cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The geomorphic effectiveness of a large flood on the Rio Grande in the Big Bend region: Insights on geomorphic controls and post-flood geomorphic response

Abstract Since the 1940s, the Rio Grande in the Big Bend region has undergone long periods of channel narrowing, which have been occasionally interrupted by rare, large floods that widen the channel (termed a channel reset). The most recent channel reset occurred in 2008 following a 17-year period of extremely low stream flow and rapid channel narrowing. Flooding was caused by precipitation associated with the remnants of tropical depression Lowell in the Rio Conchos watershed, the largest tributary to the Rio Grande. Floodwaters approached 1500 m3/s (between a 13 and 15 year recurrence interval) and breached levees, inundated communities, and flooded the alluvial valley of the Rio Grande; the wetted width exceeding 2.5 km in some locations. The 2008 flood had the 7th largest magnitude of record, however, conveyed the largest volume of water than any other flood. Because of the narrow pre-flood channel conditions, record flood stages occurred. We used pre- and post-flood aerial photographs, channel and floodplain surveys, and 1-dimensional hydraulic models to quantify the magnitude of channel change, investigate the controls of flood-induced geomorphic changes, and measure the post-flood response of the widened channel. These analyses show that geomorphic changes included channel widening, meander migration, avulsions, extensive bar formation, and vertical floodplain accretion. Reach-averaged channel widening between 26 and 52% occurred, but in some localities exceeded 500%. The degree and style of channel response was related, but not limited to, three factors: 1) bed-load supply and transport, 2) pre-flood channel plan form, and 3) rapid declines in specific stream power downstream of constrictions and areas of high channel bed slope. The post-flood channel response has consisted of channel contraction through the aggradation of the channel bed and the formation of fine-grained benches inset within the widened channel margins. The most significant post-flood geomorphic changes have occurred at and downstream from ephemeral tributaries that contribute large volumes of sediment.
Good Girls Don't Date Dead Boys: Toying with Miscegenation in Zombie Films

Abstract:Concerning in-between bodies, zombie films have a unique vantage on miscegenation. Exploring earlier films alongside contemporary romantic comedies, it becomes clear that whereas earlier films shut down symbolic interracial fantasies, contemporary films do not. This isn't without problems, as some films still rescue zombies from zombiness (and hence, their blackness).
A conserved residue in the tip proteins of CS1 and CFA/I pili of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli that is essential for adherence

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli associated with human diarrheal disease utilize any of a limited group of serologically distinguishable pili for attachment to intestinal cells. These include CS1 and CFA/I pili. We show here that chemical modification of arginyl residues in CS1 pili abolishes CS1-mediated agglutination of bovine erythrocytes, which serves as a model system for attachment. Alanine substitution of the single arginyl residue in CooA, the major pilin, had no effect on the assembly of pili or on hemagglutination. In contrast, substitution of alanine for R181 in CooD, the minor pilin associated with the pilus tip, abolished hemagglutination, and substitution of R20 reduced hemagglutination. Neither of these substitutions affected CS1 pilus assembly. This shows that CooD is essential for CS1-mediated attachment and identifies specific residues that are involved in receptor binding but not in pilus assembly. In addition to mediating agglutination of bovine erythrocytes, CFA/I also mediates agglutination of human erythrocytes. Substitution of R181 by alanine in the CooD homolog, CfaE, abolished both of these reactions. We conclude that the same region of the pilus tip protein is involved in adherence of CS1 and CFA/I pili, although their receptor specificities differ. This suggests that the region of the pilus tip adhesin protein that includes R181 might be an appropriate target for therapeutic intervention or for a vaccine to protect against human diarrhea caused by enterotoxigenic E. coli strains that have serologically different pili.
Assessing creative thinking in design-based learning

Infusing creative thinking competence through the design process of authentic projects requires not only changing the teaching methods and learning environment, but also adopting new assessment methods, such as portfolio assessment. The participants in this study were 128 high school pupils who have studied MECHATRONICS from 10th to 12th grades (16–18 years old). By the end of 12th grade, the pupils had created 57 authentic projects. The intervention program had two parts: first, the pupils documented their project according to a creative design process that had been introduced to them. Second, the projects were assessed according to a creative thinking scale. This scale was designed to assist pupils in documenting the design process. It could be used as a guideline for teachers and pupils during the course of the project. The research examined pupils’ performance during project-based learning. The research tools included: observations of class activities, portfolio assessment, and external matriculation assessment. The findings show first that pupils learned to document their design process. Second, pupils’ projects demonstrated various levels of creative thinking skill. Evidences for high-level documentation of the projects were found in pupils’ portfolios. On the other hand, there is much to be learned about documenting teamwork and pupils’ reflection. This research could assist researchers and teachers who are interested in assessing engineering education outcomes.
Solvent dependence of vibrational frequencies and relaxation times in dichloromethane

Abstract The frequency shifts and vibrational relaxation times of the ν 1 mode of CH 2 Cl 2 and CD 2 Cl 2 were measured in a number of mixtures. It was observed that displacements of the band center were not correlated to electron donating capability, but rather to dispersion energy variations among the solutions. It was found, though, that relaxation times decreased dramatically in Lewis basic solvents. The same results were reported in an earlier study on chloroform. Therefore, this latter property of the ν 1 band provides a more sensitive measure of hydrogen bond interactions involving CH bonds.
Kindling fluorescent protein from Anemonia sulcata: dark-state structure at 1.38 A resolution.

