disinfectants and restorative materials. However, there were statistical differences of changes in color, increase in ΔE and decrease in ΔL, among disinfectants and the noble casting alloy. Conclusion. Only 2 of the 3 materials evaluated, Dicor and Vita VMK ceramometal porcelain, can be used with all 5 disinfectants up to 7 days of immersion. Three chemical disinfectants (Biocide, Clorox, and Multicide) caused clinically significant color changes with the noble casting alloy after 7 days of immersion. (J Prosthet Dent 1999;82:600-7.)
On Optimal Contracts for Central Bankers and Inflation and Exchange-Rate-Targeting Regimes

This paper analyzes the issues of discretion and commitment in monetary policy under an exchange rate-targeting regime. Neither a linear state-contingent inflation contract for the central bank nor an explicit state-contingent inflation target combined with a weight-conservative central bank can now achieve the commitment equilibrium. It is shown that a state-contingent contract conditioned on the exchange rate and past output can implement the commitment equilibrium. Contracts conditioned on the exchange rate and inflation and on inflation and past output can also mimic the optimal rule under commitment.
Frequency stabilization of semiconductor lasers by resonant optical feedback

With simple optical geometries a separate resonant Fabry-Perot cavity can serve as an optical feedback element that forces a semiconductor laser automatically to lock its frequency optically to the cavity resonance. This method is used to stabilize laser frequencies and reduce linewidths by a factor of 1000 from 20 MHz to approximately 20 kHz.
Treadmill Exercise Induced Functional Recovery after Peripheral Nerve Repair Is Associated with Increased Levels of Neurotrophic Factors

Benefits of exercise on nerve regeneration and functional recovery have been reported in both central and peripheral nervous system disease models. However, underlying molecular mechanisms of enhanced regeneration and improved functional outcomes are less understood. We used a peripheral nerve regeneration model that has a good correlation between functional outcomes and number of motor axons that regenerate to evaluate the impact of treadmill exercise. In this model, the median nerve was transected and repaired while the ulnar nerve was transected and prevented from regeneration. Daily treadmill exercise resulted in faster recovery of the forelimb grip function as evaluated by grip power and inverted holding test. Daily exercise also resulted in better regeneration as evaluated by recovery of compound motor action potentials, higher number of axons in the median nerve and larger myofiber size in target muscles. Furthermore, these observations correlated with higher levels of neurotrophic factors, glial derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), in serum, nerve and muscle suggesting that increase in muscle derived neurotrophic factors may be responsible for improved regeneration.
β-Globin Gene Cluster Haplotypes Inhbc Heterozygotes

Previous work has suggested that the βc mutation arose on a relatively rare βA chromosome with a unique haplotype, and these data have been used to postulate a single origin of the βc allele. Most characteristic of this haplotype has been the absence of a Hpa I recognition site 3′ to the β-globin gene. We studied 40 patients with Hb SC, 11 with Hb AC, and one with Hb CC. Complete haplotyping was possible on 44 βc alleles and βc haplotyping was possible on an additional four βc alleles. Our results support the predominence of a unique βc haplotype which is characterized by the absence of the Hpa I site. However, one patient who was homozygous for Hb C had one βc allele with an atypical haplotype which contained the Hpa I site. It is unclear at this time whether or not this represents a second origin of the βc mutation.
Residents’ and Tourists’ Knowledge of Sea Lions in the Galápagos

Abstract This study examined knowledge of sea lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) for both residents and tourists on San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos, a famous nature tourism destination. Participants (N = 281) obtained through convenience and snowball sampling answered questionnaires about their knowledge of sea lions. Participants with higher education received higher overall scores, but participants’ education and age influenced answers on only a few questions. Residents and tourists obtained comparable overall scores, exhibiting extensive knowledge of sea lion behavior and life history. Whether participants were residents or tourists influenced answers to several questions, but when only participants with 13 years of education or more were examined, few differences in answers remained between residents or tourists. Participants’ broad knowledge of sea lions may be attributed to the items of knowledge tested, participants’ motivations for travel to the Galapagos, and the fact that sea lions are an engaging and ubiquitous animal.
Metric-aware processing of spherical imagery

