cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sustaining Sanak Island, Alaska: A Cultural Land Trust

Sanak Island is the easternmost of the Aleutian Islands and was inhabited by the Aleut (Unangan) peoples for nearly 7000 years. The past few centuries of Sanak Island life for its Aleut residents can be summarized from ethnohistoric documents and extensive interviews with former residents as shifting local-global economic patterns beginning with the sea otter fur trade, followed by cod and salmon fishing, fox farming, and cattle ranching through waves of Russian, American, and Scandinavian authority and/or influence. As the industries changed and the island absorbed new peoples with new goals, Aleut identity and practices also changed as part of these shifting economic and social environments. Sanak Island was abandoned in the 1970s and although uninhabited today, Sanak Island is managed as an important land trust for the island's descendants that serves local peoples as a marine-scape rich in resources for Aleut subsistence harvesting and as a local heritage site where people draw on the diverse historical influences and legacies. Further, this move from an industrial heritage to contemporary local subsistence economies facilitated by a commercial fishing industry is a unique reversal of development in the region with broad implications for community sustainability among indigenous communities. We find that by being place-focused, rather than place-based, community sustainability can be maintained even in the context of relocation and the loss of traditional villages. This will likely become more common as indigenous peoples adapt to globalization and the forces of global change.
UTD Double Diffraction Within Structure Interaction

The modeling of complex environments can be very challenging. The uniform geometrical theory of diffraction (UTD) has proven to be very useful in this endeavor especially for large scalable geometries in terms of a wavelength. Most of the time including only a few ray types produces very good engineering results. However, in some cases the need for higher order terms becomes necessary. For example, double diffraction can become important near box like objects which can occur in vehicle or indoor and outdoor propagation situations. Tiberio et al. have recently developed improvements leading to a general uniform theoretical solution near shadow boundaries. This paper discusses implementation of enhancements related to multiple interactions with surrounding structures, i.e., through wall propagation
The South Asian Monsoon and the Tropospheric Biennial Oscillation

A mechanism is described that involves the south Asian monsoon as an active part of the tropospheric biennial oscillation (TBO) described in previous studies. This mechanism depends on coupled land‐atmosphere‐ocean interactions in the Indian sector, large-scale atmospheric east‐west circulations in the Tropics, convective heating anomalies over Africa and the Pacific, and tropical‐midlatitude interactions in the Northern Hemisphere. A key element for the monsoon role in the TBO is land‐sea or meridional tropospheric temperature contrast, with areaaveraged surface temperature anomalies over south Asia that are able to persist on a 1-yr timescale without the heat storage characteristics that contribute to this memory mechanism in the ocean. Results from a global coupled general circulation model show that soil moisture anomalies contribute to land-surface temperature anomalies (through latent heat flux anomalies) for only one season after the summer monsoon. A global atmospheric GCM in perpetual January mode is run with observed SSTs with specified convective heating anomalies to demonstrate that convective heating anomalies elsewhere in the Tropics associated with the coupled ocean‐atmosphere biennial mechanism can contribute to altering seasonal midlatitude circulation. These changes in the midlatitude longwave pattern, forced by a combination of tropical convective heating anomalies over East Africa, Southeast Asia, and the western Pacific (in association with SST anomalies), are then able to maintain temperature anomalies over south Asia via advection through winter and spring to set up the land‐sea meridional tropospheric temperature contrast for the subsequent monsoon. The role of the Indian Ocean, then, is to provide a moisture source and a low-amplitude coupled response component for meridional temperature contrast to help drive the south Asian monsoon. The role of the Pacific is to produce shifts in regionally coupled convection‐SST anomalies. These regions are tied together and mutually interact via the large-scale east‐west circulation in the atmosphere and contribute to altering midlatitude circulations as well. The coupled model results, and experiments with an atmospheric GCM that includes specified convective heating anomalies, suggest that the influence of south Asian snow cover in the monsoon is not a driving force by itself, but is symptomatic of the larger-scale shift in the midlatitude longwave pattern associated with tropical SST and convective heating anomalies.
Design of Digital Tri-mode Adaptive-Output Buck–Boost Power Converter for Power-Efficient Integrated Systems

An integrated buck-boost converter with a tri-mode digital control is presented. It employs an adaptive step-up/down voltage conversion to enable a wide range of output voltage. This is beneficial to the ever-increasing electronic systems that employ dynamic voltage scaling (DVS) techniques for power-efficient operations. Three control modes are employed in the converter to operate jointly and seamlessly for performance optimization during the periods of start-up, steady state, and dynamic voltage/load transient states. To avoid latch-up problem and minimize leakage current, an automatic substrate switching circuit (ASSC) is introduced. The design was fabricated in a 0.35-?m digital CMOS N-well process, with a die area of 1.3 mm2. It precisely regulates an adaptively adjustable power output from 0.9 to 3.0 V. The maximum efficiency is 96.5%, which is measured at 0.9-V output and 45-mW load power. The efficiency remains above 50% over the entire 800-mW power range. The converter responds to a 45-mA load step transient change within 600 ns. The DVS tracking speed is 37 ?s/V for a 1-V step-down change and is 150 ?s/V for a 1-V step-up change. With a line regulation of 20.4 mV/V, the converter functions robustly when the input power source frequently varies between 1.6 and 3.3 V. The ASSC consumes only 88- ?W static power.
Globalization, Health, and the Environment: An Integrated Perspective