When the nonfluorescent chromoprotein asFP595 from Anemonia sulcata is subjected to sufficiently intense illumination near the absorbance maximum (λabsmax = 568 nm), it undergoes a remarkable transition, termed “kindling”, to a long-lived fluorescent state (λemmax = 595 nm). In the dark recovery phase, the kindled state relaxes thermally on a time scale of seconds or can instantly be reverted upon illumination at 450 nm. The kindling phenomenon is enhanced by the Ala143 → Gly point mutation, which slows the dark recovery time constant to 100 s at room temperature and increases the fluorescence quantum yield. To investigate the chemical nature of the chromophore and the possible role of chromophore isomerization in the kindling phenomenon, we determined the crystal structure of the “kindling fluorescent protein” asFP595-A143G (KFP) in the dark-adapted state at 1.38 A resolution and 100 K. The chromophore, derived from the Met63-Tyr64-Gly65 tripeptide, closely resembles that of the nonfluorescent chromoprot...
Analysis of the Yeast Arginine Methyltransferase Hmt1p/Rmt1p and Its in Vivo Function COFACTOR BINDING AND SUBSTRATE INTERACTIONS

Abstract Many eukaryotic RNA-binding proteins are modified by methylation of arginine residues. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae contains one major arginine methyltransferase, Hmt1p/Rmt1p, which is not essential for normal cell growth. However, cells missing HMT1 and also bearing mutations in the mRNA-binding proteins Npl3p or Cbp80p can no longer survive, providing genetic backgrounds in which to study Hmt1p function. We now demonstrate that the catalytically active form of Hmt1p is required for its activity in vivo. Amino acid changes in the putative Hmt1p S-adenosyl-l-methionine-binding site were generated and shown to be unable to catalyze methylation of Npl3pin vitro and in vivo or to restore growth to strains that require HMT1. In addition these mutations affect nucleocytoplasmic transport of Npl3p. A cold-sensitive mutant of Hmt1p was generated and showed reduced methylation of Npl3p, but not of other substrates, at 14 °C. These results define new aspects of Hmt1 and reveal the importance of its activity in vivo.
Civil society and healing: Theorizing women's social activism in post-soviet Ukraine

Abstract This article suggests a new tack on ‘NGO-graphy’ by setting up a dialogue between medical anthropological theories and the existing literature on postsocialist civil societies. Using data from Ukraine, I integrate recent critiques of ‘civil society’ discourses with an ethnographic investigation of the ambiguous personal transformations that social activism has generated for some women NGO leaders. The article asserts that, by applying the insights of critical-interpretive medical anthropology to the study of postsocialism, we can better track the dynamics of political, social, and personal change through which institutions are created, meaning-making surrounding self and society is negotiated, and powerful discourses are wielded to assert and contest the social worth of persons and groups.
Determination of Transverse Phase-Space and Momentum Error from Size Measurements along the 50-MeV H- RCS Injection Line

The 50-MeV H- injection line for the RCS at Argonne National Laboratory has 16 quadrupole and eight bending magnets. Horizontal and vertical profiles can be obtained at 12 wire scanner positions. Size information from these profiles can be used to determine the three ellipses parameters in each plane required to describe the transverse phase space. Those locations that have dispersion permit the momentum error to be used as a fourth fitting parameter. The assumed accuracy of the size measurements provides an error matrix that predicts the rms errors of the fitted parameters.
A recursive frequency tracking method for passive telemetry sensors

A new method for passive telemetry sensor using inductive coupling to measure a broadband signal has been proposed. The method uses multiple excitation frequencies to directly estimate the capacitance of the capacitive sensor, instead of receiving the modulated sensor signal from the sensor that is powered wirelessly via inductive coupling. Recursive least square estimation with a forgetting factor is used for the estimation. Since the proposed system does not use any active elements in the sensor side, there is no bandwidth limitation. Frequency tracking method is developed to make the system more robust to noise, thereby increasing the accuracy of estimation. Model for recursive least squares estimation is derived from the model of inductive coupling, and used with a forgetting factor to estimate time-varying parameters. Simple experiments were done to verify the model, and a static capacitance value was estimated using a least squares estimation. Simulations were done to show the advantage of using the frequency tracking method, which reduces the effect of noise and enables the system to estimate a higher bandwidth signal.
The Ancient Fire: Religion and Suicide Terrorism