Processing spherical images is challenging. Because no spherical parameterization is globally uniform, an accurate solver must account for the spatially varying metric. We present the first efficient metric-aware solver for Laplacian processing of spherical data. Our approach builds on the commonly used equirectangular parameterization, which provides differentiability, axial symmetry, and grid sampling. Crucially, axial symmetry lets us discretize the Laplacian operator just once per grid row. One difficulty is that anisotropy near the poles leads to a poorly conditioned system. Our solution is to construct an adapted hierarchy of finite elements, adjusted at the poles to maintain derivative continuity, and selectively coarsened to bound element anisotropy. The resulting elements are nested both within and across resolution levels. A streaming multigrid solver over this hierarchy achieves excellent convergence rate and scales to huge images. We demonstrate applications in reaction-diffusion texture synthesis and panorama stitching and sharpening.
Nuclear antiferromagnetic ordering in PrBe 13

The nuclear magnetic susceptibility of the Van Vleck paramagnet PrBe13 has been measured at temperatures below 20 mK. In zero field we observe an antiferromagnetic Curie-Weiss behavior with a Weiss temperature Θ=−2.2 mK and a Neel ordering temperature ofT N =0.4 mK. We have considered a mean-field model incorporating nearest-neighbor (nn) and next-nearest-neighbor (nnn) exchange interactions on a simple cubic lattice to describe the Pr nuclear moments. The results of the calculation suggest a type II ordered magnetic structure.
Comparison of K-p bound state calculations.

A previous calculation of the strong interaction shift of the 1S level in kaonic hydrogen is improved upon and compared to the results of other workers. Good agreement with other calculations: but not with experiment: is obtained.
Introduction: Special Issue on Positive Psychology and Adult Development

The study of Positive Psychology brings a much needed emphasis to the study of the cognition, traits and contexts of behavior that are associated with optimal development and flourishing during the entire course of life. It highlights the ways in which growth, hope, and resilience (to name just a few concepts) aid a person in dealing with the inevitable challenges of life, either in individual terms or via organizations that optimize chances for growth. The papers in this first Special Issue on Positive Psychology and Adult Development focus especially on wisdom, the workplace, and mental health issues.
Isolation and characterization of a λ specialized transducing phage for the Escherichia coli DNA ligase gene

Abstract The isolation and characterization of two plaque-forming specialized transducing derivatives of phage λ, each carrying the entire Escherichia coli DNA ligase gene (lig) as well as most of two closely linked genes involved in membrane transport of phosphosugars (all of ptsH and part of ptsI) are described. These phages were isolated from a lysate produced after induction of a λ phage inserted at an abnormal attachment site within the ptsI gene. Their structure is analogous to that of the λpbio transducing phages. Extracts of lig− E. coli strains lysogenized by λplig contain wild-type levels of DNA ligase activity, while during vegetative growth of one of these phages, DNA ligase activity in crude extracts increases up to 30-fold.
Recherches sur la formation et la transformation des esters LXXXIII [1]. Réactions de condensation et/ou de phosphorylation, en solution aqueuse, de divers composés organiques à fonctions OH, COOH, NH2, ou autres, à l'aide de polyphosphates linéaires ou cycliques

Amino acids and other derivatives are condensed in aqueous solutions in the presence of linear or cyclic polyphosphates (or other anhydrides of P acids). The best results are obtained in slightly alkaline media (pH 7.5 to 9.5). The reaction, which has been studied at 70°C and at room temperature, proceeds with relative ease even at room temperature. In the case of the cyclic polyphosphates, trimetaphosphate gave the best results as compared with tetra- and hexametaphosphate, and among the linear polyphosphates used the yields grew with the average length of the chain. The significance of this method of condensation as a general method and also in the context of chemical evolution is discussed. The author suggests that one of the pathways leading to the peptide bond formation involves the intermediate formation of aminoacyl phosphates or polyphosphates by the nucleophilic attack of the carboxylate group of the amino acid on the phosphorus of a linear or cyclic POP bond, giving rise to the labile mixed anhydride, and subsequent nucleophilic attack of the amino nitrogen of a molecule of the amino acid, or of the aminoacyl phosphate already produced, on the C of the mixed anhydride with displacement of phosphate or polyphosphate and formation of a peptide bond. Other pathways may also involve the intermediate formation of phosphoramidates which may result from the reaction of amino groups (or ammonia) with trimetaphosphate in alkaline medium. Linear and cyclic polyphosphates (which are known to be phosphorylating agents of the OH (alcoholic) function in aqueous solutions at pH's above 7) phosphorylate serine, ethanolamine and threonine in aqueous solutions at pH 8–10 with yields up to 25%.
The Educational Soundscape: Participation and Perception in Japanese High School English Lessons

In this article I discuss the emergence of practices of hearing in the midst of English language learning activities. I focus on listening activities during oral English lessons at two public high schools in Tokyo, Japan. One setting is a liberal arts high school. The other is a technical high school where students are trained in specializations such as industrial chemistry and electrical engineering. The different organization of listening activities in each of the schools has consequences for the different shape, texture, and categorization of what is heard. I show how hearing, therefore, is an act not solely located the moment sound meets the ear of an individual. Rather, it is socially rationed, controlled, and imagined through the joint actions of participants before, during, and after such physiological hearing takes place. This constitutes hearing as a social act, cognitively distributed among participants and over space and time in the classroom.
Identifying core concepts in introductory psychology.