Globalization, Health, and the Environment: An Integrated Perspective. Greg Guest, ed. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield, 2006. 274 pp.
Nonlinear Modified PI Control of Multi-Module GCSCs in a Large Power System

This paper presents the design of a new control strategy for Gate-Controlled Series Compensators (GCSCs). GCSCs are new FACTS devices which can provide active power flow control on a transmission line. Proper placement of GCSCs in proximity to generators can also provide damping to system oscillations. This paper has investigated the effectiveness of multiple Multi-Module Gate Controlled Series Compensators (MMGCSCs) for large power systems. MMGCSCs can be less expensive devices with wide range of control of capacitive reactance in series with transmission lines. A Nonlinear Modified PI (NMPI) control is developed to provide power flow control and enhanced transient stability margin of the multi-machine power system. The NMPI is designed using a multi-layer neural network to approximate the blocking angle from the effective capacitive compensation provided by PI controller. A neural network with few neurons trained offline is used as an approximator /estimator for each MMGCSCs. This method has been shown effective for small and large disturbances on the IEEE 39 bus power system.
Exercise tolerance in congestive heart failure: Role of cardiac function, peripheral blood flow, and muscle metabolism and effect of treatment

The underlying pathophysiology in most patients with congestive heart failure is depressed systolic functron of the left ventricle, resulting from either loss of muscle (e.g., myocardial infarction) or diminished contractility. This causes several central hemodynamic changes: (1) decreased cardiac output during exercise or, in more severe congestive heart failure, at rest; (2) elevated left ventricular filling pressures, again with exercise or activity, if not at rest; (3) elevated pulmonary artery and central venous pressures, when congestive heart failure is severe and chronic. These hemodynamic changes lead to signs and symptoms, including dyspnea, fluid retention, exercise intolerance, and peripheral organ dysfunction. This concept of the pathophysiology of congestive heart failure in which the heart and circulation are viewed as a pump and conduit system is, however, an oversimplification. In reality, much of the clinical presehtation of patients with tiongestive heart failure reflects compensatory responses to the underlying myocardial dysfunction, and much of the treatment is devoted to ameliorating excessive manifestations of these adaptive mechanisms. Many of the compensatory responses in congestive heart failure are mediated by neuroendocrine responses and result in changes in the peripheral circulation and organ function, which may themselves negatively influence cardiac function clinical status, and prognosis. Thus, the heart and the periphery are tightly linked, although not always in a simple manner. This article examines one aspect of the periphery, namely, skeletal muscle, and relates changes in muscle blood flow and metaboiism to one of the cardinal manifestations of congestive heart failure-exercise intolerance.
The Panic of 1857: Origins, Transmission, and Containment

We explain the origins of the Panic of 1857, examine its spread, and compare state banking systems' responses. We describe the decline in western land and railroad investments and the consequent stress on securities brokers and banks in eastern cities, and trace the transmission of the shock to other regions. Bank performance depended not only on regional conditions and links to eastern banks, but on the ability to coordinate behavior. Southern branch banks and coinsuring banks in Ohio and Indiana were particularly successful.
A new scaleable freeze-thaw technology for bulk protein solutions

A new method of freeze-thaw is described using experimental data obtained from freezing of purified rhGH (recombinant human growth hormone). The method is based on freezing protein solutions in rectangular rather than cylindrical containers. It is hypothesized that the change in container geometry allows for linear scale-up of the freeze-thaw operation based on equivalency of temperature-time profile. The hypothesis is tested using freeze-thaw data from a miniature (30 ml) and a 2.4 litre container. Computational fluid dynamics techniques are used to simulate the freeze process and the simulations are compared with experimental results. Protein quality is assessed as a function of freeze conditions using dynamic light scattering, circular CD, size-exclusion and reverse-phase HPLC measurements. The results demonstrate the applicability of the new approach. Freezing of rhGH solution at concentrations of approx. 30 mg/ml is shown to be possible with no damage to the molecule for up to five cycles of freeze-thaw. A nitrogen blast chest-freezer is designed and evaluated as part of the process. The refrigeration system and the freeze-thaw method can be used to freeze-thaw bulk protein solutions for development work and has the potential for transfer to manufacturing.
Transformation to a Web-Based Preservice Training Program: A Case Study.