Does religion lead to greater destructiveness from suicide terrorism? And if so, how does it influence this form of political violence? Recent analyses of terrorism point to the significance of religion, but are divided as to whether religion itself matters, or certain types of religious terrorist groups are actually driving suicide terrorist violence. This article draws on social movement theory and recent work in the study of suicide terrorism to argue that religion influences the severity of suicide terrorist attacks as an ideology groups use to justify their struggle and gain public support. This effect occurs regardless of a group's goals or organizational nature. The theory is tested using a generalized estimating equation to account for multiple attacks by several groups. The study finds that the religious ideology of a group greatly increases the number of deaths from a suicide attack, even if varying group motivations and structural factors are taken into account. The article helps to clarify the...
Whole field living cell mapping using diffraction moiré sensor

Mechanical forces developed by cells to their surrounding extracellular matrix environments are fundamental to many physiological processes, such as cell growth, division, migration, and apoptosis. Previous cell force mapping technique requires individually tracking the deformable sensors where the cell were cultured on. In this paper, a novel optical moire based biomechanol force sensor was developed for cell traction force mapping. We utilized coherent laser beams to illuminate periodic polymeric substrates where isolated cells were cultured. We demonstrated one-dimensional and two-dimensional traction force mapping via optical moire for vascular smooth muscle cells. The magnification effect of the moire fringe pattern permits a real time monitoring of the mechanical interaction between isolated cells and their underlying periodic polymeric structures.
Google PhD Forum at PerCom 2009

Sixteen PhD students presented their research at the PhD Forum at PerCom 2009. The PhD forum offered the students an opportunity for interaction with and feedback from senior researchers in pervasive computing.
SEXUAL SOCIALIZATION DIFFERENCES BY GENDER, GREEK MEMBERSHIP, ETHNICITY, AND RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND

Socialization theories have included parents and peers as important determinants of the initial sexual standards and sexual behavior of teenagers and young adults. The purpose of the research reported here was to examine how parental and peer sexual socialization influences are related to gender, ethnicity, religious background, and college membership in a fraternity or sorority. A sample that included a majority of Caucasian university students and about 13% Asian and 7% Black students completed questionnaires both as entering first-year students and as seniors. Results indicated that compared to women, men continue to experience a more permissive sexual socialization from both parents and peers. Greek membership was associated with a more permissive socialization from peers but not parents. Asian students reported a more restrictive socialization than Blacks or Caucasians. Findings are discussed with respect to concerns of social scientists regarding the influence of fraternities and differential gender...
Validating Energy-Oriented CGE Models

Although CGE models have received heavy usage, they are often criticized as being insufficiently validated. Key parameters are often not econometrically estimated, and the performance of the model as a whole is rarely checked against historical outcomes. As a consequence, questions frequently arise as to how much faith one can put in CGE results. In this paper, we employ a novel approach to the validation of a widely utilized global CGE model – GTAP-E. By comparing the variance of model generated petroleum price distributions -- driven by historical demand and supply shocks to the model-- with observed five-year moving average price distributions, we conclude that energy demand in GTAP-E is far too price-elastic over this time frame. After incorporating the latest econometric estimates of energy demand and supply elasticities, we revisit the validation question and find the model to perform more satisfactorily. As a further check, we compare a deterministic global general equilibrium simulation, based on historical realizations over the 2001-2006 period during which petroleum prices rose sharply, along with growing global energy demands. As anticipated by the stochastic simulations, the revised model parameters perform much better than the original GTAP-E parameters in this global, general equilibrium context.
Effects of Hospitalization Derived from a Family Diary Review of the Literature

Management of psychosocial issues associated with hospitalization are essential to the practice of pediatrics. The personal experience of our son's prolonged hospitalization due to osteomyelitis (23 days) was detailed by an ongoing diary. The impact of this hospitalization on our family is presented, including: 1) normal but bothersome behavioral changes in the patient and his sibling; 2) the effects of excessive parental stress; 3) the development of parental coping strategies ; and 4) stresses and coping strategies specific to a physician-father. Specific recommendations are presented to assist health professionals in addressing psychosocial issues.
Making Computational Sense of Montague's Intensional Logic

Abstract Montague's difficult notation and complex model theory have tended to obscure potential insights for the computer scientist studying Natural Language. Despite his strict insistence on an abstract model-theoretic interpretation for his formalism, we feel that Montague's work can be related to procedural semantics in a fairly direct way. A simplified version of Montague's formalism is presented, and its key concepts are explicated in terms of computational analogues. Several examples are presented within Montague's formalism but with a view toward developing a procedural interpretation. We provide a natural translation from intensional logic into lisp . This allows one to express the composition of meaning in much the way Montague does, using subtle patterns of functional application to distribute the meanings of individual words throughout a sentence. The paper discusses some of the insights this research has yielded on knowledge representation and suggests some new ways of looking at intensionality, context, and expectation.
Buprenorphine metabolites, buprenorphine-3-glucuronide and norbuprenorphine-3-glucuronide, are biologically active.