Two studies were conducted in an attempt to establish a core of concepts considered fundamental to introductory psychology courses. Six textbooks were analyzed for concepts that could be considered...
INCIDENCE OF STROKE IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING TRANSCATHETER AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT USING EDWARDS SAPIEN VALVE FOR CRITICAL AORTIC STENOSIS. META–ANALYSIS COMPARING TRANSFEMORAL VERSUS TRANSAPICAL APPROACH

Trancatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is associated with a higher risk of stroke as compared to surgical aortic valve replacement. The data on the difference in the incidence of stroke between the transfemoral (TF) vs transapical (TA) approaches is limited to individual studies. We performed
Reductase Domain Cysteines 1048 and 1114 Are Critical for Catalytic Activity of Human Endothelial Cell Nitric Oxide Synthase as Probed by Site-Directed Mutagenesis

We examined whether highly conserved cysteine residues in the reductase domain of the constitutive isoform of nitric oxide synthase in human endothelial cells (ecNOS) are crucial for catalytic activity of the enzyme. Substitution of alanine for cysteines 976 (Cys-976), 991 (Cys-991), 1048 (Cys-1048), or 1114 (Cys-1114), located in the reductase domain of human ecNOS, was achieved by oligonucleotide-directed mutagenesis and expression in COS-7 cells. The specific activity of ecNOS was > 7-fold increased in wild-type and in mutants Cys-976 and Cys-991, but not in mutants Cys-1048 and Cys-1114. However, Western blot analysis indicated that expression of ecNOS protein was comparable in wild-type and in all mutants. NADPH concentration-dependent L-citrulline formation and NADPH oxidation during L-arginine metabolism were reduced in mutants Cys-1048 and Cys-1114 compared to wild-type. Similarly, NADPH cytochrome c reductase activity was increased in a time-dependent fashion in wild-type but not in mutants Cys-1048 and Cys-1114. These results indicate that Cys-1048 and Cys-1114 residues in the NADPH binding site of the reductase domain are critical for human ecNOS activity. The lack of utilization of NADPH in L-arginine metabolism and in cytochrome c reduction suggests that these active site cysteine residues may be responsible for binding of NADPH and/or for electron transfer in human ecNOS.
LIGHT-EMITTING-DIODE CURING LIGHTS—REVISITED

The Critical Appraisal of light-emitting-diode (LED) curing lights published in 2003 found that early first-generation LED curing lights did not meet manufacturers' claims and required exposure times twice as long as conventional quartz-tungsten-halogen (QTH) curing lights to adequately polymerize resin composites. This Critical Appraisal reviews a sample of the recently published research on the performance of the latest generation of LED curing lights.
Combustion Dynamics in a Gas Turbine Single Annular Combustor Sector

The occurrence of combustion instability dynamics known, as “screech, howl and growl,” in the combustors of gas turbine engines is a very difficult challenge for engineers. The very high amplitude pressure oscillations caused by combustion dynamics, are not only detrimental to the operation of the engine and combustor, but the difficulty in predicting and remedying these problems can lead to significant costs and delays in engine development. The coupling of the unsteady heat release in the flame with the natural acoustic resonance modes of the combustor duct causes the phenomena of combustion dynamics. To improve our understanding of stability characteristics in such complex systems, encountered in many industrial applications, the flame structure of an atmospheric swirl-stabilized burner, containing dilution and cooling air holes and fed with natural gas fuel, was systematically investigated for various inlet temperatures, pressure drops and air-fuel ratios. Experiments were also designed and conducted with the goal to understand better the phenomena of combustion dynamics that were experienced. More specifically, six acoustic pressure transducers were incorporated in the combustor and in the upstream duct to measure the acoustic field and the acoustic impedance characteristics at specified locations of interest. A one-dimensional wave propagation model is presented to predict the acoustic frequencies and damping of resonance modes, based on the geometry of the test rig, the flow conditions, and the acoustic impedance characteristics of the terminations of the combustor. This paper will present the acoustic analysis of the test data in the light of the above-mentioned theoretical modeling. The limitations of the current test rig are pointed out and changes in the rig design are discussed for future research.Copyright © 2010 by ASME