In this article, the authors describe how they transformed their interdisciplinary personnel preparation program in early intervention from a traditional classroom format to a primarily Web-based format. The authors used force field analysis, informed by survey results of faculty and practitioners, to examine the external and internal factors that served as driving and restraining forces and found that internal forces, such as idea champions and the university's organization, were crucial components in driving change. In addition, data-based decision making was central to informing the direction of change.
Spin relaxation in charged quantum dots measured by coherent optical phase modulation spectroscopy

Measurements of the electron spin relaxation rate(T1)in charged GaAs quantum dots are made using a new nonlinear optical phase-modulation spectroscopy technique. The measured results of T1 as a function of magnetic field and temperature are best explained in terms of the spin relaxation by the phonon-assisted Dresselhaus spin‐orbit scattering. T1 approaches 34 µs at zero magnetic field at 4.5 K.
Spiritual Values, Religious Practices, and Democratic Attitudes

Using data from the 1999–2001 World Values and European Values Surveys, this article examines the impact of spiritual values and religious practices on democratic attitudes in twenty countries throughout Western Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Africa. I assume that a reciprocal interaction between national conditions and individual orientations shapes support for democracy. Religious commitment as theological orthodoxy and attendance at religious services does not strengthen democratic views. Instead, explicitly political and cultural variables explain approval for democratic principles, particularly among industrialized countries. Individuals who express a low fear of threatening groups also back democratic institutions, regardless of a nation's industrialization. Among religious affiliations, Protestants in developing countries advocate democratic values. So do Muslims in industrialized countries. Nonmembers of religious institutions, however, are less likely to uphold democratic attitudes.
Divorce as an Influence in Return Migration to Rural Areas

This qualitative study focuses on individuals who moved back to rural US communities in relatively isolated areas with modest levels of natural amenities. Open-ended interviews at high school reunions revealed that a subset of return migration was driven by marital separation and divorce. This research sets out to explore why after divorce people return to rural areas, despite what are often limited economic opportunities. Findings suggest that both people and place shape return migration decisions after divorce: an individual's functional and emotional support networks, provided by people, work with the physical and affective attributes offered by place. Return migration to rural areas after divorce can be seen as a strategy to adapt to post-divorce changes and to cope with the trauma and vulnerabilities that can accompany divorce. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Aluminum, boron, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, and zinc: concentrations in common western foods and estimated daily intakes by infants; toddlers; and male and female adolescents, adults, and seniors in the United States.

Intakes of 12 minerals by various population groups within the USA were estimated, to allow calculation of molar to molar elemental ratios in individual foods and total diet, and to facilitate evaluation of mineral pairs with demonstrated competitive metabolism (e.g. Ca and Fe). Age groups examined were infants (6–11 months), toddlers (2 yr), adolescents (14–16 yr), adults (25–30 yr) and elderly subjects (60–65 yr); adolescent, adult and elderly groups were further subdivided into males and females, giving a total of 8 age-sex groups. 234 foods taken as representative of the average US diet were analysed for the 12 minerals and estimates of daily intake of each analysed food were made for each age-sex group, based on the Total Diet Study model. For all groups, grain products accounted for >50% of total daily Al intake. Infant foods supplied 47% of B intake, whereas for toddlers, B intake from fruit and fruit juices was twice than from milk/cheese. For adolescents, milk/cheese foods were the single most important source of B, whereas for adults/elderly, the most significant source was beverages (largely instant coffee). Milk/cheese products supplied most Ca for all groups (44–70%). For all groups except infants, meat/poultry/fish was the most important source of Cu (19–43%), whilst for infants, infant foods were the main source (48%). Grain products provided most dietary Fe (34–46%) for all groups except infants, who relied upon infant foods for Fe. Milk/cheese foods contributed heavily to Mg intakes of infants (34%), toddlers (25%) and adolescents (20–22%), whereas beverages contributed most Mg to diets of adults and elderly (17–21%). Apart from infants, all groups received most Mn from grain products (29–45%). Milk/cheese supplied most Mb to infants, toddlers and adolescents (27–40%), as well as most P (32–48%). Adults and elderly subjects gained most P from meat/poultry/fish. Milk/cheese provided most K for infants, toddlers and adolescents (28–42%), whereas meat/poultry/fish served this role for adults and elderly subjects. The primary source of Na for infants was milk/cheese and for all other groups, except adult males, the primary Na source was grain products. The primary source of Zn was meat/poultry/fish for all groups except infants.
Reducing anxiety in Alzheimer's disease family caregivers: The effectiveness of a nine-week cognitive-behavioral intervention

