cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting hearing loss in fishes.

Exposure to intense sounds can damage the auditory hair cells of terrestrial vertebrates, and this damage and/or loss results in reduced hearing sensitivity. This is also true for aquatic vertebrates such as fishes exposed to underwater sounds. Exposure to sounds at high intensities has been shown to induce hearing loss in a number of fish species (e.g., goldfish Carassius auratus [Smith et al. 2004a]; fathead minnows Pimephales promelas [Scholik and Yan 2001]; northern pike Esox lucius and lake chub Couesius plumbeus [Popper et al. 2005]). Because data on the physiological effects of sound on most fish species is generally lacking, models predicting sound-induced hearing loss in fishes would be useful. The application of such models would be of tremendous value for policy decisions concerning anthropogenic noise exposure, especially when threatened or endangered species are involved.
An application of qualitative reasoning to derive behavior from structure of quantitative models

Mathematical modeling and analysis are a valuable tool in decision support contexts. Consequently, model management system(s) have become a key component of decision support system generators. Model management systems support modelers in various phases of the modeling life cycle including model representation, formulation, selection, integration, and execution. An important phase of the modeling life cycle involves analyzing and explaining the behavior of the formulated model. Such an analysis is necessary to understand the structure and behavior of the model, and to verify the appropriateness of the model to the problem. Traditional computer-based methods of analysis use the model solution as a basis to explain the model structure that caused the solution. This article presents an alternate approach that explains model behavior using the model structure and commonsense mathematical rules. The approach builds upon the qualitative reasoning methodology, developed in the artificial intelligence area to explain the behaviors of physical devices. A benefit of the qualitative reasoning approach is that it may describe the causes of modeling errors in terms of model structure. I also describe an implemented prototype model preprocessor that uses qualitative reasoning to provide qualitative explanations of the model behavior prior to solving the model. While I do not claim the sufficiency of the qualitative reasoning approach to detect and describe all types of modeling behavior, the article presents several examples demonstrating the utility of the approach.
CHI '06 Extended Abstracts on Human Factors in Computing Systems

Welcome to the CHI 2006 Extended Abstracts. We hope that you will enjoy this year's extended abstracts and the changes that we have made. For the first time this year, we encouraged submissions from six different sub-communities of the human-computer interaction (HCI) field: design; education; engineering; management; research and usability. The intent was to make sure that the technical program included elements that would be of interest to the broad HCI world. We especially sought Experience Reports, Panels, SIGs, and HCI Overviews. Submissions to each of these were carefully reviewed by the Conference Committee and their respective Community Chairs. These Extended Abstracts include these new or modified venues as well as materials from other traditional CHI venues.
Simultaneous Voltammetric Determination of Ascorbic Acid, Paracetamol, and Caffeine Using Electrochemically Reduced Graphene-Oxide-Modified Electrode

In the present paper, graphene oxide was directly electrodeposited by means of cyclic voltammetric techniques on the glassy-carbon electrode (GCE) to obtain a reduced graphene-oxide-modified electrode (ErGO/GCE). Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DP-ASV) had been utilized to study the electrochemical behavior of ErGO/GCE toward ascorbic acid (AA), paracetamol (PA), and caffeine (CA). Differential pulse voltammetry results show that AA, PA, and CA could be detected selectively and sensitively on ErGO/GCE with peak-to-peak separation of 312 mV and 756 mV for AA–PA and PA–CA, respectively. The factors affecting the voltammetric signals such as pH, scan rate, and interferents were addressed. The results reveal that the ErGO/GCE-modified electrode exhibits excellent electrochemical activity in the oxidation of PA, CA, and AA. The detection limits are 0.36 μM, 0.25 μM, and 0.23 μM for AA, PA and CA, respectively, suggesting that the ErGO/GCE can be utilized with high sensitivity and selectivity for the simultaneous determination of these compounds. Finally, the proposed method was successfully used to determine AA, PA, and CA in pharmaceutical preparations.
Investigating factors that influence patient preference for treatment with novel agents.

e20621 Background: Targeted therapies have shown clinical benefit in the treatment of solid tumors. The route, frequency, and duration of administration of these agents as well as toxicity profiles...
Health risks of chemicals in consumer products: A review

Increasingly diverse chemicals are used in consumer products, while our understanding of their exposure pathways and associated human health risks still lags behind. This paper aims to identify the dominant patterns of exposure pathways and associated health risks of chemicals used in consumer products reported in the peer-reviewed literature. We analyzed 342 articles covering 202 unique chemicals, and distilled the information on the functional uses, product applications, exposure routes, exposure pathways, toxicity endpoints and their combinations. We found that the volume of the literature addressing human health risks of chemicals in consumer products is increasing. Among others, phthalates, bisphenol-A, and polybrominated diphenyl ethers were the most frequently discussed chemical groups in the literature reviewed. Emerged from our review were a number of frequently reported functional use/product application combinations, including plasticizers, polymers/monomers, and flame retardants used in food contact products, personal care products, cosmetics, furniture, flooring, and electronics. We also observed a strong tendency that the number of publications on a chemical surges following major regulatory changes or exposure incidents associated with the chemical. We highlight the need to develop the capacity and the mechanism through which human health risks of chemicals in consumer products can be identified prior to their releases.
Applications of High Indium Content InGaAs/AlGaAs Quantum Wells in the 2–7 μm Regime