Background: The long-lasting high-affinity opioid buprenorphine has complex pharmacology, including ceiling effects with respect to analgesia and respiratory depression. Plasma concentrations of the major buprenorphine metabolites norbuprenorphine, buprenorphine-3-glucuronide, and norbuprenorphine-3-glucuronide approximate or exceed those of the parent drug. Buprenorphine glucuronide metabolites pharmacology is undefined. This investigation determined binding and pharmacologic activity of the two glucuronide metabolites, and in comparison with buprenorphine and norbuprenorphine. Methods: Competitive inhibition of radioligand binding to human,, and opioid and nociceptin receptors was used to determine glucuronide binding affinities for these receptors. Common opiate effects were assessed in vivo in SwissWebster mice. Antinociception was assessed using a tail-flick assay, respiratory effects were measured using unrestrained whole-body plethysmography, and sedation was assessed by inhibition of locomotion measured by open-field testing. Results: Buprenorphine-3-glucuronide had high affinity for human (Ki [inhibition constant] 4.9 2.7 pM), (Ki 270 0.4 nM), and nociceptin (Ki 36 0.3 M) but not receptors. Norbuprenorphine-3-glucuronide had affinity for human (Ki 300 0.5 nM) and nociceptin (Ki 18 0.2 M) but not or receptors. At the dose tested, buprenorphine-3-glucuronide had a small antinociceptive effect. Neither glucuronide had significant effects on respiratory rate, but norbuprenorphine-3-glucuronide decreased tidal volume. Norbuprenorphine-3-glucuronide also caused sedation. Conclusions: Both glucuronide metabolites of buprenorphine are biologically active at doses relevant to metabolite exposures, which occur after buprenorphine. Activity of the glucuronides may contribute to the overall pharmacology of buprenorphine.
A testable model for stoppable clock ASICS

A testable model for globally asynchronous ASICs is presented. These circuits operate without a global clock and are useful for pipelined or data-driven architectures. The ASIC can be partitioned into several locally clocked modules and control is distributed throughout these modules. A test methodology is presented which partitions each locally clocked module into synchronous and asynchronous components in test mode. Design for testability techniques are used to further simplify the testing process. >
Purification and characterization of fatty acid‐binding protein from aerobic muscle of the antarctic icefish Chaenocephalus aceratus

Intracellular fatty acid-binding protein is purified and characterized from aerobic skeletal muscle of the Antarctic icefish Chaenocephalus aceratus. Molecular mass of C. aceratus FABP (CA-FABP) is 14,936 Da as estimated by electrospray mass spectrometry. CA-FABP is expressed at an intracellular concentration of 0.984 ± 0.115 mg CA-FABP g−1 wet weight aerobic muscle and binds 0.859 ± 0.013 moles oleic acid per mole of protein at a physiological temperature of 0°C. Dissociation constants (Kds) for various fatty acid ligands range from 1.38 to 2.71 μM; Kds are not significantly different among palmitic acid (16:0), palmitoleic acid (16:1), and oleic acid (18:1). Competition assays reveal that CA-FABP does not have preferential affinity for the very-long-chain, polyunsaturated fatty acids that are common in Antarctic fish (e.g., docosahexaenoic acid; 22:6). Partial amino acid sequence from CA FABP aligns with mammalian heart-type FABPs with as high as 74% identity. These data are strikingly similar to mammalian values, yet they are derived from an organism that is distant from mammals in terms of phylogeny, body temperature, and physiology. This suggests that the FABP family is conserved not only in primary sequence, but also in its physiological properties. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Movimentos Sociais e Eleições: por uma compreensão mais ampla do contexto político da contestação

Why do two cognate literatures - social movements and electoral studies -travel along parallel paths with little conversation between them? And what can be done to connect them in the future? Drawing ontheir work with the late Charles Tilly on Dynamics of Contention (2001), Doug McAdam and Sidney Tarrow examine the reciprocal links between movements and elections, propose a mechanism-based set of linkages between elections and social movements, and apply their approach in a preliminary examination of the relations between elections, movements and the politics of racial contention in the United States.
Riboflavin in Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere Syndrome

Investigators at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK, and multiple centers internationally report the response to high-dose oral riboflavin therapy in 18 patients from 13 families with mutations in SLC5ZA2, encoding riboflavin transporter RTVT2, a new causative gene for Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere syndrome (BVVLS), a progressive neurodegenerative disorder leading to death in childhood.
Shift of Axis in Turkish Foreign Policy: Turkish National Role Conceptions Before and After the AKP