Although the literature is replete with studies examining the psychological concomitants and interventions for Alzheimer's disease (AD) family caregivers, a surprisingly small amount of research exists on anxiety. Given prevalence rates suggesting that anxiety significantly impacts one in three family caregivers, brief group cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) interventions may offer assistance. To assess CBT's effectiveness, 38 anxious AD family caregivers were recruited and randomly assigned to a nine-week group CBT intervention or to a waitlist control. Caregivers randomized to CBT demonstrated less anxiety on self-report and clinician-administered questionnaires than waitlist group participants at posttreatment and six-week follow-up assessments. A subsample of caregivers also demonstrated improved sleep, as assessed through actigraph measurements. Additional study is recommended with diverse anxious family caregiving groups to further investigate the effectiveness of brief CBT group interventions.
Wavelet representations for time-frequency concentrated signals

Time-frequency concentrated signals are defined in the paper as the class of signals whose Wigner distributions are concentrated in some region of the Wigner domain. The authors introduce the concept of the Kolmogorov n-width and the constrained n-width to quantitatively measure the ability of a basis to represent a time-frequency concentrated signal class (the cone-class signals). They select the best wavelet representation by comparing the constrained n-widths of different wavelet bases. An explicit formula is given to compute the Kolmogorov n-width for the cone-class signals. A globally convergent algorithm is proposed to calculate the constrained n-width for a given basis. >
Dance in a Haunted Space: Genre, Form, and the Middle English Carol

The premodern ghost in danced motion offers a visual, kinetic, and material language to express the Middle Ages’ perception of genre as a spatial phenomenon. This essay makes this case by drawing on the contemporary discourse of virtuality to consider the medieval ghost’s uses of space. The essay begins by positing the dancing ghost as emblematic of the carol as a particular genre. It then employs the ghost to clarify the carol genre’s relationship to its form. Ultimately, the essay suggests that the dancing ghost lends explicating shape to the broader concept of generic categorization.
Marital Status, Gender, and Sexual Orientation: Implications for Employment Hiring Decisions

Marital status and sexual orientation discrimination has been largely underresearched and has not been researched using working professionals, or with the incorporation of sexual orientation, marital status, and gender interactions. Additionally, with the growing acceptance of same-sex relationships, marriages, and partnerships, the interaction of marital status (i.e., applicants with or without a spouse) and sexual orientation bias in the workplace needs to be examined. Our study used an experimental design that manipulated gender, marital status, and sexual orientation in interview simulations and examined participants’ (N 365 working adults) hiring decisions. A significant 3-way interaction was found such that single lesbian women received significantly higher ratings when compared with married lesbian women, and married heterosexual women received significantly higher ratings compared with single heterosexual women. The study revealed that sexual orientation interacted with marital status in women’s ratings, but not for men. This research updates current knowledge about discrimination in employment settings and provides updated information on a topic for which the existing research has been largely outdated and underresearched.
Institutional Review Boards: Purpose and Challenges

Institutional review boards (IRBs) or research ethics committees provide a core protection for human research participants through advance and periodic independent review of the ethical acceptability of proposals for human research. IRBs were codified in US regulation just over three decades ago and are widely required by law or regulation in jurisdictions globally. Since the inception of IRBs, the research landscape has grown and evolved, as has the system of IRB review and oversight. Evidence of inconsistencies in IRB review and in application of federal regulations has fueled dissatisfaction with the IRB system. Some complain that IRB review is time-consuming and burdensome without clear evidence of effectiveness at protecting human subjects. Multiple proposals have been offered to reform or update the current IRB system, and many alternative models are currently being tried. Current focus on centralizing and sharing reviews requires more attention and evidence. Proposed changes to the US federal regulations may bring more changes. Data and resourcefulness are needed to further develop and test review and oversight models that provide adequate and respectful protections of participant rights and welfare and that are appropriate, efficient, and adaptable for current and future research. CHEST 2015; 148(5):1148-1155
A Successful Early Postoperative Shunt Plate Erosion Repair-Case Report

An aqueous drainage shunt is a surgical option for refractory glaucoma. Conjunctival erosion over a shunt plate is a complication that frequently is recalcitrant to repair and requires explantation. This case illustrates a successful revision of an early postoperative shunt plate exposure repaired with a scleral patch graft with conjunctival repositioning as well as intensive medical immunomodulator therapy in a uveitic eye with glaucoma.
Choosing the Optimal Rigid Receptor for Docking and Scoring in the CSAR 2013/2014 Experiment.