We report on some applications of high indium content quantum wells for mid-infrared (2–7μm) applications. Studies have been done to explore intra-valence band absorption in the mid-infrared between valence band hole states. Second harmonic generation spectroscopy is demonstrated in the conduction band near 5.5 μm.
Dynamic Adduction Angle of Forefoot Measured With a Novel Technique And Its Relationship With Functional Outcomes.

Background Idiopathic clubfoot is commonly treated with the Ponseti method with the extent of invasive treatment involving tendon-Achilles lengthening. Forefoot adduction is a common complication in surgically treated clubfeet. Yet, no method has been described to measure dynamic (walking) forefoot adduction. The aim of this study was to assess the persistent pes adductus in children whose clubfeet were surgically treated using a dorsomedial soft tissue release and to find out correlations between forefoot adduction and clinical outcome measures.
Elements of Infrastructure Demand in Multiplayer Video Games

With the advent of organized eSports, game streaming, and always-online video games, there exist new and more pronounced demands on players, developers, publishers, spectators, and other video game actors. By identifying and exploring elements of infrastructure in multiplayer games, this paper augments Bowman’s (2018) conceptualization of demands in video games by introducing a new category of ‘infrastructure demand’ of games. This article describes how the infrastructure increasingly built around video games creates demands upon those interacting with these games, either as players, spectators, or facilitators of multiplayer video game play. We follow the method described by Susan Leigh Star (1999), who writes that infrastructure is as mundane as it is a critical part of society and as such is particularly deserving of academic study. When infrastructure works properly it fades from view, but in doing so loses none of its importance to human endeavor. This work therefore helps to make visible the invisible elements of infrastructure present in and around multiplayer video games and explicates the demands these elements create on people interacting with those games.
Estimating Causal Effects Using Weighting-Based Estimators

Causal effect identification is one of the most prominent and well-understood problems in causal inference. Despite the generality and power of the results developed so far, there are still challenges in their applicability to practical settings, arguably due to the finitude of the samples. Simply put, there is a gap between causal effect identification and estimation. One popular setting in which sample-efficient estimators from finite samples exist is when the celebrated back-door condition holds. In this paper, we extend weighting-based methods developed for the back-door case to more general settings, and develop novel machinery for estimating causal effects using the weighting-based method as a building block. We derive graphical criteria under which causal effects can be estimated using this new machinery and demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method through simulation studies.
Warming and drying over the central Himalaya caused by an amplification of local mountain circulation

Climatic changes over the central Himalaya are critical for water resources in downstream regions where hundreds of millions of people live. Warming and drying in this region have both occurred in recent decades, but the associated meteorological factors are difficult to diagnose based on observations from unevenly distributed weather stations, reanalyses, and global climate models that poorly reproduce the orographic diurnal cycle. Here, recent trends in the summer diurnal cycle over the central Himalaya are investigated using a 36-year high-resolution dynamical downscaling. We illustrate contrasting trends over the diurnal cycle of circulation and convection over the Himalaya. In the daytime, warming of the slopes has enhanced anabatic upslope winds. At night, clearer skies have radiatively cooled the slopes, enhancing katabatic downslope winds. The enhanced upslope winds have prevented any drying over the mountains in the daytime, while the enhanced downslope winds are associated with significant nocturnal drying at high elevations. This amplification in the diurnal cycle is critical for projecting the future hydroclimate over the region’s complex terrain.
Learning self-play agents for combinatorial optimization problems

Recent progress in reinforcement learning (RL) using self-play has shown remarkable performance with several board games (e.g., Chess and Go) and video games (e.g., Atari games and Dota2). It is plausible to hypothesize that RL, starting from zero knowledge, might be able to gradually approach a winning strategy after a certain amount of training. In this paper, we explore neural Monte Carlo Tree Search (neural MCTS), an RL algorithm that has been applied successfully by DeepMind to play Go and Chess at a superhuman level. We try to leverage the computational power of neural MCTS to solve a class of combinatorial optimization problems. Following the idea of Hintikka’s Game-Theoretical Semantics, we propose the Zermelo Gamification to transform specific combinatorial optimization problems into Zermelo games whose winning strategies correspond to the solutions of the original optimization problems. A specially designed neural MCTS algorithm is then introduced to train Zermelo game agents. We use a prototype problem for which the ground-truth policy is efficiently computable to demonstrate that neural MCTS is promising.
[WC317] Leadership Skills Series #3: Communication & Conflict Management