According to a common perception, Turkish foreign policy under the AKP (Adalet ve Kalkinma Partisi) leadership displays a fundamentally different pattern compared to previous governments. The central claim is that under AKP, Turkey is drifting away from the West, and also shifting its foreign policy focus toward its Muslim Middle Eastern neighbors and BRIC (Brazil, India, Russia, and China) countries. This rupture in Turkish foreign policy stems from AKP officials’ different understanding of Turkey’s role in the international arena. In this article, I argue that these “shift of axis” arguments are misleading. Turkish national role conceptions in the 1992-2012 period and voting patterns in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) undermine the argument that Turkey has been drifting away from the West. The most dominant Turkish foreign policy role in 1992-2012 was member of the Western world, and the difference between the average yearly emphases of that role before and after the AKP came to power in 2002 is minimal. Moreover, although Turkey’s foreign policy affinity with the United States was gradually decreasing from 1992 to 2010 (based on the UNGA votes), its foreign policy affinity with the European Union (EU) throughout this period has been stable and consistently high. The resulting pattern of Turkish foreign policy behavior before and after the AKP came to power suggests a gradual change toward an ambitious and active foreign policy attitude rather than a shift of axis.
Detection of ligamentous and supporting soft tissue injuries using fat-suppressed MRI in acute spinal trauma

The MRI examinations of 31 patients with acute cervical spine trauma were retrospectively reviewed. Sagittal T1-weighted, fast spin-echo T2-weighted (FSE-T2) (with and without fat suppression), and short tau inversim recovery (STIR) images were reviewed for the presence of ligamentous and soft tissue injury. MRI findings were correlated with computed tomography and conventional radiography in all patients. Fat-suppressed FSE-T2 and STIR pulse sequences showed the highest sensitivity in detecting disruption of cervical ligaments, facets and intervertebral disks. Increased signal intensity was useful as a marker of ligamentous and soft tissue injury. Preliminary results indicate that MRI utilizing fat-suppression techniques can identify these injuries with a high degree of accuracy.
ANTIPROTON INITIATED FUSION: PRECURSOR EXPERIMENTS TO IDENTIFY CRITICAL PHYSICS AND TECHNICAL ISSUES

Antimatter annihilation is one of few propulsion concepts able to provide near-interstellar speeds for spacecraft. It is also one of the least developed propulsion concepts, as it suffers from several technological challenges. However, with the High Performance Antimatter Trap (HiPAT) constructed at Marshall Space Flight Center, we can begin first-stage propulsion demonstrations with only 5 x 10 antiprotons. Here, we consider a prototype of an antimatter-initiated lithium hydride (LiH) plasma thruster. Unlike arc jets, PPT thrusters, and other electric propulsion devices that use an external current to create and drive a hot plasma, an antimatter-initiated LiH plasma is heated by a microfission process of antiprotons annihilating with a thin uranium shell. Through the use of the MHD code MACH2, we investigate the expansion and expulsion of such LiH plasmas using magnetic confinement. An experiment designed to demonstrate plasma heating by antimatter will be described, which can provide 35 mN thrust at a specific impulse (Isp) = 5800 sec.
Response sensitivity and voltage gain of the rod- and cone-bipolar cell synapses in dark-adapted tiger salamander retina.

Yang, Xiong-Li and Samuel M. Wu. Response sensitivity and voltage gain of the rod- and cone-bipolar cell synapses in dark-adapted tiger salamander retina. J. Neurophysiol. 78: 2662–2673, 1997. Rods...
Practice and Pondering on Improving the Quality of Graduation Thesis in National Science Base

The graduation thesis is the important link in the undergraduate education, and it is a necessary way to realize the objective of the undergraduate education. In recent years, many problems appear in the link of undergraduate education because of varions factors, and lead to a declining quality of graduation thesis. National Science Base of biology in Beijing Forestry University has accumulated much experience in improving the quality of the graduation thesis and cultivating innovative talents after groping for many years. These successful experience has set an example for us to promote the undergraduate education reforms and to improve the quality of talents in undergraduate education.
Survey Report Of Dust Hazard in A Quartz Sand Ltd.Company

[Objective]Through the hazard survey of pneumoconiosis in a quartz sand Ltd. company to investigate the health status of workers exposed to dust, so as to take effective prevention and control measures.[Methods]On-site survey of occupational health, occupational health testing, occupational health surveillance, etc were adopted to monitor the workplace silica dust and free silica, and to conduct a comprehensive analysis on the results of pneumoconiosis examination of the workers with dust exposure. [Results]Of 8 posts in workplace detected for silica dust, 6 posts were not in conformity with PC-TWA occupational exposure limit requirements; 4 samples of free silica were detected at the level of 43.1～44.3%; the noise intensity of 7 posts did not meet occupational exposure limit requirements; of 52 workers received occupational health examination, 9 workers diagnosed as pneumoconiosis.[Conclusion]The high concentration of silica dust and high intensity of noise in workplace indicates that pneumoconiosis hazard is serious in this quartz sand Ltd. company. It is necessary to reform the production process and protective measures to effectively protect the health of workers.
Treatment techniques in evolution.