The 2013/2014 Community Structure–Activity Resource (CSAR) challenge was designed to prospectively validate advancement in the field of docking and scoring receptor–small molecule interactions. Purely computational methods have been found to be quite limiting. Thus, the challenges assessed methods that combined both experimental data and computational approaches. Here, we describe our contribution to solve three important challenges in rational drug discovery: rank-ordering protein primary sequences based on affinity to a compound, determining close-to-native bound conformations out of a set of decoy poses, and rank-ordering sets of congeneric compounds based on affinity to a given protein. We showed that the most significant contribution to a meaningful enrichment of native-like models was the identification of the best receptor structure for docking and scoring. Depending on the target, the optimal receptor for cross-docking and scoring was identified by a self-consistent docking approach that used the ...
What is innovation anyway? Youth perspectives from resource-constrained environments

Innovation manifests itself in myriad forms in developing communities. A better understanding of the meaning and rationale for innovation, as perceived by the rapidly-growing youth population in developing countries, is pivotal to the design of practical and sustainable technology innovations and entrepreneurial ecosystems. This article presents the findings of interviews conducted with 271 youth across the rural, semi-urban, and urban areas of Kenya, Tanzania, India and Nicaragua. These provisional narratives explain how the next generation perceives innovation, and illustrates how cultural mechanisms and communal context bias innovative solutions for individual or community needs. The dynamic interdependence between innovation and the socio-cultural context is brought to life by juxtaposing narratives of respondents from Kenya and Tanzania, neighboring countries with starkly different histories. Different perceptions of what constitutes innovation is critical as it varies from location to location and impacts the likelihood of success of different technologies and innovations. Such similarities and differences in the major themes of innovations, driving factors, and rationales can inform and inspire innovators seeking to meld western and indigenous innovation frameworks to foster self-determined improvement of lives and livelihoods.
Women's hidden work.

The articles in this issue of New Solutions emerged from the 5th International Congress of Women, Work and Health held in Zacatecas, Mexico in 2008. They represent a small portion of the work presented at the Congress but provide a window into the critical work women do worldwide. From Brazil and Bolivia to Mexico, the United States, and Canada and across the Atlantic to Spain, these articles illustrate both common threads and differences in women’s experience of work and its impact on their health. They highlight women’s struggles to improve their health in a variety of arenas with an emphasis on the Americas. This issue begins in the North with accounts of Canadian domestic and U.S. home care workers, situated in the private sphere of the home, and their efforts to advocate for policy change from outside the system. It ends in the South with a description of women policy makers in Bolivia, situated in the public sphere of elected office, and their campaign to assert their right to change policy from within the system without fear of violence. Articles from Mexico document the impact of global and workplace policies on women and the need for change in the agricultural and maquiladora industries. Together with articles from Brazil and Spain, they illustrate the persistence of gender inequality in the domestic sphere and the effect on women who must juggle simultaneous work and family demands. The articles from Canada and the United States bring to the forefront the work of women who are employed to care for others in the often invisible domain of the home. Hanley and colleagues depict the plight of Filipina domestic workers in Quebec whose experiences are shaped by global policies that force women to leave their own families behind to care for others and by provincial policies that exclude domestic workers from workers’ compensation coverage. 415
Acceptors of fatty acid for glyceride synthesis in guinea pig mammary gland.

Glycerides are shown to be synthesized by two pathways in mammary tissue of lactating guinea pigs. One pathway involves the direct acylation of monoglycerides. The other pathway proceeds from the acylation of α-glycerophosphate through l -α-phosphatidic acids and d -α,β-diglycerides. Ethanol is also esterified by homogenates of lactating mammary gland.
Broadening participation: meeting the need for diverse faculty

The recent surge in student activism concerning the racial climate on college campuses has garnered national attention. Student groups are demanding institutional change at universities across the country, including an increased commitment to hire faculty of color in tenure-track positions. At the University of Missouri and Virginia Commonwealth University, for example, students have demanded that their institutions increase the percentage of black faculty members to 10% within the next two years.
The Transformation of Vehicle Body AVI System

This article is mainly about the transformation of the AVI system in SGMW East Paint Shop.Because the TAG(The read-writable chip with memory)and the handheld scanners are easy to be damaged in the process of usage and maintenance that doesn’t meet the requirement of low-cost manufacture,it is necessary to substitute the high cost TAG and handheld scanner for the low cost bar code and normal bar-code reader for reduce the production cost.
Research on Gas Chromatographic Determination for Ethyl Amyl Ketone Collected by Activated Charcoal in the Workplace Air

[Objective] Gas chromatography(GC)analysis method for ethyl amyl ketone in the workplace air using sampling by charcoal tube was studied and established.[ Methods] Adsorption on charcoal,solvent desorption and analysis by GC flame ionization detector(FID)were performed.[Results] The coefficient of variation for the whole analysis method in the range of 48.9～1 566.7 mg/m3 was 1.6%～3.7%. Regression formula was ^y = 34.49x - 671.25,r0.999 9. Determination limit was 4.9 μg/mL. Desorption efficiency was 94.2%,breakthrough volume(BTV)was more than 26 mg(100 mg altive carbon). After adsorbed 589.6 μg of ethyl amyl ketone with the charcoal tube,it was stabilized for two weeks,its recovery efficiency was 95.7%.[Conclusion] The results indicated that this quantitative GC method might be used to determine gaseous ethyl amyl ketone in the air of workplace.
Study of the Calibration Technique on the SF_6 Gas Leakage Imager

In order to check the sensitivity of the SF6gas leakage imager,this paper used the test method of helium mass spectrometry leak detector for reference,and developed a set of pressure leaks with different leakage rates and a gas supply system for the pressure leaks.Besides,a leak calibration system was trial-produced to calibrate the leakage rate of the standard leak,and experimental research was also conducted on the influencing factors(temperature,pressure)on the leakage rate of the leak.Finally,a preliminary verification was conducted on the SF6gas leakage imager(FLIR).
Effect of Frozen Storage and Vacuum-Packaging on Survival of Vibrio Vulnificus in Gulf Coast Oysters ( Crassostrea virginica ).