As part of the Leaders Skills Series, this publication provides Extension professionals with recommendations on how to utilize short leadership videos to address the topics of communication and conflict management. Outlined throughout the publication is a brief synopsis of each of the four different videos, a link to the videos, and recommended questions to help facilitate group discussion. After watching the videos and engaging in the discussion questions, Extension professions should have a better understanding of how to have better conservations, the impact of technology on communication, and how to handle conflict productively.
Neonicotinoids and decline in bird biodiversity in the United States

Neonicotinoid insecticides are being widely used and have raised concerns about negative impacts on non-target organisms. However, there has been no large-scale, generalizable study on their impact on biodiversity of avian species in the United States. Here we show, using a rich dataset on breeding birds and pesticide use in the United States, that the increase in neonicotinoid use led to statistically significant reductions in bird biodiversity between 2008 and 2014 relative to a counterfactual without neonicotinoid use, particularly for grassland and insectivorous birds, with average annual rates of reduction of 4% and 3%, respectively. The corresponding rates are even higher (12% and 5%, respectively) when the dynamic effects of bird population declines on future population growth are considered. The effects of neonicotinoids on non-grassland and non-insectivorous birds are also statistically significant but smaller, with an average annual rate of reduction of 2% over this period. Neonicotinoid insecticides have the potential to harm non-target organisms. This study finds that, between 2008 and 2014, increased neonicotinoid use in the United States reduced bird diversity, especially grassland and insectivorous birds.
Aesthetics and Politics in the Wake of Enlightenment: Jonathan Hess in Memoriam

Jonathan Hess, scholar, teacher, and generous mentor in the fields of German Studies and Jewish Studies, suddenly passed away in April 2018 at the age of 52. This volume has been undertaken by some...
Effects of Emodin, a Plant-Derived Anthraquinone, on TGFβ1-Induced Cardiac Fibroblast Activation and Function

Cardiac fibrosis accompanies a number of pathological conditions and results in altered myocardial structure, biomechanical properties and function. The signaling networks leading to fibrosis are complex, contributing to the general lack of progress in identifying effective therapeutic approaches to prevent or reverse this condition. Several studies have shown protective effects of emodin, a plant-derived anthraquinone, in animal models of fibrosis. A number of questions remain regarding the mechanisms whereby emodin impacts fibrosis. TGF-β1 is a potent stimulus of fibrosis and fibroblast activation. In the present study, experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of emodin on activation and function of cardiac fibroblasts following treatment with TGF-β1. We demonstrate that emodin attenuates TGF-β1-induced fibroblast activation and collagen accumulation in vitro. Emodin also inhibits activation of several canonical (SMAD2/3) and non-canonical (Erk1/2) TGF-β signaling pathways, while activating the p38 pathway. These results suggest that emodin may provide an effective therapeutic agent for fibrosis that functions via specific TGF-β signaling pathways.
Triglyceride-Rich Lipoprotein Remnants and Cardiovascular Disease.

Background Triglycerides, cholesterol, and their metabolism are linked due to shared packaging and transport within circulating lipoprotein particles. While a case for a causal role of cholesterol-carrying low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) in atherosclerosis is well made, the body of scientific evidence for a causal role of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRLs) is rapidly growing, with multiple lines of evidence (old and new) providing robust support. Content This review will discuss current perspectives and accumulated evidence that an overabundance of remnant lipoproteins stemming from intravascular remodeling of nascent TRLs-chylomicrons and very low-density lipoproteins (VLDL)-results in a proatherogenic milieu that augments cardiovascular risk. Basic mechanisms of TRL metabolism and clearance will be summarized, assay methods reviewed, and pivotal clinical studies highlighted. Summary Remnant lipoproteins are rendered highly atherogenic by their high cholesterol content, altered apolipoprotein composition, and physicochemical properties. The aggregate findings from multiple lines of evidence suggest that TRL remnants play a central role in residual cardiovascular risk.
Industrialization and Democracy

Research on the economic roots of democracy tends to focus on income, inequality, education, and/or urbanization. I argue that industrialization — defined as a large share of employment in manufacturing — is a distinct, and arguably more important, determinant of democracy. Using novel data for 145 countries over 170 years (1845--2015) I find that: (1) all currently highly developed countries in the West and East Asia democratized when they had just become highly industrialized, but when they were still relatively poor, unequal, uneducated, and rural; (2) industrialization is more strongly correlated with democracy in two-way fixed effects models; and (3) industrialization remains strongly correlated in settings where other economic determinants are not — e.g., the effect occurs on both transitions and consolidations and is equally large after WWII. Crucially, many potential outliers (e.g., China, USSR) have in fact never reached the level of industrialization that existed in the West before democratization.
The Hypersomnia Severity Index: reliability, construct, and criterion validity in a clinical sample of patients with sleep disorders.