In response to Gabbard's paper, "Do We Need Theory?" the author disputes the suggestion that his early therapeutic successes were theory-specific. He also takes issue with the view that "the analyst's personality is a constant," emphasizing instead the continual fluidity of an effective analytic relationship. While agreeing that atheoreticism is itself a theory, the author differentiates between the universal presence of content as defined by formal psychoanalytic metapsychological theory (e.g., primary instinctual envy, the Oedipus complex) and the centrality of affect attunement that illuminates developmental processes. He cautions therapists to guard against believing that they know "objective reality," and he urges them to assume a "know-nothing" position conducive to eliciting each patient's psychic reality.
Iodoacetate-induced contracture in rat skeletal muscle: possible role of ADP

The effects of iodoacetic acid (IAA) and ischemic contraction were studied in rat extensor digitorum longus muscles. Ischemic contraction of IAA-treated muscles produced contracture. The onset of contracture was not associated with a change in sarcolemmal electrical properties or reduction in intracellular [ATP]; however, [creatine phosphate] was reduced by 75% and free [ADP] was increased by 665%. Continued stimulation of IAA-treated fibers resulted in depolarization, loss of membrane excitability, further depletion of creatine phosphate, and reduction in [ATP]. The effects seen in IAA-treated muscle did not appear to result from a direct action of IAA on the surface membrane, contractile proteins, or excitation-contraction coupling. The contractures in IAA-treated muscle may have resulted from increased Ca sensitivity of the contractile proteins, increased myoplasmic [Ca], or both. Both effects may have resulted from increased [ADP]. In addition, the reduced acidification during ischemic contraction of IAA-treated fibers compared with control fibers may have further increased the Ca sensitivity of IAA-treated fibers compared with controls.
Guidelines for Contamination Testing of Bioproducts

Recent advances in biotechnology have led to the development of both new products and new procedures for producing currently available products. Since product development and manufacturing techniques are constantly changing, the methods to assure products are safe and consistent must also change. Regulatory agencies have taken advantage of the newly developed methodologies in evaluating new products and have begun to devise new standards to assure product safety and consistency. The Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research has approached this challenge by preparing a series of documents, the “Points to Consider” (PTC), based on its own laboratory expertise and industry-wide experience and then revising the documents as needed to keep pace with state-of-the-art science. This flexibility should enable FDA to provide regulatory consistency for all products by incorporating experience gained with recently developed products and manufacturing approaches, requiring additional testing if needed, and eliminating unnecessary testing, in an attempt to expedite product approval. This is a dynamic process based on the best available science.
Degradation behaviour of magnesium-rare earth biomedical alloys

Magnesium alloys have recently attracted significant attention as a new class of biodegradable implant materials. The primary focus has been on mechanical properties, biological response and biodegradation. The alloys of current interest concern magnesium alloys with rare earth (RE) elements. We describe here the state-of-the-art knowledge on the corrosion behaviour of Mg-RE alloys in conjunction with the biological behaviour and mechanical properties. The addition of RE elements in magnesium alloys provide benefits of improved corrosion resistance via reduction in galvanic sites together with superior mechanical properties.
The susceptibility of animal feed containing Dried Distiller's Grains with Solubles to Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) infestation.

Abstract Understanding the susceptibility of commercially available animal feeds which contain Dried Distiller's Grains with Solubles (DDGS) to insect infestation is the first step in developing a pest management strategy for a stored product. This study is a nascent analysis of animal feed containing DDGS susceptibility to Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) infestation, one of the most important post-harvest insect pests world-wide. Three types of animal feed containing 5–10% DDGS in their formula mixtures were obtained from two feed manufacturers in Indiana, USA including: crumbled poultry feed, pelletized juvenile frog feed, and pelletized adult frog feed. Besides commercially available animal feed, laboratory manufactured feed were simulated by mixing Flour/Yeast (F/Y), T. castaneum normal laboratory diet, with 10, 20, 30, 40, and 80% DDGS (% based on weight). Larval developmental time was used to evaluate feed susceptibility to T. castaneum infestation. The T. castaneum larval period was significantly increased when fed on pelletized adult frog feed, pelletized juvenile frog feed, and crumbled poultry feed (29.8 ± 0.5, 26.0 ± 0.3, and 21.9 ± 0.3 d respectively), compared with F/Y (16.1 ± 0.3 d). The larval period was significantly decreased however, when fed on ground poultry feed (15.5 ± 0.2 d). Insect development on laboratory manufactured feeds was similar to F/Y regardless of DDGS ratios added in this study (15.9–16.9 d). These results suggested that first; particle size (PS) was one of the influential factors on susceptibility of commercially available animal feed to T. castaneum apart from feed chemical composition, and second, adding 10–80% DDGS to the laboratory manufactured feed did not change feed susceptibility to T. castaneum infestation.
Extrusion Processing of Amaranth and Quinoa into Gluten-Free Snack Foods for Celiac and Gluten-Free Diets