Vibrio vulnificus contamination of raw oysters is a serious public health hazard, therefore, it is necessary to investigate the persistence of V. vulnificus in harvested and stored oysters. For this study, triplicate oyster samples were split into four treatment groups: control, normal-packaged; control, vacuum-packaged; inoculated, normal-packaged; and inoculated, vacuum-packaged. Oysters in the inoculated groups were individually injected with V. vulnificus to a level of approximately 1 × 106 CFU/g. Control oysters were already naturally contaminated to a level of approximately 1 × 104 CFU/g. Oysters were then packaged, frozen and stored at -20°C. On day 0 and days 7, 14, 30 and 70 post-freezing, concentrations of total aerobic bacteria and V. vulnificus were determined using a 3-tube most probable number (MPN) estimation from enrichment Alkaline Peptone Water tubes with subsequent presumptive V. vulnificus growth on modified Cellobiose-Polymyxin B-Colistin agar. Length of frozen storage had a significant effect on decreasing total aerobic bacteria (from approximately 106 CFU/g to approximately 102.5 CFU/g) and V. vulnificus (from approximately 105 CFU/g to approximately 101 CFU/g). Also, vacuum-packaged samples showed significantly lower concentrations of V. vulnificus over the length of the study than did the normal-sealed samples.
Acarbose improved glycemic control in type 2 diabetes

Source Citation Chiasson JL, Josse RG, Hunt JA, et al. The efficacy of acarbose in the treatment of patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. A multicenter controlled clinical trial. A...
Pdgf signalling guides neural crest contribution to the haematopoietic stem cell specification niche

Damm et al. demonstrate that trunk neural crest cell migration to the dorsal aorta in zebrafish is regulated by platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) signalling and required for haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) specification.
Far above bandgap photonics: attosecond dynamics of highly excited electrons in materials

Tabletop-scale coherent EUV generated through high-harmonic generation (HHG) produces light in the form of an attosecond pulse train that uniquely combines characteristics of good energy resolution (≈100-300meV) with sub-fs time resolution. This makes HHG an ideal source for studying the fastest dynamics in materials. Furthermore, using angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), it is possible to extract detailed information about electron dynamics over the entire Brillouin zone. In recently published work, we combined HHG with ARPES to identify a sub-femtosecond excited-state lifetime for the first time. Photoemission occurs as a three-step process: 1) An electron is photoexcited from the valence band to far above the Fermi energy; 2) it transports to the surface, and 3) it overcomes the work function and exits. If the electron is promoted into a highlyexcited unoccupied band in the material (as opposed to a free-electron-like state), we observe the electron emission lifetime to increase in a measurable way—the Ni band 22 eV above the Fermi level has a lifetime of 212±30 attoseconds. Furthermore, by comparing photoemission from Cu and Ni, we reveal the influence of attosecond-timescale electron screening vs scattering by the electrons near the fermi surface. This work for the first time demonstrates the relevance of attosecond spectroscopy to the study of intrinsic properties and band structure in materials, as opposed to the strong-field induced dynamics studied extensively to-date.
Effect of Branch Spacing on Losses for Dividing Flow

Since few data are available regarding the effect of branch spacing on discharge and energy loss coefficients for dividing flow, tests were conducted for a line manifold using three branches. A branch geometry typical of an actual diffuser design was used, and the branch to main pipe diameter ratio and the relative spacing between branches was varied by increments. The variation in discharge coefficient is presented as a function of the ratio of velocity head to total head, whereas loss coefficients are plotted versus relative velocity. A family of curves for each diameter ratio shows the effect of relative branch spacing. Test data indicated that the branch discharge coefficient increased and branch losses decreased with a decrease in spacing due to the change in velocity profile in the main pipe. However, the loss coefficient for flow past the branch in the main pipe increased with a decrease in spacing.
Improving Narrative Production in Children With Language Disorders: An Early-Stage Efficacy Study of a Narrative Intervention Program.