Study Objectives: The Hypersomnia Severity Index (HSI) was designed to assess the severity and impairment of hypersomnolence and has been validated in persons with psychiatric disorders. Little is ...
Oncology patients' perspectives on remote patient monitoring for COVID-19

1504Background: Oncology patients are particularly vulnerable to adverse outcomes from COVID-19 and require careful monitoring to identify early deterioration and render higher level care when indi...
Max Weber's Sociology of Civilizations: A Reconstruction

This volume examines civilizations through the broad lens articulated by the works of Max Weber. In focusing upon his comparative-historical mode of analysis and his causal explanations for the sources, contours, and trajectories of civilizations, this study reconstructs Weber’s sociology in a manner that provides clear guidelines to researchers seeking to investigate civilizations systematically. Through detailed interpretations of the West’s unique development from Antiquity to the Modern era, precise comparisons to the long-range and singular pathways taken by China and India, and careful demarcations of the "particular rationalisms" of several civilizations, the author addresses Weber’s powerful model-building on the one hand and his opposition to organic holism and structural presuppositions on the other hand. Both a broad-ranging conceptual framework and case-based empirical investigations are pivotal to Weber. His research strategy emphasizes further the "subjective meanings" of actors East and West and the deep cultural origins of groups. Finally, this volume masterfully conveys Weber’s contextual and multi-causal methodology rooted in a tight interweaving of the present with the past. Max Weber’s Sociology of Civilizations: A Reconstruction will appeal to comparative sociologists and historians, as well as to theorists of all persuasions. The social scientist pursuing a cross-civilizational agenda will here discover the distinct contribution of Weber’s "interpretive understanding" procedures to the now-essential field of civilizational analysis.
Ruptured Ectopic Pregnancy with Negative Urine Pregnancy Test

Study Objective To report a case of a ruptured ectopic pregnancy in a patient with a negative urine pregnancy test. Design Case report. Setting Academic center. Patients or Participants The patient is a 23yo sexually active G1P0 at approximately 7 weeks gestational age who presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding. She reported having a positive urine pregnancy test at home 6 days prior to presenting to the ED. However, in the ED her urine pregnancy test was negative. Transvaginal ultrasound demonstrated no intrauterine pregnancy and a complex mass with heterogeneous echotexture in the left adnexa measuring 1.7 × 2.3 × 2.6 cm with surrounding hyperemia. No clear gestational sac seen in the left adnexa. There was also noted to be a moderate amount of free fluid in the posterior cul-de-sac. Interventions Diagnostic laparoscopy with left salpingectomy. Measurements and Main Results The patient's urine pregnancy test was negative and serum b-hCG level was 19.8. Her hemoglobin dropped from 15.3 to 13.5 over the course of two hours. Diagnostic laparoscopy revealed approximately 200cc of clotted blood in the pelvis, but no evidence of active bleeding. Her left fallopian tube was minimally adherent to the pelvic sidewall and an ectopic pregnancy was noted within the left fallopian tube. Right fallopian tube bilateral ovaries appeared normal. Final pathology was consistent with chorionic villi. Conclusion The diagnosis of an ectopic pregnancy can be challenging. It is important to maintain a high clinical index of suspicion for an ectopic pregnancy even in the case of a negative urine pregnancy test.
Selenium content and speciation differences in selenium enriched soups made from selenium biofortified plants

Abstract Food crops are major sources of selenium (Se) in many countries. In this study, we produced Se-enriched soup powders from Se-enriched vegetables, maize, wheat, and the Se-accumulator plant Prince’s Plume, respectively. In long-term stored vegetable powder, recent analyses showed that almost 80 % of total Se was inorganic Se and 20 % was organic Se compared to 53 % organic and 40 % inorganic Se 5 years ago. In maize and wheat powders, 90 % and 68 % organic Se and 3 % and 27 % inorganic Se were measured, respectively, while 90 % organic Se was measured in Prince’s Plume powder. After making soups from each respective plant powder and filtering suspended particles (residual soup solids), more than 80 % Se was present as selenite and 7 % as organic Se in vegetable broth, 64 % and 49 % as selenate and less than 20 % as organic Se in maize and wheat broths, respectively, while almost 90 % as organic Se was in Prince’s Plume broth. In the respective filtrates, we measured 50 %, 90 %, and 81 % as organic Se from vegetable, maize, and wheat soups, respectively, and
A kinetics study of diacrylic-styrene crosslinking copolymerization

Unsaturated acrylic resins such as hexanediol diacrylate (HDDA) are widely used in coating and adhesive materials because they provide excellent bonding properties and cosmetic surface finish. Styrene (St) monomer is often added to reduce the resin viscosity and facilitate acrylic reaction. In this study, we used an integrated analytical approach including differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry, and rheometry, to monitor the kinetic and rheological changes of the diacrylic-styrene cross-linking polymerization at 100, 110 and 120 °C. Tert-butyl peroxybenzoate (TBPB) was used as initiator. It was found the reaction system gelled at <2 % conversion and overall conversions could only reach 94–95 % because of resin vitrification, suggesting most addition reactions were diffusion-controlled due to very low molecular mobility in the gel stage. Although conversions of HDDA and St, calculated from respective characteristic C=C absorption peak areas from isothermal FTIR sepectrum, followed the azeotropic co-polymerization pathway closely, styrene consumption was favored because of the lower molecular weight and higher mobility of styrene making it transfer comparatively faster than HDDA with pending double bonds.
Supporting Privacy Management via Community Experience and Expertise