Because of the growth of gluten intolerance and Celiac disease, there is growing interest in development of gluten-free foods. Beyond just being gluten-free, such foods can also have other positive nutritional benefits to human health. Extrusion processing is commonly used to produce a wide variety of human food products. Gluten-free grains can be a processing challenge, however, due to lack of proper binding, which can lead to poor quality food products. This research explores how extrusion parameters impacted the quality of amaranth- and quinoa-based extrudates. The specific objectives of this project included extruding each of the grains, then measuring extrudate properties, such as color, unit density, expansion ratio, and durability. Both the quinoa and amaranth were extruded as raw grain, as well as ground to 2mm and 1mm particle sizes. Other experimental conditions included moisture contents of 20% and 40% (d.b.), and extruder screw speeds of 50 rpm and 100 rpm. All treatments were successfully extruded, and all extrudates had high quality attributes, making this the first time either quinoa or amaranth was extruded without any binding ingredients. This study provides information useful for commercial scale-up.
Hiatushernienchirurgie – ein Methodenvergleich

In diesem Kapitel werden die verschiedenen Kontroversen im Bezug auf technische Aspekte der Hiatushernienchirurgie diskutiert. Die Debatte um die „beste“ Technik ist bei Weitem nicht beendet. Daher folgen zu allen betrachteten Aspekten jeweils ein kompakter Literaturuberblick und ein kurzer Kommentar des Autors.
Electron Magnetic Resonance of Carotenoids

Carotenoids function in photosynthesis as quenchers of chlorophyll triplet states to prevent their harmful reaction with oxygen. Current research has mainly focused on their detection and identification, the determination of kinetic parameters, and the elucidation of the triplet energy transfer pathways in both photosynthetic antenna and reaction centers. Since carotenoids do not take part in the photosynthetic electron transfer reactions, their paramagnetic radical species occur to a lesser extent in vivo, although they may play a role in the photoprotection of Photosystem II.
Autocorrelation and Stationarity

In the foregoing chapters, we have tried to present matters concerning signals and their transmission with as little mathematics as possible. If we are to pursue these matters further and evaluate the potentialities of various transmission schemes, we must consider some properties of signals and noise in a little more detail. Particularly, we must understand autocorrelation and its relation to the power spectrum of stationary signals. Reference 1 is a good introduction to these concepts for communicators. This includes probability, which we study in Chapter 8, and random signals and noises and their power spectra, which we study in Chapter 9.
Wideband myocardial perfusion pulse sequence for imaging patients with a cardiac implantable electronic device.

PURPOSE To develop a wideband cardiac perfusion pulse sequence and test whether it is capable of suppressing image artifacts in patients with a cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED), while not exceeding the specific absorption rate (SAR) limit (2.0 W/kg). METHODS A wideband perfusion pulse sequence was developed by incorporating a wideband saturation pulse to achieve a good balance between saturation of magnetization and SAR. Clinical standard and wideband perfusion MRI scans were performed back-to-back in a randomized order on 16 patients with a CIED undergoing clinical cardiac MRI. Two expert readers graded the artifact intensity and extent on a segmental basis using a 5-point Likert scale, where significant artifact was defined by a composite score. The variance in myocardial signal prior to tissue-enhancement was analyzed to quantify artifact-intensity. Whole-body SAR values computed by the MR scanner were read from the DICOM header. Either a paired t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test was performed to compare two groups. RESULTS While the mean whole-body SAR for a single-slice wideband perfusion scan (0.38 ± 0.08W/kg) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than for a single-slice standard perfusion scan (0.11 ± 0.03W/kg), it was 81% below 2.0 W/kg. The mean variance in myocardial signal prior to tissue-enhancement was significantly (p < 0.001) higher for standard (422.6 ± 306.6 a.u.) than wideband (107.0 ± 60.9 a.u.). Among 105 myocardial segments, standard produced 19 segments (18%) that were deemed to have significant artifacts, whereas wideband produced only 3 segments (3%). CONCLUSION A wideband perfusion pulse sequence is capable of suppressing image artifacts induced by a CIED while not exceeding SAR at 2.0 W/kg.
Nitrate removal from water using zero‐valent aluminium

Nitrate pollution in surface and groundwater is known to adversely affect human health, water quality and the health of aquatic ecosystems. Zero‐valent aluminium is a strong reductant for ions such as nitrate. In this study, its use in nitrate reduction efficiency was evaluated as a function of pH, aluminium dosage and aluminium particle size through a lab‐scale investigation. The most effective pH for complete nitrate removal, with an initial concentration of 14.0 ± 1.0 mg N/L, was found to be 13 ± 0.2. Under this condition, complete removal was achieved in 5 min, using aluminium particle size of 1–3 µm and aluminium‐to‐nitrate (NO₃–‐N) ratio of 125. The 1–3 µm and 297–841 µm aluminium particles removed nitrate at a reaction rate constant (k) of 0.048 ± 0.017 (mg‐N/L)¹.⁵³/min and at 0.042 ± 0.014 (mg‐N/L)¹.²⁸/min, respectively. The use of smaller aluminium particles was found to be more effective for nitrate removal than large particles, and it was observed that for these particle sizes, aluminium dosages was less of a factor than any other experimental conditions evaluated.
The Role of the Southern Ocean in Abrupt Transitions and Hysteresis in Glacial Ocean Circulation