Purpose As noted in this forum, more research is needed to support the work of school-based speech-language pathologists who are designing and implementing interventions for students with language ...
Factor of Risk for Fracture

In considering the risk of fracture, both the loading applied to a bone and strength of the bone are of importance. A conceptually simple approach for considering both loading and strength is the factor of risk, Φ, which is the ratio of applied load to failure load for a particular loading scenario. Theoretically a fracture will occur if Φ ≥ 1. The factor of risk may provide a better measure for risk of fracture than current clinical measures such as bone mineral density. However, the challenges of accurately determining both applied load and failure load are significant. A number of studies have examined factor of risk for hip, vertebral and distal forearm fractures. At all three locations, factor of risk has been found to increase with age, and to be associated with incident or prevalent fractures. While some studies show promising results, the factor of risk has not been consistently better than bone mineral density alone in predicting the risk of fracture. However, it should be noted that the approaches used to estimate applied load and failure load in most studies have been relatively simple. Furthermore, only a few loading conditions have been investigated, primarily fall impact to the side for the hip, forward flexion/lifting for the vertebral body and forward fall onto the hand for the distal forearm. Thus, in spite of its limitations and challenges, factor of risk may still provide significant insight into the etiology of osteoporotic fractures, especially as methods for determining bone loading and strength improve.
Different monocyte reaction patterns in newly diagnosed, untreated rheumatoid arthritis and lupus patients probably confer disparate C-reactive protein levels.

Objectives To investigate the different capacities of monocytes to produce cytokines in newly diagnosed, untreated patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or systemic lupus and to examine the possible correlation among serum C-reactive protein (CRP), cytokines, swollen joint counts, and erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESR) in untreated RA patients. Methods Monocytes from untreated RA or lupus patients were cultured in vitro with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, as bacterial infection) or immune complexes (as endogenous immune deviation) and supernatants were collected for cytokine determination. Sera from RA patients were assayed for interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1 beta, IL-10, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra). These cytokines were related to serum CRP, swollen joint counts, and ESR. Results RA monocytes uniformly produced IL-6, IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, or IL-10 in vitro. In contrast, lupus monocytes could be divided into two subsets: (i) monocytes which produce cytokines on LPS stimulation but not on challenging with immune complexes; and (ii) monocytes which, interestingly, generate cytokines on stimulation by immune complexes but not LPS. These cytokines in turn stimulate the liver to synthesize CRP differently in the SLE subsets and RA patients. Moreover, serum IL-1ra levels correlated significantly with serum IL-6, IL-1 beta, and TNF-alpha concentrations (p = 0.005, 0.008, or 0.040, respectively), but not with IL-10 (p = 0.582) in RA patients. Conclusions Two lupus subsets exist that react either to LPS or immune complexes to produce CRP-inducing cytokines, in contrast to homogeneous RA monocytes. This is the first report that different reaction patterns of CRP-inducing cytokine production in RA and lupus monocytes probably underlie the high CRP levels in RA versus low heterogeneity in lupus. The correlation of serum IL-1ra levels with serum IL-6, IL-1 beta, or TNF-alpha concentrations, and the borderline correlation of the former with CRP levels, demonstrate that IL-1ra is an acute phase reactant in RA as well as in SLE patients.
Lipid Metabolism and Ultrastructural Changes During Sporulation in Fungi

The process of sporulation in fungi is a complex interaction, a subject area that has fascinated scientists for many years. Yet sporulation has been difficult to investigate from biochemical and ultrastructural points of view. Several factors handicap investigations of sporulation. One factor is that the initiation of sporulation is not always predictable, as compared to the germination process which can be initiated in a synchronized or nearly synchronized process usually by adding water, a specific nutrient, or by activation. Sporulation initiation involves nutrition, light, inhibitors, stimulators, and other environmental conditions. Often these multiple factors interact. Because of the complex nature of the sporulation process, less information is available than for spore germination. Some investigators(1) are studying antisporulation chemicals in order to prevent sporulation of plant pathogens.
Chess game for affirmative action at UFRJ

In this paper, we analyze the process that lead the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) to adopt affirmative action admission in the early 2010s. For a long time UFRJ was nationally considered the headquarters of anti-affirmative action. So, why did that University finally take that decision? Our analysis revealed that the debate on affirmative action in that university was entangled in a wider discussion on higher education reform. This finding can help us to understand fundamental aspects of the true spirit of the quotas approved in that university. In the mid-2000s, UFRJ officers underestimated the necessity to be prepared for the symbolic, cultural and political changes that the increasing diversity inside the student body would bring. How deeply the lack of a substantial reflection on race, ethnicity, gender and class may expose UFRJ community to a chronic incapacity to address those contradictions when they become evident?
Applications for Nanoscale X-ray Imaging at High Pressure

Abstract Coupling nanoscale transmission X-ray microscopy (nanoTXM) with a diamond anvil cell (DAC) has exciting potential as a powerful three-dimensional probe for non-destructive imaging at high spatial resolution of materials under extreme conditions. In this article, we discuss current developments in high-resolution X-ray imaging and its application in high-pressure nanoTXM experiments in a DAC with third-generation synchrotron X-ray sources, including technical considerations for preparing successful measurements. We then present results from a number of recent in situ high-pressure measurements investigating equations of state (EOS) in amorphous or poorly crystalline materials and in pressure-induced phase transitions and electronic changes. These results illustrate the potential this technique holds for addressing a wide range of research areas, ranging from condensed matter physics and solid-state chemistry to materials science and planetary interiors. Future directions for this exciting technique and opportunities to improve its capabilities for broader application in high-pressure science are discussed.
Diagnostic delay and colectomy risk in pediatric ulcerative colitis.