We propose a novel approach for supporting privacy management that leverages community experience and expertise via the process of social navigation. Social navigation simplifies the often complex task of managing privacy settings, and systems that employ social navigation can advantageously complement user privacy management processes. We implemented our approach to privacy management in the Acumen system; Acumen uses social navigation to enable individuals to manage their Internet cookies both manually and automatically based on the behavior of others in the community. We present the Acumen system in detail and discuss data obtained from a six-week, preliminary deployment of Acumen. Lastly, we discuss challenges that systems implementing our approach must address if they are to be successful.
Policy analysis for administrative role based access control without separate administration

Access control is widely used in large systems for restricting resource access to authorized users. In particular, role based access control (RBAC) is a generalized approach to access control and is well recognized for its many advantages in managing authorization policies. This paper considers user-role reachability analysis of administrative role based access control (ARBAC), which defines administrative roles and specifies how members of each administrative role can change the RBAC policy. Most existing works on user-role reachability analysis assume the separate administration restriction in ARBAC policies. While this restriction greatly simplifies the user-role reachability analysis, it also limits the expressiveness and applicability of ARBAC. In this paper, we consider analysis of ARBAC without the separate administration restriction and present new techniques to reduce the number of ARBAC rules and users considered during analysis. We also present a number of parallel algorithms that speed up the analysis on multi-core systems. The experimental results show that our techniques significantly reduce the analysis time, making it practical to analyze ARBAC without separate administration.
La palabra humanizada en la madurez poética de Jaime Siles

Este analisis de la poesia de Jaime Siles (Valencia 1951) se concentra en los poemarios, Himnos tardios (1999) y Pasos en la nieve (2004), considerados por el autor mismo como su madurez poetica. Su poesia temprana, de alta calidad estetica, culta e intelectual, se orienta hacia la busqueda de esencias y absolutos de la poesia pura. Los poemarios de su madurez revelan a un nuevo yo poetico que toma conciencia de su humanidad. Su nueva poesia, intensamente lirica y rica en recursos estilisticos, ahonda en el misterio del tiempo, el ayer perdido y recobrado por la memoria, la nostalgia y la incertidumbre del ser en el mundo
Work-in-progress: designing a support system for research on engineering education

The National Academy of Engineering has launched a new center to support research on engineering education. The Center for the Advancement of Scholarship on Engineering Education seeks to a) enhancement the capacity for the conduct of high quality research on engineering education, b) encourage the integration of engineering education research and practice, and c) promote the efforts and interests of relevant stakeholders. This session will present a) preliminary results for an ongoing survey of education research priorities, b) an update on plans for a web portal linking journals devoted to education research in science and engineering disciplines, and c) an efforts to incorporate information from outside the engineering community into the our knowledge base.
A thermodynamic connection to the fragility of glass-forming liquids

Although liquids normally crystallize on cooling, there are members of all liquid types (including molecular, ionic and metallic) that supercool and then solidify at their glass transition temperature, Tg. This continuous solidification process exhibits great diversity within each class of liquid-both in the steepness of the viscosity-temperature profile, and in the rate at which the excess entropy of the liquid over the crystalline phase changes as Tg is approached. However, the source of the diversity is unknown. The viscosity and associated relaxation time behaviour have been classified between 'strong' and 'fragile' extremes, using Tg as a scaling parameter, but attempts to correlate such kinetic properties with the thermodynamic behaviour have been controversial. Here we show that the kinetic fragility can be correlated with a scaled quantity representing excess entropy, using data over the entire fragility range and embracing liquids of all classes. The excess entropy used in our correlation contains both configurational and vibration-related contributions. In order to reconcile our correlation with existing theory and simulations, we propose that variations in the fragility of liquids originate in differences between their vibrational heat capacities, harmonic and anharmonic, which we interpret in terms of an energy landscape. The differences evidently relate to behaviour of low-energy modes near and below the boson peak.
How School Administrators Influence the Retention of Teachers of Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

Abstract This study was a qualitative investigation of the reasons that experienced teachers of students with emotional and/or behavioral disorders give for remaining in that field. The study focused on the positive findings of why teachers stay, rather than the negative findings of why teachers leave (which currently dominate the field). The findings of this study indicate that having a sufficient level of support is a major factor influencing these teachers’ career decisions. The study found that support was especially critical during teachers’ initial years in the field, and that continued support, from both administrators and colleagues, was an important factor in their decisions to remain in their current teaching positions. Findings also revealed three specific characteristics of the administrative support that participants believed contributed to their perseverance in this challenging field. Implications regarding administrator preparation are also discussed.
Effect of Dietary Vitamin E and Vitamin C on Respiration and Swelling of Guinea Pig Liver Mitochondria