High‐latitude Northern Hemisphere climate during the last glacial period was characterized by a series of abrupt climate changes, known as Dansgaard‐Oeschger (DO) events, which were recorded in Greenland ice cores as shifts in the oxygen isotopic composition of the ice. These shifts in inferred Northern Hemisphere high‐latitude temperature have been linked to changes in Atlantic meridional overturning strength. The response of ocean overturning circulation to forcing is non‐linear and a hierarchy of models have suggested that it may exist in multiple steady state configurations. Here, we use a time‐dependent coarse‐resolution isopycnal model with four density classes and two basins, linked by a Southern Ocean to explore overturning states and their stability to changes in external parameters. The model exhibits hysteresis in both the steady‐state stratification and overturning strength as a function of the magnitude of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) formation. Hysteresis occurs as a result of two non‐linearities in the model‐‐‐the surface buoyancy distribution in the Southern Ocean and the vertical diffusivity profile in the Atlantic and Indo‐Pacific basins. We construct a metric to assess circulation configuration in the model, motivated by observations from the Last Glacial Maximum, which show a different circulation structure from the modern. We find that circulation configuration is primarily determined by NADW density. The model results are used to suggest how ocean conditions may have influenced the pattern of DO events across the last glacial cycle.
Laparoscopic-assisted versus open total pancreatectomy and islet autotransplantation: A case-matched study of pediatric patients

Abstract Background Total Pancreatectomy and Islet Autotransplantation (TPIAT) are a potential treatment for children with severe, refractory chronic pancreatitis. A laparoscopic-assisted approach provides a smaller incision and excellent visualization of the distal pancreas and spleen during resection. A minimally-invasive approach has proven advantageous for other pediatric procedures, but its value is unknown for this rare operation. This retrospective review compares outcomes between patients undergoing laparoscopic-assisted versus open TPIAT. Study design Children (n = 21) receiving laparoscopic-assisted TPIAT from 2013 to 2015 and children (n = 21) receiving open TPIAT from 2011 to 2015 were matched based on age, gender, symptom duration, previous interventions, and pancreatic fibrosis scores. Data reviewed included postoperative complications, operative time, estimated blood loss (EBL), intraoperative blood transfusions, number of islet equivalents (IEQ)/kg transplanted, hospital length-of-stay, graft function, narcotic use, and Patient Scar Assessment Questionnaire scores. Between-group differences were compared using Fisher's exact, Chi-square, and T-tests. Results Surgical complications were similar between surgical groups (p = 0.35) and included wound complications (n = 11), chyle leak (n = 7), bowel obstruction (n = 5), bile leak (n = 3), gastrointestinal bleed (n = 2), and pneumonia (n = 1). There were no significant differences in operative time (p = 0.18), EBL (p = 0.96), blood transfusions (p = 0.34), IEQ/kg transplanted (p = 0.15), and hospital length-of-stay (p = 0.66). Insulin and opioid use was similar except for a slightly higher use of opioids (n = 4) at 2 years in the laparoscopic group. Patient surgical scar satisfaction was similar between groups (p = 0.26). Conclusions Outcomes for laparoscopic-assisted TPIAT appear comparable to open TPIAT. In children, a minimally-invasive approach does not compromise safety, effectiveness, or operative efficiency and may be used based on surgeon and patient preference.
Rural primary care providers' attitudes towards sexual and gender minorities in a midwestern state in the USA

Introduction Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals experience poorer health outcomes compared to their heterosexual and cisgender counterparts. Rural residents might be particularly vulnerable due to their geographic isolation and residence in a setting that potentially holds more conservative norms. Data on the attitudes of rural providers in the USA towards this community are currently limited. The purpose of this study was to describe existing attitudes of primary care providers in rural Michigan towards each LGBT subpopulation, and to identify independent correlates of these attitudes. Methods From May to July 2017, a modified Dillman mail-out method was used to collect data from 113 rural primary care providers. The non-incentivized paper-based survey included five validated Attitudes Toward LGBT People scales to assess feelings, thoughts, and predicted behaviors towards gay men, lesbian women, bisexual men, bisexual women, and transgender persons. Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed to assess global differences in the attitude scores for each subpopulation across strata of demographic characteristics and past clinical experiences. Multivariable linear regression models were formulated to identify independent correlates of attitudes towards each subpopulation. Results Age range was 25-73 years (mean=49 years), and the majority were non-Hispanic white (92.92%), and female (71.68%). More than three-quarters indicated being religious, with varying extents (80.53%). Approximately half (54.87%) received education specific to LGBT health during their professional degree program, and most (88.50%) believed it should be required. Generally favorable attitudes were noted towards each LGBT subpopulation. Increasing levels of religiosity were associated with less favorable attitudes, whereas having received education specific to LGBT health and believing it should be required were associated with more favorable attitudes. Conclusion Improving attitudes of rural providers towards LGBT individuals may positively influence the provision of high-quality health care. Ensuring the delivery of culturally competent services will require multi-level systemic changes. Ongoing trainings and novel interventions to enhance provider education and cultural competence could prove beneficial.