Abstract Background/purpose Diagnostic delay or time to diagnosis, and its relationship with colectomy risk has been studied in adult Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), but rarely in pediatric IBD (PIBD), especially pediatric ulcerative colitis (P-UC), which often has a more severe course than adult UC. This study compared the relationship between diagnostic delay and colectomy in P-UC. Methods The medical records of P-UC patients, ages Results Twenty (20 = 18.9%) patients progressed to colectomy, and 86 did not. There was no significant difference in diagnostic delay between the patients undergoing colectomy with UC (C-UC) and those with no colectomy (NC-UC) (p = 0.2192). The median (C-UC = 7.1 weeks; NC-UC = 11.9 weeks) and mean (C-UC = 16.5 weeks ± 4.7; NC-UC = 20.1 ± 2.6) diagnostic delay actually tended to be shorter in C-UC compared to NC-UC. Fecal calprotectin levels were significantly higher (p = 0.0228) in C-UC than NC-UC patients at diagnosis. Conclusions Shorter time to diagnosis may reflect disease severity at the time of disease onset and also a more aggressive subsequent course of P-UC. The significantly higher level of fecal calprotectin in the C-UC patients at diagnosis provided biologic/biochemical support for our conclusion. Levels of evidence Prognosis study, Level III evidence.
Staging Treatment Intensity and Defining Resistant Depression: Historical Overview and Future Directions

Objective To review existing staging models and definitions of treatment-resistant depression (TRD) and offer future directions within the context of up-to-date evidence. Data sources A PubMed search was conducted on February 25, 2018, for articles in English on TRD staging or definition using the following keywords: depressive disorder, treatment-resistant OR treatment resistant depression cross-referenced with staging OR degree OR level OR definition. Relevant cross-references from identified articles were also included. Study selection A total of 18 articles were identified that included a proposed TRD staging model, a proposed TRD definition, empirical work to support a model or definition, or any combination thereof. Data extraction Included articles were summarized in chronological order in terms of the date the TRD staging model (and accompanying TRD definition if applicable) was first proposed. Findings from validation studies pertaining to staging or definition were then synthesized. Results Five staging models were identified. Strengths identified across staging models include rigorous assessment of adequacy of treatment, differentiation of resistance versus symptom return, assignment of equal weights to different pharmacotherapies, and accounting for augmentation. Future considerations should include differential weighting to specific augmentation agents based on available evidence, added weight to electroconvulsive therapy and ketamine treatments, and the addition of evidence-based psychotherapies. Dichotomous versus continuous approaches to TRD diagnosis were considered, with the latter (beginning with 1 failed trial) best explaining available data from large trials. Conclusions The most up-to-date evidence in the literature should guide future research in the definition and staging of TRD.
Preparation of Mouse Retinal Cryo-sections for Immunohistochemistry

Preparation of high-quality mouse eye sections for immunohistochemistry (IHC) is critical for assessing the retinal structure and function and for determining the mechanisms underlying retinal diseases. Maintaining structural integrity throughout the tissue preparation is vital for obtaining reproducible retinal IHC data but can be challenging due to the fragility and complexity of retinal cytoarchitecture. Strong fixatives like 10% formalin or Bouin's solution optimally preserve the retinal structure, they often impede IHC analysis by enhancing the background fluorescence and/or diminishing antibody-epitope interactions, a process known as epitope masking. Milder fixatives, on the other hand, like 4% paraformaldehyde, reduces background fluorescence and epitope-masking, meticulous dissection techniques must be utilized to preserve the retinal structure. In this article, we present a comprehensive method to prepare mouse ocular posterior cups for IHC that is sufficient to preserve most antibody-epitope interactions without loss of retinal structural integrity. We include representative IHC with antibodies to various retinal cell type markers to illustrate tissue preservation and orientation under optimal and sub-optimal conditions. Our goal is to optimize IHC studies of the retina by providing a complete protocol from ocular posterior cup dissection to IHC.
Rightward directional bias in art produced by cultures without a written language.

In this study, we coded art painted on rocks located in southern Africa, which was painted with a mixture of ochre, blood, and clay by the San, a Neolithic culture with no written language. These i...