The effect of dietary vitamin C on vitamin E status and function was studied with weanling male Hartley guinea pigs. Thirty guinea pigs fed a basal diet free of vitamins E and C were divided into two groups; only one group received 2 mg/100 g body weight/day of vitamin C. Each group was further divided into three subgroups and received 0, 0.2, and 0.4 IU/100 g body weight/day of vitamin E. After 5 weeks the animals were killed. Degree of erythrocyte hemolysis induced by dialuric acid, level of plasma vitamin E and extent of liver lipid peroxidation were determined. Liver mitochondria were isolated and in vitro oxygen uptake was measured. The rate of swelling of mitochondria in two media was also determined. The results showed that the adequate dietary vitamin C supplementation did not affect the extent of erythrocyte hemolysis induced by dialuric acid, but increased the plasma vitamin E level and lowered liver lipid peroxidation. It also maintained the normal respiration and swelling rates of liver mitochondria when vitamin E was inadequate.
Behavioural and Mechanosensory Neurone Responses to Skin Stimulation in Leeches

1. 1. Behavioural responses to electrical stimulation of mechanosensory neurones were characterized in two species of leeches, Hirudo medicinalis and Macrobdella decora . 2. 2. Depending upon the site and intensity of stimulation, the stimuli elicited one or a combination of five different responses: local bending, curling, shortening, whole-body bending or swimming. 3. 3. The electrical threshold for activating identified mechanosensory neurones, T (touch) cells and P (pressure) cells, was the same in all regions of the body. 4. 4. The voltage range over which the electrical stimuli produced progressively more mechanosensory impulses was the same as the range that produced different behavioural responses. 5. 5. These results suggest that the T and P mechanosensory neurones provide the entire sensory input for all the behavioural responses. The production of different behavioural responses to stimuli of different intensities at the same location are attributable to different firing rates of the same sensory cells, and different responses to the same stimulus at different locations suggest different interneuronal targets for the T and P cells in different body regions.
T-cell-independent antiviral antibody responses

Abstract Recent work has shown that viruses can act in vivo as T-cell-independent antigens, eliciting protective, isotype-switched antibodies in the absence of conventional TCRαβ+ T cell help. Inactivated virus or virus-like particles can stimulate IgM production, but factors induced during live virus infection appear to be required to induce the isotype switch that leads to IgG or IgA responses.
Purification of alkaline phosphatase from guinea pig bone marrow.

Abstract A new method of purifying alkaline phosphatase (AP) from specific granules of guinea pig bone marrow granulocytes is described. The method devised resulted in a 500-fold purification of AP with a specific activity of 81,000 μmoles of p -nitrophenyl phosphate hydrolyzed min −1 mg −1 and a 39% yield. The purified enzyme was free of protein contaminants as judged by immunoprecipitation and gel electrophoresis. Its molecular size was estimated by gel filtration to be 4 × 10 5 . The purified enzyme behaved like a lipoprotein on ion-exchange chromatography. Lipid extracted from purified enzyme contained 2–4 μg P/mg of protein. Like other alkaline phosphatases, purified AP appeared to be a zinc metalloenzyme, that is, it was inhibited by various chelating agents, including o -phenanthroline, and contained a stoichiometrically significant amount of zinc, 3–5 g-atoms of zinc/400,000 g of protein. Magnesium activated the purified enzyme 4- to 7-fold.
A CAMAC Single Crate Controller for Synchronized DMA Transfers and an ADC Interface Module

A single crate controller has been developed to run with an automatic, blocking DMA channel. The execution of a CAMAC command stored in the controller is triggered by a selected LAM. An analog-to-digital (ADC) interface module utilizes the features of this controller module to store multiparameter pulse height analysis data in a core memory buffer. Four ADC's can be operated in combinations of singles and coincidence mode with automatic stacking provided. The above modules have been in operation in the laboratory since February, 1973.
Influence of meal frequency on iron absorption as assessed by hemoglobin repletion in rats

Abstract The effects of short periods of fasting, characteristic of a human eating pattern consisting of one, two, or four meals daily, on iron absorption were investigated in anemic rats by hemoglobin repletion assay. Sixty weanling rats were fed a lowiron diet (8 mg Fe / kg diet) for 13 days. The anemic rats were then fed ferrous sulfate- or ferric phosphate-fortified diets (35 mg Fe / kg diet) for 11 days under three feeding regimens: one, two, or four meals daily. Hemoglobin regeneration efficiency (hemoglobin iron gain / Fe intake) was the indicator of iron absorption. Greater hemoglobin regeneration efficiency was found in rats fed a FeSO 4 diet with four (82.5 ± 4.8%) or two (78.8 ± 4.1%) meals daily than those pair-fed one (63.4 ± 3.4%) meal daily. No significant difference among the groups fed one, two, or four meals of the FePO 4 diet was observed. Both iron source and meal frequency significantly affected iron absorption but the interaction effect was not significant. We conclude under the conditions of this study that periods of fasting as long as 24 hours in the context of a diet do not enhance iron absorption and that feeding patterns are a factor to consider in iron bioavailability determinations.
The role of clonal evolution in smoldering multiple myeloma.

In a recent correspondence to the journal, Dr. Ghobrial provided a compelling argument to support early intervention in high risk smoldering multiple myeloma (SMM), and in response Dr. Gertz debate...
C. elegans SIR-2.1 Interacts with 14-3-3 Proteins to Activate DAF-16 and Extend Life Span

The longevity of Caenorhabditis elegans is promoted by extra copies of the sir-2.1 gene in a manner dependent on the forkhead transcription factor DAF-16. We identify two C. elegans 14-3-3 proteins as SIR-2.1 binding partners and show that 14-3-3 genes are required for the life-span extension conferred by extra copies of sir-2.1. 14-3-3 proteins are also required for SIR-2.1-induced transcriptional activation of DAF-16 and stress resistance. Following heat stress, SIR-2.1 can bind DAF-16 in a 14-3-3-dependent manner. By contrast, low insulin-like signaling does not promote SIR-2.1/DAF-16 interaction, and sir-2.1 and the 14-3-3 genes are not required for the regulation of life span by the insulin-like signaling pathway. We propose the existence of a stress-dependent pathway in which SIR-2.1 and 14-3-3 act in parallel to the insulin-like pathway to activate DAF-16 and extend life span.
Fluid Centrality: A Social Network Analysis of Social-Technical Relations in Computer-Mediated Communication.

In this article, centrality is explored as a measure of computer‐mediated communication (CMC) in networked learning. Centrality measure is quite common in performing social network analysis (SNA) and in analysing social cohesion, strength of ties and influence in CMC, and computer‐supported collaborative learning research. It argues that measuring centrality using SNA is rather misleading, that in fact, it is a relational effect of many things, not just those tied by message threads in online forums. The network data described and analysed were obtained from the students training to be history teachers at the secondary level of schooling in a postgraduate certificate programme in an English university. Blackboard ® (a commercial virtual learning environment) was used in the course. Online postings in 14 separate forums were considered alongside the perceived relational ties of the teacher trainees in six different communication media (i.e. face‐to‐face, discussion board, mobile phone, email, land phone, a...
Finite-Element Analysis and Load Rating of Flat Slab Concrete Bridges

A significant portion of the nation’s aging bridge inventory consists of flat slab concrete bridges. Many of these bridges were constructed in the middle third of the 20th century, and although they are in generally good condition, they were not designed to carry modern highway loads. This research builds on prior studies that indicate that the equivalent strip width method—prescribed by AASHTO and widely used for the analysis of flat slab bridges—may be overly conservative and lead to underprediction of bridge structural capacity. The development of finite-element (FE) analysis software designed specifically for the load rating of flat slab bridges is presented. The FE software formulation and convergence were verified by comparison with predictions from commercial FE software under realistic loading scenarios. Results of live load tests of an instrumented, in-service flat slab bridge are reported. The FE model-predicted slab moments were shown to be conservative relative to the moments inferred from the load test data for a range of truck positions. Fourteen in-service flat slab bridges were load rated with both FE analysis and the equivalent strip method to assess the degree of conservatism inherent in the AASHTO approximate analysis. The results show an average increase in rating factor of approximately 26% when using FE analysis and that 58% of the bridges predicted to be under capacity using AASTHO approximate methods are sufficient based on FE analysis.
Mature bovine descemet's membrane contains desmosine and isodesmosine

The major cross-links of mature bovine Descemet's membrane have been compared with those of the anterior lens capsule. Both basement membranes contained hydroxylysinonorleucine but Descemet's membrane also contained two components with the chromatographic properties of desmosine and isodesmosine. These cross-links were concentrated in a highly insoluble fraction of the basement membrane that did not resemble elastin. The presence of these stable cross-links may explain some of the functional properties of Descemet's membrane.
Atrial Flutter Late After Remote Tetralogy of Fallot Repair

This case illustrates an atypical presentation of typical atrial flutter, demonstrating the importance of always considering cavo-tricuspid isthmus dependent atrial flutter as the potential culprit.
Microencapsulated liposomes in controlled drug delivery: strategies to modulate drug release and eliminate the burst effect

The release of fluorescein isothiocyanate labeled bovine serum albumin (FITC-BSA) from alginate-microencapsulated liposomes was studied to evaluate the properties of this system for controlled drug delivery. Liposomes composed of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and cholesterol (Chol) (molar ratio 7:3) and of PC, phosphatidylglycerol (PG), and cholesterol (6:1:3) were encapsulated in alginate (Alg) crosslinked with Ca(2+) (Ca-Alg), Al(3+) (Al-Alg), and Ba(2+) (Ba-Alg). Capsules were coated with poly(l-ornithine) followed by a final alginate coat. A rapid initial burst of protein release was observed from liposomes encapsulated in Ca-Alg and Al-Alg. No burst was observed when liposomes were encapsulated in Ba-Alg, indicating that the crosslinking ions could significantly affect the release of entrapped protein. Also, the release from encapsulated liposomes varied significantly with liposome composition, especially with Ca-Alg as observed with encapsulation of PC, dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC), and DOPC/Chol liposomes. Cholesterol increased the leakiness of the liposomes after encapsulation. In all cases, the release from microencapsulated liposomes was much faster than that from free liposomes suggesting an interaction between the liposomes and the alginate. Differential scanning calorimetry supports the hypothesis that alginate was inserted into the lipid bilayer resulting in a rapid release of protein from microencapsulated liposomes. Moreover, it was observed that the degree of interaction between liposomes and alginate varied with liposome composition.
Caratheodory-Hamilton-Jacobi theory in optimal control.

Caratheodory unified approach to Hamilton-Jacobi theory in variational calculus problems of optimal control
Liver segmentation for CT images using GVF snake.

Accurate liver segmentation on computed tomography(CT)images is a challenging task especially at sites where surrounding tissues (e.g., stomach, kidney) have densities similar to that of the liver and lesions reside at the liver edges. We have developed a method for semiautomatic delineation of the liver contours on contrast-enhanced CTimages. The method utilizes a snake algorithm with a gradient vector flow (GVF) field as its external force. To improve the performance of the GVF snake in the segmentation of the liver contour, an edge map was obtained with a Canny edge detector, followed by modifications using a liver template and a concavity removal algorithm. With the modified edge map, for which unwanted edges inside the liver were eliminated, the GVF field was computed and an initial liver contour was formed. The snake algorithm was then applied to obtain the actual liver contour. This algorithm was extended to segment the liver volume in a slice-by-slice fashion, where the result of the preceding slice constrained the segmentation of the adjacent slice. 551 two-dimensional liverimages from 20 volumetric images with colorectal metastases spreading throughout the livers were delineated using this method, and also manually by a radiologist for evaluation. The difference ratio, which is defined as the percentage ratio of mismatching volume between the computer and the radiologist’s results, ranged from 2.9% to 7.6% with a median value of 5.3%.
Enzymatically labelled nucleic acid (NA) probe assays for detection of Campylobacter spp. in human faecal specimens and in culture.

Abstract Seventy-two stock clinical isolates of C. jejuni were tested with the SNAP R Culture Identification Test Kit (Molecular Biosystems, Inc., San Diego, CA), an enzyme labelled nucleic acid probe colony blot assay, and with the Campyslide TM (BBL Microbiology Systems, Cockeysville, MD), a latex agglutination test. The sensitivity and overall agreement of both the SNAP and Campyslide tests were 100% in comparison with standard culture and identification tests. In addition, 14 C. jejuni , two C. laridis , and one ‘ C. upsaliensis ’, and one C. hyointestinalis , all fresh isolates from acutely ill patients, were detected with both tests. Ninety-eight faecal specimens from acutely ill patients were tested within 48 h using the probe based SNAP Diagnostic Test Kit (Molecular Biosystems, Inc.). Results were compared with standard culture. The probe test detected 4 6 specimens positive by culture; sensitivity was 66%. However, the two culture positive specimens, undetected by the probe test, had pathogens present at levels well below the probe test sensitivity (10 5 CFU g −1 stool). Specificity of the probe test was 98% ( 90 92 negative specimens) compared to culture. The results of this study demonstrate the accuracy of enzyme labelled oligonucleotide probes in the identification of C. jejuni isolated on culture and suggest a potential role for such probes in the direct detection of campylobacter in clinical faecal specimens.
The interface between physical and mental disorders: The need to dismantle the biopsychosocialneuroimmunological model of disease.

This article argues for the necessity of cognitive-behavioral assessment for a thorough understanding of how psychological factors mediate disease process across a wide range of diseases including coronary artery disease, breast cancer, and human immunodeficiency disease. Based on empirical data presented as part of the APA Presidential miniconvention, “To Your Health: Psychology through the Life Span,” the conclusion is that psychological treatment can help extend life. Stress management programs can positively influence adherence to treatment regimens and positively influence the human immune system response during the course of treatment and recovery from illness. Even in the face of life-threatening circumstances such as liver transplantation, Stage II and III breast cancer, and after HIV infection has been diagnosed, the quality of life can be remarkably improved. Physicians and psychologists must work together to produce the beneficial effects of the synergy between mind-body processes.
Temperature anisotropy of the Jovian sulfur nebula

The apparent paradox between the reported observation of a 3-eV gyration energy of Jupiter's ionized sulfur nebula and its observed thickness is discussed. An observation of the thickness of the cloud taken nearly edge-on is presented and shown to imply a large bounce-averaged anisotropy of the sulfur in temperature. These observations are used to construct a self-consistent model of the sulfur nebula in which the sulfur ions are injected by Io as ions and remain sufficiently collisionless in the magnetosphere to maintain the anisotropy for a time longer than a characteristic diffusion time. It is also shown that the proton-electron plasma is collisionally thermalized and provides an adequate means of tapping the rotational energy of the planet to provide the power radiated in the sulfur lines.